Y'see, my late father was channel surfing with our original cable box on the eve of the 1974 cartoon season. I can't remember if the Mets game that night was on the cable, and he was disgusted with it, or not. Anyway, ABC continued what would be a series of annual Saturday morning previews, which would continue until the end of the decade, just about.
The Funshine Saturday Sneak Peek features the Ace Trucking Company, featuring Bill Saluga and the late Fred Willard, plus Will B. Able brings the network's new Saturday mascot, Funshine Saturday, to life. Lee Majors pulls double duty, hosting and appearing in character as Colonel Steve Austin, aka The Six Million Dollar Man. Co-star Richard Anderson appears briefly.
The ABC freshman class of 1974:
Hong Kong Phooey
New Adventures of Gilligan
Devlin
These Are The Days
Don Adams (ex-Get Smart, Tennessee Tuxedo, The Partners) is our announcer. That's the part I actually remember. Comes with commercials.
Cheesy, of course, but then, it's the 70's! What did ya expect?
Rating: B--.
4 comments:
Yee-ikes! And I thought that Funshine guy was freaky looking as a cartoon! But as you say, m'friend, it was the 70's.
It would appear there was a 2nd annual Funshine Saturday special the next year, starring Lost Saucer stars Jim Nabors & Ruth Buzzi. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how one looks at it, it's not available online at the moment.
I must have missed this! I remember watching many subsequent Saturday AM preview shows in the late 70s and early 80s, but I would have remembered watching Lee Majors playing himself and Steve Austin! Bonus that Richard Anderson was there as Oscar Goldman!
That PSSST schtick is rather cringe tinged though! However, anyone who would plot to send kids to school on Saturdays or cancel summer vacation would definitely be seen as the enemy to the average 6 year old!!
I only saw the open, with Don Adams' intro, so I didn't see this the first time around. Yeah, it was wack, but then, consider the era.
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