In May 1980, CBS and producer-animator Bill Melendez served up a hour-long primetime special, The Fantastic Funnies, not to be confused with Filmation's ill-fated 1978 series for NBC, The Fabulous Funnies, although footage from that series was used in this special.
Loni Anderson (WKRP in Cincinnati) serves as host, and even gets animated for a brief segment at the top of the show, as Melendez transforms her into a figure closely resembling Daisy Mae from Li'l Abner. The hour includes interviews with creators such as Charles Schulz, Morrie Turner, Brad Anderson, Mort Walker, and Mell Lazarus.
The Fabulous Funnies footage includes a long banned bit with Tumbleweeds, and part of a Broom-Hilda short with the voices of June Foray and Lou Scheimer. Garfield makes his debut, leading to the series of specials, then Garfield & Friends. However, Scott Beach is the voice of Garfield here, instead of his better known portrayers, Lorenzo Music and Frank Welker.
The wackiest bit is a WKRP skit with Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) paying homage to NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia by reading the funnies during a newspaper strike in Cincinnati. Hesseman even tries doing a Gary Owens mimic for a brief bit.
Scope!
This aired right around the end of season 2 of WKRP, but the footage didn't come from an existing episode, in case anyone wonders. The first Broadway incarnation of "Annie" was still going strong, with Keene Curtis (ex-The Magician), later the narrator of Space Stars, appearing as Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks to do a duet with Annie (Patricia Patts).
Sadly, CBS never saw fit to repeat this show, and should've, even if some of the material dated itself rather quickly.
Rating: A.
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