Godzilla (1978 TV series)

Godzilla is an American animated monster television series produced by Hanna-Barbera, in association with Henry G. Saperstein. The series aired on NBC on September 9, 1978 with the title The Godzilla Power Hour. The series continued to air until 1981, packaged with other series under various titles.[2]

For the 1998–2000 animated series that aired on Fox Kids, see Godzilla: The Series.
Godzilla
Title card
GenreKaiju
Based onGodzilla
by Toho Co., Ltd
Developed by
  • Dick Robbins
  • Duane Poole
Directed by
Voices of
ComposerHoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producers
ProducerDoug Wildey
Running time30 minutes
Production company
Release
Original network
Original releaseSeptember 9, 1978 (1978-09-09) –
December 8, 1979 (1979-12-08)

The Godzilla Power Hour consisted of half-hour episodes of Godzilla and Jana of the Jungle. A total of 13 original episodes were produced in 1978, with the first eight airing as part of The Godzilla Power Hour.[3] On November 4, 1978, the show was expanded to 90 minutes with the addition of Jonny Quest reruns and retitled The Godzilla Super 90. Split off into its own half-hour, the show aired in its own half-hour timeslot as simply Godzilla on September 8, 1979, and then as The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour on November 10, 1979, before another repackaging as The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour on September 27, 1980, and then The Godzilla/Hong Kong Phooey Hour until its cancellation on May 16, 1981.[4]

The series acquired the retronym of Godzilla: The Original Animated Series for its DVD release.[5]

The series introduced the canonical character Brock Borden to the Godzilla franchise.

Premise

The series follows the adventures of a team of scientists on the Calico, a hydrofoil research vessel, headed by Captain Carl Majors. The rest of the crew include scientist Dr. Quinn Darien, her nephew Pete Darien and her research assistant Brock Borden. Also along for the ride is Godzooky, the "cowardly nephew" of Godzilla and Pete's best friend, in a comic foil role in the show. Godzooky can attempt to fly using the small wings under his arms. Whenever Godzooky tries to breathe fire, he usually just coughs up smoke rings.

The group often call upon Godzilla by using a special signaller when in danger, such as attacks by other giant monsters. Also, Godzooky can roar to summon Godzilla. Godzilla's size in the animated series shifts radically, sometimes within a single episode or even a single scene. For instance, Godzilla's claws can wrap around a large ship, and only minutes later the team of scientists fit rather neatly on Godzilla's palm. In addition, Godzilla's trademark atomic breath is altered so he breathes simple fire. He can also shoot laser beams from his eyes much like Superman's heat vision.

Voice cast

Production

In regard to the origin of the series, Joseph Barbera came up with the idea of licensing Godzilla. He explained in a 1990s interview "My job back then was to dig up new characters, new ideas, new shows, and I had wanted to do Godzilla for awhile. I liked the monster thing, and the way it looked, and I thought we could do a lot with it. So I contacted Henry Saperstein, who was a very good friend and we got talking about it. Then there was an executive at the network who wanted to get into the act, and urged us to lighten the storyline up. So, I came up with the character Godzooky, who was like his son. The show had a sort of father-son relationship, which we had done before on shows like Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy and Jonny Quest."[1] Doug Wildey, creator of Jonny Quest, came on board as producer.[7]

Barbera said that he wanted the series to be more-or-less a straight adaptation of the movie series, but, "When they start telling you in Standards and Practices, 'Don't shoot any flame at anybody, don't step on any buildings or cars,' then pretty soon, they've taken away all the stuff he represents. That became the problem, to maintain a feeling of Godzilla and at the same time cut down everything that he did. We managed to get a fair show out of it. It was OK. Godzooky kind of got the kids going."[1]

Episodes

Season 1 (1978)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11"The Fire Bird"September 9, 1978 (1978-09-09)
A mysterious bird with fire powers residing in a volcano leaves to lay eggs in the Arctic. The team and Godzilla try to stop the creature before it melts all of the ice and causes worldwide devastation-and also before it creates a population of creatures that will threaten the world.
22"The Earth Eater"September 16, 1978 (1978-09-16)
A mysterious creature is eating the earth under San Francisco. Godzilla and the team must stop the creature before it destroys the city.
33"Attack of the Stone Creature"September 23, 1978 (1978-09-23)
While investigating an Egyptian pyramid, the team comes under attack by stone creatures able to breathe ice blasts and built to guard the pyramid. Godzilla must destroy them before they wipe out the team.
44"The Megavolt Monster"September 30, 1978 (1978-09-30)
Mysterious creatures with electrical powers are attacking ships in the Pacific. Godzilla must stop them before they destroy more ships.
55"The Seaweed Monster"October 7, 1978 (1978-10-07)
A monster made of seaweed threatens an island full of tourists. Godzilla and the team must destroy it before it has a chance to attack.
66"The Energy Beast"October 14, 1978 (1978-10-14)
After a fight with Godzilla, an alien caterpillar-like monster with shapeshifting powers transforms into a duplicate of him and begins to destroy anything connected to electricity. The team's friendship with Godzilla is put to the test as they try to prove his innocence.
77"The Colossus of Atlantis"October 21, 1978 (1978-10-21)
The team happens across the ancient city of Atlantis and they (including Godzilla) end up imprisoned in the city. They soon discover that all of the city's residents are in a state of suspended animation and that they can only be released from it by destroying Colossus, the giant robot guarding the city.
88"The Horror of Forgotten Island"October 28, 1978 (1978-10-28)
After the Calico is damaged in a storm, the team ends up on an uncharted island. They soon discover the island is inhabited by a cyclopean monster. Worst of all, Godzilla cannot reach them because of a force field surrounding the island. The team must escape the island and somehow not let the creature escape and threaten the world.
99"Island of Lost Ships"November 4, 1978 (1978-11-04)
The team discovers the island of the Sirens and other creatures from Greek mythology. The Sirens turn Captain Majors, Quinn, and Brock to stone and put Godzilla to sleep. Pete and Godzooky must find a way to save the others, deal with a Chimera, and escape the island before it disappears at sunset for the next 1,000 years and traps them there.
1010"The Magnetic Terror"November 11, 1978 (1978-11-11)
A magnetically-powered monster is threatening the South Pole. Godzilla and the team must destroy it before it reaches the Pole and destroys the world.
1111"The Breeder Beast"November 18, 1978 (1978-11-18)
An odd creature goes on the attack in Washington, D.C. The team discovers that the creature is made of an explosive material and packs enough energy to level the city. Godzilla must find a way to stop it before it threatens the world.
1212"The Sub-Zero Terror"November 25, 1978 (1978-11-25)
The team becomes stranded in the Himalayas and are imprisoned by a race of Abominable Snowmen. Godzilla must find and rescue them before it is too late.
1313"The Time Dragons"December 2, 1978 (1978-12-02)
The team and Godzilla are, strangely, teleported back to prehistoric times. They must find their way back to the present without disrupting the past.

Season 2 (1979)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
141"Calico Clones"September 15, 1979 (1979-09-15)
While on their way to visit an oil rig, the team is captured by a mad scientist who has the knowledge to clone people and animals. He plans to make clones of the team and Godzooky and use them to steal the oil and make him a fortune. The team has to escape and alert Godzilla.
152"MicroGodzilla"September 22, 1979 (1979-09-22)
While helping the team get out of a hurricane, Godzilla wanders through a mysterious pink fog. Before long, the strange fog causes Godzilla to start shrinking. Even worse, a housefly also went through the fog, is now growing to gigantic proportions and seems to be targeting Brock and Godzooky. The others must find a way to get Godzilla and the housefly back to their normal sizes.
163"Ghost Ship"September 29, 1979 (1979-09-29)
The team makes a fascinating discovery: a German U-boat from World War I trapped in an iceberg. After Godzilla frees it, the team is shocked to see the crew of the U-boat are still alive and that they also believe that the war is still going on. They manage to convince them that the war is over, but then a giant octopus attacks the U-boat, with Pete and Brock inside. Godzilla must stop the octopus before the U-boat is destroyed.
174"The Beast of Storm Island"October 6, 1979 (1979-10-06)
The team becomes stranded on an island inhabited by a creature named Axor which has made the humans on the island his slaves. Axor enslaves Captain Majors, Quinn and Brock and puts them to work. Pete, Godzooky and Godzilla must find a way to destroy Axor and free the island's inhabitants.
185"The City in the Clouds"October 13, 1979 (1979-10-13)
The team gets caught in a strange-looking hurricane and end up in a city in the clouds. The inhabitants explain they are there to escape an evil power dragon from their homeworld. Unfortunately, the power dragon follows them there. To make matters worse, after seeing Godzilla defeat the power dragon, the inhabitants turn hostile and want Godzilla so that they can make he and the power dragon fight and destroy each other, leaving them able to conquer Earth. The team must rescue Godzilla and keep him from falling into the wrong hands.
196"The Cyborg Whale"October 20, 1979 (1979-10-20)
After a lightning strike, a cyborg whale -- a prototype submarine used for scientific purposes -- suffers a malfunction and runs out of control with Pete and Brock inside. Even worse, the whale is on a collision course with Honolulu, Hawaii. The others and Godzilla must rescue Pete and Brock and stop the whale before it destroys Honolulu.
207"Valley of the Giants"October 27, 1979 (1979-10-27)
After the Calico runs aground in a river, the team discovers a valley full of giant insects. Godzilla is initially paralyzed by a giant black widow spider's bite and the entrance is sealed by a landslide. The team must find a way to escape and also prevent the insects from leaving the valley.
218"Moonlode"November 3, 1979 (1979-11-03)
A mysterious creature lands on Earth from the Moon. It soon starts to wreak havoc on shipping and seems to be affecting the water currents globally. The team and Godzilla must stop it before it causes worldwide devastation.
229"The Golden Guardians"November 10, 1979 (1979-11-10)
The team runs into a hostile tribe who worship giant gold statues. Things get serious when the statues seem to come to life and Godzilla is turned into a gold statue while battling them. The others must free Godzilla and convince the tribe that the statues are evil.
2310"The Macro-Beasts"November 17, 1979 (1979-11-17)
While investigating an ocean volcano, the team find the volcano oozing a strange liquid that causes sea creatures to turn into giants. The team and Godzilla must find a way to get the creatures back to their normal sizes before they threaten nearby shipping lanes.
2411"Pacific Peril"November 24, 1979 (1979-11-24)
When a new island is formed in the Pacific Ocean, the team investigates. Aftershocks from the island's formation end up trapping them in the volcano on the island, which they find is inhabited by giant lizards that eat lava. Worst of all, Godzilla is unable to reach them because he is also trapped by the seismic activity. The team must find a way to escape without Godzilla's help this time.
2512"Island of Doom"December 1, 1979 (1979-12-01)
When a new weather satellite is mysteriously shot down by a missile, the team traces the missile's source to an island near Australia. They find the island fortified and under the command of a terrorist organization known as COBRA. The terrorists imprison the team, thinking that they are spies. The nuclear reactor on the island begins to suffer problems that threaten to cause an explosion that could destroy the island. Godzilla must rescue the team, stop COBRA and prevent the reactor from exploding.
2613"The Deadly Asteroid"December 8, 1979 (1979-12-08)
A UFO lands in the Arctic and the team is sent to investigate. They discover a group of ice people from another planet named Frios that plan to destroy the Earth with an asteroid the size of the Moon. Captain Majors and Quinn are taken prisoner and Brock, Godzilla and Godzooky are frozen. Pete must free the others before the asteroid destroys the world.

Broadcast

Godzilla originally aired in these following formats on NBC:

  • The Godzilla Power Hour (September 9, 1978 – October 28, 1978)
  • The Godzilla Super 90 (November 4, 1978 – September 1, 1979)
  • Godzilla (September 8, 1979 – November 3, 1979)
  • The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour (November 10, 1979 – September 20, 1980)
  • The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour (September 27, 1980 – November 15, 1980)
  • The Godzilla/Hong Kong Phooey Hour (November 22, 1980 – May 16, 1981)
  • Godzilla (May 23, 1981 – September 5, 1981)

The Godzilla Power Hour consisted of half-hour episodes of Godzilla and Jana of the Jungle. A total of 13 original episodes were produced in 1978, with the first eight airing as part of The Godzilla Power Hour. On November 4, 1978, the show was expanded to 90 minutes with the addition of Jonny Quest reruns and retitled The Godzilla Super 90.

For the second season beginning on September 15, 1979, the show was separated from its package programs and aired in its own half-hour timeslot as simply Godzilla. The original plan was to keep it as part of another 90-minute arc, only it was to be paired up with episodes of The New Shmoo and The Thing. The planned title was Godzilla Meets the Shmoo and The Thing.[8] However, these plans dissolved and the show was simply aired on its own in its own half-hour timeslot. Hanna-Barbera would pair episodes of The New Fred and Barney Show with the Shmoo and the Thing instead as both Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo and Fred and Barney Meet the Thing. Two months later, episodes of Godzilla and The Super Globetrotters were packaged together as The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour which ran until September 20, 1980.

On September 27, 1980, after 26 half-hour episodes, the show went into reruns and Godzilla was once again teamed up with other Hanna-Barbera characters: the first was The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour (also appearing in this series were reruns of 1971's The Funky Phantom), which ran until November 15, 1980, followed by The Godzilla/Hong Kong Phooey Hour which ran until May 16, 1981. On May 23, the show returned to the half-hour format as Godzilla and the last regular showing aired on September 5, 1981 (to be replaced by The Smurfs, which would last three times as long as Godzilla did). Throughout the 1980s until the late 1990s, the series rested in limbo (with the exception of a limited VHS videocassette release of two episodes). Since 1993, it has been rebroadcast on TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang, as well as on Retro TV for a brief time on Saturday mornings between 2015 and 2016.

Home media

The first 13 episodes from the first season were released on DVD, in three separate volumes titled Godzilla: The Original Animated Series. Volume 1 contains the first four episodes, Volume 2 contains the next four and Volume 3 contains the last five.[5]

DVD title Episodes Company Release date
Godzilla: The Original Animated Series—Volume 1 4 Classic Media/Sony Wonder June 6, 2006 (2006-06-06)
Godzilla: The Original Animated Series—Volume 2 4 Classic Media/Sony Wonder June 6, 2006 (2006-06-06)
Godzilla: The Original Animated Series—Volume 3 5 Classic Media/Sony Wonder October 2, 2007 (2007-10-02)

As of November 9, 2011, all episodes from the first season became available for streaming on Netflix and Hulu. The second-season episodes of Godzilla have never been officially released on any home media format. On August 9, 2021, Toho on their official Godzilla YouTube channel has released the series in a set of three parts per episode.

Spoofs
  • In response to the Y2K hype, Cartoon Network created a short – "Godzilla vs. the Y2K Bug" (1999) – in which the Calico is attacked by a giant personified, talking Y2K Bug. The Godzilla calling device turns out to be useless this time, because Captain Majors forgot to update the embedded microchip.[9]
  • Dr. Quinn Darien appeared as Dr. Gale Melody, a music expert, in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Shoyu Weenie" voiced by Grey DeLisle.

References
  1. Ryfle 1998, p. 209.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 379–383. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. pp. 122–124. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 247–251. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  5. Aiken, Keith (April 5, 2006). "Hanna-Barbera's Godzilla Comes to DVD". SciFi Japan. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  6. Perlmutter 2018, p. 248.
  7. Conte, Robert V. (August 2020). "Godzilla in the Good ol' U.S.A.". RetroFan. United States: TwoMorrows Publishing (10): 73.
  8. The Horrorworld Reporter Forrest J. Ackerman. Famous Monsters of Filmland #156. Warren Publishing. August 1979. p.88.
  9. Godzilla vs. The Y2K Bug

Sources
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