The World's Greatest Super Friends
The World's Greatest Superfriends | |
---|---|
Also known as | 'Super Friends IV' |
Genre |
Adventure Animation Superhero fiction |
Created by |
E. Nelson Bridwell Carmine Infantino Julius Schwartz (consultants) |
Written by |
Jeffrey Scott Bob Kane William M. Marston Joe Shuster Jerry Siegel |
Directed by |
Ray Patterson Oscar Dufau Carl Urbano George Gordon |
Creative director(s) | Iwao Takamoto |
Voices of |
Michael Bell William Callaway Danny Dark Shannon Farnon Casey Kasem Olan Soule Liberty Williams |
Narrated by | William Woodson |
Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
Composer(s) |
Hoyt Curtin Paul DeKorte |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 8 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Producer(s) | Don Jurwich |
Editor(s) | Nancy Massie (color key) |
Running time | 30 minutes (including commercials) |
Production company(s) |
Hanna-Barbera Productions DC Comics |
Distributor |
Taft Broadcasting (original) Warner Bros. Television (current) |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | September 22, 1979 – September 27, 1980 |
Chronology | |
Preceded by | Challenge of the Super Friends |
Followed by | Super Friends |
The World's Greatest Superfriends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 22, 1979 to September 27, 1980 on ABC. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.
Summary
This particular incarnation of Super Friends relied heavily on folklore and classic fairy tales for plots. One episode in particular, "The Lord of Middle Earth", was inspired by the novel The Lord of the Rings, in which the team journeys to Middle-earth to save the inhabitants from an evil wizard. The series also borrowed from (then) contemporary politics, as the main villain Kareem Azar in "Rub Three Times for Disaster" is almost a carbon copy of the late Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Ruholla Mussaui Khomenei (1900–1989).
Characters
- Superman – The Supermobile appeared in the episode "Lex Luthor Strikes Back". In the episode "Terror at 20,000 Fathoms", Superman gives Aquaman, the Wonder Twins and Gleek a guided tour of the Fortress of Solitude showing off many structures such as the Bottle City of Kandor.
- Batman
- Robin
- Wonder Woman - She remained in her animated form throughout the Super Friends series after CBS ended her live action television series.
- Aquaman
- Wonder Twins
- Gleek
Episodes
Cast
- Marlene Aragon - Wicked Witch of the Worst-kind (in "The Planet of Oz")
- Michael Bell – Zan, Gleek, Hellion (in "Lex Luthor Strikes Back"), Gore (in "The Super Friends Meet Frankenstein"), Logan (in "Space Knights of Camelon"), Gorka (in "The Lord of Middle Earth), Henchman #3 (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- William Callaway – Aquaman, Orville Gump (in "Lex Luthor Strikes Back")
- Danny Dark – Superman, Rebel (in "Space Knights of Camelon"), Soldier (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- Shannon Farnon – Wonder Woman, Lois Lane (in "Lex Luthor Strikes Back"), Dr. Pali (in "The Super Friends Meet Frankenstein")
- Pat Fraley - Sir James (in "Space Knights of Camelon")
- Bob Holt - Baldeskam (in "The Lord of Middle Earth"), Captain Nemoy (in "Terror at 20,000 Fathoms"), Wizard of Oz (in "The Planet of Oz")
- Stan Jones - Lex Luthor (in "Lex Luthor Strikes Back"), Kareem Azar (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster"), Fortress Guard (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster"), Submarine Captain (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- Casey Kasem – Robin, Henchman #2 (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- James Reynolds -
- Stanley Ralph Ross - Dr. Frankenstein (in "The Super Friends Meet Frankenstein"), Frankenstein Monster (in The Super Friends Meet Frankenstein"), Mal Havoc (in "The Lord of Middle Earth"), Genie of Olam (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- Michael Rye - King Arthur 7 (in "Space Knights of Camelon"), Ogar (in "Space Knights of Camelon"), Henchman #1 (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster"), Scientist (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- Olan Soule – Batman, Dr. Simms (in "The Super Friends Meet Frankenstein"), O'Brien (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster"), Citizen (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster")
- Vernee Watson-Johnson -
- Frank Welker - Mister Mxyzptlk (in "The Planet of Oz"), Crows (in "The Planet of Oz")
- Liberty Williams – Jayna
- William Woodson – Narrator, The Sultan of Zagdad (in "Rub Three Times for Disaster"), Vol (in "Lex Luthor Strikes Back"), Warden McKay (in "Lex Luthor Strikes Back"), Little William (in "Space Knights of Camelon")
DC Super Friends
The main title theme for the direct-to-video original animation DC Super Friends: The Joker's Playhouse (2010) is from the World's Greatest Super Friends.
Home media releases
The complete season four was released on DVD titled "The World's Greatest Super Friends: And Justice for All" as a Target exclusive on April 23, 2013. It was scheduled to be a general retail release ("at all sellers who decide to participate") starting November 12, 2013.[1]
References
- ↑ "The World's Greatest Super Friends DVD news: Announcement for The World's Greatest Super Friends - Season 4: And Justice For All". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2013-09-08. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
External links
- The World's Greatest Super Friends at Big Cartoon DataBase
- The World's Greatest Super Friends at the Internet Movie Database
- The World's Greatest Super Friends at TV.com
- The World's Greatest SuperFriends @ Legions of Gotham