Super President

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Super President
Format Animated series
Voices of Ted Cassidy
Paul Frees
June Foray
Shepard Menken
Lorri Scott
Mark Skor
Theme music composer Doug Goodwin
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 30
Production
Producer(s) David H. DePatie
Friz Freleng
Running time 30 minutes
Production
company(s)
Mirisch-Rich-DePatie-Freleng Productions
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Original run 1967 – 1968

Super President was an American animated cartoon that aired Saturday mornings on NBC from September 16, 1967 and December 28, 1968. The series was produced by the DePatie-Freleng animation company.

[edit] Plot

Even by Saturday morning superhero standards, the series' concept was off the wall: the American President, James Norcross, is given superpowers as the result of a cosmic storm. The President now has increased strength and the ability to change his molecular composition at will, ideal for battling evildoers (and presumably recalcitrant members of the United States Congress). A hidden panel in the Oval Office allows him access to his secret base, a hidden cave beneath the "Presidential Mansion" (a somewhat modified White House). Super President travels either by using a futuristic automobile/aircraft/submarine called the Omnicar, or by using jets built into his belt.

Despite the fact that the character's name is "Super President," for some reason only Norcross' chubby, pipe-smoking advisor Jerry Sayles knows that the leader of the Free World is also a superhero in his off-hours.

Noted voice actor Paul Frees provided the voices of Norcross, Super President, and the show's narrator. Other voices were provided by several other noted voice actors of the era, including Ted Cassidy, Daws Butler, Don Messick, and June Foray.

A total of thirty episodes of Super President were produced. Two episodes appeared in each show, along with one episode of Spy Shadow.

[edit] Reaction

Super President came under fire from critics and TV watchdog groups for its depiction of a national leader who was an invincible superhuman; many found this tasteless, especially in the wake of President John F. Kennedy's assassination just four years earlier. The show was cancelled midway through it second season on NBC.

Because of Super President's bizarre concept, and the fact it only ran for just over a year (and has seldom, if ever, been seen in reruns), the series has faded from most viewers' memories. The show has appeared in recent years on bootleg videocassettes and DVDs, although an official release seems unlikely.

[edit] External links