Krofftverse: Lost Saucer (1975)

In 1975, Sid & Marty Krofft actually had two series on two different networks that had essentially the same concept. Neither one lasted very long, but in hindsight, had both been on the same network, there might've been the possibility, albeit a remote one, that the storylines of both shows could've been resolved in one neat, tidy package. Ah, perchance to dream.........

While the Kroffts paired up former kids' show host & Right Guard pitchman Chuck McCann and TV icon Bob Denver (Gilligan's Island) for Far Out Space Nuts on CBS, they then matched two more TV favorites, Ruth Buzzi (ex-Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) and Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle, USMC, of course), in ABC's Lost Saucer. I am not sure if the two series were matched against each other for ratings purposes, I'd have to look that up, but I've believed that had both series been on either CBS or ABC, chances were good that the Kroffts might've been able to pitch a movie-of-the-week to resolve the matching storylines.



While Space Nuts was cancelled by CBS after 1 season, Lost Saucer was attached to Krofft Supershow for the first half of the 1976-77 season before being cancelled and, with Supershow trimmed to an hour, ABC filled the remaining half hour with truncated Super Friends repeats. Ruth Buzzi would return to Saturdays, this time reprising one of her Laugh-In characters, in 1977's Nitwits, one half of a DePatie-Freleng series with Baggy Pants, a Charlie Chaplin satire in funny animal form, for NBC.

I recall seeing Saucer as part of ABC's Thanksgiving kids' block, and there was a segment as part of the block that featured co-star Alice Playten doing a musical number. Sadly, I haven't been able to find it on YouTube, else I'd add it on here. Saucer was good, clean fun, and followed the familiar Krofft format to a T. Unfortunately, that format was getting a little long in the tooth, as evidenced by both Saucer and Space Nuts getting relatively quick cancellations, in comparison with Land of the Lost and Sigmund & the Sea Monsters over on NBC, which each lasted 2-3 years.

Rating: B-.