The Krofft Supershow episode guide: season one

Recently a little birdie brought me bootleg copies, mostly edited, of the hour-long versions of all 32 episodes of The Krofft Supershow. Since this hasn’t actually been properly documented in this form anywhere – although somebody at IMDB did a reasonable job with some of the component parts – I thought I’d save this for posterity.

Notes:

1. The first season initially aired as a 90-minute show that included new episodes of Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, and Electra Woman & Dyna Girl along with repeats of the previous season’s Lost Saucer. At some point – and this is the sort of thing I could clear up at a good library with the 1976-77 season of TV Guide on microfilm – it was reduced to one hour, and the Saucer repeats were dropped. (Next Episode suggests that it became one hour from episode # 13.)

The existing copies that are available for syndication are the one-hour versions, although episodes 1, 5, and 13 do contain a screen of Saucer credits within the end titles. Episode five further contains a “next week” clip of the Saucer installment “Get a Dorse.” Compounding the problem, the existing copies range from 48 to 53 minutes in length, indicating that the shorter ones come from broadcasts that trimmed some of the songs and the “next week” clips for extra commercials.

2. The dates cannot honestly be said to be completely confirmed, because TV Guide was unlikely to have printed show synopses for Saturday morning kiddie shows. Nevertheless, it’s reasonable to assume, given September 11, 1976 as the date of the first broadcast, that it aired new episodes for 16 consecutive weeks before starting repeats. The “next week” previews and clips confirm that the order below is accurate.

3. Season one’s songs by Kaptain Kool and the Kongs were written by the Osmonds, but they don’t appear to have ever been commercially released like the second year’s were. The Shazam app doesn’t recognize any of them, so I’m just guessing what the names of the songs are.

4. Sadly, the songs and the comedy bits provide a very poor record of the interior of the World of Sid and Marty Krofft amusement park in Atlanta, which actually shut down between the broadcast of episodes nine and ten. There are very brief glimpses of the carousel and the ridiculously long escalator, which is still in use as part of the CNN Studio Tour, but overall it’s a massive missed opportunity; there’s not even an establishing shot of any of the rides.

Kaptain Kool and the Kongs performed their tunes in the ground floor atrium beneath the park, and some of the skits were taped in the old ice skating rink. In the mid-1990s, the space became a food court where people typically grab a meal from one of several national fast food chains before going into State Farm Arena for a Hawks game. In 1976, the space was a dinky mall with several quasi-chains like Electronics America (equivalent to a Radio Shack), a 32 Flavors Ice Cream (one more than Baskin-Robbins’ 31), and a Taco Factory (sorta Del Taco). Most of the shops and restaurants continued into the late 1980s before CNN moved in and whipped the place into shape.

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode one, shown September 11, 1976
Wonderbug: “Go West, Young Schlepcar” written by Duane Poole & Dick Robbins, guest stars Richard Foronjy, Read Morgan
Song: “Kaptain Kool and the Kongs”
Dr. Shrinker: “Pardon Me, King Kong” written by Si Rose
Song: “Get Dancing”
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “The Sorcerer’s Golden Trick, part one” written by Dick Robbins & Duane Poole, guest stars Michael Constantine (The Sorcerer), Susan Lanier (Miss Dazzle)

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode two, shown September 18, 1976
Wonderbug: “Schlepnapped” written by Mark Fink, guest stars Dick Dinman, Ted Noose, Avery Schreiber
Song: “Leave Her Alone”
Dr. Shrinker: “The Other Brad” written by Ed Jurist
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “The Sorcerer’s Golden Trick, part two” written by Dick Robbins & Duane Poole, guest stars Michael Constantine (The Sorcerer), Susan Lanier (Miss Dazzle), James Mock

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode three, shown September 25, 1976
Wonderbug: “I Kidd You Not” written by Jack Mendelsohn, guest stars Billie Hayes, Frank Christi, Steve Kanaly
Song: “Gonna Get Your Love”
Dr. Shrinker: “The Shake-Up” written by Donald R. Boyle
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Glitter Rock, part one” written by Dick Robbins & Duane Poole, guest stars John Mark Robinson (Glitter Rock), Jeff David, Michael Blodgett

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode four, shown October 2, 1976
Wonderbug: “Keep on Schleppin” written by Mark Fink, guest stars Carmen Filipi, Sid Haig, Ken Johnson
Dr. Shrinker: “Gordie’s Bird” written by Si Rose
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Glitter Rock, part two” written by Dick Robbins & Duane Poole, guest stars John Mark Robinson (Glitter Rock), Jeff David, Michael Blodgett

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode five, shown October 9, 1976
Wonderbug: “The Maltese Gooneybird” written by Duane Poole & Dick Robbins, guest stars William Bassett, Lezlie Dalton
Song: “Gonna Get Your Love”
Dr. Shrinker: “Dr. Shrinker Shrinks” written by Bernie Kahn
Song: “Get Dancing”
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “The Empress of Evil, part one” written by Dick Robbins and Duane Poole, guest stars Claudette Nevins (The Empress), Jacqueline Hyde

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode six, shown October 16, 1976
Wonderbug: “The Big Bink Bank Bungle” written by Earle Doud & Chuck McCann, guest stars Robert H. Burns, Sam Haggin, Anthony Ponzini
Song: “Nothing I Can Do”
Dr. Shrinker: “The Sands Document, part one” written by Leo Rifkin, guest star Gordon Jump
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “The Empress of Evil, part two” written by Dick Robbins and Duane Poole, guest stars Claudette Nevins (The Empress), Jacqueline Hyde, Jean Sarah Frost

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode seven, shown October 23, 1976
Wonderbug: “Wonderbug Express” written by Jim Brochu, guest stars James Jeter, Arny Soboloff
Song: “Summer/Song of Love”
Dr. Shrinker: “The Sands Document, part two” written by Leo Rifkin, guest star Gordon Jump
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Ali Baba” written by Dick Robbins and Duane Poole, guest stars Malachi Throne (Ali Baba), Sid Haig (The Genie), Ian Martin

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode eight, shown October 30, 1976
Wonderbug: “Schlepfoot” written by Mark Fink and Kerry Cummings & Gloria Nordstrom, guest stars Fred Cook, Richard Reicheg, Hal Smith
Dr. Shrinker: “Don’t Hold Your Breath” written by Donald R. Boyle
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Ali Baba” written by Dick Robbins and Duane Poole, guest stars Malachi Throne (Ali Baba), Sid Haig (The Genie), Ian Martin

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode nine, shown November 6, 1976
Wonderbug: “Schlep O’Clock Rock” written by Earle Doud & Chuck McCann, guest stars Jeremy Foster, Tony Schwab, Philip Simms
Song: “Get Dancing”
Dr. Shrinker: “Slowly I Turn” written by Don Boyle
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Return of the Sorcerer, part one” written by Dick Robbins and Duane Poole, guest stars Michael Constantine (The Sorcerer), Susan Lanier (Miss Dazzle)

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode ten, shown November 13, 1976
Wonderbug: “Anderson’s Android” written by Earle Doud & Chuck McCann, guest stars Paul Wexler, Whitney Rydbeck
Dr. Shrinker: “The Shrinkie Sale” written by Greg Strangis, guest star Jim Driskill
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Return of the Sorcerer, part two” written by Dick Robbins and Duane Poole, guest stars Michael Constantine (The Sorcerer), Susan Lanier (Miss Dazzle), Billy Beck

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode eleven, shown November 20, 1976
Wonderbug: “14-Karat Wonderbug” written by Duane Poole & Dick Robbins, guest stars Vince Martorano, Mickey Morton, Steve Pearlman
Song: “Gonna Get Your Love”
Dr. Shrinker: “The Sacred Idol ” written by Leo Rifkin, guest stars Sam Hiona, Bob Kino, Albert Gonzales Jr.
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “The Pharoah, part one” written by Greg Strangis, guest stars Peter Mark Richman (The Pharoah), Jane Elliot (Cleopatra), Bruce Hoy

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode twelve, shown November 27, 1976
Wonderbug: “Horse Switched” written by Lee Maddux, guest stars Amanda Jones, Claude Jones, Robert Ridgely
Dr. Shrinker: “Brain Storm” written by Don Boyle
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “The Pharoah, part two” written by Greg Strangis, guest stars Peter Mark Richman (The Pharoah), Jane Elliot (Cleopatra), Bruce Hoy, H.B. Haggerty

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode thirteen, shown December 4, 1976
Wonderbug: “Schleppenstein” written by Duane Poole & Dick Robbins, guest stars Diana Webster, Norman J. Andrews
Song: “Summer/Song of Love”
Dr. Shrinker: “Wildboy” written by Ed Jurist, guest star Clint Howard
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Spider Lady, part one” written by Gerry Day and Bethel Leslie, guest stars Tiffany Bolling (Spider Lady), Bruce Fischer, Robert Raymond Sutton, Andrea Lovell, Andy Veneto

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode fourteen, shown December 11, 1976
Song: “Down So Low”
Wonderbug: “No Foe Like a UFO” written by Duane Poole & Dick Robbins, guest stars Howard George, Len Lesser
Song: “Tightwire”
Dr. Shrinker: “Treasure of the Deep” written by Ed Jurist, guest stars Chuck Bergansky, Bob Basso
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Spider Lady, part two” written by Gerry Day and Bethel Leslie, guest stars Tiffany Bolling (Spider Lady), Bruce Fischer, Robert Raymond Sutton, Andrea Lovell

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode fifteen, shown December 18, 1976
Wonderbug: “The Not So Great Race” written by Fred S. Fox & Seaman Jacobs, guest stars Al Checco, Sandy Kenyon, Hilary Thompson
Song: “Leave Her Alone”
Dr. Shrinker: “Splotchalaria Epidemic” written by Si Rose, guest star Jean Ross
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Return of the Pharoah, part one” written by Greg Strangis, guest stars Peter Mark Richman (The Pharoah), Jane Elliot (Cleopatra), Sterling Swanson

The Krofft Supershow season one, episode sixteen, shown December 25, 1976
Wonderbug: “Lights, Camera, Wonderbug!” written by Fred S. Fox & Seaman Jacobs, guest stars Billy Beck, Raymond O’Keefe, Raymond Singer, special appearance by Marty Allen
Song: “Names”
Dr. Shrinker: “The Little Prince” written by Ed Jurist, guest stars Keye Luke, Jesse Dizon, Titus Napoleon, Victor Sen Yung
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: “Return of the Pharoah, part two” written by Greg Strangis, guest stars Peter Mark Richman (The Pharoah), Jane Elliot (Cleopatra), Sterling Swanson

More next time!

Dr. Shrinker 1.9 – Slowly I Turn

It’s true that I wear Krofft blinders and adore most of the company’s output beyond reason, but there are three of their shows that I just don’t enjoy: Lidsville, The Lost Saucer, and this ridiculous show, Dr. Shrinker.

In the 1975-76 season, ABC was really pleased with the numbers they were getting from Krofft productions, both on Saturday morning with Saucer and in prime time with their first variety show, Donny & Marie. So for the 1976-77 season, ABC ordered a blend of the two: a variety show for kids with different comedy and adventure programs within it. The Kroffts had actually started their Saturday morning careers building the suits for another example of the format in 1968: The Banana Splits Adventure Hour.

The first season of The Krofft Supershow was comprised of edited repeats of Saucer along with three new series: Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, which we watched earlier this year, Wonderbug, and this comedy adventure, which starred Jay Robinson as the maddest of all mad scientists. The Supershow was hosted by a kid-friendly band of five glam rockers called Kaptain Kool and the Kongs, and their interstitial segments, musical numbers, and comedy bits were taped at the Omni complex in Atlanta, where the Kroffts were losing money in an ill-fated indoor amusement park, while all the actual shows were, of course, taped in Los Angeles.

So, cast-wise, we’ve got Jay Robinson, finding one note and playing it precisely and without any others in his repertoire, as Dr. Shrinker, the “madman with an evil mind,” and Billy Barty as his assistant Hugo. The unfortunate “shrinkies” are all-American Brad, played by Ted Eccles, his girlfriend B.J., played by Susan Lawrence, and her brother Gordie, played by Jeff MacKay, who later went on to star in several prime-time shows in the next decade. Everybody argues with each other, nobody is happy, and I have always found this show to be tedious. Even as a kid, I questioned why Dr. Shrinker needed to recapture “the shrinkies.” He doesn’t actually need them anymore, not to “prove” that his shrinking ray works, does he? All he has to do is take the weapon to the next mad scientist convention and shrink something else.

But we’re watching this with my kid, and he enjoyed the daylights out of it. The example installment on this Rhino sampler set is an amnesia episode, but I guess our son hasn’t seen enough of these yet to find them tiresome. He was captivated, concerned for “the shrinkies,” jumped up and giggled during the climactic chase, and went upstairs singing the theme song. Whaddaya know?

Incidentally, a couple of years after this show, writer Mark Evanier worked with Jay Robinson on another Krofft show, about which more in a couple of weeks. When Robinson died in 2013, Evanier penned one of his fascinating obituaries about the actor, which includes a remarkable incident where Robinson had a lengthy “come to Jesus” talk with one of the Bay City Rollers. Hollywood’s a strange place.