The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
| The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Format | Children's television series |
| Creator(s) | Shigeru Miyamoto (characters) Andy Heyward (concept) |
| Director(s) | Dan Riba |
| Writer(s) | Brad Wilson Brooks Wachtel Bruce Shelly Cassandra Schafhausen David Bennett Carren David Ehrman David Schwartz David Tischman Eleanor Burian-Mohr George Atkins J. Larry Carroll Jack Hanrahan Jack Olesker John Vornholt Kevin O'Donnell Larry Alexander Mark McCorkle Martha Moran Michael A. Medlock Perry Martin Peter Norris Phil Harnage Reed Shelly Robert Schooley Rowby Goren Sean Roche Steve Robertson Ted Pedersen Tony Marino |
| Starring | Lou Albano Danny Wells |
| Voice actor(s) | Lou Albano Danny Wells Harvey Atkin Jeannie Elias John Stocker |
| Opening theme | The Mario Rap |
| Closing theme | Do the Mario |
| Composer(s) | Shuki Levy Haim Saban |
| Country of origin | United States of America |
| Original language | English |
| Seasons | 1 |
| Episodes | 117 (65 live-action, 52 animated) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Steve Binder Andy Heyward |
| Producer(s) | John Grusd Troy Miller |
| Editor(s) | Karen Rosenbloom Donald P. Zappala |
| Production company | DIC Entertainment Saban Entertainment |
| Distributor(s) | Viacom Enterprises Saban Entertainment (international) NCircle Entertainment (select DVD releases) WildBrain[1] (current distributor) FilmRise[2] |
| Runtime | 20 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Channel(s) | First-run syndication |
| First aired | September 4, 1989 (English) September 3, 1990 (French) |
| Last aired | December 1, 1989 (English) December 20, 1990 (French) |
| Status | Ended |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) |
| Related programs | Club Mario King Koopa's Kool Kartoons |
- “Hey, paisanos! It's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”
- —Mario
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, also simply known as Super Mario[3] and Super Mario Brothers,[4] is the first cartoon of DIC Entertainment's Super Mario trilogy, aired between September and December of 1989; it was the only one to be produced directly for syndication. The show features live-action segments in which Mario and Luigi (played by Lou Albano and Danny Wells respectively), living in their basement workshop in Brooklyn, are often visited by various celebrity guest stars. It also features cartoons based on the first and second Super Mario Bros. games, where the Mario brothers team up with Princess Toadstool and Toad against King Koopa and his forces to save the many lands of the world. The Super Mario Bros. cartoons were shown on Mondays through Thursdays only; on Fridays, the show would air cartoons based on the animated The Legend of Zelda series. In 1990, the show was retooled and aired under the name Club Mario, combining the animated segments with new live-action segments depicting the antics of two Super Mario-loving slackers named Tommy Treehugger and Co-MC.
Overview[edit]
Each episode begins with a live-action segment starring Mario (portrayed by World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment Hall of Famer, the late "Captain" Lou Albano) and Luigi (the late Danny Wells) living in Brooklyn, where they are often visited by a celebrity guest star either playing themselves or another character at Mario Brothers Plumbing, a basement workshop which doubles as their home.
The live-action segment is followed by a cartoon based on the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2 video games, where Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool (Peach), and Toad would battle against King Koopa (Bowser) throughout the many lands of the world, often in a book, movie, or historical parody. Mouser, Tryclyde, Fryguy, and a single, unnamed Koopa Troopa often work closely with King Koopa, serving as his henchmen. Getting into the spirit of these parodies, King Koopa usually takes on a varying alter ego. He has a different outfit for each one, and assumes a different alias to go along with the alter ego. For example, in a riverboat-themed episode, King Koopa is "Captain Koopa", while in one of the western-themed episodes, he goes by "Billy the Koopa". In many episodes, King Koopa's minions often dress up in outfits as well, to go along with Koopa's themed costumes. In some episodes, King Koopa goes without an alter ego or a costume except for "Jungle Fever" and "Mario of the Apes". The only episode where King Koopa does not appear is "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em".
Wart, the main antagonist of the second game, does not appear in any of the episodes, yet most of his minions manage to appear as members of the Koopa Pack. Like most 1980s cartoons, King Koopa prolongs the series' run by escaping from his adversaries (which he does through the use of a Magical Potion), even though they can easily catch him. Also similar to most 80s cartoons, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! has little continuity from episode to episode and ends with no obvious series finale.
The basis of the storyline (introduced at the beginning of every animated episode) was that Mario and Luigi were working on a bathtub drain which unknowingly was a warp zone to the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario and Luigi had literally gone down the drain and ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom, by sheer coincidence causing problems for King Koopa and rescuing Toad and Princess Toadstool. Now that they were rescued, the focus for the Mario Brothers was to return to Brooklyn, while stopping King Koopa's tyranny whenever they could. Lou Albano and Danny Wells also voiced Mario and Luigi for the animated segment. It was never revealed whether their live action sequences were a prequel to the animated series or they successfully returned to Brooklyn and resumed their duties in the plumbing business.
Following the cartoon is the third portion of the episode, which continues the story that the live-action segment set up in the beginning. Towards the end, the second part of the live-action segment is interrupted with scenes from that week's upcoming episode of The Legend of Zelda.
The Super Mario Bros. cartoon was shown on Mondays through Thursdays only. On Fridays, the show would air The Legend of Zelda cartoons based on the game of the same name. However, a Mario live-action segment would air with the Zelda episodes.
In another Super Mario related television series, King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, framed portraits of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! versions of Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool can be seen in various episodes.
Broadcast history[edit]
The show was originally meant to start September 11 and end December 7 instead of September 9 to November 30.[5]
When the series was distributed and broadcasted internationally outside the United States, all The Legend of Zelda previews were removed. Some of these prints can be found on DVDs released by Maximum Entertainment from 2004-2008 in the UK. Most of the episodes in these prints (including foreign variations of the series) have the Saban International logo whereas some episodes have both the DIC and Saban logos.[6]
After DiC's Super Mario cartoons ended, the show was aired in reruns on the Family Channel (currently known as Freeform). Like the international prints of the series, the Family Channel's reruns of the series removed The Legend of Zelda previews and the scenes that segued into them from the live-action segments, and unlike the international prints, these reruns slowed down the episodes to bring them back to their original length. They also changed the placement of the commercial breaks, placing them during scene dissolves in the animated segments. (For unknown reasons, the Family Channel version of "King Mario of Cramalot" and "Day of the Orphan" is the version used in subsequent DVD and digital releases.) Also, from that point onward, the song covers were removed, similar to season one of Captain N: The Game Master, and were replaced with instrumentals of seven songs from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and one song from Super Mario World. This was done for licensing reasons as the lyrics of the song covers are copyrighted. In the DVD and digital releases of the former episode mentioned, the 1987 DIC logo was replaced with the 1990 DIC logo.
In the UK, this series was featured as part of Jungle Fun on TV-am in 1991.[7] Later, only the cartoon segments aired on GMTV in 1993.[8] However, the series also aired as part of Parkin's In on the former channel during holidays.[9].
In France, the series is aired via Pluto TV Kids Gaming on Pluto TV alongside Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
In the United States and Australia, the series is currently airing via the Super Mario Bros. FAST channel on The Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus alongside The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.
Characters[edit]
Main protagonists[edit]
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Main antagonists[edit]
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Cast[edit]
Main cast[edit]
- Lou Albano - Mario, Flab Boy, Mushroom person
- Danny Wells — Luigi, Gramps, Goomba, Mushroom person, Pokey, Pronto, Romano's father, Salvador Drainotto, Secret Agent N, Waldo the Wizard
- Jeannie Elias — Princess Toadstool, Birdos, and Shyguys
- John Stocker — Toad, Mouser, Koopa Troopa and Beezos
- Harvey Atkin — King Koopa, Tryclyde, Sergeant Kooperman, Snifits, Calamity Clam, Talking Head, Crocodile 1, Crocodile 2, Outback mayor, Goomba 3 and Hooded Robin
Additional voices[edit]
- Robert Bockstael — Goomba, Mervin, Mushroom person
- Dorian Joe Clark — Mushroom people
- Rob Cowan — Elvin Parsley, Mushroom person, Big bad wolf
- Denise Pidgeon — Queen Rotunda, Mushroom Person
- Paulina Gillis — Mermushroom
- Greg Morton — Ward, King James, Prince Pompadour, Quirks, Scooter, Snifit, King Neptune
- Joyce Gordon — Joliet, Mouth of the River, King Koopa's mother
- Greg Swanson — Herlock Solmes, Romano
- Diane Fabian — June, Captain Abidab, Genie, Mugga, Gramma Toadstool, Bunsen
- Marilyn Lightstone — Additional Voices
- Marla Lukofsky — Mushroom person
Live-action guest stars[edit]
- Nicole Eggert (herself)
- Danica McKellar (Patty)
- Karen Hartman (Patty's mother and Mrs. Gammliss)
- Jim Ward (Patty's father and Count Zoltan Dracula)
- Sgt. Slaughter (himself)
- Joseph S. Griffo (mini Mario)
- Lyle Alzado (himself)
- Eugene Lebowitz (Dr. Frankenstein)
- Craig Armstrong (Frankenstein's Monster and Gorilla)
- Larry Gelman (Dr. Sigmund Fruitcake and Vincent Van Gook)
- Fred Travalena (Elvis Presley and Mr. Gibbel)
- Paul Elder (Alligator Dundee)
- Shabba-Doo (himself)
- Pam Matteson (Cher and herself)
- Clare Carey (E.C.)
- David Horowitz (himself)
- Harry Blackstone Jr. (himself)
- Magic Johnson (himself)
- Marty Allen (Imperial Poobah)
- Donna Douglas (Ellie Mae)
- Gary Schwartz (Dr. Toby, Inspector Klean and Doc Freud)
- Patrick Dempsey (Super Plant)
- Regina Williams (Susanna Ross)
- Phillip Clark (HAL 9001)
- Ed Metzger (Einstein)
- Vic Dunlop (Pietro)
- Nedra Volz (Angelica)
- Scott Nemes (Young McDonald)
- Rob Stone (himself)
- Kay Ballard (Madam AGoGo)
- Brian Bonsall (himself)
- Ed Metzger (George Washington, Ralph Washington)
- Sonny Trinidad (Obi-Wan Cannoli)
- Norman Fell (Ted Bull)
- Andy Heyward (Howard Stevens)
- Jim Lange (himself)
- Gary Owens (The Wonderfully Wacky Willy White)
- Martin C. Garner (Mikhail S. Gorbachev)
- Melanie Chartoff (Tawny Tyler)
- Vicki Bakken (Liz)
- Courtney Gibbs (Luigi's girlfriend)
- Joe Bellan (Tommy Lasagna)
- Vanna White (Roxanne)
- Rowdy Roddy Piper (himself)
- Kort Falkenberg (Nick)
- Cyndi Lauper (herself)
- Ernie Hudson (himself)
- Moon Zappa (Marilyn)
- Elvira (herself)
- Norman Fell (Fred Van Winkle)
- Willard E. Pugh (Little Robert)
- Paula Irvine (Mad Donna)
- Maurice LaMarche (Inspector Gadget)
- Elaine Kagan (The Old Psychic Lady with the Evil Eye Who Reads Fortunes and Knows Everything Before It Happens)
- Eve Plumb (Jodie)
Episodes[edit]
Note: The episode listings on DVD releases, most digital/streaming services, and WildBrain's YouTube channels are in production order.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday (The Legend of Zelda) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* - This live-action segment was replaced with Fake Bro in later airings.
Songs[edit]
- Main article: List of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! songs
The first forty-one episodes also included covers of popular songs at the time, though all of the songs were later edited out due to copyright issues (except for the first part of Jungle Love from Jungle Fever most likely because DIC forgot to edit it out).
Releases[edit]
Physical home video[edit]
From 1989 to 1991, Kid Klassics released NTSC VHS tapes of the show. These tapes contained two, one, or no live-action segments, and featured the cartoon segments with their original song covers intact. On these tapes, the Super Mario Bros. theme is not included before the cartoon segment.
Digital retail[edit]
The complete series is available to purchase on Google Play and the iTunes Store in the United Kingdom. In the US and Canada, only the first 26 episodes presented in production order are available.
Streaming[edit]
The show was made available to watch from Yahooligans! TV starting in March 2004, with a new episode usually uploaded every week. It was taken down along with all DIC Entertainment cartoons on December 24, 2005.
Starting from November 3, 2009, it can be watched at Jaroo.com, a video-streaming website owned by Cookie Jar Group. The website routinely cycled through all fifty-two of the show's episodes, hosting five at any given time. Each Tuesday, the next episode in line would be added, with the oldest being dropped. In 2012, WildBrain (formerly DHX Media) purchased Cookie Jar and Jaroo was taken down.
The complete series with the live-action segments can be watched via Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome (US only), FilmRise (US only), HappyKids (US only), The Roku Channel (US only), Tubi (US only), Vudu (US only), and WildBrain's Superheroes and Retro Cartoons YouTube channels. WildBrain also created a separate channel exclusively for all Super Mario cartoons, which includes this series. However, some regions only have the first 26 episodes presented in production order available on services such as Pluto TV in the UK and other European territories.
Audio releases[edit]
In Germany, there were six volume audio cassettes released by Karussell that contained the cartoon segments from the series.
- 1. The Great Gladiator Gig / Love 'Em and Leave 'Em
- 2. The Great BMX Race / Two Plumbers and a Baby
- 3. Stars in Their Eyes
- 4. The Great Gold Coin Rush / The Trojan Koopa
- 5. Quest for Pizza / Elvin Lives
- 6. The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!
Production[edit]
- “The bible was written by Bruce and Reed Shelly. Reading it, you could tell that they were still struggling to get a handle on the show. I mean, the core problem was obvious: There are no real characters or stories in a Nintendo game, so how do you turn one into a TV series? [...] There was little indication about the kinds of adventures our heroes would have, and a lot of unanswered questions about how we would incorporate elements of the game. I had no clue how to solve those problem and didn’t see how that show was going to work at all! But DIC had an order for 52 episodes and deadlines were looming. We had to make some decisions fast or fall behind schedule, which would be a disaster. So at the beginning there was a lot of urgency to solve those problems and get on with it.”
- —Perry Martin[10]
Strong from its multiple animated shows based on pre-existing properties, DIC Entertainment approached Nintendo with an offer to make a cartoon based on the Super Mario franchise. Nintendo initially declined, but later signed a deal after DIC put together a creative team they liked.[11] Nintendo required DIC to pay extensive royalties, an unusual arrangement for children's programming at the time.
A few pieces of conceptual artwork have surfaced from early design phases of the show. Some of them were somewhat more accurate to the games, notably in King Koopa's design, while others were far more loosely based on official designs. One such piece is a poster featuring a much different depiction of Mario and Luigi (the latter of which is using his in-game clothing colors for Super Mario Bros.) who are brandishing a plunger and a monkey wrench as weapons, a yellow-capped Toad, two large, grotesque Trouters, a flying green Birdo being ridden by a Snifit holding two Beezo spears, a large purple frog monster with a necklace (possibly Wart) with a Hammer Brother in tow, a flying yellow Pidgit, two Hoopsters with distinct heads (one of which has a worried expression), a blue Tryclyde, a pelican-like Albatoss holding a muscular red Bob-Omb by the fuse, a giant red multi-eyed octopus with blue arms (possibly a complete reinterpretation of Bloober), two tube worm-like creatures with sharp teeth and long tongues (possibly Piranha Plants), and some goggle-wearing, long-tongued aliens atop spacecrafts with vaguely face-like fronts (possibly intended to be Lakitus). King Koopa appears in the background and mostly looks as he does in the finished product but with more exaggerated proportions, while Princess Toadstool, the Shyguy, the Snifit, and the Beezo are fairly accurate to their artwork. The poster also shows a helmet-wearing skull mounted to a "Go Back!" sign, a Sphinx, a sea serpent, and some prehistoric reptiles. This loose, heavily abstracted depiction of game elements closely resembles that of their later show Captain N: The Game Master.
According to Danny Wells, he and co-star Lou Albano recorded the show on a six days schedule, where they would first film the live-action segments and then drive to another studio in order to record voices for the animated segments.
In a 2018 interview, freelancer writer Perry Martin explained that the show's focus on parodies came from Andy Heyward, as the production team had struggled to make much material from the thin story present in the games.[10] Writers would first submit a one-page premise of the story to the show's editors Bruce and Reed Shelly, then spent two days on a four page outline and finally a week to create the final script.
There was initially an episode titled "Ali Koopa and His Forty Goombas" and a cover song in every episode including "Gimme Shelter", "Love Potion Number Nine", and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".[12] Additionally, every episode without a cover song contains a unique piece of music suggesting that DIC replaced the last copyrighted songs with original ones.
In an interview about DIC's history in adapting video games to television, DIC executive Robby London stated that video games such as Super Mario Bros. were DIC's favorite type of media to adapt because "[...] the videogames themselves were colorful, imaginative, hip and more than a little bizarre – in the best sense" and that their sparse lores and simple character allowed more creativity than when adapting material from other media.[13] London also spoke positively of Nintendo's involvement in the show, stating "[...] Nintendo was reasonable, professional and good to deal with. Their America office seemed quite capable of speaking definitively on behalf of their Japanese owners, and I don’t remember any problematic disputes with Nintendo [...]" and contrasting it with DIC's more turbulent partnership with Sega for its three Sonic series.[13]
The series was a rating success and was widely syndicated.[11] Also, according to Wells, the guest stars actively asked to be part of the live-action segments due to the popularity of Super Mario Bros. with their children.[11] However, despite its success, Nintendo had little interest in continuing the show beyond the initial package, leading to its cancellation.
Staff[edit]
- Main article: List of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! staff
The Super Show was executive produced by Andy Heyward, directed by Dan Riba and produced by John Grusd, who also produced and directed the two subsequent Super Mario cartoons by DIC. Animation was provided by Sei Young Animation Co., Ltd. The live-action sequences were co-produced with Saban Productions.
Differences from the games[edit]
- Several characters have very different appearances from what became their standard character models in later years, mostly owing to being based on sprites and/or character artwork from Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2.
- King Koopa's appearance was loosely based on his sprite from Super Mario Bros. His main skin color is green instead of orange-yellow; his ribbed stomach is deeper yellow than its game color; he has a crocodilian snout that matches the rest of his skin in coloration; he has two spike-bands instead of five (worn on his wrists only), which are dark green with gold spikes, instead of black with white spikes; his shell has a bright green lining and fewer spikes than in the games; his horn- and spike-rings are green like his skin; he has a crown instead of a mane, and no eyebrows; his tongue is reptilian instead of human-like; and his eyes are yellow instead of white and lack their red irises. In various pieces of concept art for the show, King Koopa retains his original color palette.
- Princess Toadstool's model portrays her as a redhead instead of a blonde, resembling her sprites from the first two Super Mario Bros. games. She also lacks her gloves and crown jewels, and her brooch, earrings, and eye color are green rather than blue (though some episodes do depict her earrings and irises as blue later on within animation).
- Mario and Luigi have overalls matching their cap colors, with blue shirts, and also have black hair instead of brown, along the lines of their early appearances in sprites and artwork. However, in later DIC cartoons, Mario's hair color is changed to brown, as seen in his current design, while Luigi's hair stays black.
- Toad's appearance is based on his sprite from Super Mario Bros., with the waistcoat being red instead of blue. In the first three episodes, all instances of white and red in his appearance were inverted, but this was fixed from the fourth episode onwards, although his shoes were recolored purple instead of the red from the original sprite, which is always seen in the opening in every episode. However, Toad's original inverted color scheme was reused for his super form in the episode "The Fire of Hercufleas" and on VHS and DVD covers.
- In addition to not having his more fantastical design from the games, King Koopa does not have the ability to shoot fire; he instead uses his magic wands or minions for long-range attacks.
- In several episodes, Birdos were shown to be able to fly, a trait not seen in any Super Mario game.
- Rather than becoming Fire Mario, unlike in the games, Mario (or Luigi) would become "Super Mario" or "Super Luigi" upon touching either a Fire Flower, Starman, or some other source of excessive power. As Super Mario, Mario could hurl fireballs, had super-strength, and on a few rare occasions, could even fly. Although Mario could lose his powers by taking a hit (similar to the 2D Super Mario side-scrollers), it was also possible for them to wear off after a while.
- Mario's super form is based on his fire form sprites from Super Mario Bros.; Luigi's variant of this form replaces the red with his defining color, green. This resembles what would be their standard fire form color schemes from Super Mario World onwards, but with their shirt and overall colors swapped.
- During Mario's transformation into a "Super Mario", Mario's color scheme from the Japanese cover of Mario Bros. is seen.
- During Luigi's transformation into a "Super Luigi", he is shown in one frame with a green shirt and blue overalls, as it would later become his current color scheme in the franchise, starting with Super Mario Bros. 3.
- Although Mario's eyes are the established blue, Luigi's are green instead. However, their game color is used on the cover of the Volume 1 DVD set.
- Trouters were portrayed as being far more vicious than they were in Super Mario Bros. 2, and would pursue anybody who came near them. Their appearance more closely resembles that of Cheep-Cheeps, and they may be only a merger of the two enemies.
Differences from the other series[edit]
- The voices of Mario and Luigi in this show most resemble their voices heard today, whereas their voices in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World shows (voiced by Walker Boone and Tony Rosato, respectively) were lower and raspier for Mario, and higher and softer for Luigi, instead of Mario having a higher voice and Luigi having a lower voice like Charles Martinet does for the two's voices, and he made neither of them any raspier than Mario and Luigi's voice actors in this show.
- This is the only English DIC show where there is a live action section.
- There is the Plumber's Log, whose number quote in every episode is a reference to the Captain's Log quote from Star Trek.
Quotes[edit]
- Main article: List of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! quotes
References in later media[edit]
- Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up: The King Koopa design appears on the "Business Executive" page.
- Super Mario Bros. Print World: King Koopa's promo art is one of the printable graphic.
- Luigi's personality of being scared and cautious was (arguably) first used in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, and has been retained in later Super Mario media, such as the Paper Mario series, the Super Smash Bros. series, the Luigi's Mansion series, the Mario & Luigi series, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Mario + Rabbids series, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Super Mario Party Jamboree.
- King Koopa's color scheme may have inspired his mostly green alternate costume for Bowser in Mario Golf and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U.
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie: A cover by Ali Dee of The Mario Rap under the name "Mario Brothers Rap" is used in the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, with the full song featured on the film's official soundtrack. Additionally, two of the film's posters feature lyrics from the first verse of the song.[14]
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Title screen of "The Bird! The Bird!"
Live-action Mario and Luigi in "Plumbers of the Year"
Profiles[edit]
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Tempest Special Edition:
- "The zany Italian plumbers are back with an extra escapade free!"
- "Mario and Luigi are two wacky Italian plumbers who get washed through a warp zone into a magical land populated entirely by Mushroom people. Here they join forces with the lovely Princess Toadstool and her assistant to fight the dastardly King Koopa and his Koopa Troopas"
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Volume One:
- "You're in for a treat, so hang on to your seat
Get ready for adventure and remarkable feats
You'll meet Koopas, the Troopas, the Princess and the others
Hangin with the plumbers, you'll be hooked on the brothers!"
- "You're in for a treat, so hang on to your seat
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Volume Two/The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Mega Disc:
- "Mario and Luigi are two wacky Italian plumbers who got washed through a warp zone while fixing a clogged drain. They find themselves in the colourful video world of the Mushroom Kingdom where they stumble from one adventure to another helping the perky Princess"
- Robokoopa:
- "Hey paisanos!
It's the Super Mario Brothers Super Show!
We're the Mario Brothers, and Plumbing's our game
We're not like the others who get all the fame
If your sink is in trouble, you can call us on the double
We're faster than the others, you'll be hooked on the Brothers"
- "Hey paisanos!
- Netflix:
- "Mixing live action and animation, this classic series brought the beloved Super Mario Bros. video game characters to television screens everywhere."
- "Beloved Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi burst out of the video-game world and onto TV screens in this blend of animation and live-action."
- Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, WildBrain's YouTube channels, and Pluto TV:
- "The Super Mario Brothers Super Show is a zany animated fantasy adventure comedy based on Nintendo's most popular videogame. Staring the world-famous Mario and Luigi, two plumbers from Brooklyn who suddenly find themselves washed through a Warp Zone."
- The Roku Channel:
- "After being sucked into a drain pipe, Mario and Luigi defend the Mushroom Kingdom from King Koopa."
Translations[edit]
The show received 21 translations (Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Swedish, Taiwanese Mandarin, and Turkish), along with a Polish voiceover, with several differences between them.
- While most translations dub both the live-action and animated segments, the Dutch, Finnish, Hebrew, Icelandic, Korean, and Norwegian dubs do not dub the live-action segments, instead being subtitled. The Turkish dub removes the live-action segments entirely.
- The French, German, Italian, and Russian dubs are the only ones to completely dub the "Mario Rap," whereas the Icelandic, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish dubs use the English version and dub only the animated Mario head introducing the show. The remaining translations leave the "Mario Rap" completely intact.
- On a related note, the German and Italian versions use dubs of "Do the Mario" for the closing credits.
- The original translations in Spain and Italy use an entirely different extended theme song.
- The Korean version uses a slightly modified lyrical version of the original Super Mario theme music and replaces the live-action skits with different ones starring domestic actors. These skits feature original plots, sets, and costume designs, rather than simply remaking the Albano/Wells skits; among other changes, Mario and Luigi's mustaches are stereotypical handlebar mustaches (as opposed to Albano and Wells' natural facial hair), the set design is significantly more sterile, and the brothers' outfits more closely resemble those of their game counterparts.[15]
- The Italian and Brazilian Portuguese dubs cut the Friday live-action skits and the Zelda episodes. Later, these animated episodes would be broadcasted in their own series: Un regno incantato per Zelda (An enchanted kingdom for Zelda) in Italian and simply Zelda in Portuguese.[citation needed]
- In the Chinese, Danish, Finnish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Latin American Spanish dubs, a narrator would read the episode title's translation as it appeared, usually starting with "today we present" followed by the episode name (this was a common practice for cartoon dubs).
- In the Dutch, French, Hebrew, Icelandic, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Russian dubs, the title is visually translated instead.
- In the French dub, the Plumber's Log is not used, leaving the intro without any dialogue in some instances.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese (traditional) | 超級瑪利歐兄弟超級秀[16] Chāojí Mǎlìōu Xiōngdì Chāojí Xiù |
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show | |
| Dutch | De Mario Bros. Show[17] | The Mario Bros. Show | |
| German | Die Super Mario Brothers Super Show[18] | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show | |
| Hebrew | האחים סופר מריו[19] He'Akhim Super Mario |
Super Mario Bros. | |
| Italian | Super Mario[20] | - | First airings |
| The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![21] | Subsequent airings and home-video releases | ||
| Korean | 슈퍼 마리오[22] Syupeo Mario |
Super Mario | |
| Norwegian | Super Mario Bros. Super Show[23] | - | |
| Polish | Przygody Braci Mario[24] | Adventures of the Mario Brothers | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | O Super Espetáculo dos Irmãos Mario[25] | The Super Show of the Mario Brothers | |
| Russian | Супер брать Марио[26] Super bratʹ Mario |
Super Mario brothers | |
| Spanish (NOA) | El súper show de Super Mario Bros.[27] | The Super Mario Bros. super show | |
| El súper programa de Super Mario Bros.[28] | The super program of Super Mario Bros. | Prior to "Mario's Magic Carpet" |
Trivia[edit]
- Although on Fridays The Legend of Zelda animated episodes were aired, the live-action episodes were still The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episodes.
- At least two live-action segments - "Dance" and "Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn" - identify Mario as being Mario and Luigi's surname.
References[edit]
- ^ https://issuu.com/wildbrain_official/docs/wildbrain_catalogue_2021
- ^ https://advanced-television.com/2022/03/07/filmrise-wildbrain-partner-to-distribute-childrens-programming/
- ^ "Super Mario in Spanish" YouTube playlist by Super Mario Spanish - WildBrain
- ^ Super Mario Brothers - DO YOU PRINCESS TOADSTOOL TAKE THIS KOOPA | Super Mario Bros | WildBrain. YouTube. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ TheUltiMarioFan (July 22, 2020). Twitter Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ https://www.avid.wiki/DIC_Entertainment#3rd_Logo_(September_12,_1987-2005)
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFt2SAYSC-A
- ^ https://youtu.be/y1egXITX1hI?t=5759
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgBbdVMM3C8
- ^ a b Brett Homenick (September 11, 2018). DO THE MARIO! Perry Martin on Scripting the Cartoon Adaptations of the Super Mario Bros.!. Vantage Point Interviews. Retrieved October 05 2018.
- ^ a b c Canoe: Super Mario Bros. Super Show hit a high score
- ^ TheUltiMarioFan (June 12, 2020). Twitter Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ a b GamesTM. "From Captain N to Sonic Underground: Behind videogames' earliest cartoons. Retrieved September 13, 2016
- ^ Javier Corona-Lopez // JavierTheTAWOG&ATFanEst2007 (November 28, 2022). We're the Mario Brothers, and plumbing's our game YouTube. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ (reup) Korean Super Mario Bros. Super Show Live-Action Segment (with English subtitles)
- ^ （部分集数画质超渣）超级马里奥兄弟的超级秀 台配国语
- ^ The Super Mario Bros. Super Show Dutch Subbed - De Gevleugelde Kidnapper / Wanted: Mario & Luigi
- ^ The Super Mario Bros Super Show! Folge 1 Sauberkeit ist alles / Der Vogel! Der Vogel!
- ^ האחים סופר מריו חלק 1
- ^ Super Mario - Cartone animato sigla (Intro ITA)
- ^ Back cover of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show - Volume 1 VHS
- ^ Bizarre International DVDs From Around The World - SpongeBob, Mario, Sonic & More!
- ^ The Super Mario Bros Super Show S01E01 - The Bird! The Bird!/Neatness Counts (Norsk Fox Kids)
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Episode 5 | Rolling Down the River (Polish Voice-Over)
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Apresentação Conta / O Pássaro, O Pássaro! (Alta Qualidade)
- ^ Супершоу супербратьев Марио - 1 серия
- ^ "La alfombra mágica de Mario"
- ^ Super Mario Brothers Super Show in Spanish / En Español- ¡El pájaro! ¡El pájaro! - Episode 1
External links[edit]
- All full episodes of the show officially uploaded on YouTube, courtesy of WildBrain Spark.
| Television series, films, and videos | |
|---|---|
| Animated TV series | Saturday Supercade (1983) • Les Trésors de Super Mario (1989) • Captain N: The Game Master (1989) • The Legend of Zelda (1989) • The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) • Super Mario World (1991) • Captain N & The Video Game Masters (1993) • Mario All Stars (1994) • Donkey Kong Country (1996) |
| Televised live action / mixed format | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1989) • Mario Ice Capades (1989) • King Koopa's Kool Kartoons (1989) • Club Mario (1990) • The Super Mario Challenge (1990) • Super Mario Club (1990) • Super Mario Stadium (1993) • 64 Mario Stadium (1996) • Donkey Kong Planet (1996) • Mario School (2000) |
| Films | Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! (1986) • The Wizard (1989) • Super Mario Bros. (1993) • Pixels (2015) • The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) • Untitled The Super Mario Bros. Movie follow-up (2026) |
| OVAs / Straight-to-video | Mario no Daibōken (1986) • Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros. (1989) • Super Mario no Kōtsū Anzen (1989) • Super Mario no Shōbōtai (1989) • Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land (1991) • Mario Kirby Meisaku Video (1993) |
| Web videos | "Finding Luigi - Legend of Parkour" (2013) • "Five Games With Spooky Levels to Play in the Dark" (2014) • The Cat Mario Show (2014) • Mario Kart 8 From the Pit (2014) • "Nintendo - Winter Wonderland Levels" (2014) • "DIY With Nintendo: Boo Cookie Pops" • "Nintendo eShop - Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Level Creation" (2015) • "Mario Myths with Mr Miyamoto" (2015) • Yoshi's Woolly World: Adventure Guide (2015) • "Celebrate Mar. 10 - Mario Day!" (2016) • "Luigi Runs the Nintendo 2DS Factory for a Day" (2016) • Mario Reads Your Letters (2017) • "Nintendo Switch Parental Controls - Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Trailer" (2017) • Frizzy's Silly amiibo Theater (2018) • "5 Games With Spooky Levels to Play on Halloween!" (2018) • Guess That Game (2020) (Episode 1 · Episode 2 · Episode 3 · Episode 4 · Episode 6 · Episode 8) • 5-Second Focus (2020) (Ep. 1 · Ep. 2 · Ep. 4 · Ep. 7 · Ep. 8 · Ep. 9 · Ep. 10) • 60-Byō Challenge! Luigi o Sukue!! (2020) • Know Your Nintendo (2020) (Episode 1 · Episode 2 · Episode 3 · Episode 4 · Episode 6 · Episode 9 · Episode 10) • Baddies & Battles (2022) (Ep 1 · Ep 2 · Ep 3 · Ep 4 · Compilation) • Fun Lists! Lists! Lists! (2022) (Top 10 Reasons to Play My Game! · 5 Funny Games! · 5 Characters = 5 Fun Choices · Princess Peach Power · Laugh Till You Pop · 10 Power-Ups! · Get Them Goombas! · Epic Mario Kart Takedowns Compilation · Mario Kart Items to Put Your Bro on Blast · 5 Minigames in Mario Party Superstars That Are Really Cool) • "Mario and Friends" (2022) • Meet the Characters! (2022) (Episode 1 · Episode 3 · Episode 5 · Episode 6 · Episode 7 · Episode 8 · Episode 9 · Episode 10 · Compilation 1 · Compilation 2) • Stuff on Nintendo Switch (2022) • "This Is My Nintendo Jam!" (2023) • Get to Know Mushroom Kingdom Characters (2023) • Super Mario Maker 2 Challenges! (2023) (Ep 1 · Ep 2 · Ep 3) • Which Nintendo character are you (2023) |
