Space Stars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Space Stars |
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Title card
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| Genre | |
| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Narrated by | Keene Curtis |
| Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
| Composer(s) | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 11 (66 segments) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Distributor | Taft Broadcasting |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 12, 1981 – September 11, 1982 |
Space Stars was an exciting 60-minute Saturday morning cartoon show from Hanna-Barbera Productions. It aired on NBC from September 1981 to September 1982. The show was like a big space adventure, bringing together different heroes from across the galaxy.
Each week, Space Stars featured five different cartoon stories:
- Space Ghost (two 6-minute parts)
- The Herculoids (one 10-minute part)
- Teen Force (one 7-minute part)
- Astro and the Space Mutts (one 7-minute part)
- Space Stars Finale (one 7-minute part)
Sometimes, characters from one cartoon would even appear in another! Space Ghost and The Herculoids were older shows from the 1960s, but Teen Force and Astro and the Space Mutts were brand new. You might recognize Astro as the family dog from The Jetsons!
Contents
What the Narrator Said
The show started with an exciting message from Michael Rye. He told viewers what to expect:
Space Stars! A galaxy of heroes teamed together in an interstellar battle against evil! Blast off on adventures as big as the cosmos itself! Race, poised on the edge of time, with Space Ghost and his young friends! Streak through the universe with Space Ace, Astro and the Space Mutts as they spring into action! And somewhere deep in space, super-danger threatens the Teen Force! Join the famed Herculoids in their new battles to preserve peace on the planet Quasar! Now...get set for 60 laser-blasting minutes of action, adventure, fun...on Space Stars!
Who Voiced the Characters?
Many talented actors gave voices to the heroes and villains in Space Stars. Here are some of them:
- Michael Bell – Space Ace, Mario Magnetti, the Scavenger
- Keene Curtis – Narrator
- Virginia Gregg – Tara
- Darryl Hickman – Kid Comet
- Allan Lurie – Uglor
- Sparky Marcus – Dorno
- Don Messick – Astro, Gloop, Gleep, the Director, Reverso
- Gary Owens – Space Ghost
- David Raynr – Moleculad
- Mike Road – Zandor, Tundro, Zok, Igoo
- Michael Rye - Opening Narration
- Steve J. Spears – Jace
- Alexandra Stoddart – Jan
- B.J. Ward – Elektra
- Lennie Weinrib – Dipper, Brucie, Puglor
- Frank Welker – Cosmo, Blip, the Wizard, the Computer, the Crab, Cubus, the Destroyer, Feron, Galactic Vac, Lord Raider, Noxie, Repto, Rock Punk, the Shadow Creature, the Starfly, the Starbeast
- Michael Winslow – Glax, Plutem
The Awesome Cartoon Segments
Let's dive into the different cartoon adventures you could watch on Space Stars!
Space Ghost's Adventures
Space Ghost had 22 episodes in this series, with two parts shown each week. Space Ghost, a powerful hero, faced new bad guys, including an evil version of himself called Space Spectre! His cool ship, the Phantom Cruiser, also got a new, modern look. Space Ghost often teamed up with the Herculoids and the Teen Force to fight evil. Gary Owens returned as the voice of Space Ghost.
Space Ghost Episodes
| # | Title | Original Air Date | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Attack of the Space Sharks" | September 12, 1981 | Space Ghost fights shark-like warships and discovers the Remora capturing ships for souvenirs. |
| 2 | "The Haunted Space Station" | September 12, 1981 | Space Ghost investigates a station where a soul vampire is turning the crew into zombies. |
| 3 | "The Sorceress" | September 19, 1981 | A sorceress tries to control Space Ghost's mind with her magic. |
| 4 | "Planet of the Space Monkeys" | September 19, 1981 | Blip runs away and lands on a planet full of space monkeys. |
| 5 | "The Anti-Matter Man" | September 26, 1981 | Space Ghost must help Dr. Conta, who turned into the Anti-Matter Man after an experiment. |
| 6 | "The Space Dragons" | September 26, 1981 | Space Ghost stops Repto, who uses Space Dragon Ships to steal a powerful fuel. |
| 7 | "The Starfly" | October 3, 1981 | Jan, Jace, and Blip find a Starfly, which grows into a giant Starbeast. |
| 8 | "The Big Freeze" | October 3, 1981 | Feron uses a freeze ray to take over planets. |
| 9 | "The Toymaker" | October 10, 1981 | The Toymaker captures Jan, Jace, and Blip with his mechanical knights. |
| 10 | "Microworld" | October 10, 1981 | The Toymaker shrinks a planet and threatens to remove its air unless Space Ghost gives up his powers. |
| 11 | "Space Spectre" | October 17, 1981 | Space Ghost battles an evil version of himself from another dimension. |
| 12 | "Web of the Wizard" | October 17, 1981 | The Wizard uses illusions to trick Space Ghost and his friends. |
| 13 | "Time Chase" | October 24, 1981 | Jan and Kid Comet travel back in time, and Space Ghost chases a pirate to the same prehistoric era. |
| 14 | "The Deadly Comet" | October 24, 1981 | The Commander uses comets to attack ships, and Space Ghost calls Kid Comet for help. |
| 15 | "The Shadow People" | October 31, 1981 | Space Ghost and Elektra investigate a refinery taken over by Shadow People. |
| 16 | "Time of the Giants" | October 31, 1981 | Space Ghost and his friends shrink after flying through a space cloud, making it hard to catch a pirate. |
| 17 | "City in Space" | November 7, 1981 | Space Ghost and Elektra try to save a floating city heading for the sun. |
| 18 | "Nomads" | November 7, 1981 | Space Ghost saves Lord Ibal's people, only to find they are robots planning to conquer the galaxy. |
| 19 | "Eclipse Woman" | November 14, 1981 | Eclipse Woman drains energy from a planet, and Space Ghost and Kid Comet stop her. |
| 20 | "Devilship" | November 14, 1981 | Jace falls under the evil control of the Wizard, and Space Ghost must free him. |
| 21 | "The Time Master" | November 21, 1981 | Tempus the Time Master is turning back time on a planet to build a Time Shredder. |
| 22 | "Spacecube of Doom" | November 21, 1981 | A space cube steals precious metals, and Space Ghost discovers a robot trying to brainwash the universe. |
The Herculoids' Adventures
The Herculoids also returned, but with a new science fiction feel, similar to Jonny Quest. Their home planet was now called Quasar, in the land of Amzot. There were 11 new episodes. Mike Road and Virginia Gregg came back to voice Zandor and Tara, while Sparky Marcus voiced Dorno. The Herculoids themselves (Zok, Igoo, Tundro, Gloop, and Gleep) also had their original voice actors.
Herculoids Episodes
| # | Title | Original Air Date | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Ice Monster" | September 12, 1981 | Dorno feels sad, and an indestructible robotic monster appears from ice. |
| 2 | "The Purple Menace" | September 19, 1981 | Glowing purple rocks bring purple vines to life, causing trouble. |
| 3 | "The Firebird" | September 26, 1981 | A volcano erupts, revealing a firebird that threatens the Herculoids. |
| 4 | "The Energy Creature" | October 3, 1981 | A meteorite brings an energy creature that traps others and takes their forms. |
| 5 | "The Snake Riders" | October 10, 1981 | Dorno and Gleep uncover a plot by the Snake Riders to take over the planet. |
| 6 | "The Buccaneer" | October 17, 1981 | The Buccaneer and his pirates arrive on Quasar looking for treasure. |
| 7 | "The Thunderbolt" | October 24, 1981 | A creature named Saiju turns into an electrical monster after eating special rocks. |
| 8 | "Return of the Ancients" | October 31, 1981 | Descendants of an old race return to Quasar and are upset their civilization is gone. |
| 9 | "Space Trappers" | November 7, 1981 | Space Trappers capture the Herculoids for their intergalactic circus. |
| 10 | "The Invisibles" | November 14, 1981 | The Herculoids fight invisible enemies after a special rock lands in a lake. |
| 11 | "Mindbender" | November 21, 1981 | Dorno, Gloop, and Gleep accidentally release a big-brained alien who wants to rule Quasar again. |
Teen Force Adventures
Teen Force was about three super-powered young students from another universe, beyond a mysterious place called Black Hole X. This Black Hole X was their way into the Space Stars universe.
The Teen Force included:
- Kid Comet: Super fast, he could even travel through time!
- Moleculad: Could control his body's molecules to do amazing things.
- Elektra: Had mind powers like telepathy (reading minds), telekenesis (moving things with her mind), and teleportation (moving instantly from one place to another).
They were joined by two small blue aliens, Plutem and Glax, called the Astromites. Their main enemy was Uglor, a mutant ruler from planet Uris. Uglor had wings and could shoot energy blasts from his eyes, which even let him see through Space Ghost's invisibility!
Teen Force Episodes
| # | Title | Original Air Date | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Death Ray" | September 12, 1981 | Uglor tries to destroy Black Hole X to trap the Teen Force. |
| 2 | "Nebulon" | September 19, 1981 | Uglor creates a powerful energy creature, Nebulon, but it becomes too strong even for him. |
| 3 | "Decoy of Doom" | September 26, 1981 | Uglor uses a fake distress call to capture the Teen Force and steal their powers. |
| 4 | "Elektra's Twin" | October 3, 1981 | Uglor captures the Teen Force with a fake Elektra and plans to destroy a star. |
| 5 | "Uglor's Power Play" | October 10, 1981 | Uglor copies the Teen Force's powers to conquer a space station and the galaxy. |
| 6 | "The Ultimate Battle" | October 17, 1981 | Uglor challenges the Teen Force to a battle on Evil Island, where creatures hate humans. |
| 7 | "Prison Planet" | October 24, 1981 | The Teen Force must go to Uglor's prison planet to rescue a president. |
| 8 | "Trojan Teen Force" | October 31, 1981 | The Teen Force must save a royal family and stop Uglor from marrying a princess. |
| 9 | "The Space Slime" | November 7, 1981 | The Teen Force battles Uglor's new bio-weapon that threatens civilizations. |
| 10 | "Pandora's Warp" | November 14, 1981 | Uglor opens a rift to a magic dimension to get help destroying a power plant. |
| 11 | "Wordstar" | November 21, 1981 | The Teen Force races to stop Uglor from getting control of a powerful ancient object called the Wordstar. |
Astro and the Space Mutts' Adventures
Astro and the Space Mutts starred Astro, the famous dog from The Jetsons! He teamed up with two other dogs, Cosmo and Dipper, and their human leader, Space Ace. This trio worked as galactic police officers, traveling through space to keep things safe. Don Messick returned as the voice of Astro.
Astro and the Space Mutts Episodes
| # | Title | Original Air Date | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Night of the Crab" | September 12, 1981 | The Crab crashes the Space Awards and steals the trophies. |
| 2 | "Reverso" | September 19, 1981 | Reverso demands to be ruler of the universe, or everything will go in reverse. |
| 3 | "Menace of the Magnet Maniac" | September 26, 1981 | Mario Magnetti goes on a spree, stealing metal. |
| 4 | "The Greatest Show Off Earth" | October 3, 1981 | The Cosmic Clown kidnaps a circus, and the Space Mutts follow him to get it back. |
| 5 | "Rock Punk" | October 10, 1981 | Rock Punk steals Mount Spacemore for his rock collection. |
| 6 | "Rampage of the Zodiac Man" | October 17, 1981 | The Zodiac Man steals a special ring from a museum. |
| 7 | "Will the Real Mr. Galaxy Please Stand Up" | October 24, 1981 | Mr. Galaxy steals a bank vault, and the Space Mutts track him down. |
| 8 | "Galactic Vac is Back" | October 31, 1981 | Galactic Vac is sucking up everything in the galaxy. |
| 9 | "The Education of Puglor" | November 7, 1981 | Uglor gives his nephew Puglor powers to take over a resort world. |
| 10 | "Jewlie Newstar" | November 14, 1981 | Jewel thief Jewlie Newstar steals a valuable jewel. |
| 11 | "Wonder Dog" | November 21, 1981 | A robot dog causes problems for the Space Mutts, while a villain tries to get rid of Space Ace. |
Space Stars Finale: Team-Up Time!
The Space Stars Finale was the last segment of the show each week. This was where all the heroes – Space Ghost, the Herculoids, the Teen Force, and Astro and the Space Mutts – would team up! They worked together to fight the biggest threats in the universe.
Space Stars Finale Episodes
| # | Title | Original Air Date | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dimension of Doom" | September 12, 1981 | Space Ghost and the Teen Force must rescue Jan and Jace from Uglor's weapon. |
| 2 | "Worlds in Collision" | September 19, 1981 | Uglor tries to make the Ghost Planet crash into Quasar to destroy the heroes. |
| 3 | "Polaris" | September 26, 1981 | Jace, Elektra, and Moleculad chase Polaris, while others rescue Space Ghost from a space warp. |
| 4 | "Endangered Spacies" | October 3, 1981 | Dorno, Zok, and the Space Mutts team up to rescue Space Ace, Zandor, and Tara, who were kidnapped for an alien zoo. |
| 5 | "The Olympians" | October 10, 1981 | The Herculoids and Teen Force battle Uglor and his warriors who want to steal Quasar's energy. |
| 6 | "Magnus" | October 17, 1981 | Space Ghost and the Herculoids deal with the villain Magnus and a child alien whose toys cause chaos. |
| 7 | "The Crystal Menace" | October 24, 1981 | Space Ghost and the Herculoids fight the Crystal Cyborg to stop it from turning all life on Quasar into crystal. |
| 8 | "The Outworlder" | October 31, 1981 | Space Ghost and the Teen Force face an energy vampire and a crazy freighter captain. |
| 9 | "Mindwitch" | November 7, 1981 | Space Ghost and the Herculoids battle a powerful evil witch who wants to conquer Quasar. |
| 10 | "Uglor Conquers the Universe" | November 14, 1981 | Uglor gains super powers, and the heroes must find the only way to defeat him on Quasar. |
| 11 | "The Cosmic Mousetrap" | November 21, 1981 | A smart artificial intelligence captures Space Ghost and others to test their weaknesses. |
Where Else Could You See Space Stars?
After its original run, parts of Space Stars were shown again on other TV channels.
- USA Network showed segments of Space Ghost, Teen Force, and The Herculoids, but not Astro and the Space Mutts.
- Later, Cartoon Network and Boomerang also showed Space Ghost, The Herculoids, and Astro and the Space Mutts. However, the Teen Force segments were not shown on these channels. The full Space Stars show has never been shown completely on Cartoon Network or Boomerang. Sometimes, you might still catch these short cartoons between other shows on Boomerang!
Watching Space Stars at Home
If you want to watch Space Stars today, you're in luck! On October 8, 2013, a company called Warner Archive released Space Stars: The Complete Series on DVD. It's part of their Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection. You can usually find it online.
