Uncle Croc's Block facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Uncle Croc's Block |
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Title card
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| Genre | Live action/animation |
| Starring | Charles Nelson Reilly Jonathan Harris Alfie Wise |
| Voices of | Kenneth Mars Allan Melvin Alan Oppenheimer Robert Ridgely Lennie Weinrib |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer Dick Rosenbloom |
| Running time | 60 minutes, later 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Filmation |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Color |
| Original release | September 6, 1975 – February 14, 1976 |
Uncle Croc's Block was a fun TV show that mixed live actors with cartoons. It was made by Filmation and shown on ABC in 1975 and 1976.
The show made fun of other popular kids' TV shows. Charles Nelson Reilly played Uncle Croc, a crocodile who really didn't like being the host. Alfie Wise played his rabbit friend, Mr. Rabbit Ears. Jonathan Harris was Basil Bitterbottom, the show's director, who always seemed frustrated. A bird named Koo Koo Knievel (a funny version of the famous stuntman Evel Knievel) would pop out of a clock. He would announce "Star Time" for a celebrity guest to appear.
The Show's Journey
The show first aired on September 6, 1975, at 10:30 AM. Uncle Croc's Block was shown at the same time as other popular shows. These included the second half of the Shazam!/Isis Hour and Far Out Space Nuts on CBS.
Even though it had a laugh track, the show didn't do very well. It was first an hour long, then shortened to 30 minutes. The show stopped airing on February 14, 1976, after only half a season.
Why the Show Ended
Because Uncle Croc's Block wasn't very popular, the head of ABC, Fred Silverman, decided to stop working with Filmation. He started getting Saturday morning cartoons from Hanna-Barbera instead.
Filmation tried to save the show's ratings. They planned to show old Groovie Goolies episodes as a new part called Super Fiends. This name was a playful nod to Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends. However, the show was cancelled before this change could happen. The cartoon parts from Uncle Croc's Block later appeared in other shows. They were also released on home video in the 1980s.
Star Time Guests
Each episode had a "Star Time" part where funny versions of famous characters appeared. They often made jokes about the show or its staff. They would also try to show off their skills, or lack of them! Here are some of the guests:
- Captain Klangeroo was a funny version of Captain Kangaroo.
- Mr. Mean Jeans (played by Huntz Hall) was a funny version of Mr. Greenjeans.
- Sherlock Domes (played by Carl Ballantine) was a funny version of Sherlock Holmes.
- Dr. Watkins (played by Stanley Adams) was Sherlock Domes' helper. He was a funny version of Dr. Watson.
- Witchie Goo Goo (played by Phyllis Diller) was a witch. Her spell to bring a prince always brought a very unwilling Basil to her. She was a funny version of Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf.
- Junie the Genie (played by Alice Ghostley) was a genie who said she was a teenager. She was a funny version of Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie, with a bit of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
- Billy Bratson (played by Marvin Kaplan as Captain Marbles) would say "Shazowie" to become the superhero Captain Marbles. This was like how Billy Batson became Captain Marvel by saying "Shazam!".
- Steve Exhaustion, The $6.95 Man (played by Robert Ridgely) was a cyborg who always fell apart. He was a funny version of Steve Austin from The Six Million Dollar Man.
- Old Fogey Bear was a bear who was often sad or overly excited. He was a funny version of Yogi Bear.
- Miss Invis was a woman who claimed she could make herself invisible, but she really couldn't.
Cartoon Adventures
The show also included short cartoon stories:
- M*U*S*H (which stood for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Hounds): This cartoon was a funny take on M*A*S*H. It followed sled dogs (voiced by Kenneth Mars and Robert Ridgely) working at a medical outpost in a cold, snowy land called Upper Saboonia.
- Fraidy Cat: Fraidy Cat (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) was scared because the ghosts of eight of his nine lives (each voiced by Lennie Weinrib) kept haunting him.
- Wacky and Packy: A prehistoric caveman and his pet woolly mammoth (both voiced by Allan Melvin) somehow ended up stuck in modern times.
