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| The Great Space Coaster | |
|---|---|
 Title screen | |
| Created by | |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 250 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | First-run syndication |
| Release | January 1981 – September 1986 |
The Great Space Coaster is a children's television show that was broadcast in first-run syndication from 1981 to 1986. [1]
The series was co-created by Kermit Love (original Muppet designer and builder for Jim Henson) and Jim Martin (who later went to work on a number of Henson-related projects including Sesame Street ). The series' episodes, which were videotaped in New York City, were directed by Dick Feldman and were fitted with a laugh track. It was produced by Sunbow Productions and distributed by Claster Television, a division of Hasbro. [2]
The puppets were designed by The Great Jones Studio, New York, under the supervision of Kermit Love. The puppet designers and builders consisted of Jim Kroupa, Robert Lovett, Christoper Lyall, John Orberg, and Matthew Stoddart.
The Great Space Coaster is about three young singers (Francine, Danny, and Roy) who are brought to a habitable asteroid in space called Coasterville by a clown named Baxter who pilots the "space coaster", a roller coaster-like spaceship. The asteroid is populated by strange-looking, wise-cracking puppet characters such as Goriddle Gorilla, Knock Knock the Woodpecker, Edison the Elephant, and Gary Gnu (host of The Gary Gnu Show). Baxter is forever on the run from M.T. Promises, a nefarious ringmaster who plans to re-capture Baxter and return him to the circus he worked at before he escaped. Each episode ends with a different life lesson, and various celebrity guest stars (such as Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame and composer Marvin Hamlisch) occasionally dropped by.
In each episode, Roy shows a short film on his portable, fold-up television. Most often, the segments came from La Linea , an Italian animated series about a little man who is drawn (using a single line) at the beginning of the segment and then springs to life, communicating with his animator through high-pitched Italian mixed with gibberish. Other animated shorts including from the National Film Board of Canada, Weston Woods Studios, and Jim Thurman are usually segmented within an episode.
Francine, Roy, and Danny sing a song together as the Space Coasters in each episode, sometimes originals or covers of 1960s and 1970s hits. The various puppet characters often sing.
A few years into the show's run, the MTV-like "Rockin' with Rory" segment began where a VJ named Rory introduced Danny and the Space Coasters performing cover tunes. Other additions include Baffle, Big Jock Ox, and the Huggles. The action was mostly videotaped on the space set, and sometimes the characters venture down to Earth for filmed songs.
The soundtrack was released in 1982 by Columbia Records.
Side A 1. (1) The Great Space Coaster Song (written by Anne Bryant and Spencer Michlin)
2. Don't Pick Me Last
3. Knock Knock Rock
4. I Like Scary Things
5. Mr. Rhyme
6. (1) Goriddle's Banana Song (I'm Bananas Over Bananas)
Side B 1. Spin About / Jump N' Shout
2. The Thing (written by C. Grean)
3. Goriddle Rock
4. Sticks and Stones
5. (1) No Gnews Is Good Gnews
6. My Way (Comme D'Habitude) (English lyrics by Paul Anka, French lyrics by Gilles Thibault, music by C. Francois and J. Revaux)
The title animation won an Emmy Award for Ed Seeman and Ray Favata in 1981. [3]
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