Oh, wait, I know why you don’t remember it: because it only ran for 13 episodes in the summer of 2009 before ABC axed it.

Thankfully, however, the fine folks at Shout Factory have come through for “Goode Family” fans in the same way they’ve come through for fans of so many other too-quickly-canceled series over the years, offering up a complete-series set which features all of the episodes, including audio commentary from executive producers John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky on several of them, as well as deleted scenes and premises for unproduced episodes. Even better, the aforementioned Mr. Altschuler was kind enough to spend a few minutes on the phone with Bullz-Eye to discuss the series, not to mention some of the other projects he’s worked on over the course of his career.

John Altschuler: So, Will, what can I do you for?

Bullz-Eye: Well, sir, I do this TV column for Bullz-Eye, I’ve more or less got carte blanche to cover what I want, and, dammit, I want to cover the DVD release of The Goode Family: The Complete Series.

JA: [Laughs.] Well, great…I hope!

BE: It is absolutely great. I was a fan for the all-too-few episodes that aired, so it’s been nice not only to revisit the series as a whole but also to listen to the commentaries that you and Dave recorded for the set.

JA: Excellent, excellent. Well, I can’t stand the sound of my own voice, personally, but I hope it wasn’t too bad for you.

BE: No, no, not painful at all.

JA: Well, good!

BE: So to begin at the beginning, as it were, you and Dave actually knew each other well before you first met up with Mike Judge on “King of the Hill.”

JA: That’s right. Dave Krinsky and I go back to…we went to the University of North Carolina together and moved out to L.A…wow, back in ’87! And we just did movies and TV for, y’know, forever, and got hired on “King of the Hill” in its first season, and that’s how we met Mike Judge.

BE: When you guys went out there, did you have a vision for what you wanted to write? Did you have a specific hankering to work in animation?

JA: We never considered it in our lives. We actually wanted to do features, and…back then it was such a different world. An agency would not represent you if you wanted to do TV and movies. And we wanted to do both, but since nobody would rep that, we were doing features. And then just on a fluke, this woman named Carolyn Strauss at HBO…she was great. Well, obviously, I liked her because she read our movie script, and she said, “Would you guys consider working on a TV show?” And we said, “Yeah!” And she showed us this show called “The High Life.” It was black and white, set in the ‘60s, but it was this guy Adam Resnick who was doing it, so we said, “We’ll do that!” She said, “Will you move to New York?” “Yeah!” “In three days?” Sure!” [Laughs.]

So that’s how we got into TV. And that show didn’t do well, but people liked it. Y’know, it was a good show, and people respected it, so it allowed us to have really our choice of working on television shows…and we liked it. I mean, the thing about TV is that you have a little bit more control over the medium, and you do a lot of them, so you can learn more, whereas you make so few movies that you can’t really learn anything, so you can’t really get better. Now, oddly enough, because the world’s changed, Dave and I are able to do animated TV, live-action TV, live-action movies…everything. Which is pretty great for us.

BE: When you got to “King of the Hill,” was there any sort of learning curve for working in animation?

JA: Yes, but…what’s interesting is that the writing wasn’t that different, because it was a very real show. You know, a lot of reviewers even said that it was the most realistic show on TV. And being from North Carolina, it just sort of fit in our wheelhouse. So the writing itself wasn’t so different, but when we started producing…animation is an incredibly intricate, long process that really takes about 10 years to get a handle on. There’s just all of these different stages and processes, with designs going here and then going to Korea and then coming back…it’s just this never-ending loop. But the writing was actually not that different.

BE: I must tell you that, were it not for “King of the Hill,” no one would know that I once spent three months working for A&B Propane in Chesapeake, Virginia. But the show has provided me with a certain pride in being able to say, “You know, I once sold propane and propane accessories…”

JA: [Laughs.] Yay! Our work is done!

BE: When “King of the Hill” was finally shuffled off into oblivion by Fox, who apparently finally realized that it was still on schedule…

JA: Yes, and they were upset that we were still making money. [Laughs.] I’m never going to understand the workings of that. We were a great show, and they just kept trying to cancel us. But we just kept hanging on until they finally succeeded in canceling us. It was, like, “What’s the deal? Is the problem that we’re too good and we make you too much money?”

I don’t think they ever understood why it was funny. It’s, like, with “Family Guy,” even though they canceled that, too, at least they go, “Oh, we know why it’s funny!” Even though they don’t. They think, “It’s ‘cause it’s crude!” But “King of the Hill” makes no sense to them. It’s not replicable in their minds. It’s, like, “Well, that show’s not funny. It’s boring!” That’s all I can figure out, anyway.

BE: Well, I loved it, anyway. In fact, I’m in the Television Critics Association, so I was in attendance for that table read that you did for the 200^th episode.

JA: Oh, so you’ve heard me blather on before! [Laughs.] Well, good.

BE: So what was the timeline as far as the end of “King of the Hill” and the beginning of “The Goode Family”?  

JA: Well, Dave and I had done the screenplay for “Blades of Glory” while we were doing “King of the Hill,” so what happened was… [Hesitates.] I’m trying to remember the exact timing, but…oh, of course we were still doing “King of the Hill” when we did “The Goode Family,” because Fox was very angry at us. [Laughs.]

BE: My apologies. I had convinced myself that “The Goode Family” was actually after “King of the Hill.”

JA: Hey, trust me, with this brain of mine combined with my general lack of sleep last night, I’m familiar with confusion. But, no, we did the season of “The Goode Family” concurrent with doing “King of the Hill.”

BE: You must’ve been pretty exhausted, then.

JA: You know, it wasn’t bad, because the timing of it…we only did the pilot and the 12 episodes of “The Goode Family,” and…Dave and I were really efficient. [Laughs.] And we were so ahead with “King of the Hill.” We had just great personnel – this woman Garland Testa was helping – so “King of the Hill” was going really fairly well, so we could concentrate. So we had a lot going on, but…it’s strange. I don’t know if you know this feeling where…well, like you just said, you cover what you want to cover for your column, so you cover a lot of things, I bet, which means you’re not bored and you’re not angry, because you’re sort of in control of what you’re doing. But when you’re on someone else’s clock and someone else’s dime, that’s devastating. When it’s your show, though, it’s kind of energizing. If that makes sense.

BE: It does, thanks to you putting it into my frame of reference. [Laughs.] Okay, so it’s fair to say that “The Goode Family” wasn’t exactly on for a lengthy period of time, but was there ever anything that had to be changed because ABC said, “Sorry, you can’t do that”?

JA: You know, it’s interesting, because ABC were actually really good partners creatively. With all the problems of when we were aired and how we were aired and picking shows to pair us with that we were not a great fit, they were very good with us creatively. The only thing we would run into were things like…we had the character of Charlie, who the gruff, Archie Bunker-ish character, except milder, say something like, “Let’s go down to the Asian place, those guys really know their way around a pig.” And it’d be, like, “How is this a Standards note?” And they’d go, “Well, you’re implying that all Asians like pork.” And I’m, like, “They do!” [Laughs.] “What do you want me to say? You go find me an Asian that doesn’t like pork that isn’t Buddhist…and even the Buddhists like pork!” So that was sort of frustrating.

And then one time we did an episode where the neo-Nazis adopt a highway, and at one point…what happened was that the main Standards guy was out of town, and we got these Standards notes that were just unbelievable. They wanted to shut us down! They even cited the word “sturm und drang,” which is just an uproar, because they thought it was some sort of slur! At one point, I was, like, “Okay, are you afraid we’re going to offend the neo-Nazis? Because I can’t figure out what the hell is going on!” And to be fair, when the normal guy got back…see, the stuff that Dave and Mike I do, we have absolutely no interest in offending people. We just don’t. But we like dealing with interesting stuff that nobody else deals with. So when you’re first working with us, it’s, like, “Oh, my God, you can’t do that, you can’t do that,” but then when you see how we handle it…

Like, when you pitch, “We’re going to do a show about class warfare in the lesbian community,” they’re horrified. But then they see it, and…the lesbians loved our show! [Laughs.] Basically, they see that we don’t do hatchet jobs. In fact, some people said that one reason maybe why the show didn’t catch on was that we didn’t do a hatchet job, that we sort of made the Goode family likeable when maybe we would’ve been better off just going the other direction. But that’s just not what we do. Look at “King of the Hill.” We’re just not into ridicule.

BE: And like “King of the Hill,” “The Goode Family” may have been a little exaggerated at times, but for the most part you tried to paint character as realistically as possible.

JA: Yeah, exactly. And, oh, my God, you come out here to California, my friend, and I’ll show you that things might seem a little bit ridiculous on that show, but we actually had to tone down reality to put it on that show. [Laughs.]

BE: To look at the IMDb page for “The Goode Family,” you kind of see that the show’s biggest problem was that people had such diverse opinions about it. The first user review calls it “the best show ever,” while the “Did You Know?” section leads off by noting that the show was canceled after a single season because of poor ratings and poor critical reception.

JA: Yeah, but, y’know, we actually got great reviews. For the most part, anyway. I mean stunningly good reviews. The bad reviews that we got…it’s pretty interesting and actually makes sense, but we got scathing reviews from The New York Times, NPR, and The San Francisco Chronicle. And it’s like a fucking joke, because they’re literally, like, “Oh, my God, how can you make fun of global warming?” But to be honest, we were pretty freaking happy, because we got a lot of great reviews. The sad thing, though, was that the reviews tended to say, “Watch it while you can.” [Laughs.] I remember one case…it was a good review, but the guy said, “The show’s fantastic, but it will not make it past the first season. If it was on Fox, it’d last for eight seasons, but on ABC, it’s gonna be gone.”

So there were a lot of reviews like that, and…it’s interesting, and we’ll never know if it was the wrong place, the wrong time, if the show wasn’t hard-hitting enough. We loved it, though, and when people watch it, when people actually see it, they seem to really respond to it. “That was great!” And all we can do is say, “Well, we thought so.” So who knows why it didn’t take off?

BE: Before the show premiered, did you consider the fact that, because it was being so politically correct to an absurd degree, it might take time to find an audience?

JA: You know, what’s interesting is…I thought it would connect, even though we knew it was weird going on ABC. We were really worried when we were put with “Wipe Out.” It was, like, “Oh, boy, this doesn’t seem like our audience.” This one comedian said, “You know the people you made your show about…? People really hate those people. They really don’t want to hang out with them.” And we were, like, “Okay…” [Laughs.] It was interesting, though, that the lefty blogosphere types really liked the show. Lesbians, even wacko environmentalists, they sort of understood that, yes, we were making fun of them, but it wasn’t ugly making-fun. But the ABC audience for a family game show was decidedly different.

BE: How long ago did you start working on the DVD set? Was it right after the show went off the air, or did it only come about because Shout Factory asked about doing one?

JA: Well, this was very frustrating, actually. The DVD set happened because of the tenacity of this guy named Glenn Lucas, but what was frustrating was that…I don’t know, I guess we kind of fell between eras, sort of. It wasn’t actually before Hulu, but it was before Hulu had a lot of deals set up. You couldn’t get “The Goode Family” anywhere. You couldn’t stream it, you couldn’t buy downloads…it just wasn’t available! But basically Shout Factory just loved the show, and this guy Glenn Lucas made the deal for us. It was a tough deal, because a lot of times with Hollywood, if there’s not a lot of money involved, companies will just say, “Eh, let it go.” And not “let it go, go ahead and do it,” but, “nah, we’d rather not.” So it took a few years, but we did it, and…it just makes me happy. Because, y’know, we’ve just put so much work into the underground-comic look of the show that I just think is so beautiful. And, I mean, where else do you get to see a vegan dog running around eating all of the other pets in the neighborhood? [Laughs.] Well, I think it’s fun, anyway…

BE: Shout Factory invariably does a great job with their reissues.

JA: Oh, they’re a top-flight company. They’re just good at what they do, and they’re solid citizens. We’re going to keep working with them.

BE: If only you could get them to put out the rest of the “King of the Hill” seasons…

JA: Oh, God, they want to.

BE: Do they, really?

JA: They do! They’ve been trying, but…I guess it’s just not going to happen.

BE: That sucks.

JA: Yeah. And it’s really frustrating because, like Mike Judge points out, Fox stopped putting them out just as the show had a resurgence and started getting really good again. [Laughs.] And he wants those out on DVD, but they’re not.

BE: Well, at least they’re available for online screening. That’s something.

JA: Something, yes. But it’s still frustrating.

BE: Before we wrap up, I wanted to ask about a few other things very quickly, the first being the script for “Blades of Glory.” Given that you and Dave came out with the intent of working on features, that must’ve been great to get that big-screen break at last.

JA: Oh, it was great. And it was interesting, because Dave and I were brought on, and we did the script, and it got put right into production. It was, like, “Wow, when does that happen?” [Laughs.] It was a very fun project, because the initial idea was not ours. The script was, but the initial idea wasn’t. We just stepped in, and we were, like, “Okay, let’s take this and treat it incredibly seriously, where everything with these skaters is life or death, and take it completely over the top.” It’s been incredibly satisfying, because people just love that movie. I mean, I can’t even tell you the range of people. There’s this judge who’s very high up in the ranks, and his favorite movie is “Blades of Glory,” and I met a woman at a party who said, “You know, we bought that movie  for my dad because it’s the only thing that makes him laugh!” So it’s beyond gratifying. And it opened up a lot of doors for us. So we’re very proud of it.

BE: So what’s the status of “Silicon Valley,” the live-action pilot you guys are doing with Mike for HBO?

JA: We’re working on that as we speak. Literally. We’re starting to cast that, and Mike Judge is going to direct it, which I think is great. We love it. We think it’s a show that needs to be made, because…my brother is an electrical engineer, my brother-in-law is an electrical engineer, Mike Judge was an engineer, and the one thing we’ve noticed is that nobody gets these guys right. I mean, “The Big Bang Theory” is fine, but that’s not who these people are, and it’s such an interesting, vibrant world where everything’s happening. So it was, like, “Oh, let’s go make fun of that!” [Laughs.]

BE: Finally, I feel as though it’s my responsibility to get status updates on everything currently attributed to you on IMDb.

JA: [Laughs.] Well, “The Jetsons” is…that’s funny, we were just talking about that recently. Who knows what’s going to happen with that? But “The Giants of Groil” definitely isn’t going to happen. And “Woody Woodpecker,” man, that’s gonna be a long, long, long process. Like, we just started, and animated movies…by the time you say, “Oh, we’re rolling,” it’s four years later. But we’re doing this project, “Brigadier Gerard,” that has Steve Carell attached to star and Jay Roach to direct. It’s hard making movies these days, though. It’s tough. Good thing you’re in TV, my friend!

“Community” Holiday Exclusive Gift Set

Features a “Troy & Abed in the Morning” coffee cup (“With a generous capacity of 15 ounces, refills are not needed!”), a Warhol-inspired Troy & Abed poster, a t-shirt featuring the Greendale Seven in video game form. and a plush Human Being…which, if you’re not already a fan of the show, probably warrants a bit of explanation. Per the NBC online store, “The Greendale Community Human Being plush mascot reflects the diversity of Greendale and our species by being nothing at all. Now you can have your own creepy version!” If that doesn’t sound like the icing on a delicious “Community” cake, then…well, uh, you’re probably not the target demo. But maybe you know someone who is, so keep it in mind just in case. ($50.00)

“Dexter” LOOK/SEE Limited Edition Sunglasses

Described as “perhaps the greatest Dexter usable collectable out there,” what you get is a set of sunglasses with white frames spattered in blood, stored in a wooden case which, not coincidentally, looks quite a bit like Dexter’s “trophy case.” The case also includes blood slides and a syringe. Move fast, though: it’s a limited edition set – there are only 500 units being produced, and each wooden case is individually numbered. ($149.95)

“Buffy” Slayer’s Stake Prop Replica

I once bought my wife a replica of the cross necklace Buffy wears, but while she thought it looked incredibly cool, she’s never actually worn it because it just seems like more of a display piece than actual jewelry. Similarly, here’s hoping that, should you decide to pick up this item, you decide to leave it in the box rather than plunge it into someone’s heart. I mean, unless they’re undead. In that case, go nuts. ($479.99)

Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote

What can we possibly say that the people at ThinkGeek haven’t already said better? “The Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote lets you feel like a time lord while lounging on your couch eating fish fingers and custard. This Mark VII Sonic Screwdriver is specially created for Earth use. It’s been simplified so as not to cause danger to human operators, while still being an extremely powerful tool in the wrangling of entertainment electronics. And because The Doctor doesn’t let just anyone use his stuff, there’s a Lock Code that allows you to ensure that it’s yours… ALL YOURS.” ($89.99)

Rosie the Robot Cookie Jar

Gotta get at least one Hanna-Barbera item in the mix, y’know? One of my most prized possessions is a Brak cookie jar that our own David Medsker hooked me up with many moons ago, during my earliest days with Bullz-Eye. (Or, man, was it before? It was forever ago.) Of course, “The Jetsons” can’t compete with “Space Ghost,” but I’ve still got a lot of love in my heart for Rosie. As robot servants go, she’s one of the best. ($49.95)

The Office Dunder Mifflin Paper (Box) with “Poetic” Message Magnets

I just want to shake the hand of the NBC employee who pitched this idea. “Hey, how about if we put a bunch of cardboard boxes, put Dunder-Mifflin labels on the outside, fill ‘em with plain ol’ copy paper, and then sell ‘em for $70 a pop? Yeah, you’re right, that’s kind of a rip-off. We better throw one of those magnetic-poetry packs in there, too.” Brilliant. ($74.98)

Opie’s Skull and Crossbones Ring / Clay’s Born Wild Ring

Not that anyone’s been wondering why I don’t handle the “Sons of Anarchy” reviews for Bullz-Eye, but if you were, it’s because I’m an idiot and don’t watch the show. Still, I know enough about it to know that fans will probably think these rings are pretty awesome. ($99.99 each)

Golden Limited Edition Star Trek Pizza Cutter

Admittedly, probably even the most obsessive Trekkies probably haven’t been clamoring for a pizza cutter that looks like the USS Enterprise, let alone one that’s done up in gold rather than one of your lesser metals, but leave it to ThinkGeek to prey on their customers’ weaknesses and make this a limited edition item of which there are only 1,701 in existence…and if you don’t appreciate why they picked that number, Google it later. For now, though, just trust us: it’s hilarious.($99.99)

“Breaking Bad” ‘Blue Sky’ Candy in a Los Pollos Hermanos tub

First and foremost, don’t get your hopes up for finding this under the tree: the company that produces this stuff is already back-ordered through January. Secondly, let’s not kid ourselves: this price is absolutely ridiculous, given the ease with which just about anyone could make rock candy in their own freaking kitchen and the fact that you could print off a “Los Pollos Hermanos” label yourself and slap it on any old plastic bucket. With that said, however, you can’t deny that it’s one of the coolest things ever. ($1,658.08)

Game of Thrones Life Size Replica Iron Throne

I’m not sure I’d want to meet the person who has the kind of disposable income to spend on something like this, as I’m not sure I’d be able to resist the desire to punch them in the face. But I applaud the HBO store for apparently having it in stock, just in case someone happens to get a wild hair and has the bankbook to back up their pop culture whims. ($30,000…and, no, that’s not a joke)

It’s true. I really do. I’ve been a major proponent of the MOD (Made on Demand) format for DVDs ever since I first heard about the idea in the context of movies – “Want an obscure film from our vault released on DVD? We’ll print copies on an as-ordered basis!” – but when they started moving into doing the same thing for TV series, I practically lost my mind. Mind you, they eased into television, first offering up a bunch of TV movies, then miniseries, then a couple of more recent series that didn’t have massive fanbases, like “The Eleventh Hour” and “Dark Blue.” Soon, however, they started to delve into their back catalog of Hanna-Barbera series…and that’s when things really started getting interesting for me.

Throughout the ’70s, I was an obsessive watcher of cartoons: before and after school, Saturday mornings, even the occasional Sunday morning series. (Anyone remember “These Are The Days”?) As Warner Archive has begun to reissue the series that I watched in my youth but, in most cases, haven’t seen since, I’ve all but drooled at the prospect of getting to revisit them. Now that I have, I thought I’d shine the spotlight on the top 10 releases that have resulted in the most flashbacks for me:

The Addams Family: The Complete Series

Be delightfully miserable with the Addams Family as they take to the road in their Victorian-styled RV for spooktacular cross-country quests only they can conjure. From Nashville to New Orleans, New Mexico and Hawaii, these peculiar parents – Gomez and Morticia – treat their family to misadventures, including outwitting a band of gold thieves, freeing the animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo and racing a horse in the Kentucky Derby. They even win a piece of the moon and with Uncle Fester’s rocket, the trip will be a blast! You may remember them as “altogether ooky,” but the spirit of this family is contagious!

Although the “Addams Family” movies resulted in an animated series in the early ’90s, a lot of people don’t realize that there’d already been one back in the early ’70s. I remembered that I’d watched it as a kid, but I hadn’t seen it in years. Indeed, my only truly concrete memory of the ’70s animated version of the Addams Family came from when they appeared on an episode of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies.” Unfortunately, although John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, and Ted Cassidy contributed to the Addams’ “Scooby-Doo” appearance, they’re nowhere to be found on this set. This is the sort of disappointment you never really get over as you’re watching it, but at the same time, if you’re a fan of “The Addams Family” in general, then it still makes for relatively enjoyable viewing.

Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles: The Complete Series

Buzz Conroy is a heroic boy-genius who builds the powerful robot Frankenstein Jr. When the Ghastly Genie, the Junk Man and other evildoers get up to their old tricks, “Frankie” and his young creator crank into action. The crime fighting coalition continues with the Impossibles, a group of superheroes disguised as a beatnik rock group. At the direction of “Big D,” Multi Man, Coil Man and Fluid Man make hot-rockin’ musical justice thwarting thieves and corralling crooks with their transformative powers.

This remains one of the oddest – and therefore coolest – series ever to have emerged from Hanna-Barbera. There would seem to be little doubt that the Frankenstein Jr. / Buzz Conroy relationship was inspired at least in some part by Gigantor, the famous space-age robot who was under the command of Jimmy Sparks, but hearing Ted Cassidy’s voice come booming out of Frankie made it rather easy to dismiss the derivative nature of the premise. As for the Impossibles, I remain mystified as to why a series about a rock band who doubled as superheroes neither lasted very long nor made any sort of dent on the pop charts. Somebody at Hanna-Barbera really dropped the ball on that one, that’s all I can say.

The Funky Phantom: The Complete Series

One cold, wet night three lost teens – Skip, April and Augie plus Elmo their dog – stumbled inside a spooky old house hoping to get warm. The dusty clock showed the wrong time, so these helpful kids reset the clock hands. A gong rang out, followed by a voice: It’s the Spirit of 1776, even, at your service! Much to their surprise was the friendly ghost Mudsy and his mischievous ghost cat Boo. Antics abound when this motley group hits the road, cracking cases and thwarting crooks, pirates, ghosts and all kinds of strange characters.

For my part, when I think of the Funky Phantom, I think of the fact that, when the amusement park Kings Dominion used to be Hanna-Barbera-themed, we also used to end up parking in the Funky Phantom lot. Also, I always remember that Micky Dolenz of the Monkees did one of the voices on the show (Skip). Funnily enough, though, it wasn’t until years later that I actually saw my first episode of the show, by which point I’d already long since associated it with fond memories of childhood, anyway. Having revisited it, it’s still a fun little show, following the same general formula as “Scooby-Doo,” but with the twist of doing the ghost-hunting with an actual ghost.

Goober and the Ghost Chasers: The Complete Series

Get spooked with ghost hunters Gilly, Ted and Tina as they travel the globe from Scotland to South America with their reluctant pooch Goober on a search for paranormal action in this fondly remembered animated treat from Hanna-Barbera Productions. Full of good intentions and false bravado, Goober stands at the ready asking, “Who’s afraid of ghosts?” Turns out, he is! His distinctive striped hat is the only evidence he leaves behind when a ghost appears. Uncover urban legends, unmask bumbling crooks and solve wacky mysteries with popular guest stars like basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain and singing sensations the Partridge Family kids – Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy (voiced by actors Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce, Brian Foster and Suzanne Crough).

You kind of get the idea that, when it came to original ideas, Hanna-Barbera was in a bit of a rut by this point. “Okay, let’s do another ‘Scooby-Doo’ knock-off, but instead of the kids having a regular dog, let’s make it…a ghost dog!” “You got it, chief!” “Also, how’s production coming on ‘Partridge Family 2200 A.D.’? You know, the one that’s just like ‘The Jetsons,’ except with the Partridges?” “Still not ready yet, chief!” “Well, the kids are already under contract, so let’s not waste our money: somebody figure out a way to write them into ‘Goober and the Ghost Chasers’!” “On it, chief!” I can’t even theorize how the hell Wilt Chamberlain ended up in the talks, so I’m not even going to go there. I will say, however, that I remember “Goober and the Ghost Chasers” more fondly than just about any ’70s animated series this side of “Scooby Doo,” though my memories of it are actually from when it was packaged as part of a syndicated series called “Fred Flintstone and Friends.” When I watched the DVD, I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten that Paul Winchell did the voice of Goober. Then again, all I really remembered was the visual of Goober’s stocking cap and collar running around without a dog under them. (He could turn invisible, you know. Ghosts do that.)

The Herculoids: The Complete Series

Humanoid Zandor, along with his wife Tara and son Dorno, lead a group of unique creatures: Zok the flying dragon, powerful simian Igoo (who possesses rock-like skin), rhinoceros hybrid Tundro and two protoplasmic wonders appropriately named Gloop and Gleep. Together, they use their diverse super strengths to defend their utopian planet against attack from such sinister invaders as the Pod Creatures, the Reptons and the Mutoids.

Most awesome looking Hanna-Barbera series this side of “Space Ghost” and “Birdman,” which should come as no real surprise, as they were both designed by the legendary Alex Toth. This was one of those action shows that even kids who didn’t generally like Hanna-Barbera could get behind, because the creatures were just so bad-ass. Anyone who watched this series and says they didn’t wish they could pal around with Gloop and Gleep is lying to you…and the same thing goes if they tell you they never wanted Zandor to be their dad. That guy was the hero’s hero.

Jabberjaw: The Complete Series

Playing in a rock-’n’-roll band and saving the undersea world from diabolical villains? An impossible task for most, but not for Jabberjaw, the 15-foot talking great white shark from the fan-favorite Saturday morning cartoon series. The year is 2076 and Jabberjaw is the star of the Neptunes, a teenage rock group. In his spare time, Jabberjaw, along with teens Biffy, Shelly, Bubbles and Clamhead, fight deep sea crime. But its tough down there for a shark. Jabberjaw must also contend with the robot force of “Shark Ejectors,” guards who prevent sharks from entering into underwater cities. All he wants is a little respect!

It is not in any way coincidental that this series emerged at approximately the same time that “Jaws” was a huge success. As for Jabberjaw’s voice, which is an unabashed rip-off of Curly Howard of the Three Stooges, one can’t help but wonder how many stock impressions Hanna-Barbera’s stable of voice actors were required to have stored in their quiver at all times, just in case they might be asked to fire off a new idea for a character voice. Another HB show set in the future, another bunch of rock musicians trying to solve mysteries with the help of an unlikely mascot. I still can’t believe it took me as long as it did to realize these were basically all drawn from the same three or four templates.

Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space: The Complete Series

Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are out of this world…literally! When the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space, they travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth. Along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures, including their new companion Bleep. Fortunately, everyone’s a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, including aliens! Rocket through the universe with your favorite superstars as they save the day, sing a song and have a hip-happenin’ good time!

I can’t really defend my love of this show, so I’m not even going to try. It was one thing when Josie and the gang were touring the country in their van, playing rock ‘n’ roll and solving mysteries. Anybody can get behind that premise. But when you take them, throw them into a rocket, and send them into outer space…? Preposterous. And I didn’t give a damn. I watched it, anyway. And if part of the reason why I watched it is because I was heading for puberty and was fascinated by the possibilities of touring with an all-girl rock band, hey, it’s not like I’m alone…

Speed Buggy: The Complete Series

Don’t let the sputter and cough fool you: Speed Buggy is one fast-wheelin’ hero who always saves the day! Designed by master mechanic Tinker and his friends Debbie and Mark, Speedy can bolt, zoom, fly, dig, swim, and float his way to the finish line for racing thrills you won’t believe. Speedy and the gang zip around the world, collecting winner’s trophies and fighting diabolical criminals, including Dr. Kloog who plans to build an army of slave cars, or Professors Krishna and Digby who use an invisibility potion to steal ancient treasures. Speedy’s daring adventures abound with diamond thieves in Africa, a crazed pirate who intends to take over the oceans and a civilization of Amazon women with a mind-control machine, plus more evil villains that only Speedy can outwit.

Instead of a talking dog, it’s a talking car. Otherwise, it’s another goddamned “Scooby-Doo” knockoff. So why do I love it so? Because Speedy’s voice comes to us courtesy of Mel Blanc. Frankly, isn’t that enough reason right there to give the show a go? Alas, I couldn’t embed a clip of the theme song, but be sure to go check it out. “Who put the antifreeze…in my carburetor?” Oh, Speedy…

Valley of the Dinosaurs: The Complete Series

During a rafting excursion of an uncharted river canyon, Professor John Butler, wife Kim, kids Katie and Greg and family dog Digger get caught up in a mysterious whirlpool and resurface in a world of prehistoric creatures. Now everyday is an exercise in survival for the adventurous Butler family. They befriend a helpful cave-dwelling family and together must contend with an angry brontosaurus and a dangerous sabertooth tiger – and don’t forget the earthquakes and volcanoes! Any time the family can spare is spent building a boat or radio in hopes of finding their way back to the modern era.

Heed my words: although this sounds like little more than an expanded animated version of “Land of the Lost,” I’m here to tell you that “Valley of the Dinosaurs” is the forgotten jewel in Hanna-Barbera’s ’70s cartoon crown. Having just devoured episode after episode of this set, I honestly can’t think of another series of the era that holds up half as well. It’s smart, it’s surprisingly educational (with the caveat that the lessons being taught were devised more than three decades ago and may not match your child’s current educational curriculum), and aside from its general premise, which can be found in lots more places than “Land of the Lost,” it’s original…and as you’ve seen from several of the preceding series, that wasn’t something so easy to find in Hanna-Barbera’s ’70s programming. If you buy only one of the sets cited in this column, this is the one I recommended. As Saturday morning flashbacks go, it’s one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had in awhile.

Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch: The Complete Series

Zoom into gear with Wheelie, the world’s greatest stunt racing car, and his girlfriend Rota Ree as they outmaneuver the sneaky motorcycle gang Chopper, Revs, Riser and Scrambles. Not the smartest bike in the bunch, Chopper’s schemes range from scaring Wheelie with ghost cars at the car cemetery, tricking a trail bike into spying on Wheelie and cheating at a tractor-roping competition, plus many more shenanigans that never end well for the gang. Besides outwitting Chopper, Wheelie aids other vehicles needing a helping wheel, like a lost scooter, a sick tow truck and a stranded bulldozer.

Even if we weren’t looking at these series in alphabetical order, poor Wheelie would still be bringing up the rear. I’d tell you that time hasn’t been kind to the adventures of the Chopper Bunch, but in my heart of hearts, I think I even knew back then that it wasn’t a great show. What happened, I think, is that my memories were weighed so heavily on the Chopper / Scrambles dynamic (“I toldja! I toldja!” “I know!”) and Rev’s unmistakeable vocal similarity to Tigger (both were voiced by Paul Winchell, of course) that I’d convinced myself that it was better than it was. It isn’t. It’s cute, but it’s definitely not great.