The success of Shazam! enabled Filmation to sell three more live-action series to networks in 1975. Secrets of Isis and Ghost Busters joined Shazam! at CBS, while ABC acquired the anthology-variety series, Uncle Croc's Block, with Charles Nelson Reilly (Match Game) and Jonathan Harris (ex-Lost in Space, My Favorite Martians). Of those three, only Isis returned the following season. ABC severed its ties to the studio, and Filmation sold Ark II, starring Terry Lester (The Young & The Restless), to replace Ghost Busters on CBS.
But, there was almost a 4th sale.
We know Ark II, set in the future, had ecological themes, but there's a possibility Filmation would not have gone with it had Motor Scouts USA been sold to CBS in that 1975 group.
Set in the present, and a candidate for crossovers with Isis and/or Shazam!, Motor Sports USA is set at fictional Shermley College (there's an Easter egg for ya---the college is named for Shermley Music, the publishers of Ray Ellis' theme music for the studio in the 70's). Character actor Henry Silva, best known for playing villains, was cast as Professor John Proud Eagle, a teacher at the college, who recruits four students to fill out his team.
2nd generation actor Tim Rooney, son of screen legend Mickey Rooney, is one of the students. Since there is so little information on this pilot online, we are unable to identify the rest of the cast, although, as you'll see in the video, it looks like they brought in Dallas McKennon, long the voice of Archie, for a guest spot. McKennon would return to Filmation two years later for the final Archie series and a guest role on Space Academy.
Narrated by William Conrad (Cannon).
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