For kids who could not get enough of their favourite video games at the local arcade, CBS came up with Saturday Supercade.
For two seasons, the show offered five segments of different characters, with the only ones seen in both seasons being Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Q*Bert.
Donkey Kong told of a large trouble-prone and slow-witted but likeable ape who ran away from the circus and was eluding recapture by his trainer Mario, and Mario’s niece Pauline.
A separate but related segment had Donkey Kong Jr. also looking for his dad, with the help of his human pal Bones, and finding time to assist children along the way.
And in Q*Bert, the orange snorkel-nosed title character and his family tried to fend off attacks by Coilee Snake and the latter’s stooges, Ugh, Viper, and Wrongway.
In 1983-84, the other two segments seen were Frogger and Pitfall Harry.
Reporters Frogger and Fanny Frog and photographer Shelly Turtle (who had a darkroom in his shell) worked for the Swamp Gazette and went after bad guys, with some help from animals and adults.
Harry, with his 10-year-old niece Rhonda and cowardly pet mountain lion Quick Claws, went to various lands to find hidden treasures.
They were replaced in 1985 by Space Ace, actually a video rather than an arcade game with a Buck Rogers-like astronaut who – with his main squeeze Kimberly – fought Commander Borf, and Kangaroo, about three animals of the title species (Katy, Joey, and Sidney) who defended their zoo from the naughty antics of the Monkey Biz Gang.
They all disappeared after two years.
Donkey Kong
Soupy Sales Donkey Kong Jr./Q*Dad/Coilee Snake/Ugg/Wrongway/Monkey Biz Gang
Frank Welker Mario
Peter Cullen Pauline
Judy Strangis Bones
Bart Braverman Q*Bert
Billy Bowles Q*Tee/Q*Val
Robbie Lee Q*Bertha/Q*Mom/Viper
Julie McWhirter Dees Frogger
Bob Sarkitte Fanny Frog
B. J. Ward Shellshock Turtle (Shelly)/Sidney
Marvin Kaplan Mac
Alan Dinehart Pitfall Harry
Robert Ridgely Rhonda
Noelle North Quick Claws
Ken Mars Space Ace
Jim Piper Kimberly
Nancy Cartwright Space Marshall Vaughn
Peter Renaday Commander Borf/Mr Friendly
Arthur Burghardt Katy
Mea Martineau Joey
David Mendenhall
For kids who could not get enough of their favourite video games at the local arcade, CBS came up with Saturday Supercade.
In 1983-84, the other two segments seen were Frogger and Pitfall Harry.
They all disappeared after two years.
