Super friends season popularity opinion poll

[filmation batman fan]

For those who may or may not know this, I am in the process of writing and putting together an ebook report for kindle called

THE ULTIMATE SUPER FRIENDS COMPANION:

In this ebook, I am covering every single episode of the Super Friends ever made from 1973-1985. I will cover each one in full, complete detail and each episode will have what I call SUPER NOTES AND COMMENTARY. I also do something called JUSTICE LEAGUE VOICE TRACKER: This is to identify the other characters that the main casts voiced over as well as any noteworthy voice actors who contributed to this series. I will do a Bat Gadget report on all Bat Devices and vehicles used and a section I will call "Aquaman Gets No Respect." In addition to the cartoon series, I also plan to read and review the Super Friends comic book series from 1976-1981. I also hope to do sections about the voice actors and any toylines that come close to the Super Friends. My mission statement is to keep the memory of the Super Friends alive. Oddly enough, when I started this project, Warner Home Video has announced the three last seasons needed for DVD release and now the 1979 and 1980 seasons are out with the 1981 season coming next month. Anyway, as of today, I have finished the 1973 series and the All New Super Friends Hour. I am getting ready to start on the 1978 chapter and cover the Challenge of the Super Friends series and the 1978 companion series with the Wonder Twins. I believe in my opinion out of all the Super Friends series made, that Challenge of the Super Friends is by far THE most popular series out of all of them, but I want official clarification before I go to work on this chapter. So I would like to conduct an opinion poll for fans of the Super Friends as to which series were popular from most to least. Whether you like one or two versions, or all versions from best to least, cast your votes here. Please list in which order starting with the best and going to the least. This will help me make decisions on how to write the 1978 chapter. In correct chronological order, here are the seasons.

SUPER FRIENDS:
The Original Series 1973 (Wendy & Marvin era) Season One
The All New Super Friends Hour 1977 (Wonder Twins debut) Variety series with guest stars Season Two
Challenge of the Super Friends 1978 (Legion of Doom) Season Three
Super Friends 1978 (Wonder Twins) companion series to Challenge of the Super Friends Season Three
The World's Greatest Super Friends 1979 (shortest season with the Wonder Twins) Season Four
Super Friends Hour 1980 (shorts) Season Five
Super Friends 1981 (second short season of shorts. Introduced El Dorado) Season Six
Super Friends 1983 (The Lost Episodes) Season Seven
Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show 1984 (Firestorm) Season Eight
Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians 1985 ( Cyborg. Final Graduation Series) Season Nine

Any input by your votes will be appreciated and helpful.

[madmarva]

Don't really have any input, but if you are interviewing anyone who worked on the show, I would like to know if the 73 season was unsuccessful. Was that the reason no new episodes were made until 77? And what prompted them to revive the show in 77.

Why drop the "Challenge of" angle after one season? Oh, and why did Aquaman make the initial cut and not Flash or Green Lantern?

Favorite Seasons
1. The World's Greatest Super Friends 1979 (shortest season with the Wonder Twins) Season Four (Children's Lit season)
2. Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show 1984 (Firestorm) Season Eight
3 Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians 1985 ( Cyborg. Final Graduation Series) Season Nine
4. Challenge of the Super Friends 1978 (Legion of Doom) Season Three
5. The Original Series 1973 (Wendy & Marvin era) Season One
6. The All New Super Friends Hour 1977 (Wonder Twins debut) Variety series with guest stars Season Two
7. Super Friends 1978 (Wonder Twins) companion series to Challenge of the Super Friends Season Three
8. Super Friends Hour 1980 (shorts) Season Five
9. Super Friends 1981 (second short season of shorts. Introduced El Dorado) Season Six
Super Friends 1983 (The Lost Episodes) Season Seven

[MIB41]

I honestly have to say the first season and Challenge stick out as my most favorite seasons. But if I have to pick between just those two, it would definitely be Challenge. The rationale is fairly obvious too. That season was the first to really take a deep look into the DC Universe and give the viewer an enormous selection of both heroes and villains to watch. If those episodes didn't bring out the kid in you, nothing would.

[enyawd72]

I loved the series as a kid, but as an adult I found them pretty unwatchable except for Challenge and the last two seasons with the Super Powers tie in, which were some of the best superhero cartoons ever done. It's amazing how uneven the entire series is as a whole.

The first season with Wendy and Marvin is just cringe inducing.

[Nostalgiabuff]

it is painful to watch some of it. I have not watched in years but just ordered the last few seasons to watch. as a kid it was the coolest of the cool

[PNGwynne]

This would be my assessment as well, although I must say Robert Morse's Penguin is awful.

I will say regarding Season One, I'd rather watch cheesy original Birdman cartoons.

I loved the series as a kid, but as an adult I found them pretty unwatchable except for Challenge and the last two seasons with the Super Powers tie in, which were some of the best superhero cartoons ever done. It's amazing how uneven the entire series is as a whole.

The first season with Wendy and Marvin is just cringe inducing.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Hmmmm....that's a toughie.

I'd say:

1. Challenge of the Super Friends (for obvious reasons)

2. Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians: The show matured quite a bit in this season and the one before it. As much as I loved the Toth designs, under the sausage factory of animation studios they were often blandly interpreted. The Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (Praise Be His Name) style guides were much more dynamic for mid-80s kid-vid.

3. World's Greatest Super Friends: Loved the literary adaptations as a kid, and they still hold up pretty well. Plus, "Universe of Evil" my absolute all-time favorite pre-Super Powers episode. Evil Robin with a goatee! Evil Superman saying "Great Satan!" How'd they get a way with that?!?

4. Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show: The stories got better but the animation and designs of new characters were pretty bland. Darkseid definitely needed a makeover for the next season.

5. The All New Super Friends Hour 1977: Loved the "guest-star" segments.

6. Super Friends 1978 (Wonder Twins):

7. Super Friends Hour 1980 (shorts) Season Five

8. Super Friends 1981

9. Super Friends 1983

10. Super Friends (original series): I respect the historical significance of these, but man, I just can't sit through these. Ponderous, hour-long shows about well-meaning scientists....and Marvin. Marvin. Ugh.

Chris

[madmarva]

How about picks for best episodes.

My pick would be the Batman origin episode from one of the Super Powers seasons, featuring the Scarecrow. This episode is solid enough to stand with the Timmverse toons.

Next would be the Death of Superman episode from one of the Super Powers and then the origins story from Challenge of the Super Friends, The Lord of the Rings pastiche from 79 and the season one episode with Superman's origin.

[Earth 2 Chris]

"The Fear" featuring Batman's origin (and it's first adaptation into other media besides comics...EVER) was written by Alan Burnett, who served as producer on the last two seasons of Super Friends/Super Powers, and went on to producer/writer credits on BTAS and other DCAU shows. He's commented that it was developed as a backdoor pilot for a Batman spin-off series. I still remember how incredibly excited and shocked I was to see this episode. It's still my absolute favorite of any of the SF/SP series.

"The Death of Superman" is from the same SP season. It is another stand-out. I also like the Royal Flush Gang/Joker episode.

I mentioned "Universe of Evil" from the "World's Greatest" season. I also like "The Super Friends Meet Dracula", and the episode with Gentleman Jim.

Almost all of the "Challenge" episodes have something I love, the Secret Origins episodes of the SF and LOD are standouts, as the one where the SF all "die". Pretty shocking to see Batman's tombstone on TV, right before DC killed of the Earth-Two version!

Chris

[madmarva]

Burnett's work has always stood out. I actually remembered looking for credits on the replay of "Fear" back in the day to see who should get credit because its was so much more accurate or closer to the comics than most Super Friends stories.