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Emergency +4 facts for kids

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Emergency +4
Genre adventure cartoon
Created by Harold Jack Bloom
R. A. Cinader
(live-action basis program)
Developed by Fred Calvert Productions
Presented by Fred Calvert Productions
Voices of Randolph Mantooth
Kevin Tighe
Theme music composer Sound Track Music Company
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 23
Production
Producer(s) Fred Calvert
Running time 30 min.
Production company(s) Fred Calvert Productions
Mark VII Limited
Universal Television
Distributor MCA TV
Release
Original network NBC
Original release September 8, 1973 (1973-09-08) – November 30, 1974 (1974-11-30)
Chronology
Related shows Emergency!

Emergency +4 was a cool American cartoon show that aired from 1973 to 1974. It was based on a popular live-action TV series called Emergency!.

This cartoon followed the exciting adventures of two young firefighter-paramedics, John Roderick "Johnny" Gage and Roy DeSoto. The original actors from the live-action show, Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, even did their voices for the cartoon characters!

The "plus four" in the title referred to four young people who joined the paramedics. Their names were Carol, Matt, Jason, and Randy. They also had some fun animal friends: Flash the dog, Charlemayne the myna bird, and Bananas the monkey.

When the Show Aired

The series started on NBC's Saturday morning schedule. The very first episode aired on September 8, 1973.

The show had 23 episodes in total, spread across two seasons. Each episode was about 30 minutes long. The final new episode was shown on November 30, 1974. Even after that, the show continued to air reruns on NBC until September 4, 1976.

Who Voiced the Characters

The main characters, John Gage and Roy DeSoto, were voiced by the same actors who played them in the live-action Emergency! show. These were Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe.

How the Show Worked

Every episode of Emergency +4 was an adventure. It focused on the Paramedical Rescue Service. The four kids who joined the paramedics helped out in all the rescue missions.

Making the Cartoon

Universal Studios was involved in making the show. They hired a company called Fred Calvert Productions to create the animation. This was because Universal didn't have its own animation studio at the time.

Meet the Voice Cast

Here are some of the talented actors who lent their voices to the characters in Emergency +4:

  • Randolph Mantooth as John Gage
  • Kevin Tighe as Roy DeSoto
  • Donald Fullilove as Jason Phillips
  • Peter Haas as Randy Alrich
  • Sarah Kennedy as Sally and Carol Harper
  • David Jolliffe as Matthew Harper
  • Richard Paul (in 12 episodes during 1974)

Episode Guide

Season 1 (1973)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1 1 "Desert Storm" Fred Calvert Unknown 8 September 1973 (8 September 1973)
2 2 "Danger at Fantasy Park" Fred Calvert Unknown 15 September 1973 (15 September 1973)
3 3 "The Circus Story" Fred Calvert Unknown 22 September 1973 (22 September 1973)
4 4 "Sunken Plane" Fred Calvert Unknown 29 September 1973 (29 September 1973)
5 5 "River of Peril" Fred Calvert Unknown 6 October 1973 (6 October 1973)
6 6 "Fire at Sea" Fred Calvert Unknown 13 October 1973 (13 October 1973)
7 7 "Tsunami" Fred Calvert Unknown 20 October 1973 (20 October 1973)
8 8 "Brushfire" Fred Calvert Unknown 27 October 1973 (27 October 1973)
9 9 "Oil's Well" Fred Calvert Unknown 3 November 1973 (3 November 1973)
10 10 "Winter Nightmare" Fred Calvert Unknown 10 November 1973 (10 November 1973)
11 11 "Cry Wolf" Fred Calvert Unknown 17 November 1973 (17 November 1973)

Season 2 (1974)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
12 1 "Bicycle Thieves" Fred Calvert John Bates 14 September 1974 (14 September 1974)
13 2 "S.O.S. Help Us!" Fred Calvert Robert and Charlene Bralver 21 September 1974 (21 September 1974)
14 3 "King of the Mountain" Fred Calvert Unknown 28 September 1974 (28 September 1974)
15 4 "Stuntman" Fred Calvert David and Susan Dworski 5 October 1974 (5 October 1974)
16 5 "Odyssey I" Fred Calvert Unknown 12 October 1974 (12 October 1974)
17 6 "Odyssey II" Fred Calvert Unknown 19 October 1974 (19 October 1974)
18 7 "Out of the Blue" Fred Calvert Don Goodman 26 October 1974 (26 October 1974)
19 8 "Afterburner" Fred Calvert Janus McBride 2 November 1974 (2 November 1974)
20 9 "Wheels of Fire" Fred Calvert John Bates 9 November 1974 (9 November 1974)
21 10 "Ghost of Billy Silver" Fred Calvert John Bates 16 November 1974 (16 November 1974)
22 11 "The Old Crox" Fred Calvert John Bates 23 November 1974 (23 November 1974)
23 12 "Blast Off" Fred Calvert John Bates 30 November 1974 (30 November 1974)

Show Creators

The cartoon was created by Harold Jack Bloom and Robert A. Cinader. Fred Calvert was the producer and director for both seasons.

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