| The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The New Saturday Superstar Movie(season 2) |
| Genre | Movie of the week |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 9, 1972 (1972-09-09) – November 17, 1973 (1973-11-17) |
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie — retitledThe New Saturday Superstar Movie for its second season — is a series of one-hour American animated made-for-television films (some of which also contained live action sequences), broadcast on theABCtelevision network onSaturday mornings from September 9, 1972, to November 17, 1973.[1]
Intended as a version of theABC Movie of the Week for kids, this series was produced by several production companies — includingHanna-Barbera,Filmation andRankin/Bass — and mostly contained features based on popular cartoon characters and TV shows of the time, such asYogi Bear,The Brady Bunch andLost in Space.[2] Some of the films served aspilots for new TV series.
The theme music and main titles were composed by Steve Zuckerman.
| No. | Title | Produced by: | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island" | Filmation Paramount Television | September 9, 1972 (1972-09-09) | |
Based on the characters from the 1969-74 TV seriesThe Brady Bunch, this was the pilot film for the 1972-73 animated TV seriesThe Brady Kids. The Brady kids enter a balloon race, but they end up accidentally going to a mysterious island. They meet some strange people there, along with a talkingmyna bird named Marlon with magical powers and twingiant panda brothers named Ping and Pong, and even though they have a fun time with them, they have to find a way to get home. | ||||
| 2 | "Yogi's Ark Lark" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | September 16, 1972 (1972-09-16) | |
In this ecologically-minded film, dozens ofHanna-Barbera animal characters — led byYogi Bear — and a park custodian named Noah Smith travel around the world, and even into outer space, in a flying version ofNoah's Ark in search of "the perfect place" (i.e., a land free of pollution, deforestation and other forms of mankind's despoilment). This is the pilot film for the 1973 animated TV seriesYogi's Gang. | ||||
| 3 | "Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters" | Rankin/Bass Mushi Production | September 23, 1972 (1972-09-23) | |
An animated film in the same vein as the 1967 theatrical filmMad Monster Party. | ||||
| 4 | "Nanny and the Professor" | Fred Calvert Productions 20th Century-Fox Television | September 30, 1972 (1972-09-30) | |
First of two animated films in which the cast of the 1970-71 TV seriesNanny and the Professor get caught up in a mystery involving amicrodot. | ||||
| 5 | "Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter" | Hal Seeger Productions King Features Syndicate | October 7, 1972 (1972-10-07) | |
This film unites a wide range ofnewspapercomic strip characters — includingPopeye,Blondie,Hi and Lois,Snuffy Smith,Beetle Bailey,Jiggs and Maggie,Steve Canyon,The Phantom,Flash Gordon,Mandrake the Magician,The Little King, andThe Katzenjammer Kids — against a common enemy. | ||||
| 6 | "Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid" | Rankin/Bass Topcraft | October 14, 1972 (1972-10-14) | |
This animated film stars the famousSan Francisco Giantsbaseball playerWillie Mays, who voices his own character. A guardian angel named Casey (named after legendary baseball managerCasey Stengel and voiced byPaul Frees) agrees to help Willie win theNational League pennant if he agrees to be the godfather of an orphaned girl named Veronica. | ||||
| 7 | "Oliver and the Artful Dodger Part 1" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | October 21, 1972 (1972-10-21) | |
An animated sequel to the 1838Charles Dickens novelOliver Twist. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow. When Mr. Brownlow dies, his will cannot be found, so his nephew Sniperly tries to just take the money. Oliver has to stop him. Meanwhile, the Artful Dodger now helps children escape from workhouses. | ||||
| 8 | "Oliver and the Artful Dodger Part 2" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | October 28, 1972 (1972-10-28) | |
Continuation; see Part 1 above. | ||||
| 9 | "The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | November 4, 1972 (1972-11-04) | |
A retelling of the legend ofRobin Hood, with a cast of all-anthropomorphic animal characters. Broadcast one year before the release ofDisney's 1973 animated filmRobin Hood. | ||||
| 10 | "Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain" | Filmation | November 11, 1972 (1972-11-11) | |
Based on the tremendously popularLassie character, this was the pilot film for the 1972-73 animated TV seriesLassie's Rescue Rangers. Someone is trying to frighten away the Native American people of Thunder Mountain and Lassie has to get to the bottom of it. | ||||
| 11 | "Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection (a.k.a. The Odd Squad)" | Hanna-Barbera Productions Screen Gems | November 18, 1972 (1972-11-18) | |
| 12 | "The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | November 25, 1972 (1972-11-25) | |
An animated/live-action film starringThe Banana Splits. The Splits give Susie, a little girl, a tour of an amusement park. They follow a balloon that goes into a billboard and they chase after it. In it is a witch that kidnaps Susie and the Splits have to save her. | ||||
| 13 | "Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family" | Hanna-Barbera Productions Screen Gems | December 2, 1972 (1972-12-02) | |
| 14 | "The Red Baron" | Rankin/Bass Topcraft | December 9, 1972 (1972-12-09) | |
This animated film casts theRed Baron as a hero in a world of heroicanthropomorphicdogs and villainous anthropomorphiccats. | ||||
| 15 | "Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies" | Filmation Warner Bros. Television | December 16, 1972 (1972-12-16) | |
In this unusual cartoon crossover film, for which Filmation obtained the rights to use many ofWarner Bros.'Looney Tunes characters, theGroovie Goolies helpDaffy,Porky and the other Looney Tunes to solve a spooky mystery (in the style ofScooby-Doo Where Are You!). Mostly animated, but includes a live-action segment, which can beseen here. | ||||
| 16 | "Luvcast U.S.A." | DePatie–Freleng Enterprises | January 6, 1973 (1973-01-06) | |
A mini-anthology film loosely based on the 1969-74 TV seriesLove, American Style. | ||||
| 17 | "That Girl in Wonderland" | Rankin/Bass Topcraft | January 13, 1973 (1973-01-13) | |
In this animated film, the main character from the 1966-71 TV seriesThat Girl imagines herself in the storiesAlice in Wonderland,Goldilocks and the Three Bears,The Wizard of Oz andCinderella. | ||||
For the second season, the series was retitledThe New Saturday Superstar Movie.
| No. | Title | Produced by: | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | "Lost in Space" | Hanna-Barbera Productions 20th Century-Fox Television | September 8, 1973 (1973-09-08) | |
Based on the 1965-68 TV seriesLost in Space, this was the pilot film for an animated version of the series with mostly different characters, but the series was never made. | ||||
| 19 | "The Mini-Munsters" | Fred Calvert Productions Universal Television | October 27, 1973 (1973-10-27) | |
Animated film based on the 1964-66 TV seriesThe Munsters involving a car that is "fueled" by music. | ||||
| 20 | "Nanny and the Professor and the Phantom of the Circus" | Fred Calvert Productions 20th Century-Fox Television | November 17, 1973 (1973-11-17) | |
Second (and final) of two animated films in which the cast ofNanny and the Professor get involved in a mystery about a travelingcircus. | ||||
Five of the above films have been released onVHSvideocassette:
"Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters", "Yogi's Ark Lark" and "The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island" have been released onDVD, the latter two on the complete series releases forYogi's Gang andThe Brady Kids, respectively.
"The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik" and "Oliver and the Artful Dodger" have been released on DVD as part of a two-disc set titledHanna-Barbera Specials Collection.
"Lost In Space" was included on theLost In Space complete series Blu-ray set.