''Hot Wheels'' is a thirty-minute

Saturday-morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...

series broadcast on

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 ...

from 1969 to 1971, under the primary sponsorship of

Mattel Toys Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

. The show took pains to stress that it was "pro-safety", contrasting the safe and responsible behavior of the series' racing-club protagonists with the reckless behavior of their rivals. The show was criticized by the FCC, which considered it a half-hour commercial for toy cars. ABC contested the charge, saying that there was no prior commitment to Mattel, and that Hot Wheels cars were never advertised during the program. The network was backed up by the

National Association of Broadcasters The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a trade association and lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States. The NAB represents more than ...

, and the show remained on the ABC schedule for two seasons.

Synopsis

The series mainly focused on the racing exploits of a high school student, Jack "Rabbit" Wheeler, who led the ''Hot Wheels Racing Club''.

Voice cast

Bob Arbogast Robert "Bob" Arbogast (April 1, 1927 – March 21, 2009) was an American radio broadcaster, voice actor, and television host. Early life and education Bob was born in Bellingham, Washington, the only child of Lewis, a champion tennis player, st ...

as Doc Warren * Melinda Casey as Janet Martin *

Albert Brooks Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein ; July 22, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 1987's '' Broadcast News'' and was widely praised for his performance as a ...

as Kip Chogi * Susan Davis as Ardeth Pratt *

Casey Kasem Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) was an American disc jockey, actor, and radio personality, who created and hosted several radio countdown programs, notably '' American Top 40''. He was the first actor to voice Nor ...

as Dexter Carter *

Nora Marlowe Nora Marlowe (September 5, 1915 – December 31, 1977) was an American film and television character actress. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Marlowe was an actress best known for her role from 1973 to 1977 as boardinghouse owner/operator ...

as Mother O'Hare *

Michael Rye Michael Rye (born John Michael Riorden Billsbury; March 2, 1918 – September 20, 2012) was an American actor. His decades-long career spanned radio, television, animated cartoons and video games. Aside from his voice over work, Rye also acted in ...

as Jack "Rabbit" Wheeler

Episodes

Sky Sailor The Funny Money Caper Surf's Up The Winner The Hot Head Big Race The Family Car Fire Fighters The Jewel Fake Out - Stake Out The Buggy Ride Four Wheel Time Bomb Hit and Run It Takes a Team Ardeth the Demon (Ardeth the Highwayman) Like Father, Like Son Avalanche Country Danger Around the Clock Tough Cop Hotter Than the Devils Underground Rough Ride (The Test) Race to Space Monkey a-Okay Diamonds Are a Girls Worst Friend Big Heart, Little Hearts Get Back on That Horse Hitchhike to Danger Dragon's Tooth Peak The Doc Warren Trophy Race Show-Off Drag Strip Mata Hari Ardeth Slicker-Slicks

FCC action

Some time during the show's broadcast, the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

(FCC) received complaints from toy companies who argued that it was actually a thirty-minute commercial for the toys; one of them was Topper Toys, a rival to Mattel. The FCC obliged by ordering stations to log part of the airings as advertising time.

Home media

The show was available on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

in 2023.

International broadcast

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hot Wheels (Tv Series) American Broadcasting Company original programming 1969 American television series debuts 1971 American television series endings 1960s American animated television series 1970s American animated television series American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated sports television series Animated television series about auto racing English-language television shows Hot Wheels Jetix original programming Television series by CBS Studios Television shows based on Mattel toys