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Thursday, March 24, 2016

The Lookback : Children's TV Shows : ABC Saturday Mornings Part 2

The Lookback 

 Our sequel of ABC Saturday Mornings continues this is part two , if you missed part one  you can read that here
 In this edition we are staying in the 70's ( go disco) , since our last one was in the 80's ( Disco died).  

1.  Hong Kong Phooey 
      You know what was hot in the mid 1970's? ( Charlie's Angels?)  Kung Fu movies and TV shows. So we  have this from 1974  , Hong Kong Phooey was  an Hannah and Barbera  animated series ( are you shocked?)  than began in September of the year. It was about a dog with double identity, he works a janitor at the police station (Mopping up after crime fighters) with the name Penry. His secret identity was  that he was  Hong Kong Phooey the wacky crime fighter. He has a cool car that can turn in a plane, boat and more. (Even a car!)  When he heard of a crime he would get into his cabinet  and turn into his alter ego.  Like Inspector Gadget, later , it was his "sidekick" , Spot, who would be instrumental of capturing the baddy.  The series ran for 16 episodes  and ended in December 1974.

                   
                   Who is this Hero?/  Copy right 1974 by H&B

2. Lassie's Rescue Rangers
   The "Lassie" TV series (live-action) ran from 1954-1973 after it was canceled  , there was still  love of the heroic Collie. In 1972 there was an hour long animated Movie called "Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain".  ABC must have liked it because they asked for more and thus we get "Lassie's Rescue Rangers"  It was made by Filmation.  Our hero . lives with the Turner Family (Not Ted). The Father is Ranger Ben  Turner  he has a wife and 3 kids , and works as for the Forest Force , whose Job is it to  protect and help. Lassie is the leader of the Rescue Rangers , a group of wild animals who also help keep the environment and also the park safe.


                  
                 What are the lyrics? I forgot   / Copyright  Filmation
 Anyway, it ran 15 episodes. (so way less than the real Lassie )

3. FangFace
    Now it's time for a Ruby-Spears show (this article is just filled with giants who made TV animation in the 70's) it premiered on  ABC in 1978. It's about a group of teenagers :  the leader is named Biff  (Biff?) , his girlfriend Kim, Puggsy  and Fangsworth (uhhh)  the last character  is Fang Face (why isn't he the leader, his name is on the show?)  he turns  into a werewolf whenever he sees the full moon, or the picture of the moon or moon like moon,  The four kids ride around in a dune buggy and fight crime. ( eh finally some good teenagers) Also interestingly enough they only want to use "FangFace" whenever it is really really needed.also Fangface doesn't know of his alter ego and vice-versa.   Pugsy's character also adds new words into each episode.  This show ran two seasons , the 2nd season had the name " FangFace and Fangpuss" There was a new character added , a baby  who is the cousin of Fangs . The Baby also can turn into a werewolf (which kind of breaks the fact that intro says that there  is only one Werewolf born into the family ever 400 years, but why I am I applying logic to a TV  show?)  the series ended after 2 seasons.


                  
                Yep.../ Copyright Ruby-Spears or Turner

4.  Spider-Woman (yes Spider Woman )
   Here's an Idea .. Spider Woman ...a woman named Jessica Drew was bitten by  a poisonous spider (while most would either have to go the hospital , or die) , she was saved by a special spider serum  (father of the year)  and one of the symptoms was super powers. Now Jessica is an adult , she writes for Justice Magazine ( the most read magazine ever) . When Jessica has to fight crime as Spider Woman she slips away and fights crime.
  As you may have guessed it was based of a comic book , called Spider Woman , the TV series came in 1979 , a year after the comic book started There is no supporting cast in the comic compared to the TV show , where you have  a photographer and her nephew.  The Cartoon is also much brighter than the comic could be .  The series ran 1 season of 16 episodes though and faded of ABC's line up.

                       
                   
                  Kids... don't open spider containers  and there are 33 other spider serums? / Copyright Marvel

5. Here comes the Double Deckers
    Hey Britain !    This was a live-action show  made by a UK television producer and 20th Century FOX. It premiered in 1970 on ABC  and 1971 on BBC One in the UK . It revolved around  7 children whose place was an old double decker bus.  Each episode had our heroes falling into different adventures like runaway hovercraft  , martian invasions ,  and more. (you know kid stuff) It ran 17 episodes which was shorter than the intended 26 episodes.

                 
                   Good Fun... and I will see you next week/ Thanks Fox

And that's our lookback at ABC Saturday Mornings (part 2) tune in next time when there's  a British show about Werewolfed Spider Kids,

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