The New Archie and Sabrina Hour is the seventh and final animated series featuring Archie Comics characters under the Filmation banner., premiering on NBC in September 1977. The show's format featured three segments per episode: a 15-minute one, a 30-minute one, and another 15-minute one—with the segments separated by songs (two songs per episode) and the first segment invariably featuring and emphasizing Sabrina.
Filmation added two new characters into the show: a Latino teenager named Carlos and a robot that Dilton Doiley got from a space center and rebuilt named Q. Carlos only made a few appearances in the comics, beginning in Life with Archie #179 (March 1977). Q was Filmation's nod to Star Wars. At the time, robots were starting to appear everywhere, even on primetime shows.
Low ratings caused the hour-long format to be shelved by October. The show was retooled, then divided into separate 30-minute shows: The Bang-Shang Lalapalooza Show featured Archie's Gang solving mysteries around Riverdale (each 30-minute segment), while Super Witch featured Sabrina solving mysteries using her powers (each pair of 15-minute segments); each show featured one song per episode. The low ratings continued, however, and all three shows were gone by the spring of 1978—thus ending the Archie Comics/Filmation partnership.
The new segments from this show are listed by Entertainment Rights as The Archie and Sabrina Surprise Package.
Cast Dallas McKennon as Archie Andrews, Hot Dog, Mr. Weatherbee, Chuck Clayton, Pop Tate, Mr. Lodge, Salem, Ronnie, Clyde, Batso, Goo, additional voices José Flores as Carlos Howard Morris as Jughead Jones, Moose Mason, Dilton Doiley, Cousin Ambrose, Hexter, Frankie, Wolfie, Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, Mummy, Hauntleroy, Orville, additional voices John Erwin as Reggie Mantle, Ratso, Q, additional voices Jane Webb as Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Miss Grundy, Big Ethel, Sabrina Spellman, Aunt Hilda Spellman, Aunt Zelda Spellman, Miss Della, Bella La Ghostly, additional voices Larry D. Mann as Boneapart, additional voices Larry Storch as Drac, Hagatha, Ghoulihand, Icky, additional voices
Episodes Each hour-long episode was composed of three segments: An Archie short, a Sabrina short, plus a 30-minute Archie episode. Sabrina sometimes appeared in all three cartoons.
Home media In the 1980s, New Age Video Inc. released two VHS releases of the syndication version of the format, Archie's Millions and Archie and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
In 2009, the complete series was released on Region 4 DVD in Australia and New Zealand as The Archie and Sabrina Surprise Package.
References
Additional source Lenburg, Jeff, Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, First Edition.
External links
at the Big Cartoon DataBase