- You may be looking for The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! (the 1981 animated series).
- You may be looking for Shazam the Wizard.
- You may be looking for Captain Marvel, 'The World's Mightiest Mortal.'
Shazam! was Filmations first live-action television series that ran from 1974 to 1976.
The show spawned a spin-off, The Secrets of Isis, and in 1975 the two paired up together, becoming The Shazam/Isis Hour, which dealt with the remastering process.
In 2019, this show was remastered and the moral segments that were previously thought lost were found once again. It became available to stream on DC Universe, along with the special Restoring Shazam!.
Series Summary[]
The series featured young Billy Batson (Michael Gray) and his elderly guardian, known only as Mentor (Les Tremayne). Together they traveled across 1970's United States[1] in an RV, righting wrongs and helping those in need. Billy is on vacation from his job at the News building,[2] so as to be mentored to be a superhero. When trouble arose, Billy exited the RV, spoke the magic word "Shazam". He was instantly struck by a magic lightning-bolt and transformed via animation and special effects into the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel.
The series departed greatly from accepted comic book canon, in that Billy never interacted directly with the wizard Shazam. In fact, Shazam was not even included as a part of the series, and was only referenced as a power-name that Billy invoked to transform into Captain Marvel. Instead, he speaks to the six Elders, an analog to the six ancients who bequeath their powers to Batson in the comic books. These six Elders are: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. The only member of the Elders ever referenced by name was Solomon, who usually spoke to Billy through a red, glowing device mounted on the console of Mentor's RV. When the Elders appeared before Billy, they are in a vast cavern taking the form of a mystic montage of animated characters, rather than actual actors.
Violence was downplayed and there were no supervillains, nor did any other members of the Marvel Family appear. Billy, as both himself and as Captain Marvel, would help people out of difficult situations of their own making. As in many Filmation shows and cartoons, moral messages were contained within each episode, crystallized at the end of each episode either by Billy learning a new moral lesson from either Mentor or his empowering elders.
Principal Cast[]
 |
 |
  |
  |
Opening Narration[]
Shazam (1974) live-action intro
Shazam (1974) live-action intro
Each episode began with the following narration, accompanied by a mix of live action and animation:
|
Episode List:[]
Season 1 (1974)[]
| Ep # | Episode Name | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Joyriders | September 7, 1974 |
| 2 | The Brothers | September 14, 1974 |
| 3 | Thou Shalt Not Kill | September 21, 1974 |
| 4 | The Lure Of The Lost | September 28, 1974 |
| 5 | The Road Back | October 5, 1974 |
| 6 | The Athlete | October 12, 1974 |
| 7 | The Treasure | October 19, 1974 |
| 8 | The Boy Who Said "No" | October 26, 1974 |
| 9 | The Doom Buggy | November 2, 1974 |
| 10 | The Brain | November 9, 1974 |
| 11 | Little Boy Lost | November 16, 1974 |
| 12 | The Delinquent | November 23, 1974 |
| 13 | The Braggart | November 30, 1974 |
| 14 | The Past Is Not Forever | December 7, 1974 |
| 15 | The Gang's All Here | December 14, 1974 |
Season 2 (1975)[]
| Ep # | Episode Name | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | On Winning | September 6, 1975 |
| 2 | Debbie | September 13, 1975 |
| 3 | Fool's Gold | September 20, 1975 |
| 4 | Double Trouble | September 27, 1975 |
| 5 | Goodbye, Packy | November 4, 1975 |
| 6 | Speak No Evil | November 11, 1975 |
| 7 | The Odd Couple | November 18, 1975 |
Season 3 (1976)[]
| Ep # | Episode Name | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Contest | September 11, 1976 |
| 2 | Bitter Herbs | September 18, 1976 |
| 3 | Ripcord | September 25, 1976 |
| 4 | Finders Keepers | October 2, 1976 |
| 5 | The Sound Of A Different Drummer | October 9, 1976 |
| 6 | Out Of Focus | October 16, 1976 |
References[]
- ↑ In real life it was California, most likely the [studio zone].
- ↑ As told in the episode The Joyriders.