Synopsis of Saturday Morning Show

Hanna-Barbera's Space Stars had something old, something new, something borrowed, and a lot of things blew up.

The "old" segments were Herculoids and Space Ghost, two H-B properties from the 60's. Actually, only the characters themselves were old, as the studio produced new episodes for each.

Herculoids starred King Zandor and Queen Tara of the planet Quasar, who defended their homeworld from the constant threat of alien invasion. At their side were the five Herculoids: Tundro, a ten-legged dinosaur with a cannon for a horn; Zok, the space dragon, who could shoot power rays from his tail and eyes; the indestructible Igoo, who looked like an ape made out of rock; and Gloop and Gleep, two shapeshifting blobs. Zandor and Tara, along with their son, Dorno, could also hold their own in a fight, firing "energy rocks" with their slingshots.

Space Ghost's name stemmed from the fact that he was able to make himself invisible through the use of high-tech wizardry. He could also shoot heat rays, cold rays, and plain old power blasts from the bands on his wrists. Tagging along in his ship, The Phantom Cruiser, were Jan and Jayce, a teenage duo who assisted Space Ghost and could become invisible as well. Rounding out the team was monkey sidekick Blip, who had mastered his own invisibility technology enough to lend a hand wherever he was needed.

The newest stars in the Space Stars lineup were Teen Force, a junior space defense team consisting of Kid Comet, Moleculad, and Elektra. The teen trio would regularly face off against arch-nemesis Uglor the Terrible and other villains.

The "borrowed" element was Astro, that loveable pooch from Hanna-Barbera's The Jetsons. Astro and the Space Mutts, another new show, teamed "Rastro" with doofus Cosmo and short-tempered Dipper, fighting crime under the direction of their human boss, Space Ace.

At the end of each show, the various stars would join forces for the Space Stars Finale, an explosive climax which pitted our heroes against a variety of interstellar baddies.

Even this titanic lineup was no match for Hanna-Barbera's own Scooby-Doo, which played in the same timeslot on ABC. Space Stars lasted one season, with only Astro and Space Ghost emerging unscathed to star in later cartoons.

Release History

9/12/81 - 9/11/82 NBC

TV Sub Categories

animated
sci-fi/fantasy
action/adventure

TV Studio

Hanna-Barbera

Television Cast

Zandor Mike Road
Tara Virginia Gregg
Dorno Sparky Marcus
Tundro Mike Road
Zok Mike Road
Igoo Mike Road
Gloop Don Messick
Gleep Don Messick
Narrator Keene Curtis
Space Ghost Gary Owens
Jan Alexandra Stewart
Jace Steve Spears
Blip Frank Welker
Kid Comet Darryl Hickman
Moleculad David Hubbard
Elektra B.J. Ward
Uglor the Terrible Alan Lurie
Plutem Michael Winslow
Astro Don Messick
Cosmo Frank Welker
Dipper Len Weinrib
Space Ace Mike Bell

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