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Forum » Retro T.V. & Movies » Legends of the Superheroes - 1979
eddstarr
Sine the 1950's Jim Henson's dream was a "multimedia" world of entertainment. To his credit, Jim Henson didn't hold secrets - he told everyone about his grand ideas.

Hanna-Barbera paid attention and learned a valuable lesson during the Saturday Morning Superhero Revolution of 1965. H-B saw upstart Filmation steal Saturday morning away with the popular "NEW Adventures of Superman" on CBS.

But you guys know you only get one free shot at Hanna-Barbera, then they come out swinging!


By the 1970's Hanna-Barbera threw every idea they had at the three networks no matter how outrageous. New ideas are hard to sell as a series, but TV Specials are a perfect way to try new material on the viewing public.

Called, "Legends of the Superheroes" it was a two hour special, split into two nights on NBC. 

I'm lucky to have caught both nights broadcasts but I still can't tell you why this special was produced. Maybe a live-action version of the Saturday "Super Friends" cartoon? 

Whatever the verdict, Legends of the Superheroes remains as a unique attempt to bring the universe of superheroes to television and Not get caught up in the "put it on Saturday morning" expectations of network television executives.

(Hawkman's face mask must be made of construction paper, lol!)




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blueluigi
Oh lord, I've seen part of this special a while back. It was very corny as hell. The only noteworthy part about the special is seeing Adam West and Burt Ward reprise their roles as Batman and Robin.
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Vaporman87
Oh wow. That is both painful and hilarious to watch. I think it definitely qualifies for entry into this thread.
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eddstarr
Yes, this is Awfully entertaining, lol.

The special was aired over two nights, Wednesday and Friday I think, the first night was the search for a time bomb while the second night was a celebrity roast hosted by Ed McMahon.

Honestly, it's all so cheesy it made me wonder about the real reason for this special. At the time there was talk of getting Adam West and Burt Ward back together again while Adam was still in his prime.

There must have been a pile-on effect as plans for bringing Batman and Robin back to television progressed. The growing interest in superheroes also played a part but the horrible humor can only be the result of limited time to get the show on air, sort of a rush job. 

The celebrity roast on the second night had cameo walk-ons by many TV stars at the time. Their routines were equally unfunny but the point that stands out to me was the rise of fantasy characters making a presence on network television.

As bad as Legends of the Superheroes is it may have spurred other players in the entertainment  biz to show-up Hanna-Barbera by bringing a more serious tone to the genre.

So the stage was set for Superheroes to take-off - when given the proper respect by creators that cared!

(this version of Ghettoman is edited - please show mercy as I sat through the whole routine)

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Superman
I've heard of this before, but I'd never actually seen any of it until I watched these clips just now. It definitely seems like an odd television special. I can see why the concept never made it into an actual series. It's too bad the material wasn't a little better, though. A live action superhero team led by Adam West could have made for a cool show.
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