Far Out Space Nuts
Encyclopedia
Far Out Space Nuts is a Sid and Marty Krofft
children's television series
starring Bob Denver
as Junior, a seemingly dim-witted but uniquely clever maintenance worker employed by NASA
, and Chuck McCann
as Barney, his grumpy, short-tempered co-worker. Patty Maloney
played Honk, their furry friend who made horn sounds instead of speaking. One of only two Krofft series produced exclusively for CBS
(the second being 1984's Pryor's Place
), Far Out Space Nuts aired in 1975 for one season, and produced 16 episodes. Like most children's television shows of the era, Far Out Space Nuts contained a laugh track
.
Like most of the Kroffts' productions, the show's opening sequence provides the setup of its fanciful premise: While loading food into various compartments to prepare a rocket for an upcoming mission, Barney instructs Junior to hit the "lunch" button, but Junior mistakenly hits the "launch" button. The rocket blasts off and takes them on various misadventures on alien planets.
lunar module) would be captured by aliens (one being legendary actor John Carradine
, who so impressed Denver with his acting skills that the scene had to be reshot) and taken to some strange planet, or the spaceship would just land somewhere. Then, either Barney and Junior or the ship would be taken away by the strange creatures on the planet. After some weird mission was carried out, the two astronauts would be reunited with the spaceship and be off on their next mission. While there were some exceptions, most episodes were presented in this manner.
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft , are a sibling team of television producers who were influential in children's television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s....
children's television series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
starring Bob Denver
Bob Denver
Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was an American comedic actor known for his roles as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.-Early life:Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in...
as Junior, a seemingly dim-witted but uniquely clever maintenance worker employed by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, and Chuck McCann
Chuck McCann
Chuck McCann is a film actor, television actor, stage actor, and a voice actor from Brooklyn, New York.-Early career:...
as Barney, his grumpy, short-tempered co-worker. Patty Maloney
Patty Maloney
Patricia Anne "Patty" Maloney is an American actress with dwarfism.-Biography:She was born in Perkinsville, New York. She stands 3 feet 11 inches and weighs 60 pounds...
played Honk, their furry friend who made horn sounds instead of speaking. One of only two Krofft series produced exclusively for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(the second being 1984's Pryor's Place
Pryor's Place
Pryor's Place is a short-lived children's television series that aired on CBS. The live-action series starred comedian, Richard Pryor as himself.-Overview:Despite a reputation for profanity from Richard Pryor, Pryor's Place was aimed at children...
), Far Out Space Nuts aired in 1975 for one season, and produced 16 episodes. Like most children's television shows of the era, Far Out Space Nuts contained a laugh track
Laugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
.
Like most of the Kroffts' productions, the show's opening sequence provides the setup of its fanciful premise: While loading food into various compartments to prepare a rocket for an upcoming mission, Barney instructs Junior to hit the "lunch" button, but Junior mistakenly hits the "launch" button. The rocket blasts off and takes them on various misadventures on alien planets.
Plot
Typically, in each episode, their spaceship (a NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
lunar module) would be captured by aliens (one being legendary actor John Carradine
John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
, who so impressed Denver with his acting skills that the scene had to be reshot) and taken to some strange planet, or the spaceship would just land somewhere. Then, either Barney and Junior or the ship would be taken away by the strange creatures on the planet. After some weird mission was carried out, the two astronauts would be reunited with the spaceship and be off on their next mission. While there were some exceptions, most episodes were presented in this manner.
Episode list
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It's All in Your Mind" | 1975·Sep·06 |
| 2 | "Crystallitis" | 1975·Sep·13 |
| 3 | "Robots of Pod" | 1975·Sep·20 |
| 4 | "Fantastic Journey" | 1975·Sep·27 |
| 5 | "Tower of Tagot" | 1975·Oct·02 |
| 6 | "The Three Spacekateers" | 1975·Oct·09 |
| 7 | "Flight of the Pippets" | 1975·Oct·16 |
| 8 | "Birds of a Feather" | 1975·Oct·23 |
| 9 | "Dangerous Game" | 1975·Oct·30 |
| 10 | "Secrets of the Hexagon" | 1975·Nov·06 |
| 11 | "Captain Torque, Space Pirate" | 1975·Nov·13 |
| 12 | "Vanishing Aliens Mystery" | 1975·Nov·20 |
| 13 | "Barney Begonia" | 1975·Nov·27 |
| 14 | "Destination: Earth" | 1975·Dec·04 |
| 15 | "Galaxy's Greatest Athlete" | 1975·Dec·11 |
External links
- Episode list at ShareTV.org
- Far Out Space Nuts
- Bob Denver's recollections of the show