Space Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Space Academy |
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| Genre | Science fiction |
| Created by | Allen Ducovny |
| Directed by | Various |
| Presented by | Filmation |
| Starring | Jonathan Harris Pamelyn Ferdin Ric Carrott Maggie Cooper Brian Tochi Ty Henderson Eric Greene |
| Composer(s) | "Yvette Blais" and "Jeff Michael" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English and Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer |
| Producer(s) | Arthur H. Nadel |
| Cinematography | Aldric Edens, A.S.C. |
| Editor(s) | Stanley Frazen, F. Timothy McAvoy |
| Running time | 30 minutes (with commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Filmation |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution (on behalf of DreamWorks Classics) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | 1.33:1 (fullscreen) |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 10, 1977 – (as reruns) September 1, 1979 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Jason of Star Command |
Space Academy was a cool live-action sci-fi TV show for kids. It was made by Filmation and first aired on Saturday mornings on the CBS network. The show ran from September 10 to December 17, 1977.
Even after that, reruns were shown until September 1, 1979. There were 15 episodes in total, each about half an hour long.
Contents
Meet the Space Academy Crew
The show featured some great actors! The main star was Jonathan Harris, who many people knew as Dr. Zachary Smith from Lost in Space.
Other main actors included Pamelyn Ferdin, Ric Carrott, Maggie Cooper, Brian Tochi, Ty Henderson, and Eric Greene. There was also a small robot named "Peepo." Peepo was controlled by radio and had a funny voice made with special effects.
Some guest stars appeared too, like Lawrence "Larry" Dobkin and Dena Dietrich.
Life at Space Academy
The story of Space Academy takes place in the year 3732. The academy itself is located on an asteroid in space. It's a special school for the smartest young people from all over the universe. Many students even have unique skills and powers! Their main goal is to explore the mysteries of space.
Key Characters and Their Powers
- Commander Isaac Gampu (played by Jonathan Harris) was the wise head of the academy. He had explored space for so long that his aging process slowed down a lot. Even though he looked like he was in his sixties or seventies, he was actually over 300 years old! This gave him amazing knowledge and made him a perfect teacher. He led three student teams: Red, Blue, and Gold. The main characters were all part of the Blue Team.
- Chris Gentry (Ric Carrott) and Laura Gentry (Pamelyn Ferdin) were brother and sister. Chris was the captain of the Blue Team, and Laura was the co-captain. They both had strong telekinetic (mind-moving) and other psychic powers. Laura was interested in Matt Prentiss, who was the leader of the Red Team.
- Adrian Pryce-Jones (Maggie Cooper) was the third in command on the Blue Team. She was also Chris's friend.
- Paul Jerome (Ty Henderson) was a very smart student who joined the Blue Team from the Red Team. He grew up on an Earth colony. He was the fourth in command of the Blue Team.
- Tee Gar Soom (Brian Tochi) was the fifth in command of the Blue Team. He had superhuman physical strength and was skilled in martial arts. He also studied medicine and often helped other students who were sick.
- Loki (Eric Greene) was a young orphan found on a dying planet called Zalon in the first episode. Loki was a playful kid who could teleport (move instantly from one place to another). He could also see things beyond what normal human eyes can see. His favorite saying was "Camelopardus!"
Lessons from Space
Just like many kids' TV shows in the 1970s, Space Academy taught important lessons in each episode. For example, it showed that even superpowers couldn't solve every problem. It also taught that even wise old people could make mistakes. As the students met different alien races, they learned to understand and respect the diversity of life in the universe.
The spaceships used in the show were called "Seekers." They were like space buses or vans. A part of the Seeker's front was actually a prop used before in another show called Ark II.
One special word used in the show was "ORACO." It meant "Orders Received And Carried Out," and the academy staff would say it to confirm they understood their instructions.
Space Academy Adventures (Episodes)
Here are some of the exciting missions and challenges the Space Academy students faced:
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "The Survivors of Zalon" | September 10, 1977 | |
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The cadets find a mysterious young boy with strange powers on a planet that's about to explode.
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| 2 | "Castaways in Time and Space" | September 17, 1977 | |
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Commander Gampu and Laura get pulled into a black hole! Chris must use his mind powers to try and save them.
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| 3 | "Hide and Seek" | September 24, 1977 | |
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After a missile destroys an asteroid, members of the Blue Team start to disappear. Loki, Laura, and Peepo try to rescue their friends.
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| 4 | "Countdown" | October 1, 1977 | |
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The cadets clean up space junk from old wars. A dangerous mine attaches to their ship, and an alien warrior wakes up, ready to fight!
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| 5 | "There's No Place Like Home" | October 8, 1977 | |
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An alien tricks Loki, promising him information about his home planet if he helps steal a file. Loki has to make a tough choice.
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| 6 | "The Rocks of Janus" | October 15, 1977 | |
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Two comets are heading for the Academy. The Blue Team finds out one comet is a living being trying to warn them about the other, dangerous comet.
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| 7 | "Monkey Business" | October 22, 1977 | |
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Adrian trains a chimpanzee named Jake. When a space mirror breaks, Chris, Loki, and Jake must go on a risky rescue mission.
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| 8 | "The Phantom Planet" | October 29, 1977 | |
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A mining asteroid is about to be destroyed. A ghost planet appears, leading the Blue Team to talk to a spirit and perform a dangerous rescue.
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| 9 | "Planet of Fire" | November 5, 1977 | |
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Tee Gar invents a freezing device. He tests it on a planet, but a giant gains control of it and freezes Peepo! Can the team save their robot friend?
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| 10 | "Life Begins at 300" | November 12, 1977 | |
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Gampu makes a mistake on a mission, putting Paul in danger and shutting down Peepo. Is Gampu too old to lead?
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| 11 | "The Cheat" | November 19, 1977 | |
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Cadet Matt Prentiss leads a mission despite safety concerns. His actions put the Blue Team in great danger.
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| 12 | "My Favorite Marcia" | November 26, 1977 | |
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A star is about to explode. The Academy gets a distress call from a ship run by Marcia, Gampu's old love. A rogue robot traps them all.
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| 13 | "Space Hooky" | December 3, 1977 | |
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Loki skips class, and his body is taken over by two alien energy beings. They then take over Paul and Gampu, causing chaos at the Academy!
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| 14 | "Star Legend" | December 10, 1977 | |
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Paul and Chris get trapped in the Alderan Triangle. They find an old starship, a copy of Space Academy, with a captain who has a warning.
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| 15 | "Johnny Sunseed" | December 17, 1977 | |
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Gampu's brother visits the Academy. Many crew members eat genetically altered food that causes strange behavior and hallucinations.
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More Space Adventures
In 1978, a new show called Jason of Star Command came out. It was a spin-off of Space Academy. This new show used the same sets, costumes, and special effects as Space Academy. Star Command was described as a special part of the Space Academy.
Space Academy Toys
In 1977, the Aviva Toy Company made action figures based on the Space Academy characters. These figures were about eight-and-a-half inches tall.
The set included figures of:
- Issac [sic] Gampu (the "Instructor")
- Tee Gar Soom ("Almost Super Human Strength")
- Chris Gentry ("Member of Space Academy")
- Loki ("Everybody's Mascot")
You could also buy special "adventure outfits" for the figures separately!
Images for kids
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Http://www.70slivekidvid.com/space/gampuaf.jpg
Commander Gampu action figure
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Http://www.70slivekidvid.com/space/teegaraf.jpg
Tee Gar Soom action figure
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Http://www.70slivekidvid.com/space/chrisgaf.jpg
Chris Gentry action figure
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Http://www.70slivekidvid.com/space/lokiaf.jpg
Loki action figure
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Http://www.70slivekidvid.com/space/advout4.jpg
Space Academy adventure outfits
