Remember that one day when you could wake up without an alarm? When you would get your favorite bowl of cereal and sit between the hours of 8 and 12? This is a blog dedicated to the greatest time of our childhood: Saturday mornings. The television programs you watched, the memories attached to them, and maybe introducing you to something you didn't realize existed. Updated every weekend.
The Green Hornet was a radio
serial character created in 1936 by WXYZ (now WXYT) owner George W. Trendle
and writer Fran
Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell.
He was the alter-ego of Britt Reid (Al Hodge, Donovan Faust, Bob
Hall & Jack McCarthy), the wealthy young publisher of The Daily
Sentinel newspaper and a descendent of The
Lone Ranger, whom Trendle and Striker also created. He and his loyal
partner and confidant Kato (Tokutaro Hayashi, Rollon Parker & Michael Tolan) patrolled the
city at night with a variety of gadgets and a technologically advanced car, The
Black Beauty. They pose as criminals in order to better infiltrate the criminal
underworld. The Green Hornet ran from 1936-1950, then again for 2 months
in 1952. In that time, it was adapted into two serials by Universal Pictures and a comic book series
that began with Henlit Comics (aka Holyoke) in 1940
and ended with Harvey
Comics in 1949.
Green Hornet, Kato and the Black Beauty.
Trendle had attempted to pitch the
character for television in 1951 and 1958, but nobody was interested in it
until Batmanbecame
a success on ABC. The network decided to take
on The Green Hornet and put it in the hands of Batman producer William Dozier. Unlike Batman,
The Green Hornet was played straight. The Hornet was once again publisher
Britt Reid (Van Williams)
with his trusty sidekick, martial-artist Kato (Bruce
Lee), dedicated to fighting crime after his father was framed, imprisoned
and killed. Only two other people knew their secret: Reid’s secretary Lenore
“Casey” Case (Wende Wagner),
as she did in the later years of the radio show, and District Attorney Frank P.
Scanlon (Walter Brooke),
changed from being a police commissioner in order to minimize comparisons to Batman.
Sentinel police reporter Michael Axford (Lloyd Gough), no longer Britt’s
bodyguard, was determined to get the scoop on the Hornet. Additional
differences between previous versions were Hornet and Kato wore masks molded to
their faces rather than one that covered the full face or goggles, Hornet
carried a vibrational weapon called the Hornet’s Sting as well as a knockout
gas gun, and Kato had darts hidden up his sleeve.
The Green Hornet meets Batman and Robin.
The Green Hornet debuted on
ABC, who owned WXYZ since 1946, on September 6, 1966. Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral interlude, “Flight of the Bumblebee”,
had become synonymous with the character through the radio series, so the TV
show used a similar jazz-styled theme arranged by series composer Billy May, conducted by Lionel Newman, and a trumpet
solo by Al Hirt. Dozier served
as the series’ narrator as he did on Batman, and the characters would
cross over twice. Unfortunately, The Green Hornet did not duplicate Batman’s
success for the network and they cancelled it after a single season. However,
it left a lasting impression thanks to Lee as it introduced both him and true
martial arts to American audiences, increasing the popularity of both and
propelling Lee into a movie career. ABC aired reruns of the series until July
1967, and since then it has made sporadic rounds on various networks.
Animator and director Savage Steve
Holland seems to have carved a career for himself out of his pitiful life
experiences. He turned his failed 11-year-old birthday party into a sad film a
comedy festival audience found hilarious, translated people he knew into the
casts of Better Off
Deadand One
Crazy Summer, and utilized his harrowing experience as a pet owner for
his first animated series.
Eek with Annabelle.
Developed with friend and colleague
Bill Kopp, Eek! The Cat centered on a pudgy purple cat named Eek (after
one of Holland’s cats, voiced by Kopp using a voice he came up with for his own
cat) who was an eternal optimist and always willing to live up to his motto
that “It never hurts to help!” Except, in Eek’s case, it often did. Not only
was he the victim of slapstick pratfalls that would make Wile E. Coyote
jealous, but he often inadvertently caused harm and misery to others. He was also
surrounded by some of the worst people that often sought to actively abuse or
take advantage of him.
Eek with Wendy Elizabeth and J.B.
Though anthropomorphized, Eek was
generally a typical cat around his family. The matriarch known simply as Mom
(Elinor Donahue) was often busy cleaning house or attempting to learn
nonsensical phrases in foreign languages. She had two kids: Wendy Elizabeth
(Elizabeth Daily) and J.B. (Charlie Adler). Both were whiny and spoiled, with Wendy
Elizabeth being prone to emotional outbursts whenever things don’t go her way
and J.B. being the least-intelligent of the pair. The kids’ favorite show was The
Squishy Bearz Rainbow of Enchanted Fun Minute. It starred The Squishy Bearz,
four family-friendly colorful bears—Kozy (Jaid Barrymore first time, then
Daily), Puffy, Wuz Wuz (both Cam Clarke), Pierre (Kopp using a French accent)—that
were a parody of the Care Bears and often ended up in extreme peril.
Sharky out for Eek's blood.
Outside of the house, Eek had his
girlfriend and neighbor, Annabelle (Tawny Kitaen, later Karen Haber, both using
a southern drawl), an obese pink cat whose heftiness often escaped Eek.
Annabelle was protected by Sharky the Sharkdog (who spoke in often-subtitled
growls), her pet guard dog that resembled a shark and generally disliked Eek as
he always happened to cause him injury or destroy his stuff (particularly his
deceptively cavernous dog house). Sharky’s favorite show was Patriotic
Warriors (a parody of American Gladiators),
and was in love with one of their stars, Platinum. Mittens (Dan Castellaneta,
later John Kassir), was Eek’s best friend who suffered from extreme paranoia
and lived with the poor-sighted Granny (Adler). Steven was a squirrel who lived
in a nearby tree with his family and was incredibly boring. The Incredible Elmo
(Holland) was Eek’s inept yet loyal friend who hid his cowardice by constantly tricking
Eek into doing something dangerous for him by claiming he needed to raise money
for an absurd medical procedure for his brother, Timmy. Elmo had a variety of
professions, including talk show host and medical doctor.
Close encounters of the Eek kind.
Eek! The Cat debuted on FOX on September 12, 1992 as part of the Fox Kids programming block. Every
episode was written by Holland and Kopp, utilizing slapstick humor and pop
culture references. Occasionally, episodes would spoof entire movies, be done
as a musical, or completely in rhyme. Rather than focus on the typical life of
a housecat like other productions, Eek was often thrust into one silly
situation after another; such as having to rescue Annabelle from the evil alien
Zoltar (Brad Garrett) who wanted to use her as a battery. Although FOX had a
comparatively liberal standards and practices department when compared to the
other networks, Holland and Kopp made sure that the censor assigned to their
show earned every penny she was paid by jamming the script with elements they
couldn’t air. For instance, the aliens in the episode “Eek vs. the Flying Saucers”
were initially described as a toilet, a urinal and a roll of toilet paper that
were treated “like filth” on their last visit to Earth. It could be surmised
that was just Holland and Kopp applying the old trick of putting in outlandish
content in order to get the stuff they actually wanted past the censor.
Animation duties were handled by Nelvana
while Nathan Wang composed the music.
Renewed for a second season, Eek!
received a revamp. Holland and Kopp came up with the idea for a spin-off
series that instead became a segment of the parent show. Eek! adventures
were pared down to make room for The Terrible Thunderlizards, which saw
the whole show renamed Eek! and the Terrible Thunderlizards. Production
delays prevented the segment from joining the show when the season debuted and
it ended up starting that November. Additional 1-minute segments were planned
starring the various supporting characters, but they were dropped when they
found they didn’t have sufficient time to air them. The Thunderlizards segments
had their own theme composed by Dee Snider
of Twisted Sister.
The Thunderlizards: Kutter, Squatt and Doc.
Thunderlizards
was
set in prehistoric times, however the dinosaurs were shown to possess advanced
intelligence and modern equipment. A trio of dinosaur mercenaries—leader Doc
Tari (Holland), a Parasaurolophus whose crest hole contained a multitude of
gadgets; Day Z. Kutter (Kopp); a Styracosaurus who was an expert with sharp
weaponry, and Bo Diddley Squatt (Jason Priestly, later Corey Feldman), a
dim-witted Allosaurus that was often the first to volunteer for dangerous
missions (modeled after Private Hudson from Aliens)—were tasked
by their commander, General Galapagos (a Tyrannosaurus voiced by Kurtwood
Smith), with exterminating a pair of cavemen before they were allowed to mate
and eventually supplant dinosaurs as the dominant species.
Scooter and Bill.
Those
cavemen were Bill (Adler) and Scooter (Curtis Armstrong, a frequent Holland
collaborator). Scooter was the jolly, optimistic inventor of the pair, often
coming up with a variety of (ultimately defective) devices. Ill-tempered Bill
was often the guinea pig for those devices with disastrous results (ending with
the line “When does the hurting stop?”). They were aware of the Thunderlizards’
attempts to come after them although they had no clue exactly why. It was often
by sheer luck and the Thunerlizards’ ineptitude that the cavemen managed to
escape every time.
Thuggosaur Biff looks at their latest failed invention.
The
Thunderlizards had another foe: the Thuggosaurs. They were a race of undead
Grim Reaper-like dinosaurs that lived in a place called the X-Zone. They were
based on the Forbidden Zone mutants from Beneath the Planet of the Apes and
Battle for the Planet of the Apes. The Thuggosaurs constantly try to
attack Jurassic City, only to end up thwarted by the Thunderlizards and
sometimes the cavemen. Leading the Thuggosaurs was Thuggo (Garret, Smith for 4
episodes), a fan of dramatic TV shows. Biff was his second in command; a gentle
soul who enjoyed flowers.
While
the show remained unchanged for the third season, it did gain another (and
final) new name: Eek! Stravaganza. It also had a loss behind the scenes
as Kopp left the production. While he still provided the voices for all of his
characters, Kopp accepted a deal to develop The Shnookums and Meat Funny
Cartoon Showfor Disney’s The
Disney Afternoonprogramming block. The show ended up being
short-lived, and Kopp was offered a deal to do another show for FOX. Joining
Holland on writing duties for the season were Kati Rocky, Pamela Wick, Henry Gilroy, Paul Germain, Sandy Fries and Frank Santopadre.
The
fourth season introduced another new segment: Klutter! The segment
focused on Ryan (Clarke) and Wade (Holland) Heap, two boys who desperately
wanted a pet. However, their reporter father, John (co-creator David Silverman)
was allergic to just about every animal. They got their wish, however, when Ryan
accidentally charged a pile of clutter with static electricity, creating
Klutter (Kirk Thatcher). They, along with their baby sister Sandee (Sandy Fox)
and neighbors Vanna Erving (Halle Stanford) and Kopp (Michael Zorek) often went
on adventures with Klutter as Ryan fancied himself a reporter like his father.
Despite John’s insistence that their town was completely dull, that didn’t stop
them from encountering ghosts, monsters, mad scientists and aliens.
Klutter munching on some chips.
Klutter!
looked
markedly different from the rest of the Eek! line-up. That was because
it was co-produced by Film Roman with characters designed by Eric S. Keyes and Mark Walsh. Holland
took on most of the staff from the recently-cancelled The Critic, all of
whom worked on the segment.Because Holland and others often had fun
talking about and drawing funny pictures of Bill Kopp behind his back, they
created the character of Kopp based on him. Kopp was portrayed as a bit of a
dimwit and often bore the brunt of some of the jokes. Only 8 episodes of Klutter!
were made, alternating with Thunderlizards segments, which were produced
and directed by Brian Sheesley.
Silverman served as the story editor.
Eek and Elmo cook as Timmy looks on.
For
the fifth and final season, Eek! was taken off of Saturday mornings and
moved to the weekday afternoon timeslot. Klutter! reruns were used to
fill up episode run times, alternating again with Thunderlizard segments.
Although FOX cancelled the series in 1996, new episodes didn’t finish airing until
the summer of 1997. Parts of episodes returned in reruns the following year in
Fox’s Cartoon Cabaña programming block. Both
seasons were written entirely by Holland.
Mulder and Scully appear on Eek!
One
notable aspect of the show was the type and number of celebrity cameos they
were able to book. William Shatner
played Santa in the Christmas special and returned to play Captain Berzerk in
another episode. Bobcat
Goldthwait played Santa’s reindeer, Blitzen. Tim
Curry narrated an episode. Dee Snider and Mr. T portrayed dinosaur versions
of themselves in Thunderlizards. Phil Hartman was a psychotic
bunny, Buck Henry was Cupid,
and Heather Locklear played
Alice, a rival for Annabelle’s affections for Eek. As a love letter to the X-Files,
and an acknowledgement for the fact that Eek! was seen on an episode
of that show, not only did Eek! parody X-Files but David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprised their
roles for an episode of Eek! Appearing as themselves was Nia James, John Walsh, “Weird Al” Yankovic, John Landis, Don Cornelius, Julie Strain, Chuck Jagger, Chris Leary, The Barbi Twins, Cynthia Rothrock, Fabio and Margaret Loesch, the head of
Fox Kids. Holland and Kopp also appeared as themselves. Kato Kaelin was scheduled to
appear as well, but the network vetoed that.
EPISODE
GUIDE (there is some discrepancy with the episode order & air dates for
later seasons): Season
1:
“Misereek”
(9/12/92) – Eek takes Mittens’ place in order to get some better food but finds
out the grass is always greener.
“Bearz
N’ the Hood” (9/19/92) – Eek goes to get a Squishy Bearz autograph for Wendy
Elizabeth, but the Rat Pack disguise themselves as the Bearz to take the
mayor’s statue hostage.
“Castanova”
(9/26/92) – Cupid aids Eek in getting the attention of his new neighbor
Annabelle, while also avoiding her guard dog Sharky.
“Eek
vs. the Flying Saucers” (10/3/92) – Eek has to save Annabelle and the planet
from an evil alien.
“Cape
Fur” (10/17/92) – Eek rescues and adopts a bunny, only to discover the bunny is
a psychopath.
“HallowEek”
(10/31/92) – Eek has to rescue his children and some ghosts from a pretty
witch.
“Eek’s
International Adventure” (11/14/92) – While on a family vacation, Eek is
mistaken for a secret agent and ends up captured by the evil Brain with the
gorgeous agent Sasha.
“HawaiiEek
5-0” (11/21/92) – Rescuing Anabelle from a swimming pool lands her, Eek and
Jacques L’Ducks on a tropical island where Anabelle is made queen—and a
sacrifice.
“Great
Balls of Fur” (11/28/92) – When superstar Melvis fakes his death to escape his
career, his manager tricks Eek into impersonating him for his own benefit.
“The
Whining Pirates of Tortuga” (12/5/92) – While waiting for Sharky to leave, Eek
regales the neighborhood kittens with an adventure tale about his encounter
with real pirates.
“The
Eekcidental Tourist” (12/12/92) – Wendy Elizabeth’s mother takes the family on
a cross-country road trip to improve her geography knowledge, and Eek is left
behind in every state.
“It’s
A Wonderful Nine Lives” (12/19/92) – Eek goes on a mission to deliver a package
that fell out of Santa’s sleigh.
“The
Eeksterminator” (12/26/92) – Eek has to rescue the termites he gave Wendy
Elizabeth from a group of spiders and an exterminator.
Season
2:
“Shark
Therapy / Speed FrEek” (9/25/93) – Eek rushes Sharky to Dr. Elmo after running
him over with a lawn mower, but all they do is make Sharky worse. / Elmo tricks
Eek into running a race for him when he goes up against a superior opponent.
“Rocketship
to Jupiter / Eek’s Funny Thing That He Does” (10/2/93) – Eek dreams that he and
the Squishy Bearz visit Professor Wiggly to test his rocket ship. / Eek has to
get lemons from Sharky’s yard in order to replenish J.B. and Wendy Elizabeth’s
supply for their lemonade stand.
“Eekpocalypse
Now! / Eex Men” (10/9/93) – Eek, the kittens and Elmo head up the McTropolis
River to find Sharky. / Superpersonman decides to give up being a hero and
saddles Eek with the job.
“Quadrapedia
/ Night on Squishy Mountain” (11/6/93) – The Rat Pack kidnaps Anabelle on
behalf of two witch cats jealous of her beauty. / A day at the amusement park
is disrupted when Mom is captured by an insane automaton.
“Star
TrEek / Eeking Out a Living” (11/13/93) – Eek dreams he’s a starship captain
engaged in a battle with Sharky the Sharktarian. / When Eek and Sharky accidentally
break Annabelle’s garden fountain statue, they get jobs in order to buy the
glue needed to fix it.
“Meat
the Thunderlizards / The Great Eekscape” (11/20/93) – Believing mankind will
lead them to extinction, General Galapagos forms the Thunderlizards to stamp
out two cavemen. / Eek and Sharky end up in the pound when they’re found
without their licenses.
“The
Lava my Life / Eek Goes to the Hot Spot” (11/27/93) – A chase leads the
Thunderlizards and the cavemen into unwittingly rescuing the President’s
daughter. / When Eek ends up in the afterlife, a bad cat trades places with him
so that Eek will end up in the hot spot instead.
“Tar
and Away” (12/4/93) – The cavemen and Thunderlizards discover an alien ship in
a tar pit.
“It’s
a Very Merry Eek’s Mas” (12/5/93) – Eek takes Sharky to see Santa to grant him
a Christmas wish, but they end up delivering presents instead when the reindeer
and elves go on strike.
“Always
Eat Your Spinach” (12/18/93) – Trying to root the cavemen out of a house leads
Squatt to accidentally create a spinach monster.
“All
About Babs” (1/1/94) – The dino scientists create a female human designed to
lure the cavemen to the Thunderlizards, but she has her own plans.
“The
Frying Game” (1/8/94) – The Thuggasaurs plan to use missiles to destroy
Jurassic City.
“Ice
Age Kapades / Something’s Abyss” (1/15/94) – The cavemen discover a lost ice
projection gun in their travels and accidentally start the Ice Age. / The
cavemen fall into a ravine where they’re captured by slugs whose princess wants
to marry Bill.
“The
Unbearable Lightness of Being Scooter / Thundersaurus Wrecks” (1/22/94) – While
the cavemen escape via helium, the Thunderlizards discover the Thuggasaurs’
inflatable bomber. / Scooter saves a baby bat from falling, and as thanks its
mother gives them a ride while the Thunderlizards pursue in a plane.
“A
Sharkwork Orange / Let’s Make a Wheel” (2/5/94) – Eek sends Sharky to Dr. Elmo
for his anger issues. / Bill tries out Scooter’s new wheel and ends up foiling
the Thunderlizards’ new weapon against them.
“T-Rex,
Lies and Videotape” (2/19/94) – Spy cameras used to find the cavemen stumble
upon the Thuggasaurs’ latest explosive plot.
“Mountain
Groan” (2/26/94) – On a camping trip, Annabelle ends up the only one not abducted
and left alone against a bigfoot.
Season
3:
“Paws
/ In the Line of Fur” (9/10/94) – Eek, Sharky and Mittens have to retrieve
Annabelle’s overfed goldfish from Wendy Elizabeth’s pool party. / After rescuing
the President’s cat Socks, Eek becomes his escort and has to rescue him from
mad dog Checkers.
“Chariots
of Fur / Honey I Shrunk the Cat” (9/17/94) – Elmo forces Eek to substitute in a
race for him and uses Sharky to ensure Eek will win. / Eek and Sharky end up
shrunken by Elmo’s shrink ray, but before they can be enlarged they have to
remove a raisin from the President’s brain.
“Shark
Doggy Dog / Fatal Eektraction” (9/24/94) – Choking on a sock has Don Corenlius
turn Sharky into a rap star. / Eek’s new neighbor has the hots for him and
tries to get rid of Annabelle.
“The
Good, the Bad and the Squishy / Birth of a Notion” (10/8/94) – Eek tells
Annabelle about a mysterious stranger who partners with a sheriff to save a
Western town. / Babs returns to celebrate Bill’s burpday…by having the cavemen
build her a mall.
“Eek’s
SnEek Peek / The Thunder Years” (10/15/94) – Eek provides some behind the
scenes information of his movie with the Squishy Bearz. / The Thunderlizards
are downed in Thuggasaur territory and reminisce while they await rescue in a
cave.
“The
Eex Files / The Hurting Show” (11/5/94) – Eek is believed to be an alien when
he crashes into Area 51 after falling out of an airplane. / While the
Thunderlizards stop a hijacking, Scooter invents a talk show to help Bill work
through his problems.
“Paw
Sores / T-Rex and Sympathy” (11/12/94) – Eek dreams he’s a space knight in a Star
Wars-esque setting. / Mr. T-Rex rides along on the Thunderlizards’ next
mission.
“The
Eeksorcist / Boo Thunder” (11/19/94) – Elmo accidentally unleashes the joyful
spirit Huggie who possesses Sharky and makes him too cute and lovable. / Scooter
invents Halloween where they scare their neighbors with masks while the Thuggosaurs
create a lava-covered robot for their next attack.
“Lord
of the Fleas / Postcards from the X-Zone” (11/26/94) – Elmo tricks Eek into
babysitting some savage penguins that he has to wrangle out of the mall. / The
cavemen go on vacation when their home is hit by a stink bomb and the
Thuggosaurs plan a giggle gas attack.
“Eekstremely
Dull / Planet of the Crepes” (2/4/95) – An extremely boring squirrel family
moves into the neighborhood. / While the Thunderlizards battle the Thuggosaurs’
submarine, an astronaut crash lands on Earth and is shocked by what he finds.
“Eeksy
Rider / A Sharkdog Day Afternoon” (2/18/95) – While getting Wendy Elizabeth’s
bike fixed, Eek, Sharky and Mittens enter a BMX bike tournament. / The
Sharkenator arrives to eliminate Sharky, but Tera comes to his rescue.
“Rebel
Without the Claws / Cromagnon Farce” (2/25/95) – While Annabelle’s at the
beach, she sends Eek and Sharky off for an hour resulting in mishaps to befall
Sharky’s car. The Thuggosaurs try to hijack the space rocket the Thunderlizards
launch to track the cavemen.
“This
Eek’s Your Life” (5/6/95) – Sharky relives his past as everyone comes out to
celebrate his birthday.
“Try
Hard” (7/8/95) – Eek heads off to donate things to the Kittens’ Hospital while
Sharky seeks revenge against him for unknowingly destroying his statue.
Season
4:
“Valley
of the Dogs / Klutter” (9/9/95) – Sharky wakes up one day and decides to become
a Broadway star. / Ryan and Wade are desperate for a pet and accidentally create
one when static electricity brings their clutter to life.
“Pup
Fiction / The Klutter and I (Infection)” (9/16/95) – Eek and Sharky find a
briefcase and set out to return it to its owner. / Klutter tries to help the
kids stay awake long enough to watch a late-night horror movie.
“Natural
Bored Kittens / Lizard of Aaaahs” (9/23/95) –
“OutbrEek
/ Arctic Blast” (9/30/95) –
“Octopussy
Cat / Mixed Klutter” (10/7/95) – Eek undergoes a series of trials to return a
lost octopus to the ocean. / A trip to the aquarium has Klutter being captured
after he’s mistaken for an escaped sea creature.
“Going
to Eekstremes / Bi-Predator” (10/21/95) – Eek’s cousin visits and drags him on
a series of disastrous adventures. / Mr. T-Rex and Bill get blasted into a
restaurant where General Galapagos is eating with his wife.
“Dazed
and Eekstremely Confused / Franken-Klutter” (11/4/95) – Elmo tricks Eek into
taking his place as a movie stuntman. / A disgraced scientist wants to get his
hands on Klutter to figure out the secret to his living and become respected in
his community.
“Eek
Space-9 / The Yawn of Man” (11/11/95) – Eek and the crew have to stop Commander
Berzerk from destroying the universe. / Babs shows off her anacondaminium while
the Thuggosaurs’ latest plot backfires and turns them and the Thunderlizards
into babies.
“The
GraduEek / Peanut Klutter and Jelly” (11/18/95) – Sharky graduates obedience
school and befriends an attractive mail carrier prospect. / After bringing a
turtle back to the river, the kids have to chase their lunches after they float
away on a log.
“PolitEekly
Correct / Whatta Woild” (11/25/95) – After causing a quail to forget his song,
Eek and Sharky take him on a musical tour. / The Thunderlizards have to stop
the Thuggosaurs’ submarine attack.
“Night
of the Living Spuds” (1/29/96) – John gives the kids a pointless story for them
to investigate which leads them into encountering giant living potatoes.
“Goop
Dreams” (1/30/96) – The dino scientists invent a sticky goop that can trap the
cavemen.
“It’s
a Thunderful Life” (2/1/96) – The Thunderlizards’ latest device against the
cavemen goes crazy and begins attacking Jurassic City.
“Thunder
& Frightning” (2/5/96) – The Thunderlizards are given jet packs for their
next human hunt.
“The
Ghost of Goober Bottom Pond” (2/6/96) – Klutter and the kids investigate a
ghost story at the local pond.
“The
Thunder of It All” (2/7/96) – The Thuggosaurs plan to use a missile launcher
disguised as a smiling inch worm to invade and destroy Jurassic City.
“Bonfire
of the Vanna Tea” (2/8/96) – Klutter accidentally ruins the high society party
Vanna attempts to throw.
“The
Magnificent 5 ½” (2/16/96) – To stop a Thuggosaur invasion, the Thunderlizards
are saddled with three specialists for help.
Season
5:
“DiabolEek”
(9/6/96) – Sharky goes to Dr. Elmo to help get rid of his Eek nightmares.
“Pre-Hysteric
Man / Molten Rock-n-Roll” (9/13/96) – Bill accidentally releases a lava flow at
the city, and the Thunderlizards are tasked with stopping it. / The
Thunderlizards have to rescue musician Dee Snidersaur from the Thuggosaurs
after his helicopter crashes in the X-Zone.
“MystEek
Pizza” (9/16/96) – Eek ends up in orbit after ruining one of Sharky’s favorite
shows.
“Eek
Bin Ein Berliner / Thunder Valley” (9/20/96) – Eek causes the destruction of
Shakry’s dog house, and disrupts his attempts to rebuild. / Bill tries to lose
weight while Squatt flies away after drinking liquid helium.
“Snowbored”
(10/14/96) – Elmo tricks Eek into taking his place in a snowboard race.
“Fists
of Furry” (10/28/96) – Cynthia Rothrock trains Sharky in the martial arts.
“The
Island of Dr. Meow / Home O’Spaien Alone” (7/7/97) – Sharky has to defend his
newfound island paradise from a deranged scientist. / The Thunderlizards head
to the X-Zone to escape General Galapagos’ wrath when they tear down the wrong
building.
“Nightmare
on Elmo St. / Night of the Living Duds” (7/14/97) – Eek and Elmo accidentally
create a giant living chocolate souffle. / The Thunderlizards set out to stop
the Thuggosaurs’ Super Beehive cannon.
“Show
Squirls” (7/18/97) – The Squirrel’s show is taken on the road with Sharky serving
as their manager.
“Eekscaliber”
(7/21/97) – A conk on the head sends Sharky back to medieval times, serving
King Eek by finding the Holy Grill.
“The
FugEektive” (7/25/97) – Eek enlists John Walsh’ help in clearing an amnesiac
Sharky of a bank robbery.
“The
Sound of MusEek / Oh…the Humanity” (7/28/97) – Elmo’s friends hold a benefit
concert for Timmy’s next procedure. / The Thunderlizards are sent to escort and
important archaeological find while Scooter invents dentistry.
“Rock-Eek
6” (8/1/97) – When Sharky accidentally injures Platinum, he takes her place in
her upcoming match against the Disturbed Android.
Hugh Lofting was a
British civil engineer who enlisted in the Irish
Guards regiment of the British Army in World War
I. Choosing not to expose his children to the horrors of war, he wrote them
imaginative illustrated letters. Those letters became the basis of his
children’s novel series centering around the character of Dr. John Dolittle.
Hugh Lofting's art of Dr. Dolittle and Polynesia.
Dr. Dolittle was a physician in
Victorian England from the village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh where he lived with
his spinster sister, Sarah. Gradually, he developed a love of animals that
caused his house to become a menagerie that scared off his human patients and
caused his sister to leave. After learning how to speak to all animals from his
parrot, Polynesia, Dr. Dolittle decided to become a veterinarian. Dr. Dolittle
then embarked on a journey around the world, helping various animals he came
across and adding odd ones to what would become his personal zoo, or a
sanctuary for the animals. Later, he became a naturalist and used his abilities
to better understand nature and the history of the world. Among the other
characters in the series was Dab-Dab, a duck who served as his housekeeper;
Jip, his dog; Gub-Gub, his pet pig; Too-Too, his pet owl and accountant; the
Pushmi-Pullyu, a gazelle/unicorn hybrid with heads at both ends of its body; the
Great Glass Sea Snail, an enormous mollusk with a transparent airtight shell;
and Tommy Stubbins, a boy from the village who would become Dr. Dolittle’s
apprentice, among others. Tommy would also become the narrator for books set
after his appearance.
Dr. Dolittle has
been adapted multiple times since its publication. The earliest known one was a
silent animated German short from 1928 called Doktor Dolittle und seine
Tiere. It has also been adapted into radio and stage plays. After
several attempts to do so since 1922, the first film version finally came in
1967. Produced by APJAC International
Productions, distributed by 20th
Century Fox, written by Leslie
Bricusse and directed by Richard
Fleischer, Doctor Dolittle starred Rex Harrison as the titular
character and combined elements from several of the books: such as the origin
of his abilities, the meeting of Tommy Stubbins (William Dix), the acquisition
of the Pushmi-Pullyu to fund an expedition, the use of a dog to challenge murder
charges (however his own rather than a homeless man’s), crashing on an island
where he’s captured by natives, and the search for the Great Pink Sea Snail. After
being plagued by numerous production problems, difficulties in managing a large
ensemble of animals, and the demanding and often racist personality of the film’s
star, the film’s budget ballooned from $6 million to $9 million. It was finally
released on December 12 to negative reviews and only saw a box office return of
$6.2 million (it ended up going against another animal-themed film, Disney’s The Jungle Book).
Despite being a critical and commercial bomb, the studio held an intense
lobbying campaign to get it nominated for the Academy
Award for Best Picture, although it only ended up winning Best Original
Song and Best Visual Effects.
The crew of The Flounder: Jib, Polynesia, Tommy, Dolittle, Too-Too, Dab-Dab and Chee-Chee.
Doctor Dolittle was one of
three large-scale musical films Fox had made in an attempt to duplicate the
success of The Sound
of Music. They hoped to double their bets by also duplicating the
success of My Fair
Ladyby reuniting Harrison with Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe; however, Loewe
had retired and Lerner was fired by producer Arthur P. Jacobs for
procrastinating on the script.All three films lost huge amounts of
money and left the studio in dire financial straits (ironically, the studio was
rescued when The Sound of Music was re-released to theaters in 1973). In
anticipation of the film’s success, Fox made a tremendous merchandising push.
They also penned a deal with DePatie-Freleng
Enterprises to adapt the film into an animated series.
The pirate crew: Sam Scurvy, Miko, Nico, Cyclops and Zig-Zag.
Developed and written by Lennie Weinrib and Paul Harrison,
the series continued Dr. Dolittle’s (Bob Holt) journeys around the world,
treating various animals that he came across and helping them with their
problems. With him aboard his ship, The Flounder, was Tommy Stubbins
(Hal Smith), Chee-Chee, the Pushmi-Pullyu, Jip (Don Messick), Too-Too, Dab-Dab and
Polynesia. Along the way, the crew often ran afoul of pirates who were members
of the local order of D.O.P.I. (Democratic Order of Pirates International). The
pirates were led by Sam Scurvy (Weinrib) and were comprised of the hulking
Cyclops, who wore an eyepatch over his good eye; Zig-Zag (Weinrib), an uptight
French pirate; Nico (Messick), an Italian pirate; and Miko, a Chinese pirate.
They travelled in a submarine whose top was disguised as an island, and wore a
combination of traditional pirate garb mixed with suits typical of 1930s
gangsters. Sam Scurvy wanted to learn Dolittle’s secret to communicating with
animals, which he believed would allow him to control the animals and thus conquer
the world.
The Grasshoppers on their album.
The Further Adventures of Doctor
Dolittle (although it was only ever titled Doctor Dolittle on
screen) debuted on NBC on September 12, 1970.
Like the movie it was based on, the show was done as a musical comedy. However,
unlike other musical programs on air at the same time that just stuck any song
wherever, the songs by Doug
Goodwin were meant to match the events and situations of the particular
episode in which they appeared. At a point in an episode, a grasshopper named
George (Weinrib) and his band, aptly named The Grasshoppers (Robbie Falloon,
Annadell, Colin Johnson, Mike Sherwood and Glyn Nelson), would perform from
inside Dolittle’s medical bag after it was converted into a stage for them.
Although, it was interesting that Victorian-era grasshoppers were big fans and
composers of rock and roll music. The
musical sequences were designed by Arthur Leonardi, who also
designed the title sequence. The series’ theme was a reworking of “Talk to the Animals”,
which came directly from the film and was written by Bricusse. A collection of 12
of the songs were released by Carousel Records
onto the album Doctor
Dolittle Presents The Grasshoppers. All other music was provided by Eric Rogers.
Polyneisa asking Dolittle to help rescue her friend.
Unfortunately, the series fared
about as well as the film as it was put on the schedule against another
musical, Josie
and the Pussycats, and was cancelled after its single season. NBC would
keep it on the schedule until the fall of 1972. Doctor Dolittle would
continue to find adaptations in animation, stage and even video games. A film
attempt wouldn’t be tried again until the 1998 modern reimagining
starring Eddie Murphy, which
managed to be successful and spawn four sequels through 2009. In 2020, another live-action film was
made starring Robert Downey Jr.,
returning the story to its Victorian setting. Much like the 1967 film, the 2020
one was a critical and box office flop.
EPISODE GUIDE:
“The
Grasshoppers Are Coming, Hooray, Hooray!” (9/12/70) – The pirates follow
Dolittle to Grasshopper Island where he’s gone to treat the populace who have
all lost their voices.
“The
Bird Who Was Afraid to Fly” (9/19/70) – Dolittle tries to help Montgomery the
gooney bird get over his fear of flying.
“The
Land of the Tiger Moo” (9/26/70) – Dolittle has to protect the rare Tiger-Moo
from the pirates and get its milk to treat a sick alligator in Florida.
“The
Great Turkey Race” (10/3/70) – Dolittle enters an ocean race in order to save
the first prize: Toots the Turkey.
“The
Peanut Conspiracy” (10/10/70) – Dolittle sets out to make some Peanut-Cillin
for an elephant that is allergic to peanuts.
“The
Bar Bear” (10/17/70) – The pirates try to steal the medicine Dolittle has
cooked up to give polar bears back their coats.
“High
Flying Hippo” (10/24/70) – Dolittle concocts a way to rescue a hippo from a
cliff ledge, but she loses her nerve to go through with it at the last minute.
“The
Near-Sighted Bull” (10/31/70) – After Dolittle helps a bull regain his
eyesight, he’s entered into a fight where Scurvy poses as the matador.
“The
Silver Seals of the Circus” (11/7/70) – The Pushmi-Pullyu has to fill in for
two injured seals to save a circus while the pirates sneak in dressed as
clowns.
“A
Girl for Greco Gorilla” (11/14/70) – Dolittle brings a homesick gorilla back to
Africa and also tries to help find him a mate.
“A
Tail of Two Snails” (11/21/70) – Dolittle takes the last of the Giant Pink Sea
Snails to a new home after his is polluted and the pirates see their
opportunity to strike.
“A
Fox Called…Sherlock?” (11/28/70) – Sherlock the fox helps the crew track down
Jip after he’s dog-napped by the pirates.
“The
Tomb of the Phoenix Bird” (12/5/70) – The crew travels to Egypt to witness the
rising of the phoenix, but end up in a trap set by the pirates.
“The
Barnyard Rumble” (12/12/70) – Dolittle treats a talkative rooster’s laryngitis
as a motorcycle gang shows up in town looking for trouble.
“The
Baffled Buffalo” (12/19/70) – The President sends Dolittle to find a buffalo to
model for a special commemorative medallion, but complications plague them
along the way.
“A
Hatful of Rabbit” (12/26/70) – The crew attends the magic show featuring a
rabbit they treated, but are unaware that the pirates have hijacked it.
“The
Bird from O.O.P.S.” (1/9/71) – Dolittle must save the rare ogle-bird egg from a
Maharajah’s greedy mother who wants to use it to fatten him up for when he gets
his weight in diamonds.
