The Skatebirds

Infobox Television
show_name = The Skatebirds


caption =
genre = Anthology
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 60 minutes
director = Sidney Miller
developer =
producer = Terry Morse, Jr.
executive_producer = William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
starring =
voices = Scatman Crothers
Lennie Weinrib
Bob Holt
Don Messick
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = flagcountry|USA
location =
language = English
network = CBS
first_aired = September 10, 1977
last_aired = January 28, 1978
num_series =
num_episodes = 16
list_episodes =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website =
imdb_id = 0245663
tv_com_id =

"The Skatebirds" was a 60-minute show on CBS Saturday mornings from 1977-78, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show featured four short segments hosted by live-action wraparounds featuring "The Skatebirds", three large birds played by actors in costumes.

The Skatebirds, so-called because they roller skated, were named Satchel (a pelican), Knock-Knock (a woodpecker) and Scooter (a penguin). Their nemesis was Scat-Cat, voiced by Scatman Crothers who had previously played Hanna-Barbera's "Hong Kong Phooey" and a character also named Scat Cat from the Disney movie "The Aristocats". The appearance of the characters and the format of the show was similar to Hanna-Barbera's "The Banana Splits".

"The Skatebirds" lasted only a half-season in its original run from September 10, 1977 to January 28, 1978. In the fall of 1979, the show was cut down to a half-hour by removing "Mystery Island" and broadcast on CBS Sunday mornings on and off until January 1981. In the late 1980s, the shortened version of "The Skatebirds" (featuring "The Robonic Stooges" and "Wonder Wheels") was shown on USA Cartoon Express and later resurfaced on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

egments

* "The Robonic Stooges" - a cartoon featuring bionic versions of the Three Stooges who are secret agents that fight crime.
* "Wonder Wheels" - a cartoon about a teenage boy and his living, shape-shifting motorcycle, Wonder Wheels.
* "Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives" - edited version of "Clue Club" episodes featuring two talking dogs who help solve mysteries with four teenage detectives.
* "Mystery Island" - a live-action adventure serial about the crew of a downed plane and their robot P.O.P.S. trying to escape the wrath of Dr. Strange.

Cast & voices

* Scat-Cat - actor: Maurice Cook; voice: Scatman Crothers
* Knock-Knock - actor: Bruce Hoyt; voice: Lennie Weinrib
* Satchel - actor: Ken Means; voice: Bob Holt
* Scooter - actor: Joe Giamalva; voice: Don Messick

Production credits

*EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: WILLIAM HANNA and JOSEPH BARBERA
*ANIMATION DIRECTORS: Charles A. Nichols and Chris Cuddington
*CREATIVE PRODUCER: Iwao Takamoto
*"Skatebirds" sequences Directed by: Sidney Miller
*"Skatebirds" Written by: Sid Morse and Norman Camaron
*PRODUCED BY: Terry Morse, Jr.
*"Skatebirds" CAST: Maurice Cook (Scat Cat), Bruce Hoyt (Knock-Knock), Ken Means (Satchel), Joe Giamalva (Scooter)
*DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Dennis Dalzell
*CAMERA MAN: Gabriel Torres
*COSTUME DESIGN: Charles De Moth
*MAKE-UP ARTIST: Robert Norin
*SET DECORATOR: Leonard Mazzola
*PROPERTY MASTERS: William Diets, William Hudson
*"Robonic Stooges" CREATED BY: Norman Maurer
*ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Neil Balnaves, Art Scott
*STORY EDITORS: Norman Maurer, Sid Morse
*STORY: Kathy Colburn, Tom Dagenais, Dill Dailey, Dianne Dixon, Kari Oaurs, Andy Heyward, Chris Jenkyns, Mark Jones, Joan Maurer, Michael Maurer, Norman Maurer, Jack Mendelsohn, Howie Post, Cliff Roberts, Sandy Sandifer
*STORY DIRECTION: Alvaro Arce, Carl Fallberg, Cullen Houghtaling, Mike O'Connor, Don Sheppard, George Singer, Karren Wright
*RECORDING DIRECTOR: Wally Burr
*VOICES: Joe E. Baker, Wally Burr, Henry Corden, Scatman Crothers, Susan Davis, Mickey Dolenz, Ron Feinberg, Joan Gerber, Virginia Gregg, Bob Hastings, Bob Holt, Jane James, Ralph James, David Joliffe, Casey Kasem, Jim MacGeorge, Ross Martin, Julie McWhirter, Allan Melvin, Don Messick, Alan Oppenheimer, Vic Perrin, Robert Ridgely, Ronnie Schell, Hal Smith, John Stephenson, Patricia Stitch, Tara Talboy, Janet Waldo, Lennie Weinrib, Frank Welker, Paul Winchell
*GRAPHICS: Iraj Paran
*MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Hoyt Curtin
*MUSIC SUPERVISION: Paul DeKorte
*CHARACTER DESIGN: Bob Singer, Norman Maurer, Lew Ott, George Wheeler
*SPECIAL GRAPHICS DESIGN: Maria Dail, Dick Ung
*LAYOUT SUPERVISOR: Steve Lumley
*LAYOUT: Bob Fosbry, Terry Moesker, Joe Shearer, Mike Trebert
*ANIMATION: Sue Beak, Geoff 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, Jean Tych, Kaye Watts
*ASSISTANT ANIMATION SUPERVISOR: Paul Maron
*BACKGROUNDS: Richard Zaloudek, Milan Zahorsky, Jerry Liew, Michael King-Prince, Peter Connell, Ken Wright, Michael Chojecki, Lesley Nicholl
*XEROGRAPHY: Ellen Bayley
*INK AND PAINT SUPERVISION: Narelle Derrick, Billie Kerns
*PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Tobi Singleton
*PRODUCTION SUPERVISION: Doug Paterson, Mark D'Arcy-Irvine, Adrienne Smith
*ART DIRECTOR: Kirk Axtell
*ASSISTANT DIRECTORS: Marie Gisneros, Murray Schwartz
*SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Hal Bell
*SCRIPT SUPERVISOR: Mary Jane Ferguson, Lester Hoyle
*SOUND DIRECTION: Richard Olson, Bill Getty
*SOUND MIXERS: Manuel Topoto, James Picher
*SUPERVISING FILM EDITOR: Dick Elliott
*MUSIC EDITORS: Joe Sandusky, Ken Hall
*ASSISTANT FILM EDITOR: Barry Gold
*EFFECT EDITORS: Gregory Watson, Terry Moore, Evelyn Rutledge, Rich Harrison, Cliff Kohlweck
*EDITORS: Peter Berger, Warner Leighton, Peter Jennings
*ANIMATION CHECKING: Terry Smith, Carole Laird, Mark D'Arcy-Irvine, Kieren Mulgrew, Tom Epperson
*DUBBING SUPERVISOR: Pat Foley
*NEGATIVE CONSULTANT: William E. DeBoer
*PRODUCTION MANAGERS: R.J. Louis, James Cranston, Jayne Barbera
*POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR: Joed Eaton
*A HANNA-BARBERA PRODUCTION
*"'© 1977 HANNA-BARBERA PRODUCTIONS, INC.

External links

* [http://www.70slivekidvid.com/skate.htm "The Skatebirds" information]
* [http://www.70slivekidvid.com/mystery.htm "Mystery Island" information]
* [http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Hanna-Barbera_Studios/S/Skatebirds/index.html "The Skatebirds" @ The Big Cartoon DataBase]