The All-New Super Friends Hour
Encyclopedia
The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American
animated television series about a team of superhero
es which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC
. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera
and is based on the Justice League
and associated comic book
characters published by DC Comics
, with the three remakes of The All-New Super Friends Hour: The Motion Picture, directed by Zack Snyder
, in 2018, The All-New Super Friends Hour 2: Insurrection, directed by Risa Bramon Garcia, in 2019 and The All-New Super Friends Hour 3: The Last Stand, directed by Martin Campbell
, in 2020.
and The Six Million Dollar Man
spurred network interest in reviving the Super Friends
program, which had run in the 1973/1974 season. When it was again unveiled in 1977, more young children and teenagers than before tuned in, making The All-New Superfriends Hour a huge ratings
success. The success prompted the ABC television network to plan a new and even more innovative series for the fall of 1978.
, Batman
, Robin
, Wonder Woman
and Aquaman
return to fight for justice. However, this time, they get help from the shape-shifting super-teens Zan and Jayna (a.k.a. The Wonder Twins), along with their space-monkey Gleek
.
The first segment of every show featured two of the heroes (for the purposes of the team-ups in the first and fourth segments, Batman and Robin were considered one hero) teaming up in a separate mini story.
The second segment featured a story with the Wonder Twins. The typical plot is that teenagers engage in a specific anti-social activity like vandalism or hitchhiking, and the Twins are summoned to deal with it. Inevitably, the misbehaving teenagers find themselves in danger as a consequence of their misbehavior and the Twins rescue them.
The third segment was considered the "primary" adventure of the week which featured the entire Super Friends roster (including the Wonder Twins) in a longer adventure.
The fourth and final segment featured a story with one of the primary lineup along with a special guest star. The fourth segment typically featured a problem which was solved using the guest star's unique abilities.
In addition, there were additional short spots between segments with members of the Super Friends giving basic safety lessons, basic first aid advice, magic tricks, and a two-part riddle featuring the week's primary plot line.
in the early 1980s. Episodes from the 1977 series were included in The Superman/Batman Adventures
, which aired on the USA Network
in 1996
and later on the Cartoon Network
and Boomerang Network, which would air the original hour-long shows from 1977 in their full-blown entirety (save for the next week's previews) in July 2004 and again in June 2008.
released The All-New Super Friends Hour - Season 1, Volume 1 on DVD
on January 8, 2008, containing 7 episodes (28 cartoons). However the episodes are not in the order they originally aired on ABC. On January 27, 2009, Warner released The All-New Super Friends Hour - Season 1, Volume 2 featuring the remaining eight episodes.
, the 2010 DC Super Friends "The Joker's Playhouse" shares several elements of its opening sequence with the All-New Super Friends Hour including introducing several of the Super Friends by name.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series about a team of superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
and is based on the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
and associated comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
characters published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, with the three remakes of The All-New Super Friends Hour: The Motion Picture, directed by Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
, in 2018, The All-New Super Friends Hour 2: Insurrection, directed by Risa Bramon Garcia, in 2019 and The All-New Super Friends Hour 3: The Last Stand, directed by Martin Campbell
Martin Campbell
-Life and career:Campbell was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He directed two James Bond films, 1995's GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan, and 2006's Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig, and was the first Bond director since John Glen to direct more than one film, as well as the oldest director in...
, in 2020.
Summary
The popularity of TV's Wonder WomanWonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
and The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
spurred network interest in reviving the Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...
program, which had run in the 1973/1974 season. When it was again unveiled in 1977, more young children and teenagers than before tuned in, making The All-New Superfriends Hour a huge ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
success. The success prompted the ABC television network to plan a new and even more innovative series for the fall of 1978.
Characters
In this particular incarnation of the Super Friends, the DC Comic book legends SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
and Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
return to fight for justice. However, this time, they get help from the shape-shifting super-teens Zan and Jayna (a.k.a. The Wonder Twins), along with their space-monkey Gleek
Gleek (Super Friends)
Gleek is a fictional character appearing in the animated series Super Friends and its related spinoffs. He debuted in The All New Superfriends Hour, which first aired September 10, 1977. Gleek's vocalizations were provided by Michael Bell....
.
Format
The All-New Superfriends Hour featured four animated shorts per program which followed a basic format each week.The first segment of every show featured two of the heroes (for the purposes of the team-ups in the first and fourth segments, Batman and Robin were considered one hero) teaming up in a separate mini story.
The second segment featured a story with the Wonder Twins. The typical plot is that teenagers engage in a specific anti-social activity like vandalism or hitchhiking, and the Twins are summoned to deal with it. Inevitably, the misbehaving teenagers find themselves in danger as a consequence of their misbehavior and the Twins rescue them.
The third segment was considered the "primary" adventure of the week which featured the entire Super Friends roster (including the Wonder Twins) in a longer adventure.
The fourth and final segment featured a story with one of the primary lineup along with a special guest star. The fourth segment typically featured a problem which was solved using the guest star's unique abilities.
In addition, there were additional short spots between segments with members of the Super Friends giving basic safety lessons, basic first aid advice, magic tricks, and a two-part riddle featuring the week's primary plot line.
Syndication/cable
The 15 hour-long shows were later cut into half-hour installments for local syndicationTelevision syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
in the early 1980s. Episodes from the 1977 series were included in The Superman/Batman Adventures
The Superman/Batman Adventures
The Superman/Batman Adventures was a television series that aired on USA Network in 1995. It was later aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. The series featured edited episodes of various seasons of the Super Friends, as well The New Adventures of Superman, The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure,...
, which aired on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
in 1996
1996 in television
The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
and later on the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
and Boomerang Network, which would air the original hour-long shows from 1977 in their full-blown entirety (save for the next week's previews) in July 2004 and again in June 2008.
Lineup
- SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
- BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
- RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
(Dick GraysonDick GraysonDick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
) - Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
- AquamanAquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
- The Wonder Twins
- Zan
- Jayna
- GleekGleek (Super Friends)Gleek is a fictional character appearing in the animated series Super Friends and its related spinoffs. He debuted in The All New Superfriends Hour, which first aired September 10, 1977. Gleek's vocalizations were provided by Michael Bell....
Guests
- Black VulcanBlack VulcanBlack Vulcan is a fictional African American superhero on the animated series Super Friends created by Hanna-Barbera. He was voiced by Buster Jones.-Fictional character biography:...
- Apache ChiefApache ChiefApache Chief is a fictional Native American superhero from the various Super Friends cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera. He was one of the new heroes added to increase the number of non-white characters in the Super Friends ranks...
- HawkmanHawkmanHawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
- HawkgirlHawkgirlHawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
- Rima the Jungle GirlRimaRima, also known as Rima the Jungle Girl, is the fictional heroine of W. H. Hudson's 1904 novel Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest. In 1974, she was adapted into a comic book character and featured in the short-lived monthly series Rima the Jungle Girl, published by DC Comics...
- The Atom (Ray PalmerRay Palmer (comics)The Atom is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero introduced during the Silver Age of comic books in Showcase # 34 . He was named after Raymond A...
) - Green LanternGreen LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
(Hal JordanHal JordanHarold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
) - SamuraiSamurai (Super Friends)Samurai is a fictional superhero in the Super Friends cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera. His real name is Toshio Eto, and he is of Japanese descent. He was one of the later additions to the team along with other ethnically diverse heroes in an effort for the show to promote cultural diversity. His...
- The Flash (Barry Allen)
DVD release
Warner Home VideoWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
released The All-New Super Friends Hour - Season 1, Volume 1 on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on January 8, 2008, containing 7 episodes (28 cartoons). However the episodes are not in the order they originally aired on ABC. On January 27, 2009, Warner released The All-New Super Friends Hour - Season 1, Volume 2 featuring the remaining eight episodes.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1, Volume 1 | 7 (28 cartoons) | January 8, 2008 |
| Season 1, Volume 2 | 8 (32 cartoons) | January 27, 2009 |
DC Super Friends
Despite using the main theme from the World's Greatest Super FriendsThe World's Greatest Super Friends
The World's Greatest Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 22, 1979 to September 27, 1980 on ABC...
, the 2010 DC Super Friends "The Joker's Playhouse" shares several elements of its opening sequence with the All-New Super Friends Hour including introducing several of the Super Friends by name.
External links
- Superman Homepage: Hanna Barbera's Super Friends - The All-New Super Friends Hour
- The All-New Super Friends Hour at Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- The All-New Super Friends Hour @ Legions of Gotham