Dr. Shrinker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dr. Shrinker |
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| Starring | Jay Robinson Billy Barty Ted Eccles Susan Lawrence Jeff MacKay |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Sid and Marty Krofft |
| Running time | 0:15 (per episode) |
| Production company(s) | Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 11, 1976 – September 2, 1977 |
Dr. Shrinker was a fun and exciting part of The Krofft Supershow, a TV show from 1976. It was a short segment, only about 15 minutes long per episode. The show was created by the famous TV producers Sid and Marty Krofft.
Contents
The Story of Dr. Shrinker
This part of The Krofft Supershow was all about a very unusual scientist. His name was Dr. Shrinker, and he was played by Jay Robinson. Dr. Shrinker had invented an amazing shrinking ray. This ray could make anything tiny!
How the Adventure Began
The story starts when three teenagers, Brad Fulton (Ted Eccles), B.J. Masterson (Susan Lawrence), and her brother Gordie Masterson (Jeff MacKay), crash-land their airplane. They land on a mysterious island. As they explore, they find the only house on the island.
Inside, they meet Dr. Shrinker and his assistant, Hugo (Billy Barty). To show off his new invention, Dr. Shrinker uses his ray on the teens. Suddenly, Brad, B.J., and Gordie shrink down to only six inches tall!
The Shrinkies' Challenge
For the rest of the series, these three "Shrinkies" try to find a way to become normal size again. But it's not easy! Dr. Shrinker and Hugo are always trying to catch them. Dr. Shrinker wants to prove his ray works. He hopes to sell it to a powerful buyer. He even plans to give the tiny teens as a bonus!
The show was a bit like the 1940 movie Dr. Cyclops. In that film, a scientist also uses a ray to shrink people.
Show's Run and Legacy
Dr. Shrinker was part of The Krofft Supershow for one season. It ran from 1976 to 1977. After that, it was replaced by other segments. You can find one episode, "Slowly I Turn," on a special DVD box set.
Meet the Cast
Here are the main actors and the characters they played in Dr. Shrinker:
- Jay Robinson as Dr. Shrinker, the mad scientist with the shrinking ray.
- Billy Barty as Hugo, Dr. Shrinker's helpful (and sometimes clumsy) assistant.
- Ted Eccles as Brad Fulton, one of the shrunk teenagers.
- Susan Lawrence as B.J. Masterson, another shrunk teenager.
- Jeff MacKay as Gordie Masterson, B.J.'s brother and the third shrunk teen.
Episodes Overview
Dr. Shrinker had 16 episodes in total. Each episode showed the Shrinkies trying to escape or find a way to grow back to normal. Meanwhile, Dr. Shrinker and Hugo were always trying new ways to catch them. The episodes were filled with adventures and close calls for the tiny heroes.
