''The Skatebirds'' (onscreen title: ''Skatebirds'') is an American

live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

package program 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 ...

and broadcast on CBS from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978.

Overview

The Skatebirds consisted of three large costumed birds on roller skates: Knock-Knock, a woodpecker (voiced by Lennie Weinrib); Satchel, a pelican (voiced by Bob Holt) and Scooter, a penguin (voiced by

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor. He was best known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered vocal creations include Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ...

). Their nemesis was a cat named Scat Cat (voiced by

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 ...

). The live-action sequences featuring The Skatebirds mostly revolved around the nasty Scat Cat perpetually chasing the roller-skating trio and trying to get the best of them. Unlike the ''Banana Splits'' live-action segments, the Skatebirds were filmed in a variety of theme-park locations, rather than running around in a single studio. The show was divided into four short segments introduced by live action wraparounds with The Skatebirds characters which included three animated segments (''

The Robonic Stooges ''The Robonic Stooges'' is a Saturday morning animated series featuring the characters of The Three Stooges in new roles as clumsy crime-fighting cyborg superheroes. It was developed by Norman Maurer and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from ...

'', ''

Wonder Wheels ''Wonder Wheels'' is a Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired as a 5-minute segment on ''The Skatebirds'' from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978, on CBS. In the fall of 1979, ''Wonder ...

'' and '' Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives'') and a 10-minute live-action segment (''

Mystery Island ''Mystery Island'' is a live-action sci-fi adventure serial produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired as a segment on ''The Skatebirds'' from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978, on CBS. In the fall of 1979, ''Mystery Islan ...

''). The appearance of the characters and the show's format was similar to ''

The Banana Splits ''The Banana Splits'' is an American television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red marching band hats with yellow plumes. ...

''. Unlike its similar predecessor and most Saturday morning children's shows produced in the 1970s, ''The Skatebirds'' did not contain a laugh track. A total of 16 episodes of ''The Skatebirds'' were produced in its original run from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978. In the fall of 1979, the show returned to CBS in a shortened half-hour version with ''Wonder Wheels'' and ''Mystery Island'' segments (''The Robonic Stooges'' and ''Woofer & Whimper, Dog Detectives'' segments had been spun off into a separate half-hour) and broadcast on Sunday mornings from September 9, 1979, until January 25, 1981. In the late 1980s, a different syndicated half-hour version of ''The Skatebirds'' with ''The Robonic Stooges'' and ''Wonder Wheels'' segments was shown on USA Cartoon Express and later resurfaced on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...

in the 1990s and

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 ...

in the 2000s.

Opening and closing credits

The opening credits for the original one-hour version with voice-over narration by the show's recording director Wally Burr:

''It's Skatebird time and here come The Skatebirds –SKATEBIRDS (C) 1977 HANNA BARBERA PRODUCTIONS INC.- Knock-Knock, Scooter, Satchel and Scat Cat. Then, The Robonic Stooges, plus the spine-tingling suspense-filled excitement of Mystery Island, and the doggone it daffy doings of those dog detectives, Woofer & Whimper, and more...the unbelievable adventures of an unbelievable motorcycle, Wonder Wheels. For all-out fun, it's Satch, Knock-Knock, Scooter and Scat Cat...and for suspense, mystery and adventure, it's The Skatebirds Show!''

The opening credits for the syndicated half-hour version with voice-over narration by Ronnie Schell:

''It's Skatebird time starring Knock-Knock, Satchel and Scooter, those featheared clowns of fantasy. Along with Willie the Wheeler and the superhero cycle known as Wonder Wheels, as well as those three mechanical marbles, The Robonic Stooges. One big collection of wild, wacky and wonderful characters...The Skatebirds!''

The music featured in the closing credits is the ''

CB Bears ''CB Bears'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which aired on NBC from September 10 to December 3, 1977. As with many Hanna-Barbera shows of the time, ''CB Bears'' was an anthology series with six reg ...

'' theme which was also later used as the ending credits for ''

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 ...

''.

Segments

The Robonic Stooges

The characters of

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

– Moe (voiced by Paul Winchell), Larry (voiced by

Joe Baker Joseph Henry Baker (17 July 1940 – 6 October 2003) was an England international footballer. Born in Woolton in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland. He is notable for being the first ...

) and Curly (voiced by

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

) – as clumsy crime-fighting bionic superheroes who are given assignments via film projector from their boss Agent 000 (voiced by Ross Martin) who runs the Superhero Employment Agency.

Wonder Wheels

A high school journalist named Willie Wheeler (voiced by

Micky Dolenz George Michael Dolenz Jr. (born March 8, 1945) is an American actor, musician, TV producer and businessman. He is best known as the drummer and one of three primary vocalists for the pop- rock band the Monkees (1966–1970, and multiple reunion ...

) and his girlfriend Dooley (voiced by Susan Davis) solve crimes with the help of his shape-shifting superhero motorcycle Wonder Wheels. Whenever Willie goes into action, his beat-up motorcycle transforms itself into a flashy version with a mind of its own.

Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives

A shortened and re-titled version of ''Clue Club'' featuring two talking bloodhounds – Woofer & Wimper (voiced by Paul Winchell and

Jim MacGeorge James Andrew MacGeorge (October 9, 1928 – January 16, 2021) was an American voice actor, puppeteer, stand-up comedian and writer. He is also credited Jim McGeorge and James MacGeorge. Career He is probably best known for his voice roles as Be ...

) – who help solve mysteries with the Clue Club detectives: Larry (voiced by David Jolliffe), Pepper (voiced by Patricia Stitch), D.D. (voiced by

Bob Hastings Robert Francis Hastings (April 18, 1925 – June 30, 2014) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Lt. Elroy Carpenter on '' McHale's Navy'' and voicing Commissioner James Gordon in the DC Animated Universe. Early life Ha ...

), and Dottie (voiced by Tara Talboy) which usually ends with the bad guys arrested by

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Bagley (voiced by John Stephenson). The original half-hour episodes of ''Clue Club'' were cut-down to 10 minutes to showcase both dogs as the show's main characters.

Mystery Island

The adventures of a plane crew consisting of pilot Chuck Kelly (portrayed by Stephen Parr), computer expert Sue Corwin (portrayed by Lynn Marie Johnston), her younger brother Sandy (portrayed by Larry Volk), and their robot named P.O.P.S. (voiced by

) who stranded on a remote island by the evil scientist Dr. Strange (portrayed by Michael Kermoyan) after he used a tractor beam to bring their airplane down onto Mystery Island. Dr. Strange hopes to capture P.O.P.S. and use it in his quest for world domination.

Broadcast history

Original CBS broadcast: * CBS Saturday Morning: September 10, 1977 – January 21, 1978 * CBS Sunday Morning: September 9, 1979 – August 31, 1980 (rebroadcast) * CBS Sunday Morning: September 7, 1980 – January 25, 1981 (rebroadcast) Broadcast schedules (all EDT): * September 10, 1977 – November 12, 1977, CBS Saturday 9:30-10:30 AM * November 19, 1977 – January 21, 1978, CBS Saturday 8:00-9:00 AM * September 9, 1979 – March 1980, CBS Sunday 7:30-8:00 AM * March 1980 – August 31, 1980, CBS Sunday 7:00-7:30 AM * September 7, 1980 – January 25, 1981, CBS Sunday 8:00-8:30 AM

Skatebirds cast

Production credits

* DIRECTED BY: Sidney Miller ("Skatebirds" segments),

Hollingsworth Morse John Hollingsworth Morse (December 16, 1910 – January 23, 1988) was an American film and television director. He directed episodes of a wide variety of U.S. television series from the 1950s through the 1980s under the names Hollingsworth M ...

("Mystery Island" segments) * WRITTEN BY: Sid Morse, Norman Camaron ("Skatebirds" segments) * PRODUCED BY: Terry Morse, Jr. * DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Dennis Dalzell * CAMERAMAN: Gabriel Torres * SUPERVISING FILM EDITOR: Dick Elliott * EDITORS: Peter Berger, Warner Leighton, Peter Jennings * ASSISTANT FILM EDITOR: Barry Gold * MUSIC EDITORS: Joe Sandusky, Ken Hall * EFFECTS EDITORS: Gregory Watson, Terry Moore, Evelyn Rutledge, Rich Harrison, Cliff Kohlweck * COSTUME COORDINATOR: Charles De Moth * MAKE UP ARTIST: Robert Norin * SET DECORATOR: Leonard Mazzola * PROPERTY MASTERS: William Diets, William Hudson * "ROBONIC STOOGES" CREATED BY: Norman Maurer * STORY EDITORS: Norman Maurer, Sid Morse * STORY: Kathy Colburn, Tom Dagenais, Bill Daley, Dianne Dixon, Kari Oaurs, Andy Heyward, Chris Jenkyns, Mark Jones, Joan Maurer, Michael Maurer, Norman Maurer,

Jack Mendelsohn Jack Mendelsohn (November 8, 1926 – January 25, 2017) was an American writer-artist who worked in animation, comic strips and comic books. An Emmy-nominated television comedy writer and story editor, he had numerous credits as a TV scripter, ...

, Howie Post, Cliff Roberts, Sandy Sandifer * STORY DIRECTION: Alvaro Arce, Carl Fallberg, Cullen Houghtaling, Mike O'Connor, Don Sheppard, George Singer, Karran Wright * RECORDING DIRECTOR: Wally Burr * VOICES: Joe E. Baker, Wally Burr, Henry Corden,

, Susan Davis,

Ron Feinberg Ronald Aaron Feinberg (October 10, 1932 – January 29, 2005) was an American character and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. Career At 6' 7", the towering Feinberg played the character Fellini, opposite Don Johnson, in the ...

Joan Gerber Joan Gerber (July 29, 1935 – August 22, 2011) was an American voice actress who provided voices for a variety of cartoons. Her most challenging voice role was "all the children in a Japanese train wreck" for a '' Godzilla'' television episode ...

Virginia Gregg Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, Bob Holt, Jane James, Ralph James,

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 No ...

, David Jolliffe,

, Ross Martin, Julie McWhirter,

Allan Melvin Allan John Melvin (February 18, 1923 – January 17, 2008) was an American actor and impressionist, who was cast in hundreds of television episodes from the 1950s to the early 1990s, often appearing in recurring roles on various series. Some of th ...

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

, Vic Perrin,

Robert Ridgely Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931 – February 8, 1997) was an American actor, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work. Biography Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Ridgely worked as a cabaret entertainer.Staff"Robert Ridgely, 6 ...

, Ken Sansom, Ronnie Schell, Hal Smith, John Stephenson, Patricia Stitch, Tara Talboy,

Janet Waldo Janet Waldo (born Jeanette Marie Waldo; February 4, 1919 – June 12, 2016) was an American radio and voice actress. In animation, she voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in ''Shazzan'', Penelope Pitstop, Princess from '' ...

, Lennie Weinrib,

, Paul Winchell * GRAPHICS: Iraj Paran * MUSICAL DIRECTION: Hoyt Curtin * MUSICAL SUPERVISION: Paul DeKorte * CHARACTER DESIGN: Bob Singer, Norman Maurer, Lew Ott, George Wheeler * SPECIAL GRAPHICS DESIGN: Maria Dail, Dick Ung * LAYOUT SUPERVISION: Steve Lumley * LAYOUT: Bob Fosbry, Terry Moesker, Joe Shearer, Mike Trebert * BACKGROUNDS: Richard Zaloudek, Milan Zahorsky, Jerry Liew, Michael King-Prince, Peter Connell, Ken Wright, Michael Chojecki, Lesley Nicholl * ANIMATION: Sue Speak, Cecil Collins, Rodney D'Silva, Dick Dunn, Peter Eastment, John Ellis, Warwick Gilbert, Gerald Grabner, Sebastian Hurpia, Greg Ingram, Richard Jones, Cynthia Leech, Paul McAdam, Henry Neville, Ray Nowland, Di Rudder, Michael Stapleton, John Tych, Kaye Watts * ASSISTANT ANIMATION SUPERVISION: Paul Maron * ANIMATION CHECKING: Narelle Nixon * XEROGRAPHY: Ellen Bayley * INK AND PAINT SUPERVISION: Narelle Derrick * PRODUCTION MANAGERS: R.J. Louis, James Cranston * PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Tobi Singleton * PRODUCTION SUPERVISION: Doug Patterson, Mark D'Arcy-Irvine, Adrienne Smith * ART DIRECTOR: Kirk Axtell * ASSISTANT DIRECTORS: Marie Gisneros, Murray Schwartz * SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Hal Bell * SCRIPT SUPERVISORS: Mary Jane Ferguson, Lester Hoyle * SOUND DIRECTION: Richard Olson, Bill Getty * SOUND MIXERS: Manuel Topoto, James Pilcher * ANIMATION PHOTOGRAPHY: Terry Smith, Carole Laird, Mark D'Arcy-Irvine, Kieren Mulgrew, Tom Epperson * DUBBING SUPERVISION: Pat Foley * NEGATIVE CONSULTANT: William E. DeBoer * POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISION: Joed Eaton * ANIMATION DIRECTORS: Charles A. Nichols,

Chris Cuddington Chris Cuddington is an Australian animation director who worked at Hanna-Barbera Australia studios in Sydney during the 1970s and 1980s. At Hanna-Barbera (Australia), he was Animation Director for the following TV series: *''Clue Club'' (1976) ...

* CREATIVE PRODUCER: Iwao Takamoto * ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Neil Balnaves * EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist who co-founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian ...

and

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator and cartoonist who was the creator of ''Tom and Jerry'' as well as the voice actor for the two title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the anim ...

Other appearances

* The Skatebirds made a special guest appearance at a celebrity roast honoring

Fred Flintstone Fred Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom '' The Flintstones'', which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintsto ...

in the TV special ''

Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue ''Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Revue'' (onscreen title: ''Hanna-Barbera's All-Star Comedy Ice Review'') is a 1978 American live-action/animated television special produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions (in association with deFaria Productio ...

'' (1978).

Merchandise

* A board game based on ''The Skatebirds'' was released by

Milton Bradley Milton Bradley (November 8, 1836 – May 30, 1911) was an American business magnate, game pioneer and publisher, credited by many with launching the board game industry, with his eponymous enterprise, which was purchased by Hasbro in 1984, and ...

in 1978. It was a 2–3 player game suited for children between 7–12 years of age. The board also featured the characters of Woofer and Wimper (with the Clue Club teenagers and Sheriff Bagley) and The Robonic Stooges. The game's premise was The Skatebirds are trying to organize their TV show and Scat Cat does all he can to foul up their plans: he has built a marble slide at the Treehouse and does his best to stop The Skatebirds. The first player to reach the Skatebirds' Treehouse Studio wins the game. * A coloring book, ''Skatebirds Present The Robonic Stooges'', was released by

Rand McNally Rand McNally is an American technology and publishing company that provides mapping, software and hardware for consumer electronics, commercial transportation and education markets. The company is headquartered in Chicago, with a distribution c ...

in 1978.

References

External links

* *
''The Skatebirds''
at Hollywood.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Skatebirds 1977 American television series debuts 1978 American television series endings 1970s American animated television series 1970s American anthology television series 1970s American children's comedy television series American children's animated anthology television series American children's animated comedy television series American television series with live action and animation American television shows featuring puppetry CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series by Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera characters Crossover animated television series Television series about birds Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios