Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block is an hour-long live-action/animated television series. It was produced by Filmation, and broadcast on ABC in 1975–76.[1]
| Uncle Croc's Block | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Live action/animation |
| Starring | Charles Nelson Reilly Jonathan Harris Alfie Wise |
| Voices of | Kenneth Mars Allan Melvin Alan Oppenheimer Robert Ridgely Lennie Weinrib |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer Dick Rosenbloom |
| Running time | 60 minutes, later 30 minutes |
| Production company | Filmation |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Color |
| Original release | September 6, 1975 – February 14, 1976 |
The show was a spoof of live kids' shows, with Charles Nelson Reilly playing the eponymous Uncle Croc, a crocodile that hated his job as the show's host. Also featured were Alfie Wise as his rabbit sidekick, Mr. Rabbit Ears, and Jonathan Harris as Basil Bitterbottom, the show-within-a-show's frustrated director. A motorcycle-riding bird named Koo Koo Knievel (a parody of stuntman Evel Knievel) popped out of a clock to announce when it was "Star Time", and a celebrity "guest" would appear.[2]
The series premiered at 10:30 am ET on September 6, 1975. Uncle Croc's Block was up against the second half of the popular The Shazam!/Isis Hour (another Filmation property) and Far Out Space Nuts on CBS. The show, which was fitted with an adult laugh track, was shortened to 30 minutes, then scrapped on February 14, 1976, after half a season on the air.[3]
As a result of the show's poor performance, ABC president Fred Silverman severed all ties with Filmation and began commissioning its Saturday morning cartoons from Hanna-Barbera, with which he had had a working relationship during his time at CBS. In an attempt to save ratings, Filmation had planned to repackage the repeated Groovie Goolies episodes as a new segment, redubbed the Super Fiends (capitalizing on the title of rival Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends), but the show was shelved before the change could be incorporated. The animated segments were featured in the Filmation syndicated package, The Groovie Goolies and Friends, and also resurfaced in the home video market in the 1980s.
Star Time
Each episode contained a "Star Time" segment in which parodies of popular characters appeared, usually making denigrating remarks about the show and/or its staff, and demonstrating their abilities (or lack thereof). Guests included:
- Captain Klangeroo is a parody of Captain Kangaroo.
- Mr. Mean Jeans (played by Huntz Hall) is a parody of Mr. Greenjeans.
- Sherlock Domes (played by Carl Ballantine) is a parody of Sherlock Holmes.
- Dr. Watkins (played by Stanley Adams) is the sidekick of Sherlock Domes. He is a parody of Dr. Watson.
- Witchie Goo Goo (played by Phyllis Diller) is a witch whose prince-conjuring spell always summons a never-willing Basil to her. She is a parody of Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf.
- Junie the Genie (played by Alice Ghostley) is an allegedly teenaged genie. She is a parody of Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie with a bit of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
- Billy Bratson (played by Marvin Kaplan as Captain Marbles) says "Shazowie" to turn into the superhero Captain Marbles, in the same way Billy Batson transformed into Captain Marvel by saying "Shazam!".
- Steve Exhaustion, The $6.95 Man (played by Robert Ridgely) is a cyborg that always falls apart. He is a parody of Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man.
- Old Fogey Bear is a manic-depressive bear. He is a parody of Yogi Bear.
- Miss Invis is a woman who falsely claims to be able to make herself invisible.
Cartoon segments
The show also included the cartoon shorts:
- M*U*S*H (short for Mangy Unwanted Shabby Hounds): Sled dogs (voiced by Kenneth Mars and Robert Ridgely) work at a medical outpost in the frozen wasteland of Upper Saboonia. This cartoon is a lampoon of M*A*S*H.
- Fraidy Cat: Fraidy Cat (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) is haunted by the ghosts of eight of his nine lives (each voiced by Lennie Weinrib).
- Wacky and Packy: A prehistoric caveman and his pet woolly mammoth (both voiced by Allan Melvin) end up trapped in modern times.
References
- Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 299–301. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 448. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 880–882. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Erickson, Hal. Television Cartoon Shows: The shows, M-Z. p. 882.
- Terrace, Vincent. Television: 1970-1980. p. 206.