Sealab 2020
| Sealab 2020 | |
|---|---|
 On-screen title card. | |
| Created by | Alex Toth |
| Network | NBC |
| Production company | Hanna-Barbera |
| Distributor | Taft Broadcasting |
| Original release | September 9—December 2, 1972 |
| Starring | Ross Martin John Stephenson Jerry Dexter Ann Jillian Ron Pinkard William Callaway Josh Albee Pamelyn Ferdin |
| Producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera Art Scott |
| Music composed by | Hoyt Curtin |
| Writer(s) | Peter Dixon Fred Freiberger |
| Director(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Animation director(s) | Charles A. Nichols |
| Series navigation | |
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Sealab 2020 is an American animated environmental television series created by Alex Toth. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera, and ran in 1972 for NBC's Saturday morning children's programming block. It ran in 1972, airing 13 episodes that spanned one season. The series later reaired on Boomerang in its heyday.
In the year 2020, a team of oceanographers have dedicated their lives to exploring and protecting marine life from the research base at the bottom of the Challenger seamount.
The series was made with intent of making viewers ecoligically aware of marine life, as well as encourage them to protect the enviroment.
The entire series has been released on DVD.
Production
Development
Music
The score was composed by Hoyt Curtin, who was credited as musical director, with musical supervision from Paul DeKorte.
Episodes
| Title | Original air date |
|---|---|
| 1x01 | September 9, 1972 |
1x02
|
September 16, 1972 |
| 1x03 | September 23, 1972 |
| 1x04 | September 30, 1972 |
| 1x05 | October 7, 1972 |
| 1x06 | October 14, 1972 |
| 1x07 | October 21, 1972 |
1x08
|
October 28, 1972 |
| 1x09 | November 4, 1972 |
| 1x10 | November 11, 1972 |
| 1x11 | November 18, 1972 |
| 1x12 | November 25, 1972 |
| 1x13 | December 2, 1972 |
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: September 9, 1972 on NBC
- United Kingdom and Ireland: July 12, 1979 at 10:45 am on ITV
Cast
- Ross Martin as Doctor Paul Williams
- John Stephenson as Doctor Michael Murphy
- Jerry Dexter as Hal Bryant
- Ann Jillian as Gail Adams
- Ron Pinkard as Ed Thomas
- William Callaway as Lieutenant Sparks
- Josh Albee as Robert Murphy
- Pamelyn Ferdin as Sally Murphy
Legacy
In 1975, the fanzine Lancelot Link Fan World featured it as a subject. The third issue made comparisons between Sealab 2020 and other undersea shows, City Beneath the Sea and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, with the latter being held less favorable than Sealab 2020.
Although not particularly successful, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim revived the series in the form of Sealab 2021, an adult parody that was mostly made up of stock footage from the original series, running from 2000 to 2005.
Merchandise
Home media
On October 27, 2009, Warner Home Video included the first episode on their two-disc DVD set Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Volume 2.
On May 22, 2012, the Warner Archive Collection released every episode together on a two-disc DVD set called Sealab 2020: The Complete Series.
Board game
In 1973, Milton Bradley released a board game called Sealab 2020 Game.
