Superfriends: The Lost Episodes on DVD

[palitoy]

Amazon.com: Super Friends: The Lost Episodes: Movies TV

I think these are from a syndicated run around 1983, I remember watching some of these but am unsure if they need to be in my collection. The retro channel has played some of these recently and I've been underwhelmed.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, if I recall right they are very sloppily animated (even by HB standards of the time) and the stories are pretty underwhelming. There are a few good ideas in these, but the execution is lacking (the Superman/Superboy/Phantom Zone mini-episode came from this era I believe). Kind of the last gasp of the pre-Super Powers SF.

Chris

[filmation batman fan]

I had to drive an hour out of my way to buy this set since the local Wal Mart is not carrying it. D___ them. Oh well, the trip was worth it and I'm glad to see it come to DVD. Now, I can finally see all these episodes uncut. I originally saw most of these on bootlegs at Comic Cons, but all of them have aired on the Superman/Batman Adventures format in the mid to late 90's, but all of them were edited and butchered with missing scenes.

The best ideas in this series were:

1: Bringing back and reuniting the entire Legion of Doom as well as having Grodd and Giganta and even the original Brainiac and Bizarro as featured villains in episodes.

2: The Wonder Twins finally teaming up with other heroes than the main five they were restricted to. Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman and Hawkgirl and the Atom. It's about time.

3: Seeing El Dorado team up with Batman and Robin and Aquaman since he only worked with Superman and Wonder Woman in those two episodes in 1981.

4: Robin making a cameo appearance without Batman in the Krypton Syndrome

5: Having not one but two World's Finest team up episodes. Just Superman and Batman. Even though Warpland's plot was highly lame.

6: Having one team up featuring only the Big Three in Prisoners of Sleep.


On the downside, some of these plots are absurd. Who knows? If ABC hadn't foolishly removed the show from the 1983 Saturday Morning Lineup, I might have loved all these episodes better had I seen them when I was 12 as opposed to 22. But seeing them as an adult, I can't help but point out some of the bad qualities.

1: Batman and Robin, my favorite heroes, really got the bad end of the deal this season, since they were in most of the lamer episodes, like Bully For You, The Malusian Blob, and Playground of Doom, and although it was cool they teamed up with El Dorado, even Attack of the Cats was lame.

2: The regular voice overs were great as always, but some of the new voice overs were awful. Now I did like Jerry Dexter, who voiced over Aqualad in the Filmation Aquaman series. In this series, he voiced over various teenagers and he was Superboy in Return of the Phantoms. The worst voice over was the coal miner in Prisoners of Sleep. He was horrendous. Where did HB find him?

3: Same formula team ups: While we did some new pair ups, we saw some of the same team ups that were done back on the All New SuperFriends Hour in 1977.

Superman, Batman and Robin in Playground of Doom
Superman and Wonder Woman in The Recruiter.

That's all well and good, but it's already been done.

Some of the most absurd story ideas of this season were: Warpland, Bulgor the Behemoth, Invasion of the Space Dolls, Playground of Doom, The Malusian Blob,

IN my SF episode guide, I described this season as a melting pot of good and bad episodes mixed in.

I think it was after this series that Alan Burnett came along and gave the SuperFriends the shot in the arm that was badly needed.

BUT I still recommend getting this series on DVD. Why? If you've only seen them edited on the Superman/Batman Adventures, it's worth having the set to see them uncut.
And until or unless the shorts from the 1980 and 1981 seasons come to DVD, we finally have the early 80's intro now available on DVD.

But most of all, I only recommend this set to people who are completionists of the SuperFriends or classic DC Cartoon shows or DC stuff on media in any way, shape, or fashion.

BTW Palitoy, I've not heard of this retro channel. Is this in the US or Canada? And if they've aired these episodes, have they aired the 1980 and 1981 seasons? Neither Cartoon Network nor Boomerang are playing them here.

Cheers.

[Earth 2 Chris]

And until or unless the shorts from the 1980 and 1981 seasons come to DVD, we finally have the early 80's intro now available on DVD.

Is this the "Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin, Aquaman, Black Vulcan, Samuarai, Apache Chief, El Dorado" intro? If so, I haven't seen it in 20 years at least!

I'll probably get this, but I'm behind on my SF. I didn't get the Super Powers: Galactic Guardians set because at the time of release, Boomerang was showing those every night.

Chris

[EMCE Hammer]

FBF - what's left Superfriends related to still get an official release? I have a real hard time keeping it straight. I am going to get these because I know the kids will love them.

[Riffster]

I have all the sets on dvd but haven't watched them all, I remember an episode where Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were captured and thier powers were put into Frankenstien? But then they had to transfer thier powers into Robin so he could save the world. am I just way off in my memory?

[filmation batman fan]

Earth 2 Chris: In answer to your question, yes, it is indeed that intro. I highly recommend this set.


The SuperFriends series that have yet to get official DVD releases are:

SUPER FRIENDS: 1973: The original series with Wendy, Marvin, and
Wonder Dog. This was the season that had guest appearances by the Flash, Green Arrow, and Plastic Man. These were the hour long episodes with misguided scientists and aliens.

THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER FRIENDS: 1979: On its 30th anniversary. This is the 8 episode series with the main five and the Wonder Twins in stories inspired off of Arabians Knights, King Arthur, The Hobbitt, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Wizard of Oz. This is the season that had their evil counterparts, and the return of Lex Luthor and Mr. Mxyztplk in the Wizard of Oz episode. There only 8 half hour episodes.

SUPER FRIENDS HOUR: 1980: The first season of the shorts.

SUPER FRIENDS: 1981: The second season of shorts with the first apperances of El Dorado. This was a very short season.


Hope this helps.

Cheers.

[Earth 2 Chris]

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I have all the sets on dvd but haven't watched them all, I remember an episode where Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were captured and thier powers were put into Frankenstien?

I love that one. Robin gets their remaining powers and fights the Super-Frankenstein Monster. I think it's from this season:

THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER FRIENDS: 1979: On its 30th anniversary. This is the 8 episode series with the main five and the Wonder Twins in stories inspired off of Arabians Knights, King Arthur, The Hobbitt, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Wizard of Oz. This is the season that had their evil counterparts, and the return of Lex Luthor and Mr. Mxyztplk in the Wizard of Oz episode. There only 8 half hour episodes.

This is my favorite season, mostly due to the fact that it includes the "Universe of Evil" FBMF mentions. The sight of a red-devil Batman and goateed Robin is still burned into my brain. Evil-Superman actually exclaims "Great Satan"! How in the heck did they get that by Standards and Practices!!!

Chris

[MIB41]

Jeez. When these first came out I thought after the first few DVD sets I had the whole series. Little did I know there were so many variations, so much so it's become frustrating to continue buying them since I don't watch these with any regularity. I certainly watched them in the 70's, but I have to admit the formula for storytelling is so stiff, these haven't held up as well as other shows I grew up with. I think I'll have to pass on some of these "special editions".

[filmation batman fan]

"SuperFriends Meet Frankenstein" is a classic episode. And it finally gives Robin some respect as he goes from just being Batman's sidekick to Super Robin as he battles the Super Monster. And that episode is also part of the World's Greatest SuperFriends series.

I won't be surprised if either World's Greatest or the original series are the last to be released on DVD for these reasons.

If the original series comes last, I'd say it's because of Wendy and Marvin.

If it's World's Greatest, it's because that will be the easiest series to release on DVD. A 2 disc set with 4 30 minute episodes each.

Cheers.

[The Toyroom]

This set sounds interesting to me..I don't think I ever saw the majority of these episodes.....

[starsky]

sounds good and pretty affordable!

[Airdave817]

SF Lost Episodes

The only collection I don't have yet is the second volume of Super Friends. I got Galactic Guardians and now this collection. I'm disappointed that there's not much for any Special Features. Just the episodes - there isn't even a commentary - just downloadable Super Friends comics. I guess no one wants to take any cre(blame)dit for these episodes...

I like how the SF address the issue of "gangs" I can see why these are Lost Episodes!

Did they get a new voice for Aquaman?

(How weird is this - a few weeks ago, I found the animated Star Trek at Wal Mart for under $20. Spectacular Spider-Man Season One came out under $20, and now SF lost episodes. The difference in animation, voice and features is amazing between the three by comparison. I can't wait for B & B at the end of the month! )

[Jason73]

I have all the SF DVD sets and this one was fun for me because I had not seen any of these episdodes before. I only watched the SF on ABC Saturday Morning which did not air these. I really thought the episode where Superman goes back in time and saves Krypton was really interesting.

I hope they finish up with the rest of the series as I'd love to have the complete set.