Godzilla (1978 TV series)

*Godzilla*
Godzilla
	Title card from the Godzilla intro. Original title card for Godzilla.
Country of origin	Japan; United States
No. of episodes	26
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Original release
Network	TV Tokyo ; NBC
Release	September 9, 1978 –; May 16, 1981

Godzilla is a 30-minute animated series co-produced between Hanna-Barbera Productions and Toho in 1978 and aired on NBC in the US and TV Tokyo in Japan.

In Japan the series was called "Godzilla: Voyage Chronicles" (ゴジラ：航海クロニクル). The series is an animated adaptation of the Japanese Godzilla films produced by Toho. The series continued to air until 1981, for a time airing in its own half-hour timeslot until its cancellation.

Format

The series follows the adventures of a team of scientists on the research vessel called the Calico, which is headed by Captain Carl Majors. The rest of the crew include Dr. Quinn Darien, a female scientist; Broch, her assistant and Carl's first mate; and her teenage nephew Pete. Also along for the ride is Godzooky, the nephew of Godzilla and Pete's best friend who has a light-hearted role in the show. Godzooky can fly using the small wings under his arms, though his uncle Godzilla is unable to fly. Whenever he tries to breath fire, he just coughs up smoke and he never seems to have the ability to shoot laser beams from his eyes. He breathed fire once in the episode, The Beast of Storm Island. Pete & Godzooky's relationship is very similar to Pete & Elliot from the Walt Disney classic, Pete's Dragon. Godzooky is voiced by Don Messick.

The group often call upon Godzilla by using a special communicator when in peril, such as attacks by other giant monsters. If the communicator is not present, or lost, Godzooky uses a special "howl" to summon him. Godzilla's size in the animated series shifts radically, sometimes within a single episode or even one scene. For instance, Godzilla's claw 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.

Hanna-Barbera were unable to use Godzilla's trademark roar so they cast Ted Cassidy to voice the character, similar to his role in the live-action series The Incredible Hulk. In Japan, Godzilla's trademark roar was added and replaced the Ted Cassidy sound effects that Hanna-Barbera used.

The basic formula of a scientific team and research vessel in league with Godzilla investigating strange phenomena was revived in another cartoon, Godzilla: The Series, which is the animated sequel to the 1998 American Godzilla film.

Each episode would include a brief exposition on a scientific instrument or phenomena, thus providing an educational segment for the show.

Episodes

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Voices

Ted Cassidy - Godzilla
Jeff David - Captain Carl Majors
Al Eisenman - Pete
Hilly Hicks - Brock
Brenda Thompson - Quinn
Don Messick - Godzooky

Series Monsters

The Fire Bird (Episode 1)
The Earth Eater (Episode 2)
The Stone Creatures (AKA The Guardians of Ramal, Episode 3)
The Megavolt Monsters (Episode 4)
The Seaweed Monster (Episode 5)
The Energy Beast (Episode 6)
The Colossus of Atlantis (Episode 7)
The Cyclops Creature (Episode 8)
The Chimera (Episode 9)
The Minotaur (Episode 9)
The Sirens (Morphea is the only one named, Episode 9)
The Magnetic Monster (Episode 10)
The Breeder Beast (Episode 11)
The Watchuka (Episode 12)
Great Watchuka (Episode 12)
Diplodocus (Episode 13)
Carnivorous Plant (Episode 13
Time Dragon (Episode 13)
Godzooky Clone (Episode 14)
Voltrang's Clone Monster (AKA The Giant Squid, Episode 14)
Giant Fly (Episode 15)
Giant Octopus (Episode 16)
Axor (Episode 17)
The Power Dragon (Episode 18)
The Cyborg Whale (Episode 19)
Magma Lizards (Episode 20)
Moon Monster (AKA 'Gravity Goliath', Episode 21)
The Golden Guardians (Episode 22)
Flying Manta Ray (Episode 23)
Spider Crab (Episode 23)
Jellyfish (Episode 23)
Sea Turtle (Episode 23)
Tropical Fish (Episode 23)
Sharks (Episode 23)
Squids (Episode 23)
Electric Eels (Episode 23)
Giant Black Widow (Episode 24)
Venus Flytrap (Episode 24)
Ants (Episode 24)
Giant Beetle (Episode 24)
Giant Antlion (Episode 24)
Bees (Episode 24)
Dragonfly (Episode 24)
The Ice People of Frios (Episode 26)

Broadcast history

File:The Godzilla Power Hour.jpg

Title card from The Godzilla Power Hour.

Godzilla originally aired in these following formats on NBC:

The Godzilla Power Hour (September 8, 1978 - October 28, 1978)
The Godzilla Super 90 (November 4, 1978 - September 1, 1979)
Godzilla (September 8, 1979 - October 13, 1979)
The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour (October 20, 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 (not to be confused with the similarly-named Marvel Comics character Jann 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. In November 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 in September 1979, the show was separated from its package programs and aired in its own half-hour timeslot as simply Godzilla. A month later, new episodes of Godzilla and The Super Globetrotters were packaged together as The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour which ran until September 1980.

On September 27, 1980, after twenty-six half-hour episodes, the show went into reruns and Godzilla was once again teamed up with other Hanna-Barbera characters: The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour ran until November 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. Throughout the 1980s until the late-1990s, the series rested in limbo (with the exception of a limited videocassette release of two episodes). Since 1996, it has been rebroadcast on TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

Production credits

Executive Producers: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Producer: Doug Wildey
Directors: Ray Patterson, Carl Urbano
"Godzilla" was developed for television by: Dick Robbins, Duane Poole
Creative Producer: Iwao Takamoto
Story Editors: Dick Robbins, Duane Poole
Story: Herb Armstrong, Don Heckman, Bob Johnson, Duane Poole, Dick Robbins, Sam Roeca, George Shea, Bob Stitzel, Tom Swale, David Villaire
Story Direction: John Bruno, Moe Gollub, Jan Green, Paul Gruwell, John Zarr Haber, Rick Hoberg, Larry Huber, Mark Kirkland, Sherman Labby, Will Meugniot, Don Rico, Desmond Serratore, Dave Stevens, Bill Wary, Tom Yakutis
Recording Director: Wally Burr
Voices: Norman Alden, Marlene Aragon, Joe Baker, Michael Bell, Bill Bovett, Ted Cassidy, Jeff David, Virginia Eiler, Al Eisenman, Ron Feinberg, Joan Gerber, Hilly Hicks, Jane James, Casey Kasem, Ross Martin, Don Messick, Vic Perrin, Barney Phillips, Michael Road, Michael Rye, Brenda Thomson, Les Tremayne, B.J. Ward, Bill Woodson
Graphics: Iraj Paran, Tom Wogatzke
Title Design: Bill Perez
Musical Director: Hoyt Curtin
Musical Supervisor: Paul DeKorte
Character Design: Doug Wildey, George Wheeler, Fred Irvin
Layout Supervision: John Ahern, Warren Marshall
Key Layout: Larry Huber, Floyd Norman
Layout: Cosmo Anzalotti, Lyle Beddes, John Bruno, Garnett Bugby, Todd Curtis, Sukhi Dail, Cory Dangerfield, Bob Foster, Hak Ficq, Drew Gentle, Simon Gittins, Moe Gollub, Charles Grosvenor, Paul Gruwell, Dave Hanan, Jack Huber, Mike Kawaguchi, Boyd Kirkland, Mark Kirkland, Brad Landreth, Jack Manning, Earl Martin, Jim Mueller, Dan Noonan, Mike O'Mara, Lew Ott, Mike Ploog, Gerrard Pointak, Debra Pugh, Tom Roth, Linda Rowley, Keith Sargent, Glenn Schmitz, Bart Seitz, Doyle Shaw, Peter Shelley, Roy Smith, Thomas Tholen, Greg Thurber, Toby, Grant Wilson
Animation Supervision: Bill Keil, Jay Sarbry
Assistant Animation Supervisor: Bob Goe
Animation: Ed Aardal, Carlos Alfonso, Frank Andrina, Cliff Augustson, Ed Barge, Tom Barnes, Bob Bemiller, Oliver Callahan, Lars Calonius, Amaro Carretero, Rudy Cataldi, Roger Chiasson, Jesse Cosio, Doug Crane, Joan Drake, Marcia Fertig, Hugh Fraser, Al Gaivoto, Manuel Garcia Galiana, Mark Glamack, Fernando Gonzalez, Jeff Hall, Terry Harrison, Bob Hathcock, Fred Hellmich, Harry Holt, Angel Izquierdo, Volus Jones, Mario Julio, Rick Leon, Hicks Lokey, Ernesto Lopez, Roberto Marcano, Luis Martinez, Dan Mills, Pedro Mohedano, Ken Muse, Constantin Mustatea, Margaret Nichols, Eduardo Olivares, Margaret Parkes, Juan Pina, Bill Pratt, Tom Ray, Morey Reden, Veve Risto, Mitch Rochon, Vincente Rodriguez, Mariano Rueda, Mark Simon, Ken Southworth, Dave Tendlar, Dick Thompson, Richard Trueblood, Robert Tyler, Carlo Vinci, James Walker, John Walker, Ron Westlund
Background Supervision: Al Gmuer
Backgrounds: Deborah Akers, Dario Campanile, Dennis Durrell, Ann Guenther, James Hegedus, James Hickey, Paro Hozumi, Michael Humphries, Alison Julian, Bill Lorencz, Andy Phillipson, Jeff Richards, Jeff Riche, Sera Segal-Alsberg, Peter Van Elk, Dennis Venizelos
Checking and Scene Planning: Cindy Smith
Xerography: Star Wirth
Ink and Paint Supervision: Billie Kerns
Sound Direction: Richard Olson, Bill Getty
Camera: George Epperson, Jerry Smith, Tom Epperson, Chuck Flekal, Ron Jackson, Larry Smith, Terry Smith, Brandy Whittington, Jerry Whittington
Supervising Film Editor: Larry C. Cowan
Dubbing Supervisor: Pat Foley
Music Editors: Daniels McLean, Joe Sandusky
Effects Editors: Ric Eisman, Patricia Peck
Show Editor: Gil Iverson
Negative Consultant: William E. DeBoer
Production Manager: Jayne Barbera
Post Production Supervisor: Joed Eaton
A Hanna-Barbera Production

The name and character of Godzilla in this picture are used by permission of and with the consent of Toho Co. Ltd.

Spoof

In response to the Y2K hype, a cartoon was made where the crew fought the Y2K Bug (who claims he prefers the name "Millennium Bug"). The Y2K Bug renders their Godzilla caller useless. It is implied that they forgot to "update the embedded computer chips."

Professor Quinn Darien appeared as Dr. Gale Melody in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Shoyu Weenie" voiced by Grey DeLisle.

DVD release

All 13 Godzilla episodes from the first season have been released on DVD, in 3 separate volumes titled Godzilla The Original Animated Series. Volume 1 contains the first 4 episodes, volume 2 contains the next 4, and volume 3 contains the next 5.

External links