"The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine" (1974) TV series

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Tony Mordente

Release Date:

7 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Sport

Plot:

Saturday morning variety show hosted by legendary basketball team The Harlem Globetrotters.

Plot Keywords:

Basketball | African American

Cast

Geese Ausbie	...	Himself
John Aylesworth	...	Announcer
Nate Brown	...	Himself
Tex Harrison	...	Himself
Marques Haynes	...	Himself
Theodis Lee	...	Himself
Meadowlark Lemon	...	Himself
Bobby Joe Mason	...	Himself
Curley Neal	...	Himself
Rodney Allen Rippy
Avery Schreiber	...	Mister Evil
John Smith	...	Himself

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Funhouse Productions Inc.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "The Super Globetrotters" (1979)

A Lost Classic Indeed From The Golden Age of the 1970's

"THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS POPCORN MACHINE"

Was a fast-paced half-hour variety/musical short-lived series that ran for one season on CBS-TV from it the first telecast on September 7,1974 to the final telecast of the series on September 5,1976. Only 17 episodes were made of this series. Only the original episodes were from the first season(1974-1975). Season two(1975-1976)were repeated episodes from the first season. This was a show that was only shown on Saturday Mornings and it was one of the many kind of variety-musical shows specially made for children. It was right up there with several shows that had this format including "The Hudson Brothers Show", "Captain Kool and the Kongs","Wacko!",and so forth--all of which were made for children and seen on Saturday Mornings. When it premiered in 1974,the show was opposite other kids shows on that heated slot on Saturday Mornings,against tough competition like "Land Of The Lost",which was on NBC and "Hong-Kong Phooey",which was on ABC.

The overall format for this show featured members of the world's greatest basketball team---THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS--which consisted of fellow players playing themselves--Meadowlark Lemon,Nate Brown, Freddie "Curly" Neal,Tex Harrison,Bobby Joe "B.J." Mason,along with Marquis Haynes,Geese Ausbie, and also Theodore "Theodis" Lee. This was a series that not only was musical-comedy-variety revue featuring social messages mixed in with jokes and songs,but at the same time this was a show that you got to see THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS do what they do best---and that is showing off there impressive handling of athleticism and superior basketball expertise. Meadowlark Lemon was always the ostensible host,and Curly Neal(the bald one)along with the rest of the team were nothing but comic relief. In keeping up with the title of the show,the program's recurring graphic used basketballs appearing to "pop" in a machine before and after commercials,and all of this occurred within a half-hour.

But the one thing that kept this show going was the television debut of none other than its child star---Rodney Allen Rippy--playing himself in several of the segments. Rodney Allen Rippy was an astounding child actor and commercial spokesperson who was all over the place in the 1970's. His guest appearances were from TV shows "Medical Center", "The Odd Couple","The Brady Bunch","Marcus Welby,MD","Kojak",and also "The Six Million Dollar Man". He also made guest appearances on several talk shows too including "The Merv Griffin Show","Dick Cavett",and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson". He made several movie appearances as well including "Blazing Saddles",with Mel Brooks and "Oh God!",with George Burns. He will be fondly remembered as the commercial spokesman for "The Jack-In-The-Box" restaurants during the 1970's,and I might add way into the early 1980's as well.

Another cast member that was part of "THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS POPCORN MACHINE", was the part of Mister Evil who was played by comedy actor Avery Schreiber. Schreiber by the way was huge during the 1970's too as the commercial spokesman for The Frito-Lay Corporation. He was also remember as famously known for the various commercials that featured Doritos Corn Chips,playing various characters in the commercials.