Colonel Bleep (partially found animated TV series; 1957-1960)
Top Row: Colonel Bleep, Bottom Row (left to right): Squeak and Scratch
Status: Partially found
Colonel Bleep is an American traditional animated science fiction television series. The series was created by Robert D. Buchanan and Jack Schleh and was produced by Richard H. Ullman Inc and Soundac. The show was best known for being the first animated tv series produced in color. Its original air run lasted from 1957 to 1960 and went through reruns until approximately 1971.
Premise
The series stars with the titular character who hails from another planet called Futura. As an interplanetary intelligence agent for the Futura High Command, Colonel Bleep is assigned to investigate signs of trouble across the universe, including the distant planet Earth. On Earth, Bleep begins his exciting adventures with two unlikely companions: Squeak the child-like puppet and Scratch the powerful caveman. As a puppet Squeak was once an theater actor until he vowed to work for Bleep as a space deputy. The puppet lacks a mouth, which prevents him from speaking(despite there being a few episodes where Squeak could talk). Regardless, Squeak is filled with curiosity as of most little boys. For Scratch, he once fell asleep throughout the evolution of mankind and did not wake up until the day of the first nuclear explosion(July 16, 1945), blowing him “right out of the past and into the present.” While Scratch may lack in brains he makes it up in muscle with the help of his super strength and his spiked wooden club. Together the three main characters represent the three time phases: Colonel Bleep of the future, Squeak of the present, and Scratch of the past. These heroes live in their headquarters in Zero-Zero Island and the three vow to work together as they try “to maintain right and justice throughout the vast galaxies of the universe.”
Throughout the series, various episodes are based on a certain element.
- Travelogue Episodes: Episodes where the main trio travel across different planets and places in Earth.
- Zero-Zero Island Episodes: Episodes revolving around the characters adventures in their home island.
- Villainous Episodes: Episodes revolving around sinister plots made by the following antagonists: Dr. Destructo, The Black Knight of Pluto, Bruto the Black Robot(often referred as the Black Robot), and Black Patch the space pirate.
- Space Patrol Episodes: Episodes that involve flying space scooter and the giant starship called the Trav-a-Lab.
Production
Colonel Bleep was created by Robert D. Buchanan and Jack Schleh. It was also produced by Soundac and Richarcd H. Ullman Inc. The show was originally titled The Adventures of Colonel Bleep and was originally designed to be an animated quiz show, which featured cartoon episodes, quizzes, riddles, and other interactive content. The show would be hosted by a TV star of a variety children’s show such as Bob Lawrence, who played the role of Captain Star during a wraparound for The Colonel Bleep Show. According to Schleh, he did not have any money to produce the show, so he hired a newscaster named Noah Tyler, who took the role as the show’s narrator. However, he did voice all of the characters whenever they spoke, although they were mostly silent.
Originally the show was supposed to last for 52 episodes, but it later expanded to 78 and eventually 100, much to the dismay of the creators. Although it is assumed that the actual number of episodes lasted up to 104.
The show was first syndicated into television on September 1957, but the show was first copyrighted in 1956. The show was sponsored into several food companies: Loblaw’s Food Stores, Table Queen Bread, International Shoe, 7-11 Markets, Foremost Dairies, Spaulding Bakeries, Pinemount Daries, and Maypo Cereal.
About Soundac
Soundac itself, was an animation studio formed in 1951 and founded by Bobby Nicholson, who left the company to work on the Howdy Doody Show. Buchanan replaced Nicholson as the new president of the company. The studio originated in Buffalo, New York but it later moved into Miami, Florida and Hollywood, Florida. While Soundac is best known for producing Colonel Bleep, it is also known for producing other game shows such as Musical Tune-O, Watch the Birdie, and Dollar Derby. The company also created another animated series titled Mighty Mister Titan, which relates to fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. The studio also created animations for two interstitial series: The Weather Man and Colorskope. Soundac is also known for producing over 4,000 animated commercials, but only a small portion of these commercials remain today. Soundac later closed down on 1971.
Legacy
A large portion of Colonel Bleep episodes had been left missing. When Soundac closed down on 1971, all of the studio’s materials were being stored in a van including master tapes, artwork, and other equipment. It is believed that car thieves had stolen the van and it was never retrieved or restored since.
Despite the loss, 14 episodes were released on VHS by Streamline Pictures and is said that all of the other episodes in its master film were stored in a warehouse in Texas for decades and were “not intact enough to be restored.” It also said that replicated films of these episodes were found during an auction. Later on, another company called Alpha Video restored 20 more episodes on DVD while F.H.E Entertainment released one episode, titled The Treacherous Pirate, into a complication film titled Speed Racer: The Movie(aka The Speed Racer Show). This was the only episode to be visually restored at the time and the only one to be released on Laserdisc and in movie theaters. In 2018 and 2019, a YouTuber by the name of ToonTracker released 9 episodes on YouTube, but they were sepia-toned compared to the others. There have not been any other episodes found as of 2020.
Found Episodes
Although there are about 100 to 104 episodes, only 44 are known to survive.
1. Col. Bleep’s Arrival on Earth 2. The Uncharted Island 3. The Earth from Outer Space 4. Building an Island Base 5. Scratch and the Sea Serpent 6. Squeak and the Terrible Termite 7. The Runaway Rocket 8. Man Hunt on the Moon 9. Scratch and his Feathered Friend 10. Shadows of Suspicion 11. The Prehistoric Present 12. The Magnetic Menace 13. The Ingenious Invention 14. The Relentless Rain 15. Danger Below 16. War in Robotland 17. Nightmare 18. Exposed 19. Dangerous Holiday 20. Satellite of Death 21. The Invisible Gorilla 22. The Treacherous Pirate 23. The Ghastly Ghost 24. Ball of Fire 25. The Falling Star 26. Space Station X-1 27. Test of Friendship 28. The Lunar Luger 29. The Pirate Plot 30. The Killer Whale 31. Ice Demons Attack 32. A Windy Knight 33. The Rusty Robots 34. The Firebomb 35. The Bat and the Bottle 36. Tunnel in Space 37. The Greedy Gorilla 38. Fire Water 39. The Wicked Web 40. The Evil Eye 41. The Treacherous Trio 42. The Hypnotic Helmets 43. Winner Take All 44. Knight of Death.
Lost Episodes
As of 2022, there are 21 missing episodes with their titles found, whereas the other titles are currently missing.
1. The Incredible Icemen 2 The Mechanical Twin 3. Squeak and the Black Knight 4. Scratch and the Sputnik 5. Traffic Jam in Space 6. The Missile and the Moonmites 7. The Magnetic Moon 8. The Martian Mine 9. In Days of Knights 10. Terror that Ticks 11. The Magic Lamp 12. The Terrible Sleep 13. The Big Thunder 14. The Dubious ??? 15. The War Game 16. The Spell of Doom 17. The Sinister Statue 18. The Double Disguise 19. The Big Picture 20. The Sinister Shortcut 21. Battle of the Aces