Against the Odds (partially found Nickelodeon documentary series; 1982-1988)

Title card for the series.

Status: Partially Found

Against the Odds was a children's documentary TV series that aired on Nickelodeon from July 4th, 1982 to January 18th, 1988. The show was created by Cy Schneider, hosted by Bill Bixby, and narrated by Philip Proctor, and profiled stories of inspirational people who innovated and broke through barriers in history.

Premise

The series was hosted by actor and director Bill Bixby, of My Favorite Martian and The Incredible Hulk fame. Each episode would revolve around two inspirational historical figures who broke through barriers in a similar field and worked "against the odds". Bixby would deliver monologues centring around the historical figures, with former Firesign Theatre member Philip Proctor narrating the documentary segments.

Some examples of historical figures that were profiled on Against the Odds include Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, Al Capone, Bessie Smith, Susan B. Anthony, and Amelia Earhart.

History

Against the Odds was created by the then-president of Nickelodeon, Cy Schneider, produced by Marcus Keys, and executive produced by Bob Klein and Bruce Littlejohn. Regular airings of the show aired from October 16th, 1982 to September 4th, 1984 on Nickelodeon, airing at 4:30 and 7:00 pm EST for much of its run. Reruns continued until January 18th, 1988.

Various audiences and critics panned Against The Odds due to its extremely stern nature not fitting with Nickelodeon's "for kids" approach, unfunny gags, and unusual mix of serious and unserious content. Then-programming manager and future president of Nickelodeon Geraldine Laybourne denounced the show and stated her son called it "a series of little tragedies" that famous people overcame on their journey to what made them so well known. Some Italian-American groups and the Anti-Defamation League also criticized episodes featuring Al Capone and Adolf Hitler due to possible objectifying content, though Schneider was skeptical of these claims.

Availability

Due to the show's poor legacy and much of Nickelodeon's early content being largely forgotten by the general public, much of Against the Odds is considered lost. The show has not received any home media or streaming release, and only two full episodes about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Space Race, as well as several promos and short clips, can be found online.

Episodes

Episode Topic	Status
Martin Luther King Jr.	Found
The Space Race	Found
David Livingstone and Amelia Earhart	Found
Albert Einstein	Lost
Paul Robeson	Lost
Pablo Picasso	Lost
Bessie Smith	partially found
Louis Pasteur	Lost
Margaret Mead	Lost
Elizabeth Blackwell	Lost
Dorothea Lange	Lost
Malcolm X	Lost
Napoleon Bonaparte	Lost
Walt Whitman	Lost
Joan of Arc	Lost
George Washington Carver	Lost
Frank Lloyd Wright	Lost
Pancho Villa	Lost
Adolf Hitler	Lost
Charles Darwin	Lost
Al Capone	Lost
Jackie Robinson	Lost
Harry Houdini	Lost
Golda Meir	Lost
Helen Keller	Lost
D.W. Griffith	Lost
Samuel Adams	Lost
Abraham Lincoln	Lost
Charles Lindbergh	Lost
Thomas Edison	Lost
Henry Ford	Lost
Vladimir Lenin	Lost
Franklin Roosevelt	Lost
Eleanor Roosevelt	Lost
Andrew Carnegie	Lost
Rudolph Valentino	Lost
John Glenn	Lost
Babe Didrickson	Lost
Robert Oppenheimer	Lost
Pele	Lost
Ludwig Van Beethoven	Lost
Mahatma Gandhi	Lost
Mae Tse-tung	Lost
Winston Churchill	Lost
Clara Barton	Lost
Woody Guthrie	Lost
Elizabeth Cady Stanton	Lost
Susan B. Anthony	Lost
Sarah Bernhardt	Lost
P. T. Barnum	Lost

Videos

Poparena’s “Nick Knacks” episode on Against the Odds.

Clips

A short clip from the 20th century innovations episode.

A short clip from the Bessie Smith episode.

Promos

A promo for the Martin Luther King Jr. episode.

A promo for the Roosevelt family episode.

A promo for the women's suffrage episode.

See Also

Anthology and Short Series

• Astrology with Squidward (found series of "SpongeBob SquarePants" Nickelodeon animated shorts; early 2000s)
• Attack of the Giant Vulture (found Nickelodeon short film; 1998)
• Balinese Slapping Fish (found Nickelodeon Australia animated short series; 1998)
• Bobby the Lizard Boy (found Nickelodeon animated short; 2000)
• Eddie Retractorhead (partially lost Nickelodeon UK animated short series; 2008)
• Gordon Bleugh! (found Nickelodeon animated short series; early 2000s)
• The Hopkins (lost Nickelodeon Australia animated short series; 2005)
• ICarly at the 2008 Kids Choice Awards (found Nickelodeon promotional short web series; 2008)
• Leader Dog (partially lost Nickelodeon animated short series; 2004)
• Making Fiends (partially lost promotional shorts for Nickelodeon animated series based on web series; 2008)
• Meet The Moores (partially found Nickelodeon UK animated short series; 2002-2003)
• Nick Studio 10 (partially found Nickelodeon channel block; 2013)
• Nickelodeon Addicting Games Showdown (partially found interstitial TV event of online game website; 2009-2010)
• Nickelodeon Blimp (found Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards animated short; 2005-2007)
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons (found Nickelodeon animated anthology series; 1998-2001)
• Schoolyard Safari (found Nickelodeon animated short series; 2002-2003)
• SpongeBob: Re-Hydrated (partially lost "SpongeBob SquarePants" animated short; 2003)
• Tortellini Western (partially lost Nickelodeon animated short series; 2004)
• A Very Aggressive Vegetable (found Nickelodeon Australia animated short series; 1998)

Bumpers and Promos

• 101% Whizbang! with Henry & June (partially found Nickelodeon channel block; 1999)
• Blood and Guts (partially found Nickelodeon bumpers; 2000s)
• HaHa Nick (lost Chinese block of Nickelodeon shows; 2005-2007)
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (partially lost TV promos for Nickelodeon animated film and TV series; 2001–2002)
• Nickelodeon (partially found idents and bumpers from TV channel; 1979-present)
• Nickelodeon's Historical Firsts (found animated promos from TV channel; 1997)
• SpongeBob's Nicktoon Summer Splash (partially lost bumpers from Nickelodeon channel block; 2000-2001)

Films

• Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (non-existent Nickelodeon TV film; 1998)
• Cry Baby Lane (found Nickelodeon TV horror film; 2000)
• A Day With SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie (unproduced unauthorized direct-to-DVD mockumentary film; 2011)
• The Electric Piper (found Nickelodeon animated TV film; 2003)
• Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie (partially found production material of cancelled original adaptation of Nickelodeon animated series film; 2002)
• Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (lost/unreleased deleted Tak scenes of film based on Nickelodeon animated series; 2018-2019)
• Prometheus and Bob (lost production material of cancelled film adaptation of "KaBlam!" Nickelodeon stop-motion animated series; late 1990s)
• Rugrats Go Wild (partially found original 90 minute cut of Nickelodeon animated crossover film; 2003)

Game Shows

• BrainSurge (partially lost Nickelodeon game show; 2009-2014)
• Double Dare (partially found Australian adaptation of Nickelodeon game show; 1989-1992)
• Double Dare (partially lost Nickelodeon game show; 1986-1993)
• Family Double Dare (partially found spin-off of Australian adaptation of Nickelodeon game show; 1989)
• Figure It Out (partially found episode of Nickelodeon game show; 1998)
• Friday Night Slimetime (partially found Nickelodeon game show; 2005-2006)
• Gamefarm (partially lost Nickelodeon GAS game show; 2003)
• Legends of the Hidden Temple (lost Pit of Despair incident footage from unaired final round/episode of Nickelodeon game show; 1994)
• Legends of the Hidden Temple (partially found original consolation plugs from Nickelodeon game show; 1993-1995)
• Nick Arcade (found Nickelodeon game show; 1992)
• Nick Arcade (partially found original consolation prize plugs from Nickelodeon game show; 1992)
• Nickelodeon Splat! (partially found Nickelodeon game show; 2004)
• Slime Time Live (partially found Nickelodeon game show; 2000-2004)
• SuperNick (partially found Nickelodeon Netherlands game show; 2007-2011)
• SuperNick op De Stoep Bij... (partially found Nickelodeon Netherlands sports show; 2007-2008)
• Webheads (partially lost Nickelodeon game show; 2014–2015)

Inaugural Series

• America Goes Bananaz (partially found Nickelodeon variety series; 1977-1980)
• By The Way (partially found inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979-1980)
• Nickel Flicks (lost inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979)
• Pinwheel (partially found Nickelodeon educational puppet series; 1977-1990)
• Pocket Money (non-existent inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979)
• Video Comics (partially found inaugural Nickelodeon series; 1979-1981)

Live Action

• The Adventures of Pete & Pete (partially found original versions of episodes of Nickelodeon live-action comedy series; 1991-1993)
• All That (partially lost Nickelodeon sketch comedy series; 1994-2005)
• Bing! The Sound of Something New (partially found Nickelodeon magazine TV series; 1995)
• Cousin Skeeter (partially lost Nickelodeon live-action/puppet series; 1998-2001)
• Drake & Josh (partially found widescreen version of episodes of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2004-2007)
• Innie & Outie (found live-action Nickelodeon short film; 1996)
• Just For Kicks (found Nickelodeon live-action comedy-drama series; 2006)
• Kids' Court (partially found Nickelodeon non-traditional court series and other media; 1988-1994)
• Mcjuniorclub TV (partially found Nickelodeon Netherlands/McDonald's live-action short series; 2008)
• The Nick Cannon Show (partially lost spin-off of "All That" Nickelodeon sketch comedy series; 2002-2003)
• Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (partially found Nickelodeon educational news series; 1992-2015)
• Noah Knows Best (partially found English audio of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2000-2001)
• Reggie Jackson's World of Sports (partially found Nickelodeon sports series; 1981-1982)
• U to U (partially found Nickelodeon interactive series; 1994-1996)
• Vic's Vacant Lot (partially found ESPN/Nickelodeon sports series; 1982-1985)

Pilots

• Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (partially found pitch pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; early 1990s)
• The Adventures of Johnny Quasar (found prototype "Jimmy Neutron" animated shorts; 1995-1997)
• The Angry Beavers "Cuffed Together" (non-existent second pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; early-mid 1990s)
• Back at the Barnyard (partially found original test pitch of Nickelodeon CGI animated series; 2000)
• Bad Seeds (found pitch pilot of "Harvey Beaks" Nickelodeon animated series; 2013)
• Big Beast Quintet (lost Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1990)
• Camp Nick (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; mid-1990s)
• Catscratch (found animated pitch of Nickelodeon animated series; 2004)
• The Crowville Chronicles (partially found Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1990)
• Curbside (found Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1999)
• Drake & Josh (partially found pitch pilot of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2002)
• Figure it Out (partially found pitch pilot of Nickelodeon game show; 1990s)
• Fresh Beat Band of Spies (found pitch pilot of Nickelodeon animated spin-off of "The Fresh Beat Band" musical series; 2013)
• Generation Gap (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; early 1990s)
• Gibby! (found pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "iCarly" Nickelodeon teen sitcom; 2012)
• Go For It (lost Nickelodeon game show pilot; early 1990s)
• Hey Arnold! (found pitch pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 1994)
• Humongous (lost pilot of Nickelodeon game show; early 1990s)
• I Don't Think So (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1994)
• Invader Zim (lost 3D animation test sequence from Nickelodeon animated series pilot; 1999)
• KaBlam! "The Henry and June Show" (found spin-off pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 2000)
• Kappa Mikey (found pitch pilots of Nickelodeon animated series; 2004)
• Morph Sports (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1995-1996)
• Mr. Meaty "In Parker's Sight" (partially lost pitch pilot of Nickelodeon puppet series; 2005)
• Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (partially found original version of Nickelodeon sitcom pilots; 2003)
• Ned's Declassified High School Survival Guide (lost pitch pilot of rejected spin-off of Nickelodeon sitcom; 2008)
• The Penguins of Madagascar (partially found pitch pilot versions for Nickelodeon CGI animated series; mid-2000s)
• Pudding Toast (lost Nickelodeon animated pitch pilots; 2012)
• Rocket Beach (found pitch pilot of "Rocket Power" Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• Roundhouse (partially found pitch pilot of Nickelodeon comedy series; 1991)
• Slime Survivor (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 2000)
• The Thundermans (partially lost pitch pilot of Nickelodeon live-action comedy series; 2012)
• Tooned In! (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1998)
• Trash (lost Nickelodeon stop-motion animated pilot; 1990)
• The Weasel Patrol (lost Nickelodeon animated pilot; 1990)
• Who Knew? (partially found Nickelodeon game show pilot; 1998)
• Video Dream Theater (lost Nickelodeon animated pilots; 1979)
• The Wild Thornberrys (found pilot of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)

Other

• Action League Now!: The Series "Monster Mashed" (found episode of "Kablam!" spin-off animated series; 2002)
• Action League Now!: The Series "Thunder Girl: Tracking The Storm" (found episode of "Kablam!" spin-off series; 2001-2002)
• Adventures in Wonder Park (partially found unaired Nickelodeon animated series based on film; 2019)
• The Angry Beavers "A Tail of Two Rangers/Bye Bye Beavers" (partially found finale episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 2001)
• Back at the Barnyard (partially found widescreen versions of Nickelodeon CGI animated series episodes; 2007-2011)
• The Butcher (lost Nickelodeon puppet short film; existence unconfirmed; 2001)
• Danny Phantom (partially found original opening title sequence of Nickelodeon animated series; 2003)
• Got Chocolate Milk? (found "SpongeBob SquarePants" animated tie-in commercial; 2001)
• Gruff's Groove Box (lost Nickelodeon music series; 2001)
• Hocus Focus (partially found Nickelodeon variety series; 1979-1981)
• The Humpback Hop (found full version of "SpongeBob SquarePants" production music; 2002)
• ICarly "How To" (found bonus content DVD from Nickelodeon sitcom "Web Show Set"; 2011)
• Invader Zim (partially found production material of cancelled episodes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2001-2002)
• KaBlam! "Episode 29" (non-existent episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• KaBlam! "Just Chillin" (found final episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 2000)
• KaBlam! "KaFun!" (found episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 1999)
• KaBlam! "An Off-Beats Valentine's" (found spin-off special of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• The Lil' Sam & Cat Show (partially lost web series based on Nickelodeon sitcom; 2013-2014)
• The Loud House (partially lost deleted scenes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2016-present)
• Nickelodeon Japan (partially found various final sign-off footage of Japanese TV channel; 2009)
• Nickelodeon Launch Box (partially lost educational series; 1991-1994)
• Nickelodeon Magazine's Big 10 Birthday Bash (found Nickelodeon TV special; 2003)
• Nickelodeon Mega Music Fest 2010 (found Nickelodeon musical event broadcast; 2010)
• Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration (found live broadcast of Nickelodeon event; 1990)
• The Ren & Stimpy Show (non-existent unused Kurt Cobain song for Nickelodeon animated series; 1990)
• The Ren & Stimpy Show "Man's Best Friend" (found banned episode of Nickelodeon animated series; 1992)
• Robot and Monster (partially found unaired/unfinished episodes of Nickelodeon animated series; 2012-2013)
• Rugrats: A Live Adventure (partially found footage of musical adaptation of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998-2000)
• Rugrats "Incredible" (partially lost storyboard jam comic of Nickelodeon animated series; 1998)
• SpongeBob SquarePants (partially lost deleted scenes of Nickelodeon animated series; 1999-present)
• SpongeBob SquarePants "Sailor Mouth" (lost uncensored version of Nickelodeon animated series episode; 2001)
• SpongeBob SquarePants "Shanghaied/You Wish" (partially lost English audio from alternate "Patchy the Pirate" segments of Nickelodeon animated series episode; 2001)
• SpongeBob SquarePants "SpaceBob InvaderPants/Krabs' Army" (lost production material of cancelled Nickelodeon animated series episodes; 2015)
• War Blowers (found full version of "SpongeBob SquarePants" production music; 1999)
• Weinerville (partially lost Nickelodeon variety puppet series; 1993-1997)

External Links

• Wikipedia page on Against the Odds.
• IMDb page on Against the Odds.