''Mystery Island'' is a live-action
sci-fi
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...
serial produced by
Hanna-Barbera Productions
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
that originally aired as a segment on ''
The Skatebirds
''The Skatebirds'' (onscreen title: ''Skatebirds'') is an American live-action/animated package program produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on CBS from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978.
Overview
The Skatebirds consisted of ...
'' from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978, on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
.
In the fall of 1979, ''Mystery Island'' continued to air on ''The Skatebirds'' when the show returned to CBS in a shortened half-hour version on Sunday mornings until January 25, 1981. In September 2005, episodes resurfaced on
Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...
and were rebroadcast as part of ''
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
''Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels'' is an American animated mystery comedy series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for ABC. The series aired during the network's Saturday morning schedule from S ...
''.
Summary
The series follows the adventures of three young people: Chuck Kelly (
Stephen Parr), a pilot; Sue Corwin (
Lynn Marie Johnston), a computer expert; her younger brother Sandy (
Larry Volk) and their computer robot called P.O.P.S. (voiced by
Frank Welker). The trio become stranded on a remote island after the evil
mad scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or " insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly a ...
Dr. Strange (
Michael Kermoyan
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
) uses his projector beam ray to crash their plane. Dr. Strange hopes to capture P.O.P.S. and use it in his quest for world domination.
''Mystery Island'' was very similar in scope to
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (born April 9, 1937) are a Canadian sibling team of television creators and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they have made numerous children's television a ...
's 1976 live-action series ''
Dr. Shrinker'' (from ''
The Krofft Supershow
''The Krofft Supershow'' was a Saturday morning children's variety show, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. It aired for two seasons from September 11, 1976, to September 2, 1978, on ABC.
Background
The show was composed of several live-action se ...
'') which also saw a trio of humans on a plane brought down to the island of a different mad scientist. A total of sixteen episodes of ''Mystery Island'' were produced, each running ten minutes and included a
cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
that was resolved in the next installment.
Characters
Main characters
* Chuck Kelly (portrayed by
Stephen Parr) - A dedicated young pilot stranded on Mystery Island with Sue and Sandy Corwin and their robot P.O.P.S. He is determined to get the group safely back to civilization, and though sometimes prone to rash decisions, often sticks his neck out for the others.
* Sue Corwin (portrayed by
Lynn Marie Johnston) - A pretty and feisty young computer expert whose scientist father created the robot P.O.P.S. Though she is skeptical about P.O.P.S.' claims of having feelings, she does care for the robot's well-being, as well as for her brother and Chuck.
* Sandy Corwin (portrayed by
Larry Volk) - Her likeable adolescent brother. Though he frequently argues with his sister, the two care for each other. He looks up to Chuck, and has a good rapport with P.O.P.S., often defending the robot's claims to feeling emotions. He is also an accomplished high school gymnast.
* P.O.P.S. (voiced by
Frank Welker) - The robot whose vast intelligence and ability to speak many languages has made him the target of Dr. Strange. He is similar to
C-3PO
C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise who appears in the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Built by Anakin Skywalker, was designed as a protocol droid intended to assis ...
in that both function as comic relief, and have a prim and fussy British butler type of personality, and a tendency to fret whenever a dangerous situation arises. He claims to be capable of feelings. The P.O.P.S. prop costume was a re-use of the original
Robot B-9 from the 1960s television series ''
Lost in Space
''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...
'', modified with a bubble on its shoulders, a cylindrical (rather than bubble) head, a blue-and-white paint job, and other minor changes
P.O.P.S. image.. It has since been restored to its original Robot B-9 appearance.
Villains
* Dr. Strange (portrayed by
Michael Kermoyan
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
) - The principal villain of the series. He is a mad scientist obsessed with obtaining P.O.P.S. and using his vast knowledge to give him world domination. Doctor Strange's full real name, if he even had one, was never revealed throughout the series' run. He should not be confused with the
Marvel Comics superhero of the same name.
** Krieg (portrayed by
Henry Corden
Henry Corden (born Henry Cohen; January 6, 1920 – May 19, 2005) was a Canadian-born American actor, best known for taking over the role of Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed's death in 1977. His official debut as Fred's new voice was in the 1 ...
) - Dr. Strange's nasty but inept chief henchman. He wants very much to impress his boss but usually falls short.
** Sly (actor unknown) - A bald-headed oaf who is unofficially Krieg's second-in-command and somewhat smarter, usually the first to question his superior's dubious decisions.
** Crunch (actor unknown) - Another of Dr. Strange's thuggish henchmen, and their unofficial clown. He's usually the first to be "volunteered" whenever Dr. Strange needs a human "guinea-pig" to test a new weapon on.
** The
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...
- Dr. Strange's pet which appears occasionally. It seems to be the one thing Dr. Strange shows any affection for, similar to
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a character (arts), fictional character and villain from the James Bond series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming. A criminal mastermind with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the Secret In ...
with his
cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
.
There are at least two other henchmen, but they are never named and never speak, and are played by two sets of actors who switch from episode to episode.
Other characters
* The Mud People - The mud-covered island natives who pursue P.O.P.S., believing the robot to be a god. They speak in some kind of primitive language that only P.O.P.S. and Titan can understand and translate.
* The
Bird Men - A race of humanoid birds from the planet Falconia who were transported to Mystery Island by Dr. Strange prior to the beginning of the series.
** Wark (actor unknown) - A Bird Man who can speak in English. He is determined to turn Sue Corwin into a bird-woman to serve his people as their new princess and oracle.
* The Lava Man (actor unknown) - A huge, hulking creature made of lava who befriends the Corwins and Chuck after they save his life. He communicates mainly in grunting and a kind of gibberish which only P.O.P.S. can translate. The Lava Man has a bit of a crush on Sue.
* The
Ape
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
Men - A race of super-intelligent apes that are the result of an experiment in evolution by Dr. Strange to whom they are very loyal as they wish him to advance them into human beings. The Ape Men are shown to be afraid of the Mud People.
** Korba - The leader of the Ape Men.
* Titan (voice actor unknown) - A massive computer with artificial intelligence who considers all humans inferior, except possibly its creator Dr. Strange.
Episodes
References
External links
*
''Mystery Island''at 70s Live Kid Vid
''Mystery Island''at Saturday Morning Cult-TV Blogging
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mystery Island
1977 American television series debuts
1977 American television series endings
1970s American children's television series
American children's adventure television series
American children's mystery television series
American children's science fiction television series
CBS original programming
Television shows set on islands
Television series about robots
Television series by Hanna-Barbera
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
English-language television shows