Rankin-Bass, in the wake of The Jackson 5ive going into all-rerun mode, added two more series to ABC's lineup in 1972. The network was diving back into the bubblegum pop arena with not only the Brady Kids, spun off from The Brady Bunch and launched in the premiere of the Saturday Superstar Movie, but with The Osmonds as well.
Unlike the Jacksons, the six Osmond brothers voiced their own animated counterparts, with the omnipresent Paul Frees giving voice to the made-for-TV family dog in addition to the usual supporting characters du jour. Also, the Osmonds were able to go on a world tour in the series.
The show also marked the return of record producer Mike Curb to cartoons. You'll recall that Curb worked with Hanna-Barbera (Cattanooga Cats) and Ken Snyder (Skyhawks, Hot Wheels) three years earlier, only to see all three series flop. Curb, representing MGM Records, was co-executive producer with Arthur Rankin, Jr. & Jules Bass. In case you wonder, R-B used a different animation house for Kid Power as opposed to England's Halas & Bachelor studio, which cranked out The Osmonds.
Otherwise, it was the same kind of animated sitcom silliness as Jackson 5ive a year earlier, and in this case, veteran comedy writer Earle Doud was one of the writers on the show. Doud would return with his friend, Chuck McCann, as a writer for McCann's 1975 CBS series, Far Out Space Nuts.
Right now, let's take a trip to Spain, where "Don Osmondo" (Donny, of course) has to win the heart of a mayor's daughter.
Cliched? Of course. Problem was the laugh track foisted on the show. The gags weren't that funny.
Rating: C.
2 comments:
The dog, Fuji, actually WAS the Osmonds' real-life dog.
The things you learn.
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