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 series saw an advance in the Popeye story with Popeye (Maurice
LaMarche) and Olive Oyl (Marilyn Schreffler) having finally tied the knot and
settling down in the town of Sweethaven. Although Popeye still owned his boat,
the Olive, he traded in his sailor
suit for a Hawaiian shirt and part ownership in a fitness center with Olive.
Oh, and they also had a kid--aptly named Popeye Junior (Josh Rodine). Junior
shared Popeye’s ability to get enhanced strength by ingesting spinach, however
he didn’t share his father’s love of the vegetable; detesting the taste and
begrudgingly downing it when the situation called for it.
Popeye and Junior being harassed by Bluto and Tank.
Surprisingly enough, Popeye’s rival, Bluto (Allan Melvin), also managed
to settle down into a life as a wealthy and unscrupulous businessman seen
hobnobbing with the who’s who of the town. He married Lizzie (Schreffler), one
of Olive’s friends, and had a son named Tank (David Markus). Tank was very much
a chip off the old block as he often antagonized Junior whenever the
opportunity presented itself. Other Popeye
characters made frequent appearances, including J. Wellington Wimpy
(Melvin) as the owner of a local diner, and the magical Eugene the Jeep (Don
Messick) as the Popeye family’s pet. New characters included Junior’s friends
Woody (Nancy Cartwright), Dee Dee (Kaleena Kiff) and Poly (Penina Segall), as
well as Tank’s thuggish buddies Puggy (Schreffler) and Rad (B.J. Ward).
Junior leading Woody, Dee Dee and Polly on an adventure on the Olive.
Popeye and Son debuted on CBS
on September 9, 1987. The series was a blend of family and adventure stories
with a larger focus on Junior and his world. Like the previous series,
stringent rules for children’s television kept the outright violence of the Popeye franchise from being featured in
favor of off-screen conflict and slapstick antics, and Popeye’s pipe was more
of a tool than something to be smoked. Each episode was broken up into two
segments written by Cliff Roberts,
Eric Lewald, Anthony Adams,
Mark Cassutt,
Bruce Faulk,
Charles M.
Howell IV, Kelly
Ward, Pamela Hickey, Dennys McCoy, Ken Koonce, Bryce Malek, Scott Shaw, David Weimers
and John Loy,
who also served as the associate story editor. Jeff Segal
and Ward were the primary story editors, and Hoyt Curtin produced the
series’ music; with the exception of Popeye’s theme composed by Sammy Lerner.
Model sheet.
Unfortunately, the series didn’t prove a hit and was cancelled after a
single season of 13 episodes. Once it left the network it did make brief rerun rounds
on cable, particularly as part of USA
Network’sCartoon Express programming
block. Beyond that, future Popeye media
has chosen to ignore the characters and events of the series. Merchandising for
the show included a bundle
of play money featuring Popeye and Junior and ball
puzzles featuring scenes inspired by the show by Ja-Ru; Thermo-Serv
made a lunchbox
that had an embossed image of the characters and show’s title on the lid; Milton
Bradley made a puzzle;
and a stationery set that was based on the “Attack of the Sea Hag” segment.
Father-son bonding time.
Channel 5 released three VHS collections in the United Kingdom as Popeye and Son: A New Generation.
Each tape contained two episodes and released episodes 1-4 and 9-10 overall. In
2008, Warner
Home Video had planned to release eight episodes of the show onto DVD as Popeye & Friends Vol. 2, which would
follow up the previous collection’s selection of The All-New Popeye Hour episodes. However, the poor sales of Vol. 1prompted Warner to cancel its wide release and instead only released
it in Australia. It contained episodes 1-2 and 5-6. Hollywood DVD Ltd.
released their own
collection in the UK containing episodes 1-5 and 10. That release had also
been combined in collections with other series, including Prince Valiant, Defenders of the Earth, Galaxy Rangers,Krazy Kat & Popeye Hour. The entire series has been made
available for streaming as part of Amazon
Prime Video.
EPISODE GUIDE:
“Attack of the Sea Hag / Happy Anniversary” (9/19/87) – Junior finds a
wooden mermaid that ends up in the hands of the Blutos—and the sights of the
Sea Hag. / Believing Popeye forgot their anniversary leads him and Olive to
recount the day they were married.
“The Sea Monster / Poopdeck Pappy and the Family Tree” (9/26/87) –
Bluto decides to capture and sell the sea monster the kids have befriended. / Junior
becomes embarrassed by the relatives Poopdeck Pappy tells his class about.
“Bluto’s Wave Pool / Here Today, Goon Tomorrow” (10/3/87) – Tank and
his friends ruin the beach in order to get people to visit Bluto’s Wave Park. /
Woody ends up kidnapped by the Goons and taken to Goon Island.
“Don’t Give Up the Picnic / The Lost Treasure of Pirate’s Cove”
(10/10/87) – Bluto and Tank cheat to win the competitions at the town picnic. /
Junior and his friends head out to follow a treasure map with Tank and his goons
right behind them.
“Junior’s Genie / Mighty Olive at the Bat” (10/17/87) – Finding a genie
causes Junior to behave more like Tank. / Olive volunteers to replace an
injured Popeye in the father-son baseball game, but there’s a problem: she’s a
lousy player.
“Junior Gets a Job / Surf Movie” (10/24/87) – Junior ends up working
for Bluto to earn some quick money for Olive’s birthday gift. / Junior ends up
cast in a movie being filmed in town and Bluto and Lizzie scheme to get him
replaced with Tank.
“Junior’s Birthday Roundup / Redbeard” (10/31/87) – Junior refuses to
celebrate his birthday if Tank is invited to his party. / Stowing away on Redbeard’s
ship leads Junior to witness his being captured by pirates.
“The Girl from Down Under / Olive’s Dinosaur Dilemma” (11/7/87) – When
a new girl from “down under” arrives in town, all the marine life begins
disappearing. / A hot-air balloon lands Olive in a lost prehistoric land.
“Dr. Junior and Mr. Hyde / Popeye’s Surfin’ Adventure” (11/14/87) – Junior
and Woody accidentally drink Professior Whatasnozzle’s formula, turning them
into monsters. / Believing surfing doesn’t take much skill, Popeye challenges
Junior to a surfing contest.
“Split Decision / The Case of the Burger Burglar” (11/21/87) – When
Polly spends a lot of time with her new basketball team, Dee Dee joins a
hang-gliding club and gets blown away. / Francis and Junior tries to find who’s
been stealing burgers from Wimpy.
“Orchid You Not / Ain’t Mythbehavin’” (11/28/87) – Eugene snatches a
lot of orchids, leading Popeye and Junior to follow him to a cave full of
Jeeps. / Popeye and Junior go on a quest for the Golden Fleece.
“There Goes the Neighborhood / Prince of a Fellow” (12/5/87) – One of
Junior’s classmates turns out to be a werewolf, and Bluto is determined to run
his family out of town. / Junior trades places with Rex, a young prince that he
resembles.
“Olive’s Day Off / Damsel in Distress” (12/12/87) – Olive takes the
day off leaving Popeye and Junior to clean up the house in time for Granny
Popeye’s visit. / Popeye and Bluto race to see who can rescue a damsel, which
turns out to be a trap set by the Sea Hag.
For the history of Popeye, check out the post here.
In 1978 CBS had
acquired the television rights to Popeyeand approached Hanna-Barbera
Productions about making a Christmas special centered around the character. Instead,
that involved into an all-new Saturday morning television series.
Popeye with Olive, Swee'Pea, Eugene, Wimpy, Poopdeck and his nephews.
The All-New
Popeye Hour was an hour-long program featuring one-eyed strongman sailor
Popeye (Jack Mercer, reprising the role he’s held since 1935), his girlfriend
Olive Oyl, adopted son Swee’Pea (both Marilyn Schreffler), his hamburger-loving
moocher friend J. Wellington Wimpy (Daws Butler, impersonating W.C. Fields), his father
Poopdeck (also Mercer), and his lookalike nephews Pipeye, Peepeye, Poopeye and
Pupeye (Mercer and Schreffler, respectively). Rounding out the cast to provide
troubles for him were fellow sailor, Bluto (Allan Melvin), and the pirate
witch, the Sea Hag (Schreffler). Long-time Olive performer Mae Questel auditioned for the
role again, but was turned down in favor of frequent studio collaborator
Schreffler.
Publicity cel of Popeye giving chase to Bluto giving chase to Olive.
Hanna-Barbera attempted to maintain the style of the
original Thimble Theatercomic strip (where Popeye starred until it was renamed Popeye that decade). As a result, the all-white
Navy uniform Popeye had worn in theatrical
and television shorts since World War II was
replaced by the sailor uniform he originally wore in the strip. The only exception
was his hat, which maintained its Navy styling. Notably, Bluto’s name was
restored, having been changed to Brutus by King
Features, publisher of the Popeye strip,
for their 1960s televised shorts. King Features had been under the belief that Paramount Pictures, distributor of the
original theatrical shorts, owned the character and decided to change the name
to avoid any legal hassle. In fact, the character was created by E.C. Segar
for the comic strip a year before the first Popeye
short had debuted.
Balancing the line between violence and comedy.
However, the faithfulness ended there. Due to
increasing restrictions on violence for children’s cartoons, Popeye and Bluto
didn’t fight as they once had. Bluto was more concerned with outwitting Popeye
in whatever they were doing by any means necessary, and Popeye often got his
vengeance by using his spinach-powered strength to outperform or simply toss
Bluto away. At the end of every episode, Bluto would even admit that his
cheating is what did him in, providing the prosocial moral message as the
capper. Popeye was also no longer
allowed to smoke his trademark pipe. Instead, it served merely as a musical
instrument for him to toot; particularly when singing his theme song.
Popeye, Olive and Eugene on the hunt for treasure.
The All-New
Popeye Hour debuted on CBS on September 9, 1978. Each episode was broken up
into several segments. The Adventures of
Popeye, or simply Popeye, was a
standard Popeye adventure that would see Popeye overcome adversity (usually
caused by Bluto) on land, sea or other time periods. Popeye’s Treasure Hunt followed Popeye and Olive as the co-owners
of Treasure Seekers, Ltd. Together, they would travel to various parts of the
world to search for hidden treasure with the aid of Eugene the Jeep (Don
Messick). Bluto of Bluto’s Treasure Salvage would follow close behind, looking
to steal the treasure for himself. The Treasure
Hunt segment was often broken up into two parts shown at different times
during the episode and aired every other week. Rounding out the hour was the
completely unrelated Dinky Dog, which
was not created by Segar and had nothing to do with any of his comic strips.It followed the adventures of sisters
Monica (Julie Bennett) and Sandy (Jackie Joseph) who had adopted a tiny puppy
(Frank Welker) that ended up growing into an enormous handful (more on Dinky in his own entry). In between the
segments to further the prosocial content, there would be Popeye’s Safety Tips; quick 30-second bits where Popeye would educate
his nephews on safety and lead them away from the bad influence of
anthropomorphic wolf Mr. No-No (John Stephenson). 1979 saw the addition of Popeye’s Sports Parade, in which Popeye
and Bluto would compete in various athletic competitions as Wimpy played
referee. There was also a special: the half-hour The Popeye Valentine Special: Sweethearts at Sea, which was the
first time a singular story took up the entire running time.
Popeye giving his nephews an edumikashun.
In 1981, the show was reduced to a half hour and
renamed The Popeye and Olive Comedy Show. Dinky Dog was spun off into his own
show, and two new segments were added. The first, Prehistoric Popeye, followed the standard Popeye story format
except he and his friends now lived in the stone age. Private Olive Oyl, inspired by the 1980 film Private Benjamin, saw
Olive and Alice the Goon (Schreffler) as part of an all-female platoon in the U.S. Army. Olive and Alice would often
accidentally cause chaos that would set off their superior, Sergeant Bertha
Blast (Jo Anne Worley), but would somehow continually put them in good favor
with the oblivious Colonel Crumb (Hal Smith) by solving one of his problems. The
segment didn’t really focus on war and instead was centered on life in the
barracks.
18 segments were released to DVD by Rhino Home Video in 2000: “The Spinach Bowl”,
“Pedal-Powered-Popeye”, “Olive’s Shining Hour”, “The Loneliness of the Long
Distance Popeye”, “Popeye’s Self Defense”, “The Umpire Strikes Back”, “The
Decathlon Dilemma”, “Take Me Out to the Brawl Game”, “Olive Does Dallas”, “The
Great Speckled Whale”, “Shark Treatment”, “Popeye the Sleepwalker”, “A Goon
Gone Gooney”, “Popeye Goes Sailing”, “Pappy Falls in Love”, “Ships that Pass in
the Fright”, “Popeye Snags the Seahag”,
and “The Game”. In 2008, Warner
Home Video released Popeye & Friends Volume Onewhich contained eight additional segments:
“Abject Flying Object”, “Ship Ahoy”, “I Wouldn’t Take That Mare to the Fair on
a Dare”, “Popeye Goes Sightseeing”, “Chips off the Old Ice Block”, “Popeye the
Plumber”, “Swee’Pea Plagues a Parade” and “Polly Wants Some Spinach”. In 2011, Visual Entertainment Inc.
released the complete collection of Dinky
Dog segments onto its
own DVD.
EPISODE GUIDE (Dinky Dog segments will be handled in
its own entry):
Season 1:
“Popeye the Carpenter / I Wants Me Mummy” (9/9/78) – Bluto and Popeye
end up destroying Olive’s house while competing to hang a picture for her. /
Popeye and Olive are hired by a mummy enthusiast to find Cleopatra’s treasure.
“The Ski’s the Limit / Popeye and the Beanstalk / The Big Wheel”
(9/16/78) – Popeye is hopeless on skis until Swee’Pea is threatened by an
avalanche. / Popeye trades his cows for some beans that end up growing a giant
beanstalk. / While hanging out at the amusement park, Bluto plots to get rid of
Popeye to be alone with Olive.
“Popeye the Sleepwalker / The Terrifyink Transylvania Treasure Trek”
(9/23/78) – Olive tries to keep Popeye from hurting himself when he sleepwalks
after a tiring expedition. / Count von Dracula hires Popeye and Olive to find
his family’s treasure in Transylvania.
“A Whale of a Tale / Olive’s Shining Hour / A Bad Knight for Popeye”
(9/30/78) – To help his nephews sleep, Popeye tells them the story of a mighty
sailor who was swallowed by a whale. / Eager to show off her new tennis skills,
Olive enlists Popeye as his partner in a game against Bluto and his girlfriend.
/ In the Middle Ages, farmer Popeye takes up the task to rescue Princess Olive
from evil knight Bluto.
“Popeye Goes Sailing / The Sword of Fitzwilly” (10/7/78) – Bluto is
determined to get Olive onto his boat, so he sinks Popeye’s. / Popeye and Olive
head to England to find a special sword.
“A Seal with Appeal / A Day at Muscle Beach / The Crunch for Lunch Bunch”
(10/14/78) – Popeye’s nephews adopt a seal and try to hide from him that they
let it in the house. / An outing at the beach is interrupted by its king,
Bluto. / When cavemen Popeye and Bluto fail to bring any food to Olive’s diner,
she decides to go out hunting herself.
“Wilder Than Usual Blue Yonder / Play It Again Popeye” (10/21/78) –
Olive refuses to go flying in Popeye’s newly-restored biplane. / The treasure
hunters are all hired to find the same Casablanca Falcon.
“Popeye Out West / Popeye the Plumber / Spinach Fever” (10/28/78) – The
Bluto Boys come riding into the Western town where Popeye is sheriff to cause
trouble. / Olive hires Popeye and Swee’Pea to fix her plumbing and they end up
making a mess of her house. / While out at a disco, Popeye gets jealous when
Olive is impressed by Bluto’s dance moves.
“Heir-Brained Popeye / Captain Meno’s Sunken Treasure” (11/4/78) – Popeye
gives chase to his uncle’s will when it blows away. / Marvin Meno hires Popeye
and Olive to find his grandfather’s lost treasure.
“Popeye and Bigfoot / Popeye’s Engine Company / Getting Popeye’s Goat”
(11/11/78) – Bluto dresses up as Bigfoot to spoil Popeye and Olive’s camping
trip. / When Olive’s oven smokes, firemen Popeye and Bluto compete to see who
will put it out. / Popeye babysits the Navy Reserve’s goat mascot who happens
to have a monstrously ravenous appetite.
“Close Encounters of the Third Spinach / The Delmonica Diamond”
(11/18/78) – Popeye finds a message from Princess Olive-Pit and sets out to
rescue her from Darth Bluto. / Popeye and Olive are hired by the queen of
Delmonica to find their stolen crown jewel.
“Popeye’s Finest Hour / Popeye and the Pest / Popeye Meets the
Blutostein Monster” (11/25/78) – A computer error recalls Popeye to the Navy
where he ends up in a unit with Bluto’s nephew. / A mosquito disturbs Popeye’s
peaceful fishing trip. / A mad scientist’s creation falls in love with Olive.
“Ship Ahoy / The Treasure of Howe’s Bayou” (12/2/78) – Bluto ruins
Popeye’s attempts to teach his nephews how to sail. / Bluto tries to help
himself to Olive’s inheritance.
“Here Stew You / Popeye and the Pirates / Popeye Goes Hollywood”
(12/9/78) – Popeye and Olive end up shipwrecked on an island inhabited by
Goons. / Popeye and Princess Olive are set upon by Blutobeard the Pirate. /
Popeye and Bluto compete for the same stuntman job.
“Popeye’s Roots / Spring Daze in Paris” (12/16/78) – Poopdeck teaches
the nephews about their ancestors. / Popeye and Olive’s Paris vacation is cut
short when Olive volunteers to find a treasure for Marie Antoinette’s
descendent.
“Popeye Snags the Seahag / The Three Ring Ding-a-Ling / A Day at the
Rodeo” (12/23/78) – P.I. Popeye is called upon to stop the Sea Hag from
hijacking ships. / At the circus, strongman Bluto attempts to ruin Popeye’s
trapeze routine. / Bluto cheats at the rodeo for a date with rodeo queen Olive.
“The Decathlon Dilemma / Coldfinger” (1/6/79) – Poopdeck and Eugene
teach Popeye a lesson about ageism. / Popeye and Olive are tasked by the
government to retrieve a satellite from a notorious master villain.
“Chips off the Old Ice Block / Popeye of the Klindike / Popeye Goes
Sightseeing” (1/13/79) – Bluto decides he’s the better ice skater and should
teach Swee’Pea how to skate. / Olive relays the story of Popeye and Bluto’s
time in Alaska during the Gold Rush. / Popeye loses Swee’Pea in New York and
sets out to find him before Olive learns about it.
“Shark Treatment / A Horse of a Flying Color” (1/20/79) – Popeye and
Poopdeck head out for a sea adventure where they encounter old enemies of
Poopdeck’s. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Bluto’s Bike Bullies / Mother Goose on the Loose / Steeple Chase at
Ups and Downs” (1/27/79) – Bluto challenges Popeye to a game of chicken, and he
accepts not knowing what it is. / Popeye and Bluto compete in telling stories
to Swee’Pea while babysitting. / Olive inherits a horse and tries to fulfill
her uncle’s final wish of seeing it win the steeplechase at Up and Downs.
“A Camping We Will Go / The Mask of Gorgonzola” (2/3/79) – When bears
eat their food, Popeye teaches his nephews how to live off the land. / NO
SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Take Me Out to the Brawl Game / I Left My Spinach in San Francisco”
(2/10/79) – Popeye and Bluto are tasked with getting attendance up at a ball
park. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Popeye Versus Machine / A Trio in Rio” (2/17/79) – Popeye and Bluto
compete for a contract by building a 22-mile freeway through the mountains. / NO
SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“The Spinach Bowl / Popeye at the Center of the Earth” (2/24/79) – Popeye
and Bluto’s football teams play against each other. / Underground creatures
take Poopdeck and Popeye has to get him back.
“Ballet-Hooey / Boola Boola Hula” (3/3/79) – Popeye gives chase when
Bluto steals his basketball. / On a Hawaiian vacation, Olive ends up buying a
parrot that knows the way to a treasure in ancient ruins.
“Yukon Country Mountie / Treasure of Werner Schnitzel” (3/10/79) – Popeye
and Bluto volunteer to guard the payroll, which ends up stolen along with
Olive. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
Season 2:
“Queen of the Load / Plunder Down Under” (9/10/79) – Trucker Bluto
decides to improve his business by getting Olive as his partner. / An
Australian treasure hunt leads Popeye and Poopdeck to encounter a couple of
Goons.
“Love on the Rocks / Popeye the Lone Legionnaire / Roller Rink-a-Dink”
(9/17/79) – Popeye builds a monument to his love for Olive, but Bluto tries to
interfere. / Popeye has to retake his desert fort from desert pirate Bluto. /
Bluto tries to butt in on Popeye and Olive’s skate date and Popeye challenges
him to a skating competition.
“Old McPopeye Had a Farm / King of the Rodeo” (9/24/79) – Popeye and
his nephews help out at his uncle’s farm as Bluto keeps stealing from it. / NO
SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Polly Wants Some Spinach / The Loneliness of the Long Distance Popeye
/ Popeye’s High School Daze” (10/1/79) – Opening a window to let the dust out
allows Olive’s parrot to escape. / Bluto cheats as he runs the Boston Marathon
with Popeye and Olive. / Their yearbook sets Popeye and Olive into a daydream
about their school days.
“Mule-itary Detail / The Reel Hollywood Treasure Hunt” (10/8/79) – Popeye
tries to return a mule to the army base but keeps being outsmarted. / Popeye
and his nephews head for a treasure hunt in Hollywood.
“Boo-Who / Building Blockheads / Olive’s Bugged House Blues”
(10/15/79) – When Popeye and Olive take refuge in a spooky old castle, Bluto
tries to scare them away. / Popeye and Olive try to build the world’s tallest
building before Bluto. / Popeye brings Olive a cricket for a housewarming
present, but instead of luck it just brings her misery.
“The Game / Sky High Fly Try” (10/22/79) – Popeye and Olive end up
stranded on hunter Bluto’s island, and he’s eager to hunt humans. / NO SYNOPSIS
AVAILABLE.
“Free Hauling Brawl / Pedal-Powered Popeye / Wotsa Matterhorn?”
(10/29/79) – Popeye and Bluto compete in a cross-country truck race for a
driving job. / Popeye and Olive compete against Bluto in a cross-country bike
race. / Popeye and Bluto compete to climb the Matterhorn first.
“Popeye’s Aqua Circus / The Great Decathlon Championship” (11/5/79) – Bluto
wants to take over Popeye’s circus and tries to ruin each act to make him look
bad. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Popeye’s Poodle Problem / Take It or Lump It / Westard Ho! Ho!”
(11/12/79) – Popeye takes Olive’s new poodle to the dog show but encounter
Bluto and his dog on the way. / Bluto takes the place of the MC on the game
show Popeye and Olive are on. / Popeye tells his nephews about how he dug the
Grand Canyon.
“Bad Day at the Bakery / Popeye in Wonderland” (11/19/79) – Popeye and
Bluto’s fighting causes him to mix cement into his bread batter. / NO SYNOPSIS
AVAILABLE.
“Bully Dozer / Popeye the Painter / Popeye the Robot” (11/26/79) – Popeye
and Bluto battle over who gets to wake up sleeping Olive with a kiss. / Popeye
and Bluto compete to paint a building to win a lucrative contract. / Bluto
unleashes a robotic Popeye to ruin National Popeye Day.
“Swee’Pea Plagues a Parade / Fantastic Gymnastics” (12/3/79) – Swee’Pea’s
parade debut is spoiled by his desire to chase a balloon. / NO SYNOPSIS
AVAILABLE.
“Paddle Wheel Popeye / Water Ya Doin’” (12/10/79) – Popeye and Bluto
compete in a boat race. / Popeye and Bluto compete in a water competition being
judged by Olive and Wimpy.
Season 3:
“Merry Madness at the Mardi Gras / No Fuel Like an Old Fuel”
(12/17/79) – Bluto uses multiple costumes to spoil Popeye’s enjoyment of Mardi
Gras. / O.G. Wotasnozzle calls on Popeye to drive the car powered by his new
fuel in the National Energy Saving Cross Country Race.
“A Goon Gone Gooney / Bad Company / Popeye of Sherwood Forest / Top
Kick in Boot Camp” (12/24/79) – Popeye, Olive and Bluto end up stranded on Goon
Island and their queen wants to make Popeye her own. / When the nephews choose
to go to a picnic with Bluto, Popeye and Olive follow in disguise to make sure
they’re okay. / Popeye and his men steal from the crooked Sheriff of Rottenham
and give the money back to the poor. / Corporal Popeye and Sergeant Bluto are
ordered to conduct Private Olive’s physical training.
“Peask and Quiet / Dublin or Nothin” (12/31/79) – Needing a break from
his nephews, Olive takes them camping while Popeye and Eugene head to a
mountain cabin. / Popeye and Olive head to Ireland to help his uncle find his
lost silver shillelagh.
“Spa-ing Partners / Abject Flying Object” (1/7/80) – Popeye and Bluto
compete for instructor jobs at Olive’s health spa. / While Olive and Popeye
befriend a visiting alien, Bluto tries to capture him to get rich.
“Ships that Pass in the Fright / Around the World in 80 Hours”
(1/14/80) – Bluto comes to save a stranded Popeye and Olive, but attempts to
leave Popeye behind. / Popeye makes a bet that he can go around the world in 80
hours without transportation for a donation to his favorite orphanage.
“Olive Goes Dallas / Popeye’s Perilous Pursuit of a Pearl / Popeye’s
Self Defense” (1/21/80) – Olive tries out to be a cheerleader and Bluto
attempts to become a judge to ruin her chances. / The Sea Hag wants a Black
Pearl for its magical powers and decides to let Popeye and Olive find it for
her. / Popeye takes an exercise class to be strong without Spinach only to
discover Bluto is the instructor.
“Pappy Falls in Love / Hail, Hail the Gang’s All Here” (1/28/80) – Poopdeck
and Bluto compete for the affections of a woman they meet on a cruise. / NO
SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Alpine for You / Popeye of the Jungle / Tour Each His Own” (2/4/80) –
Popeye tries to recover Olive’s pet lamb from Bluto. / Popeye tells Swee’Pea
about a jungle-dwelling relative. / Popeye and Bluto compete to get Olive’s
business for their struggling tour guide operations.
“The Umpire Strikes Back / Beyond the Spinach Brick Road” (2/11/80) – Popeye,
Olive and Swee’Pea aren’t doing well in their baseball game against Bluto. / NO
SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“Tough Sledding / Unidentified Fighting Object / W.O.I.L.” (2/18/80) –
Popeye and Olive go to see how they can help keep her granny’s ski resort from
closing. / Bluto refuses to return Popeye’s nephews’ ball out of spite for not
being invited to their cookout. / Popeye and Olive compete against Bluto’s
radio station.
“I Wouldn’t Take that Mare to the Fair on a Dare / Cliff Hanger”
(2/25/80) – Wimpy refuses to let Swee’Pea enter his old nag into the strong
horse competition at the state fair. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
“The Great Speckled Whale / Forum or Against ‘Em” (3/3/80) – Popeye
and Olive have to protect a whale from capture by Bluto. / While exploring
ancient Roman ruins, Popeye and Olive discover a key to Caesar’s safe.
“Popierre the Musketeer / In a Little Spinach Town” (9/8/80) – Blutomus
steals a crown meant for the king from Olivella. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.
Season 4:
“Reptile Ranch / Mission Improbable / So Who’s Watching the Bird
Watchers?” (9/12/81) – Popeye and Bluto compete for a job at Olive’s
prehistoric ranch. / Colonel Crumb sends Blast, Olive and Alice to deliver some
secret plans, but Olive ends up reading the map upside-down. / Olive puts Popeye
and Bluto in a bird-watching club to keep them out of trouble.
“Computer Chaos / Chilly Con Caveman / Here Today – Goon Tomorrow”
(9/19/81) – Colonel Crumb places a new robot sergeant in charge of Olive and
Alice. / Bluto discovers snow. / Blast has to find Olive and Alice when they
follow her orders to “get lost”.
“Olive’s Devastatingk
Decorators / Troop Therapy / Come Back, Little Stegosaurus” (9/26/81) – Olive
asks for Popeye’s help to decorate her house, resulting in his almost
destroying it while fighting with Bluto. / Blast is ordered to schedule a
training session for Olive and Alice that she hopes will finally get them
kicked out. / Popeye and Bluto compete to catch Olive’s pet stegosaurus.
“Goon Native / Cheap Skate Date / Alice in Blunderland” (10/3/81) – Olive
and Alice take their assignment to raft to an island as a vacation. / Popeye
attempts to teach Olive how to skate when Bluto comes along to bother them. /
Blast, Olive and Alice are sent to retrieve some spring water for an important
visitor.
“The Incredible Shrinking Popeye / Wreck Room / Neanderthal Nuisance”
(10/10/81) – Stopping to pick flowers for Olive leads Popeye to be exposed to a
shrinking formula. / Crumb assigns Blast, Olive and Alice to build a new rec
room. / Olive’s neighbor Bluto won’t let them enjoy a day of sunbathing.
“Private Secretaries / The First Resort / Goon Balloon” (10/17/81) – Ordered
to do Crumb’s paperwork, Olive and Alice keep messing up his office while Blast
tries to clean it. / Popeye and Bluto both decide to go to Olive’s resort, but
neither is in for a relaxing time. / Alice accidentally causes herself, Olive
and Blast to take a hot air balloon ride.
“Vegetable Stew / Tanks a Lot / Winner Window Washer” (10/24/81) – After
Wimpy eats all of Olive’s food, she sends Popeye and Bluto out with a shopping
list. / Olive and Alice cause trouble when they find an abandoned tank. / Popeye
and Bluto complete to finish washing the windows of a skyscraper for a job with
Olive’s company.
“Rocky Rolls / Hogwash at the Car Wash / Snow Fooling” (10/31/81) – Olive
and Alice are put on KP duty. / When Bluto dirties Olive’s car, she takes it to
Popeye’s carwash. / Olive and Alice are ordered to remove the snow so that
Crumb can get to an airplane on time.
“Bronto Beach / “Infink-try / The Midnight Ride of Popeye Revere”
(11/7/81) – Popeye tries to teach Olive how to fish at the beach but Bluto
keeps bothering them. / Swee’Pea and Wimpy visit the base, but after visiting
hours Swee’Pea sneaks back. / Popeye tries to get his nephews interested in
history.
“Goon Hollywood / Popeye Stumps Bluto / Basic Train-ning” (11/14/81) –
Crum makes Blast the director of a new training film. / Popeye and Bluto
compete for a job from Olive. / Olive and Alice are sent to clean the new
silent troop train and end up taking off with it.
“Up a Lizard River / Jeep Thrills” (11/21/81) – Bluto interrupts
Popeye and Olive’s camping trip. / Eugene visits the base and drives Blast
crazy.
Special:
“Sweethearts at Sea” (2/14/79) – Olive decides to take a romantic
cruise on her own when Popeye forgets to send her a valentine, and Bluto
intends to take advantage of their split.
The Beatles actually began as the Blackjacks--and
later as the Quarrymen--formed by a teenaged John Lennon with his friends from Quarry Bank School in 1957. Paul
McCartney joined a few months later, and so did his friend, George Harrison,
the following year. The group toured and performed locally under several
different names before finally settling on The Beatles. In 1962, Ringo Starr
came on as the band’s drummer just after the group was led to their first taste
of success under producer George
Martin and EMI’s Parlophone label.
As The Beatles’ popularity grew in their native land, their manager, Brian Epstein, worked hard to get them
exposure overseas in the United States. Initially, their label’s American
subsidiary, Capitol Records,
refused to issue their music and rights issues had further complicated any sort
of prominent commercial release to the American market. So, Epstein went
directly to radio disc jockeys while launching a $40,000 marketing campaign. By
early 1964, American radio listeners had finally gotten their first samples of The
Beatles and clamored for more. In February, the band came to America to make
their historic
live American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
The appearance netted a record viewership of 73 million people.
With “Beatlemania”
in full swing and showing no signs of stopping, United Artists
Records pushed for their film division to give
the band a three-motion-picture deal as a way to commercialize on those films’
soundtracks. The first, A Hard Day’s
Night, and the accompanying
album were well-received by critics and fans alike; although the follow-up,
Help!,was a bit more
mixed in reception by everyone--including the band. With their dominance
of music, film and late-night television, there was only one market left to
tap: Saturday mornings.
"I don't think that's what they mean by being on TV, lad."
After the Ed Sullivan Show, an ABC executive approached producer Albert Bordax of King Features’ film division with the idea
of producing a cartoon based on the Fab Four. Bordax then spoke to Epstein about
bringing the band to animation, and with permission granted he set about
enlisting the crew needed to bring a series to life. London-based TVC Studios was contracted to
handle the animation along with Australia’s Artransa/Graphik company and Canawest Studios. Envisioning
a merchandising goldmine, toymaker A.C. Gilmer financed the series. The series
was largely inspired by A Hard Day’s
Night, utilizing the styles and elements introduced in it along with the
silly nature of the narrative. The band themselves, however, had nothing to do
with the series beyond signing off on the use of their names and likenesses.
John, Paul and George prepare to give Ringo a haircut.
Peter
Sander and Jack Stokes
handled the character designs, making caricatures of the Fab Four inspired by
the moptop-and-suit look they wore in the film. Lennon (Paul Frees, who
recorded in America) was depicted as the group’s leader; although he rarely
took his role seriously. He was shown to be sarcastic, lazy and laid-back, but
would do anything for his bandmates. McCartney (Lance Percival, who recorded in
London) was depicted as the most poised and stylish of the band members,
although he did get excited to suggestions Lennon would make. He was also
sarcastic and laid-back with a happy-go-lucky demeanor and was always willing
to help someone in need. Harrison (Frees) was the most easily-influenced of the
group, succumbing frequently to peer pressure and was very superstitious. Starr
(Percival) was the most naïve and dimwitted member of the group, which often
left him the butt of a joke or prank to serve as the show’s comic relief. He
was also a bit of a jinx, falling victim to bouts of bad luck. But, despite it
all, he maintained a calm and gentle demeanor as well as a deadpan sense of
humor. Epstein was also mentioned and featured briefly, however his
characterization was made to resemble Bordax. The Beatles’ voices were
“Americanized” to be portrayed as how Americans perceived British accents,
believing younger audiences would have trouble understanding genuine accents.
Life's a beach when you're in a band.
The Beatles debuted on ABC on
September 25, 1965, becoming the first animated series based on actual people.
The show was largely made as a showcase for The Beatles’ music. Each episode
contained two segments whose names were taken from the titles of The Beatles’
songs and the plot would basically illustrate the song in question. The song
itself would play at some point during the story. Between each segment, Lennon
and Starr would lead the audience in a singalong of two other songs; played
over static images of the cartoon characters with the words displayed on the
screen. A brief comedic vignette would bridge the gap between stories and
commercial breaks. The opening theme was a guitar riff from “A Hard Day’s
Night” segueing into “Can’t Buy Me Love”. Although uncredited, the series was
written by Dennis Marks, Jack Mendelsohn,
Heywood King
and Bruce Howard.
Each script had to be approved by Bordax and ABC before it went off to
storyboard and animation. Because of the simplistic nature of the show, each
episode only took four weeks to animate.
ABC's Saturday morning ad for 1967.
A ratings success, ABC quickly renewed the series for two more seasons.
The theme was changed to “Help!” and “And Your Bird Can Sing”, respectively. During
the show’s run, the band had moved away from the image depicted on the show and
the producers acknowledged this by including photographs of their current
appearances during the opening sequence. Bordax considered using the success of
the series to produce a few prime-time animated specials, as well as
approaching other bands for a similar treatment. None of those plans came to
fruition, however Bordax would go on to produce the animated film Yellow Submarine, in
which Percival had a role.
"This Saturday morning stuff is hard."
Unfortunately, the show couldn’t maintain its initial fire. CBS began to focus more on superheroes after the
success of ABC’s own primetime Batmanseries, and
their airing of Space Ghostopposite The
Beatles clobbered it in the ratings. For the third season, ABC attempted to
salvage the show by having the episodes become more surreal to appeal to an
adult audience and by moving it later in the morning. The later timeslot put it
up against NBC’s Top
Catand CBS’ The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, further diminishing the ratings. The show was
ultimately cancelled, although ABC did continue to air it for two additional
seasons of reruns on Sunday morning before removing it from the schedule in the
fall of 1969.
Hitting the road.
While audiences initially loved the series, the band themselves hated it
at first. So much so, that when the same crew put together Yellow Submarinein
1968, The Beatles wanted nothing to do with it. It wasn’t until they saw and
were impressed by the footage for the film that they agreed to appear in a
short live-action epilogue for it. Over
time, the band came to appreciate the show more. It wouldn’t be until 1980 that
The Beatles would be first broadcast in their native England, since
Epstein became horrified at the Americanization of the characters and kept it
from being aired over fear at how it would go over. New generations were
introduced to The Beatles when it
began airing on MTV and the Disney Channel in the late 80s.
The Beatles on DVD.
1966 saw the release of a Colorforms
playset using the designs from the show, followed by resin
figurines in 1978. For the 40th anniversary of their appearance
on The Ed Sullivan Show,a new wave of Beatles merchandise hit the market; including items based
around the cartoon. A limited edition resin
bank was released in Japan in 2003. McFarlane
Toys released The Beatles as individual figures and as
a set while a tin
lunchbox in the shape of a TV saw production. In 2008, a set of Kubrick figurines
based on the cartoons was released in Japan. Other merchandise included a set
of mugs,
a lamp
shade, an alarm
clock and a Christmas
ornament. Beginning in 2011, ACME-TV released the cartoon across seven
DVD volumes, collecting
them all into a complete series release. The first season was also released
as a complete
collection, with the complete series receiving an additional
release.
The band may end, but the music lives on.
By the 1970s, the band had begun feuding with each other frequently;
clashing over ideas and personalities alike. Each had released a solo album with
some involvement of one or more of the other Beatles and had begun to pursue
their own solo careers. However, the music of The Beatles continued to sell and
receive radio airplay in the decades that followed; inspiring musicians who
would go on to make their
own recordings of their favorite songs or form tribute
bands to pay homage and keep the legacy alive.
EPISODE GUIDE (* denotes songs
not featured in Sing Alongs, ^ denotes songs not used in episodes):
Season 1:
“A
Hard Day’s Night / I
Want to Hold Your Hand” (9/25/65) – The band rehearses in a haunted house
in Transylvania. / The band ends up in the ocean with a lovesick octopus.
Sing Alongs: “Not A Second
Time” & “Devil in Her Heart”
“Do You Want to
Know a Secret / If I
Fell” (10/2/65) – The band meets a leprechaun in Ireland. / John is
kidnapped by mad scientists to put his brain in their monster.
Sing Alongs: “A Hard Day’s
Night” & “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
“Please Mr.
Postman / Devil in
her Heart” (10/9/65) – Ringo blows the band’s money on 15 rings that he
ends up losing. / A Transylvanian witch wants Ringo for her husband.
Sing Alongs: “If I Fell”
& “Do You Want to Know a Secret”
“Not a Second
Time / Slow Down”
(10/16/65) – The band attempts to escape their fans in Africa. / The band
encounters a gold-sniffing donkey on their way to Ringo Ravene.
Sing Alongs: “Baby’s In
Black” & “Misery”
“Baby’s in Back
/ Misery” (10/23/65)
– Paul is kidnapped by a mad scientist to marry his creation. / A vampire
follows the band in a wax museum.
Sing Alongs: “I’ll Get You”
& “Chains”
“You’ve Really
Got a Hold On Me / Chains”
(10/30/65) – An African medicine man turns a worm into a snake that develops a
crush on Ringo. / Ringo is knocked out and dreams he’s Captain Bligh.
Sing Alongs: “Slow Down”
& “Honey Don’t”
“I’ll Get You
/ Honey Don’t” (11/6/65)
– The band hunts for a lion with Alan Watermain in Africa. / Ringo is mistaken
for a bull rider and is sent to ride the toughest bull.
Sing Alongs: “You’ve Really
Got a Hold on Me” & “Any Time at All”
“Any Time At All
/ Twist
and Shout” (11/13/65) – The band imagines they are the Four Muskateers in
France. / The band attends an art show where they inspire a female artist.
Sing Alongs: “I’ll Be Back”
& “Little Child”
“Little Child
/ I’ll Be Back” (11/20/65) – A
Native American proves she’s as good as the boys by trapping the band. / Three
men steal the new guitar Ringo is given.
Sing Alongs: “Long Tall
Sally” & “Twist and Shout”
“Long Tall Sally
/ I’ll Cry Instead” (11/27/65)
– John and Ringo try on cursed suits of armor and end up fighting each other. /
George’s hand swells from signing too many autographs.
Sing Alongs: “I’ll Follow
the Sun” & “When I Get Home”
“I’ll Follow the
Sun / When I Get Home” (12/4/65) – The band is captured by a highwayman
after their car breaks down. / The band meets Quasimodo in Notre Dame.
Sing Alongs: “I’ll Cry
Instead” & “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”
Sing Alongs: “I’m A Loser”
& “I Wanna Be Your Man”
“I’m A Loser
/ I Wanna Be Your Man”
(12/18/65) – Ringo is injured as a Hollywood stuntman. / The band buys a statue
made from stolen gold coins in Rome.
Sing Alongs: “No Reply”
& “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You”
“Don’t Bother Me
/ No Reply” (12/25/65)
– Two spies want to steal the band’s songbook. / A jewel thief disguises
himself as Paul.
Sing Alongs: “It Won’t Be
Long” & “I Should Have Known Better”
Sing Alongs: “Don’t Bother
Me” & “Can’t Buy Me Love”
“Can’t
Buy Me Love / It
Won’t Be Long” (1/8/66) – A friendship ring betroths John to a Polynesian
tribal chief’s daughter. / John swims in a pool full of shrinking potion.
Sing Alongs: “Anna” & “Mr.
Moonlight”
“Anna / I Don’t Want to Spoil the
Party” (1/15/66) – The band races to rescue Paul from a ghost ship. / The
others sneak away from John to enjoy a beatnik party instead of a museum.
Sing Alongs: “Matchbox” &
“Thank You Girl”
“Matchbox / Thank You Girl” (1/22/66)
– A volcano erupts during the band’s Hawaiian stay. / The band sneaks away from
their manager to eat at a French bakery by enrolling in a cooking course.
Sing Alongs: “I Don’t Want
to Spoil the Party” & “Help!”
“From Me to You
/ Boys*” (1/29/66) –
A surfer challenges George to a surfing duel. / The band participates in a Mr.
Hollywood contest.
Sing Alongs: “Please Mr.
Postman” & “I Saw Her Standing There”
“Dizzy Miss
Lizzy / I Saw Her
Standing There” (2/5/66) – John and Paul sign George up for an ice boat
race. / A girl becomes attracted to John and her boyfriend challenges him to a
duel.
Sing Alongs: “Ticket to
Ride” & “From Me to You”
“What You’re
Doing / Money*” (2/12/66)
– George plays a woman to save Ringo from an engagement. / Someone is after the
band’s money that Ringo is carrying.
Sing Alongs: “Dizzy Miss
Lizzy” & “All My Loving”
“Komm Gib Mir
Deine Hand* / She
Loves You” (2/19/66) – The band has to climb a mountain to plant their
flag. / The band mistakenly believes a woman needs rescuing, setting her
boyfriend after them.
Sing Alongs: “Bad Boy”
& “Tell Me Why”
“Bad Boy / Tell Me Why” (2/26/66) –
A Bavarian boy wants to run away and join the band. / Ringo is the jockey of a donkey
that runs fast to loud music.
Sing Alongs: “Please Please
Me” & “Hold Me Tight”
“I
Feel Fine / Hold Me
Tight” (3/5/66) – Dick Dashing wants to prove to Paul that Hollywood isn’t
fake. / George and Paul think they spot a man with a bomb at the Statue of
Liberty.
Sing Alongs: “What You’re
Doing” & “There’s A Place”
“Please Please
Me / There’s A Place”
(3/12/66) – The band helps out with a bullfight after the bull is knocked out.
/ John allows a trained ape to escape and explore the world.
Sing Alongs: “Roll Over Beethoven”
& “Rock and Roll Music”
“Roll Over
Beethoven / Rock and
Roll Music” (3/19/66) – Paul gets grabbed by an elephant named Beethoven. /
The band is mistaken for a string quartet when they go to play the Duke’s
palace.
“Help!
/ We
Can Work It Out” (9/17/66) – Paul attempts to retrieve stolen fashion
designs in Paris. / A wizard tries to give the band bad luck in order to steal
their money.
“I’m Down* /
Run For Your Life” (9/24/66)
– The band must fix a vat of wine Ringo destroys to save the winery. / Ringo is
knocked out and dreams about the days of Marie Antioniette.
Sing Alongs: “Eight Days a
Week” & “Paperback Writer”
“Drive My Car*
/ Tell Me What You See*” (10/1/66) – The band helps a young couple get their
car into race. / The band fools with a makeup machine and become different
characters.
“I Call Your
Name* / The Word*”
(10/8/66) – A movie producer offers a filming deal to Ringo and his frog after
Ringo set him free. / The band is punished for looking at girls’ unveiled
faces.
“All
My Loving / Day Tripper”
(10/15/66) – The band uses music to charm a tiger. / The band is abducted by a
beautiful alien woman.
Sing Alongs: “I’m Looking
Through You” & “Nowhere Man”
“Nowhere Man
/ Paperback
Writer” (10/22/66) – The band encounters a hermit in a cave who wants to be
left alone. / The band writes fictional accounts of how they all met.
“Penny
Lane / Strawberry
Fields” (9/16/67) – The band tries to foil a robbery to become more famous
than detective James Blonde. / The band plays for an orphanage.
“And Your Bird
Can Sing / Got to Get
You Into My Life” (9/23/67) – The band joins hunters in searching for a
rare bird. / The band learns how to leave their bodies only to have their
bodies wander by themselves.
Sing Alongs: “Strawberry
Fields” & “And Your Bird Can Sing”
“Taxman* / Eleanor
Rigby” (10/7/67) – The band ends up knocked out and dream about the days of
Robin Hood. / The band sets the record straight on Eleanor Rigby supposedly
being a witch.
“Tomorrow Never
Knows* / I’ve Just
Seen a Face*” (10/14/67) – The band falls to inner earth where a chieftain
wants them to marry his daughters. / The band sends Ringo to a haunted house to
scare back his lost voice.
“Wait / I’m Only Sleeping*” (10/21/67)
– The band helps a prince rescue his girlfriend from his prime minister. / John
dreams he and the band offer to slay a dragon for King Arthur.
