Back to the Future, the Animated Series: Brothers

Back to the Future, the Animated Series: Brothers
CBS
September 14, 1991
Children's, Sci-Fi, Comedy
DVD
C+

I saw the first movie when it came out and once or twice after that, while I've caught bits and pieces of the two sequels over the years.  So I'd say I have a working knowledge of that universe.  This appears to be set maybe ten years later, although of course when you're working with time travel, that may be meaningless.  Marty, who was, what, 16 or 17 in the first movie, is now in college, and yet Doc Brown now has two sons, Jules and Verne (get it?), who are maybe 8 and 6.  In this episode, Verne travels to 1864 and finds himself caught up in the midst of the Civil War.  Luckily, Doc now has not only the DeLorean but a time-traveling train.  There's a bit of science and history here, including a silent Bill Nye conducting a simple experiment, but then there are things like an integrated Union regiment.  Lots of slapstick, and Southern stereotypes.  I found a few plot holes, the most glaring being that Doc takes Jules with him to look for Verne, leaving Marty and Einstein the dog to guard the train, when it's been set up that the DeLorean is voice-activated by Doc and/or Einstein, so Einstein might be more useful than Jules.  Oh, and the battle is ended when it's pointed out that there are relatives on each side, so the two generals will work out a compromise.  Um, yeah.  OK, it's a kids' show, but really?

Note that Christopher Lloyd appears in the live-action closing and opening sequences but apparently didn't have the time to voice Doc as a cartoon, so they got Dan Castellaneta (yes, Homer Simpson), who does a very good job.  The guy voicing Marty is noticeably not Michael J. Fox.  I won't tag everyone individually, unless retroactively if they show up on other shows.  John Loy and John Ludin wrote this episode, while John Hays, Peyton Reed, and Phil Robinson directed.