VALLEY OF THE DINOSAURS

 

VALLEY OF THE DINOSAURS

(CBS, September 7-December 21, 1974)

 

Hanna-Barbera Productions

 
 
MAIN CAST:
Melanie Baker – Tana
Shannon Farnon – Kim Butler
Joan Gardner – Gara
Kathy Gori – Katie Butler
Jackie Earle Haley – Greg Butler
Alan Oppenheimer – Gorok
Mike Road – John Butler
Frank Welker – Glump, Digger, Lok
Don Messick – Narrator
 
 

Valley of the Dinosaurs was a prehistoric-themed animated series created by Hanna-Barbera actually not connected to The Flintstones franchise. Along with their live-action entry Korg, 70,000 B.C. on ABC, and Krofft Productions’ Land of the Lost on NBC, it was the third dinosaur-themed program to hit Saturday mornings that year.

The Butlers and Gorok's clan.

The show centered on modern family the Butlers—high school science teacher John (Mike Road), his wife Kim (Shannon Farnon), teenaged Katie (Kathy Gori), young Greg (Jackie Earle Haley) and their dog, Digger (Frank Welker)—as they embarked on a rafting trip down the Amazon River. However, they hit a rock and capsized, leading to them being swept through a cavern and into a whirlpool. When they emerged, they found themselves in a lost valley where dinosaurs continued to thrive.

Lok, Katie and Glump relaxing by the fire embers.

Their survival might have been questionable if not for a chance encounter with a kindly family of Neanderthals that took them in. They were clan leader Gorok (Alan Oppenheimer), his wife Gara (Joan Gardner), teenaged son Lok (Welker) and young daughter Tana (Melanie Baker), as well as their pet baby Stegosaurus, Glump (Welker). The Butlers had to overcome their prejudices about the primitive family and the clan their distrust over the new strangers to work together. The Butlers introduced modern scientific advancements to the valley such as wheels and levers as situations arose, and Gorok’s clan taught them basic survival skills in the wild and served as their guides while helping them find a way home.

The dinosaurs of the valley.

Valley of the Dinosaurs debuted on CBS on September 7, 1974. Like Korg, the series was meant to be entertaining while also educational; teaching basic science and engineering and prehistory (while of course taking liberties with that as humans and dinosaurs were living together, although the nature of the valley’s origin was never fully explored). The series was written by Peter Dixon, Peter Germano, James Henderson, Ernie Kahn, Ben Masselink, Dick Robbins, Henry Sharp and Jerry Thomas, with Sam Roeca serving as story editor. Marty Murphy was the character designer with Hoyt Curtin as musical director and Paul DeKorte as music supervisor.

The DVD cover.

Much like Korg, Valley ended up being cancelled after its sole season; leaving the similarly-themed Land of the Lost the undisputed winner of dinosaur shows, lasting three seasons. Valley was shown in syndicated reruns from 1976-83, then found its way to Cartoon Network off and on between 1993 and 2004, and finally on Boomerang from 2001-11. From 1975-76, Charlton Comics published a comic series that ran for 11 issues. Harvey Comics reprinted several stories from the Charlton run in a new one-shot in 1992, which was topped off with a couple short stories from Charlton’s The Flintstones comics. Rand McNally also published a storybook adaptation in 1975. 1977 saw the release of the board game from Arrow Games Ltd. In 2011, Warner Archive released the complete series to DVD as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classics Collection. 

Harvey Birdman captured by the cavemen of the valley.

The 2005 Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law episode “Beyond the Valley of the Dinosaurs” took place in the valley, with Harvey (Gary Cole) and Peter Potamus (Chris Edgerly) being sucked down to it through a hot tub. Gorok (Edgerly) and Tana (Mary Birdsong) appeared. Glump (Fajer Al-Kaisi) would later appear on the 2021 episode of Jellystone! titled “Ice Ice Daddy” as a patient of therapist Top Cat (Thomas Lennon), discussing his fear of meteors.

 

 
EPISODE GUIDE:

“Forbidden Fruit” (9/7/74) – Greg ignores the warnings about harvesting a certain fruit which ends up luring a Brontosaurus to the gave and trapping them all inside.

 

“What Goes Up” (9/14/74) – The humans must work to defeat the threat of voracious army ants that frighten even the dinosaurs.

 

“A Turned Turtle” (9/21/74) – The Butlers use a giant shell to create a submarine to explore an area ruled by a hungry Tyrannosaurus.

 

“The Volcano” (9/28/74) – The Butlers attempt to save the village from an erupting volcano.

 

“Smoke Screen” (10/5/74) – The Butlers must fortify the village when they inadvertently anger a tribe of primitive “missing links”.

 

“Pteranodon” (10/12/74) – The two families must work together to get the ingredients needed to cure Kim’s illness.

 

“The Saber-Tooth Kids” (10/19/74) – Greg and Tana must rescue Glump from a pack of hungry wolves.

 

“After Shock” (10/26/74) – The Butlers are amused by Gorak’s desire to replace their guardian statue’s head until a string of bad luck befalls them.

 

“Top Cave, Please” (11/2/74) – Lok faces exile when he’s accused of losing the village’s lucky hunting mascot.

 

“S.O.S.” (11/9/74) – When Tana spots a plane the Butlers get to work trying to make contact with it for rescue.

 

“Fire” (11/16/74) – A malicious brush fire prompts the Butlers to introduce firefighting tools and methodology to the valley.

 

“Rain of Meteors” (11/23/74) – The Butlers and the tribe accidentally injure the Sky People chieftain’s son, which he takes as an act of war and holds Lok and Katie hostage when they try to explain.

 

“To Fly a Kite” (11/30/74) – Greg’s kite-flying skills may be what saves his family from foul weather and an angry Iguanodon.

 

“Test Flight” (12/7/74) – John builds a glider plane that he must use to find Tana and Greg who are lost in a thick fog.

 

“The Big Toothache” (12/14/74) – Gorak, Lok, Katie and John investigate what strange creature is causing stampedes in the valley.

 

“Torch” (12/21/74) – The Butlers plan to block the mountain pass to keep night raiders out of the village.

RAY LIOTTA DEAD AT 67

 

You can read the full story here.

He voiced the Bubble Poppin Leader in the “Whatever Happened to SpongeBob?” episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.

LAND OF THE LOST (1991)

 

LAND OF THE LOST (1991)

(ABC, September 7, 1991-December 5, 1992)

 

Krofft Entertainment

 
MAIN CAST:
Timothy Bottoms – Tom Porter
Robert Gavin – Kevin Porter
Jennifer Drugan – Anamarie “Annie” Porter
Ed Gale – Tasha, Magas
Danny Mann – Tasha (voice)
 
 

Long before reboots became the king of entertainment, Sid and Marty Krofft were called upon to produce a reboot of one of their previous programs: Land of the Lost. ABC had been monitoring the success and positive press CBS was seeing in response to their airings of the original, and how they and NBC found equal success with their live-action offerings Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Saved by the Bell, respectively. Enter the new Land of the Lost, their first new foray into live-action on Saturday morning. 

The Porter family.

Like the original, Land of the Lost centered on a modern family that found themselves suddenly trapped in a strange, three-mooned prehistoric world of Altrusia. While on a camping trip, an earthquake opened up a chasm that they fell into, leading to a dimensional portal they drove through to safety. Replacing the Marshalls from the original were the Porters: widowed father Tom (Timothy Bottoms), a lawyer who threw himself into his work after his wife’s death but tried to make time for his kids with those frequent weekend camping trips; 16-year-old Kevin (Robert Gavin), who was laid-back to the point of being oblivious to danger and considered himself an adult, often leading to his being actively disobedient; and 11-year-old Annie (Jennifer Drugan), a vegetarian who harbored a bit of resentment towards her family always treating her like an incapable baby (and often proving that perception wrong). Unlike the Marshalls, the Porters had a lot of gear with them in their Jeep, allowing them to outfit their lavish treehouse with many of the comforts of home including radios, a portable television (which allowed them to track portal openings via electromagnetic interference) and a video camera (used by Kevin to chronicle their adventure). They also adopted a humanoid Parasaurolophus, named Tasha (Ed Gale in the suit, Danny Mann voicing) by Annie after her mother (voiced by Marta DuBois), after finding her egg.

Shung

Returning from the original series were the villainous humanoid reptile Sleestaks; however, instead of a whole race focus was largely placed on three that were expelled from their society. Shung (Tom Allard) was their leader. He was arrogant and believed himself the ruler of the land. He used a powerful crystal that gave him telekinetic and telepathic powers to enforce his will Nim (R.C. Tass & Brian Williams) and Keeg (Ross Kramer & Bret Davidson) were his unintelligent underlings that did what they could to please him. They used special crystals as power sources, which the Porters would come to adopt to power their own electronics. To mine for the crystals, the Sleestaks utilized the slave labor of the Paku; a tribe of humanoid primates basically wiped out by their servitude. Unlike the original, the Paku were largely limited to appearances by a single member: Stink (Bobby Porter), who had keen senses, incredible agility, active curiosity and a wacky sense of humor. The new series chose to abandon the special Pakuni language developed for the original, instead making Stink quick to pick-up and adopt English words and phrases with some Pakuni sprinkled in. Stink’s grandfather, Opah (Jonas Mascartolo), was the only other Paku seen.

Stink and Christa.

Newly created was the character of Christa (Shannon Day). Like the Porters, she ended up trapped in the land with her family as a young girl (Farrah Emami). Separated from them during an attempt to find civilization, she grew up alone and came to befriend Stink and a triceratops she named “Princess” after her dog, which she used as transportation. She had largely blocked out memories of her past life. Christa and Stink would eventually befriend the Porters and help them on occasion. Kevin, being a teenaged boy, often fawned over the attractive Christa while Stink often had a turbulent relationship with Tasha.

Futuristic cyborg Cy.

Additionally, there were a number of dinosaurs seen on the show; in particular a Tyrannosaurus dubbed “Scarface” because of the scar over his eye. He was extremely violent towards everyone, and often tried to take down the Porters’ treehouse. A number of guest characters also popped into the land via the portals, including Sir Balen (Bobby Jacoby), a squire pretending to be a knight from King Arthur’s Court; Keela (Adilah Barnes), a sorceress banished there by evil sorcerer Magas (Gale); Siren (DuBois), a woman whose vanity led her to be banished and preventing her from joining her loved ones in the afterlife; and time travelers Simon Cardenas (Danny Gonzalez) and the rancor-like cyborg Cy who collided with each other and knocked themselves off course.

Scarface goes after Tom.

Land of the Lost debuted on ABC on September 7, 1991. Unlike the previous series, it eschewed soundstage sets in favor of filming mostly on location in California’s Descanso Gardens and Leo Carrillo Beach. The series was written by Len Janson, Chuck Menville, Reuben Leder (as Gary Perconte), Janis Diamond, Jules Dennis, Phil Combest, Michele Rifkin, Reed Shelly, Richard Mueller and Marianne Sellek, with Janson and Menville serving as story editors and producers, and Porter credited for the story of the episode “Opah”.  Each episode was designed to instill a prosocial and ecological message within the context of its story in order to fulfill the network’s educational requirements mandated by the new Children’s Television Act. Chiodo Bros. Productions, Inc. was brought on to handle the special visual effects needed for the dinosaurs and portals, with the Chiodo brothers themselves serving as co-producers. Grey LaVoi handled the costume designs with Kevin Kiner providing the series’ music. 

Nim and Keeg steal the family Jeep.

The new Land of the Lost proved successful and was renewed for a second season. While Menville had worked on his portion of the season 2 scripts, he wouldn’t get to see it through as he passed away that June. The episode “Opah” was dedicated in his memory. He would continue to have three posthumous credits through 1993 with episodes he worked on for Disney’s The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series. As for Land of the Lost, ABC opted not to renew it and kept it running for an additional season of reruns. During its original run, it was nominated for a Daytime Emmy and six Young Artist Awards.

Tiger Toys produced a toyline featuring every character except Keeg, a pterodactyl and Scarface, vehicles and playsets, as well as a roleplay sword and doll of Stink. Outside of a few dual episode VHS releases from Republic Pictures, the complete series hasn’t seen release outside of bootlegs and digital uploads.

 
 
EPISODE GUIDE:
Season 1:
“Tasha” (9/7/91) – The Porters find an egg in the jungle and end up adopting the baby dino that hatches from it.
 
“Something’s Watching” (9/14/91) – While recording the land for posterity, Kevin encounters Christa the jungle girl and Stink the Paku.
 
“Jungle Girl” (9/28/91) – Christa is wary of the Porters until they help her begin to unravel her forgotten past.
 
“Shung the Terrible” (9/21/91) – The Sleestaks steal the Porters’ truck and their leader claims it for his own.
 
“The Crystal” (10/5/91) – Annie ends up with Shung’s power crystal which turns her personality dark.
 
“Wild Thing” (10/12/91) – After she causes a lot of trouble, Tom sends Tasha away into the jungle.
 
“Kevin vs. the Volcano” (10/26/91) – Helping his family try to stop a volcano eruption gets Kevin trapped in a cave by Scarface.
“Day for Knight” (10/19/91) – Kevin becomes jealous of the knight of the Round Table that ends up in the land.
 
“Mind Games” (11/2/91) – Feeling overworked, Annie runs off to stay with Christa just as Shung uses her necklace to control Christa.
 
“Flight to Freedom” (11/9/91) – A signal hits Kevin’s TV after an earthquake, making the Porters think they can use it to track down an exit portal.
 
“Heat Wave” (11/16/91) – While looking for water, Tom and Kevin find Nim and Keeg and attempt to lead them away from the treehouse.
 
“The Thief” (11/23/91) – Kevin accuses Tasha of stealing stuff from the treehouse.
 
“Power Play” (12/7/91) – Out of batteries, Tom decides to try and get the Sleestaks’ crystals to see if they’ll power their devices.
 
Season 2:
“The Sorceress” (9/12/92) – Banished sorcerers Keela befriends the Porters, unaware that another sorcerer is about to come for her.
 
“Dreammaker” (9/19/92) – Tracking down a strange TV signal leads the Porters to…their old neighborhood?
 
“The Gladiators” (10/3/92) – Tom and Kevin are pitted against each other by Shung for their lives.
 
“Opah” (9/26/92) – Stink’s grandfather pays the Porters a visit and ends up saving their lives.
 
“Life’s a Beach” (10/10/92) – A beach day unlocks some of Christa’s traumatic memories.
 
“Future Boy” (10/17/92) – A boy from the future collides with a dangerous cyborg and they both end up in the land.
 
“Siren’s Song” (10/24/92) – The Porters are lured into a trap with a vision of their wife/mother.
 
“In Dinos We Trust” (10/31/92) – Kevin is forced to rely on Tasha when he’s blinded by snake venom.
 
“Annie in Charge” (11/7/92) – Annie takes over when one of Cy’s traps wipe Kevin and Tom’s memories.
 
“Make My Day” (11/14/92) – Discovering an ancient Sleestak weapon makes Kevin think he can use it against Shung.
 
“Cheers” (11/21/92) – Fermented fruit leads to Kevin becoming drunk.
 
“Sorceress’ Apprentice” (11/28/92) – Keela asks Annie to watch her spellbook for a few days, but Annie can’t help but try out some magic.
 
“Misery Loves Company” (12/5/92) – After Stink is injured, he finds he enjoys the Porters taking care of him a bit too much.

THE FLINTSTONE COMEDY HOUR

 

THE FLINTSTONE COMEDY HOUR / THE FLINTSTONE COMEDY SHOW

(CBS, September 9, 1972-January 26, 1974)

 

 

Hanna-Barbera Productions

 
 
MAIN CAST:
Alan Reed – Fred Flintstone
Mel Blanc – Barney Rubble, Dino, Zonk, Stub
Jean Vander Pyl – Wilma Flintstone
Gay Hartwig – Betty Rubble, Wiggy Rockstone, Cindy Curbstone
Mickey Stevens – Pebbles Flintstone (new material)
Sally Struthers – Pebbles Flintstone (old material)
Jay North – Bamm-Bamm Rubble
John Stephenson – Noodles, Mr. Slate
Lennie Weinrib – Moonrock Crater, Bronto
Mitzi McCall – Penny Pillar
Don Messick – Schleprock

For a history of The Flintstones franchise, check out the post here.
 

           

  With The Flintstones reruns and their first spin-off, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, doing well in the ratings, CBS decided to expand their Flintstones franchise with a second spin-off. The Flintstone Comedy Hour was a continuation of both the original series and The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show with a touch of the popular variety show format.

Promo artwork featuring the adults getting down with the Bedrock Rockers.

The first half hour was comprised of shorts starring Fred (Alan Reed) and Barney (Mel Blanc) in their usual misadventures around Bedrock and others focusing on Pebbles (Mickey Stevens), Bamm-Bamm (Jay North) and their friends: genius inventor Moonrock Crater (Lenny Weinrib), weight-obsessed Penny Pillar (Mitzi McCall), and horoscope-obsessed Wiggy Rockstone (Gay Hartwig). Three shorts aired every episode for most of the series’ run; alternating between two with the adults and two with the teens. The second half hour was comprised of reruns of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. Stevens replaced original Pebbles voice Sally Struthers for all the new material made for the show due to Struthers’ commitment starring on the popular sitcom All in the Family.

Barney gets roped into another of Fred's schemes.

Between the story segments, the characters would rattle off jokes and horoscopes, and musical numbers would be performed by Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm’s new band, the Bedrock Rockers. With Pebbles on keyboard, Bamm-Bamm on bass, Moonrock on drums, Penny on tambourine and Wiggy on flute, the teens belted out two song numbers per episode. The songs were written by various Screen Gems (distributor of Hanna-Barbera’s shows) staff members including David Gates, Tony Dancy, Craig Fairchild, Jackie Mills, Leonard Petit and Tom Jenkins. The actual performers were The Ron Hicklin Singers; a Los Angeles-based group of studio singers organized by Ron Hicklin that performed music for television, film and commercials often uncredited or credited under specialized names. This line-up featured Tom Bahler, John Bahler, Jackie Ward and Stan Farber.

The Flintstone Comedy Hour debuted on CBS on September 9, 1972. The series was written by Tom Dagenais, Jack Hanrahan, Len Janson, Sheldon Mann, Jack Mendelsohn, Chuck Menville, Howard Morganstern, Bob Ogle and Dick Robbins. Hoyt Curtin served as the musical director and Paul DeKorte was the music supervisor, while the music was composed and conducted by Dean Elliott. After a full year on the air, the Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm reruns were dropped to shorten the series to a half-hour. Renamed The Flintstone Comedy Show, it continued airing in reruns until that January.

Bamm-Bamm, Wiggy, Pebbles, Penny and Moonrock making beautiful music.

It would be 5 years until the next all-new Flintstones series hit television, following Fred Silverman from CBS over to NBC (which included a second show to use the name The Flintstone Comedy Show). In the interim was the syndicated package show Fred Flintstone and Friends, which combined the segments from this show and episodes of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm alternating weekly with daily serialized versions of Goober and the Ghost Chasers, Jeannie, Partridge Family 2200 A.D. and Yogi’s Gang. It also introduced Henry Corden as the new speaking voice of Fred following Reed’s death (Corden previously provided Fred’s singing voice in a couple films), introducing the various segments over bumpers comprised of show clips.

EPISODE GUIDE:
“Birdbrained / Squawkie Talkies / Bedrock 500” (9/9/72) – Birdsitting Mr. Slate’s parrot causes nothing but trouble for Fred and family. / When a hipposaurus eats one of Moonrock’s squawkie talkies, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm believe it actually ate Barney instead. / The teens compete against the Bronto Bunch in a big car race.
 
“The Flying Fools / Bedlam in Bedrock / The Stone Ranger Rides Again” (9/16/72) – Flying in Moonrock’s new airplane is anything but a joy for Fred and Barney. / The teens concoct a crazy idea to get a DJ his job back. / Pebbles and her friends shoot a western movie with Bamm-Bamm as the star.
 
“Cat Burglars / The Circus Show / Pizza-Puss” (9/23/72) – Fred and Barney get busted as cat burglars while the real thieves rob Fred’s house. / The teens organize a circus to raise money for prom. / Fred becomes a pizza chef just when Pebbles orders 37 pizzas for her party.
 
“Fred Skirts the Issue / Hair Scare / The Not so Desperate Hours” (9/30/72) – Babysitting is a nightmare until Fred dresses up as a woman. / Moonrock’s new miracle hair formula causes his friends a lot of problems. / A dangerous escaped con decides to hide out at the Flintstone house.
 
“Don’t Fence Me In / The Spot Remover / Cake Walk” (10/7/72) – An argument about their property boundaries reveals Fred’s property actually runs through Barney’s living room. / Moonrock’s spot remover ends up removing a lot more around Bedrock. / Fred and Barney accidentally help their wives win a cake baking contest.
 
“The Loving Cup / Bedrock Surfers / Handicapped” (10/14/72) – Fred gets the trophy he’s supposed to give to Mr. Slate stuck on his head. / Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm compete in a couples-only surfing contest against the Bronto Bunch. / Fred tries to help Mr. Slate win a golf tournament to get out of working on a Saturday.
 
“Something Fishy / Amusement Park / A Pound in Time” (10/21/72) – Unfortunately, Wilma and Betty decide to accompany their husbands on a fishing trip. / The teens encounter a blowhard at the amusement park. / Fred and Barney join a health club to be able to fit their lodge uniforms again.
 
“Dummy Up / Bedrock Radio Rock Festival / Barney the Swami” (10/28/72) – A blow to the head causes Fred to become brutally honest. / The Bedrock Rockers record their songs for entry into a music contest. / Fred decides to take advantage of Barney’s sudden psychic powers.
 
“High Noon at Bedrock Pass / Cinderella / Training Pains” (11/4/72) – Fred dreams he and Barney are facing off against a western outlaw. / Bamm-Bamm plays the gender-reversed lead in the school’s production of Cinderella. / Fred trains Dino to compete in the pet show.
 
“Fred’s Big Brag / Schleprock’s Cousin / Fred’s Promise” (11/11/72) – Fred’s boast that he can tame a wild brontosaurus lands him in a ring at the rodeo show. / Schleprock’s cousin Shamrock comes to visit and brings good luck wherever he goes. / Fred promises not to talk about work while on the family vacation.
 
“The Big Breakup / Bedrock 300 / Candid Camerarock” (11/18/72) – When Barney breaks a bone painting Fred’s living room the doctor prescribes him bedrest at the Flintstones’. / Nobody seems to be respecting the rules of the race Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm enter. / Fred and Barney end up the victims of a prank TV show.
 
“Feet First / The Hobby Show / The Reluctant Candidates” (11/25/72) – Fred showing Barney how to win a sports car rally goes poorly when they’re quickly overtaken. / The teens organize an exhibit to show off their respective hobbies. / Fred and Barney end up running against each other for club president.
 
“Runaway Steaks / Moonrock’s Super Jumper Shoes / Citizen Flintstone” (12/2/72) – Fred and Barney chase their steaks on a runaway grill. / Moonrock’s jumping shoes turn things around for Bamm-Bamm’s school basketball team. / Fred makes a fool of himself on a talk show.
 
“The Big Splash / Moonrock’s Beauty Farm / Stage Flight” (12/9/72) – The planning authority kiboshes Fred’s plans for a pool. / Moonrock’s gal pals aren’t too thrilled with his beauty salon. / Pebbles and her friends shoot a film with Fred starring as the titular Peter Panstone.
 
“Oil Fooled / Cave Buggy Race / Sherlock Flintstone” (12/16/72) – An oil tycoon wants to buy Fred’s house, but Fred wants in on his company. / Pebbles and the girls soup up Bamm-Bamm’s cave buggy to enter into a race. / A misunderstanding leads Fred to believe his car was stolen and prompts him to investigate with Barney.
 
“Watch the Birdie / Schleprock / Mod Clod” (12/23/72) – Fred takes up photography and tries to win a magazine contest by snapping a rare pterodactyl. / Schleprock shows up the restaurant the gang works at and brings his usual chaos with him. / A gray hair leads Fred to a midlife crisis.
 
“The Suitor Computer / Army Dazed” (12/30/72) – Moonrock’s new matchmaking computer pairs Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm up with different people. / When Fred and Barney dress up in military clothing for a parade they end up in the real military.
 
“Beauty and the Beast / The Galloping Gourmets” (1/6/73) – Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm enter the annual masquerade ball contest. / Barney disguises himself as a cook to make dinner for Mr. Slate and an important client at the Flintstones’.

GEORGE PÉREZ DEAD AT 67

 

You can read the full story here.

The veteran comic creator had been involved with the creation or revitalization of various comic characters eventually adapted to the small screen. Notably, he voiced himself in a couple episodes of Teen Titans Go!

KORG: 70,000 B.C.

 

KORG: 70,000 B.C.
(ABC, September 7-December 21, 1974)
 
Hanna-Barbera Productions
 
 

MAIN CAST:

Jim Malinda – Korg

Bill Ewing – Bok

Naomi Pollack – Mara

Christopher Man – Tane

Charles Morteo – Tor

Janelle Pransky – Ree

Burgess Meredith – Narrator

 

 

 

            Korg: 70,000 B.C. was one of three “serious” programs made for ABC by Hanna-Barbera, as well as one of the studio’s rare live-action efforts. Created by Fred Freiberger, the series was meant to be an educational dramatization of Neanderthal life based on what science currently knew at the time. The American Museum of Natural History and The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History served as consultants.

The family: Mara, Ree, Tane, Korg, Bok and Tor.

            The Neanderthals in question were the family of the titular Korg (Jim Malinda), comprised of his mate, Mara (Naomi Pollack), his brother, Bok (Bill Ewing), and children Tane (Christopher Man), Tor (Charles Morteo) and Ree (Janelle Pransky). They were followed on their adventures foraging for food to survive, making sense of the world through their limited understanding, and dealing with other people they might encounter. Burgess Meredith provided occasional narration to set the scene and give an educational explanation into the characters’ thinking. Despite all the attempts at authenticity, the characters did speak regular English to each other for the audience’s benefit.

Home sweet cave.

            Korg: 70,000 B.C. debuted on ABC on September 7, 1974. The series was written by Freidberger, Willie Gilbert, Bernard M. Kahn, Maurice Tombragel, Oliver Crawford, Peter Dixon, David Dworski, Len Janson, Ian Martin, Chuck Menville, Dick Robbins and Henry Sharp, with Freidberger and Myles Wilder serving as consultants. Hoyt Curtin and Paul DeKorte composed the music with Pat Abbott, John Norin and Bob Westmoreland handling the special make-up and hair. Unfortunately, Korg fared as poorly in the ratings as the other “serious” shows, Devlin and These are the Days; especially in light of the fact that more action-oriented prehistoric fare debuted in the forms of Valley of the Dinosaurs and Land of the Lost. It was cancelled after its sole season, although it remained on the network schedule until August.

On the hunt.

            Two board games were released based on the show; one by Milton Bradley in the United States, and the other by John Sands Pty, ltd. in Australia. A ViewMaster reel set was released with stills from “The Picture Maker”. A tin lunchbox was released by Thermos depicting the family fighting off a wooly mammoth and fleeing a volcano in the distance. Charlton Comics published a 9-issue comic book series that ran from 1975-76. In 2012, Warner Archive released the complete series to DVD.

 

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Trapped” (9/7/74) – Ree and Tor must fend for themselves when the rest of the family ends up trapped in a cave because of an earthquake.
 
“The Blind Hunter” (9/14/74) – Tor is forced to lead a blind hunter that captured him back to his tribe.
 
“The Exile” (9/21/74) – Korg believes he’s cursed when he accidentally kills a woodpecker.
 
“The Running Fight” (9/28/74) – A snake bite causes Bok to hallucinate and believe his family are enemies.
 
“Bok Loses Courage” (10/5/74) – Korg devises a sneaky plan to restore Bok’s confidence in hunting after he’s wounded by a bear.
 
“The Hill People” (10/12/74) – When a neighboring tribe loses one of their hunters, Bok finds himself competing against the brother for his widow.
 
“The Eclipse of the Sun” (10/19/74) – Tane and Tor believe they angered the sun god when an eclipse happens after they enter a forbidden valley.
 
“The Big Water” (10/26/74) – Migrating for a new food source, Korg’s family discovers the ocean and Mara’s ankle becomes trapped as the tide begins to come in.
 
“The Beach People” (11/2/74) – A local tribe watches in amusement as Korg’s family struggles to survive in their new environment.
 
“The Web” (11/9/74) – A spider’s web gives Korg an idea on how to defeat the bear that trapped his family in a cave.
 
“The Picture Maker” (11/16/74) – Korg’s family meets a mute boy who communicates by drawing with pictures.
 
“The Ancient One” (11/23/74) – Korg, Bok and Tane meet a tired old man who waits in his own grave for death.
 
“The Story of Lumi” (11/30/74) – Korg’s family takes in a lost girl during a drought, but when her relatives arrive to retrieve her they also take Korg’s water supply.
 
“Tor’s First Hunt” (12/7/74) – Korg and Bok decide that Tor is now old enough to join them on the hunt.
 
“The River” (12/14/74) – Mara is afraid to cross a wide river with the rest of the family after two failed attempts.
 
“Ree and the Wolf” (12/21/74) – The family is uneasy about the wolf Ree frees and befriends.