Ed Gilbert Movies

Bud (David Faustion) will not graduate from Trumaine if he can't pass the finals, but his efforts to study are constantly thwarted by his preoccupation with sex. Even though he has agreed to remain "chaste" for the duration of the exams, Bud is bombarded with carnal messages and temptations of the flesh at every turn. Finally he can stand no more, and "gives in" in a library study room--right in front of a battery of surveillance cameras! Katey Sagal (Peggy) does not appear in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Questworld computer system picks up extraterrestrial warnings to stop a series of American space-defense experiments before they begin. Unfortunately, the Quest team learns all too late that the experiments have already been set in motion by the Vice President of the United States -- actually an alien in disguise. Boasting an excellent display of 3-D animation (some of its computerized, but most done the old-fashioned way), "Alien in Washington" made its first cable-TV appearance on September 6, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Receiving a psychic message, Hadji heads to Calcutta in search of the truth about his past. He is met by his surrogate father, Pasha Peddlar, who has some disturbing news not only about the past, but also the future -- of the entire Quest team. Jennifer Hale, the voice of Jessie Bannon, is also heard as the younger Hadji. "Bloodlines" originally aired on December 13, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The popular animated duo of cat and mouse team up again to appear this time on the big screen. Homeless, the 'toons end up helping out a young girl who stays with a nasty auntie while she is separated from her father. Will the young Robyn be reunited with her loving father? Will the odd pair make it on the streets? Will they find a home? ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

This made-for-TV animated feature stars only two regular members of the Mystery Machine gang: Scooby Doo and Shaggy (although Scrappy, a late addition to the series, is also present). In place of Freddy, Velma, and Daphne, we have Googie, Shaggy's girl friend. It seems that Shaggy and company are now involved in race car driving. By coincidence, in far-off Transylvania, Count Dracula is getting ready for the annual Monster Car Race -- a race that features such familiar faces as Frankenstein's Monster and his bride, the Mummy, Genghis Kong, and a pair of witches. Normally, the Werewolf is a part of the race, but he has fled this year and nothing Dracula can do will bring him back. As he desperately needs a werewolf for the race, Dracula sends the Hunch Bunch -- a pair of deformed brothers -- to America, where they transform Shaggy into a werewolf. Dracula tells Shaggy that he will take the spell off of him and return him to normal -- but only if he wins the Monster Car Race. That turns out to be easier said than done, especially since Dracula does everything in his power to see that Shaggy will lose and remain a werewolf forever. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

In this theatrically released chapter of the 1984-1987 syndicated animated series, the struggle between the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons is taken twenty years into the future as both sides must deal with a world-devouring being called Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles). Set in 2005, The Transformers: The Movie serves as a bridge between the series' second and third seasons, with the deaths of several major characters and the introduction of new ones. Darker and more action-packed than the TV series, the movie was originally dismissed as little more than a feature-length toy commercial, but it has since grown in stature to become a cult favorite. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi

Season three of the cartoon series The Transformers opens with an elaborate five-part story (eminently suited to be "transformed" into a single two-hour TV movie), "The Five Faces of Darkness," set largely on Cybertron, home planet of the warring Autobots and Decepticons. This plotline serves to introduce a new human ally for the good-guy Autobots, Marrisa Fairborne of the Earth Defense Command. In other developments this season, the Autobots' earthling chum Spike, long married to a girl named Carly, inadvertently involves his son Daniel in the neverending Autobot-Cybertron conflict; the ghost of Decepticon Starstream goes on a relentless search for a new host body; and several new groups of characters are brought into the action, the better to sell more toys for the Hasbro company: among these are the Technobots, the Junkions, and the Quintessons. The season ends with a two-parter wherein Autobot mentor Optimus Prime, long presumed dead, makes a spectacular return in an all-out final(?) assault against the despicable Decepticons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season one of the "cartoon commercial" The Transformers begins with the three-part "More Than Meets the Eye," which explains how the two warring Transformers armies from the planet Cybertron, Optimus Prime's good-guy Autobots and Megatron's bad-guy Decepticons, were placed in suspended animation when they attempted to expand their battle to prehistoric Earth. "Thawing out" in 2005 A.D., the combatants resume their war as if nothing had happened, with the Autobots gaining a bit of an advantage by winning two human earthlings, Spike and Sparkplug, over to their side. A later episode, "Roll for It," introduces another major human ally of the Autobots, computer whiz Chip Chase. Subsequent season-one highlights include the three-part story, "The Ultimate Doom," wherein Megatron enlists the aid of a mad (Do you hear? Mad!) human scientist in attempting to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit. And "A Plague of Insecticons" introduces a brand-new threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike -- not to mention a fresh new line of Hasbro-licensed Transformer toys! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The eighth volume of the Hardy Boys videocassette collection consists of a 48-minute adventure, originally telecast under the title "Acapulco Spies". A strange phone call from their investigator father Fenton Hardy (Edmund Gilbert) summons Joe and Frank Hardy (Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson) to Acapulco. Upon their arrival, the boys discover that Fenton has disappeared. It soon transpires that the elder Hardy was kidnapped by an American traitor (Craig Stevens), and that a mysterious spy ring is involved. "Acapulco Spies" first aired November 13, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This videocassette consists of "The Secret Jade of Kuan Yin," an episode from the weekly Hardy Boys TV series (1977-78). While snorkeling, teenaged detectives Joe and Frank Hardy (Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson) come across a jade statuette. Before long, the boys discover that the artifact was stolen by an extortionist. It all ties in with a plan to gain a mob stranglehold on the city's Chinese community. Rosalind Chao, Richard Loo and Richard Lee Sung co-star in this 48-minute adventure, which originally aired May 15, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hardy Boys, Part 3 consists of "The Mystery of the Flying Coulier," a 48-minute episode of TV's Hardy Boys series. Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson head the cast as teenage detectives Joe and Frank Hardy. While searching for a UFO, the boys come across a bizarre mansion with disappearing floors and rooms that change size. We suspect that Professor Desmond (David Opatoshu) is behind it all. "Mystery of the Flying Coulier" first aired March 6, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Several major changes occur during the second season of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Whereas in season one the series maintained a alternating-week format -- with teenaged detective Joe and Frank Hardy (Shaun Cassidy, Parker Stevenson) appearing in their own Hardy Boys Mysteries episode one week, followed the next week by 18-year-old sleuth Nancy Drew (Pamela Sue Martin) headlining her own Nancy Drew Mysteries installment -- beginning with the two-part season-two opener "The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Meet Dracula," all three leading characters would occasionally appear together, solving the same mystery. Thus, while Joe and Frank soloed in such efforts as "The Mystery of the African Safari" and "The Acapulco Story," and Nancy would go it alone in the likes of "Nancy Drew's Love Match" and "The Lady on Thursday at Ten," the Hardy Boys and Miss Drew would combine forces in such capers as the two-part "The Mystery of the Hollywood Phantom" -- which incidentally, featured cameo appearances by Robert Wagner, Jaclyn Smith, and Dennis Weaver. With the episode titled "Voodoo Doll," the two rotating series The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew officially merged into one, with the three major characters appearing together ever afterward. However, the series would do without the services of Pamela Sue Martin, who left the property in protest over having her separate series eliminated. Janet Louise Johnson takes over as Nancy in the aforementioned "Voodoo Doll," remaining with the series until Nancy Drew is completely written out at the end of season two. ~ Rovi

Although the Hardy Boys books are credited to Franklin W. Dixon and the Nancy Drew mysteries are signed by Carolyn Keene, both of these children's literature properties were created by one man -- Edward R. Stratemeyer -- who, using a wide variety of pen names and a huge staff of ghost writers, churned out hundreds of "Hardy," "Drew," and similar book series from the WWI years onward. Curiously, while both The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew had been adapted for films and television, the two properties never "merged" until ABC got the bright idea of creating the Sunday-evening TV series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in late 1976. In this incarnation, teen heartthrobs Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson were respectively cast as Joe and Frank Hardy, the amateur-sleuth sons of celebrated private investigator Fenton Hardy (Edmund Gilbert), while Pamela Sue Martin was seen as Nancy Drew, the bright, insatiably inquisitive daughter of criminal lawyer Carson Drew (William Schallert). In keeping with their common "parentage," The Hardy Boys Mysteries and The Nancy Drew Mysteries both found their young protagonists seeking out clues and risking their lives in order to solve baffling cases, much to the dismay and disapproval of their respective parents -- not to mention the Hardy kids' aunt Gertrude (Edith Atwater) and the Drew family's maid Bess (Ruth Cox). Joe and Frank Hardy were occasionally assisted by their school friend Callie Shaw (Lisa Eilbacher), while Nancy Drew's partners in deducing were her erstwhile beau Ned Nickerson (George O'Hanlon Jr.) and her tomboyish gal pal George Fayne (played first by Jean Rasey, then by Susan Buckner).

Debuting January 30, 1977, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries was during its first season a "rotating" series, with a Hardy Boys episode one week, followed by a Nancy Drew installment the next. Beginning with season two, the Hardys and Nancy would occasionally appear in the same episode; in February of 1978, the two shows became one (albeit under the same "blanket" title), with Joe, Frank, and Nancy appearing together in every episode. At that time, Pamela Sue Martin left the series, balking at the notion of her "separate" vehicle being eliminated. Janet Louise Johnson then stepped into the role of Nancy Drew, remaining with the property until it was decided to drop Nancy altogether. Thus, though The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries officially ended in the fall of 1978, the series hung on as simply The Hardy Boys until August 26, 1979. ~ Rovi