6.8 /10 1 Votes
6.7/10 TV Voices of Frank Welker No. of episodes 22 First episode date 11 September 1976 Number of episodes 22 | 6.8/10 IMDb Created by Joe Ruby
Ken Spears Country of origin United States Producer(s) Sid and Marty Krofft Final episode date 2 September 1978 Program creators Ken Spears, Joe Ruby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Starring David Levy
John-Anthony Bailey
Carol Anne Seflinger Network American Broadcasting Company Cast John Bailey, Frank Welker, David Levy Similar The Krofft Supershow, Dr Shrinker, The Krofft Superstar Hour, Bigfoot and Wildboy, Lidsville | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wonderbug is a segment of the first and second season of the American television series The Krofft Supershow, from 1976 to 1978. It was shot in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The show was rerun as part of ABC's Sunday morning series.
Contents
Plot
Wonderbug's alter ego "Schlepcar" (so named due to its personalized California license plate "SCHLEP") was an old, beat up, conglomeration of several junked cars that looked like a rusty dune buggy. Like Herbie of Disney movie fame, Schlepcar was alive and could drive itself, and could also talk in a mumbling voice. It was found in a junk yard by teenagers Barry Buntrock (David Levy), C.C. McNamara (John-Anthony Bailey) and Susan Talbot (Carol Anne Seflinger). Schlepcar transformed into the shiny metal-flake orange Wonderbug whenever a magic horn (which played the bugle call for "cavalry charge") was sounded. In his Wonderbug identity, Schlepcar had the power of flight and was able to help the three teens capture crooks and prevent wrongdoing.
In Wonderbug mode, the car was a Volkswagen-based Meyers Manx-clone body. Specifically the body was a Dune Runner manufactured by Dune Buggy Enterprises of Westminster, California. Dune Buggy Enterprises offered the Dune Runner with three different hood choices. Wonderbug has the T- Bird hood choice.
The car had articulated eyeball headlights, and a custom bumper that resembled a mouth; different bumpers were sometimes used to give the car different facial expressions. When the car spoke in its mumbling voice, a rubber puppet stand-in with a moving mouth was sometimes used.
The space that would normally contain the right rear passenger seat instead contained a box, described in dialog as "the costume/wardrobe trunk"; this box actually served to conceal a hidden driver in scenes in which the car drives itself. The car also had a long fender-mounted radio antenna that terminated with a robot-like claw or gripper. Its license plate would change to "1DERBUG".
Barry often thought he was the brains of the outfit. However, it was usually Susan who came up with the ideas that saved them.
Other appearances
Wonderbug shared its half-hour time slot with other Krofft Supershow titles, including Magic Mongo, Bigfoot and Wildboy, Dr. Shrinker, The Lost Saucer, and Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.
Ideal Toy Company published a board game in 1977.
Aladdin Industries produced a metal lunchbox in 1976.