Adminpeter: Created page with "{{TOC left}} {{Infobox television | name = Mission: Magic! | image = | caption = | genre = Cartoon series | creator = | director = | presenter = Filmation | voices = {{Plainlist| * Lola Fisher * Howard Morris * Erika Scheimer * Lane Scheimer * Rick Springfield }} | country = United States | company = {{Plainlist| * Filmation * Pa..."

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Created page with "{{TOC left}} {{Infobox television | name = Mission: Magic! | image = | caption = | genre = Cartoon series | creator = | director = | presenter = Filmation | voices = {{Plainlist| * Lola Fisher * Howard Morris * Erika Scheimer * Lane Scheimer * Rick Springfield }} | country = United States | company = {{Plainlist| * Filmation * Pa..."

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{{Infobox television
| name = Mission: Magic!
| image =
| caption =
| genre = [[Cartoon series]]
| creator =
| director =
| presenter = Filmation
| voices = {{Plainlist|
* Lola Fisher
* [[Howard Morris]]
* [[Erika Scheimer]]
* Lane Scheimer
* [[Rick Springfield]]
}}
| country = [[United States]]
| company = {{Plainlist|
* [[Filmation]]
* [[Paramount Television]]
}}
| distributor = [[CBS Television Distribution]]
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 16
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer =
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Norm Prescott]]
* [[Lou Scheimer]]
}}
| runtime = 30 minutes
| network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1973|9|8}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1973|12|22}}
| related = ''[[The Brady Kids]]''
}}
'''''Mission: Magic!''''' is an American [[Saturday-morning cartoon|Saturday morning animated series]] starring rock star [[Rick Springfield]] and is a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of ''[[The Brady Kids]]'', produced by [[Filmation]].<ref name=Perlmutter>{{cite book |last1=Perlmutter |first1=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1538103739 |page=399}}</ref> 16 episodes aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from September 8 to December 12, 1973. It was also broadcast in Springfield's native [[Australia]], where Springfield was then a bigger celebrity.

The show involved Miss Tickle, a magical teacher who could transport her students to fantasy realms through her magic blackboard.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |page=553}}</ref>

==Characters and format==
Even though Springfield still spoke with a pronounced [[Australian]] accent in the mid-1970s, he provided his own voice for his animated doppelgänger. On the show, Springfield always wore white pants and a white sweater which sported on the front an encircled lowercase "r" with a lightning bolt in the background; this design was taken from the back cover of his 1973 album ''Comic Book Heroes.''

Springfield was joined by a cast of characters:
* Miss Tickle, a bubbly [[teacher]] who was secretly an expert on magic (her name was a pun on the word "mystical")
:and six teenaged [[student]]s:
* Kim, an Asian girl, who is the leader of “The Adventurers Club”
* Vinnie, who spoke with a thick New York accent and often confused elaborate words
* Carol, a blonde girl who had a crush on Springfield
* Socks, a quirky [[Archie Comics|Jughead]]-like character who wore a light blue hat
* Franklin, a black athlete
* Harvey, a short, stocky and bespectacled nerd

They were involved in a weekly after-school group called “The Adventurers Club,” although it's debatable whether the organization was a social club or an actual class, as Miss Tickle often incorporated various school subjects into the group's adventures. In the first episode, the Club was visited in class by the school principal Mr. Samuels, who knew nothing of Miss Tickle's magical abilities.

Almost every ''Mission: Magic!'' adventure began by Rick communicating with the Club via an enchanted [[Phonograph|gramophone]] telling them where he was and either inviting them to come along, or transmitting a [[Distress signal|distress message]] of some form.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1557-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool/page/188/mode/2up |accessdate=14 March 2020 |pages=189–190}}</ref> Miss Tickle would aim her magic ring at Tut Tut, a ceramic cat on her desk who would come to life after Miss Tickle recited the [[incantation]]:
:''"O Tut Tut, cat of ancient lore,''
:''"'Tis time to draw the magic door."''
After drawing a magic door on the [[blackboard]], Miss Tickle, Tut Tut and the students would fly through the door and meet up with Springfield and his [[familiar]], an [[owl]] named Ptolemy. In their travels to otherworldly lands and times, they would solve mysteries, fix problems, or help people in need. At the middle or end of each show, Springfield performed a [[song]], its lyrics often tying into the message of that week's story. An [[Mission: Magic!#Soundtrack Album|album]] with most of the songs from the series was released in 1974, followed by a [[CD]] version in 2004.

Although ''Mission: Magic!'' was primarily intended to promote Springfield's [[teen idol]] status in America, the [[cartoon]] itself would be a forerunner for the 1990s [[PBS]] series, ''[[The Magic School Bus]],'' in which [[Lily Tomlin]] provided the voice of teacher Miss Frizzle. Both shows featured red-headed, magic-wielding teachers, with students from diverse ethnicities and backgrounds, and both shows combined entertainment and education. In each weekly episode, both school groups would magically transcend time and space to go on new adventures.

Ironically, Springfield himself eschewed this series years later, claiming that it "scarred me for life."

==Cast==
* Lola Fisher as Miss Tickle
* [[Howard Morris]] as Socks, Vinnie, Mr. Samuels
* [[Erika Scheimer]] as Kim, Carol
* Lane Scheimer as Harvey, Franklin
* [[Rick Springfield]] as himself

==Episodes==
{{Episode table |background=#AC1A3C |overall=6 |title=30 |aux2=20 |aux2T= Song(s) |airdate=18 |episodes=

{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=1
| Title=The Land of Backwards
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|9|8}}
| ShortSummary=The Adventurers Club goes to the Land of Backwards where they meet poet Shelly Percy, and contend with Big Billy and his gang. The trouble is that they are arrested when they return stolen jewels. They escape, and save the day. Shelley expresses his joy by crying, showing that everything is done in reverse in this land after all.
| Aux2 = "You'd Better Think Twice"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=2
| Title=Modran
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|9|15}}
| ShortSummary=Modran, and his three minions Bell, Booke, and Kendall steal gold so that Modran can win a tournament by cheating. Miss Tickle and company go to the Land of Prestidigitation to stop them. Socks releases a genie, and Modran captures Carol, Kim, Ptolemy, and Tut-Tut, intending to use them as insurance to guarantee that he will win the title of World's Greatest Magician.
| Aux2 = "Catch Me If You Can"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=3
| Title=Dissonia
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|9|22}}
| ShortSummary=The Adventurers Club visit a land where three music-hating villains have created a music eliminator to wipe out all the music in the world. Miss Tickle tries using her magic to destroy the machine, only to realize that it is indestructible. Can Rick and Tickle restore music to the world?
| Aux2 = "Love Is the Key"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=4
| Title=Land of Hyde and Go Seek
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|9|29}}
| ShortSummary=The group visits a land where Colonel Kadiddle is threatened by invaders who only want the substance that can change their hairstyles. Miss Tickle uses her magic to make peace between the warring factions.
| Aux2 = "If We Help One Another"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=5
| Title=The City Inside the Earth
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|10|6}}
| ShortSummary=While visiting the Carlsbad Caverns, the Adventurers Club is summoned by Rick to a city beneath the Earth's surface. There, they run into Professor Fahrenheit, who seeks to claim the underground city for himself.
| Aux2 = "Yes I Am"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=6
| Title=2600 A.D.
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|10|13}}
| ShortSummary=Miss Tickle and the students travel into the distant future. They discover that in 2600 A.D., Omni the robot is the ruler of humans. Omni turns out not to be so evil when a meteor heads for Earth. In desperation, he asks Miss Tickle and Rick to help him.
| Aux2 = "You Can't Judge a Book"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=7
| Title=Something Fishy
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|10|20}}
| ShortSummary=The team finds danger in an underwater city. Dr. Manta is using his power over the water to dominate the subjects. In addition, he has captured Socks and Vinnie. Can Miss Tickle end the villain's threat before innocent people end up in a watery grave?
| Aux2 = "Free and Easy"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=8
| Title=Giant Steppes
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|10|27}}
| ShortSummary=When Rick and his friend Billy are captured by the female giant Madame Mammoth, Miss Tickle has to come to their rescue. The Adventurers Club's mission this time is to restore the miniaturized Billy to his rightful place as ruler of the land.
| Aux2 = "You Can Really Do It (If You Try)"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=9
| Title=Statue of Limitations
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|11|3}}
| ShortSummary=The club goes to modern day Paris to investigate the theft of a statue called "The Contemplator". Female stage magician Trix Le Grande is a suspect, as are Pierre La Hoax and the Artful Codger. Further complicating matters are the fact that each of the three has his or her own Contemplator.
| Aux2 = "I Want You"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=10
| Title=Will the Real Rick Springfield Please Stand Up?
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|11|10}}
| ShortSummary=Miss Tickle cannot figure out why Rick is being so hard on Ptolemy. It soon turns out that "Rick" and "Ptolemy" are actually the Chameleon and Arlo, a pair of crooks who can change their appearances to be anyone they want. They have entered our world through the magic door. Eventually both men pose as Rick, creating further chaos.
| Aux2 = "It's Driving Me Crazy"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=11
| Title=Doctor Astro
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|11|17}}
| ShortSummary=Miss Tickle and her students go after Dr. Astro, who has stolen the Golden Horns and uses their power to bring [[Zodiac]] signs to life.
| Aux2 = "We're Gonna Have a Good Time"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=12
| Title=Doctor Daguerreotype
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|11|24}}
| ShortSummary=Dr. Daguerreotype has invented a camera that can turn people and objects into photographs. He and his accomplices Rex and Ina use it to photograph the magic door so that they can steal famous landmarks. When the Adventurers Club pursues them, the villains turn all but Miss Tickle and Rick into photographs. The villains' plan to photograph the adults backfires, and they end up on film themselves. Miss Tickle restores her friends and the magic door to normal so that they can return safely.
| Aux2 = "On the Other Side"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=13
| Title=Nephren
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|12|1}}
| ShortSummary=While on a mission to restore the City of Antiquity, Miss Tickle contends with Nephren, an ancient Egyptian queen who has come back to life. This queen's magic proves so powerful that Miss Tickle ends up exhausted. But both women have to join forces to rescue Nephren's lackeys, who are trapped inside a pyramid.
| Aux2 = "I Know That It's Magic"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=14
| Title=Modran Returns
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|12|8}}
| ShortSummary=Modran lures Miss Tickle and her students into his world by using Rick as bait. This time, the sorcerer's scheme is to steal Tut-Tut, who turns out to be the key to the magic door. The Adventurers Club must get Tut-Tut back so they can return to their world.
| Aux2 = "Just Gotta Sing"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=15
| Title=Horse Feathers
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|12|15}}
| ShortSummary=The Adventurers Club attends a rodeo in a land beyond the magic door. When the rodeo's prize money suddenly vanishes, The Adventurers Club investigates the three most likely suspects.
| Aux2 = "Welcome to the Rodeo" & "Sing Me a Song" (sung by Miss Tickle)
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=16
| Title=A Light Mystery
| OriginalAirDate={{start date|1973|12|22}}
| ShortSummary=After Franklin delivers his speech about being named Science Student of the Year, he and the others discover that a generator has been stolen. The Adventurers Club goes to the Land of Lights to get it back. There are three suspects: Count Celesta, Madame Marquee, and Baron Borealis. Each one rules a different province, but one seeks to become the ruler of the entire land.
| Aux2 = "Starlight, Starbright"
| LineColor=AC1A3C
}}
}}
'''NOTE:''' All the main songs appearing in the series were written and performed by Rick Springfield. Each song runs about 90 seconds, edited or faded from the versions later released on the 1974 soundtrack album.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI2trzZILltyWd8nR7v80gFnBxUMAJkW | title=Mission: Magic! - YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>

==Soundtrack album==

{{Infobox album
| name = Mission: Magic!
| type = studio
| artist = [[Rick Springfield]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = July 15, 1974
| recorded = 1973
| studio =
| genre = [[Pop rock]]
| length = 40:20
| label = Wizard Records (Australia)
| producer =
| prev_title = [[Comic Book Heroes]]
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = [[Wait for Night]]
| next_year = 1976
}}

'''''Mission: Magic!''''' is the third solo studio album by Australian musician Rick Springfield, and is an almost complete song [[soundtrack]] to the 1973 cartoon series. Only about 90 seconds of each song was used in the TV show, but the album contains the full-length versions of every song from the series, except for episode 5's song and episode 15's second song which was the only one in the series sung by Miss Tickle, not Springfield. None of the show's [[Film score|score]], [[incidental music]] or Miss Tickle's brief melodic incantations were included. The album was released in 1974 several months after the TV series' initial run had finished, and only in [[Australia]], even though the cartoon was produced in the [[USA]]. Possibly because of [[Music licensing|rights issues]], no song from ''Mission: Magic!'' has ever appeared on any of the many official [[Rick Springfield discography#Compilation albums|Rick Springfield compilation albums]].

All songs on the album were written by Rick Springfield.

# "We're Gonna Have a Good Time" (2:39)
# "It's Driving Me Crazy" (2:55)
# "Free and Easy" (2:38)
# "You Can Do It (If You Try)" (2:57)
# "On the Other Side" (2:22)
# "You Can't Judge a Book" (2:37)
# "Love Is the Key" (2:29)
# "You'd Better Think Twice" (2:13)
# "Welcome to the Rodeo" (2:49)
# "I Want You" (2:39)
# "Just Gotta Sing" (2:30)
# "If We Help One Another" (2:33)
# "Starlight, Starbright" (2:03)
# "Catch Me If You Can" (2:17)
# "I Know That It's Magic" (2:17)
# "Theme from Mission: Magic!" (2:22)

'''Total Running Time: 40:20'''

===Re-releases===
The ''Mission: Magic!'' album has been re-released in various years and territories under the following titles:
* ''Just Gotta Sing'' ([[K-Tel]]) - only 13 tracks
* ''Big Hits'' (Premore) - only 10 tracks
* ''Backtracks'' ([[Renaissance Recordings|Renaissance Records]]; 1999) - all 16 tracks
* ''Speak to the Sky'' ([[Delta Entertainment Corporation|Laserlight]]; 2001) - only 9 tracks plus "[[Speak to the Sky]]" (1972)
* ''Catch Me If You Can'' (Renaissance Records; 2006) - all 16 tracks plus "[[Wait for Night|Take a Hand]]" (1976) and "Speak to the Sky"
* ''Fan-Tastic Rick Springfield'' (Ba-ba; 2009) - all 16 tracks
* ''Rick Springfield'' (Suite 201; 2009) - all 16 tracks

==Home media==
BCI Eclipse LLC (under its Ink & Paint classic animation entertainment label), under license from [[Entertainment Rights]], released ''Mission: Magic! - The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1 on May 8, 2007. The 2-disc set includes all 16 episodes, uncut and digitally remastered for optimum audio and video quality, and presented in its original broadcast presentation and original production order. The 2-Disc set also includes many special features.

{| class="wikitable"
! DVD name
! Ep No.
! Release date
! Additional information
|-
| Mission: Magic! - The Complete Series
| align="center"|16
| May 8, 2007
|
* Mission: Magic! Spotlight Interview with Producer Lou Scheimer
* Mission: Magic! Spotlight Interview with Voice Actor Erika Scheimer
* "The Magic of Filmation" Documentary
* Mission: Magic! Image Galleries
* Booklet with Episode Guide and Trivia
* DVD-ROM Features
* Trailers from Ink & Paint
|}

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0141606}}
* {{bcdb|Filmation_Associates/H-R/Mission_Magic_/index.html}}
* [http://www.toonarific.com/show.php?show_id=2419 Toonarific: "Mission: Magic"]

{{Rick Springfield}}
{{The Brady Bunch}}
{{Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company in the 1970s}}

[[Category:American children's animated fantasy television series]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company original programming]]
[[Category:1970s American animated television series]]
[[Category:1973 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1975 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American animated television spin-offs]]
[[Category:Television series by Filmation]]
[[Category:Television series by CBS Studios]]
[[Category:Television series by Paramount Television]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]

Mission: Magic! - Revision history