Jem, also known as Jem and the Holograms, is an American animated television series that ran from 1985 to 1988 on first-run syndication in the United States. The series is about music company owner Jerrica Benton, her singer alter-ego Jem, her band the Holograms, and their adventures.
The series was a joint collaboration by Hasbro, Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions, the same team responsible for G.I. Joe and Transformers. The creator of the series, Christy Marx, had also been a staff writer for the aforementioned programs. The animation for most of the episodes was provided by Japanese animation studio Toei Animation.
Plot
The series revolves around Jerrica Benton, the owner and manager of Starlight Music and, as Jem, lead singer of the rock group Jem and the Holograms. Jerrica adopts the persona of Jem with the help of a holographic computer, known as Synergy, which was built by Jerrica's father to be "the ultimate audio-visual entertainment synthesizer" and is bequeathed to her after his death. Jerrica is able to command Synergy to project the hologram of Jem over herself by means of the remote micro-projectors in her earrings, thus disguising her features and clothing, enabling her to assume the Jem persona. Jem, through the use of her earrings, is also able to project holograms around her and uses this ability throughout the series to avoid danger and provide special effects for the performances of her group.
Jem's group, the Holograms, consists of Kimber Benton, Jerrica's younger sister, keyboardist, and main songwriter for the band; Aja Leith, guitarist; and Shana Elmsford, who plays the synth drums. Aja and Shana are also childhood friends and adopted foster sisters of Jerrica and Kimber, having lived with the Benton family since they were young. Shana briefly leaves the group to pursue a career in fashion, at which point a new character, Carmen "Raya" Alonso, is introduced as her replacement. The Holograms are aware of Jem's secret identity and the existence of Synergy when the series begins, while Raya is made aware unintentionally shortly before joining the group. Upon her return to the Holograms, Shana becomes the band's bassist.
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| The Misfits (from left to right: Roxy, Stormer, Pizzazz, and Jetta) |
The Holograms have two rival bands: the Misfits and the Stingers. The Misfits (no relation to the real-world band Misfits) are composed of petulant rich girl Pizzazz (real name Phyllis Gabor) and her cohorts: no-nonsense guitarist Roxy (Roxanne Pelligrini) and kind-hearted, sensitive keytar player Stormer (Mary Phillips). They are joined later by the manipulative British saxophonist Jetta (Sheila Burns).
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| The Stingers (from left to right: Minx, Riot, and Rapture) |
The Stingers debut on the third season when they cause disruptions for both groups by becoming co-owners of Stinger Sound with Eric Raymond. Originally from Germany, the Stingers are composed of egotistical lead singer Riot (Rory Llewelyn), guitarist/con artist Rapture (Phoebe Ashe), and keyboardist Minx (Ingrid Kruger). (The real names of Minx and Rapture are not disclosed in any of the installments.)
Episodes of the series frequently revolve around Jerrica's efforts to keep her two identities separate, protect Synergy from those who might exploit the holographic technology, and support the twelve foster children known as the Starlight Girls who live with her and the Holograms. The Misfits frequently attempt to upstage Jem and the Holograms' endeavors, often nearly resulting in physical harm to members of the group. This rivalry is encouraged and manipulated by their manager and central villain in the series, Eric Raymond, former half-owner of Starlight Music who runs Misfits Music (later Stinger Sound).
During the series, Eric Raymond constantly plots to become owner of Starlight Music and get revenge on Jem and the Holograms for having cost him control of the company. Jerrica also deals with a complex and emotionally draining faux love triangle involving her alter identity, Jem, and Rio Pacheco, longtime boyfriend of Jerrica. Rio romantically pursues both women, not knowing they are one and the same. Later in the series, Jem is also romantically sought after by Riot, who becomes infatuated with her – adding further complications to her relationships.
In the final episode of the series, the Misfits and Jem declare a truce when Ba Nee, one of the most troubled foster girls in Starlight House, is claimed by her long-lost father. Her father is found by Jem and the Holograms with the help of Riot's father. Riot's relationship with his father is mended with the help of Jem.
Production
Conception and staffing
Hasbro hired advertising agency Griffin-Bacal Advertising, the founders of Sunbow Productions, to create the 65-episode animation series. Griffin-Bacal (Sunbow), as well as Marvel Productions, had previously created the successful G.I. Joe series for Hasbro. G.I. Joe writer Christy Marx was hired to create the series based on the line of dolls and the original concept, which consisted of the two girl bands, Synergy, the boyfriend Rio, and the Rockin' Roadster. Marx created the full character biographies and relationships, including the love triangle aspect between Rio and Jerrica Benton/Jem, Starlight Music and Starlight House, the Starlight Girls, the villain Eric Raymond and various secondary characters. Later, Marx was asked to develop new characters as they were introduced.
Marx wrote 23 of the 65 episodes. Other writers for the series included Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Paul Dini, Buzz Dixon, Ellen Guon, Steve Mitchell, Michael Reaves, David Wise, Marv Wolfman, Mary Skrenes, Beth Bornstein, Roger Slifer, Richard Merwin, Sandy Fries, Cheri Wilkerson, Misty Stewart-Taggart, George Arthur Bloom, Jina Bacarr, Barbara Petty, Chris Pelzer, Michael Charles Hill, Eric Early, Clare Noto, Carla Conway and Evelyn A. R. Gabai.
These writers are a literal who's who of marque names of writers who would go on to create some remarkable and amazing work after their contributions to this series. For example, David Wise would go on to work on the 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Greg Weisman is known for his work on Disney's Gargoyles, Marv Wolfman (co-creator of Blade for Marvel Comics) worked on DC Comics' The New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series with George Perez
The Executive Producers were Joe Bacal, Jay Bacal, Tom Griffin and Margaret Loesch. The story editor was Roger Slifer and Christy Marx featuring industry veteran Wally Burr as the series' voice director. The series' directors and supervising animators included many veterans of the DePatie-Freleng cartoon studio including Gerry Chiniquy, John Gibbs, Norm McCabe, Warren Batchelder and Tom Ray.
Casting
Samantha Newark provided the speaking voices of Jem and Jerrica. Despite having toured as a child singer in Africa, she did not do the singing for Jem. The voiceover cast never auditioned for the music side of the series and vice versa. The music for Jem was all cast and recorded in New York and Atlanta and the voiceover actors were cast and recorded in Burbank, California. They matched the speaking voices of the cast to the singing voices. Britta Phillips, who had never before worked professionally as a singer, was cast as the singing voice of Jem after obtaining an audition through her father who worked on jingles in New York. The initial take from the audition was used as the first opening theme song, "Truly Outrageous". The remaining Holograms speaking voices were provided by Cathianne Blore (Kimber Benton/Aja Leith), Cindy McGee (Shana Elmsford), and Linda Dangcil (Carmen 'Raya' Alonso).
The Misfits' speaking voices were provided by Patricia Alice Albrecht (Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor), Samantha Paris/Bobbie Block (Roxanne "Roxy" Pellegrini), Susan Blu (Mary "Stormer" Phillips), and Louise Dorsey (Sheila "Jetta" Burns), the daughter of Engelbert Humperdinck. Ellen Bernfeld provided the singing voice of Pizzazz.
The Stingers' speaking voices were provided by Townsend Coleman (Rory "Riot" Llewelyn), Ellen Gerstell (Phoebe "Rapture" Ashe), and Kath Soucie (Ingrid "Minx" Kurger). Gordon Grody, a vocal coach who later worked with Lady Gaga, provided the singing voice for Riot.
Other notable cast members included Charlie Adler, who had already had a lengthy voice-over career, as the central villain Eric Raymond. He also provided the voices of both of Eric's major henchmen Zipper and Techrat. Vicki Sue Robinson, famous for the 1970s discothèque-oriented hit "Turn the Beat Around", who provided the singing voices of both Rapture and Minx, and Ari Gold, pop singer and songwriter, who provided the singing voice for Ba Nee.
Music
The inclusion of music videos in Jem was a result of the success and popularity of MTV at the time which began airing four years prior. The placement of the songs throughout each episode was done to complement the story and the use of music videos in the show was considered "radical" for the time.
The show contains a total of 187 music videos with 151 unique songs.
Complete List of Jem songs
"A Father Should Be" Ba Nee
"Abracadabra" The Misfits
"Ahead of the Game" The Misfits
"All Across This Country" Jem and the Holograms
"All in the Style" The Stingers
"All's Right with the World" Jem and the Holograms
"Alone Again" Laura
"Are You Feeling Alright" The Stingers
"Aztec Enchantment" Jem and the Holograms
"Back in Shape" Jem and the Holograms
"Bad Influence" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"Beat This" Jem and the Holograms
"Believe in Yourself" Jem and the Holograms
"Believe/Don't Believe" Jem and the Holograms and the Stingers
"Between Me and You" Jem and the Holograms
"Broadway Magic" Jem and the Holograms
"Can't Get My Love Together" Jem and the Holograms
"Click/Clash" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"Come on In, the Water's Fine" Jem and the Holograms
"Congratulations" The Misfits
"Dear Diary" Jem and the Holograms
"Deception" Jem and the Holograms
"Designing Woman" The Misfits
"Destiny" The Stingers
"Don't Look Now" The Misfits
"Everybody Wears a Mask" Jem and the Holograms
"Falling in Love with a Stranger" Jem and the Holograms
"Family is..." Jem and the Holograms
"First Love" Jem and the Holograms
"Flowers in My Hair" Jem and the Holograms
"Free and Easy" The Misfits
"Freedom" Jem and the Holograms
"Friend or Stranger" Jem and the Holograms
"Gettin' Down to Business" Jem and the Holograms
"Gimme a Gimmick" The Misfits
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" The Misfits
"Glitter 'n Gold" Jem and the Holograms
"Happy Ever After" Jem and the Holograms
"Here Comes Trouble" Jem and the Holograms
"Hollywood Jem" Jem and the Holograms
"How Does it Feel" The Misfits
"How You Play the Game" Jem and the Holograms
"I Am a Giant" The Misfits
"I Believe in Happy Endings" Jem and the Holograms
"I Can See Me" Ashley
"I Got My Eye on You" Jem and the Holograms
"I Like Your Style" The Misfits
"I Love a Scandal" The Misfits
"I'm Comin' from Behind" Jem and the Holograms
"I'm Gonna Change" Roxy
"I'm Gonna Hunt You Down" The Misfits
"I'm Okay" Kimber and Stormer
"I'm Takin' a Train" Jem and the Holograms
"Imagine Me" Jem and the Holograms
"In the Land of the Midnight Sun" Jem and the Holograms
"It Could Be You" Jem and the Holograms
"It Depends on the Mood I'm In" Jem and the Holograms
"It Takes a Lot (To Survive)" The Misfits
"It's a Hard, Hard Life" The Stingers
"It's Fun to Be Scared" Jem and the Holograms
"It's Workin' Out/It's Doin' Me In" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"Jack, Take a Hike" The Misfits
"Jam All Night Long" Jem and the Holograms
"Jazz Has" Jem and the Holograms
"Jealousy" Jem and the Holograms
"KJEM" Jem and the Holograms
"Let Me Be" The Stingers
"Let Me Go" Jem and the Holograms and The Beast
"Let Me Take You to the Mardi Gras" Jem and the Holograms
"Let the Music Play" Jem and the Holograms
"Let's Blow This Town" The Misfits
"Let's Not Forget the Past" Jem and the Holograms
"Like a Dream" Jem and the Holograms
"Listen Up" The Misfits
"Look Inside Yourself" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Is Doin' It to Me" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Is Here" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Unites Us" Jem and the Holograms
"Love Will Show the Way" Jem and the Holograms
"Love's Not Easy" Jem and the Holograms
"Lovesick" The Misfits
"Makin' Mischief" The Misfits
"Midsummer Night's Madness" Jem and the Holograms
"Mind Games" The Stingers
"Music and Danse" Jem and the Holograms
"Music is Magic" Jem and the Holograms
"Nightmare" Jem and the Holograms
"Now" Jem and the Holograms, the Misfits, and the Stingers
"One of Those Days" Jem and the Holograms
"Only the Beginning" Jem and the Holograms
"Open a Book" Jem and the Holograms
"Our Love Makes You Beautiful" Jem and the Holograms
"Outta My Way" The Misfits
"People Who Care" Jem and the Holograms
"Perfect Match" The Stingers
"Puttin' It All Together" Jem and the Holograms
"Queen of Rock and Roll" The Misfits
"Rock and Roll Is Forever" Jem and the Holograms
"Rockin' Down Through Time" Jem and the Holograms
"Runnin' Like the Wind" Jem and the Holograms
"Safe and Sound" Jem and the Holograms
"Set Your Sails" Jem and the Holograms
"Shangri-La" Jem and the Holograms
"Share a Little Bit of Yourself" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"She Makes an Impression" Jem and the Holograms
"She's Got the Power" Jem and the Holograms
"Show Me the Way" Jem and the Holograms
"Something is Missing in My Life" Jem and the Holograms
"Star Spangled Fantasy" The Misfits
"Starlight" Jacqui Benton
"Stingers Theme" The Stingers
"Straight From the Heart" Jem and the Holograms
"Surprise! Surprise!" The Misfits
"Take It or Leave It" The Stingers
"Take the Time" Jem and the Holograms
"Takes Work" Jem and the Holograms
"Takin' It All" The Misfits
"The Last Laugh" Jem and the Holograms
"The Real Me" Jem and the Holograms
"There Ain't Nobody Better" The Misfits
"There's a Melody Playin'" Jem and the Holograms
"This Is Farewell" Jem and the Holograms, the Misfits, and the Stingers
"Time Is Runnin' Out" Jem and the Holograms
"To the Rescue" Jem and the Holograms
"Tomorrow Is My Wedding Day" Jem and the Holograms
"Too Close (For Comfort)" Jem and the Holograms
"Too Much" Jem and the Holograms
"Top of the Charts" The Misfits
"Trapped!" The Misfits
"Truly Outrageous" Jem and the Holograms
"Twilight in Paris" Jem and the Holograms
"Under My Spell" The Stingers
"Universal Appeal" The Misfits
"We Can Change It" Jem and the Holograms
"We Can Make a Difference" Jem and the Holograms
"Welcome to the Jungle" The Misfits
"We're Making It Happen" Jem and the Holograms
"We're Off and Runnin'" The Misfits
"We're the Misfits in Hawaii" The Misfits
"We're Up/You're Down" Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits
"When It's Only Me and the Music" Jem and the Holograms
"Who Is He Kissing?" Jem and the Holograms
"Who Is She, Anyway?" The Misfits
"Winning Is Everything" The Misfits
"You Already Know" Jem and the Holograms
"You Can't Catch Me" The Misfits
"You Gotta Be Fast" The Misfits
"You May Be a Star" Krissie
"You Oughta See the View from Here" The Misfits
"You'll Never Win My Love" Jem and the Holograms
"You're Always in My Heart" Jem and the Holograms
The series' format called for three fully produced songs for the featured music videos in each episode. Anne Bryant composed the music. Lyrics for the show's featured songs were written by Barry Harman. The theme song "JEM – Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous" was the opening and closing theme for the show until late 1987, when Bryant's second theme, "JEM GIRLS" became the series' opening theme for the majority of episodes and "JEM – Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous" was kept as the show's permanent closing theme. Music videos featured an "in-your-face" style that was directed at the viewer or the more traditional style. The music videos paralleled the style of rock videos found on MTV at the time featuring fast editing, a quick pace, and special effects.
Ellen Bernfeld, performing as Pizzazz, Britta Phillips, performing as Jem, and Gordon Grody, performing as Riot, the lead singer of the Stingers, along with Diva Gray, Florence Warner and Angela Capelli were the voices of the pop, funk and punk electronica productions, supported by Britta Phillips's father, pianist Peter Phillips, and by guitarist Steve Bill, bassist Tom Barney and set drummer and electronic drum programmer Tom Oldakowski. Anne Bryant, who chose the singers and musicians, created a pure young pop sound for Jem and the Holograms supported by acoustic instruments. The sound for the Misfits was crafted as strictly electronic other than the addition of guitars and an occasional sax solo when the character of Jetta was introduced into the Misfits. This was done to create an identifiable punk electronica style in stark contrast to their rival singing groups. In season three, Bryant introduced the slower, smooth, sexy/funky groove for the third group that entered the show, the Stingers.
No official Jem soundtrack was ever released; however, many of the songs from the first season were released on cassette with dolls or play-sets.
List of cassette releases
Love Is Here – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"Love Is Here"
"Can't Get My Love Together"
Show Me the Way – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"Show Me the Way" (TV edit)
"People Who Care"
It's Workin' Out – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"It's Workin' Out/It's Doing Me In" Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits
"We Can Change It"
Welcome to the Jungle – (included in the Video Madness playset of the same name)
"Jem Theme"
"Welcome to the Jungle" – The Misfits
"Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" – The Misfits
Kimber – (included with the Kimber doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Only the Beginning" – Jem and the Holograms
"Twilight in Paris" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Kimber Second Edition – (included with the Kimber Second Edition doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Can't Get My Love Together" – Jem and the Holograms
"Love's Not Easy" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Aja – (included with the Aja doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Like a Dream" – Jem and the Holograms
"She's Got the Power" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Aja Second Edition – (included with the Aja Second Edition doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Something Is Missing" – Jem and the Holograms
"Share A Little Bit" – Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Shana – (included with the Shana doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Gettin' Down to Business" – Jem and the Holograms
"Too Close" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Shana Second Edition – (included with the Shana Second Edition doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Broadway Magic" – Jem and the Holograms
"It All Depends on the Mood" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Raya – (included with the Raya doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Love Unites Us" – Jem and the Holograms
"There's a Melody Playin'" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Pizzazz – (included with the Pizzazz doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Outta My Way" – The Misfits
"Makin' Mischief" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Roxy – (included with the Roxy doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Click/Clash" – Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits
"Takin' It All" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Stormer – (included with the Stormer doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Winning Is Everything" – The Misfits
"Music Is Magic" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Jetta – (included with the Jetta doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Who Is She Anyway?" – The Misfits
"Designing Women" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Clash – (included with the Clash doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"I Am a Giant" – The Misfits
"You Oughta See the View from Here" – The Misfits
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Rio – (included with the Rio doll)
"Jem Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Deception" – Jem and the Holograms
"I Got My Eye on You" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Synergy – (included with the Synergy doll)
"JEM Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Friend or Stranger" – Jem and the Holograms
"We Can Change It" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Video – (included with the Video doll)
"JEM Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Come on In" – Jem and the Holograms
"She Makes an Impression" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Danse – (included with the Danse doll)
"JEM Theme" – Jem and the Holograms
"Running Like the Wind" – Jem and the Holograms
"When It's Only Me" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Flash 'n Sizzle Jem/Jerrica – (included with Flash 'N Sizzle Jem/Jerrica doll)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (commercial version) – Jem and the Holograms
"Time Is Running Out" – Jem and the Holograms
"Set Your Sails" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Glitter 'n Gold Jem/Jerrica – (included with Glitter 'N Gold Jem/Jerrica doll)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (commercial version) – Jem and the Holograms
"Depends on the Mood I'm In" – Jem and the Holograms
"Love is Here" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Glitter 'n Gold Rio – (included with Glitter 'N Gold Rio doll)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (commercial version) – Jem and the Holograms
"People Who Care" – Jem and the Holograms
"Puttin' It All Together" – Jem and the Holograms
(instrumental versions of songs on side B)
Glitter 'n Gold – (Second year mail-in offer)
"Glitter 'n Gold" (extended TV version)
"Back 'n Shape" (extended version)
"Jem Theme" (extended version)
Jem and Friends Dream Tour – (mail-in offer for Glitter 'N Gold Jem/Jerrica or Glitter 'N Gold Rio dolls)
"How You Play the Game" – Jem and the Holograms
"Doctor, Doctor" – The Thompson Twins
"One Things Leads to Another" – The Fixx
"Rock 'n Roll Forever" – Jem and the Holograms
"Crush on You" – The Jets
"The Kid Is Hot Tonight" – Loverboy
"Walkin' on Sunshine" – Katrina and the Waves
"Electric Avenue" – Eddy Grant
"Rosanna" – Toto
"Cool It Now" – The New Edition
"Glitter 'n Gold" – Jem and the Holograms
On October 6, 1985, the first episode of Jem premiered on television. I could have easily waited another year and did a proper write-up on this series for it's 35th Anniversary next fall, but why wait? Truth be told, I would have had this done sooner, but with the passing of my grandmother on October 3rd, my family and I have been going through a roller coaster of emotions for the past two weeks. I'm just happy to have something positive to look back on with this retrospective of this franchise.
Every episode of Jem had a recurring theme that worked for the most part. Jerrica Benton (under the guise of her alter-ego - Jem) and the Holograms, her fellow band mates, would find themselves doing a charity or fundraiser for a good cause to raise money or whatnot for keeping Jerrica Benton's family business afloat while keeping the girls house for orphaned young girls owned by Starlight Music, Starlight House, open as well. Unfortunately, the Misfits find every opportunity to attempt to upstage Jem and the Holograms for their own benefit and popularity while trying to sabotage all of their good will endeavors.
Characters
Jem and the Holograms
Jerrica has a wide array of support from her friends and family within the Holograms along with her on and off-again boyfriend, Rio, but outside of her constant money problems to run Starlight Music and keeping the Starlight House afloat, her greatest conflicts come from her inability to juggle both of her responsibilities as Jerrica Benton and Jem. If we can be completely honest here though, most of Jerrica's relationship problems would be alleviated if she merely told Rio that her and Jem are one in the same instead of stringing the guy along, only to get mad when he prefers one over the other. I guess that's one reason why I got caught up into the drama of this show when I was younger - it's the EXACT same dilemma that Clark Kent/Superman and Peter Parker/Spider-Man deal with in their relationships. You want to tell that one special person in your life your secret, but if you do they would be in danger from all of the trouble and turmoil that comes with having that knowledge. And let's face it - the Misfits were as threatening and imposing as the average comci book supervillain in Jem's world, so Rio was better off not being in on that secret since Jem and the Holograms found themselves in near-fatal situations on a regular basis.
The Misfits
If you follow my wrestling themed blog Let's Talk Wrestling Blog, you should know that I regularly reference the fact that WWE Divas could learn a LOT from Jem & the Holograms. When I say that, I'm VERY serious. Jem and her friends are babyface to the point that it makes you want to throw up in terms of their kindness and willingness to help others, while the Misfits - who serve as the primary antagonists for the bulk of the series until the last season (we'll discuss the details of the cartoon in-depth later this week) - were fucking cruel to the point where I half expected them to serve jail time from some of the stuff they were doing to terrorize Jem and the Holograms.
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| The Misfits took pleasure in finding any and all ways to ruin Jem and the Holograms' day. |
The Misfits took that whole cliche about having someone at your workplace who wanted to "destroy you" and did so LITERALLY. They took pleasure in causing suffering and misfortune to Jem and her friends by ANY means necessary, even if it meant illegal actions, such as acts you would expect the common comic book (or rather typical Saturday Morning cartoon) villain would do to annihilate the protagonist.
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| How could anyone hate the Misfits with lines like this? |
The Misfits were led by Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor (voiced by Patricia Alice Albrecht, singing voice recorded by Ellen Bernfeld) – an archetypal spoiled rich girl who is the lead vocals and guitarist of the Misfits. Pizzazz was raised by her tycoon father Harvey Gabor and spoiled as a child. Pizzazz is the primary antagonist of the show, constantly trying to upstage Jem and the Holograms, she has been shown to be attracted to Rio (Jem/Jerrica's boyfriend), Sean Harrison (British teen idol and Kimber's on-and-off boyfriend), and Riot (of The Stingers). Pizzazz despises her real name "Phyllis" and is prone to fits of rage if things don't go her way.
The other members of the Misfits include: Roxanne "Roxy" Pelligrini (voiced by Bobbie Block) – Roxy is the Misfits' tough-as-nails bassist who also provides the backup vocals; Mary "Stormer" Phillips (voiced by Susan Blu, singing voice recorded by Lani Groves) – Stormer is the primary songwriter of the Misfits, Keytarist for the band, and overall creative force behind the group (though she is almost never given credit for it); and Sheila "Jetta" Burns (voiced by Louise Dorsey) – Jetta became the newest Misfit when Stormer hears Jetta playing the saxophone in a seedy dance club during a search for new talent.
You guys are lucky, I was going to force you to have the Misfits' songs stuck in your head all day, BUT I found something better to showcase the Misfits' villainy in this cartoon. This article cites 10 episodes in particular where the Misfits should've shown up to take them to jail.
The Stingers
The problem with the Stingers is that as quickly as they were established as the new antagonists/rival band to both Jem & the Holograms AND the Misfits, they were watered down in the episodes that followed. Riot found himself softened the more he grew closer to Jerrica's alter-ego, Jem, while Rapture and Minx kept up their mischievous antics up until the finale for the most part. They never came to the point of several attempted murder attempts like the Misfits did for the first two seasons.
Riot merely served as a foil to Jerrica/Jem's relationship with Rio, if that wasn't complicated enough with Jerrica at war with her own alter-ego over her own boyfriend's affections. Riot merely gave Rio someone to be jealous of on the other end of the spectrum, even though Rio was competent enough to stand up and fight him at one point.
Noteworthy Episodes
Season One
The first five episodes of the series, "The Beginning", "Disaster", "Kimber's Rebellion", "Frame Up", and "The Battle of the Bands", served as a five-part mini-movie to introduce the series and all of the characters. These first five episodes do an excellent job of establishing the Misfits as the resident "Mean Girls" along with Eric Raymond as the main antagonists for Jem and the Holograms.
Starbright (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
Any early fine example of the Misfits' villainy at its finest. The Holograms land a movie role only for Pizzazz's father to buy control over it. Jem and the Holograms grow fed up with the Misfits' bossiness and quickly quit the film. That is until they find out one of the Starlight girls need an operation for a degenerative, medical condition and the money for the film role would easily cover it. Jem and the Holograms return to work the film to their dismay since they need the money for Ba-Nee's surgery, despite the Misfits' taunting. It gets to the point where Eric Raymond almost has Jem killed on set and Video records the incident, only for Jem/Jerrica to refuse to use it against him as they need the money for Ba-Nee's surgery. A near-fatal explosion on the set causes the Holograms to finally have enough of the humiliation of working for Raymond and the Misfits and quit the movie, along with majority of the production crew and staff. Jem and the Holograms end up making their own movie, leaving the Misfits to finish the film on their own. Ultimately, the Holograms' film is a box office smash while the Misfits' is a flop. The Holograms use their profits on the film to pay for Ba-Nee's operation.
This episode stands out visually in Season One as this was one of the first animation overhauls to the series to resemble the opening animation and toyline out at the time.
The Music Awards (Part 1 & 2)
Jem and the Holograms are caught up in competition with the Misfits for the upcoming music awards and with all of the promotion for that and the additional work they took on for Danse's benefit concert, they were unintentionally neglected the Starlight House girls. This causes Krissy, Deirdre, , Ba Nee, and their new friend Danny to fall in with the Misfits. The kids fall out with the Misfits as well, only to stumble across Danse's Haven House where she takes them in and reunites them with the panic-stricken Holograms. The Misfits end up winning the music awards, but the Holograms are more happy to be reunited with the children and to put their talents to use raising money for Danse's cause, much to Pizzazz's chagrin.
These are two episodes that focuses more on the orphaned children that live at Starlight House rather than the ongoings and typical drama surrounding Jem/Jerrica Benton and the Holograms. It should be noted that Christy Marx had to fight hard to get this story approved, especially with the narrative surrounding runaways at the time.
The Jem Jam (Part 1 & 2)
I personally thought this episode is worth the watch just for the sheer amount of celebrity musical artists are parodied here (at least tastefully). I thought it would have been cool if they were able to get their real-life counterparts to voice these characters at the time but no dice. Given the musical significance of this show at the time, I bet a lot of those musical artists regret that decision after all of these years.
Glitter & Gold (Season One finale)
Jem hasn't been seen or heard from in some time and Jerrica doesn't seem to care. The Misfits waste no time capitalizing on her absence, especially when Owen Beech, the owner of Diskovery Records, promotes a contest awarding a Gold Album and a new car, the Glitter 'n Gold Roadster, to the winner.
After an argument with Rio, The Holograms try to persuade Jerrica to make a new album to compete with The Misfits. Jerrica is somewhat resistant to the idea, feeling it may be too late to enter the contest, but when she overhears Eric making a comment that she ruined Jem's career, it galvanizes her to enter and promises Owen she and The Holograms will deliver a new album in time for the contest.
The Holograms decide to use the prizes of the contest as the theme for their new album and look, called "Glitter and Gold".
The major significance of this episode as it serves as the last time both bands are together without their additional members introduced in the next season. Visually, this episode ushers in the "re-branding" of sorts for the series going forward with fashion changes to the women in the series to align properly with the toyline at the time (27 in total featured in this episode).
Season Two
The Talent Search (Part 1 & 2) introduction of Raya to the Holograms
This episode makes the list mainly for two reasons: 1) introducing Raya to the group and 2) Stormer's brother who has more balls than any other guy in this series. He punked out the Misfits and Eric Raymond so bad to make them take back Stormer that I was convinced that he would've fed Raymond's ass to him if he didn't do what he demanded. Too bad Rio couldn't be man enough to do this himself to get Raymond and the Misfits to quit bullying Jerrica/Jem and the Holograms all the time. For this single appearance in the series, Stormer's brother was my favorite male character in this entire show.
Roxy Rumbles
We're treated to some insight into Roxy's character and discover that she can't read. Of course, the Misfits make fun of her for it, causing her to promptly leave the group after winning the lottery.
Some people will joke and say that this was their Emmy nomination episode nowadays, but illiteracy was pretty common issue back in the '80s and even today. We get some very rare insight into Roxy's character away from the Misfits and learn more who she is as an individual rather than part of their collective group. Roxy finds her way back to the group by the end of the episode but not before getting a helping hand from one of the Starlight Girls to put herself on the path towards learning to read for herself.
Father's Day
Video is having trouble coming up with a Father’s Day present, so Jem suggests creating a film featuring video footage of their fathers and an original song. Everyone is excited except for Kimber, who is sad about having no father to celebrate with and refuses to write the song.
A chance encounter with Harvey Gabor (Pizzazz's father) helps Kimber put the day into perspective. Meanwhile, The Misfits spend Father’s Day with Clash’s family and tell the entire town that Video lied about being friends with Jem and The Holograms.
We get some great insight into why Pizzazz is the spoiled brat that we know her as the leader of the Misfits while simultaneously seeing Video and Clash's families for the first time. Besides, I never can get enough of these episodes of Clash in them. I don't know why she wasn't around more often in the later seasons as she fits in better with them than even Jetta does at times.
The Bands Break Up
Stormer and Kimber both get into arguments with their respective bands and join up as an inspiring duet act after their newfound friendship blossoms. Their rising popularity sparks the ire of both bands. Too bad this partnership only lasts for one episode as I thought Stormer and Kimber had great chemistry together.
Britrock
This episode serves as the Misfit Jetta's backstory and dive into who she is as a character. Truth be told, it's quickly revealed that her British family are a group of con artists, who almost trick Pizzazz into purchasing some worthless land from them.
Out of the Past
For most Jem fans, this is arguably the "best" episode of the entire series as it explains a lot of stuff from Jerrica's past that lead to her having the tools and resources to become Jem. IMO this is a better "origin" story than the pilot episode and it's ironic that it's this far into the series' run to show this revelation.
"Out of the Past" (Season 2, Episode 25) chronicles Jerrica and Kimber's past with their mother, Jacqui Benton, and their father's (Emmett Benton) history leading to both of their demises that causes Jerrica to inherit Starlight Music and the Starlight Foundation. This episode also shows Eric Raymond at the WORST of his villainy to the point you'll want to reach into your TV and choke this bastard. If anytime where Rio should've just came in and beat the piss out of him it should have been here.
For me personally, I can understand why fans love this episode so much. Emmett Benton's journal chronicles a lot of emotional events leading up to his death from his illness, including the construction of Synergy and Jacqui's impact on the girls' lives. A few extra tidbits are thrown in to show that he could see some glimpses of the future - i.e. knowing that Jerrica would end up with Rio eventually after they get their shit together and Eric Raymond was always a douche...
Season Three
The Stingers Hit Town (Part 1 & 2)
I swear this episode felt like the episode of ThunderCats where the Lunattacks debuted and upstaged the Mutants as the main antagonists in the series. That's exactly what happened here with the Stingers. They swept in and pretty much swept the Misfits under the rug as the new "tough act" to follow, even though their leader, Riot, was infatuated with Jem. I thought that this finally gave Rio a taste of his own damn medicine when he was juggling two women (Jerrica and Jem) over the course of the series to this point, but at the same time it complicates their love triangle even further.
The Day the Music Died
Riot treats Jem out on a cruise while Eric Raymond and the Misfits swoop in on this opportunity to completely takeover Starlight Music and the Starlight House in Jerrica Benton's absence. The funniest thing about all of this is that the Misfits get so fed up with the Starlight House that they give it all back to Jem and the Holograms by the end of the episode. Mind you, this hostile takeover happens within the span of THREE DAYS and goes back to normal - another crystal clear episode of this show's "outrageous" narratives at times.
The highlight of this episode is Pizzazz's (along with the other characters') monologues about the events that lead up to present where the Misfits had total control of Starlight Music. It was worth the viewing of this episode just to see the Misfits "win" for once over the Holograms.
I actually watched this episode recently to refresh my memory and found myself laughing hysterically at the absurdity of everything here. One thing that people kept sweeping underneath the rug on this episode is that Jem, Jerrica, AND Kimber all blurt out at three separate occasions clues that would expose Jem's secret identity and it's not even brought up at all nor makes the situation even worse. I have to admit rewatching this episode with adult eyes that Riot comes off as a sexual predator from his lines to Jem and the sheer amount of sexual innuendos between Rio and the Stingers' Rapture and Minx. That one line where Riot says, "(Laughs) I got already got what I wanted from Jem..." killed me though.
Video Wars
The Misfits' #1 fan, Clash, poses as a student intern set to sabotage Video's music video that she's working on for Jem and the Holograms. Instead, Clash finds herself enjoying the company of her newfound "friends" and begins to question her loyalty to assisting with the Misfits' malicious actions.
Riot's Hope
This episode serves as a deep dive into Riot's character and reveals the origins of how the Stingers band came to fruition. Jem aims to mend Riot's relationship with his military father who frowned upon his son's decision to take up into the musical arts after a dishonorable discharge from the military. Riot's father felt that taking up the arts made his son less of a man or rather a "sissy" - a common misconception, even today.
Hell, I wouldn't be surprised that there's guys reading this article right now thinking nothing but male "sissy's" watched this cartoon.
A Father Should Be... (Series finale)
Jem and the Holograms call a truce with both the Stingers and the Misfits to aid Ba-Nee reunite with her real father. Riot's father even reconciles with his son in this episode to boot. The finale sends viewers off with a group song with all three bands working together in unison.
The folks over at Comics Alliance has a great article on the most "outrageous" episodes of the series in a hilarious fashion.
Personal Favorite Songs
Not all of the songs that I liked, but definitely the ones that stayed with me after all of these years.
"Universal Appeal" by The Misfits
"Congratulations" by The Misfits
"Bad Influence" by The Misfits & Jem and the Holograms
"I Like Your Style" The Misfits
"I'm Okay" by Stormer and Kimber
"Starlight" by Jacqui Benton
Live-Action Film
Jem and the Holograms is a 2015 American musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced and directed by Jon M. Chu, written by Ryan Landels, and starring Aubrey Peeples (as the title character), Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Aurora Perrineau, Ryan Guzman, Molly Ringwald, and Juliette Lewis. Borrowing elements from the 1980s animated television series Jem by Christy Marx, the film was produced by Hasbro Studios and Blumhouse Productions. Chu's interest in developing a film adaptation of Jem is based on having grown up watching the original animated series with his sisters. He had attempted to make the film 11 years earlier, but was rejected by Universal due to the cost.
Jem and the Holograms was theatrically released on October 23, 2015, by Universal Pictures and was a box office bomb, grossing $2 million worldwide on a $5 million budget and receiving negative reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Cast:
Aubrey Peeples as Jerrica "Jem" BentonIsabella Rice as young Jerrica
Stefanie Scott as Kimber Benton
Hayley Kiyoko as Aja
Aurora Perrineau as Shana
Wynter Perrineau as young Shana
Juliette Lewis as Erica Raymond
Ryan Guzman as Rio Raymond
Molly Ringwald as Aunt Bailey
Nathan Moore as Zipper
Barnaby Carpenter as Emmet Benton
Ryan Hansen as Stephen the Guard
Quddus as VJ
Kesha as Pizzazz
Hana Mae Lee as Roxy
Katie Findlay as Stormer
Eiza González as Jetta
Jimmy Fallon as himself
Dwayne Johnson as himself
Alicia Keys as herself
Chris Pratt as himself
Cameo appearances from the original TV series cast include: Samantha Newark, the voice of the original Jem, as a hairstylist; Britta Phillips as a stage manager; and Jem's creator Christy Marx as Lindsey Pierce.
Plot:
Teenaged songwriter Jerrica Benton and her younger sister Kimber live with their Aunt Bailey and two foster sisters, Aja and Shana. The four girls frequently videotape themselves playing music and wearing colorful '80s outfits just for fun, but Jerrica is too shy to sing on camera. Jerrica learns one day that due to Aunt Bailey's financial problems their house will be auctioned. She vents her emotions by recording a song with the video camera Kimber uses to post blogs. She disguises herself by calling herself Jem, her deceased father's nickname for her.She is interrupted just before deleting the video and an Internet-obsessed Kimber posts it onto YouTube. The video attracts millions of views in a single day. Jerrica is offered a record deal by Starlight Productions and travels to LA with her sisters. They meet music producer Erica Raymond and her son Rio. Erica is polite and courteous with the four girls but shows particular interest in Jerrica, who she sees as a potential superstar.
The girls settle down in LA and discuss their next move. They've brought along a small robot called 51N3RG.Y (pronounced synergy) built by the Benton sisters' deceased father, Emmett. The robot suddenly activates itself and leads them on a scavenger hunt. Each clue represents something Jerrica did or wanted to do with her father. The objective is to find several missing pieces designed to fit into the robot so that it can be fully activated. The girls find the first piece in the Santa Monica Pier. They find the second clue in a guitar once owned by Jerrica's father when, by coincidence, the band plays a concert.
Rio and Jerrica begin to develop feelings for each other, much to Erica's dismay. Erica signs Rio off to another singer in an attempt to keep him away from Jerrica. Aunt Bailey tells Jerrica via FaceTime that their house is going for auction in a few days. Desperate to save the home, Jerrica asks Erica for an advance. Erica says she will oblige if Jerrica agrees to leave her sisters and start a solo contract. Jerrica relents, believing she is doing it for the family. Her sisters discover the truth about the contract, denounce her for leaving them out of the deal, and leave. After a dull solo performance, Jerrica becomes depressed over her mistake and goes to visit the LA house where she used to live with Kimber and her father.
Her sisters arrive to visit her at the old house and make amends. They vow to help her finish the scavenger hunt and Rio goes along too. Jerrica realizes that the last piece is the earrings her dad told her to wear, but Erica made her take them off when she first went to Starlight. The earrings are now stored in Erica's office. Rio and the girls break into Starlight headquarters, almost getting caught by Erica, but succeed. The reward for finishing the hunt is a final hologram message from Jerrica and Kimber's father. They also discover Rio's late father's will, which gives him a majority of shares in Starlight and effectively puts him in control of the company.
With the house safe, Jem and her sisters play in their concert together. Rio chats with a woman called Lindsey Pierce at the concert. She offers to give the band the cover of Rolling Stone, and asks Rio what to call the band; he suggests "Jem and the Holograms".
In a mid-credits scene, Erica, now terminated from Starlight, arrives in a seedy junkyard, where she attempts to recruit a group of punkish young women into a band to rival the Holograms. They decline, saying that Erica dropped them the first time they were signed with Starlight. They change their minds when the leader, Pizzazz, discovers that Rio is dating Jem, and take Erica inside. The graffiti on the side of their trailer reveals their name as the Misfits.
The Verdict
I happened to dig up my comments from Facebook on the film (from reactions to the trailers and then the film itself) and the post-credits scene teasing the Misfits in a possible sequel (*laughs* That's not happening...) as well.Watch It or Don't Bother?
Don't even waste your time watching this. I can't even think of any redeeming qualities of this - AT ALL. There was backlash from both ends of the rope on this one, both from the creators of the original series and fans who wanted to see it done right by Hollywood. Ultimately and bluntly, Hollywood completely shit the bed on this one. The only thing I kinda liked was the teaser for the Misfits following the credits and that's it, but even that tease isn't worth enduring the duration of this film for.Legacy
Reruns & Home Video Release
In mid 2013, Hub Network brought Jem back for morning lineups.
On July 25, 2011, Teletoon Retro, a Canadian channel dedicated to cartoons, announced that Jem would be part of its fall 2011 lineup.
On April 5, 2012, Hasbro announced that Jem, along with several other Hasbro franchises, will be available on Netflix.
Currently, you can purchase the ENTIRE series of Jem and the Holograms on DVD from Wal-Mart for less than $30-40. It is also available on Amazon as well.
I remember hunting this stuff for my older sisters about 6 years ago for Christmas presents and the DVD set was well over $300. Weird how a few years makes since the show is back into reruns again now on the Hub and easily available on Netflix.
IDW Comic
The Jem comic book was released by IDW on March 2015, written by Kelly Thompson, art by Sophie Campbell and colors by M. Victoria Robado.
I personally haven't had a chance to check it out, but you can see some of the artwork for it below.
I personally never had a chance to read the Jem-inspired comics, but after seeing the art from it online, I have to say it looks great visually. I would have to see if I can get a chance to read it digitally if anything else and get back with you guys at a later date on my thoughts on it.
Toys & Collectibles
Despite losing the battle, Jem dolls are still highly sought after collectibles. It amazes me at the sheer demand for these dolls after all of these years. I personally remember trying to hunt down Jem merchandise when my older sisters and I had a bout of nostalgia a few years ago when the series picked up steam again in reruns and I was determined to find Jem-related merchandise for potential Christmas and/or birthday presents for my older sisters.
Good lord did they make a lot of Jem dolls. Everyone from the Starlight Girls (the kids from the orphanage) to Jem and the Holograms themselves, the Misfits (along with their companions such as Clash who wasn't ever a "confirmed" member who just regularly helped with their mischief). Hasbro, the same company that made GI Joe and Transformers' toys, made dolls based off of the Jem cartoon as well.
Nowadays, you're going to have to pay a pretty penny for the original dolls.
On September 8, 2011, Hasbro issued a press release announcing its attendance at the 2011 New York Comic Con convention, which ran from October 13 to October 16. The press release stated that Hasbro would be showing new and upcoming products from its toy lines at its booth, including Jem and the Holograms.
On June 27, 2012, Integrity Toys, Inc. announced their plans to release a brand-new series of collectible fashion dolls based on the TV series. The special edition Hollywood Jem doll became available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth during Comic-Con International in San Diego at an approximate retail price of $135. The Jem doll sold out on day two of the convention.
On October 5, 2012, the four (then-upcoming) dolls in the new Integrity Toys limited edition collectible line were presented with pictures: Classic Jem, Jerrica Benton, Synergy and Rio Pacheco. The suggested retail price is US$119 and they began shipping in late November 2012; pre-orders were accepted via Integrity Toys' network of authorized dealers. As of April 2014, Integrity Toys has produced over twenty-five different dolls based on the classic show.
Then there's Funko Pops being made (or probably already available by the time of this posting) of Jem and the Holograms, along with the Misfits.
Current status of the franchise
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| A Jem and the Holograms advert at a select Target store. |
Christy Marx has long expressed a desire to make a modern day revival of the animated series, but stated in a 2004 interview that there are a great deal of complications concerning the rights to the Jem properties.
"I would like to see that happen. I don't want to go into a lot of detail, but the whole rights situation for Jem is very, very complicated. Believe me, if there were a simple straightforward way to do it, it would be done. But there are some very big complications that are in the way at the moment."
— Christy Marx
The voice of Jerrica Benton/Jem, Samantha Newark, has a YouTube channel and she still openly responds to fans on the platform, even to this day while still making sporadic appearances to comic conventions and the like. She appeared briefly in the live-action film, making a cameo as a hair stylist.
She recently did an interview at Awesome Con that you can watch below, in which she seems pretty optimistic about the future of the franchise. I can't help but love her take on all of the different versions of Jem - from her original version, to the live-action film version, IDW Comics version, and even her appearance on Robot Chicken - that they all exist as some sort of "Jem-Multiverse".
Influences
I like to think that Jem continues to inspire a lot of young women with the lessons they brought to the table in the 1980s while simultaneously leaving their mark on the musical genre of animated cartoons. There hasn't been nothing quite like it ever since and that's mind-boggling to me in a lot of aspects. Jem had everything that people demand and want from these mediums - a diverse multi-racial and multi-cultural cast of characters to identify with a wide range of viewers, unforgettable antagonists (first the Misfits and later the Stingers in a lesser capacity) that you love to hate, and timeless life lessons that speak to viewers young and old.
If I were speculate and offer my two cents, I think the closest thing that we have to recreating the magic that made Jem such a hit at the time is with the Winx Club.
Winx Club is themed with magical fairies and other mythical beings in mind instead of being more reality based, but still have your adolescent female protagonists striving to leave their own mark on the world. I would say that Winx Club takes elements from both Jem (fashion and musical influences from pop culture at the time) and Sailor Moon (shoujo/magical girl anime-style transformations and action) if I were to be perfectly honest though. Winx Club has to be doing something right as they are currently at eight seasons of 26-episodes each, two spin-off series, and four television movie specials with more content on the way.
To be honest, Winx Club can't deny being influenced by Jem in some capacity, especially when you look at some of the character designs. For example, I thought the Trix were dead ringers for the Misfits at first glance while Bloom and her friends were a group of multi-racial young women in the same vein as Jem and the Holograms.
Closing Thoughts
As "truly outrageous" as it was in terms of storytelling, Jem, was a definitive byproduct of the '80s culture from top to bottom. When I got to revisit the series with adult eyes when the reruns aired on The Hub channel, I enjoyed it a lot more than I did as a child growing up. Growing up, I saw it more as a show just for girls that I watched with my older sisters until the rest of my Saturday morning cartoons came on. As an adult, I could truly came to appreciate the character development among all of the craziness that the show brought to the table. It's no less sillier than going back and revisiting G.I. Joe, G1 Transformers, or even The Superfriends with adult eyes from the levels of absurdity going on in every episode. The show had a lot of heart and soul at it's core and that's why I think it's a shame that we don't have anything quite like it today in animation. Sometimes the only thing we need is the right song to brighten our rainy days; Jem truly had a knack for delivering that throughout its three season run. The live-action film failed to capture the magic that captivated many from the original TV series that inspired it, but the IDW Publishing comics continue to keep the spirit of the original TV series alive for old and new fans.
Out of all of the beloved cartoon properties from the '80s, Jem definitely deserves a spot along the lights of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, GI Joe, and the like. It definitely remains a beloved part of my childhood and cherish the memories that I have with watching it with my sisters growing up and even more revisiting it as an adult. If She-Ra can get a reboot on Netflix (despite how you may feel about the end product...), I think Jem deserves to be brought back for a new generation of fans. The show may have been over for the original run of the series since the late '80s, but I think there would be a lot of old and new fans - myself included - who wouldn't mind seeing Jem/Jerrica and the Holograms come back for one more "concert".
The music never dies unless you allow it to fall on deaf ears.
"Showtime, Synergy!"
In the meantime, feel free to bookmark this excellent fansite, TotallyJem!, that is regularly updated on all things JEM.
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