Retro Cartoon Rewind | Classic 70s Saturday Morning | Part 1

I find it really interesting how our minds work. Recently, I spent some time exploring cartoons from the early 1970s for this Retro Saturday Morning series, and I was reminded of so many shows I used to watch as a kid. What really strikes me is how quickly our memories and feelings can come back when we see a familiar image or hear a specific sound. Just last week, I looked at a list of Saturday morning cartoons from 1974, and suddenly I remembered watching those shows when I lived in Vernon, Texas. I could picture the TV, my favorite chair, and the room where I enjoyed all those cartoons. It brought back such happy memories!

Back in the 1970s, the big television networks had an interesting idea. They decided to take their popular primetime shows and turn them into cartoons. The goal was to attract new viewers, especially kids, while also making use of their well-known brands. Today, I’ll share a few of these animated shows with you. Let’s see how many you remember! - Ken Hulsey

The New Adventures of Gilligan (1974 - 77)(ABC)

"The New Adventures of Gilligan" is an animated series that continues the story of the beloved characters from the classic TV show "Gilligan's Island," which aired from 1964 to 1967. Most of the original cast lent their voices to the new series, except for Tina Louise, who played Ginger Grant, and Dawn Wells, who portrayed Mary Ann. Tina wanted to step away from her role, so the animated version of Ginger was changed from a redhead to a platinum blonde to avoid any issues with her likeness being used. Meanwhile, Dawn was busy with a theater production and couldn’t participate. Actress Jane Webb took on the challenge of voicing both Ginger and Mary Ann, using her married name for Mary Ann and her maiden name for Ginger.

The storyline of this animated series is similar to that of the original show. It follows a skipper and his first mate, Gilligan, who set off on a three-hour boat trip with five passengers but end up stranded on a deserted island. One new character introduced in this version is Stubby, a friendly monkey who befriends Gilligan.

Like many animated shows at the time, "The New Adventures of Gilligan" was designed for children and often included important lessons. Many episodes wrapped up with a brief discussion between Skipper and Gilligan about what they had learned that day. To ensure the educational content was appropriate, the show worked with a consultant from UCLA.

Jeannie (1973 - 75)(CBS)

The character of Jeannie in this new version doesn't look anything like her original live-action portrayal. In the classic show, she was an adult played by Barbara Eden, but in this animated version, she’s a teenager voiced by Julie McWhirter. The male lead also changed from the astronaut Tony Nelson, played by Larry Hagman, to a young surfer named Corey, voiced by Mark Hamill, who is well-known for his role in Star Wars. 

This show also introduced a funny sidekick named Babu, voiced by Joe Besser, who used to be part of The Three Stooges. The story centers around Corey Anders, a high school student who discovers Jeannie's magical bottle while surfing. When he frees Jeannie, he becomes her master, along with Babu, who often behaves like a clumsy apprentice.

Jeannie, portrayed as a 16-year-old, tries to train Babu, who tends to get into all sorts of trouble because he’s still learning how to use magic. He often pops up at the most inconvenient moments, adding to the humor. The episodes mainly focus on Corey trying to keep Jeannie and Babu's true identities secret while he goes to school. Jeannie has to adjust to life in the 1970s, and Corey's adventures also include his friend Henry Glopp, who, aside from Corey, is the only one who knows Jeannie’s secret.

Other characters include Corey's mom, Mrs. Anders, and a rival named S. Melvin Farthinggale, who is always snooping around because he suspects something unusual is going on with Jeannie and Babu. The show combines fun, friendship, and a touch of magic, making it an entertaining watch!

The Oddball Couple (1975)(ABC)

If you're not familiar with "The Odd Couple," the idea is pretty straightforward. It’s about a messy person, or in this case a dog named Fleabag, who has to live with a super tidy character, a cat named Spiffy. Their different lifestyles lead to lots of funny situations. Fleabag was voiced by Paul Winchell, who is known for other characters like Marmaduke and Zummi Gummi. Spiffy was voiced by Frank Nelson, who also played Uncle Dudley in another show called "Dinky Dog." Joan Gerber voiced a character named Goldie and has also been in shows like "Duck Dodgers" and "Tiny Toon Adventures." Other notable voices in the show include Frank Welker, Don Messick, and Bob Holt. The show was made by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. Unfortunately, many of the jokes didn’t land well, and kids didn’t really connect with these reimagined characters. "The Oddball Couple" only ran for 16 episodes, but, like many shows back then, ABC aired reruns for a few more years.

Partridge Family: 2200 A.D. (CBS)(1974-75)

"Partridge Family: 2200 A.D." is an animated version of the well-known TV show "The Partridge Family." Unlike many other cartoons based on live-action shows, this series took a unique approach by placing the characters in a futuristic setting. This choice marked a trend that would be seen in many future productions by Hanna-Barbera.

It's clear that the show has strong ties to another classic, "The Jetsons." The visuals, including backgrounds, spaceships, and futuristic buildings, closely resemble those from "The Jetsons," suggesting that many of the elements were borrowed from that earlier show.

Essentially, if you take the Partridge family and drop them into the world of "The Jetsons," you have a brand-new series! Some of the original actors from the live-action show lent their voices to the animated characters. For example, Danny Bonaduce, Suzanne Crough, and Brian Forster returned to voice their roles. However, Susan Dey, who voiced Laurie, only did so for two episodes before being replaced by Sherry Alberoni. Other voice actors included Chuck McLenan as Keith Partridge, taking over from David Cassidy, and Joan Gerber voicing Shirley Partridge instead of Shirley Jones. John Stephenson voiced Reuben Kincaid, stepping in for Dave Madden during a few episodes.

Additionally, Micky Dolenz, known for being part of the musical group The Monkees, had several recurring roles in this animated series, marking one of his early ventures into voice acting.

Sixteen half-hour episodes were produced for Partridge Family 2200 A.D., which lasted half a season on CBS Saturday morning (September 7, 1974 – March 8, 1975). In 1977–78, it was retitled The Partridge Family in Outer Space when episodes were serialized on the syndicated weekday series Fred Flintstone and Friends. Like many animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the series contained a laugh track created by the studio.

The Addams Family (1973-75)(NBC)

The Addams Family is an animated show that brings to life the quirky characters from the Charles Addams cartoons. It was created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and first aired in 1973. Some familiar voices returned from the 1960s television series, including Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester and Ted Cassidy as Lurch. A young Jodie Foster also lent her voice to the character of Pugsley Addams. The opening music for this show was different from the earlier version; it didn’t have lyrics or the famous finger snapping, but it still included a recognizable four-note melody from the live-action series.

The Addams Family features a unique and tight-knit group consisting of Gomez and Morticia Addams, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, as well as Grandmama, Uncle Fester, Thing, Cousin Itt, and their butler, Lurch. This family embraces the spooky and strange, with interests that are quite unusual, and they seem to have some supernatural abilities, although the show doesn't explain where those powers come from.

In this animated series, the Addamses go on a fun road trip across the United States in their distinctly styled camper, which looks like their old mansion. As they travel, they stop at different places, but their unique way of life often leads to unexpected chaos. They tend to trust people they probably shouldn’t, and they get involved in all kinds of trouble without really realizing it.

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Retro Cartoon Rewind | Classic 70s Saturday Morning | Part 1