Saturday Mornings Had Some Familiar Voices
Remember spending Saturday mornings watching cartoons with a bowl of cereal? You might not have realized that some of your favorite sitcom stars were behind those animated characters. From Gilligan's Island to The Brady Bunch, Hollywood's familiar faces were secretly entertaining kids all over again.
Scatman Crothers As Hong Kong Phooey
Remember Louie the garbage man from Chico and the Man? Actor Scatman Crothers also voiced Hong Kong Phooey, the kung-fu-fighting dog who moonlighted as a superhero. The Hanna-Barbera cartoon debuted in 1974, the same year Crothers joined the popular NBC sitcom.
Don Knotts As Himself In Scooby-Doo
Best remembered as Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show, Don Knotts brought his nervous comedy style to The New Scooby-Doo Movies in 1972. He voiced an animated version of himself, helping Scooby and the gang investigate mysteries. His cartoon appearances were every bit as funny as his sitcom performances.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Tim Conway Joined The Scooby-Doo Gang
Before becoming a familiar face on The Carol Burnett Show, Tim Conway had starred in the sitcom McHale's Navy. In 1973, he voiced himself in The New Scooby-Doo Movies. The episode brought his trademark humor into a mystery involving the gang and a supposedly haunted athletic school.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Don Adams Took His Comedy To Scooby-Doo
Maxwell Smart from Get Smart wasn't finished entertaining audiences after the sitcom ended. Don Adams appeared as an animated version of himself in The New Scooby-Doo Movies in 1973. His familiar voice accompanied Scooby and Shaggy on another adventure filled with disguises, confusion, and comedy.
John Astin Returned As Gomez Addams
John Astin made Gomez Addams unforgettable in the original 1960s sitcom The Addams Family. In 1972, he returned to voice Gomez in a special crossover episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies. Seeing the Addams Family alongside Scooby and Shaggy was an unusual Saturday-morning treat.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Carolyn Jones Reprised Morticia Addams
Carolyn Jones played the wonderfully mysterious Morticia Addams in the original Addams Family sitcom. She returned to voice Morticia in the family's 1972 Scooby-Doo crossover. Her distinctive performance helped give the animated appearance an authentic connection to the beloved black-and-white television series.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Jackie Coogan Became Animated Uncle Fester
Jackie Coogan was already a Hollywood veteran when he played Uncle Fester in The Addams Family. He voiced the character in the 1972 Scooby-Doo crossover and returned for Hanna-Barbera's 1973 animated Addams Family series. Few actors could make the peculiar Uncle Fester quite so lovable.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Ted Cassidy Brought Lurch Back
The towering Ted Cassidy made Lurch a television icon with his unmistakably deep voice. He returned for both the 1972 Scooby-Doo crossover and the 1973 Addams Family cartoon. Even without seeing Cassidy on screen, longtime fans could instantly recognize the family's faithful butler.
Nathan Woodruff, Wikimedia Commons
Bob Denver Was Still Gilligan
Gilligan's Island ended in 1967, but Bob Denver wasn't finished playing the lovable castaway. He returned to voice Gilligan in 1974's The New Adventures of Gilligan. The animated series sent the familiar characters into fresh adventures while keeping Denver's recognizable comic performance.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Alan Hale Jr. Was Still The Skipper
Who could forget the Skipper's frustration whenever Gilligan made another mistake? Alan Hale Jr. returned to voice the character in The New Adventures of Gilligan. His familiar delivery kept the relationship between Gilligan and the Skipper at the heart of the animated series.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Jim Backus Returned As Thurston Howell III
Jim Backus was famous for playing wealthy Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island. He reprised the role in the 1974 animated series, bringing the millionaire's familiar mannerisms to Saturday mornings. Backus also had another famous cartoon connection: he was the original voice of Mr. Magoo.
California National Productions, Wikimedia Commons
Natalie Schafer Played Lovey Once Again
Natalie Schafer's Mrs. Howell was among the most memorable characters on Gilligan's Island. When the animated series arrived in 1974, Schafer returned as the millionaire's wife. Her recognizable voice helped preserve the charming relationship between Thurston and Lovey, even in cartoon form.
Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons
Russell Johnson Returned As The Professor
Russell Johnson played the endlessly inventive Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island. In The New Adventures of Gilligan, he returned to voice the same character. Whether inventing another unusual device or helping the castaways survive, the Professor remained the island's dependable problem-solver.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Barry Williams Became Cartoon Greg Brady
Barry Williams was already famous for playing Greg Brady when The Brady Kids debuted in 1972. He voiced his animated counterpart during the show's first season. Unlike the family sitcom, the cartoon featured fantastic adventures, talking animals, and musical performances. Greg was certainly keeping busy!
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Maureen McCormick Voiced Animated Marcia
Marcia Brady was one of television's most recognizable teenagers, thanks to Maureen McCormick. She returned to voice Marcia during the first season of The Brady Kids. The cartoon placed Marcia and her siblings in adventures far stranger than anything they encountered on their familiar sitcom.
Eve Plumb Returned As Jan Brady
Eve Plumb played middle sister Jan Brady on The Brady Bunch, then brought her character to Saturday-morning animation. Unlike several of her co-stars, Plumb continued voicing Jan into the cartoon's second season. The animated Jan experienced adventures involving everything from magic to unusual creatures.
ABC Television., Wikimedia Commons
Christopher Knight Played Cartoon Peter
Christopher Knight became a familiar television face playing Peter Brady. He also voiced Peter during the first season of The Brady Kids. Instead of typical family disagreements, the cartoon regularly sent Peter and his siblings into adventures involving bizarre inventions, talking animals, and unlikely situations.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Mike Lookinland Returned As Bobby Brady
Young Mike Lookinland played Bobby Brady on The Brady Bunch and voiced the character in The Brady Kids. Bobby was still the youngest Brady brother, but his cartoon adventures were much wilder than those on the sitcom. Lookinland continued providing Bobby's voice throughout the animated series.
Susan Olsen Was Still Cindy Brady
Susan Olsen's Cindy Brady was instantly recognizable to sitcom fans. She reprised the character for The Brady Kids, allowing younger viewers to hear the same actress behind the animated version. Cindy and her siblings even formed a musical group, adding another familiar 1970s television trend.
ABC Television., Wikimedia Commons
Larry Storch Voiced A Magical Bird
Fans of F Troop remember Larry Storch as the scheming Corporal Agarn. In The Brady Kids, he voiced Marlon, a magical mynah bird with a talent for impersonations. Storch also supplied the voice of the family's dog, Mop Top, bringing his comedy skills to an entirely different audience.
ABC Photo-ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons, Enhanced
Danny Bonaduce Went Into Outer Space
Danny Bonaduce became famous as the wisecracking Danny Partridge on The Partridge Family. In 1974, he voiced his character in Partridge Family: 2200 A.D. The cartoon transported the musical family into a futuristic world, complete with space travel, strange creatures, and the familiar Partridge family antics.
Screen Gems., Wikimedia Commons
Susan Dey Returned As Laurie Partridge
Susan Dey played Laurie Partridge on the hit musical sitcom. She also provided Laurie's voice for two episodes of Partridge Family: 2200 A.D. Other episodes used actress Sherry Alberoni instead. The unusual cartoon gave audiences a futuristic version of a family normally associated with a colorful tour bus.
Suzanne Crough Voiced Tracy Partridge
Suzanne Crough played the youngest Partridge daughter, Tracy, on the original sitcom. She returned to voice Tracy in Partridge Family: 2200 A.D. The animated series gave the youngest family member opportunities for adventures that went far beyond playing tambourine during the family's musical performances.
ABC Television Network., Wikimedia Commons
Brian Forster Returned As Chris Partridge
Brian Forster replaced Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris Partridge during the original sitcom's run. When Partridge Family: 2200 A.D. arrived, Forster voiced the animated Chris. The cartoon retained several familiar family members while introducing futuristic settings that would have seemed impossible on the original series.
ABC Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Micky Dolenz Had A Surprising Cartoon Career
Micky Dolenz was famous as the drummer and comedian from The Monkees television sitcom. He later provided voices for several characters in Partridge Family: 2200 A.D., including Wonderful Wayne and Spotless Sam. It was an early example of the voice-acting work that became another part of his career.
Those Familiar Voices Made Saturday Mornings Special
The 1970s were a wonderful time to be a television-loving kid. Familiar sitcom actors were popping up in cartoons, sometimes playing their famous characters and sometimes becoming someone entirely different. The next time you revisit those Saturday-morning favorites, listen carefully. You might recognize more voices than you expected.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
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