''The Bod Squad'' is a series of short public service announcements broadcast on Saturday mornings on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
television network
A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid- ...
, from 1974 through 1988. These thirty-second and one-minute segments promoted healthy
nutrition
Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...
and
personal hygiene
Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...
through humorous animation and catchy music with clever lyrics. The shorts were written by
Lynn Ahrens
Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle ...
and animated by
DePatie–Freleng Enterprises
DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (also known as Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng Productions when involved with the Mirisch brothers and Geoffrey Productions; and DFE Films) was an American animation production company that was active from 1963 to 1 ...
.
The segments generally appeared at half-hour intervals, interspersed with regular commercials, between Saturday morning cartoon programs. While many were not labeled as such, the first four segments ended with an announcement, "Another nutritional message from the
ABC Television Network
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Califor ...
", and accompanying stock animation identifying the series as ''The ABC Bod Squad''. The same original segments produced in the 1970s repeated every Saturday morning for several years, so that many if not most American TV-watching children during that period are familiar with them. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s ABC broadcast several other series of educational public service cartoon spots as well, including ''
Time for Timer
''Time for Timer'' is a series of seven short public service announcements broadcast on Saturday mornings on the ABC television network starting in 1975. The animated spots feature Timer, a tiny cartoon character who represents the sense of time ...
'' and, perhaps the most famous of all, ''
Schoolhouse Rock
''Schoolhouse Rock!'' is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming block on the U.S. television network ABC. The th ...
''.
Episodes
* Yuk Mouth: Yuk Mouth (
Scatman Crothers
Benjamin Sherman Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986), known professionally as Scatman Crothers, was an American actor and musician. He is known for playing Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show '' Chico and the Man'', and Dick Hal ...
) doesn't brush his teeth and eats junk food, causing him to get a cavity.
* The Munchies: encourages children to do other things instead of letting "the Munchies" make them eat more.
* Quickfast: suggesting pre-made or leftover foods for breakfast, or easily prepared foods such as toast, for children who don't have much time to eat breakfast.
* Nutty Gritty:
Scatman Crothers
Benjamin Sherman Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986), known professionally as Scatman Crothers, was an American actor and musician. He is known for playing Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show '' Chico and the Man'', and Dick Hal ...
sings about making a "Nutty Gritty" snack with nuts and raisins.
Three more ''Bod Squad'' shorts were produced in 1977:
* Chopper: The Chopper, a
Fonzie
Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom '' Happy Days'' (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lea ...
lookalike, reminds you to exercise your teeth with healthy food.
* Make A Saturday: about using healthy foods such as bananas and yogurt to make a "Saturday", which is like a sundae.
* Don't Drown Your Food: Louis the Lifeguard (
Arnold Stang
Arnold Sidney Stang (September 28, 1918 – December 20, 2009) ''
) rescues a drowning potato and encourages children not to overuse condiments, such as gravy, ketchup and salad dressing, and learn to enjoy the natural flavors of vegetables, eggs, etc.