Saturday Supercade

Mario and Pauline

The Saturday Supercade was an animated television series based on the fictional adventures of several arcade game characters, including characters of from Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. Produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, an hour long episode aired each Saturday morning on the CBS Broadcasting Inc. television network starting on September 17, 1983 and continuing until September 8, 1984 for a total of two seasons. Each episode of the show featured several shorter self-contained segments from different video game series. With a total of nineteen of such segments, Donkey Kong was a staple of both seasons, but the producers discontinued Donkey Kong Jr. starting with season two after creating thirteen segments during season one.

Predating Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen! by nearly three years, The Saturday Supercade marked the first Mario and Donkey Kong series-related television adaption and the first animated appearance of Mario and Donkey Kong, both of whom would later headline independent, self-titled video game series. The show also marked the first and last televised appearances of Donkey Kong series characters Pauline, Donkey Kong Jr., and Stanley the Bugman.

Storyline

Donkey Kong

Using the premise of Donkey Kong Circus as its backdrop, the introduction to the Donkey Kong segments reveal that Mario operated a circus along with his animal trainer Pauline and the star of the show, Donkey Kong. However, the giant ape escaped and made his way down a dock on a motorcycle, pursued by Mario and Pauline in their van. Exiting the van, the pair gave chase on foot until Mario slipped on a banana peel laid by Donkey Kong as a trap. The tables turned, the pair fled from the approaching ape. However, Mario and Pauline quickly resumed pursuit with a net and followed him up the stairway of a building. Their resultant chase across the United States and Earth is outlined in the Donkey Kong segments.

Donkey Kong Jr.

Outlined in the introduction to the Donkey Kong Jr. segments, Donkey Kong Jr. traveled from the jungle to Mario's circus to see his father, Donkey Kong. Realizing that his dad has escaped and without means of finding him, Donkey Kong Jr. is reduced to tears. Bones approached Junior and consoled him. After hearing his story, Bones suggested they follow after Donkey Kong in his motorcycle. Overjoyed, Donkey Kong Jr. joyously yelled his catchphrase, "monkey muscle," and took the drivers seat. With Bones in the sidecar covering his eyes, the two sped off on the first of their adventures which are outlined in the Donkey Kong Jr. segments.

Episode List

Donkey Kong

• "Mississippi Madness"
• "Gorilla Gangster"
• "Banana Bikers"
• "The Incredible Shrinking Ape"
• "Movie Mania"
• "Gorilla My Dreams"
• "Little Orphan Apey"
• "Circus Daze"
• "The Great Ape Escape"
• "Apey and the Snowbeast"
• "How Much is That Gorilla in the Window"
• "Private Donkey Kong"
• "Get Along Little Apey"
• "Sir Donkey Kong"
• "The Pale Whale"
• "El Donkey Kong
• "New Wave Ape"
• "Greenhouse Gorilla"
• "Hairy Parent"

Donkey Kong Jr.

• "Trucknapper Caper"
• "Sheep Rustle Hustle"
• "Rocky Mountain Monkey Business"
• "Magnificent 7-Year Olds"
• "The Ventriloquist Caper"
• "The Great Seal Steal"
• "The Jungle Boy Ploy"
• "Junior Meets Kid Dynamo"
• "Amazing Rollerskate Race"
• "A Christmas Story"
• "Gorilla Ghost"
• "The Teddy Bear Scare"
• "Double or Nothing"

Voices

• Bones - Bart Braverman
• Donkey Kong - Milton "Soupy Sales" Supman
• Donkey Kong Jr. - Frank Welker
• Mario - Peter Cullen
• Pauline - Judy Strangis

Theme Song

Well, Saturday Supercade,
Gather 'round,
We'll get your video friends together.
Yeah, Saturday Supercade,
It's time for fun,
And no one else can do it better.
And it feels so right,
Because it's Supercade time!
Let's have some Supercade fun!
Yes, it's Supercade time,
Let's have some Supercade fun, fun, fun!
Come on, to Supercade time,
Join all the Supercade fun.
Yes, it's Supercade time,
Let's have some Supercade fun, fun, fun!
Come on, to Supercade time,
Join all the Supercade fun.
Monkey Muscle!
(Monkey Noises)
Let's have some Supercade fun.
(It's Saturday Supercade!)

Links

Cast and Crew - Full cast and crew on IMDB.

Saturday Supercade opening