Mystery Island

Mystery Island
Directed by Hollingsworth Morse
Starring Stephen Parr
Lynn Marie Johnston
Larry Volk
Michael Kermoyan
Voices of Frank Welker (P.O.P.S.)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 16
Production
Executive producer(s) Joseph Barbera
William Hanna
Producer(s) Terry Morse, Jr.
Running time 10 minutes (per episode)
Production company(s) Hanna-Barbera
Distributor Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network CBS
Original release September 10, 1977 – January 21, 1978
Chronology
Related shows The Skatebirds

Mystery Island is a live-action sci-fi adventure serial produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast as a segment on the CBS Saturday morning package program The Skatebirds from September 10, 1977 to January 21, 1978.

Mystery Island continued to air as a segment on The Skatebirds when the show returned to CBS in a shortened half-hour version on Sunday mornings from September 1979 until January 1981. In September 2005, Mystery Island episodes resurfaced on Boomerang and were rebroadcast as part of Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels.

Plot

The series follows the adventures of three young people: Chuck Kelly (Stephen Parr), a pilot; Sue Corwin (Lynn Marie Johnston), a computer expert; her younger brother Sandy (Larry Volk) and their computer robot called P.O.P.S. (voiced by Frank Welker). The trio become stranded on a remote island after the evil mad scientist Dr. Strange (Michael Kermoyan) uses his projector beam ray to crash their plane. Dr. Strange hopes to capture P.O.P.S. and use it in his quest for world domination.

Mystery Island was very similar in scope to Sid and Marty Krofft's 1976 live-action series Dr. Shrinker (from The Krofft Supershow) which also saw a trio of humans on a plane brought down to the island of a different mad scientist. A total of sixteen episodes of Mystery Island were produced, each running ten minutes and included a cliffhanger that was resolved in the next installment.

Opening narration

Mystery Island – where the scientific genius Dr. Strange lays his plans for world domination. In the aircraft Nimbus is P.O.P.S., the one key that can aid and give him the power to dominate the world. Above Mystery Island is Chuck Kelly, pilot; Sue Corwin, computer expert; and her brother Sandy. To force them down, Dr. Strange uses his projector beam ray. Dr. Strange offers our trapped trio freedom if they surrender P.O.P.S. They refuse. He then orders his men to capture P.O.P.S. Can our trio escape from the perils that surround them on Mystery Island?

About P.O.P.S.

The P.O.P.S. prop costume was a re-use of the original Robot B-9 from the television series Lost in Space, modified with a bubble on its shoulders, a cylindrical (rather than bubble) head, a blue-and-white paint job, and other minor changes (P.O.P.S. image.). It has since been restored to its original Robot B-9 appearance.

Characters

Main characters

Villain

Episodes

Nº Title Airdate
1"A Matter of Gravity"September 10, 1977
Chuck, Sue and Sandy's plane is forced down on Mystery Island by the evil Dr. Strange, who needs their robot P.O.P.S. to complete his plan for world domination. After a frightening encounter with the mysterious Mud People, P.O.P.S. activates his force field to protect the group from Krieg and his henchmen, but not in time to save Chuck from Dr. Strange's Gravity Ray.
2"The Mind Blower"September 17, 1977
Sandy finds Chuck immobilized by the Gravity Ray with a tiger about to attack him. After he's freed by using P.O.P.S.'s force field, they realize that Sue is missing – she has been captured and taken to Dr. Strange's cave, where she is fighting a battle of will with the Mind Interrogator.
3"Just Whistle for an Answer"September 24, 1977
As Sue struggles to keep from revealing the secret of P.O.P.S.'s circuitry, Chuck and Sandy find the hidden cave and sneak past the henchmen. They outwit Dr. Strange, escape the Gravity Ray – but then discover that P.O.P.S. is gone!
4"Sue's Courage"October 1, 1977
5"Valley of Fire"October 8, 1977
P.O.P.S. is rescued by Chuck, Krieg and leader of the Mud People following a huge explosion in the Valley of Fire; the Lava Man frightens off Krieg and his group by returning a favor since he was previously saved by P.O.P.S. and his friends. However, the Mud People return to claim P.O.P.S. as they believe him to be their God.
6"Sentinels of Time"October 15, 1977
Chuck, Sue, Sandy and P.O.P.S. are trapped in a cave on the island where they meet The Sentinels – small, white flying creatures which can freeze people in time. The trio find themselves suspended in time by The Sentinels, not to awake for ten centuries and P.O.P.S. is powerless to help them without access to solar power.
7"Who's Whom Here?"October 22, 1977
8"Fate's Just a Dirty Trick"October 29, 1977
In Chuck's body, Krieg finally captures P.O.P.S. But with another short circuit, Chuck again becomes himself and then flees with former captives Sue and Sandy on a raft. In a panic, they discover that they are headed for a waterfall.
9"Golden Birds of Prey"November 5, 1977
Chuck, Sue and Sandy desperately try to save themselves from the waterfall and from water seeping into P.O.P.S.'s circuits. Sue rewires the Gravity Ray and uses it to push the raft toward shore. But Sue suddenly vanishes – captured by a giant alien birdman.
10"Visitors from Falconia"November 12, 1977
Sue is trapped in Black Cavern, deep beneath Mystery Island, where she is being transformed into a princess and oracle for the Birdmen of Falconia. The aliens turn off all power on Dr. Strange's computer, Titan, and capture everyone except Chuck.
11"The Duel"November 19, 1977
Chuck enters the secret cavern and challenges Wark, the leader of the Birdmen, to a duel of minds. Chuck wins, freeing everyone and forcing Wark to seek his oracle elsewhere. Once again surrounded, Chuck implores Dr. Strange to allow them a 10-minute start to freedom.
12"Kingdom of the Beasts"November 26, 1977
13"P.O.P.S. in a Box"December 3, 1977
14"Island of the Apes"December 10, 1977
15"The Skull's the Clue"December 17, 1977
16"Home Run"December 24, 1977
Finding a map, the trio race towards the boat and into a tunnel, a trap that leads to Dr. Strange's cave; they outwit Dr. Strange and put him in the interrogator to learn the way to the boat. Running from Krieg, his henchmen, the Mud People, the ape army and all of Dr. Strange's superpowers, they reach the boat and – hopefully – freedom!

External links

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