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.
He was a pioneer for Black animation that formed Vignette Films with Floyd
Norman in the 1960s, which produced educational films about Black historical
figures, and started a multimedia foundation to train underserved youth in new
media technology. During his 60+-year career, he worked on Fat Albert and
the Cosby Kids, the “Nanny and the Professor” episode of ABC Weekend
Specials, Jabberjaw, Laff-A-Lympics, I am the Greatest!: The Adventures of
Muhammad Ali, CB Bears, Challenge of the Superfriends, The New Adventures of
Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979), Casper
and the Angels, The New Shmoo, The World’s Greatest SuperFriends, The New Adventures
of Flash Gordon, Richie Rich, The Flintstones Comedy Show, The Little Rascals (1982),
Pac-Man, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs
(1993), Taz-Mania and Dumb and Dumber: The Animated Series. He
also wrote two Slimer! segments of Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters and
directed 3 episodes of C-Bear and Jamal.
It's September, so that means new television season! These are the Saturday Morning schedules that debuted today in 1982 (ABC's actually debuted the following week).
Notable Roles: Pearl Slaghoople, Libby Freeman, Lana
Lang, Granny Sweet, Nancy, Penelope Pitstop, Judy Jetson, Josie McCoy, Morticia
Addams, Mrs. Anders, Scooby Dee, Princess, Susan, Shanna the She-Devil, Zerona,
Mayda Munny, Hogatha
Waldo got her start with bit parts and small roles in films beginning
in 1938; although in 1941 she was the leading lady in three Westerns: Silver Stallion,
The Bandit
Trailand Land of the Open Range.
Her big break came when she joined Cecil
B. DeMille’s Lux
Radio Theatre, leading to a radio career topped by the starring
role in Meet
Corliss Archer. Her likeness was used for the Meet Corliss Archercomic
book published by Fox
Feature Syndicate in 1948; the first time fans got any visual indication of
what the character looked like. Waldo made the transition to television in 1952
with guest-starring roles on I Love Lucy, The Phil Silvers Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and
Harriet(reprising the role she played on the radio version)and
others. She would make an appearance in another Lucille Ball
series, The Lucy Show,
playing Lucy’s sister in 1963. That year, she began her career as a voice
actor in animation as supporting characters in Hanna-Barbera’s Loopy de Loopand Jonny Quest. She
assumed the recurring role of Pearl Slaghoople, Wilma Flintstone’s (Jean
Vander Pyl) mother, in The
Flintstonesfranchise from Verna Felton in 1964. She also
had a starring role in the short-lived sitcom Valentine’s Dayas
Libby Freeman. By 1966, Waldo had edged out of appearing on camera in favor of
a voice career, primarily working for Hanna-Barbera; although she did do voices
for Ruby-Spears Productions’
The
Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Showand The Puppy’s Further
Adventures, Marvel
Productions’ Spider-Man
and His Amazing Friends, and anime dubs such as the Princess in Battle of the Planets. Her
most recognizable characters included Judy Jetson from The
Jetsonsfranchise, Penelope Pitstop from Wacky
Racesand its spin-off, and Josie McCoy from Josie
and the Pussycatsand its spin-off. Waldo continued acting until the
new millennium, making a few documentary appearances afterward. Waldo died in
2016 from an inoperable brain tumor. At the time of her death, Waldo was the
last surviving member of the original Jetsons cast.
He voiced Super Scuba in The Super 6;Misterjaw in The
Pink Panther Show;Rhubarb in The Houndcats;Weerd in The
13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo;Count Ray and Dr. Ludwig von Strangeduck in
DuckTales (1987); Devil Smurf, Custodian of Avalon and additional voices
in The Smurfs; Lou and Top Cat in Yo Yogi!; andNewt,
delivery guy and German dog in Animaniacs; and provided additional
voices in Pac-Man, The Dukes, Foofur, The Flintstone Kids, The Completely
Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, Snorks and Tom & Jerry Kids Show.
He also co-created Baggy Pants & the Nitwits, in which he reprised his Laugh-In character Tyrone reimagined as a bumbling superhero.
His career spanned from early Disney through Hanna-Barbera's later output. He provided animation for The
Secret Squirrel Show, The Atom Ant Show, Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears
and Droopy: Master Detective. His
work was also seen in a short included in Mickey’s
House of Villains direct-to-video movie. He served as an assistant director
or director on Shirt Tales, Monchichis,
The Dukes, Pac-Man, The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show, The Biskitts, Pink
Panther and Sons, Snorks and The
Smurfs, Galtar and the Golden Lance, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, The
Flintstone Kids, Foofur, Wildfire, Popeye and Son, Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, Pound
Puppies (1986), The Completely Mental
Misadventures of Ed Grimley, Tom & Jerry Kids Show, Rick Moranis in
Gravedale High, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Yo
Yogi!, The Addams Family (1992), and The
Pirates of Dark Water.
McCann had a wide pedigree in television and film, starring both on and off the camera with a distinctive, easily recognizable voice, and also working behind the scenes. McCann co-created, produced, and starred as Barney in Far Out Space Nuts for Sid and Marty Kroft, as well as wrote
several episodes of their show Wonderbug.
Other starring roles included Boogie and Blubber in C.B. Bears; Billy
Joe in The New Shmoo; Mummy Man in Drak Pack; Blinky and Pinky in Pac-Man; Orlock in Galtar and the Golden Lance; Duckworth, Burger Beagle, Bouncer
Beagle, and several minor roles in DuckTales;
Mayor Grody in Toxic Crusaders;
Dumptruck, Gibber and a rhino goon in TaleSpin;
and Beefsteak in Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes (1991). He also guest-starred as Number One, The Owl, Tom McCool
in Cool McCool; Badladdin in an
episode of The Plastic Man
Comedy/Adventure Show; Artemis and some mutants in an episode of Thundarr the Barbarian; Moving Man Grizz,
Billy Beagle, Roary, Cousin Wilton, and several minor roles in The Get Along Gang; Biff Barker in Pound Puppies (1986); Cashmore and
additional voices in an episode of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo; Sir Gaya, a
knight, a chef and a tadpole in episodes of Disney’s
Adventures of the Gummi Bears; Heff Heffalump and a Tigger lookalike in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; Uncle
Ed and a dog in two episodes of Garfield
and Friends; Codger Eggbert in an episode of Animaniacs; Santa Claus in an episode of ABC Weekend Specials; a worm and talents of trial in two episodes
of The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat;
and Filth #2 in an episode of The Tick (1994).
McCann also provided unspecified additional voice work for Scooby-Doo and
Scrappy-Doo (1979), Captain Caveman and the
Teen Angels, Space Stars, Richie Rich
(1982), Snorks, The Smurfs, Where’s
Waldo?, Tom & Jerry Kids Show, and
All-New Dennis the Menace.
The computer animated series
centered around an teenaged orphan Pac-Man (Erin Mathews). His parents had
fought in the war against the ghosts, led by Lord Betrayus Sneakerus Spheros
(Sam Vincent), who tried to conquer Pac-World. He was stripped of his corporeal
form and banished to the Netherworld with the ghosts. The seal to the
Netherworld was accidentally opened by Pac when he was avoiding school bully
Skeebo (Matt
Hill),
allowing Betrayus and his ghosts access to Pac-World once again.
The Ghost Gang: Blinky, Clyde, Inky and Pinky.
As in the video games on which the
show is based, Pac had the ability to eat ghosts and destroy their ectoplasm,
leaving only their eyeballs to fly off and reconstitute their forms in a
regeneration chamber. This was because he was a Yellow Pac, and one of the
last—if not THE last—in all of Pac-World. The ghosts were made tastier when Pac
ate berries from the Tree of Life, which also give him a variety of different
powers and allowed him to withstand the hostile environment of the Netherworld.
Joining him directly from the games was the Ghost Gang: crafty leader Blinky
(Ian James Corlett), smart and sarcastic Inky (Lee Tockar),
dim-witted-though-wise and caring Clyde (Brain Drummond), and Pinky (Ashleigh
Ball), who developed a crush on Pac. Unlike in the games, they only pretend to
serve Betrayus; playing dumb and foiling his plans in an effort to aid Pac in
exchange for access to their bodies held in the hidden repository.
Pac with Spiral and Cylindria.
Pac lived at Maze Academy, a
boarding school in the city of Pacopolis, with his friends Cylindria (Andrea
Libman) and Spiralton (Vincent). They often aided Pac in his adventures along
with Sir Circumference (Corlett), a goofy scientist who created a variety of
gadgets to help fight against the ghosts and was in charge of the repository. The
President of Pac-World was Stratos Spheros (Vincent), the younger brother of
Betrayus. Cylindra and Pinky would often butt heads because of Pinky’s jealousy
stemming from the belief that Cylindra also had a crush on Pac.
Betrayus amidst a horde of ghosts with Dr. Buttocks and Butt-ler.
Serving Betrayus was the mad
scientist ghost Dr. A.H. Buttocks (Brian Drummond), who specialized in monster
experimentation and created a variety of devices to aid in Betrayus’ schemes.
He often suspected that the Ghost Gang was working with Pac, but Betrayus chose
to ignore his warnings. His brother, Butt-ler (also Drummond), served as
Betrayus’ servant and sometimes spy. Specter (Brendon
Ryan Barrett) was a spy ghost who was stronger and
smarter than the others due to never being eaten by a Pac. Master Goo (Vincent Tong)
was a calm yet cocky ninja ghost who was a master of Pac-Fu and trained
Betrayus’ armies.
A mean genie.
Aside from ghosts, other inhabitants
of the Netherworld included Count Pacula (a play on Dracula,
voiced by Vincent), a vampire who could only be summoned when two moons turned
blue every 100 Halloweens; Madame Ghoulasha (Kathleen Barr),
a witch who did favors for Betrayus in order to win his affections; Jean (Nicole Oliver),
a genie used by Buttocks to trap Pac and keep the ghosts in Pac-World; The
Easter Pac-Peep (Ball), a humanoid marshmallow chicken who became hostile due
to Betrayus’ past pranks; Dentures of Doom (Paul Dobson), living dentures
belonging to the Mummy Wizard (also Dobson) that brought him to life and gave
him his powers; and Dr. Pacenstein (a play on Frankenstein,
voiced by Erica Mendez), a mad
scientist who was a talking brain in a glass jar with autonomous limbs that
usually annoyed him. Aliens, known as Pointy Heads, also frequently set their
sights on Pac-World; particularly their overlord, Apex (Colin Murdock), scientist
Professor Pointybrains (Drummond), and minion Tip (Gabe Khouth).
The first season ran for 26
episodes. The second season was set to run for the same length but was instead
cut in half by distributors to make a third season. The new third season aired
in Japan first between January and April of 2015, while in the United States it
didn’t begin until that May. Two specials were made: Santa Pac’s Merry Berry Day and Pac’s
Scary Halloween, which were later broken up into the episodes “Happy
Holidays and a Merry Berry Day” and “Santa Pac” and the two-part “Pac’s Very
Scary Halloween”, respectively. The Halloween and second Christmas episodes
first aired on Netflix
in the United States. The series was written by Arad, Ruegger and Rugg, along
with Ken
Pontac, Marcy
Brown, Dennis
Haley, Michael
Maurer, Jymn
Magon, Cydne
Clark, Bob
Forward, Steve
Granat, Glenn
Leopold, Eric
Shaw,
Len Uhley,
Mark Young,
Alexandra Bland
and story editor Sean
Catherine Derek.
Bandai
produced a line of toys to coincide with the show. They included standard
figures of Pac and his friends, spinning figures, three versions of Pac with
special tongue features, and plush dolls. There was also a giant Pac who could
spit-up slime from his mouth, symbolizing his having just eaten some ghosts. K’Nex put out a several
sets with figures to form a constructible maze
playset. Video games based on the show were also published by
Bandai Namco. An endless runner for mobile devices called Pac-Man
Dash!was
developed by M2
and released in 2013. It was available until Bandai Namco had it removed from
online stores in 2017. A 3D platformer sharing
the show’s name was developed by Monkey Bar Games was
released for home consoles in late 2013, with a 2D platformer for the Nintendo 3DS
following by Inti Creates.
A
sequel for the home consoles followed in October 2014. The
characters from the show were also featured in the menus of the compilation
game Pac-Man Museum(the games based
on the show, however, were not included).
EPISODE GUIDE:
Season 1:
“The
Adventure Begins, Part I” (6/15/13) – Pac accidently unleashes ghosts on
Pac-World and they manage to steal the Tree of Life.
“The
Adventure Begins, Part II” (6/15/13) – When Pac and his friends fall into a
trap, Pac pretends to have a crush on Pinky in order to be set free and escape
with the Tree.
“No
Pets Allowed…Especially Monsters!, Part I” (6/19/13) – Betrayus sends an army
of cloned monsters after Pac.
“No
Pets Allowed…Especially Monsters!, Part II” (6/20/13) – Dr. Buttocks creates a
machine that makes monsters giant, forcing Pac to go on a size-changing
adventure.
“All
You Can Eat” (6/21/13) – Learning Pac’s weakness is food, Betrayus has his
ghost minions feed Pac until he’s too full to eat ghosts.
“President
Possessed!” (6/24/13) – Buttocks possesses President Spheros and turns the town
against Pac.
“Is
Zit You Or Is Zit Me?” (6/25/13) – When stress causes Pac to get a lot of zits,
Betrayus sends ghosts to make sure Pac is nice and constantly stressed.
“Pac
To The Future” (6/26/13)- Sir Cumference’s vehicle sends Pac back in time where
he ends up babysitting himself as a baby.
“Heebo-Skeebo”
(6/27/13) – Skeebo wants to be a hero so he steals Pac’s berries, which Obtuse
and Betrayus want as well.
“Mission
ImPacable!” (6/28/13) – Pac tries to gain some self-control over his eating
just as Betrayus wants him to eat a ghost with a chip that will let him control
Pac.
“No
Body Knows” (7/1/13) – When President Spheros discovers slug cams in the
roundhouse, Sir Cumference worries Betrayus may have discovered the repository.
“Seems
Like Old Times” (7/2/13) – Sir Cumference needs a very dangerous Netherworld
item for his latest invention, but he worries he isn’t the freedom fighter he
used to be.
“Betrayus
Turns the Heat Up” (7/3/13) – Buttocks creates a super furnace that increases
the already high heat in PacWorld; a heat that threatens to dry out and kill
the Tree of Life.
“Pac-Pong
Fever” (7/5/13) – Betrayus challenges Pac’s aunt to a pac-pong game, believing
she cheated him out of a victory many years ago.
“Driver’s
Pac” (7/22/13) – As Pac and his friends learn to drive, Buttocks creates a
giant drill to burrow into the netherworld that could sink the entire city.
“Jinxed”
(7/23/13) – Buttocks discovers the ghosts have been helping Pac, and Betrayus
sends for a curse from the netherworld to turn Pac into a jinx.
“Indiana
Pac and the Temple of Slime” (8/31/13) – Pac and his friends discover a strange
artifact that belong to his parents, and Buttocks discovers it holds the key to
the secret of the Tree.
“Planet
Pac” (9/14/13) – Buttocks lures in a planet-sized ghost to destroy PacWorld,
but Betrayus discovers it would destroy the netherworld as well.
“Stand
By Your Pac-Man” (9/21/13) – As Pinky and Cylindria fight for Pac’s affections,
Betrayus summons the being who killed every other yellow pac: the Pacinator.
“PacLantis”
(9/28/13) – Pac and his friends learn Betrayus plans to find PacLantis and the
berry bush of youth, which could reanimate Betrayus back into his original
form.
“Jurassic
Pac” (10/5/13) – When Fuzbit finds a dinosaur bone, Buttocks uses his machine
on it to create an army of radio-controlled dinos.
“A
Berry Scary Night” (10/12/13) – It’s Halloween and Betrayus and his minions
call upon Count Pacula to drain Pac.
“The
Great Chase!” (10/19/13) – Betrayus possesses his mother as she visits
President Spheros and Pac.
“Robo
Woes” (10/26/13) – A giant alien robot named Apex seeks to take over PacWorld
by kidnapping President Spheros and rendering the Power Berries powerless.
“The
Spy Who Slimed Me” (11/2/13) – A spy ghost possesses Aunt Sphera’s dog in order
to infiltrate Sir Cumference’s lab and conquer both PacWorld and the
netherworld.
“Invasion
of the Pointy Heads” (11/9/13) – Apex returns and proposes an alliance with
Betrayus to lead an all-out assault, but Apex ends up betraying him in order to
rule by himself.
Season 2:
“Ride
the Wild Pac-Topus” (6/9/14) – Buttocks rigs various carnival rides in an
attempt to steal a key Pac is guarding.
“Meanie
Genie” (6/10/14) – Pac is tricked into finding a genie whose wishes turn out to
be problematic.
“Cave
Pac-Man” (6/11/14) – Pac discovers a prehistoric Cave Pac-Kid while attempting
to stop Mt. Packinely from erupting.
“Cosmic
Contest” (6/12/14) – When the constant battles awaken an ancient napping alien
race, three teams are made to compete in a race to settle the conflict once and
for all.
“That
Smarts!” (6/16/14) – A brainy berry leads to a giant robot battle between Pac
and Buttocks while Betrayus spires on Sir C’s romantic getaway with Spheria and
becomes depressed.
“Pac-Mania”
(6/17/14) – Pac gets a TV show based on his life, but the fame doesn’t seem
worth he and his friends being made to look like fools.
“Rip
Van Packle” (6/23/14) – A wormhole sends Pac 70 years into the future where
Betrayus rules Pacworld.
“Spooka-Bazooka!”
(6/24/14) – Buttocks puts Pac out of a job by inventing a bazooka that can
catch ghosts, but it secretly puts its user to sleep for 100 minutes to allow
Betrayus to invade.
“The
Pac Be With You” (6/30/14) – A ninja ghost trains Betrayus’ army, prompting
Blinky to train Pac with a new fighting technique.
“The
Shadow of the Were-Pac” (10/8/14) – Were-Pac attacks threaten the President’s
spookiest Halloween party.
“Cap’n
Banshee and his Interstellar Buccaneers” (10/14/14) – A summer cruise is
interrupted by ghostly pirates from outer space.
“A
Hard Dazed Knight” (10/15/14) – Buttocks develops an armor coating that allows
a ghostly army to avoid being eaten by Pac.
“Happy
Holidays and a Merry Berry Day” (12/2/14) – When Pac’s parents return from a
top-secret mission, Pac goes to great lengths to hide them from his friends.
Season 3:
“Peace
Without Slime” (1/31/15 JAP, 5/18/15 US) – Betrayus rigs the Pac-World election
to get Obtuse into power while Cylindria and Skeebo run for class president.
“The
Ghost Behind the Throne” (2/7/15 JAP, 5/19/15 US) – Pac and his friends smuggle
the Tree of Life and the repository out of the Round House before Obtuse can be
sworn in.
“Nerd
is the Word” (2/14/15 JAP, 5/20/15 US) – Betrauys and Buttocks send Butt-ler to
spy on Pac and his friends, but their kindness towards him leads him to betray
his evil masters.
“Bride
of the Griner” (2/21/15 JAP, 5/21/15 US) – Grinder builds a girlfriend for
himself which Buttocks steals and plans to use for his next evil plot.
“The
Legend of Creepy Hollow” (3/7/15 JAP, 5/22/15 US) – When Skeebo scares Pac and
his friends with the legend of Hugefoot, Betrayus has Buttocks build a robot
version of the myth.
“Easter
Egg Island” (2/28/15 JAP, 5/26/15 US) – The Pac-Peep has kidnapped all the
ghosts from the Netherworld, prompting Betrayus to ask for Pac’s help to
retrieve them.
“The
Wizard of Odd” (3/14/15 JAP, 5/27/15 US) – A space worm summoned by Buttocks
sends Pac and Fuzbitz to an alternate dimension.
“Indiana
Pac and the Dentures of Doom” (3/21/15 JAP, 5/28/15 US) – If an evil mummy is
reunited with his cursed dentures, it could spell the end for Pacworld.
“Honey,
I Digitized the Pac-Man” (3/28/15 JAP, 5/29/15 US) – Sir C sends Pac into
cyberspace to stop Buttocks’ deadly computer virus.
“Pac’s
Very Scary Halloween – Part One” (4/4/15 JAP, 10/4/16 US) – Dr. Pacenstein
invites Pac and his friends to his castle for a Halloween dinner and ends up
trading bodies with Pac.
“Pac’s
Very Scary Halloween – Part Two” (4/11/15 JAP, 10/4/16 US) – Spiral and
Cylindria try to get help from Count Pacula to stop Dr. Pacenstein.
“Santa
Pac” (4/18/15 JAP, 9/5/15 US) – Pac has to save Santa-Pac and his round-deer
after they’re kidnapped to the Netherworld.
“New
Girl in Town” (4/25/15 JAP, 5/29/15 US) – Betrayus plans to use the President’s
beautiful niece to seduce Pac and lead him to the repository.
