Birdman is an animated science fiction television series created by Alex Toth and produced by Hanna-Barbera. It debuted on NBC on September 9, 1967, airing as Birdman and the Galaxy Trio alongside Galaxy Trio. NBC ran two new segments of Birdman each Saturday, separated by a new segment of Galaxy Trio.
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio appeared in reruns on Cartoon Network from 1992-2000. The series was shown from 1997-2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami block, as well as Toonami's late night Midnight Run block, as part of Cartoon Roulette. The series later aired on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang from 2000 to the early 2010s.
The character of Birdman was revived three decades later in the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim animated series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, and several characters from Birdman and the Galaxy Trio appeared in the revival.
Overview[]
In actuality, Birdman is Ray Randall, an ordinary man who was given sun-based superpowers by the Egyptian sun god Ra. Now, Birdman, along with his trusted eagle Avenger, works for a secret government agency headed by the mysterious one-eyed Falcon 7. He recieves messages from Falcon 7 in his Bird Lair, a high-tech lab with several computers and video monitors with a control panel, which is hidden inside of a volcano. As Birdman, he posses super strength, the power to fly via giant bird wings on his back, solar energy blasts, enhanced hearing, and the ability to create a shield out of solar energy. The only catch is that his powers dwindle when he is out of the sun for too long. Using his powers, Birdman battles the forces of evil, including the criminal sydicate FEAR, led by the mysterious Number One.
Throughout the progression of the series, Birdman is joined by Birdboy. Birdboy was a young boy whom Birdman discovered shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean. In order to save the boy's life, Birdman used his energy powers to strengthen the boy back to health. Now with the aid of metal wings, Birdboy has the same basic powers as Birdman and assists him in fighting crime while continuing to search for his missing father.
Characters[]
Birdman — is an ordinary human endowed by the sun god Ra (although this origin is only vaguely and briefly hinted at during the series; his real name is never mentioned) with the ability to shoot solar rays from his fists and project "solar shields" to defend himself against attacks. He was recruited by a top-secret government agency, Inter-Nation Security, and now works full-time fighting crime, assisted by his eagle sidekick Avenger. In addition to the abilities he received from Ra, Birdman also possesses the power of flight, thanks to the giant wings which sprout from his back. His sole weakness is that he must periodically recharge his super powers through exposure to the sun’s rays. His trademark is his battle cry of "Biiiiirdman!!" when he goes into battle.
Birdboy — is Birdman's sidekick. The two first met when Birdman happened upon a shipwreck, of which Birdboy was the only apparent survivor. Since the boy was near death from exposure, Birdman transferred some of his own super energy to him, reviving him and giving powers similar to Birdman's, and he went on to aid him in several episodes. Birdboy lacks the natural feathered wings sported by Birdman, however, and is only able to fly with the assistance of the mechanical wings strapped to his back. He spends much of his time searching for his father, who was lost in the wreck, but this was never resolved. In Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Birdboy reappeared as Peanut, Birdman's erratic, scheming legal clerk.
Avenger — is a giant purple eagle and Birdman's ally. Birdman can call Avenger for assistance via a communicator on his neck. Avenger is powerful enough to carry Birdman on those occasion when he is cut off from the sun's rays-as in a dark room or cavern-and goes limp, or is stunned by artillery fire.
Falcon 7 — is Birdman's eye patch-wearing contact with Inter-Nation Security, and the person from whom Birdman typically receives his missions.
Number One — The leader of the sinister organization F.E.A.R. and Birdman's "number one" enemy. F.E.A.R. is behind many plots over the course of the series, frequently employing supervillains to perform nefarious tasks. The organization was seemingly defeated for good and its leader arrested in "The Wings of FEAR", but it occasionally resurfaced without any explanation.
Voice Cast[]
|
Character |
Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Birdman | Keith Andes |
| Birdboy | Dick Beals |
| Falcon 7 | Don Messick |
| Number One | Vic Perrin |
Gallery[]
Episodes[]
| Color | Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | September 9, 1967 | January 20, 1968 |
Birdman was packaged with another Hanna-Barbera series, Galaxy Trio to form a 22-minute series titled, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio. One 7-minute Galaxy Trio segment was sandwiched in between two 7-minute Birdman segments to create one 22-minute episode. 20 total episodes were created using this format. On July 17, 2007, Warner Home Video released Birdman & The Galaxy Trio - The Complete Series on DVD.
Broadcast History[]
Birdman and the Galaxy Trio originally aired on NBC from September 9, 1967 to September 6, 1969. In 1980, Galaxy Trio segments also appeared on Hanna-Barbera's World of Super Adventure on NBC. In 1992, the series began airing on the newly created Cartoon Network, along with most other Hanna-Barbera series. In 2000, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio ceased airing on Cartoon Network and began airing on Cartoon Network's new sister network Boomerang.
- United States (NBC) — September 9, 1967 - September 6, 1969; 1980 - 1984
- United States (Cartoon Network) — October 1992 - 2000
- United States (Boomerang) — 2000 - Early 2010s
Toonami Broadcast History[]
Birdman aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami block, as part of Cartoon Roulette, from the blocks premiere on March 17, 1997 to March 6, 1998. The series also aired on Toonami's Midnight Run block, as part of Cartoon Roulette, from its premiere on July 10, 1999 to March 4, 2000.
- Toonami (United States) — March 17, 1997 - March 6, 1998
- Midnight Run — July 10, 1999 - March 4, 2000