Godzilla (animated series)

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

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 Calico, a hydrofoil research vessel, headed by Captain Carl Majors. The rest of the crew include scientist Dr. Quinn Darien, her nephew Pete, her research assistant Brock, and the ship's first mate, Carl. Also along for the ride is Godzuki, the "cowardly cousin" of Godzilla and Pete's best friend, who has a lighthearted role in the show. Godzuki can attempt to fly using the small wings under his arms. Whenever Godzuki tries to breathe fire, he usually just coughs up smoke rings.

The group often call upon Godzilla by using a special communicator when in peril, such as attacks by other giant monsters. Godzuki is also able to howl to summon Godzilla. 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 was 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.

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 served as an animated continuation of the 1998 Godzilla film.

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

Voices

 * Ted Cassidy - Godzilla
 * Jeff David - Captain Carl Majors
 * Al Eisenmann - Pete
 * Hilly Hicks - Brock
 * Brenda Thompson - Quinn
 * Don Messick - Godzuki

Series monsters and villains

 * 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)
 * COBRA group (a fictional terrorist group armed with modern weapons technology, not to be confused with the group of the same name from the G.I. Joe franchise) (Episode 25)
 * The Ice People of Frios (Episode 26)

Broadcast history
Godzilla originally aired in the 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 – December 1, 1979)
 * The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour (December 8, 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. 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. The original plan was to keep it as part of another 90 minute arc. Only it was to be paired up with episodes of The Shmoo and The Thing. The planned title was Godzilla Meets the Shmoo and The Thing. However these plans dissolved, and the show was simply aired on its own in its own half hour timeslot. Hanna-Barbera would pair episodes of The New Fred and Barney Show with the Shmoo and the Thing instead as Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo. 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 26 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 (to be replaced by The Smurfs, which would last three times as long). Throughout the 1980s until the late-1990s, the series rested in limbo (with the exception of a limited videocassette release of two episodes). Since 1993, it has been rebroadcast on TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

Episodes

 * Nº = Overall episode number
 * Ep = Episode number by season

Production credits
(Godzilla Power Hour with Jana of the Jungle)
 * 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 Viliare
 * Story Direction: John Bruno, Moe Gollub, Jan Green, Paul Gruwell, John Zarr Haber, Rick Holdberg, Larry Huber, Mark Kirkand, Sherman Labby, Will Meuginot, Don Rico, Desmond Serratore, Dave Stevens, Bill Wary, Tom Yakutis
 * 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 Philips, Michael Road, Michael Rye, Brenda Thompson, 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: Fred Irvin, Doug Wildey, George Wheeler
 * Layout Supervisor: John Ahern, Warren Marshall
 * Key Layout: Larry Huber, Floyd Norman
 * Layout: Cosmo Anzalotti, Lyle Beddes, John Bruno, Garnett Bugby, Todd Curtis, Sukhl Dail, Cory Dangerfield, Owen Fitzgerald, 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, Bary Seitz, Doyle Shaw, Peter Shelley, Roy Smith, Thomas Tholen, Greg Thurber, Toby, Grant Wilson
 * Animation Supervisors: Bill Keil, Jay Sarbry
 * Assistant Animation Supervisor: Bob Goe
 * Animation: Ed Aardal, Carlos Alfonso, Frank Andrina, Cliff Auguston, Ed Barge, Tom Barnes, Bob Bemiller, Oliver Callahan, Lars Calnius, Amaro Carretero, Rudy Cataldi, Roger Chiasson, Jesse Cosio, Doug Crane, Joan Drake, Marcia Fertig, Hugh Fraser, Al Gavioto, Manuel Garcia Galiana, Mark Glamack, Fernando Gonzalez, Jeff Hall, Terry Harrison, Bob Hathcock, Fred Hellmich, Harry Holt, Angel Izquierdo, Volus Jones, Mario Juilio, Rick Leon, Hicks Lokey, Ernesto Lopez, Roberto Marcano, Luis Martinez, Dan Mills, Pedro Mohedano, Ken Muse, Constantin Mustatea, Margaret Nichols, Eduardo Olivares, Margaret Parkes, Bill Pratt, Tom Ray, Morey Reden, Veve Risto, Mitch Rochon, Vincente Rodriguez, Mariano Ruceda, Mark Simon, Ken Southworth, Dave Tendlar, Dick Thompson, Richard Trueblood, Robert Tyler, Carlo Vinci, James Walker, John Walker, Ron Westlund
 * Background Supervisor: Al Gmuer
 * Backgrounds: Deborah Akers, Dario Campanile, Dennis Durrell, Ann Guenther, James Hegedous, James Hickey, Paro Hozumi, Michael Humphries, Alison Julian, Bill Lorencz, Andy Philipson, Jeff Richards, Jeff Riche, Sera Segal-Alsberg, Peter Van Elk, Dennis Veinzelos
 * Checking and Scene Planning: Cindy Smith
 * Xerography: Star Wirth
 * Ink and Paint Supervisor: 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: Danieas McLean, Joe Sandusky
 * Effects Editors: Ric Eisenman, Patricia Peck
 * Show Editor: Gil Iverson
 * Negative Consultant: William E. Deboer
 * Post-Production Supervisor: Joed Eaton
 * Production Manager: Jayne Barbera
 * A Hanna Barbera Production
 * In Association With Henry G. Sarperstein
 * This Picture Made Under the Jurisdiction of IATSE-IA Affiliated with A.F.L.-C.I.O.

Spoofs

 * In response to the Y2K hype, Cartoon Network created a short ("Godzilla vs. the Y2K Bug") in which the Calico is attacked by a personified Y2K Bug. The Godzilla calling device is useless because the crew forgot to update the embedded microchip.
 * Professor Quinn Darien appeared as Dr. Gale Melody, a music expert, 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 three separate volumes titled Godzilla: The Original Animated Series. Volume 1 contains the first four episodes, volume 2 contains the next four, and volume 3 contains the next five.

As of November 9, 2011, all episodes of season 1 are also streaming on Netflix and available to view on Hulu.