Old School Lane

Epizodes

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  Hey Arnold 18th Anniversary Show with Arun Mehta and Craig Bartlett 31.07.2026 1h 23min

  In the 18th Hey Arnold! Anniversary Show, Arun Mehta welcomes creator Craig Bartlett back for an in-depth fan Q&A and a heartfelt tribute to the late Steve Viksten. Craig reflects on Steve’s huge contribution to Hey Arnold!, from writing some of the show’s most memorable stories to voicing Oskar, and shares personal memories from their years working together on Rugrats and Hey Arnold!.The conversation also explores the legacy of Hey Arnold!, the enduring fanbase, the origins of Arnold’s iconic football-shaped head, the emotional depth of characters like Harold and Helga, and what might have happened with The Patakis spin-off. Craig also talks about returning to Nickelodeon, developing Skyrat, the changing animation industry, social media, fan art, DVDs, end credits, and why the world of Hey Arnold! still means so much to viewers years later.
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Winners and Nominations of the Oscars Best Animated Film 24.07.2026 2h 19min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Patricia and special guests Jim Bevan and Eli "The Hero of Tomorrow" Stone look back on the winners and nominations of the animated films that were highlighted at the Academy Awards. They also discuss about animated films that should've or shouldn't have been nominated for the Oscars.
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  Hey Arnold 17th Anniversary Show with Arun Mehta and Craig Bartlett 22.07.2026 1h 48min

  Join Arun Mehta for the 17th Hey Arnold! Anniversary Show with Craig Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!, as they dig into the stories, characters and creative choices behind the beloved Nickelodeon series. Craig answers fan questions about Arnold’s love of jazz, Helga’s family life, Monkey Man, Lila, unused episode ideas, voice recording sessions, musical episodes, ratings, celebrity cameos and much more.Whether you grew up watching Hey Arnold! or are discovering the show’s legacy today, this conversation offers a warm, funny and revealing look at the world of Arnold, Helga and the rest of the neighbourhood from the person who created it!
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  Hey Arnold 16th Anniversary Show with Arun Mehta and Craig Bartlett 15.07.2026 1h 54min

  Craig Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!, returns for a fan-focused deep dive into the world of Hillwood. In this episode, Arun Mehta hands the microphone over to the audience for the first time, using questions submitted by fans to explore some of the show’s biggest mysteries, behind-the-scenes stories, and character details.Craig talks about casting the original voice actors, why real kids were so important to the sound and emotional authenticity of the series, the evolution of Arnold as a character, and the deeper layers behind Helga, Olga, Phoebe, Rhonda, Lila, Brainy, Fuzzy Slippers, Monkey Man, and more. The conversation also touches on fan-favourite episodes including April Fool’s Day, Helga Blabs It All, What’s Opera, Arnold?, Parents Day, and The Journal.This episode also marks the first instalment to feature questions directly from the fans, with hundreds of submissions helping shape the discussion. From long-running theories to production secrets, Craig gives thoughtful, funny, and revealing answers that longtime Hey Arnold! fans won’t want to miss.Listen now for a nostalgic, fan-driven conversation celebrating the characters, stories, music, and unanswered questions that continue to make Hey Arnold! such a beloved animated series.
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  Hey Arnold 15th Anniversary Show with Arun Mehta and Craig Bartlett 08.07.2026 1h 3min

  Celebrate the legacy of Hey Arnold! with this special anniversary edition of The Arun Mehta Show, originally broadcast on North Manchester FM 106.6 in 2011. This episode marks the first ever Hey Arnold! Anniversary Show, featuring an in-depth conversation with series creator Craig Bartlett.Arun and Craig look back at the origins of Arnold, the evolution of the show, fan-favourite episodes, the emotional depth behind characters like Helga, Gerald and Arnold’s grandparents, and the long-running mystery surrounding Arnold’s parents. The discussion also touches on the making of the series, the music of Jim Lang, Hey Arnold!: The Movie, the planned Jungle Movie, and why the show continues to mean so much to fans.Whether you grew up watching Hey Arnold! or discovered it later, this anniversary show is a nostalgic and thoughtful tribute to one of Nickelodeon’s most beloved animated series.
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  PixMix Episode 37: Toy Story 5 29.06.2026 1h 4min

  In this episode of PixMix, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 2025 Pixar animated film Toy Story 5, the fifth installment of the Toy Story franchise. Bonnie is 8 years old now and she is having trouble making friends. Her parents decide to give her a Lilypad tablet device since the girls from her dance class have one and believe it would help her socialize. However, she becomes addicted to it and Bonnie's toys are left behind. Jessie tries to confront Lilypad, but she is outsmarted by her stating she will help Bonnie make friends with all her features. She inadvertently calls Woody for help and arrives to take care of Lilypad and return things to normal. But Lilypad hacks her system and puts all the toys in the garage. Meanwhile, Jessie ends up in her previous owner Emily's house and meets with Blaze, a young farm girl with an active imagination and who loves horses. Together with Blaze's old devices Smarty Pants, Atlas, and Snappy, Jessie tries to return home before Bonnie is taken over by Lilypad. When the film premiered in theaters, it received positive reviews from critics and fans making $585 million dollars out of a $250 million dollar budget, the largest budget in Pixar history. However, it received some response saying that Toy Story 5 doesn't justify its existence and that the franchise is overdone and exhausting. What did Arun and Patricia think of the film?
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  In Search of the Crystal Skull Episode 33: Masters of the Universe (2026) 22.06.2026 58min

  After an almost 2 year hiatus, In Search of the Crystal Skull is back! Arun and Patricia discuss about the 2026 live action film Masters of the Universe based on the 1983 animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Taken place in the world of Eternia, a timid boy named Prince Adam was tasked of protecting The Sword of Power and heading to Earth for safety after an evil sorcerer named Skeletor threatens to conquer everything and stealing the sword to make him more powerful. However, he lost the sword and was stuck on Earth for 15 years living a mundane life. One day, someone found the sword and Adam retrieves it. Immediately afterwards, his childhood friend Teela from Eternia returns him home only to learn that Skeletor has taken over everything. When the film premiered in theaters, it received mixed reviews from critics and fans. It was a box office bomb making $102 million dollars out of a $200 million dollar budget and is currently 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. What did Arun and Patricia think of the film?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 15.06.2026 1h 16min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia look back on the 1983 animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in honor of the upcoming movie Masters of the Universe. They discuss about the premise, characters, favorite episodes, and the legacy of the show's impact.
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: The Japanese Super Mario Bros. OVA 30.04.2026 30min

  Continuing our lookback at the Mario adaptations, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 1986 Japanese original video animated film Super Mario Bros. The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!  Mario and Luigi are tasked of rescuing Princess Peach from King Koopa after he kidnaps her wishing to marry her. Mario and Luigi must gather three objects to free the Toads from their imprisonment and use it to save Princess Peach before the full moon appears. The film was only released in Japan and released on VHS and Betamax. It wasn't until 2016 when a YouTuber named Carnivol acquired an 16mm reel of the film. Years later, both Carnivol, Femboy Films, and Kineko Video worked on a 4K restoration with English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian subtitles for more people to view it. What were Arun and Patricia's thoughts of this obscure Mario OVA?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: The DiC Entertainment Super Mario Bros. Trilogy 01.04.2026 1h 9min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia start a new month looking back on the adaptations of the Super Mario Bros. franchise by Nintendo. They first they look back are the three animated television shows animated and produced by DiC Entertainment: The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. All 3 shows involve Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool defeating the evil King Koopa from taking over the land they're residing in. In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Toad is alongside the group preventing King Koopa taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. In Super Mario World, Yoshi is alongside the gang preventing King Koopa and the Koopalings taking over Dinosaur World. All 3 shows have lived in infamy due to being prominently featured on parodic videos, reanimation projects, and YouTube poops. How do they hold up in their own merits?
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  PixMix Episode 36: Hoppers 16.03.2026 57min

  In this episode of PixMix, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 2026 Pixar animated film Hoppers. Co-written and directed by Daniel Chong, the creator of Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears, Hoppers focuses on a 19-year-old young adult named Mabel who has a love and passion for animals and nature due to her grandmother. When she passed away, the forest glade that her and Mabel would go to often is in danger of being replaced by a freeway led by the mayor of her town. One day while trying to lure one beaver to the glade to restore it, she sees a beaver wandering around. She follows it and learns that it's a robot beaver created by her college professor Dr. Sam Fairfax under the project Hoppers to have their human consciousness into robotic animals to observe them. Mabel places her consciousness into the robotic beaver to find beavers to save the glade. She meets up with all the animals in a small, crowded part of the forest led by a beaver named King George who knows everyone and sees the good in everyone. When the film premiered in theaters, it made over $164 million dollars with a $150 million dollar budget. It received positive reviews from critics and fans calling it a hilarious, insane, yet heartfelt film that was a refreshing change of pace from the previous Pixar films. It became the highest grossing opening for an original Pixar film since 2017 when Coco premiered. What did Arun and Patricia think of the film?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story 02.03.2026 1h 9min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 1993 animated film We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story based on the 1987 book by the same name by Hudson Talbott. Four dinosaurs consisting of a Tyrannosaurus Rex named Rex, a Pterodactyl named Elsa, a Triceratops named Woog, and an Apatosaurus named Dweeb were fed a cereal called Brain Grain by Captain Neweyes and his alien companion Vorb to make them smart. They're tasked on heading to New York City around the Middle Future to meet up with Dr. Bleeb, the main curator of The Museum of Natural History. The dinosaurs meet up with a boy named Louie who ran away to join the circus and a girl named Cecilia who is alone due to her parents not being around. When Louie and Cecelia reaches the circus, they later learned that it's run by Captain Neweyes' brother Professor Screweyes whose main goal is to scare people. When the film premiered in theaters, it made $9.3 million dollars out of a $20 million dollar budget with mixed to negative reviews. Patricia covered this film during her lookback of the Amblimation trilogy while Arun hasn't seen the film since he was a kid. What did they think of the film?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Masters of the Universe (1987) 22.02.2026 56min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 1987 live action film Masters of the Universe based on the 1983 animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated and produced by Filmation based on the toys. In the planet Eternia, He-Man, Man of Arms, Teela, and a new character named Gwildor are fighting the evil minions of Skeletor to prevent him from taking over Castle Grayskull. Gwildor's invention, the Cosmic Key, is able to travel to different dimensions across the galaxies. Skeletor sends his soldiers to capture them to retrieve the device, but Gwildor uses it for them to escape to another planet in another dimension: Earth. Meanwhile, a teenage girl and her boyfriend get caught in the fight of He-Man and Skeletor finding the Cosmic Key.When the film premiered in theaters, it made $17 million dollars out of $22 million dollar budget with negative reviews from critics calling it a Star Wars and Conan the Barbarian ripoff with He-Man plastered on it. Over the years, it has gained a cult following for its campy humor and offbeat depictions of He-Man and Skeletor. What did Arun and Patricia think of this film?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Zootopia 2 16.01.2026 47min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 2025 Disney animated film Zootopia 2, the sequel to the 2016 animated film Zootopia. One week after the events of Zootopia, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are continuing their work at the Zootopia Police Department as partners, but Chief Bogo sees their destructive actions to capture bad guys. It doesn't help that their personalities were the complete opposite of one another. He states that they have to work together if not they would separate them. Meanwhile, a gala celebrating the city's 100th anniversary is being held at the estate of the Lynxley family, whose ancestors was Ebenezer Lynxley, the founder of Zootopia. All of the sudden, a snake named Gary attempts to steal the journal which contains information on who the founder of Zootopia really is and who created the weather walls controlling the temperature of all of Zootopia's sections. Judy sees the good in him and after inadvertently attacking Chief Bogo and rendering him unconscious from a venom bite, Judy and Nick escape with Gary and the journal making them fugitives. When the film premiered in theaters, it made $1.4 billion dollars in the box office receiving critical acclaim from critics and viewers calling it a film that's just as good as the first one. What did Arun and Patricia think of the film?
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  DreamMachine Episode 57: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 31.12.2025 1h 24min

  In this episode of DreamMachine, Arun and Patricia take a break watching DreamWorks Dragons to watch the 2018 Netflix animated series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Based on the 1985 series She-Ra: Princess of Power, a spinoff of the 1983 series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra focuses on Adora, a soldier of the villain Hordak's army The Horde who wishes to conquer the planet Etheria to bring peace to the land. One night, Adora and her friend Catra sneak out to the Whispering Woods and she finds a sword. After picking up the sword, she becomes She-Ra and is destined to stop Hordak from his evil plans. She leaves the Horde, joins two companions named Glimmer and Bow, and together they reunite the princesses from the other lands and stop the Horde from conquering Etheria.When the series premiered on Netflix, it received critical acclaim from critics and viewers with its engaging story, memorable characters, LBGTQ representation, and making necessary updates to the original source material. It has been called one of the greatest animated series of the 2010s and one of the few times a remake to a classic show is better than the original. What did Arun and Patricia think of this new incarnation of She-Ra?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Musicals Based on A Christmas Carol 26.12.2025 1h 32min

  In the final episode of Casual Chats for 2025, Patricia and special guest Jesse McAnally from Musicals with Cheese discuss about 10 musicals based on the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens. They go over the pros, cons, and best songs that encompasses each key moment from this classic Christmas story. The musicals we covered for this podcast are as follow: The 1954 adaptation of A Christmas Carol from the anthology series Shower of Stars.The Stingiest Man in Town from the anthology series The Alcoa Hour that aired in 1956. The 1962 animated television special Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.The 1970 musical film Scrooge.The 1978 animated adaptation of The Stingiest Man in Town produced by Rankin/Bass.The 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol.The 1994 Off-Broadway show A Christmas Carol: The MusicalThe 2010 stage show A Christmas Carol: A New MusicalThe 2022 animated adaptation of Scrooge: A New Musical that was released on Netflix.The 2022 Apple TV+ film Spirited.
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  Puppets Go BOOM! Episode 11: Thunderbirds (2004) 16.12.2025 49min

  We're now entering bonus territory in Puppets Go BOOM! Arun and Patricia discuss about the 2004 live action adaptation of the 1965 British sci-fi action series Thunderbirds created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Alan Tracy is a 14 year old teen who wants to be a Thunderbird just like his father Jeff and his four older brothers Scott, Virgil, Gordon, and John. But he has to go to school before he could even think of joining. Meanwhile, a man known as The Hood wishes to steal the Thunderbirds vehicles so he can break into the banks around the world and steal all the money and wealth. With Jeff and his older sons trapped in Thunderbird 5 up in space and his scientist Brains captured by The Hood and his assistants, it's up to Alan, Brains' son Fermat, and a young teenage girl named TinTin to save the day.When the film premiered in theaters, it made $28 million dollars out of a $57 million dollar budget. It received negative reviews from critics calling it a terrible adaptation of the show with awful characters, terrible CGI, and a story geared towards kids. Even Gerry Anderson himself called the movie "the biggest load of crap I had ever seen in my life". What did Arun and Patricia think of the film?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala 14.12.2025 32min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia conclude their lookback on childhood movies that aren't as good as they remember it being. It's Arun's turn where he talks about the 1992 movie Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala. Based on the 1933 book series by Dorothy Wall, Blinky Bill is a koala who plays pranks and does a lot of mischief to his teacher, friends, and his mother. One day, loggers destroy the forest they call home and Blinky Bill has amnesia. When told about his life from an old wombat named Mr. Wombat, he remembers and learns that his mother wasn't with the animals who escaped the destruction of their homes. Blinky Bill, together with his friends, head to the loggers' home to see if his mother is still trapped in the tree they were living in.This movie served as a pilot to an animated series called The Adventures of Blinky Bill that aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and distributed in multiple countries, including the UK where it aired on Cartoon Network. The Blinky Bill series is a classic for Australian kids who grew up with it. But Patricia has never read the books or watched the series. What are her thoughts on it?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Happily Ever After 07.12.2025 36min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Patricia looks back on one of the animated movies she grew up with: the 1989 animated film Happily Ever After. Taken place after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White and the Prince travel to the forest to invite the dwarves to the wedding. However, The Wicked Queen's brother Lord Maliss wishes to take revenge on Snow White and the Prince after learning of her death. So, he turns into a dragon and tries to attack them, but Snow White got away and captures the Prince. Snow White meets up with the dwarves' cousins The Dwarvelles who has elemental powers from Mother Nature. Together, they travel to The Realm of Doom to rescue the Prince.When the film premiered in theaters, it was a box office bomb making $3.3 million dollars out of a $6.8 million dollar budget. In addition, due to the numerous lawsuits from The Walt Disney Company claiming that Filmation's previous film Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night and Happily Ever After were trying to call themselves "official sequels" to their films, it ended up bankrupting them and shutting down. When it was released in theaters in America in 1993, the film bombed in the box office, especially when Disney re-released Snow White and the Seven Dwarves around the same weekend to counteract Filmation. Nowadays, the film is forgotten by the general public and has become reviewing material for online critics calling it a bad Disney ripoff. What did they think of the film?
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  Old School Lane Casual Chats: Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer 02.12.2025 34min

  In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun looks back at one of the movies from his childhood he grew up watching which is the 1985 animated film Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer based on the 1984 Hallmark cards and animated series. Rainbow Brite is trying to bring spring all over the world, but her rainbow powers aren't working. It turns out that an evil princess is attempting to steal a planet sized diamond called Spectra to keep it for herself. Together with a boy named Krys and his robotic horse On-X, Rainbow Brite travels to the princess' palace to prevent her from stealing Spectra.When the film premiered in theaters, it made $4.9 million dollars in the box office with mixed to negative reviews from critics. Today, Rainbow Brite is seen as a forgotten part of 1980s pop culture that has been overshadowed by its contemporaries. How well does the film hold up 40 years later?