Do you remember watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid? If not, you might be too young to read this blog post! For those who do remember, you probably enjoyed a variety of fun cartoon shows like “Scooby-Doo,” “Super Friends,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “The Smurfs,” and “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” In addition to these animated classics, there were also fantastic live-action shows like “Land of the Lost,” “Shazam!” and “The Lost Saucer” that delighted us week after week.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “Saturday morning cartoons” refers to the original animated series and live-action programming that aired on Saturday and Sunday mornings on the "Big Three" television networks (NBC, ABC, and CBS). Kids from the 1960s until the 1990s watched these shows religiously, long before cable TV introduced all the dedicated children's networks like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.
To celebrate my recent conversation with “Shazam!” star Michael Gray, I’ve put together this entertaining blog post highlighting some of my favorite live-action Saturday morning shows from my childhood. If you haven’t seen any of them, you missed out on some fun, wacky, colorful, action-packed programs that brought hours of enjoyment to kids across the country every Saturday morning for years!
H.R. PUFNSTUF (1969 - 1970)
Created by Sid and Marty Krofft, "H.R. Pufnstuf" was the first independent live-action program featuring life-sized puppets, which aired on NBC. Although it lasted for only one season, the show was successful enough to remain on the network's schedule as reruns from 1969 to 1978, enchanting kids for years.
The series centered around a shipwrecked boy named Jimmy, played by teenage actor Jack Wild. Jimmy, along with a talking flute named Freddy, takes a ride on a mysterious boat. This boat, however, is owned by a wicked witch named Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo, portrayed by Billie Hayes. Witchiepoo uses the boat to lure Jimmy and Freddy to her castle on Living Island, where she intends to imprison Jimmy and steal Freddy for her own nefarious purposes.
The Mayor of Living Island is a friendly and helpful anthropomorphic dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf, performed by Roberto Gamonet and voiced by the show's writer, Lennie Weinrib. Weinrib also provided the voices for many other characters. H.R. Pufnstuf rescues Jimmy and protects him from Witchiepoo, as his cave is the only place where her magic does not work.
Everything on Living Island was alive, including houses, boats, clocks, candles, and more. Virtually any part of the island's sets could become a character, often voiced in a parody of famous film stars such as Mae West, Edward G. Robinson, or John Wayne.
FUN FACT - Only two actresses auditioned to play Witchiepoo. The first was then-unknown Penny Marshall (“Laverne & Shirley”). Stage veteran Billie Hayes came in next, set into a maniacal cackle and hopped up on a desk. She was given the part on the spot.
THE BUGALOOS (1970 to 1972)
Produced by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft, the series aired on NBC for one season and had reruns that were shown in daily syndication from 1978 to 1985.
The show is set in the fantasy world of Tranquility Forest. The main characters are teenage musicians who have formed a pop band called the Bugaloos. Although they are mostly human, they also have antennae and actual wings. Throughout the series, they face constant challenges from the talentless villain Benita Bizarre, portrayed by comedian Martha Raye
FUN FACT - Raye also appeared the same year in the H.R. Pufnstuf movie as the Boss Witch, which led to her getting the role of Benita.
LIDVILLE (1971 - 1973)
This show was created by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft and was their third series, following “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “The Bugaloos.” Like its predecessors, “Lidville” only ran for one season, with reruns airing the following year.
The show centered around a teenage boy named Mark, portrayed by Butch Patrick, who is known for playing Eddie Munster in the original TV series “The Munsters.” Mark falls into the top hat of Merlo the Magician, played by Charles Nelson Reilly, after attending Merlo's show at Six Flags Over Texas. Inside the hat, he arrives in Lidsville, a fantastical land populated by living hats, each characterized by the traits of the humans who typically wear them. For instance, a cowboy hat would act and speak like a cowboy. The characters' homes were also shaped like hats.
The villain of the show is magician Horatio J. HooDoo, also portrayed by Reilly. HooDoo is vain, short-tempered, and somewhat naive. He flies around in his Hatamaran, zapping the good citizens of Lidsville with bolts of magic and instilling fear as he demands payment of the Hat Tax. Mark is suspected of being a spy against HooDoo and is briefly captured, but he manages to escape alongside a genie named Weenie, played by Billie Hayes. Throughout the series, Mark helps the good hats resist HooDoo as he attempts to find a way back home.
FUN FACT - The role of Weenie the Genie was originally slated to be played by pint-sized actor Billy Barty. As production neared, Barty became ill and was unable to appear, so the creators asked Billie Hayes to take the part.
LAND OF THE LOST (1974 - 1976)
This popular ABC series from the 1970s was created (though uncredited) by David Gerrold and produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, who co-developed the show with Allan Foshko. It is a live-action series that features stop-motion animated dinosaurs and has since become an American cult classic. Krofft Productions remade the series in 1991 and adapted it into a feature film, which was directed by Brad Silberling and starred comedian Will Ferrell in 2009.
The series follows the adventures of the Marshall family, consisting of father Rick and his children, Will and Holly. They become trapped in an alternate universe or time warp that is inhabited by dinosaurs, a primate-like species called Pakuni (one of whom, named Cha-Ka, they befriend), and aggressive humanoid/lizard creatures known as Sleestak, which are described as resembling insects. Each episode focuses on the family's efforts to survive and find a way back to their own world, while also exploring the exotic inhabitants of the Land of the Lost.
FUN FACT - Star Wesley Eure performed the opening and closing theme songs, plus the revised number for the third season.
ELECTRA WOMAN AND DYNA GIRL (1976)
Created by Sid and Marty Krofft, the series consisted of 16 episodes in a single season as part of the umbrella series “The Krofft Supershow.” The show followed the crime-fighting adventures of caped superhero Electra Woman, portrayed by Deidre Hall, and her teenage sidekick, Dyna Girl, played by Judy Strangis. In their everyday lives, they worked as reporters for Newsmaker Magazine, and their last names were never revealed—only their first names: Lori and Judy, respectively.
In each episode, the duo would don brightly colored spandex costumes in a dazzling transformation known as an "Electra-Change." They would then jump into the "ElectraCar" and use a range of advanced gadgets to defeat a diverse array of supervillains.
FUN FACT- Dyna "Girl" Judy Strangis is only two years and 53 days younger than Electra "Woman" Deidra Hall.
SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS (1973 - 1975)
Produced by Sid and Marty Krofft, the show centered on two brothers named Johnny and Scott Stuart, portrayed by Johnny Whitaker and Scott Kolden. While playing on the beach near Dead Man's Point, they discover a friendly young sea monster named Sigmund, performed by Billy Barty and voiced by Walker Edmiston. Sigmund had been expelled from his comically dysfunctional undersea family for refusing to frighten people. The boys decide to hide Sigmund in their clubhouse.
Throughout the show, the brothers work to conceal Sigmund from various humans, including their overbearing housekeeper, Zelda, played by the talented character actress Mary Wickes, their elderly neighbor, Miss Eddels, portrayed by Margaret Hamilton (famous for her role as "The Wicked Witch of the West" in "The Wizard of Oz"), and Sheriff Chuck Bevans, played by Joe Higgins.
FUN FACT - Early into the start of the second season, a light fell from the rafters onto the styrofoam cave, igniting a fire which decimated two soundstages at Samuel Goldwyn Studios. The production was delayed for 5 weeks as they recreated the sets at General Service Studios, which resulted in only 12 episodes being shot instead of the 15 that the network had contracted.
SHAZAM! (1974-1976)
Produced by Filmation, this series was the studio's first non-animated production and was based on the superhero Captain Marvel, now known as Shazam, from Fawcett Comics' comic book series Whiz Comics, which is now owned by DC Comics. The show starred Michael Gray as Billy Batson, a teenage boy who can transform into the superhero Captain Marvel—originally portrayed by Jackson Bostwick and later by John Davey—by saying the magic word "Shazam!" Accompanied by his guardian, known simply as "Mentor" (played by Les Tremayne), Billy travels across the country in a 1973 Dodge Open Road motorhome, seeking out injustices to right.
The series aired from 1974 to 1976 as part of CBS's Saturday morning lineup. From 1975 to 1977, it was titled “The Shazam!/Isis Hour,” which also featured “The Secrets of Isis.”
On October 23, 2012, Warner Bros. released Shazam!—The Complete Series on DVD via the Warner Archive burn-on-demand service
FUN FACT - Actor Jackson Bostwick was fired two episodes into Season 2 and replaced with John Davey. Bostwick had been injured during filming, got medical treatment, and was advised to stay home for a few days to recuperate. Producers accused him of holding out for a higher salary. Bostwick successfully sued Filmation, which was forced to pay his full salary for the entire series, including all of its reruns, on CBS.
THE SECRETS OF ISIS (1975 - 1976)
Originally broadcast under the title "Isis," this superhero series was produced by Filmation from 1975 to 1976 as part of CBS's Saturday morning lineup. The series was later renamed "The Secrets of Isis" during syndication.
This was the first weekly American live-action television series featuring a female superhero as the lead character, debuting on September 6, 1975. It predates the weekly launches of both "The Bionic Woman" (January 14, 1976) and "Wonder Woman" (April 21, 1976). In the series, Isis, portrayed by Joanna Cameron, is the alter ego of Andrea Thomas, a seemingly ordinary schoolteacher who transforms into the Egyptian goddess when faced with challenges that a mere mortal cannot overcome. Whenever Isis is needed, Andrea reveals the Isiac amulet, which she wears as an everyday necklace, and recites the incantation "Oh mighty Isis," transforming herself into the goddess and superheroine.
The series also starred Brian Cutler as Rick Mason, a fellow teacher and potential love interest for Andrea; Joanna Pang as student Cindy Lee; and Albert Reed, best known for his recurring role as Alderman Fred C. Davis on "Good Times," as Dr. Barnes, the school principal.
Three episodes of the series featured crossover appearances by Captain Marvel, from the show's companion series, "Shazam!" Additionally, the character also appeared in three episodes of "Shazam!"
FUN FACT - According to executive producer Lou Scheimer, the series was created because Filmation wanted a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. They wanted to own the character outright, rather than paying National Periodicals to license Mary Marvel.
PEE-WEE’S PLAYHOUSE (1986 - 1990)
Starring Paul Reubens as the childlike Pee-wee Herman, the show aired on Saturday mornings on CBS and continued in reruns until July 1991. It was developed from Reubens's popular stage show and the HBO special The Pee-wee Herman Show, which shared a similar style but featured more adult humor. The series introduced several characters who would later appear in the Playhouse, including Captain Carl, Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, Pterri the Pterodactyl, and Clocky.
Playhouse was designed to be both educational and entertaining, offering an artistic experience for children. Its conception was heavily influenced by the 1950s shows Reubens had watched during his childhood. The show quickly gained a dual audience of children and adults. Reubens aimed to make Pee-wee a positive role model, creating a show that emphasized moral lessons and the ethics of reciprocity. He believed children enjoyed the Playhouse because it was fast-paced, colorful, and respectful of their intelligence, while parents appreciated it for its nostalgic elements.
FUN FACT - The theme song was sung by Cyndi Lauper (doing an impression of Betty Boop), but is listed in the credits by a stage name, Ellen Shaw.
MIGHTY MORPHIN’ POWER RANGERS (1993 - 1995)
This superhero drama serves as the first, second, and third installments of the long-running Power Rangers franchise. It is based on the 16th installment of the Japanese Super Sentai series, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. The show aired for three seasons on Fox Kids from 1993 to 1996.
The story follows a group of five "teenagers with attitude" who form the first team of Power Rangers on Earth. They are mentored by Zordon and his robotic assistant, Alpha 5, as they battle the evil witch Rita Repulsa and her minions. Rita and her minions were accidentally released from their confinement on the moon, where Zordon had previously defeated them 10,000 years before the events of the series.
FUN FACT - Due to the popularity of the first season, the second season premiere was shown in prime time, a very unusual move for a show for children.
Show information and fun facts are taken from IMDB & Wikipedia.
Don't miss the chance to listen to my fun podcast interview with the star of the Saturday morning live action series “Shazam!” Michael Gray on the two latest episodes of my podcast HOLLYWOOD OBSESSED! Click the links below to listen now!
Episode 93 - HERE
Episode 94 - HERE