In 1977, Hanna-Barbera owned the 8 am (ET) hour on Saturdays. CB Bears on NBC. The All-New Super Friends Hour on ABC (easily the best of the lot). And, over on CBS, you had The Skatebirds.
Skatebirds was a riff on the disco fad of the period, with the title characters rolling around on roller skates. The only similarity between this show and 1968's Banana Splits, which lasted two seasons, was that both were anthology shows that had 3 animated features and a live-action serial. That was it. The quality took a nosedive from that point.
Let's consider the component parts for a moment.
*Woofer & Wimper: Dog Detectives was a reworked version of reruns of the previous year's Clue Club, focusing on the comedy relief pooches (Paul Winchell & Jim McGeorge). Big mistake.
*Wonder Wheels was a rip-off of Sid & Marty Krofft's Wonderbug (from Krofft Supershow), only with a dilapidated scooter instead of a dune buggy. Said bike's owner (Micky Dolenz, ex-The Monkees, Devlin, Funky Phantom) merely had to call for Wonder Wheels to effect the change over in transportation from the scooter to a souped-up motorcycle.
*The Three Robonic Stooges took the Three Stooges and turned them into cyborg superheroes in a parody times three of The Six Million Dollar Man. Voices included Winchell, Ross Martin (ex-Wild, Wild West, Sealab 2020), Joe Baker (ex-The Rich Little Show), & Frank Welker, whose Curly voice was also used for Jabberjaw, who had moved over to Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-Lympics, then shifted to Yogi's Space Race the next year. Go figure. Norman Maurer, Moe Howard's son-in-law, was presumably the head writer, and was also just as presumably in charge of the Wonder Twins shorts over on Super Friends.
*Mystery Island meant to be a cross between Danger Island and any number of cheesy sci-fi movies. Welker provided the sound effects for the robot. The production values were at Krofft-level bad.
Skatebirds was running dead last in its time slot, and so CBS split the show into 2 half hour component parts bookending the lineup. Robonic Stooges had Woofer & Wimper as the backup, while Wonder Wheels & Mystery Island remained on Skatebirds. The next year, Clue Club was restored to its original format, from which it should never have been tampered with.
Muttley16 uploaded the open to the full 1 hour formatted show.
Rating: C.
13 comments:
I remember this briefly and it was pretty bad even by 70s Sat AM standards!
At least the Splits were funny and their toon shorts far more fun. I thought it odd that Woofer & Whimper were given their own spot here, and worse cutting out the rest of the Clue Club! I'm guessing they were too cheap to create something new.
The Robonic Stooges I could take or leave. I liked the Stooges as a kid (rare for a lot of young girls ya know!) but the toon version just got on my nerves. It's a shame because Moe's grandson, Jeffrey Scott was a big part of getting the show together.
There's a theory that The Impossibles were in fact originally meant to be a version of the Stooges (based on their civilian appearances, you can guess which corresponded to wehich Stooge). If true, I'm glad it didn't go in that direction! The Impossibles were all too competent whereas the Stooges weren't.
Yogi's Space Race was equally weird. Yo Yogi almost made more sense! Almost.
Wonder Wheels got boring with the Superman/Lois Lane angle they gave the characters. I think it would have been cooler for WW, Willie and Dooley to have been a crime fighting trio! It was never explained how WW got to be so super or why it changed back to such a scrawny little scooter.
I barely remember Mystery Island, but based on your description, if they had cared about it a bit more, maybe it could have worked.
As I noted, the Woofer & Wimper segs were edited reruns of Clue Club, so there was nothing new there.
If they were bold enough to revive Wonder Wheels, I'd cut out the middleman (Willie), and have Dooley pilot the bike. That's just me.
Jeffrey Scott remained at H-B into the 80's, as he also worked on Super Friends & Scooby-Doo as memory serves.
The Impossibles were later revived---sort of, with the Harlem Globetrotters taking their powers and some extras. Now, that was BAD.
I remember this quite vividly.
Enough to offer some ideas for a reboot, perchance?
I did enjoy seeing this show as a kid...I never got the hang of the Robonic Stooges but thought they were okay...as for Mystery Island that was interesting to see...I did like Wonder Wheels and thought most of the series was good to watch...things they did on it blew me away...but it would be nice to see a reboot on the series itself or find it on DVD as it brings back childhood memories..I grew up watching most of the Hanna Barbara cartoons as I still enjoy watching them today...thanks so much for this story on the show I grew up watching..
I never really thought of the "Superman/ Lois Lane" theory about Willie and Dooley in Wonder Wheels? But If it was a "kid oriented" show then I don't know how that would be? She didn't know who he was? At least that's what I remember seeing in the cartoon itself...but I enjoyed seeing this cartoon among the other segments the Skatebirds show had on it
To add to the Impossibles...I didn't mind that show....thought it was good but I didn't really care for the Super Globetrotters? I didn't get why they were made out to be "super heroes"? I know that they play basketball...but really? They could have made them into mystery solvers or something that didn't involve the basketball court at the end of it...that did make sense but nothing else did..didn't really catch on to it?? I've seen better cartoons...it wasn't all that funny...I still like the Skate birds and what it had to offer...the Robonic Stooges was funny in parts...I grew up watching them but never knew that one of their relatives was involved in the show...which is cool....I still like Mystery Island and Wonder Wheels as well...loved watching them as a kid and hoping it will be available on DVD soon...I watched it when it had Mystery Island and Wonder Wheels on it...the Woofer and Whimper wasn't part of it...but loved them on Clue Club...
I also watched Wonderbug and do notice some similarities between Wonder Wheels and Wonderbug...but I liked both of them...but prefer the cartoon much more as I grew up with watching Hanna Barbara cartoons...both shows were part of my childhood and will never forget them.....none of the shows even the Skate Birds didn't have a laugh track? Why? Other cartoons they did after that has some laughing tracks in it..but overall I didn't mind the Skate birds show...it was entertaining
@T-Bird Hobbyfan: I'll address all of your points in one shot.
Wonder Wheels: Basically, Willie was, according to the series' bible, Dooley's boyfriend, and, yes, she swooned over Wonder Wheels' pilot, never realizing it was Willie.
Mystery Island was meant to be a homage to the melodramas of the Golden Age, much like Dr. Shrinker over on the Krofft Supershow the year prior. Both were cancelled after 1 season.
Robonic Stooges: It was what it was.
Thanks again for letting me know this...but I was a kid when this the Skatebirds came out...I didn't know that then but know it now that he is her boyfriend...but did enjoy watching Wonder Wheels and thought it was a good cartoon then and now...I've found some "reruns" of it online and still enjoy watching it to this day...The Robonic Stooges was funny in parts and like learning about the creators behind it...the 3 Stooges was hilarious to watch as well so glad it "inspired" the cartoon people to do that...but overall thanks again for the response back and love this article...Dr. Shrinker kinda creepy to me...but I didn't mind the other Krofft Super show segments...Dooley is a cool character and seems to help out her "boyfriend" when she can but never really made that "connection" it's him...wow....but still enjoy the Skate birds...it's still entertaining to watch now and again...never knew it had a "bible"? But I'm glad to see something like this about it...thanks again!!
To say Dooley "swooned" over him was one line went " what a bike and what a man"....or "what a fantastical pair"...so she was definitely "into" him but never knew? That's weird...but for a kid back then....maybe kids weren't able to see them do stuff? I don't know but it was a good little cartoon...not nothing fancy about it...Devlin was okay...nothing special about it...other than the motor cycle dude did stunts...Wonder Wheels did the loops and wheelies but did them better...more fun to watch...don't know if a reboot would come about but be worth seeing it though if it did...thanks again
But when Willie came back she wasn't "into" him? Made no sense if they were boyfriend and girlfriend? But back then they didn't show stuff like that "love stuff" for kids then...kids didn't relate to it...they just wanted to watch a cartoon...this cartoon was good...it was interesting to see all the stunts and how he helped out with solving crimes...different crime fighter....no connection on how she couldn't figure it out? Even Lois Lane figured it out that Clark Kent is him in a movie...but I did like this blog about the cartoon though...thanks again
All 3 of them as a crime fighting trio as Magic dog said? That would be cool to see...hmm...maybe a reboot for that? This is still good blog to see..."what a bike and what a man" or "what an utterly fantastical pair" and then acts like he doesn't exist to her whenever he comes back around? That doesn't sound like a girlfriend to me? But doesn't act like it when he comes back to her? But it's a good cartoon to watch...different to others I've watched but I'll continue to watch it whenever I do see it...what about this show called Jellystone? It's about Yogi Bear? It's supposed to bring back old Hanna Barbara cartoon characters? It would be neat to see the Skate birds or Willie and Dooley help them out in an episode of it...neat to see in future cartoons...
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