Line #29 Series/TheGreatSpaceCoaster


1	[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_great_space_coaster.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:305:''[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy "Shut up, Ricky, just shut up right now! Unless the next words out of your mouth are directions how to get back to the fish skeleton, I'm gonna punch you right in the stomach!"]]'']]
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4	->''"Off we go!"''
5
6	A children's television series, featuring cartoons, live action segments, and puppets, that originally aired in first-run syndication from 1981 to 1986.
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8	The series was co-created by Kermit Love and Jim Martin, and featured a number of performers who either came from or would go onto Franchise/{{The Muppets}}. The premise follows three musicians from Earth -- Roy, a keyboardist; Danny, a drummer; and Francine, a guitarist -- who travel to an [[BabyPlanet asteroid-like planet]] out in space via the titular coaster, piloted by Baxter, a life-sized [[NonIronicClown circus clown]] puppet who is actually on the run from his villainous ringmaster, M. T. Promises. Other bizarre characters include Gary Gnu, host of ''The Gary Gnu Show'', where no g'news is good g'news; Goriddle Gorilla, a mischievous, gravelly-voiced gorilla who doesn't quite think before he acts; Edison, a robot-like elephant with an echoing voice who loves gardening; and Knock Knock, a sophisticated woodpecker who lives in a tree.
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10	As of 2012, the rights to the show are held by Tanslin Media. Current plans include digitally preserving the old episodes, to potentially donate them to a museum or media center ([[ScrewedByTheLawyers as the use of licensed songs in the program would make releasing all 250 episodes on DVD or streaming without significantly editing them difficult if not impossible]]), and the production of new online content featuring Gary Gnu with hopes to garner enough attention for a full-fledged {{revival}}. More information can be found on [[http://www.tanslinmedia.com/ the Tanslin Media site]] and [[http://www.facebook.com/TheGreatSpaceCoaster the official Facebook page]]. The preservation of these old episodes is time sensitive, as the tapes they're on are deteriorating due to age, meaning that most of the show could potentially be gone for good. The initial Kickstarter effort, which originally set out with the goal to save at least one episode, made enough money to start the preservation process for 20 episodes. Currently, Tanslin Media is holding another preservation fundraiser featuring previous Kickstarter merch and rare show memorabilia through [[http://www.ebay.com/usr/tanslinmedia eBay]], which so far has raised enough funds to preserve an additional 7 episodes. Several fan-uploaded full episodes of the show can be found on Gnu, uh, Youtube.
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12	----
13	!!Tropes:
14	* AllPlanetsAreEarthLike
15	* AlliterativeName: Gary Gnu, Goriddle Gorilla.
16	* BreakOutCharacter: Gary Gnu, in spades; a number may not even remember this series, but all you have to do is mention Gary Gnu, and they know who you are talking about.
17	* CaringGardener: Edison.
18	* CatchPhrase: "This is Gary Gnu, and ''The No G'News is Good G'News Show'', the ''only'' TV g'news program guaranteed to contain ''no'' g'news whatsoever!"
19	** "And now for something really g'new, here's Gary Gnu!"
20	** Also, "''No'' g'news is ''good'' g'news with Gary Gnu!"
21	** Of course! ''[[BlatantLies I promise!]]''
22	* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Goriddle could fit the bill.
23	* CousinOliver: Later in the show's run, Baxter adopted the Huggles, a small group of baby aliens that looked like pastel otters, in an effort to reach out to younger audiences.
24	* {{Crossover}}: Supposedly, characters from Creator/SidAndMartyKrofftProductions made guest appearances.
25	* DastardlyWhiplash: M. T. Promises, complete with the top hat and mustache to match his conniving personality.
26	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Roy often entertains the others by showing them videos on his pocket TV. Fast-forward 25 years...
27	* DropInCharacter: In addition to the Huggles, other new characters were introduced at the beginning of Season Four, in an attempt to help boost up the slumping ratings.
28	* EccentricTownsfolk: Most of the native characters of this planet.
29	* ExpositoryThemeTune
30	** In later seasons more sketches were added including:
31	*** A sketch featuring The Huggles.
32	*** Rory Lion running late for his DJ show and introducing a song played by the Space Coasters
33	*** Baxter reading a bedtime story to the Huggles.
34	* {{Expy}}: Goriddle and Gary could be considered ones for [[Franchise/{{The Muppets}} Animal and Kermit]] respectively.
35	* InformedSpecies: Being anthropomorphic is not the only thing that differentiates Gary Gnu from any real gnu - he's also green and has no horns.
36	* PetTheDog: One episode has M. T. Promises helping the Space Coasters hold a telethon fundraiser to replace their worn out instruments.
37	* PromotionToOpeningTitles: ''All of them''. To be fair, the opening title was just an animated sequence of Baxter picking up and transporting Roy, Danny, and Francine to the asteroid in the titular coaster set to the show's theme song. For the last two seasons, however, the opening titles added something of a DramatisPersonae overlay, and a Goriddle voice-over announcing, "It's ''The Great Space Coaster'', starring Goriddle Gorilla; Gary Gnu; Baxter; Roy, Danny, and Francine; The Great Space Coaster Gang (M.T. Promises, Big Jock Ox, Rory, et al), [[AndStarring and the Huggles]]!"
38	* PunnyName
39	** Knock-Knock the Woodpecker
40	** M.T. Promises
41	* PuppetShows
42	* ReadingIsCoolAesop: The Speed Reader segments that recommend a specific book to the audience, and have Gary dispensing the moral "Everyone can make time to read".
43	* RepulsiveRingmaster: M. T. Promises
44	* RunningGag: During Gary Gnu's segments, his stage crew often calls him a "turkey" and drops a paper turkey with his face from the ceiling, accompanied by a gobbling sound effect.
45	* ShowWithinAShow: The program had several recurring segments, such as "Speed Reader".
46	* SpecialGuest: Including Mean Joe Greene, Creator/MarkHamill, Music/MarvinHamlisch and Marilyn [=McCoo=] among others.
47	* SpeciesSurname: Edison Elephant, Gary Gnu and Goriddle Gorilla.
48	* SwappedRoles: Gary reviews the book and Speed Reader hosts the segment the time they review ''Literature/FreakyFriday''.
49	* TalkingAnimal: Many members of the cast.
50	* VerbalTic: Gary Gnu pronouncing N words with a hard G sound before it (e.g., "No g'news is good g'news").
51	* WordSaladLyrics: Some nonsense was present in the theme for the sake of viable rhymes.
52	-->Get on board, step inside. Cuz you're in for a magic ride. Rolling toward the other side, where only rainbows hide.

Context Series / TheGreatSpaceCoaster