Toonfomercial: Why is an archeologist digging around the Keebler tree? (1976)

 This is totally goofy.

An archeologist (John Stephenson) has his assistant (Michael Bell) digging around the Keebler tree, which gets the attention of Ernie (Parley Baer). Danny Dark is the announcer.

Baer (ex-The Andy Griffith Show) was the primary voice of Ernie, sometimes alternating with Walker Edmiston, until his passing in 2002. Today, ultra busy Frank Welker is the voice of Ernie, as seen in a CGI ad currently making the rounds.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Don't Let it go to Your Head (1978)

 Philadelphia International Records has its own YouTube channel. In addition to the familiar hits by Billy Paul and Lou Rawls, there are some artists you might not have heard of, like, for example, Jean Carn, who climbed up the R & B & disco charts in the summer of 1978 with "Don't Let it go to Your Head", which brought her to Soul Train. Host-executive producer Don Cornelius does the intro:

Family Toons: Here Come The Littles (1985)

 In between seasons 2 & 3 of The Littles, the ABC series spun off a feature film, "Here Come The Littles", which, if memory serves me correctly, was later picked up by the network to use on the ABC Weekend Special. A 2nd film, "Liberty & The Littles", was produced later that year, and debuted as a 3 part episode on Weekend Special, doubling as the coda to The Littles.

The plot: Henry Bigg (Jimmy Keegan) has to live with his mean, evil uncle, Augustus (Hal Smith), when his parents disappear while on an expedition in Africa. Tom & Lucy Little end up tagging along in Henry's suitcase, and then, well, see for yourselves......

"Here Come The Littles" marked the final performance of 2nd generation actor Donavan Freberg (Stan's son) as Tom. Today, Donavan, who debuted in a series of commercials for Encyclopedia Brittanica that his father produced & directed, is a portrait photographer based in Los Angeles.

Veteran writer-producer Heywood "Woody" Kling wrote this story and "Liberty".

Rating: B.

Tooniversary: Betty Boop & The Little King (1936)

 After appearing in a series of silent shorts for Van Bueren, Otto Sogolow's The Little King was licensed out to the Fleischers to appear with Betty Boop (Mae Questel) in a 1-off in 1936. Bored by the opera, the king decides to check out the vaudeville theatre where Betty is doing a 1-woman Wild West show.

Not one of Betty's best, and it'd be the last time we'd see the king.

Rating: C.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Boys & Girls (1968)

 Here's a lesser known track from 1968's The Archie Show. Skip past the Dance of the Week segment, "The Jughead", and go straight to "Boys & Girls", not to be confused with a soul song of the same name from a few years later.

Edit, 6/23/22: Had to change the video. The Dance of the Week is not included in this copy.

You Know The Voice: Bud Collyer (1956)

 In the 50's, Bud Collyer could sell you anything, given the endorsement deals he had with Bulova, and with the in-show commercials on Beat The Clock, such as this one from 1956 for Fresh deodorant & anti-perspirant, a product that is no longer with us.

Saturtainment: The Littles take on a rat infestation (1983)

 You're heard the expression, "being eaten out of house & home", right?

Consider, then, the plight of The Littles in this first season offering.

A violent thunderstorm causes flooding in the village, and that brings hundreds of rats into the underground village that the Littles call home. Oh, sure, it's causing problems, for the humans, too, but what complicates things is one stubborn citizen who doesn't think the rats are cause enough for an emergency, contrary to the call to action from Grandpa (Alvy Moore).

Here's "The Rats Are Coming! The Rats Are Coming!":

Part of the reason The Littles didn't get past three seasons was because it was too close to the lunch hour death slot. DIC replaced them with The Real Ghostbusters in 1986, and that got a primo spot on the schedule.

Rating: A-.