The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie |
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| Genre | Movie of the week |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 9, 1972 – November 17, 1973 |
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie was a special TV series. It showed one-hour animated movies on Saturday mornings. Some movies also mixed in real people (live-action). This show was on the ABC network. It ran from September 9, 1972, to November 17, 1973.
In its second year, the show changed its name. It became The New Saturday Superstar Movie. The idea was to be like a "Movie of the Week" but for kids! Different companies made these movies. These included Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, and Rankin/Bass. Most movies featured popular cartoon characters. You might know characters from Yogi Bear or The Brady Bunch. Some movies were even test episodes (called pilots) for new TV shows.
The main theme music was created by Steve Zuckerman.
List of Movies
This show featured many different movies. Each one was a special event for Saturday mornings!
Season 1 Movies
The first season of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie had many exciting films.
| Nº | Title | Made by: | Air date | |
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| 1 | "The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island" | Filmation Paramount Television |
September 9, 1972 | |
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This movie was based on The Brady Bunch characters. It was a test episode for The Brady Kids show. The Brady kids go on a balloon race. They accidentally land on a mysterious island. There, they meet strange people. They also meet a talking myna bird named Marlon. Two panda brothers, Ping and Pong, are also on the island. The kids have fun but need to find a way home.
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| 2 | "Yogi's Ark Lark" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | September 16, 1972 | |
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This movie teaches about protecting nature. Many Hanna-Barbera animal characters are in it. Yogi Bear leads them. A park worker named Noah Smith joins them. They travel the world in a flying Noah's Ark. They even go into space! They are looking for a "perfect place." This place would be free from pollution and damage. This movie was a test episode for Yogi's Gang.
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| 3 | "Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters" | Rankin/Bass Productions | September 23, 1972 | |
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This is an animated movie. It is similar to the film Mad Monster Party?.
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| 4 | "Nanny and the Professor" | Fred Calvert Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
September 30, 1972 | |
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In this cartoon, the characters from Nanny and the Professor get into a mystery. It involves a tiny hidden message called a microdot.
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| 5 | "Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter" | Hal Seeger Productions King Features Syndicate |
October 7, 1972 | |
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This movie brings together many newspaper comic strip characters. These include Popeye, Blondie, and Flash Gordon. They all team up against a common enemy.
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| 6 | "Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid" | Rankin/Bass Productions | October 14, 1972 | |
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This cartoon stars the famous San Francisco Giants baseball player Willie Mays. He even voices his own character! A guardian angel named Casey helps Willie. Casey says Willie can win the National League Pennant. But only if Willie becomes the godfather of an orphan girl named Veronica.
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| 7 | "Oliver and the Artful Dodger: Part 1" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | October 21, 1972 | |
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This is an animated sequel to Oliver Twist. Oliver is adopted by Mr. Brownlow. When Mr. Brownlow dies, his will is missing. His nephew Sniperly tries to steal the money. Oliver must stop him. Meanwhile, the Artful Dodger now helps children escape from tough workhouses.
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| 8 | "Oliver and the Artful Dodger: Part 2" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | October 28, 1972 | |
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This is the second part of the story. It continues from Part 1.
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| 9 | "The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | November 4, 1972 | |
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This movie retells the story of Robin Hood. All the characters are animals. It came out one year before Disney's Robin Hood movie.
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| 10 | "Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain" | Filmation | November 11, 1972 | |
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This movie is based on the popular Lassie character. It was a test episode for Lassie's Rescue Rangers. Someone is trying to scare away the Native American people of Thunder Mountain. Lassie has to figure out who it is and why.
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| 11 | "Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection (also known as The Odd Squad)" | Hanna-Barbera Productions Screen Gems |
November 18, 1972 | |
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This is a cartoon movie. The characters from Gidget get into trouble. They run into smugglers who are trying to hide gold at sea.
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| 12 | "The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park" | Hanna-Barbera Productions | November 25, 1972 | |
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This special mixes cartoons and real people. It stars The Banana Splits. The Splits give a little girl named Susie a tour of an amusement park. They follow a balloon that goes into a billboard. Inside, a witch kidnaps Susie. The Splits must save her!
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| 13 | "Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family" | Hanna-Barbera Productions Screen Gems |
December 2, 1972 | |
| 14 | "The Red Baron" | Rankin/Bass Productions | December 9, 1972 | |
| 15 | "Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies" | Filmation Warner Bros. Television |
December 16, 1972 | |
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This is a very unusual cartoon crossover! Filmation got permission to use Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes characters. The Groovie Goolies help Daffy, Porky, and other Looney Tunes. They work together to solve a spooky mystery. It's like Scooby-Doo Where Are You!. It's mostly animated. But it also has a part with real people. You can watch it here.
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| 16 | "Luvcast U.S.A." | DePatie–Freleng Enterprises | January 6, 1973 | |
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This is a collection of short stories. It is loosely based on the show Love, American Style.
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| 17 | "That Girl in Wonderland" | Rankin/Bass Productions | January 13, 1973 | |
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In this cartoon, the main character from That Girl imagines things. She sees herself in famous stories. These include Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. She also imagines herself in Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Wizard of Oz.
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Season 2 Movies
For its second season, the show was renamed The New Saturday Superstar Movie.
| Nº | Title | Made by: | Air date | |
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| 18 | "Lost in Space" | Hanna-Barbera Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
September 8, 1973 | |
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This movie was based on the TV series Lost in Space. It was meant to be a test episode for a cartoon version of the show. But the cartoon series was never made.
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| 19 | "The Mini-Munsters" | Fred Calvert Productions Universal Television |
October 27, 1973 | |
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This is a cartoon based on The Munsters. It features a car that runs on music!
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| 20 | "Nanny and the Professor and the Phantom of the Circus" | Fred Calvert Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
November 17, 1973 | |
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In this cartoon, the characters from Nanny and the Professor solve a mystery. It's all about a traveling circus.
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Where to Watch Now
Some of these movies have been released for you to watch at home.
- Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters
- Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid
- Oliver and the Artful Dodger
- The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park
- "Lassie And The Spirit Of Thunder Mountain," along with a Lassie's Rescue Rangers episode called "Lost."
Some movies are available on DVD. These include Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters, Yogi's Ark Lark, and The Brady Kids on Mysterious Island. The last two are part of the complete series sets for Yogi's Gang and The Brady Kids.
The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik and Oliver and the Artful Dodger are also on DVD. They are part of a two-disc set called Hanna-Barbera Specials Collection.
"Lost In Space" was included in the Lost In Space Blu-Ray set.
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The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.