Airs: Mondays at 8 a.m. on WDCA. Premise: The half-hour series, which premiered Jan. 2, features three animated shorts, with cat-and-dog tandem Shnookums and Meat; superhero Pith Possum; and Tex Tinstar, who faces certain death at the end of each episode -- only to return intact for the next show. Big Picture: Disney's "Monday Mania" is designed to give artists a "chance to experiment with their personal expression of comedy," said Gary Krisel, president of Walt Disney Television Animation. "This is where the next Chuck Jones, Tex Avery or Ward Kimball will be given the opportunity to pursue their potential." The only requirement for creator-writer Bill Kopp (an original "Simpsons" collaborator) and director Jeff DeGrandis is that the show has to be funny. Quote to Note: "We only make what we think is funny," DeGrandis said in a release. "We don't worry about what anybody else thinks. So far, it's worked out great -- my kids love the show!" Appeal: The show features antic side references to movies and fads, bizarre visuals and a wild, surrealistic flavor. The intentionally disjointed storylines and off-the-wall humor also rely heavily on violence. Strengths: The supporting segments are more appealing than the title characters, in large part because of the hilarious voice work of Jeff Bennett. The "Animaniacs" star injects a lot of life (and some Elvis) into the superhero spoof "Pith Possum: Super Dynamic Possum of Tomorrow" and the zany cliffhanger, "Tex Tinstar: The Best in the West." Other voices of reason: The show also features Jason Marsden, Frank Welker, Tress MacNeille, Charlie Adler, Jim Cummings, Jess Harnell and April Winchell. Oddly, the least entertaining are Welker (Meat), best known as the monkey Abu in "Aladdin," and Marsden (Shnookums), a teenager who has played Alan Quartermaine Jr. on "General Hospital," Eddie Munster on "The Munsters Today" and young Buddy Young Jr. in "Mr. Saturday Night." Nutritional lesson: "Possum" is better than "Meat."
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