The Robonic Stooges

The Robonic Stooges
Genre Animation
Directed by Charles A. Nichols
Chris Cuddington
Voices of Paul Winchell
Joe Baker
Frank Welker
David Jolliffe
Bob Hastings
Patricia Stich
Jim MacGeorge
Narrated by Frank Welker
Theme music composer Hoyt Curtin
Composer(s) Hoyt Curtin
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 32 (8 minutes per episode)
Production
Executive producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Producer(s) Terry Morse, Jr.
Running time 3 minutes
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network CBS
Original release September 10, 1977 – March 18, 1978
Chronology
Preceded by The New Three Stooges
Followed by The Three Stooges
Related shows The Skatebirds

The Robonic Stooges is a Saturday morning animated series featuring the characters of The Three Stooges in new roles as clumsy crime-fighting bionic superheroes. It was developed by Norman Maurer and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from September 10, 1977 to March 18, 1978 on CBS and contained two segments: The Robonic Stooges and Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives.

The Robonic Stooges originally aired as a segment on The Skatebirds from September 10, 1977 to January 21, 1978 on CBS. When CBS canceled The Skatebirds in early 1978, the trio was given their own half-hour timeslot which ran for 16 episodes.

Overview

Moe, Larry and Curly are superheroes who fight crime with their special bionic powers and are given assignments via film projector from their frustrated boss Agent 000 (pronounced "Oh-Oh-Oh") who runs the Superhero Employment Agency.

Since all of the original Three Stooges had died when production began (Moe Howard and Larry Fine had both died in 1975, Shemp Howard died in 1955 and Curly Howard in 1952), other voice actors were used to impersonate them, mostly veteran voice actors from other Hanna-Barbera productions. Paul Winchell voiced Moe, Joe Baker voiced Larry, and Frank Welker voiced Curly (Welker had previously used his Curly impersonation for the titular character in Jabberjaw). Unlike cartoon series produced by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, The Robonic Stooges did not contain a laugh track.

This was the second animated adaptation of the Three Stooges, the first being Cambria Studios' The New Three Stooges in 1965, which used the actual Stooges' voices. Norman Maurer, who was married to Moe Howard's daughter and had acted as the Stooges' agent during their lifetimes, worked on both series. The Stooges had previously appeared in another Hanna Barbera-created series: The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972), this time as Moe, Larry and Curly-Joe. Though all three stooges were alive when this was produced, none were asked to supply the voice of their respective characters (as it was, Larry had suffered a debilitating stroke in 1970, which left his speech somewhat slurred); previous Stooge Joe Besser did voice characters in that series, but not any of the Stooges.

The Robonic Stooges episodes were occasionally seen between shows as interstitial segments on Boomerang.

Voices

Episodes

1977

Aired as part of The Skatebirds:

Nº Title Air date
1"Invasion of the Incredible Giant Chicken"September 10, 1977 (1977-09-10)
Professor Cluck has invented a super-growth formula which he uses on some chickens in his plan to become President of the World.
2"Dimwits and Dinosaurs"September 17, 1977 (1977-09-17)
Dr. Hansenfoot's time machine is stolen by Ugh the Pug and he uses it to commit crimes using prehistoric times as a hideout.
3"Fish and Drips"September 24, 1977 (1977-09-24)
Shark Yo Yo has defrosted a gigantic octopus which he uses to rob ships at sea.
4"Have Saucer Will Travel"October 1, 1977 (1977-10-01)
The Blobobians have approached Earth and have captured the Robonic Stooges to determine if there is intelligent life on Earth.
5"I Want My Mummy"October 8, 1977 (1977-10-08)
A mummy with magical talents has stolen the Crown of King Tut-Tut.
6"The Great Brain Drain"October 15, 1977 (1977-10-15)
Dr. Crackula has stolen the brain of Dr. Brainly (the smartest man in the world) and then captures Curly to place Dr. Brainly's intelligence into him.
7"Flea Fi Fo Fum"October 22, 1977 (1977-10-22)
Ludwig Lillyput uses a miniaturizing formula to shrink nations as part of revenge on those that ridiculed his ideas.
8"Frozen Feud"October 29, 1977 (1977-10-29)
Klondike Mike and his Yeti are stealing Alaska's oil in order to sell it and make Klondike Mike the wealthiest man in the world.
9"Mother Goose on the Loose"November 5, 1977 (1977-11-05)
A vacuum cleaner-riding witch named Mother Goose is on the loose and the Robonic Stooges are sent to capture her.
10"Curly of the Apes"November 12, 1977 (1977-11-12)
Tricker Mortis the Ivory Poacher is stealing elephants.
11"Don't Fuel with a Fool"November 19, 1977 (1977-11-19)
Professor Octane has created a Zoom Zoom super-fuel, but doesn't know what he used to make it since he made it by accident. Unfortunately for him, Ethel Methel has kidnapped Professor Octane and the super-fuel. It's up to the Robonic Stooges to save the Professor, recover the super-fuel, and capture Ethel Methel.
12"The Eenie Meanie Genie"November 26, 1977 (1977-11-26)
The Robonic Stooges unknowingly free an evil genie who then goes on a rampage.
13"On Your Knees, Hercules"December 3, 1977 (1977-12-03)
In Ancient Greece, Achilles the Heel uses a special potion to control Hercules in a plot to become king of all Greece.
14"Rub a Dub Dub, Three Nuts in a Sub"December 10, 1977 (1977-12-10)
A fish-man from Atlantis has stolen a submarine to add to his collected specimens.
15"There's No Joy in an Evil Toy"December 17, 1977 (1977-12-17)
Mr. Toy Ploy is robbing toy stores in order to force people to buy the stolen toys from him.
16"Three Little Pigheads"December 24, 1977 (1977-12-24)
Coach Roach and his Croakers football team are using special shoulderpads to cheat their way to the championships. The Robonic Stooges are sent to keep the game honorable.

1978

Aired as part of The Three Robonic Stooges (2 shorts aired per 30-minute episode):

Nº Title Air date
17"Bye Bye Blackbeard"January 28, 1978 (1978-01-28)
Blackbeard is robbing ships at sea.
18"The Silliest Show on Earth"January 28, 1978 (1978-01-28)
The Amazing Bongo Brothers are abducting the circus people that fired them from the circus.
19"Mutiny on the Mountie"February 4, 1978 (1978-02-04)
After being thrown out of the Mounties for his pranks, Pierre LeSly is discrediting the Mounties and it's up to the Robonic Stooges to stop him.
20"Woo Woo Wolfman"February 4, 1978 (1978-02-04)
In his revenge on the local villagers, Count von Crankenstein plans to transform an ordinary poodle into a wolfman. Unfortunately, an accident merges the two into Poodleman.
21"Burgle Gurgle"February 11, 1978 (1978-02-11)
Professor Hate is robbing millionaires on their yachts.
22"Schoolhouse Mouse"February 11, 1978 (1978-02-11)
Mouse Louse uses his Hypno-Harp to take control of the students at Junior Junior High.
23"Rip Van Wrinkles"February 18, 1978 (1978-02-18)
While making a cake for Moe, Curly mistakes a container of yeast for a container of sleeping powder. This causes them to fall asleep until they wake up in their old age in the year 2070 where Agent 000 the III has them stop Dr. Glueco and his glue monster Gloop.
24"The Three Nutsketeers"February 18, 1978 (1978-02-18)
In 17th-Century France, King Fouie the 14th is a puppet in Cardinal Poreleau's plan to rule France. With the Three Musketeers imprisoned, it's up to the Robonic Stooges to stop Cardinal Poreleau.
25"Pest World Ain't the Best World"February 25, 1978 (1978-02-25)
The robotic outlaw Yulesinner has taken over wild-west-themed park called Pest World.
26"Superkong"February 25, 1978 (1978-02-25)
Aristotle Beastly has stolen a 20-story gorilla and uses it to commit crimes.
27"Dr. Jekyll and Hide Curly"March 4, 1978 (1978-03-04)
In San Francisco at the turn of the century, Dr. Jekyll Hyde uses his Red Hot Atomic Pepper that creates another side of him that plans vengeance on the Robonic Stooges for locking "them" away.
28"Three Stooges and the Seven Dwarfs"March 4, 1978 (1978-03-04)
Once upon a time, an evil queen puts Ebony Black to sleep with a poison baked apple in a plot to keep her from completing a castle next to her castle. When the queen ends up making off with Ebony Black, the Robonic Stooges are sent to find Ebony and wake her.
29"Blooperman"March 11, 1978 (1978-03-11)
Blooperman demands a raise of $1,000 an hour from Agent 000, which he's unable to pay Blooperman. To keep Blooperman from heading to the side of evil, Agent 000 sends the Robonic Stooges to bring him back.
30"Jerk in the Beanstalk"March 11, 1978 (1978-03-11)
Curly accidentally uses a super concentrated fertilizer that causes a beanstalk to grow out throughout the city. They soon use a super vitamin on a caterpillar to eat the beanstalk which also turns into a problem.
31"Star Flaws"March 18, 1978 (1978-03-18)
In the year 3001, Galacto is using his Laser Eraser to erase the Earth's cities in a plan to conquer Earth.
32"Stooges, You're Fired"March 18, 1978 (1978-03-18)
In this clip episode, Agent 111 (Agent 000's superior) has grown tired of the Robonic Stooges' bungling. So Agent 111 holds a trial to determine what to do with them.

Production credits

© 1978 Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.
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