The Adventures of McGee and Me
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The Adventures of McGee and Me is an American Christian television series created by Ken C. Johnson & Bill Myers and produced by George Taweel and Rob Loos between 1989 and 1993. The series consists of 12 half hour long episodes centering around a typical American boy, Nicolas "Nick" Martin, his imaginary friend McGee, and the moral lessons they learn as Nick grows up.
Cover Artwork for all 12 of the original edition of the videos was designed and illustrated by Morgan Weistling.
Episodes deal with problems relevant to grade school age children such as honesty (The Big Lie), bullying (Skate Expectations), and faith in God (Twister and Shout).
- Story Outline from video cover of The Big Lie[1]:
- You’re eleven years old. You’ve moved with your parents and sisters to a new town where you don’t know anybody. Your neighbor is the kind of eccentric character that kids make up scary stories about. The school bully knows who you are, where you live, and why he doesn’t like you before your first day of school is over. And your best friend is a cartoon character who can be relied on only to give you unreliable advice.
- Welcome to the world of Nicholas. A completely normal kid who happens to find himself in some not-so-normal situations. Fortunately, Nicholas and his best friend, McGee, always seem to learn a valuable lesson from their wild adventures. Unfortunately, when you’re eleven years old (or, for that matter, if you’re a cartoon character), there are lots of lessons to be learned.
Video tapes of the series have been quite popular with American churches, libraries, and schools.
The entire series airs on TBN Saturday Mornings at 11:30 AM Pacific Time.
Contents |
[edit] Main Characters
- Nicolas "Nick" Martin is the reluctant hero of the series. An unimposing, 11-year-old aspiring artist who uses his great imagination and creativity to make up for what he lacks in brains and brawn.[2]
- McGee is Nick's cartoon creation brought to life in Nick's imagination. McGee is a catalyst for wild adventures that Nick never would have dreamed of getting involved in otherwise.[2] McGee is known for his wacky mishaps, enormous blonde hair, and catchphrase: "It's like I've always told ya."
- Dad gave up his high-paying job as an established reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper to become managing editor for a weekly community newspaper. Dad is a good man and spiritual leader of his home but cannot always leave his work at the office. Despite his mechanical ineptitude, he likes to hold fix-it-up house parties each Saturday to build family camaraderie.[2]
- Mom was the first one in the family who felt the need to simplify their life--hence the eventual move into Grandma's house. Mom decided to postpone her career and devote more energy to the family while taking care of her aging mother. Gutsy, creative, and intelligent, Mom has a desire to be active in outreaches in her community.[2]
- Jamie- Nick's younger sister who experiences the usual sibling rivalry conflicts. Though they often pick on each other, Nick and Jamie do have a strong brother/sister bond. The move has not been easy for Jamie. She had forgotten how difficult it is to make new friends, and how important it is to her to have the approval of others.[2]
- Grandma is a retired missionary now living as a widow on her own. She is nearly 80 but didn't want to sell her house despite the slow but sure decline of the neighborhood. Finally a compromise was made, now the family is living with her. Nick and Grandma are extremely close. She offers Nick the pearls of wisdom only one of her age could offer. And she, more than most, understands Nick's quiet sensitivity and encourages his gift of imagination.[2]
- Louis is a streetwise kid who befriends Nick in the first episode, "The Big Lie". Louis grew up in the neighborhood and has taken on the task of showing Nick the ropes around the block. He likes to tease Nick for his naïveté, but Louis has an unspoken admiration for Nick's life and family. Louis is wise to the ways of the neighborhood, yet he's basically a good kid.[2] Louis was the only African-American character in the show before being replaced by Jordan in The New Adventures of McGee and Me.
- Derrick is the leader of a small gang of boys that extorts money from kids and beats up anyone who gets in their way. Derrick isn't very bright, so he threatens other kids into doing his homework for him. Not much is known about Derrick's background except that he comes from a less than ideal family.[2] Although Nick's gets on Derrick's bad side early on, Nick's example eventually has an effect on him for the better. Derrick is also a terrific skateboarder and has won 3rd place in a tri-city competition.
- Renee is a well-dressed classmate of Nick's, and just a couple of steps behind a valley girl. She is constantly striving to be "in", wearing the latest fashions, hair, and makeup, striving hard for acceptance. Deep down she is a little girl starved for attention.[2]
- Whatever is the Martin family dog. He is known to eat jigsaw puzzle pieces and Kibbles 'n Bits.
[edit] Plot Formula
Each episode of The Adventures of McGee and Me promotes a single moral lesson while containing many underlying ethos throughout. Episode titles are puns or witticisms derived from literary or pop culture references.
An instrumental tune plays over the title sequence as Nick releases a Rube Goldberg type pencil sharpener. With newly sharpened pencil in hand, Nick turn to his sketchpad and completes his rendering of McGee. To Nick's amazement, McGee comes to life and pulls himself off the paper.
A typical plotline involves Nick and McGee's adventures while either attempting to help others or overcome a personal setback.
Before the a resolution, Nick has a 5 minute dream sequence involving McGee in his native cartoon world. McGee plays out a new story that mirrors the trials Nick is facing in the real world.
The climax of the story, coupled with the situation coming to a head, is usually accompanied by a pop song written for the show, underlining the moral theme of the episode.
After the resolution, Nick and McGee will discuss lessons learned and McGee will utter his catch phrase, "It's like I've always told ya." McGee receives a swift comeuppance for his haughtiness either by being scared by Whatever, or by a failure of his own making.
Nick's chagrin turns to laughter and the episode fades to black.
A notable exception to this formula is the more experimental and absurdist episode, Do The Bright Thing.
[edit] Recurring Cast (in credits order)
- Nicolas 'Nick' Martin - Joseph Damman
- Sarah Martin - Sarah Damman
- David 'Dave' Martin (Nick's Dad) - Terry Bozeman
- Elizabeth 'Liz' Martin (Nick's Mom) - Vaughn Taylor (actress)
- Grandma Martin - Eve Brenner
- Jamie Martin - Whitby Hertford
- Louis - Brent Kelly
- Phillip Monroe Jr. - Chelsea Hertford
- Renee Johnson - Shaylisa Hurte
- Derrick Cryder - Johnny Green (actor)
- Mrs. Harman, the School Teacher - Linda Dangcil
- Coach Gus Slayter - Joe Bonny
[edit] Guest Appearances
- Orel Hershiser as himself (Take Me Out of the Ball Game)
- Dick Van Patten as Art Store Owner (Do The Bright Thing)
- Jerry Houser as Phillip 'Phil' Monroe Sr. (In The Nick of Time)
[edit] Other Works by Bill Myers
[edit] Trivia
- The McGee and Me series ranked #5 on The Top Christian Cartoon Series List.
[edit] List of Episodes
- The Big Lie- Nick is new in town and on his first day at school he runs into the school bully. Hoping to make friends and get off to a good start, he tells a lie to impress the other kids. Nick and McGee discover that telling lies is not a convenient way to make friends. Instead, it's a sure way to hurt others.[3]
- A Star in the Breaking- Nick sends in a postcard and becomes a contestant on a TV game show. This goes to his head, and he puts on airs at school. His arrogant behavior alienates his friends. In the end, he learns a lesson in humility.[3]
- The Not-So-Great Escape- Nick's parents won't let him spend his Saturday afternoon going to a horror movie that "everybody else" is going to see. He sneaks off to see to see the flick with his friend Louis, but ends up regretting it.[3]
- Skate Expectations- The school bully, Derrick, is picking on Nick's small friend, Phillip. Nick challenges Derrick to a skateboarding contest. If Nick wins, Derrick will leave Phillip alone. If Nick loses, he will be Derrick's slave for a week.[3]
- Twister and Shout- Nick's parents are away for the evening and his 14 year old sister is in charge. There are pranks galore until a severe storm blows into the area. Then the kids pull together to combat this natural disaster.[3]
- Back to the Drawing Board- Nick is the official "sketch pad wonderkid" and class cartoonist until newcomer Todd comes to town. Todd is moving in on his turf, and Nick needs to win the Winter Carnival poster contest to prove once and for all who's the best.[3]
- Do the Bright Thing- McGee takes you on a tour of 11 year old Nick's thought processes as he makes decisions such as whether to cheat on his homework and how to spend the $150 he has saved up.[3]
- Take Me Out of the Ball Game- Nick is on a baseball team, the Braves, coached by his father. It is important to them to win the game against their biggest rival, the Dodgers. And they think it is in the bag this year because of Thurman Miller, the teams biggest and best player.[3]
- 'Twas the Fight Before Christmas- It's Christmastime! And Nick is doing everything he can to take part in it, including being a wiseman in the Christmas pageant. Nick tries to help his troubled classmate Derrick understand the meaning of the season.[3]
[edit] The New Adventures of McGee and Me
- In the Nick of Time- Nick must face his fears in the form of a California mountain named The Giant when his dad goes missing. (On TV syndication, is episode is a 2-part episode.)
- The Blunder Years- Nick foresakes his friends when new pal Rex tries to show him how to be "cool".
- Beauty in the Least- Nick's Romanian penpal Illya comes to visit with his father and end up teaching the Martin family a lesson in forgiveness and hospitality.
[edit] External links
- Official McGee and Me Website
- IMDB Article
- Retro Junk Article on Episode #1, The Big Lie
- McGee and Me on TV.com
[edit] References
- Description from The Adventures of McGee and Me, The Big Lie video tape box, Tyndale House Publishing
- The Adventures of McGee and Me cast info
- Description from The Adventures of McGee and Me video tape box of ad hoc episode, Tyndale House Publishing
