Mission: Magic!

Last updated
Mission: Magic!
Genre Cartoon
Presented byFilmation
Voices of
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes16
Production
Producers
Running time30 minutes
Production company Filmation
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseSeptember 8 (1973-09-08) 
December 22, 1973 (1973-12-22)
Related
The Brady Kids

Mission: Magic! is an American Saturday morning animated series starring rock star Rick Springfield and is a spin-off of The Brady Kids , produced by Filmation. [1] 16 episodes aired on ABC from September 8 to December 22, 1973. It was also broadcast in Springfield's native Australia, where Springfield was then a bigger celebrity.

Contents

The show involved Miss Tickle, a magical teacher who could transport her students to fantasy realms through her magic blackboard. [2]

Characters and format

Even though Springfield still spoke with a pronounced Australian accent in the mid-1970s, he provided his own voice for his animated doppelgänger. On the show, Springfield always wore white pants and a white sweater which sported on the front an encircled lowercase "r" with a lightning bolt in the background; this design was taken from the back cover of his 1973 album Comic Book Heroes.

Springfield was joined by a cast of characters:

and six students:

They were involved in a weekly after-school group called "The Adventurers Club". In the first episode, the club was visited in class by the school principal Mr. Samuels, who knew nothing of Miss Tickle's magical abilities.

Almost every episode began by Rick communicating with the Club via an enchanted gramophone telling them where he was and either inviting them to come along, or transmitting a distress message of some form. [3] Miss Tickle would aim her magic ring at Tut Tut, a ceramic cat on her desk who would come to life after Miss Tickle recited the incantation:

"O Tut Tut, cat of ancient lore,
"'Tis time to draw the magic door."

After drawing a magic door on the blackboard, Miss Tickle, Tut Tut and the students would fly through the door and meet up with Springfield and his familiar, an owl named Ptolemy. In their travels to otherworldly lands and times, they would solve mysteries, fix problems, or help people in need. At the middle or end of each show, Springfield performed a song, its lyrics often tying into the message of that week's story. An album with most of the songs from the series was released in 1974, followed by a CD version in 2004. [4]

Ironically, Springfield himself eschewed this series years later in 2014, claiming that it "scarred me for life." [4]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleSong(s)Original air date
1"The Land of Backwards""You'd Better Think Twice"September 8, 1973 (1973-09-08)
The Adventurers Club goes to the Land of Backwards where they meet poet Shelly Percy, and contend with Big Billy and his gang. The trouble is that they are arrested when they return stolen jewels. They escape, and save the day. Shelley expresses his joy by crying, showing that everything is done in reverse in this land after all.
2"Modran""Catch Me If You Can"September 15, 1973 (1973-09-15)
Modran, and his three minions Bell, Booke, and Kendall steal gold so that Modran can win a tournament by cheating. Miss Tickle and company go to the Land of Prestidigitation to stop them. Socks releases a genie, and Modran captures Carol, Kim, Ptolemy, and Tut-Tut, intending to use them as insurance to guarantee that he will win the title of World's Greatest Magician.
3"Dissonia""Love Is the Key"September 22, 1973 (1973-09-22)
The Adventurers Club visit a land where three music-hating villains have created a music eliminator to wipe out all the music in the world. Miss Tickle tries using her magic to destroy the machine, only to realize that it is indestructible. Can Rick and Tickle restore music to the world?
4"Land of Hyde and Go Seek""If We Help One Another"September 29, 1973 (1973-09-29)
The group visits a land where Colonel Kadiddle is threatened by invaders who only want the substance that can change their hairstyles. Miss Tickle uses her magic to make peace between the warring factions.
5"The City Inside the Earth""Yes I Am"October 6, 1973 (1973-10-06)
While visiting the Carlsbad Caverns, the Adventurers Club is summoned by Rick to a city beneath the Earth's surface. There, they run into Professor Fahrenheit, who seeks to claim the underground city for himself.
6"2600 A.D.""You Can't Judge a Book"October 13, 1973 (1973-10-13)
Miss Tickle and the students travel into the distant future. They discover that in 2600 A.D., Omni the robot is the ruler of humans. Omni turns out not to be so evil when a meteor heads for Earth. In desperation, he asks Miss Tickle and Rick to help him.
7"Something Fishy""Free and Easy"October 20, 1973 (1973-10-20)
The team finds danger in an underwater city. Dr. Manta is using his power over the water to dominate the subjects. In addition, he has captured Socks and Vinnie. Can Miss Tickle end the villain's threat before innocent people end up in a watery grave?
8"Giant Steppes""You Can Really Do It (If You Try)"October 27, 1973 (1973-10-27)
When Rick and his friend Billy are captured by the female giant Madame Mammoth, Miss Tickle has to come to their rescue. The Adventurers Club's mission this time is to restore the miniaturized Billy to his rightful place as ruler of the land.
9"Statue of Limitations""I Want You"November 3, 1973 (1973-11-03)
The club goes to modern day Paris to investigate the theft of a statue called "The Contemplator". Female stage magician Trix Le Grande is a suspect, as are Pierre La Hoax and the Artful Codger. Further complicating matters are the fact that each of the three has his or her own Contemplator.
10"Will the Real Rick Springfield Please Stand Up?""It's Driving Me Crazy"November 10, 1973 (1973-11-10)
Miss Tickle cannot figure out why Rick is being so hard on Ptolemy. It soon turns out that "Rick" and "Ptolemy" are actually the Chameleon and Arlo, a pair of crooks who can change their appearances to be anyone they want. They have entered our world through the magic door. Eventually both men pose as Rick, creating further chaos.
11"Doctor Astro""We're Gonna Have a Good Time"November 17, 1973 (1973-11-17)
Miss Tickle and her students go after Dr. Astro, who has stolen the Golden Horns and uses their power to bring Zodiac signs to life.
12"Doctor Daguerreotype""On the Other Side"November 24, 1973 (1973-11-24)
Dr. Daguerreotype has invented a camera that can turn people and objects into photographs. He and his accomplices Rex and Ina use it to photograph the magic door so that they can steal famous landmarks. When the Adventurers Club pursues them, the villains turn all but Miss Tickle and Rick into photographs. The villains' plan to photograph the adults backfires, and they end up on film themselves. Miss Tickle restores her friends and the magic door to normal so that they can return safely.
13"Nephren""I Know That It's Magic"December 1, 1973 (1973-12-01)
While on a mission to restore the City of Antiquity, Miss Tickle contends with Nephren, an ancient Egyptian queen who has come back to life. This queen's magic proves so powerful that Miss Tickle ends up exhausted. But both women have to join forces to rescue Nephren's lackeys, who are trapped inside a pyramid.
14"Modran Returns""Just Gotta Sing"December 8, 1973 (1973-12-08)
Modran lures Miss Tickle and her students into his world by using Rick as bait. This time, the sorcerer's scheme is to steal Tut-Tut, who turns out to be the key to the magic door. The Adventurers Club must get Tut-Tut back so they can return to their world.
15"Horse Feathers""Welcome to the Rodeo" & "Sing Me a Song" (sung by Miss Tickle)December 15, 1973 (1973-12-15)
The Adventurers Club attends a rodeo in a land beyond the magic door. When the rodeo's prize money suddenly vanishes, The Adventurers Club investigates the three most likely suspects.
16"A Light Mystery""Starlight, Starbright"December 22, 1973 (1973-12-22)
After Franklin delivers his speech about being named Science Student of the Year, he and the others discover that a generator has been stolen. The Adventurers Club goes to the Land of Lights to get it back. There are three suspects: Count Celesta, Madame Marquee, and Baron Borealis. Each one rules a different province, but one seeks to become the ruler of the entire land.

NOTE: All the main songs appearing in the series were written and performed by Rick Springfield. Each song runs about 90 seconds, edited or faded from the versions later released on the 1974 soundtrack album. [5]

Soundtrack album

Mission: Magic!
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 15, 1974
Recorded1973
Genre Pop rock
Length40:20
Label Wizard Records (Australia)
Rick Springfield chronology
Comic Book Heroes
(1973)
Mission: Magic!
(1974)
Wait for Night
(1976)

Mission: Magic! is the third solo studio album by Australian musician Rick Springfield, and is an almost complete song soundtrack to the 1973 cartoon series. Only about 90 seconds of each song was used in the TV show, but the album contains the full-length versions of every song from the series, except for episode 5's song and episode 15's second song which was the only one in the series sung by Miss Tickle, not Springfield. None of the show's score, incidental music or Miss Tickle's brief melodic incantations were included. The album was released in 1974 several months after the TV series' initial run had finished, and only in Australia, even though the cartoon was produced in the United States. Possibly because of rights issues, no song from Mission: Magic! has ever appeared on any of the many official Rick Springfield compilation albums.

All songs on the album were written by Rick Springfield.

  1. "We're Gonna Have a Good Time" (2:39)
  2. "It's Driving Me Crazy" (2:55)
  3. "Free and Easy" (2:38)
  4. "You Can Do It (If You Try)" (2:57)
  5. "On the Other Side" (2:22)
  6. "You Can't Judge a Book" (2:37)
  7. "Love Is the Key" (2:29)
  8. "You'd Better Think Twice" (2:13)
  9. "Welcome to the Rodeo" (2:49)
  10. "I Want You" (2:39)
  11. "Just Gotta Sing" (2:30)
  12. "If We Help One Another" (2:33)
  13. "Starlight, Starbright" (2:03)
  14. "Catch Me If You Can" (2:17)
  15. "I Know That It's Magic" (2:17)
  16. "Theme from Mission: Magic!" (2:22)

Total running time: 40:20

Re-releases

The Mission: Magic! album has been re-released in various years and territories under the following titles:

Home media

BCI Eclipse LLC (under its Ink & Paint classic animation entertainment label), under license from Entertainment Rights, released Mission: Magic! – The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 on May 8, 2007. The 2-disc set includes all 16 episodes, uncut and digitally remastered for optimum audio and video quality, and presented in its original broadcast presentation and original production order. The 2-Disc set also includes many special features.

DVD nameEp No.Release dateAdditional information
Mission: Magic! - The Complete Series16May 8, 2007
  • Mission: Magic! Spotlight Interview with Producer Lou Scheimer
  • Mission: Magic! Spotlight Interview with Voice Actor Erika Scheimer
  • "The Magic of Filmation" Documentary
  • Mission: Magic! Image Galleries
  • Booklet with Episode Guide and Trivia
  • DVD-ROM Features
  • Trailers from Ink & Paint

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filmation</span> American production company

Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the company was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and principal producers were Lou Scheimer, Hal Sutherland and Norm Prescott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Springfield</span> Australian-American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor

Richard Lewis Springthorpe, known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut single, "Speak to the Sky", which reached the top 10 in Australia in mid-1972. When he moved to the United States, he had a No. 1 hit with "Jessie's Girl" in 1981 in both Australia and the US, for which he received the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. He followed with four more top 10 US hits: "I've Done Everything for You", "Don't Talk to Strangers", "Affair of the Heart" and "Love Somebody". Springfield's two US top 10 albums are Working Class Dog (1981) and Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet (1982).

<i>ChalkZone</i> American animated television series

ChalkZone is an American animated television series created by Bill Burnett and Larry Huber for Nickelodeon. The series follows Rudy Tabootie, an elementary school student who discovers a box of magic chalk that allows him to draw portals into the ChalkZone, an alternate dimension where everything ever drawn on a blackboard and erased turns to life. Rudy is joined in his adventures by Snap, a wisecracking superhero Rudy once drew with chalk, and Penny Sanchez, Rudy's academically intellectual classmate and personal friend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Mouse</span> Fictional mouse

Gerald Jinx "Jerry" Mouse is an American cartoon character and one of the two titular characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical animated short films and other animated media, usually acting as the protagonist opposite his rival Tom Cat. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Jerry is an anthropomorphic brown house mouse, who first appeared as a mouse named Jinx in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss Gets the Boot. Hanna gave the mouse's original name as "Jinx", while Barbera claimed the mouse went unnamed in his first appearance.

<i>Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids</i> American animated television series

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an American animated television series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1972 and aired until 1985. The show, based on Cosby's remembrances of his childhood gang, focused on Fat Albert, and his friends.

<i>The Archie Show</i> 1968 American TV series or program

The Archie Show is an American musical animated sitcom television series produced by Filmation for CBS. Based on the Archie Comics, created by Bob Montana in 1941, The Archie Show aired Saturday mornings on CBS from September 1968 to 1969. The show featured the main characters in the Archie series, including Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Reggie Mantle, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge.

<i>The Brady Kids</i> 1972 American TV series or program

The Brady Kids is an American animated television series and a spin-off based on the ABC live-action sitcom The Brady Bunch, produced by Filmation in association with Paramount Television. It aired on ABC from September 9, 1972, to October 6, 1973, and also spun off another Filmation series, Mission: Magic!, starring Rick Springfield.

<i>Groovie Goolies</i> Television series

Groovie Goolies is an American animated television show that had its original run Saturday mornings on CBS between 1970 and 1972. It was rebroadcast the following season on Sunday mornings. Set at a decrepit castle, the show focused on its monstrous but good-natured and mostly friendly inhabitants. Created by Filmation, Groovie Goolies was an original creation of the studio; its characters would cross over with Filmation's Archie Comics adaptations including Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Archie Show, as well as with the Looney Tunes cast.

<i>The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!</i> 1981 American TV series or program

The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! is an NBC Saturday-morning cartoon produced by Filmation Studios in 1981. The half-hour show included two cartoon stories, with a variety of live-action wraparound segments.

<i>Jackson 5ive</i> (TV series) Animated television series

Jackson 5ive is a Saturday morning cartoon series that aired for two seasons on ABC from September 11, 1971 to October 14, 1972. Produced by Rankin/Bass and Motown Productions, it is a fictionalized portrayal of the careers of Motown recording group the Jackson 5. The series was rebroadcast in syndication in 1984–85, during a period when Michael Jackson was riding a major wave of popularity as a solo artist. It also briefly re-aired in 1999 on TV Land as part of their "Super Retrovision Saturdaze" lineup. The series was animated mainly in London at the studios of Halas and Batchelor, and some animation done at Estudios Moro and Topcraft.

<i>The Backyardigans</i> American-Canadian animated childrens television series

The Backyardigans is an animated musical children's television series created by Janice Burgess for Nickelodeon. The series was written and recorded at Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It centers on five anthropomorphic animal neighbors who imagine themselves on fantastic adventures in their backyard. The show's title is a portmanteau of "backyard" and "cardigan". Each episode is set to a different musical genre and features four songs, composed by Evan Lurie with lyrics by McPaul Smith. The Backyardigans' adventures span many different genres and settings. The show's writers took inspiration from action-adventure films, and many episodes are parodies of films.

<i>The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show</i> 1980 American animated television program

The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show is an American animated television series produced by Filmation for MGM Television featuring the popular cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. The show first aired on September 6, 1980 on CBS and continued until December 13 the same year. Its episodes were eventually added to syndicated Tom and Jerry packages in 1983. Episodes of the show also occasionally appear on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

Sport Billy is an American animated television series produced by Filmation Associates, initially for broadcast in Germany and Cannes, France. The series was a single 26-episode saga that premiered in Germany and other parts of Europe from 1980 to 1981. In 1982, Filmation carried the show over to the United States for syndication, and as a summer replacement for The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends in NBC's Saturday morning children's programming. It was the last first-run series produced by Filmation Associates to air on NBC.

<i>Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down</i> 1970 American TV series or program

Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down is a 1970 animated showcase for various caricatured Jerry Lewis characters, all based on characters from the 1965 film The Family Jewels, and styled in a fashion similar to Archie's TV Funnies and the Groovie Goolies. The title is a variant of the deciding question on the game show To Tell the Truth: "Will the real __________ please stand up?" Like most 1970s-era Saturday morning cartoon series, Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down contained an adult laugh track.

<i>JoJos Circus</i> Childrens stop-motion animated musical comedy series from 2003-2007

JoJo's Circus is a stop-motion animated television series created by Jim Jinkins, David Campbell, Lisa Jinkins, and Eric Weiner and produced by the Canada-based Cuppa Coffee Studios and Cartoon Pizza. The series was written by Douglas Wood, who previously worked for Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs as a creative executive. The series' songs were composed by Jeffrey Zahn and Jim Latham, with lyrics done by Judy Rothman. The theme song was performed by BECKY.

<i>The Secret of the Sword</i> 1985 US animated film directed by Bill Reed and Gwen Wetzler

The Secret of the Sword, also known as He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, is a 1985 American animated superhero film produced by Filmation. Although released before the series She-Ra: Princess of Power began, the film was a compilation of the first five episodes with minor edits made. The film was part of a trend of theatrically released animated films created by producers of TV shows and toys during the 1980s. It is part of the same continuity as the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon series, and was created by the same Filmation production team and cast. It was the first He-Man theatrical film, and the first theatrical release to feature She-Ra or any Masters of The Universe/Princess of Power characters.

<i>The New Adventures of Gilligan</i> 1974 American TV series or program

The New Adventures of Gilligan is an American Saturday morning animated series produced by Filmation, which aired on ABC during the 1974–75 seasons. The show was based on the 1964–67 sitcom Gilligan's Island. A few years later, Filmation produced a sequel, Gilligan's Planet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike and Tyke (characters)</span> Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon characters

Spike and Tyke are fictional characters from the Tom and Jerry animated film series, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Spike is portrayed as an English Bulldog, who is generally amiable and friendly, and a loving father to his son Tyke in several episodes. However, Spike's character also has a very stern and fierce side for occasions, such as when he is defending his son Tyke.

<i>The Mr. Men Show</i> Animated television series

The Mr. Men Show is an animated children's television series based on the original series of Mr. Men books created by the British author and illustrator Roger Hargreaves—later with his son Adam Hargreaves. Adapted from the published source material into a variety program—unlike the original basis for the show, it primarily features comedy sketches, pantomimes, dance numbers, and music videos.

<i>Sabrina the Teenage Witch</i> (1970 TV series) 1970 American TV series or program

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is an American animated television series produced by Filmation that aired on CBS during Saturday mornings from 1970 to 1974. The series has also aired in prime time as a syndicated series.

References

  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 399. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 553. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  3. Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 189–190. ISBN   0-8108-1557-5 . Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Filmation's "Mission: Magic" (1973)". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  5. "Mission: Magic! - YouTube". YouTube .