Hello, hello...

[Ditchy McAbandonpants]

Ah, I like introductions pages. They're so cheerful.

First, a belated Merry Christmas to you all! I happened upon Never Forgotten via the link from Craig McCracken's lovely (though infrequently updated) BLOGregard Q. Kazoo production site, and I must say that it's really great to find a decent fansite for this wonderful show.

By way of an introduction, this is my own Foster's story...I've never actually had Cartoon Network at home, but I've always liked what I've seen, which is why I always relish holidaying with my relatives, who do subscribe to it. It was whilst I was spending the summer at my uncle's place in 2000 that I discovered The Powerpuff Girls, which I fell totally in love with, but from which I'd taken an enforced hiatus for a couple of years due to my own lack of cable TV. Therefore, when staying with the same relatives this summer, my first priority was naturally to catch up with the latest Powerpuff episodes. Imagine my dismay, then, when I realised that in the time I had "been away" from the show, the Girls had been cancelled, the loss of Craig McCracken after Season Four leading to a relatively weak final two seasons and a corresponding drop-off in interest. Just looking at the scheduling, it was clear that this show that I had loved, that had once been CN's flagship, was now yesterday's news, with little remaining to appease the dwindling loyalists other than reruns of the sub-par later episodes that had killed the show off in the first place.

I was upset by this.

In the midst of my downer about the demise of Powerpuff, that other show that I had seen on sometimes (you know, that one that looked a bit like a Flash animation, with some shaggy-haired kid and a weird blue thing) didn't register on my radar at all...at least, I didn't think it had. In truth, Cartoon Network's policy of peppering ad breaks with music spots, character scenes and other random teasers had made me curious about a few things I'd seen, like that strange palm-tree-bird thing, or the harassed red-headed girl in the green sweater, or that catchy ragtime music...even so, it was nothing but laziness that stopped me just changing the channel when the announcer said "Coming Next: Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends".

But then the opening sequence came up, with the lovely, dreamy beginning that segued into that crazy ragtime...then "Oh, so THIS is the show with the palm-tree-thing...AND the red-headed girl...and the blue thing..."...then..."CREATED BY CRAIG MCCRACKEN?!" It was like someone pricked me with a pin, and boy, did I jump to attention then! Even so, as I started to watch, I was a bit conflicted. I loved Powerpuff, and here was the show he left it to produce, thus effectively condemning PPG to its end; could this show possibly justify that to me?

The episode was "Bloo Done It". The first time I heard Wilt's voice ("But I put everything but the kitchen sink into that kitchen sink article!"), I knew I liked the show. By the time it got to Frankie-as-a-southern-belle, I realised that Mr McCracken is a bona fide genius.

Sorry to wax lyrical, but I got lost in my own reminiscing there. It's just that the Powerpuff Girls were (and are) a very ingrained passion; that show's demise felt almost like a personal loss. The emergence of Foster's cushioned that blow, and as it continues to flourish, it shows me that the wit, quality characterisation and innocent spirit that defined PPG live on. It's a worthy successor, and coming from me, there's no greater praise.

To conclude; I love Foster's, and I'm glad sites like this exist.