Meet the Raisins!
Meet the Raisins! | |
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![]() VHS cover for the film. | |
Created by | California Raisin Advisory Board Will Vinton Studios |
Based on | The California Raisins |
Screenplay by | Arthur Sellers |
Story by | Barry Bruce Mark Gustafson Craig Bartlett Arthur Sellers |
Directed by | Will Vinton Barry Bruce |
Starring | Karreem David Scully David Downing Ted Roisum Todd Tolces P.Q. Baer Tim Conner Randy Patterson Marly Stone |
Country of origin | United States |
Production | |
Running time | 27 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | CBS |
Original release | November 4, 1988 |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | A Claymation Christmas Celebration (1987) |
Followed by | The Raisins: Sold Out!: The California Raisins II (1990) |
Meet the Raisins! is a 1988 claymation television special directed by Will Vinton, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. The show was broadcast November 4, 1988, on the U.S. television network CBS during primetime.[1] It was the Raisins' second appearance in a primetime special and their first dedicated feature. Meet the Raisins! was followed by a sequel in 1990, Raisins: Sold Out! This special premiered after one of the This Is America, Charlie Brown specials.
For the first time, the California Raisins were given individual names and characterizations: A.C. Arborman (vocals), his younger brother Beebop Arborman (drums), their cousin Red Raisin (guitar/piano), and their friend Stepford "Stretch" Thompson (bass).[2]
The 24-minute special shortly followed its similarly titled soundtrack album released on August 8, 1988 on Atlantic Records. Aired during the characters' peak in popularity, Meet the Raisins! is presented in a mockumentary style depicting the Raisins' musical career. It was nominated for the 1989 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.
Plot[]
Meet the Raisins! spoofs musical documentaries with its use of anthropomorphic produce characters. Through its historical perspective, the special also provided an opportunity to elaborate on the personalities and introduce names of the simple yet popular characters. It follows the California Raisins' humble beginnings, rise to musical success, fall from stardom, and eventual comeback. This includes "home movie" clips, scenes of the group's early days as the Vine-Yls, concert footage, and interviews with the people behind the success of the California Raisins, including manager Rudy Bagaman. The group is also shown performing various hit songs.
Reception[]
The special gained praise for its witty, family-friendly humor, as well as its impressive clay animation, which was state-of-the-art at the time.[3][4]
Award nominations[]
- 1989 Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program
Soundtrack[]
Meet the Raisins! | |
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Soundtrack album by The California Raisins | |
Released | August 29, 1988 |
Genre | Soundtrack |
Label | Atlantic |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Meet the Raisins! is the official soundtrack to the CBS television special of the same name.[5] It consists of early rock & roll as well as R&B hits largely from the Motown era.
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine," the group's signature song, reached #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. The soundtrack received praise from Allmusic's Peter Fawthrop who named it an AMG Album Pick.
Track listing[]
- "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"
- "Shotgun"
- "Green Onions"
- "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
- "At the Hop"
- "Get a Job"
- "Cool Jerk"
- "Tears on My Pillow"
- "Tutti Frutti"
- "Papa Oom Mow Mow"
- "Sh-Boom"
- "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
Chart positions[]
Singles[]
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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1988 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Hot 100 | 84 |
Releases[]
Meet the Raisins! was released on VHS on March 14, 1989. It was re-released on September 12, 1990 with a California Raisin plush doll.
The special was released on DVD November 15, 2011. Included in the set is the sequel to the claymation special, The Raisins: Sold Out!: The California Raisins II along with all 13 episodes of the animated series, The California Raisin Show and 4 original TV ads.[6]
The Raisins Sold Out!: The California Raisins II[]
The Raisins Sold Out!: The California Raisins II | |
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Created by | California Raisin Advisory Board Will Vinton Studios |
Based on | The California Raisins |
Written by | Rowby Goren |
Directed by | Will Vinton |
Starring | Brian Cummings Jim Cummings Dorian Harewood Brian Mitchell David Scully Todd Tolces |
Country of origin | United States |
Production | |
Running time | 24 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | CBS |
Original release | August 29, 1990 |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Meet the Raisins! (1988) |
The Raisins Sold Out!: The California Raisins II is a 1990 claymation television special directed by Will Vinton, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. The show was broadcast August 29, 1990, on the U.S. television network CBS during primetime. It was the sequel to the Emmy-nominated special Meet the Raisins! in 1988.
This special has the band hiring a slick-talking new manager, Leonard Limabean, in an attempt to make a comeback. Under his guidance, the Raisins try their hand at various new musical genres, including Disco Polka, Country Rap, and Demolition Rock, to humorous effect. The group's troubles begin to manifest, however, upon the replacement of singer A.C. with their manager's young protégé, Lick Broccoli.
Reception[]
Valerie Monroe of Entertainment Weekly gave the special a mediocre C+ review. She described it as "a lot like traditional Saturday-morning cartoon fare: harmless, but not especially enriching."[7]
Releases[]
As was its predecessor, The Raisins: Sold Out! was released in VHS.
The special was released on DVD November 15, 2011. Included in the set is the original claymation special, Meet the Raisins! along with all 13 episodes of the animated series, The California Raisin Show and 4 original TV ads.[8]
References[]
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 295. ISBN 0816038317. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ Fawthrop, Peter Meet the Raisins! Allmusic. Retrieved on 5-14-11.
- ^ Hal Erickson, Rovi Meet the Raisins The New York Times. Retrieved on 5-14-11.
- ^ Meet the Raisins! Amazon.com. Retrieved 5-14-11.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-24. Retrieved 2012-02-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Monroe, Valerie Raisins: Sold Out! Entertainment Weekly (August 24, 1990). Retrieved on 5-14-11.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-24. Retrieved 2012-02-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links[]
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Meet the Raisins! |
- 1988 television films
- 1988 films
- American animated television films
- American satirical films
- American films
- 1980s American television specials
- Animated comedy films
- CBS original programming
- Film spin-offs
- Films about music and musicians
- American mockumentary films
- Stop-motion animated short films
- 1988 television specials
- 1980s American animated films
- Works based on advertisements