THE OSMONDS

 

THE OSMONDS
(ABC, September 9-December 23, 1972)
 
Rakin/Bass Productions, Halas and Batchelor

 

 

MAIN CAST:
Donny Osmond – Himself
Jimmy Osmond – Himself
Alan Osmond – Himself
Wayne Osmond – Himself
Jay Osmond – Himself
Merrill Osmond – Himself
Paul Frees – Fuji, Hortense Bird, various
Iris Rainer – Various

 

 

            The Osmonds were an American family musical group that were very popular in the 1970s. George Virl Osmond Sr. and Olive Osmond resided on a farm in Ogden, Utah, and were musicians within their church. They had nine children: Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy.

            In 1958, Alan (9), Wayne (7), Merril (5) and Jay (3) began singing as a barbershop quartet around the town and during church services as a way to earn money for hearing aids for their brothers Virl and Tom, both born with severe hearing impairments, and to finance future church missions. Their talent and stage presence encouraged their father to take them to an amateur barbershop singing competition in California. While there, the family took a trip to Disneyland where the Osmonds performed with the park’s own barbershop quartet, The Dapper Dans. Having been seen by Tommy Walker, Director of Entertainment and Customer Relations, they were hired to perform at the park the following summer. It also landed them minor roles in the Kurt Russell television series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters and an appearance during a segment of the “Disneyland After Dark” episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, where Walt Disney himself took viewers around Disneyland at night and showed off the nighttime entertainment; complete with numerous entertainment guest stars.

            When singer Andy Williams’ father Jay saw them at the park, he encouraged his son to book the Osmonds on his show, The Andy Williams Show. The Osmond Brothers became regulars on it from 1962-67, earning the nickname “one-take Osmonds” amongst the staff due to their professionalism and constant rehearsing. Donny would join the group in 1963, with Marie and Jimmy making appearances later on and Jimmy eventually joining in 1967 (Marie would be the last to join up a few years after in 1973). When the show ended in 1967, the Osmond Brothers were signed to The Jerry Lewis Show until it was cancelled in 1969; at which point they rejoined The Andy Williams Show for its second run.

Osmonds LP sleeve featuring The Osmond Brothers and Donny in the middle.

            Deciding they wanted to get away from variety shows and perform as a rock and roll band, The Osmond Brothers recorded and released their first single, “Flower Music” with the B-side “I Can’t Stop”, in 1967 for UNI Records. Record producer Mike Curb saw the Osmonds perform and recognized their talent. He signed them to MGM Records and paired them with producer Rick Hall. Now known as The Osmonds, they released their first hit single, “One Bad Apple” written by George Jackson, in November of 1970, along with their first MGM album, Osmonds. It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for five weeks in early 1971. The album itself hit #14 on the Billboard Top Lps chart and was certified gold later that year. Their second album, Homemade, was recorded in just 6 days and released in August of 1971; with the single “Double Lovin’” peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold in early 1972.

Osmonds Greatest Hits album featuring Jimmy with the group.

            With their third MGM album, Phase III in 1972, the Osmonds began writing and performing their own music, gravitating towards a rock sound. Their fourth album, Crazy Horses, went even harder on the rock; going over into heavy metal territory. They wrote all the songs, played all the instruments, and sang all the vocals. Merrill and Donny were the co-lead vocalists—with Donny mostly singing the chorus of the songs—until Donny’s voice began to change, forcing him to drop back to largely instrumental contributions. The band compensated by progressively lowering the key until his voice finished changing. While still working with his brothers, Donny had also engaged on a solo career; releasing his own albums alongside the group’s. Jimmy would follow suit with his own solo work beginning in 1972.

Rankin/Bass' caricatures of The Osmonds: Jimmy, Donny, Jay, Wayne, Merrill and Alan.

            Rankin/Bass Productions partnered with MGM to bring the Osmonds to Saturday mornings for ABC; similarly to how they had The Jackson Five the year prior. In fact, both cartoons were very much identical in their structure and presentation. The Osmonds would follow the brothers as they embarked on a world tour after winning a contest to become musical goodwill ambassadors. They traveled on a provided psychedelic jet plane piloted by Alan, accompanied by their anthropomorphic dog, Fuji (Paul Frees in 4^th wall-breaking internal monologues, using a Japanese accent). Unlike The Jackson 5ive where a touring schedule kept the Jacksons too busy to participate in the show, the Osmonds provided all of their own voices; with Frees and Iris Rainer doing all the rest. Along with the interesting characters they met in each new location, trouble usually followed the brothers due to Jimmy’s immaturity and impetuousness and Donny’s tendency to be girl-crazy. One girl Donny wasn’t crazy about was his self-proclaimed #1 fan: Hortense Bird (Frees), an old lady with missing teeth who decided to follow the Osmonds on their tour.

Dancing through the streets.

            The Osmonds debuted on ABC on September 9, 1972, airing right after The Jackson 5ive. The series was a showcase for the music of the Osmond brothers, with two songs being worked into every episode accompanied by a music-video like sequence. All of the songs--with the exception of “Getcha Goin’ My Way”, which wouldn’t be released until 2012--were taken from the albums Osmonds, Homemade, Phase III and Crazy Horses; the Donny solo albums The Donny Osmond Album, To You with Love, Donny, Portrait of Donny and Too Young; and the Jimmy solo album Killer Joe. “One Bad Apple” was used as the series’ theme, with episode titles appearing at the end of the intro in an apple shape. Maury Laws provided the rest of the music, and Curb served as an executive producer. The show was written by Rainer, Earle Doud, William J. Keenan, Claire Merrill and Romeo Muller, and animated by Halas and Batchelor. This was the second—and last—series to feature Rankin/Bass’ new and improved laugh track; which had better modulated laughs than their previous one and benefitted from better timing by the sound engineers. It only ran a single season of new episodes, with a second season comprised entirely of reruns on Sunday mornings. Several episodes would be released to VHS in the early 1990s by The ABM Group, and Donny would release a DVD compilation of 5 episodes through his website in 2007. While the complete series has never been released, episodes have been uploaded to YouTube by fan accounts.

            The Osmonds’ popularity began to decline following the release of their ambitious 1973 album, The Plan, which carried a strong religious message and a progressive rock sound. Within three years, the band put out music in a variety of genres including bubblegum pop, hard rock and easy listening, giving them an inconsistent sound and took them away from the pop music that made them popular in the first place. Not helping matters was Donny’s voice change taking away their younger fans and his tendency to cover oldies on his solo albums. Alan, Wayne and Merrill had all gotten married between 1973 and 1974, which led to the band reducing their touring schedules to spend more time with their families. Finally, the Osmond brand had gotten diluted with Donny, Marie and Jimmy emerging as solo artists, and Donny and Marie recording duets together. By 1976, album sales were slumping and The Osmonds had only one last Top 40 hit with “The Proud One”, a cover of a Frankie Valli minor hit.

Donny & Marie billboard during their residency at the Flamingo.

            Donny returned to television with Marie for The Donny & Marie Show, with their siblings working in supporting roles. After its cancellation in 1979 and with the family in debt, the Osmonds switched from MGM successor Polydor to Mercury Records and released the unsuccessful album Steppin’ Out. An attempt was made to get Marie back on TV with a sitcom pilot that never aired and a variety show that only ran 7 episodes. Marie carved out a successful career singing country music and starring in the Broadway revivals of The King and I and The Sound of Music. She starred in the short-lived sitcom Maybe This Time and hosted the talk show Donny & Marie with Donny. Donny returned to pop music in 1989, sang “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” for Disney’s Mulan, starred as Gaston in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast, and toured as the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Donny also had a turn as a game show host and won the 9^th season of Dancing with the Stars. In 2008, Donny and Marie had a residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas that was originally supposed to run for 6 months, but kept being extended until it finally ended in 2019 after 11 years. Donny went on to have a solo residency at Harrah’s Las Vegas while Marie continues to tour and do commercials.

The Osmonds all together for Marie's 60th birthday.

            Alan, Wayne, Merril and Jay returned to The Osmond Brothers to earn money for their debts. A handful of their songs just missed breaking the top 40, and their record sales were reduced by their unwillingness to tour and desire to only promote their music through music videos, but they were able to pay off their debts by 1983. They continued to perform with various line-ups, including their children, as well as independently with other performers. Alan retired from the group in 2007 and Wayne in 2012 after a stroke left him unable to play guitar; although they played one more performance with them in 2018 and again in 2019 for Marie’s 60^th birthday. Merril planned to retire in 2022, but continued on for a limited run in 2024. Jay continues to perform with Alan’s son, Nathan, and they plan to begin a residency in Branson, Missouri in October of 2024. Jimmy suffered a second stroke in 2018 and had dropped out of showbusiness to recover, with Merril hoping he’d eventually return to the group.

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“And Away They Go” (9/9/72) – The Osmonds have a chance to audition for a world tour, but Jimmy and Fuji ruin their chances.

Songs: “One Bad Apple” & “Go Away Little Girl”

 

“China” (9/16/72) – While Jimmy and Fuji are fighting, the brothers must play a ping pong game for America against China.

Songs: “Don’t Panic” & “Sweet and Innocent”

 

“Jimmy and James in London” (9/30/72) – In London, Jimmy is mistaken for a prince that he resembles.

Songs: “In the Rest of My Life” & “Why”

 

“Sir Donald of Bavaria” (9/30/72) – In Bavaria, Donny dreams that he, Jimmy and Fuji are sent back to Medieval times.

Songs: “Do You Want Me (We Can Make It Together)” & “Business”

 

“Paris” (10/7/72) – The brothers must save a restaurant from closing wile a government minister conspires to make them lose a contest to a local band.

Songs: “Promise Me” & “Shuckin’ and Jivin’”

 

“Monte Carlo” (10/14/72) – While in Monte Carlo, Jimmy makes a hit film while Donny falls for the wrong girl.

Songs: “Wake Up Little Susie” & “Getcha Goin’ My Way*”

*Unreleased until 2012.

 

“Denmark” (10/21/72) – Donny must stop some undersea bullies in order to get a sea witch’s spell reversed and change Jimmy’s fin back to legs.

Songs: “Love Me” & “Hold Her Tight”

 

“India” (10/28/72) – Jimmy befriends a genie in India.

Songs: “And You Love Me” & “Hey Girl”

 

“The Yukon” (11/4/72) – Jimmy accidentally sends the brothers to the Yukon.

Songs: “All I Have to Do Is Dream” & “My Drum”

 

“The Black Forest” (11/11/72) – A whole town may sleep forever if the brothers can’t fix a special clock.

Songs: “Going Going Gone (To Somebody Else)” & “Girl”

 

“Italy” (11/18/72) – A girl dates Donny as a ploy to get the valuable coin Jimmy found.

Songs: “What Could It Be” & “This Guy’s in Love With You”

 

“Australia” (11/23/72) – Jimmy gets a new admirer: a kangaroo.

Songs: “It’s You Babe” & “Lonely Boy”

 

“Transylvania” (11/25/72) – The Osmonds are invited to a birthday party held by a vampire.

Songs: “Killer Joe” & “We All Fall Down”

 

“Rio” (12/2/72) – Jimmy ends up getting lost during a costume contest in Rio.

Songs: “Prety Blue Eyes” & “Hey Mr. Taxi”

 

“Don Osmondo in Spain” (12/9/72) – Donny takes up bullfighting in order to impress a girl.

Songs: “Puppy Love” & “Yo-Yo”

 

“Luck of the Osmonds” (12/16/72) – Jimmy gets mistaken for a leprechaun in Ireland.

Songs: “Down by the Lazy River” & “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool”

 

“Coming Home to Utah” (12/23/72) – The brothers return to Utah to a fairly lackluster homecoming.

Songs: “Utah” & “Too Young”

I AM THE GREATEST!: ADVENTURES OF MUHAMMAD ALI

 

I AM THE GREATEST!: THE ADVENTURES OF MUHAMMAD ALI
(NBC, September 10-December 3, 1977)
 
Farmhouse Films

 

 

MAIN CAST:
Muhammad Ali – Himself
Casey Carmichael – Damon
Patrice Carmichael – Nicky
Frank Bannister – Himself

 

Muhammad Ali is considered one of the most important sports figures of the 20^th Century, as well as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. until changing his name after converting to Islam in the 1960s, Ali took up boxing at the age of 12 after being encouraged by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. Martin and inspired by seeing amateur boxers on a local televised program called Tomorrow’s Champions.

Ali standing over Sonny Liston.

Ali made his amateur boxing debut in 1954, winning against Ronnie O’Keefe by split decision. He went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union national title, and the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Ali’s amateur recorded ended up being 100 wins with 5 losses. He then went professional in 1960, taking on the likes of Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Chuck Wepner (whose bout with Ali inspired the creation of the Rocky franchise), Ron Lyle and Joe Bugner. In the early years of his professional career, Ali adopted the personality of a self-described “big-mouth and bragger”; engaging in trash-talk with free-style rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry that often made him regarded as influential in the world of hip hop music through his quick, confident and smooth deliveries. This was inspired and encouraged by professional wrestler “Gorgeous George” Wagner as a means to bring in more people to bouts who either wanted to see him win or really lose. Of course, they got a lot more of the former with a career record of 56 wins and 5 losses. His fights were some of the world’s most-watched television broadcasts, frequently setting viewership records.

Speaking about his draft refusal alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

He became an icon for the counterculture movement of the 1960s when he refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs and personal ethical opposition. Guilty of draft evasion, he was stripped of his boxing titles and denied a boxing license in every state. As a result, he didn’t fight from 1967-70 until he was finally able to get the decision appealed and overturned in 1971. In the meantime, Ali was touring colleges speaking out against the war and advocating African-American pride and racial justice (he had grown up during the period of segregation). He also participated in a fictional boxing match with retired champion Rocky Marciano, which had them sparring for about 75 one-minute rounds with several potential outcomes; with the winner chosen by a computer. Edited together and released to theaters in 1970 as The Super Fight, the American version had Ali losing the fight in a knockout while Marciano lost in the European version to cuts.

Promotional poster for Ali's first album.

Outside of fighting, Ali pursued several other interests. In 1963, he released a comedy album of spoken word music through Columbia Records titled I Am the Greatest (regarded as an early example of rap music), and in 1964 he recorded a cover of the song “Stand by Me”. In 1976 he recorded a spoken word novelty record through St. John’s Fruit and Vegetable Co., The Adventures of Ali and is Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay, meant to raise awareness of tooth decay in children. Ali participated in professional wrestling several times; including being the special guest referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event in 1985. He was also an amateur artist, making dozens of drawings and paintings throughout the 1970s.

Ali in Buck White.

Then there was Ali the actor. He would appear—mostly as himself—in shows like Vega$, Diff’rent Strokes (whose title was inspired by one of Ali’s sayings), and Touched by an Angel, made a cameo in the 1962 film Requiem for a Heavyweight, appeared in the 1972 documentary Black Rodeo, and played himself in the 1977 film The Greatest, which was adapted from his autobiography. Actual character roles included the titular lead of the short-lived 1969 Broadway musical Buck White and former slave and Civil War soldier Gideon Jackson in the 1978 film Freedom Road. Somewhere in between all that, it was decided to try and take advantage of Ali’s popularity with children and create an animated series centered around him.

The animated version of Ali.

Created by Fred Calvert, Kimie Calvert, Janis Diamond and John Paxton and produced through Calvert’s Farmhouse Films, I Am the Greatest!: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali followed Ali (voiced by himself) on his trips around the world as he participated in fights and exhibitions. Along the way, adventure would seem to find him in the form of saboteurs, poachers, thieves and other forms of trouble that would plague the locals of wherever he was visiting. Ali, being the man he was, couldn’t just sit idly by when there was a possibility he could help. Despite the violent nature of Ali’s well-known occupation, being on Saturday morning meant the resolutions to the programs leaned more into non-violent solutions. Situations and mysteries were solved through Ali’s worldly knowledge and with words, and moments of physicality were generally relegated to minor grappling.

Ali's "entourage": Bad News, Damon, Frank and Nicky.

Joining Ali on his adventures were his niece and nephew, Nicky (Patrice Carmichael) and Damon (Casey Carmichael), and their dog, Bad News. Additionally, Ali’s real-life public relations agent and hype man, Frank Bannister, came along for the ride also voicing himself. While the kids were always deep into the adventures, Frank was more of a reluctant participant. He was focused on making sure Ali met his obligations and set up the next one, and was exasperated trying to keep up when he would run off on an escapade.

Ali wrestling an alligator.

I Am the Greatest!: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali debuted on NBC on September 10, 1977. The series was written by John Bates, Carole Beers, Booker Bradshaw, Ellen Christianson, David Christianson, Joseph R. Henderson, Bryan Joseph and Gene Moss. The music and sound effects by were done by Charles Blaker and Robert V. Greene (as Corky Greene). The entire cast recorded in Hollywood with the exception of Ali; whom Calvert would fly out to meet in Philadelphia to record his lines. Each episode also featured a brief live-action segment at the end where Ali would deliver some personal words of wisdom to the audience.

Ali addressing the viewers.

Despite Ali’s larger-than-life presence and popularity, the show failed to generate significant ratings and was cancelled after a single season of 13 episodes. Reruns would air on El Rey Network, who aired them in a marathon following the death of Ali in 2016.  To date, the series ahs never seen an official home media release; although bootlegs are floating around the internet. The El Rey airings have been preserved as part of the Internet Archive.

 

 

EPISODE GUIDE:
“The Great Alligator” (9/10/77) – A pair of thieves use alligator attacks to terrorize a local swamp village.
 
“The Air Fair Affair” (9/17/77) – A pair of dirty pilots sabotage their competition in an air race.
 
“The Littlest Runner” (9/24/77) – Ali and the kids try to get a runaway to stop living in the woods and return home.
 
“Ali’s African Adventure” (10/1/77) – While on an African safari, Ali gets involved in trying to help stop a poaching operation.
 
“Superstar” (10/8/77) – Ali’s sci-fi movie shoot is disrupted by the crew’s boat exploding and the giant alien robot seemingly developing a mind of its own.
 
“The Haunted Park” (10/15/77) – Ali is participating in the grand opening of a haunted park in London where people seem to disappear from the roller coaster after it passes through a tunnel.
 
“Caught in the Wild” (10/22/77) – A plane malfunction leaves Ali and his crew stranded in the wilds of the Yukon.
 
“Volcano Island” (10/29/77) – A storm leaves Ali and his crew stranded on an island with a crazy hermit and an active volcano about to blow.
 
“Oasis of the Moon” (11/5/77) – Ali and his crew investigate the disappearance of an oasis with an archaeologist in Egypt.
 
“The Great Bluegrass Mountain Race” (11/12/77) – Ali proposes a race between a locomotive and a truck for a shipping contract.
 
“The Werewolf of Devil’s Creek” (11/19/77) – Ali investigates the report of a werewolf scaring people away from a mine in a small town.
 
“Sissy’s Climb” (11/26/77) – A need for a mountain rescue allows an exchange student to show women can be just as capable as men on treacherous peaks.
 
“Terror in the Deep” (12/3/77) – A sea monster disrupts a scientific experiment of moving food production to the bottom of the sea.

MISTER T

 

MISTER T
(NBC, September 17, 1983-October 19, 1985)
 
Ruby-Spears Enterprises

 

 

MAIN CAST:
Mr. T – Himself
Takayo Fischer – Ms. Priscilla Bisby
Shawn Lieber – Jeff Harris
Phil LaMarr – Woody Daniels
Amy Linker – Robin O’Neill
Siu Ming Carson – Kim Nakamura
Teddy Field III – Spike O’Neill
Cathy Cavadini – Skye Redfern

 

            Born Laurence Tureaud, Mr. T was the youngest son in a family of twelve children in Chicago, Illinois. Having grown up facing constant lack of respect because of the color of his skin--hearing his father, uncle and veteran brother constantly called “boy”--he legally changed his name in 1970 to “Mr. T” so that “the first word out of everybody’s mouth is ‘Mr.’” He played football, wrestled and studied martial arts at Dunbar Vocational High School and became the citywide wrestling champion two years in a row. He won a football scholarship to Prairie View A&M University where he majored in mathematics, but was expelled after a year.

Fools, consider yourself pitied.

            1975 saw Mr. T join the Army’s Military Police Corps for several years before trying out of the Green Bay Packers football team, but a knee injury kept him out. Instead, he became a bouncer for the club Dingbats Discotheque where the Mr. T persona began to take shape. He started wearing gold chains adorned with various pieces of jewelry that essentially served as a “lost and found” box; the items typically left behind by patrons after a fight broke out who could then reclaim them from him without going back into the club. They were also meant to represent the chains that were used to bring his ancestors to the country and held them down. While reading National Geographic, Mr. T noticed the hairstyle on a Mandinka warrior and decided to adopt it as his own as a simpler, more permanent visual signature and a powerful statement about his African origins. His tenure as a bouncer led to his also becoming a bodyguard whose reputation garnered him clients such as Steve McQueen, Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Diana Ross, Joe Frazier and more.

B.A. Baracus and his signature van.

            In 1980, Mr. T took part in NBC’s Games People Play in the “America’s Toughest Bouncer” competition, which he won by knocking out Honolulu bouncer Tutefano Tufi in a boxing match. This caught the attention of Sylvester Stallone, who had Mr. T cast as the antagonist Clubber Lang in Rocky III. It was this film that introduced his catchphrase: “I pity the fool!” He appeared again as a boxer in the film Penitentiary 2 and then in a bit on the sketch comedy series Bizarre with Super Dave Osborne (Bob Einstein) before landing a starring role as Sergeant Bosco “B.A.” Baracus on the series The A-Team. The series was a massive hit in its first three years, and Mr. T became the most popular character on it—especially with children.

Animated Mr. T helping out one of his charges, Kim.

            What better way to capitalize on that than with a cartoon centered around Mr. T? Then-network president Brandon Tartikoff ordered one from Ruby-Spears Enterprises. Steve Gerber and Martin Pasko were given the assignment and came up with three different proposals for the network. None of them, however, were selected. Instead, the show became yet another in a long line of Scooby-Doo clones (almost fitting, as Joe Ruby and Ken Spears were the original co-creators of that successful franchise during their tenure at Hanna-Barbera). However, instead of a talking dog, Mr. T would be joined by the youth gymnastics team that he coached. This emulated real life as, before joining the Army, Mr. T had worked as a gym instructor for a government program where he discovered a gift for helping children and continued to do so throughout his life and career. Not only did Mr. T voice himself, but he appeared in live-action segments at the beginning to introduce the story and at the end to deliver a moral lesson to the audience.

Mr. T and his crew (clockwise from top left): Ms. Bisby, Kim, Jeff, Woody, Vince, Robin, Spike, Dozer and Garcia.

            Mr. T and the team would travel around the world to compete. Along the way, they would end up encountering some kind of crime or mystery that they couldn’t help but attempt to solve; such as the wreckage of a ship that doesn’t exist, spies seeking to sabotage the space shuttle program, and even a relative of one of the characters being framed. The team consisted of Robin O’Neill (Amy Linker), the second-in-command eager to jump into situations; Spike O’Neill (Teddy Field III), Robin’s little brother who worshiped Mr. T to the point he dressed and talked like him; Jeff Harris (Shawn Lieber), a wise guy with a big ego; Woody Daniels (Phil LaMarr in his first voice acting role), Jeff’s friendly rival with aspirations of becoming a lawyer; Kim Nakamura (Siu Ming Carson), who possessed a photographic memory; Sky Redfern (Cathy Cavadini in her first voice acting role), a Native American; Garcia Lopez, an aspiring photographer; Vince D’Amato, who wanted to be a movie star; Courtney Howard, who had an ex-con uncle that turned into a magician; and Grant Kline, an ex-gang member Jeff helped reform. Additionally, there was Ms. Priscilla Bisby (Takayo Fischer), their mystery book-loving bus driver, and Bulldozer aka Dozer, Mr. T’s bulldog that shared his taste in hairstyles.

Stranger danger!

        Mister T debuted on NBC on September 17, 1983. Unlike many of the other celebrity-led cartoons at the time, this one proved popular enough to keep going for three seasons. It was featured in the NBC Saturday morning preview specials from 1983-85, which typically aired the Friday night before the debut of the new season the next morning. Mr. T appeared live in 1983’s The Yummy Awards and provided new voiceover for repurposed footage in 1985’s Back to Next Saturday Morning, however a combination of clips from various episodes and an arm stand-in were used to interact with the storyline of 1984’s Laugh Busters. The series was written by Pasko, Gerber, Flint Dille, Mark Jones, Buzz Dixon, Rick Merwin, Michael Maurer, Paul Dini, Matt Uitz, Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser, Kimmer Ringwald, Booker Bradshaw and Janis Diamond, with Ruby, Lesser, Pasko, Ringwald and Dan DiStefano serving as story editors. Characters were designed by Jack Kirby, Kurt Conner, Thom Enriquez, Moe Gollub, Doug Wildey and Duncan Majoribanks. Animation duties were handled by XAM! Productions and Hanho Heung-Up Company, and music was composed by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban under the supervision of Paul DeKorte. Gary Shimikawa directed the live-action segments. Reruns were aired throughout the 80s and early 90s as part of the USA Cartoon Express programming block, and later on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block and sibling network, Boomerang.

            A small merchandising blitz accompanied the series, complimenting the merchandise already featuring Mr. T from The A-Team. One of the most popular pieces was Mr. T Cereal by Quaker Oats; their first licensed ready-to-eat cereal. The T-shaped cereal came with a sticker sheet featuring several of the show’s cast and bus. Grandreams published two comic annuals in the United Kingdom based on the show and Harbor House Publishers several coloring and activity books, while Starland Music adapted several episodes into read-along books with records. A board game was released by Milton Bradley that saw the team having to race to complete three tasks before missing the plane to their next meet. There was even a set of Shrinky Dinks by Colorforms. Various episodes were released to VHS internationally by The Video Collection, and the entire first season was released by Warner Archive to DVD as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classics Collection in 2011. The entire series has yet to see an official release, but could be purchased to stream from Prime Video and Google Play. The episode “Mystery of the Golden Medallions” was included on the compilation DVD Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s Volume 1 in 2010, which was re-released in the collected compilation set in 2018. In 2013, the series was parodied on Saturday Night Live’s TV Funhouse featuring Tracy Morgan as the voice of Mr. T.

Mr. T-Rex from Eek! The Cat.

            In the years during and following the end of Mister T, Mr. T kept himself busy. He appeared on a variety of programs like sitcoms Diff’rent Strokes, Silver Spoons and Blossom, sketch shows like Saturday Night Live, and had another starring role in the Canadian series T and T and the mini-series I Pity the Fool; starred in films like D.C. Cab, The Toughest Man in the World and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs; released a rap mini album called Mr. T’s Commandments; had a short wrestling career with the WWF (now WWE) and WCW; appeared at the 50^th Presidential Inaugural Gala; and was even a widely in-demand pitchman, appearing in commercials for numerous products and companies such as Snickers, Toyota, Burger King, Aaron’s Furniture, World of Warcraft and MCI. Although he never had another Saturday morning show, he would play himself in an episode of Alvin and the Chipmunks and House of Mouse, and a T-Rex version of himself in Eek! The Cat. He was slowed down for a period after being diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in 1995, but gradually made a comeback once it was in remission; referencing it before his waltz with Kym Johnson Herjavec on Dancing with the Stars in 2017.

 

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Mystery of the Golden Medallions” (9/17/83) – Woody tries to adjust to being the new member on the team while they solve the mystery of crooks smashing gold medals around town.

 

“Mystery of the Forbidden Monastery” (9/24/83) – After being invited to a phantom competition, members of the team begin disappearing when they investigate a nearby monastery.

 

“Mystery of the Mind-Thieves” (10/1/83) – The team investigates who robbed the minds of a group of scientists that includes Kim’s father.

 

“Mystery of the Rocky Mountain Express” (10/8/83) – Garcia ends up exposed to a top-secret virus smuggled onto the team’s train by some criminals.

 

“The Hundred-Year-Old Mystery” (10/15/83) – The team wants to set up a gymnastics camp in Mississippi, but a local gang intends to stop them.

 

“The Crossword Mystery” (10/22/83) – Solving a crossword puzzle’s clue leads Ms. Bisby into discovering a word that puts her and two professors into a trance.

 

“The Ninja Mystery” (10/29/83) – Vince is interested in a movie location in New York City not too far from where mysterious ninjas are robbing stores.

 

“Dilemma of the Double-Edged Dagger” (11/5/83) – The team must clear Mr. T’s name when he’s arrested for robbing a museum.

 

“Secret of the Spectral Sister” (11/12/83) – While visiting her family, Robin gets a mysterious call from her thought-dead sister just as burglars break into her bedroom to look for something.

 

“Mystery of the Silver Swan” (11/19/83) – Investigating a classic car leads the team to discover a counterfeit car ring.

 

“Case of the Casino Caper” (11/26/83) – Courtney gets the team in trouble when she attempts to take down a pair of casino robbers on her own.

 

“Fade Out at 50,000 Feet” (12/3/83) – Jeff’s cousin goes missing from an air show while Woody falls for a shady woman named Vanetta.

 

“Riddle of the Runaway Wheels” (12/10/83) – Crooks have their sights set on the Turbo Team’s prize stunt car to help them acquire their own prize.

 

Season 2:

“Mystery in Paradise” (9/15/84) – Despite a loss, the team enjoys their time in Hawaii until a confrontation with pirates tests Courtney’s fear of water.

 

“Mystery of the Black Box” (9/24/84) – After recovering a black box from a downed supersonic jet, the team is being pursued by a group that wants it back.

 

“Mystery of the Panthermen” (9/29/84) – The team investigates an island in San Francisco where people are being frightened away and abducted from.

 

“Mystery of the Ghost Fleet” (10/6/84) – While Mr. T investigates a ship that doesn’t exist, Kim puts herself on a crash diet for an upcoming meet that takes its toll on her.

 

“Mystery of the Ancient Ancestor” (10/13/84) – The team works to get to the bottom of why the family that owns the town they’re in has a grudge with Skye’s family.

 

“Magical Mardi Gras Mystery” (10/20/84) – Everyone suspects Courtney’s criminal-turned-magician uncle when a jazz singer’s diamonds disappear.

 

“Mystery of the Disappearing Oasis” (10/27/84) – Mr. T braves his fear of flying so the team can go with Kim to meet her pen pal, who just happens to end up abducted over her necklace.

 

“Fortune Cookie Caper” (11/3/84) – When a string of arson attacks affects Jeff’s parents’ bookstore, the team investigates.

 

“U.F.O. Mystery” (11/10/84) – Woody’s stubbornness to avoid getting glasses hinders the team and their investigating when their professor friend ends up kidnapped by…aliens?

 

“Mystery of the Stranger” (11/17/84) – The team attempts to rescue Spike after he’s abducted by a married couple.

 

“The Cap Cod Caper” (11/24/84) – When Spike accidentally takes attention away from her victory, Robin attempts to top him and ends up captured by oil smugglers.

 

Season 3:

“They Williamsburg Mystery” (9/14/85) – While restoring an old house, the team get embroiled in a mystery of two colonial soldiers looking for a buried secret diary.

 

“Mission of Mercy” (9/21/85) – The team must recover a cargo ship full of donated goods from a team of mercenaries.

 

“Mystery of the Open Crates” (9/28/85) – Mr. T helps out an old friend keep his youth center out of the hands of drug dealers while Courtney learns a lesson about meeting one’s heroes.

 

“The Playtown Mystery” (10/5/85) – Nobody believes Spike when he tries to point out that two amusement park mascots are acting suspiciously.

 

“The Comeback Mystery” (10/12/85) – The team’s newest member has connections to a gang and are using his past with them to keep him quiet about their activities.

 

“The Cape Kennedy Caper” (10/19/85) – While visiting Cape Canaveral, Robin stumbles upon two spies with plans to blow up the space shuttle in orbit.