Shark Bytes
I never thought I'd say this about a Filmation show (as Filmation had to be the worst studio in the business) but it never jumped. (No doubt, pigs are doing barrel rolls outside as I write this). It taught kids without being heavy-handed and still managed to be fun. The best installments had to be the ones concerning the Wright Brothers and Susan B. Anthony. Filmation proved their animated "Star Trek" wasn't just a fluke--they managed to produce at least two good shows. Too bad they couldn't have shown as much dedication with the rest of their output.
Because of U.S. of Archie, I became acclimated with such historical figures as George Washington Carver. An entertaining and moderately educational program.
This show was one of the innumerable spinoffs of the "Archie Gang" cartoons ("Archie's TV Funhouse," "Archie's TV Funnies," "Sabrina the Teen Age Witch" and its spinoff "The Groovy Ghoulies") in the early 70's. It capitalized on the Bicentennial fever of 1975 and '76. The premise was historical events as witnessed by the "ancestors of the Archie gang." The stories were pretty good, and they provided some interesting historical lessons. I recall the gang sailed with Lewis and Clark, and met Robert Fulton, as he was attempting to invent the steamboat (I do recall one funny exchange from that show, as Reggie and Moose attempt to invent their own steamboat, they ask Fulton who built his steam engine. Of course Fulton replies "Watt" and they mis-hear it as "what" and the hilarity ensues). I think one of the best was the gang sails with the real Herman Melville on a whaling voyage, and the captain discovers his early writings of Moby Dick. The Captain, of course, thinks the Captain Ahab character is really him, not a fictional creation, and he punishes Melville, who ends up jumping ship in the south seas. (AS I recall Melvilee did do something like that in real life) Anyway this was a nice entertaining little educational series, and I wonder if anyone else recalls it.
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