Saturday Morning Memories: Part 5

After reminiscing about Saturday morning superheroes and the quirky, adult-humor shows of the 1980s and 90s in previous blogs, I started thinking about some of my other favorite childhood cartoons of the late 60s and early 70s  It's so strange to think now that when I was a kid, we'd sit in front of the set for hours. From 7AM-1PM we munched on sugary cereal in our pajamas. 

Underdog (1964-67): a satire of superheroes, Underdog (voiced by Wally Cox) was a canine crusader who only spoke in rhyme. His everyday identity was a humble, lovable shoeshine boy with no pants. When danger arises he slips into a telephone booth and downs an "Underdog super energy pill." (I preferred Super Chicken's Super Sauce which was served in a martini glass.) His Lois Lane was Sweet Polly Purebread, a newscaster and apparently the only other human-like dog in this universe. Underdog was fumbling and would often run out of powers before the end of the episode. His nemesis included evil

scientist Simon Bar Sinister (who sounded like Lionel Barrymore and resembled Rudy Giuliani), lupine gangster Riff Raff, the vampire Batty Man (a parody of Batman), and the powerful Overcat.

Tony winner George S. Irving was the narrator. Each story was in four parts. Sometimes they'd show two segments of Underdog and fill the middle with others cartoons such as Major McBragg, a British blowhard constantly boring his fellow club members with fanciful tales, and Klondike Kat, a goofball feline mountie. Tennessee Tuxedo, who had his own TV series, was also used as a supporting feature. This was a sweet and goofy cartoon I enjoyed when I was little.

Jonny Quest (1964-65): This was actually a prime-time series, running on Friday nights on ABC, so it felt special and more mature than your usual Saturday morning fare. Reruns were broadcast on both CBS and NBC. There were certain episodes not reshown. I'm supposing because of excessive violence where bad guys were actually killed on screen. Jonny, his friend Hadji, his dad Dr. Benton Quest and the bodyguard Race Bannon were always on a mission in an exotic locale. We all wished we were like Jonny--never having to go to school, constantly on some adventure, a cool dad and surrogate dad.

Dr. Benton Quest, Bandit, Jonny, Hadji,
and Race Bannon

Sci-Fi Con Memories

Program from the DoctorWho Event 85
which I attended nearly 40 years ago

Writing up my experiences at the LIWho Doctor Who convention attended last weekend brought back memories of similar events I used to frequent in the 1980s and '90s. Apart from the occasional comic book show, this recent pop-culture gathering was the first one I had been to in about 35 years. The first one I ever attended that I can remember was a Star Trek convention in Philadelphia. Except for the Big Three-Shatner (Kirk), Nimoy (Spock) and Kelly (McCoy)--it seemed the entire Enterprise crew was there. I have no evidence or pictures from that event since I did not stand in line to get autographs, but I remember having fun which was the main purpose. In college I rented a car along with two other students and drove from Pittsburgh to NYC to attend another Star Trek con. Shatner was at this one and I asked him what it was like starring in the TV version of The Andersonville Trial and being directed by George C. Scott in a role he originated on Broadway. I don't recall the answer. I do remember seeing Forbidden Planet there for the first time.

My first Dr. Who event was in Valley Forge, PA with numerous Doctors and companions including Jon Pertwee and Nicola Bryant. There were no autographs given out and my chief memories were of watching Dr. Who episodes not yet available on our PBS stations. According to broadwcast.org, there was a Who event on Feb. 23-24, 1985 at the Valley Forge Convention Center as part of the Whovian Festival tour and the only guests listed are Colin Baker and John Nathan Turner. The website lists additional tour stops in Gainesville and Tallahassee, Florida, Portland, Oregon, and San Jose, Calif. There is also a DW event called Spirit of Light in Valley Forge on Aug. 31-Sept. 2 listed so it could have been that one that I attended. Now I look further and it was probably the WhoEvent 85, held Oct. 18-20 at Valley Forge. This one lists Pertwee, Bryant, Colin Baker, Anthony Ainley (The Master), John Levene, Janet Fielding, Terry Walsh and Carol Ann Ford as participants. I do remember there being a lot of guests, so this was probably the one I attended. Upon further digging through my collection of theater programs (none of which I have thrown out), I found the program (see picture). By now DW shows with Tom Baker were being broadcast on WHYY, the local Phila. PBS station with narration by Howard Da Silva and I was hooked. 

Reconstructing the Carol Burnett Show: Part 15: Who's Afraid of Virginia Robot?

Sid Caesar as Mr. Spook, Carol as Virginia Robot, 
Harvey as Capt. Quirk 

Season One: Sept. 18, 1967: Sid Caesar, Liza Minnelli

While scrolling through YouTube during an idle moment, I came across a long-missing sketch from the first season of the The Carol Burnett Show. It's a parody of Star Trek which was a brand new show at the time. The voice of Lyle Waggoner announces we are in for another thrilling episode of Space Trip in which the starship Intrepid boldly searches the galaxy for a higher TV rating. Harvey enters dressed in a bright red tunic with a lighting bolt across his chest as Captain Quirk. (He doesn't attempt a William Shatner imitation, probably because the actor's annoying mannerisms and weird pauses have not solidified as of yet with the viewing public.) Guest star Sid Caesar enters as Mr. Spook and the audience laughs at his freakishly huge ears. There is comic business as Spook attempts to tune in to a vital message from earth. The communication relays that a dangerous bomb in the form of a robot is floating around in space, so don't pick up any hitchhikers. At the moment, Carol floats by dressed alluringly in metallic fashion thumbing for a ride. Spook unwittingly brings her on board and she seduces him in order to blow up the ship. 

Presidents' Day in Pop Culture

Paul Giamatti as John Adams in HBO's mini-series
on the second president and father of the sixth

In celebration of Presidents' Day, I've decided to list every US president I've seen portrayed in a movie, TV show, or on stage and the actor who played him that I can think of. Of course, this discounts fictional presidents such as Josiah Bartlett, Art Hockstatter, or the one Patty Duke played on that short-lived sitcom from Susan Harris (Soap). I'm sure I'll leave out plenty, but here are all the ones that come to mind without doing too much research--cause this is just for fun.

George Washington--Barry Bostwick (that CBS miniseries); David Morse (John Adams on HBO)

John Adams--George Grizzard (The Adams Chronicles); William Daniels (1776); Paul Giamatti (John Adams on HBO); Brent Spiner (1776 revival from Roundabout)

Tribute to William Windom and Others of the TV Past

William Windom in The Doomsday Machine on Star Trek

In my wrap-up of Notable Passings for the past year, it was inevitable I'd miss one or two. But I shouldn't have missed William Windom, who left us in the middle of 2012. Windom is probably best remembered as the cranky doctor for Cabot Cove on Angela Lansbury's long-running 1980s series Murder She Wrote. But during the 1960s and 70s, he was on practically every TV show from The Lucy Show to Star Trek to The Twilight Zone to Night Gallery to All in the Family. He was the star of two series, the TV version of the movie The Farmer's Daughter and My World and Welcome to It, based on the humorous writings and cartoons of James Thurber. The gently funny series about a cartoonist ran for only one season, but it won an Emmy for Best Comedy Series and Windom was named Best Comedy Actor.