The Freedom Force (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Freedom Force is a 1978 animated television series produced by Filmation
and aired on CBS
as a segment of Tarzan and the Super 7
. It showcased a superhero team gathered by the heroine Isis
from around the world to help fight evil. Isis had previously appeared in the live-action television series, The Secrets of Isis, although the actress who portrayed her, Joanna Cameron
, did not reprise the role for the cartoon.
Only five episodes of the series were produced.
) released all 7 episodes of Freedom Force on DVD in Region 1 on August 22, 2006, along with all 13 episodes of Space Sentinels
, an earlier series that featured several of the same characters. The digitally-remastered presentation features scripts and Spanish language
tracks for all 5 episodes, a gallery featuring original images, early presentation images, trivia and interviews with creators Lou Scheimer, Buzz Dixon, Darrell McNeil, Michael Reaves, Robert Kline and David Wise, as well as numerous special features related to Space Sentinels and Filmation in general.
As of 2009, this release has been discontinued and is out of print as BCI Eclipse has ceased operations.
In addition, a single episode, "The Plant Soldiers", was included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the live-action The Secrets of Isis series.
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
and aired on 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...
as a segment of Tarzan and the Super 7
Tarzan and the Super 7
Tarzan and the Super 7, was a Saturday morning cartoon series, produced by Filmation and originally airing from 1978–1980 on CBS.The show consisted of separate installments featuring seven groups of adventurers;* Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle...
. It showcased a superhero team gathered by the heroine Isis
Isis (DC Comics)
Isis is a DC Comics superhero, as well as a separate Egyptian goddess also living in the DC Universe. The recent superhero character is modeled closely after the main character of The Secrets of Isis, a live-action American Saturday Morning television program that served as the second half of The...
from around the world to help fight evil. Isis had previously appeared in the live-action television series, The Secrets of Isis, although the actress who portrayed her, Joanna Cameron
Joanna Cameron
Joanna Kara Cameron, sometimes listed as JoAnna Cameron, is an American actress who played the title role in the children's television program The Secrets of Isis.-Early life:...
, did not reprise the role for the cartoon.
Only five episodes of the series were produced.
Team members
- MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
- SinbadSinbadSinbad or Sindbad may refer to:* Sinbad the Sailor, from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, also known as Arabian Nights* Sinbad the Sailor, an alias of Edmond Dantes in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo...
- Super Samurai - alter ego of Toshi, a young Japanese boy.
- IsisIsis (DC Comics)Isis is a DC Comics superhero, as well as a separate Egyptian goddess also living in the DC Universe. The recent superhero character is modeled closely after the main character of The Secrets of Isis, a live-action American Saturday Morning television program that served as the second half of The...
- HerculesHerculesHercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
Episodes
- The Dragon Riders - The Freedom Force must end a war between two tribes who dogfight in the air
- The Scarlet Samurai - Toshi's new friend is jealous of his powers, and an evil wizard plans to exploit this for revenge
- The Plant Soldiers - Isis is kidnapped and captured by an evil wizard who now controls the Nile, and Hercules must rescue her and stop the wizard's magical army of walking soldiers
- Pegasus' Odyssey - Pegasus is captured by an evil sorceress out to seek revenge on Hercules
- The Robot - An inventor's mechanical giant is out to prove itself more powerful than the Freedom Force
DVD release
BCI Eclipse LLC (under license from Entertainment RightsEntertainment Rights
Entertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 as Sleepykids. In 1999 it become entertainment rights and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands...
) released all 7 episodes of Freedom Force on DVD in Region 1 on August 22, 2006, along with all 13 episodes of Space Sentinels
Space Sentinels
Space Sentinels is a Saturday morning animated series produced by Filmation which debuted on the American NBC network on September 10, 1977 and ran for thirteen half-hour episodes...
, an earlier series that featured several of the same characters. The digitally-remastered presentation features scripts and Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
tracks for all 5 episodes, a gallery featuring original images, early presentation images, trivia and interviews with creators Lou Scheimer, Buzz Dixon, Darrell McNeil, Michael Reaves, Robert Kline and David Wise, as well as numerous special features related to Space Sentinels and Filmation in general.
As of 2009, this release has been discontinued and is out of print as BCI Eclipse has ceased operations.
In addition, a single episode, "The Plant Soldiers", was included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the live-action The Secrets of Isis series.
Series Credits
- Executive Producers: Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott
- Producer: Don Christensen
- Story Editors: Chuck Menville and Len Janson
- Animation Directors: Ed Friedman, Marsh Lamore, Gwen Wetzler, Kay Wright, Lou Zukor
- Production Manager: Joseph Simon
- Production Designers: James Fletcher, Herb Hazelton
- Key Assistant: Mike Hazy
- Layout Director: Carol Lundberg
- Layout: Kurt Connor, Rene Garcia, Ed Haney, Wes Herschensohn, Dave Hoover, Rich Hoover, Les Kaluza, Lonnie Lloyd, Darrell McNeil, Michael Mitchell, Greg Nocon, John Perry, Mitch Schauer, Leo Swenson, Curt Walstead, David West, Sherry Wheeler
- Story Director: Bob Kline
- Storyboards: Paul Fennell, Eddie Fitzgerald, Karl Geurs, Michael Joens, Tom Minton, Wendell Washer
- Color Director: Ervin Kaplan
- Backgrounds: Barbara Benedetto, Sheila Brown, Pat Keppler, Rolly Oliva, Tom O'Laughlin, Curtiss Perkins, Don Peters, Don Schweikert, Don Watson
- Animators: Tom Baron, Jim Brummett, William Carney, Franco Cristofani, Zion Davush, Kennetha Gaebler, John Garling, Milt Gray, Lou Kachivas, Larry Miller, Fred Myers, Emory Myrick, Bill Nunes, Jack Ozark, Tony Pabian, John Paice, Karen Peterson, Len Rogers, Don Schloat, Ernie Schmidt, Larry Silverman, Hank Smith, Reuben Timmins, Dardo Velez, Woody Yocum
- Assistant Animation Supervisor: Lew Irwin
- Animation Check Supervisor: Marion Turk
- Xerography Supervisor: John Remmel
- Paint Supervisor: Val Vreeland
- Camera Supervisor: R.W. Pope
- Camera: John Aardal, Don Dinehart, David J. Link, Dean Teves, F.T. Ziegler
- Color By Technicolor
- Film Editors: Jim Blodgett, Ann Hagerman
- Film Coordinators: June Gilham, Toni Christiansen
- Sound Supervisor: George Mahana
- Music Editor: Sam Horta
- Background Music Composed By Yvette Blais and Jeff Michael
- Music Published By Shermley Music Company, ASCAP
- Voice Talents Of Michael Bell, Diane Pershing, Bob Denison
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- (c) Copyright 1978 Filmation Associates, Inc
- A FILMATION PRESENTATION