The Great Space Coaster - Episode #8 (Opening, The Mean Joe Greene Song & Ending, 1980)

I'm proud to announce that The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.FuzzyMemories.TV) has financed, with your generous donations, the restoration from the master tapes of two episodes of the well-remembered 80s kids program, The Great Space Coaster!!

This project was coordinated with the assistance and blessing of Jim Martin, the talented puppeteer who performed the character of Gary Gnu on the show. Jim was able to secure the rights to the program as well as the original master tapes. He hopes to be able to eventually release the show for sale commercially. Recently he held a fundraiser via IndieGoGo and other sources, in which he raised over $3500 to help finance the digital transfer of these tapes. We offered our help to get some of the tapes transferred at no cost to them.

The two episodes were on Quad 2" videotape, a fairly expensive and increasingly difficult format to transfer properly. We employed the service of our museum's Quad transfer expert, who gives us a discounted rate because he believes in the good work we are doing for preservation. An example of the results of that transfer can be seen here... :-)

Lastly, please visit and "Like" the only OFFICIAL Facebook page of The Great Space Coaster...and tell'em Fuzzy sent ya! :-)

Here are some portions of Episode #8 of The Great Space Coaster which aired locally over WFLD Channel 32 (which would be owned by the show's co-producer, Metromedia, from 1983 through 1986). This came from the original master tape which, according to the production slate, was made on December 18th 1980. [I have been told that these dates are unreliable as to their meaning however - so we can't assume that 12/18/80 was the actual filming date of the episode]

Includes:

1 second of SMPTE ECR 1-1978 (later reconstituted as EG 1-1990) color bars, followed by countdown slate from Sunbow Productions (dated 12-18-80)

Opening title sequence (which can also be seen on its own in this clip)

Roy (Ray Stephens) seeing Knock Knock the woodpecker (voice of John Lovelady) in pain

"Time Out!" animated commercial bumper (voiceover by ??)

Sponsor billboards for Hasbro Toys and Kellogg's Cereals (voiceover by ??)

"Time In!" animated commercial bumper (voiceover by ??)

Football great Mean Joe Greene (fresh off his now-legendary Coca-Cola commercial), sitting on a wicker chair and studying sheet music while being prodded by Goriddle Gorilla (voice of Kevin Clash), after which Knock Knock introduces their number - backed by Francine (Emily Bindiger), Roy, Danny (Chris Gifford), Baxter (voice of Francis Kane) - and Knock Knock on the obligato; the song is about Mean Joe himself, as he listens from his seat

Closing sequence for The Great Space Coaster, with the human cast (Roy on keyboards, Danny on drums and Emily on guitar) playing the theme song, accompanied by closing credits at warp speed! (blink one second and you'll miss 'em ;-) ):

Executive Producers - Tom Griffin, Joe Bacal, John Claster [of the Claster family that also franchised Romper Room and Bowling for Dollars to local stations across the country]
Producer - Andrew B. Ferguson, Jr.
Written by Joseph A. Bailey, Joe Cook, Mark Eisman, Barry Harman, G. Ross Parker
Head Writer - Joe Bacal
Directed By Dick Feldman

Cast:
Francine - Emily Bindiger
Danny - Chris Gifford
Roy - Ray Stephens
Puppeteers - Kevin J. Clash [later to become famous as the voice of "Elmo" on Sesame Street], Francis Kane, John Lovelady, Jim Martin
Speedreader - Ken Myles

Puppets Built At The Great Jones Studio - Jim Kroupa, Christopher Lyall, Robert Lovett, Matthew Stoddart, John Orberg
Creative Consultant - Jay Bacal
Music Produced By Mega Music
Music By Don Dannemann [formerly a member of the 1960's rock band The Cyrkle], Tommy Goodman, Norris O'Neill
Space Coaster Theme Words and Music by Spencer Michlin, Anne Bryant
Opening Animation - Ray Favata Productions
Animation Design Director - Michael J. Smollin
Senior Associate Producer - Andrea Cvirko
Associate Producer-Film - Patty Rout
Associate Producer-Puppets - John Lovelady
Production Supervisor - Tish Sommers
Post Production Supervisor - Ted Page
Associate Director - Ted May
Art Director - Eoin Sprott
Scenic Designer - Polly Wood Holland
Studio Production Manager - Nan Harris
Post Production - W. Coast - Perry Kraus
Publicity Director - Gail Bacal
Script Coordinator - Carole Weitzman
Talent Coordinator - Anne Newman-Mantee
Production Assistants - Therese Sibon, C. Mark Miller, Joe Ellen Axelrod, Donna Rude, Sharen Vernale, Carol Hardin
Senior Technician - Ralph Parisi, Sr.
Technical Director - Ken Geiman
Audio - Ward Bennett
Videotape Editors - Ron Proccaccio, Rosanne Scarry
Costume Designer - Bill Kellard
Costume Supervisor - Grisha Mynova
Make Up and Hair Stylist - Kathleen Hume
Props - Bob Hancox
Casting - Marcia Shulman

Special Film Segments:
Director of Photography - Bob Baldwin
Cameramen - Bob Ipcar, Peter Pierce, John Sosenko
Editing - Jennifer Boyd, Jim Burgess, Wendy Plump
Featured Films and Animation - Coe Films Associates, Learning Corporation of America, Bruno Bozzetto, Osvaldo Cavandoli
New York University Films - Hank Blumenthal, Eric Early, Tom Feirabend, Tim Speidel
Educational Advisors - Dr. Michael Bender (Kennedy Institute), Dr. Chester Pierce (Harvard University), Dr. Paul Daniels (Johns Hopkins University), Ms. Barbara Rollock (American Library Association), Dr. Barbara Fowles Mates (Long Island University), Dr. Gilbert Schiffman (Johns Hopkins University), Dr. Kenneth O'Bryan (Addiction Research Center)
Recommended By The American Federation Of Teachers
Produced In Association With Metromedia Television, Division of Metromedia, Inc.
Executive Producer, Metromedia Television - Paul Noble
Distributed By Claster Television Productions - A Subsidiary of Hasbro Industries
Produced By Sunbow Productions Incorporated
Copyright 1981 Sunbow Productions, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
(followed by Sunbow Productions logo bumper at end)

"Mean Joe Greene / The nicest man you've ever seen"

This originally aired on local Chicago TV in 1981, presumably.

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