Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Kids TV
    Kids TV TV Shows - 1980s 3 Mins Read

    Great Space Coaster, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 1 – 1 9 8 6 (USA)

    A kid’s fantasy/variety show about three friends – Francine, Danny, and Roy – who leave Earth each day in their ‘Space Coaster’.

    Each episode featured several musical numbers – usually dealing with the various issues and problems kids face every day plus news reports from Gary Gnu and book reviews from Speed Reader.

    greatspacecoaster4In each episode, Roy showed a short film on his portable TV, often featuring segments 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.

    Francine, Roy, and Danny would sing a song together, and the various puppet characters would often sing songs too.

    A few years into the show’s run, the MTV-like “Rockin’ with Rory” segment presented Danny and the Spacecoasters performing cover versions of 1960s tunes.

    While the action was mostly taped on the space set, it wasn’t unusual for the characters to venture down to Earth for filmed musical numbers.

    Other characters included:

    • Baxter – A gentle clown who once worked for M.T. Promises and lives in fear of ever going back. He was the pilot of the space coaster and took the characters from Earth to the asteroid. He could magically disappear by twirling around
    • Goriddle Gorilla – a rude, lazy, obnoxious, gravel-voiced ape
    • Knock Knock – a prissy pink woodpecker who told a lot of “knock knock” jokes
    • Edison – a robotic elephant with an echoing voice
    • Gary Gnu – a newscaster who added a “g” to words and whose catchphrase was “No Gnews Is Good Gnews”
    • M.T. Promises – A top-hatted circus ringleader forever scheming to capture Baxter the clown and take him back to the circus
    • Speed Reader – a young man who provided speed reading book reviews on the Gary Gnu Show
    • The Huggles – Small, furry creatures who had stories read to them by Baxter.

    greatspacecoaster7Ratings began to slip a few years in and the producers tried to correct this by bringing in new characters like the Huggles.

    Francine
    Emily Bindiger
    Danny

    Chris Gifford
    Roy

    Ray Stephens
    Baxter

    Francis Kane
    Goriddle Gorilla

    Kevin J. Clash
    Knock Knock the Woodpecker

    John Lovelady (1)
    Noel MacNeal (2)
    Edison the Elephant

    John Lovelady
    Gary Gnu

    Jim Martin
    M.T. Promises

    Jim Martin
    Speed Reader

    Ken Myles
    The Huggles

    Pam Arciero

    Related Posts

    • Plonsters
      Plonsters
      1 9 8 7 - 1 9 9 7 (Germany) Germany had its own claymation series featuring blue, green and orange…
    • All-New Super Friends Hour, The
      All-New Super Friends Hour, The
      1 9 7 7 - 1 9 7 8 (USA) 15 x 60 minute episodes Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman and…
    • Beatles, The
      Beatles, The
      1 9 6 5 - 1 9 6 9 (USA) 39 x 30 minute episodes The Beatles cartoons were screened in the…
    • Space Angel
      Space Angel
      1 9 6 2 - 1 9 6 4 (USA) 260 x 4 minute episodes This cartoon series from Cambria Studios…
    • New Adventures of Superman, The
      New Adventures of Superman, The
      1 9 6 6 - 1 9 6 8 (USA) 34 x 30 minute episodes Just in case you have never…
    • Big World of Little Adam, The
      Big World of Little Adam, The
      1 9 6 5 (USA) 110 x 5 minute episodes Back in the days of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, nothing got a kid’s heart pumping…
    • Alvin Show, The
      Alvin Show, The
      1 9 6 1 - 1 9 6 2 (USA) 1 9 7 9 (USA) This show grew out of a 1958…
    • Space Kidettes
      Space Kidettes
      1 9 6 6 - 1 9 6 7 Take a group of kids, put them together, and before the…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleGumby Show, The
    Next Article Roger Ramjet

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Swallows & Amazons (1973)
      Four mischievous youngsters go boating while on holiday in the […]
    • Hammerman
      1 9 9 1 – 1 9 9 2 (USA/Canada) 13 x 30 minute episodes […]
    • Love Affair
      Formed in London in 1966, The Love Affair headed a new wave of […]
    • Eddie & The Hot Rods
      Eddie & The Hot Rods formed in Rochford near Southend, Essex […]
    • Four Pennies, The
      The Four Pennies (formerly The Lionel Morton Four) hailed from […]
    • X The Unknown (1957)
      On a desolate Scottish moor, a platoon of soldiers is being […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😢
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    3 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    5 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    6 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.