Tooniversary: Wildfire (1986)

 Aside from the 50's series, Fury, few series centered on horses as protagonists have succeeded.

When CBS announced Wildfire as part of their 1986 lineup, some would be forgiven if their first thoughts were of a song by the same name that was a hit for Michael Martin Murphey 10 years earlier. Instead, it was another fantasy cartoon. If memory serves, this was a lead-in to the returning Muppet Babies. The cast includes David Ackroyd, Jessica Walter, and, in a rare dive into animation, Krofft stalwart Billy Barty.

Here's the open:

I think you can see why this bombed.

Coming Attractions: Futurama and Disenchantment come together!

 The cast of Disenchantment returns after 5 years away for a crossover with one of Matt Groening's other creations, Futurama, in a parody of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

While the following teaser suggests it drops Monday, the text after it on YouTube says September.

The plot, based on the teaser: Fry (Billy West) lands in the world of Princess Tia Bean and friends. Somehow, dumber than a doorknob Elfo (Nat Faxon) is now king........

Prepare to have your mind blown.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Love Will Keep us Together (1975)

 The Captain & Tennille soared all the way to #1 with 1975's "Love Will Keep us Together", written by Neil Sedaka. In this clip from The Midnight Special, not only is "Captain" Daryl Dragon on keyboards, but so is Toni Tennille.

From Primetime to Daytime: McHale's Navy vs. Nippon Nancy (1963)

 From season 1 of McHale's Navy:

"Nippon Nancy" (voice of Julie Bennett) gets under the skin, not so much of McHale and his crew, but Capt. Binghamton (Joe Flynn, ex-The Joey Bishop Show).

I'll bet anything that today, a certain demagogue would find Nancy's voice to be soothing......

Literary Toons: The Incredible Detectives (1979)

 What happens when you have a crow, a bulldog, and a Siamese cat, all belonging to the same family?

You have The Incredible Detectives, which TV & comics writer Mark Evanier adapted for the ABC Weekend Special in 1979, 13 years after the original novel was released.

Davey (Al Eisenmann) is kidnapped, and the family pets set out to rescue him. Additional voices include Frank Welker, Marianne Aragon, Laurie Main, & John Stephenson.

It Should've Been on a Saturday: Cadets (1988)

Viacom wanted to try a sitcom set in a military academy, not exactly a haven for comedy. ABC was willing, but ultimately passed on Cadets after a 1-shot airing in September 1988.

Film stars Richard Roundtree ("Shaft") and William Sadler are part of an ensemble with Soleil Moon Frye, fresh from Punky Brewster, Jaleel White (ex-Charlie & Company, and a few months away from Family Matters), Remy Auberjonois (Rene's son), and Corin "Corky" Nemec, two years away from Parker Lewis Can't Lose.

Didn't see this the first time (baseball season, you know), and now I know why ABC passed.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits (Revisited): Tallahassee Lassie (1964)

 Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon racked up a few hits, including "Palisades Park" and this next item, "Tallahassee Lassie", which brought him back to American Bandstand in 1964, four years after "Lassie" charted.....

In memory of Cannon, who passed away on Saturday. Rest in peace.