Godzilla

Godzilla is an American animated monster television series produced by Hanna-Barbera, in association with Henry G. Saperstein. The series aired on NBC in 1978 in the United States with the title The Godzilla Power Hour and on TV Tokyo in Japan. The series continued to air until 1981, packaged with other series under various titles.

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. Split off into its own half-hour, the show aired for a few months in 1979 as The Godzilla Show, and then as The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour for most of 1980, before another repackaging as The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour with the Funky Phantom in late 1980, and then The Godzilla/Hong Kong Phooey Hour until its cancellation in 1981.

The series acquired the retronym of Godzilla: The Original Animated Series for its DVD release.

## Premise

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 Darien and her research assistant Brock Borden. Also along for the ride is Godzooky, the "cowardly nephew" of Godzilla and Pete's best friend, in a comic foil role in the show. Godzooky can *attempt* to fly using the small wings under his arms. Whenever Godzooky tries to breathe fire, he usually just coughs up smoke rings (similar to Minilla the son of Godzilla from the Toho films).

The group often call upon Godzilla by using a special signaller when in danger, such as attacks by other giant monsters. Godzooky is also able to roar to summon Godzilla. Godzilla's size in the animated series shifts radically, sometimes within a single episode or even a single scene. For instance, Godzilla's claws 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.

## Voice cast

* Jeff David as Captain Carl MajorsTemplate:Sfn
* Brenda Thompson as Dr. Quinn DarienTemplate:Sfn
* Hilly Hicks as Brock BordenTemplate:Sfn
* Al Eisenmann as Pete DarienTemplate:Sfn
* Don Messick as GodzookyTemplate:Sfn
* B.J. Ward as Jana of the JungleTemplate:Sfn
* Michael Bell as Dr. Ben CooperTemplate:Sfn
* Ted Cassidy as Montaro/**Godzilla** (vocal effects)Template:Sfn

## Production

In regard to the origin of the series, Joseph Barbera came up with the idea of licensing Godzilla. He explained in a 1990s interview "My job back then was to dig up new characters, new ideas, new shows, and I had wanted to do Godzilla for awhile. I liked the monster thing, and the way it looked, and I thought we could do a lot with it. So I contacted Henry Saperstein, who was a very good friend and we got talking about it. Then there was an executive at the network who wanted to get into the act, and urged us to lighten the storyline up. So, I came up with the character Godzooky, who was like his son. The show had a sort of father-son relationship, which we had done before on shows like *Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy* and *Jonny Quest*.Template:Sfn

Barbera also explained why the show had little violence and deviated from the source material. "The problem with the show was simply this: When they start telling you in Standards and Practices, 'Don't shoot any flame at anybody, don't step on any buildings or cars,' then pretty soon, they've taken away all the stuff he represents. That became the problem, to maintain a feeling of Godzilla and at the same time cut down everything that he did. We managed to get a fair show out of it. It was OK. Godzooky kind of got the kids going."Template:Sfn

## Broadcast

*Godzilla* originally aired in these following formats on NBC:

* ***The Godzilla Power Hour*** (September 9, 1978 – October 28, 1978)
* ***The Godzilla Super 90*** (November 4, 1978 – September 1, 1979)
* ***Godzilla*** (September 8, 1979 – November 3, 1979)
* ***The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour*** (November 10, 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 New 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 both *Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo* and *Fred and Barney Meet the Thing*. Two months later, episodes of *Godzilla* and *The Super Globetrotters* were packaged together as *The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour* which ran until September 20, 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 first was *The Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour* (also appearing in this series were reruns of 1971's *The Funky Phantom*), which ran until November 15, 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 as *Godzilla* did). Throughout the 1980s until the late 1990s, the series rested in limbo (with the exception of a limited VHS videocassette release of two episodes). Since 1993, it has been rebroadcast on TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang, as well as on Retro TV for a brief time on Saturday mornings between 2015–2016. The Series Premiered On Toon Disney & Jetix On September 27, 2020.

## Production credits

**Season 1**

* Executive Producers: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
* Producer: Doug Wildey
* Directors: Ray Patterson, Carl Urbano
* Developed for Television by: Duane Poole, Dick Robbins
* Creative Producer: Iwao Takamoto
* Story: Don Heckman, Duane Poole, Dick Robbins, Tom Swale, David Villaire
* Story Direction: Moe Gollub, Paul Gruwell, Sherman Labby, Desmond Serratore
* Recording Director: Wally Burr
* Voices: Marlene Aragon, Michael Bell, Ted Cassidy, Jeff David, Al Eisenman, Hilly Hicks, Don Messick, Barney Phillips, Mike Road, Michael Rye, Brenda Thompson, Les Tremayne, Bill Woodson
* Graphics: Iraj Paran, Tom Wogatzke
* Title Design: Bill Perez
* Musical Director: Hoyt Curtin
* Musical Supervisor: Paul DeKorte
* Character Design: George Wheeler, Doug Wildey
* Layout Supervisor: John Ahern
* Key Layout: Larry Huber, Floyd Norman
* Layout: Cosmo Anzilotti, John Bruno, Hak Ficq, Owen Fitzgerald, Bob Foster, Drew Gentle, Charles Grosvenor, Paul Gruwell, Mike Kawaguchi, Mark Kirkland, Jack Manning, Earl Martin, Jim Mueller, Dan Noonan, Michael O'Mara, Lew Ott, Mike Ploog, Tom Roth, Linda Rowley, Glenn Schmitz, Bart Seitz, Peter Shelley, Toby
* Animation Supervisors: Bill Keil, Jay Sarbry
* Assistant Animation Supervisor: Bob Goe
* Animation: Ed Aardal, Frank Andrina, Cliff Augustson, Ed Barge, Tom Barnes, Bob Bemiller, Oliver Callahan, Lars Calonius, Rudy Cataldi, Roger Chiasson, Jesse Cosio, Doug Crane, Joan Drake, Marcia Fertig, Hugh Fraser, Al Gaivoto, Mark Glamack, Fernando Gonzalez, Jeff Hall, Terry Harrison, Bob Hathcock, Fred Hellmich, Harry Holt, Volus Jones, Mario Julio, Rick Leon, Hicks Lokey, Ernesto Lopez, Dan Mills, Ken Muse, Constantin Mustatea, Margaret Nichols, Bill Pratt, Tom Ray, Morey Reden, Veve Risto, Mitch Rochon, Mark Simon, Ken Southworth, Dave Tendlar, Dick Thompson, Richard Trueblood, Robert Tyler, Carlo Vinci, James T. Walker, John Walker, Ron Westland
* Background Supervisor: Al Gmuer
* Backgrounds: Deborah Akers, Dennis Durrell, James Hegedus, Jim Hickey, Andy Phillipson, Jeff Richards, Jeff Riche, Sera Segal-Allsberg, Dennis Venizelos
* Checking and Scene Planning: Cindy Smith
* Xerography: Star Wirth
* Ink and Paint Supervisor: Billie Kerns
* Sound Direction: Richard Olson, Bill Getty
* Camera: George Epperson, Tom Epperson, Chuck Flekal, Ron Jackson, Jerry Smith, Larry Smith, Terry Smith, Brandy Whittington, Jerry Whittington
* Supervising Film Editor: Larry C. Cowan
* Dubbing Supervisor: Pat Foley
* Music Editor: Joe Sandusky
* Effects Editor: Ric Eisman
* Show Editor: Gil Iverson
* Negative Consultant: William E. DeBoer
* Production Manager: Jayne Barbera
* Post Production Supervisor: Joed Eaton

**Season 2**

* Executive Producers: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
* Producer: Doug Wildey
* Directors: Ray Patterson, Carl Urbano, Oscar Dufau, George Gordon
* Developed for Television by: Duane Poole, Dick Robbins
* Creative Producer: Iwao Takamoto
* Story: Kathleen Barnes, Doug Booth, Don Heckman, Martha Humphreys, Bob Johnson, Glenn Leopold, Ray Parker, Ted Peterson, Duane Poole, Dick Robbins, Bob Stitzel, Tom Swale, David Villaire, David Wise
* Story Direction: Moe Gollub, Paul Gruwell, Rick Hoberg, Emilie Kong, Sherman Labby, Will Meugniot, Don Rico, Desmond Serratore, Doug Wildey
* Recording Directors: Wally Burr, Doug Wildey
* Voices: Marlene Aragon, Michael Bell, Ted Cassidy, Jeff David, Al Eisenman, Michelle Hart Hilly Hicks, Don Messick, Barney Phillips, Mike Road, Michael Rye, Brenda Thompson, Les Tremayne, Katherine Victor, Janet Waldo, Bill Woodson
* Graphics: Iraj Paran, Tom Wogatzke
* Title Design: Bill Perez
* Musical Director: Hoyt Curtin
* Musical Supervisor: Paul DeKorte
* Character Design: Gil DiCicco, Fred Irvin, George Wheeler, Doug Wildey
* Layout Supervisors: John Ahern, Don Morgan
* Key Layout: Drew Gentle, Larry Huber, Terry Morgan, Floyd Norman
* Layout: Cosmo Anzilotti, Gregory Bombeck, John Bruno, Jacques Charvet, Curtis Cim, Tom Coppola, Hak Ficq, Owen Fitzgerald, Bob Foster, George Goode, Charles Grosvenor, Paul Gruwell, Russ Heath, Rick Hoberg, Fred Irvin, Ray Jacobs, Mike Kawaguchi, Mark Kirkland, Jack Manning, Earl Martin, Jim McLean, Jim Mueller, Dan Noonan, Michael O'Mara, Lew Ott, Mike Ploog, Paul Power, Tom Roth, Linda Rowley, Glenn Schmitz, Bart Seitz, Desmond Serratore, Tony Sgroi, Peter Shelley, Dave Stevens, Dean Thompson, Toby, John Tucker, Sandra Tucker
* Animation Supervisors: Bill Keil, Jay Sarbry
* Animation: Ed Aardal, Frank Andrina, Cliff Augustson, Ed Barge, Tom Barnes, Maxwell Becraft, Bob Bemiller, Richard Bowman, Oliver Callahan, Lars Calonius, Rudy Cataldi, Steve Clark, Richard Coleman, Jesse Cosio, Doug Crane, Elaine Despins, Joan Drake, Marcia Fertig, Gail Finkeldei, Doug Flockhart, Hugh Fraser, Al Gaivoto, Charles Gammage, Mark Glamack, Fernando Gonzalez, Jeff Hall, Terry Harrison, Bob Hathcock, Fred Hellmich, Harry Holt, Volus Jones, Mario Julio, Ilona Krea, Rick Leon, Teresa Loewy, Hicks Lokey, Michael Longden, Ernesto Lopez, Charles Macare, Mauro Maressa, Duncan Marjoribanks, Dan Mills, Ken Muse, Constantin Mustatea, Dennis Neil, Sean Newton, Margaret Nichols, Eduardo Olivares, Margaret Parkes, Bill Pratt, Harry Rasmussen, Tom Ray, William Recinos, Morey Reden, Veve Risto, Mitch Rochon, Joanna Romersa, Tom Ruegger, Louis Scarborough, Mark Simon, Ken Southworth, Barry Temple, Dave Tendlar, Dick Thompson, Richard Trueblood, Robert Tyler, Carlo Vinci, James T. Walker, John Walker, Ron Westland, Robert Wilkie
* Assistant Animation Supervisors: Bob Goe, Mark Glamack
* Background Supervisor: Al Gmuer
* Backgrounds: Deborah Akers, Dario Campanile, Dennis Durrell, Ann Guenther, James Hegedus, Eric Heschong, Jim Hickey, Mike Humphries, Andy Phillipson, Jeff Richards, Jeff Riche, Sera Segal-Allsberg, Dennis Venizelos
* Checking and Scene Planning: Cindy Smith
* Xerography: Star Wirth
* Ink and Paint Supervisor: Billie Kerns
* Sound Direction: Richard Olson, Bill Getty
* Camera: Candy Edwards, George Epperson, Tom Epperson, Chuck Flekal, Ron Jackson, Kieran Mulgrew, Jerry Smith, Larry Smith, Terry Smith, Neil Viker, Brandy Whittington, Jerry Whittington
* Supervising Film Editor: Larry C. Cowan
* Dubbing Supervisor: Pat Foley
* Music Editors: Tom Gleason, Joe Sandusky
* Effects Editors: Ric Eisman, Mark Green, Mark Mangini, Karla McGregor
* Show Editor: Gil Iverson
* Negative Consultant: William E. DeBoer
* Production Manager: Jayne Barbera
* Post Production Supervisor: Joed Eaton

## Spoofs

* In response to the Y2K hype, Cartoon Network created a short – "Godzilla vs. the Y2K Bug" (1999) – in which the *Calico* is attacked by a giant personified, talking *Y2K Bug*. The Godzilla calling device turns out to be useless this time, because Captain Majors forgot to update the embedded microchip.
* Dr. Quinn Darien appeared as Dr. Gale Melody, a music expert, in the *Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law* episode "Shoyu Weenie" voiced by Grey DeLisle.

1. ↑ *The Horrorworld Reporter* Forrest J. Ackerman. *Famous Monsters of Filmland* #156. Warren Publishing. August 1979. p.88.
2. ↑ Godzilla vs. The Y2K Bug