Shazam!

This show was part of my 70's childhood,but still it was the most fakeness live action series ever depicted for the minds of the Saturday Morning youth. The series was called "Shazam!",and it was produced by Filmation Productions and it was on CBS-TV from 1974-76 and continued in repeated episodes throughout the rest of the decade. Even though,it was part of Captain Marvel was played by two different actors(Season 1-3 by Jackson Bostwick,and in Seasons 3-4 by Bruce Davey who went on to do a numerous array of TV shows and specials) the special effects were some of the hokeyest ever where in one scene our hero is flying through the air(but WE kids know he was connected to a wire with a fan blowing through him under a very low budget of lets say,around 50 to 70K),and others(like they travel the country in a Winnebago in the same exact neighborhood where they last were just up the block from the previous episode) that were a laughing stock. But lets just say that the series from the early 70's has found a home,and its part of TV Land's late night line-up for LOST forever series and sitcoms. Catch it on TV Land!

NOTE: Coming soon to TV Land,more of the best/worst of the live action Filmation genre series from the 1970's continues including LOST shows like "Isis"(starring former Vogue 70's fashion model Joanna Cameron in her first and ONLY TV "Saturday Morning" series),"The Adventures of Thunder","Ark II","Jason of Star Command",and "Space Academy"(which stars Jonathan Harris of Lost In Space,James Doohan of Star Trek,and Pamela Ferdiyn of Lassie). Don't Miss It!

What can I say. In South America the spanish version for this TV show was on the air till 1977 and it was great for me. I'll never forget the ending morals what show me about the good and bad things of life. I am not a fan of Captain Marvel but I think that Billy Batson and Mentor show me little pieces of the person that I am today. I must thank for that. Of course if I could see it again I'd be laughing about how Captain Marvel use to fly... but I couldn't ask for more on that time.

Back in the mid-70's, Captain Marvel became the sensation of superheroes on TV. It had mysticism, morale and emotion; even though, Captain Marvel never fought against a foe that could match his abilities. And the special effects were cheap, considering the time it was made.

The storyline was much more interesting. Billy Batson was privileged by receiving the combined powers of the Six Wise Immortals: Solomon, Hercules, Agamenon, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. Each one gave him respectively: wisdom, strength, courage, stamina, invulnerability, and speed. He only had to invoke the acrostic of their names: SHAZAM!, and he transformed himself into the Mightiest Mortal of Earth (with Superman-like powers, without the inconvenience of kryptonite).

Alongside him, was Mentor (who probably was a former receiver of the powers). Both of them traveled through the country, helping the ones in need.

The most interesting part came when Captain Marvel and Isis (a "sister" TV show) made cameos in their respective TV shows. It was nice to see both characters working together, and helping each other when the situation was getting out of hand.

"Shazam" was a very good show considering it had a budget of $70,000 per episode and only consisted of 28 episodes. The show brought life back to the D.C. Comics character, who was revived after a 20 year absence. Had the show had a prime time slot and been based more on the comic, it's potential would have been even greater.

I just watched an old episode and it was light hearted entertainment with nice morals and a good message. Unlike that other reviewer who is either homophobic, has a complex, or was trying to be funny, I saw the relationship between Billy Batson and Mentor as an Obi Wan and Luke thing. He was being a mentor!!! Hence the name. I don't know why people like that have to bash anything that has 2 males in it, like Batman and Robin, etc. Two men can be friends. An older men can pass on his wisdom to the young without being gay. And if anything would endanger Billy in anyway, all he had to say was SHAZAM!!!! All you haters get a life and give this nice 1974 show a break.