Commercials from Where The Action Is airing Saturdays in 1967.
9:00 Frankenstein Jr. and
the Impossibles / CBS
Held over from last year. 'The Impossibles were a traveling rock
band that transformed into the most useless heroes ever - like
a guy who could turn into water.
9:30 Herculoids / CBS
(debut)
Also from Hanna-Barbera, a classic
example of style over substance. Incredible Alex Toth character
and space ship designs are all that's needed.
Weird creatures named Zok, Igoo, Tundro, Gloop and Gleep protect
their peaceful planet from villians with names like Maggon, Zartan,
Amaak, Darkon, Queen Skorra, Vipon and the Gladiators of Kyanite.
Ran for two years.
10:00 Shazzan! / CBS
(debut)
Another half-hour of Hanna-Barbera's idea of science-fiction.
Shazzan (no relation to Shazam) was a genie that befriended Chuck
and Nancy, transporting them back to ancient times to frolic with
their camel Kaboobie.
Not to be confused with Shazam!
which came a few years later on CBS.
10:30 Space Ghost / CBS
Now you're into two solid hours of H/B sci-fi nonsense, and kids
couldn't get enough. This was the highest-rated program on Saturday
mornings in 1967.
Space Ghost was originally voiced
by Gary Owens of 'Laugh-in' Fame. The adventures of Dino Boy were
a part of this half-hour, very similar in nature to Mighty Mightor
which followed.
Space Ghost and the preceeding shows
were combined into the syndicated 'Hanna-Barbera's World of Super
Adventure' in the Eighties.
11:00
Moby Dick and
the Mighty Mightor / CBS
(debut)
Still more H/B silliness. Two kids
ride with the friendly white whale Moby
Dick into underwater adventures.
Meanwhile, caveboy Tor becomes The
Mighty Mightor to fend off ferocious prehistoric creatures
like the Ice Creatures, the Stonemen, the Fire People, the Serpent
Queen and the like.
Like Space Ghost, this was another Alex Toth designed series.
11:30
The Superman, Aquaman
Hour of Adventure / CBS
(debut)
Aquaman
adventures join Superman to fill out an hour of cartoon segments.
Made up mostly of reruns from
last season (eight new Superman episodes were filmed). Typical plot: A monkey returns from an experimental space flight
to battle Superman with kryptonite vision.
Superboy was featured in separate
adventures, as were The Flash, Teen Titans, Green Lantern, Justice
League, and other DC Comics heroes.
12:30
Jonny Quest / CBS
(debut)
More fully animated (and fully written)
than anything that followed from the Hanna-Barbera studio, truly
the cartoon studio's shining moment.
Originally ran for one year (1964)
in primetime, this was the first of five years on Saturday mornings.
CBS continued programming with 'The Lone Ranger' reruns at 1:00
and 'Road Runner' at 1:30.
Order now on DVD!
Tom
and Jerry aired on CBS Sundays
at 9-9:30 am from 1967 - 1972.
9:00 Super 6 / NBC
Second year for Elevator Man, Super
Stretch, Magneto Man, and Granite Man - the represent Super Services
Inc, heroes for hire.
They seemeded to give most of these
superhero concepts a minimum of thought. Look across the hall,
there's the elevator - we'll create a character called Elevator
Man!
Also seen: Super Bwoin (a character
that played guitar) and The Brothers Matzoriley. This
season was a collection of reruns from the last year.
9:30 Super President / NBC
(debut)
Able to leap tall interns in a single
bound.
James Norcross, aka Super President,
had powers born in a cosmic storm. He could turn to steel, granite
or whatever else he needed.
Also seen: Spy Shadow, a private
detective who could turn into his shadow.
Paul Frees voiced Super President
and Ted Cassidy ('The Munsters') was Spy Shadow.
A boy and his dog can transform
themselves into Samson and his lion Goliath. Last season's Space
Kidettes are seen in separate segments.
11:00
Birdman / NBC
(debut)
H/B cartoon about a superguy who gets his powers from the Egyptian
Sun God. He battles villians like Reducto and Shado, Dr. Freezoid,
the Chameleon, Spyro, Prof. Nightshade, The Empress of Evil, the
Ant-Ape, and Shado the Brain Theif. Also features Birdboy.
Because of the superhero craze that the networks were perplexed by, this series was originally conceived - and announced - as a prime-time
entry for NBC in 1967 but was moved to Saturdays instead.
The net cancelled Birdman and the Galaxy Trio on Saturday mornings in
1968 in spite of good ratings - they had to cut down on the Saturday
morning violence to appease parent groups.
The second feature was The Galaxy Trio - Vapor
Man, Meteor Man and Gravity Girl.
11:30
Atom Ant / Secret Squirrel
NBC
These characters were a bit tired,
so they combined the reruns into one half hour.
"Up and at 'em, Atom Ant!"
12:00
Top Cat / NBC
(debut)
Originally ran in primetime, a rip-off (or spin-off?) of Phil
Silvers' 'Sargeant Bilko' series. Bilko regular Maurice Gosfield
(Doberman) is the voice of one of Top Cat's stooges, Benny the
Ball. The great Arnold Stang
(shown) was the voice of Top Cat.
(Sorry about the Casper tirade in
the '66 listings.)
"Re:
the circimstances of CASPER's death: The recent movie notwithstanding,
in the '60s and '70s, the standard answer Harvey Comics offered
to this oft-asked question was that Casper's Mother and Father
were ghosts when they married. Naturally their son would be a
ghost too. This answer helped a number of anxious youngsters sleep
easier (unless, of course, it occurred to them to ask how Casper's
PARENTS died...)
"AND
while we're on this macabre subject, in the '70s, Marvel Comics
published CRAZY Magazine, at first glance, an obvious MAD ripoff,
but occasionally given to dark and offensive humor that more closely
resembled NATIONAL LAMPOON. I bring this up because they presented
their own rather colorful answer to the question of Casper's death
in a parody called "Kaspar the Dead Baby"! Apparently, Kaspar
has no hair or ears because his abusive father CUT THEM OFF before
stabbing the tyke to death in a drunken fury.
Excellent H/B adaptation of the Stan
Lee / Jack Kirby Marvel comic.
The stories on the cartoon follow
the comic books closely, so the scripts are quite a bit better
than standard Saturday fare, even if they are truncated to fit
three in a show.
The characters were re-designed
by Alex Toth - Jack Kirby's style would have been too difficult
to animate, perhaps.
First
of two seasons, another Marvel comic character - not as well realized
in animation as the Fantastic Four but with a much better theme
song. Most of the stories are based on the comic book adventures
of Spiderman.
40 fifteen minute segments were produced this season. The first
episode: The Power Of Dr. Octopus.
One of the most famous theme songs in TV history.
10:30
Journey to the
Center of the Earth / ABC
(debut)
From the Filmation Studio, the people who bring us the Superman/Aquaman
hour. Based on the Jules Verne novel, obviously - lasts only one
season.
11:00 King Kong / ABC
Last Season for the King and his young friends led by kindly Professor
Bond.
11:30 George of the Jungle / ABC
(debut)
Brilliant cartoon from Jay Ward and Bill Scott, the folks who
brought you Bullwinkle. Super Chicken and Tom Slick are also on
hand.
12:00 The New Beatles / ABC
Third year for the Fab Four in
animated form - despite the 'New' title this season consisted
solely of reruns. Ratings were poor and the show was moved to
Sundays in 1968.
Produced by Al Brodax for King Features in New
York.
12:30 American
Bandstand / ABC
(debut)
Jumps in and out of the 12:30 & 1:00 slot from season to season.
One of the longest running network shows ever. Starring Dick Clark,
aka the "world's oldest teenager".
Guests this season included: Merrilee
Rush, The Vogues, American Breed, Albert King, Mother Hubbard.
Dick Clark produced another ABC show at 1:30 beginning mid-season
called 'Happening '68' starring Paul Revere, Mark Lindsay and
the Raiders as hosts (they also hosted the Dick Clark produced
daytime show Where The Action
Is, 1965-67).
Musical and comedy guests were featured including Stevie Wonder,
Bob Crane, Jonathan Harris ('Lost in Space'), Don Adams, and Sal
Mineo, Bobby Vee and Jon Provost, Christopher George, Stephen
Young and others judged the weekly battle of the bands.
The show popular musical treat went to six days a week in the summer of 1968.
Saturday Mornings 1974 Adaptations of former primetime shows are all the rage on Saturdays now.
Saturday Mornings 1975 Far Out Space Nuts, Shazam and Ark II are just a few of the action, sitcom and musical variety shows this season.
Saturday Mornings 1976 Krofft Super Show, and Ark II are just a 2 of the many action, sitcom and musical variety shows this season.
Saturday Mornings 1977 The most unsuccessful Saturday morning line up of the decade - flops everywhere as the networks lost track of what kids wanted to watch.
Saturday Mornings 1974 Adaptations of former primetime shows are all the rage on Saturdays now.
Saturday Mornings 1975 Far Out Space Nuts, Shazam and Ark II are just a few of the action, sitcom and musical variety shows this season.
Saturday Mornings 1976 Krofft Super Show, and Ark II are just a 2 of the many action, sitcom and musical variety shows this season.
Saturday Mornings 1977 The most unsuccessful Saturday morning line up of the decade - flops everywhere as the networks lost track of what kids wanted to watch.
1966
was the year network Saturday morning programming really kicked into gear.
Popular
in syndication - Batfink, a parody of Batman from Hal Seegar
and Terrytoons. 
Meanwhile, caveboy Tor becomes 
The second feature was The Galaxy Trio - Vapor
Man, Meteor Man and Gravity Girl. 
