Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World
Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World | |
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Genre | |
Written by |
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Directed by | Bernard Deyriès |
Starring | Sharon Lewis |
Music by | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producers |
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Editors |
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Running time | 30 minutes[1] |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Syndication |
Release | September 27, 1987[2] |
Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World is a 1987 American animated television special created by DIC Animation City with Saban Productions featuring popular Mattel character Barbie. The story was based on the Barbie and the Rockers line of dolls, which featured Barbie as the leader of a rock band. The special originally aired in syndication.[3] It was later released as a single tape (on VHS, or an exceedingly rare Betamax tape) by Hi-Tops Video.[4][5] Foreign rights were assumed by Channel 5 Video, a joint-venture of Heron Communications (owners of Hi-Tops) and PolyGram.[6]
Mattel had largely avoided media centered around the Barbie character prior to this special's release, in large part because of their reluctance to provide personality to a doll long seen as a "blank slate" for girls to use their imaginations with. However, competition from Hasbro's Jem line—which had a daily cartoon in syndication at the time—prompted Mattel to begin multimedia expansion.[7]
The miniseries was allegedly supposed to have been the pilot for a daily Barbie cartoon series. However, negotiations between DIC and Mattel fell through, and the project eventually emerged with a whole new set of characters—and the sponsorship of Mattel rival Hasbro—as Maxie's World in 1988.[8] (These plans, if they existed, were likely unrelated to a planned live-action/animated hybrid newsmagazine under the Barbie name that Mattel had planned for 1987; this show never made it to air.)[9][10]
Plot
[edit]Barbie's rock band completes a successful world tour and decides to perform one last concert in space to promote world peace.
Songs
[edit]This is a list of the songs featured in Barbie & Rockers: Out of This World, in order of appearance:
- "Catch Us If You Can" - The Dave Clark Five
- "Disco Dolly" – Sharon Lewis, Mary Adams, Joanne Wilson and Sarah Jayson
- "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" - KC & The Sunshine Band
- "Stayin' Alive" – Bee Gees
- "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" (The Beatles cover) – Sharon Lewis
- "Do You Believe in Magic" (The Lovin' Spoonful cover) – Sharon Lewis
- "The Name Game" – Sharon Lewis
Cast
[edit]- Sharon Lewis as Barbie
- Michael Benyaer as Ken
- Mary Adams as Dana Yeosan
- Sarah Jayson as Ophelia "Diva" Butler
- Joanne Wilson as Dee Dee Schwitzerson
Additional voices
[edit]- Garry Chalk
- Doc Harris
- Lynn Johnson
- Viktoria Langton
- Debbie Lick
- Cathy Mead
- Doug Parker
- John Payne
- Nikki Sharp
- Veena Sood
- John Stocker
References
[edit]- ^ Hal Erickson (2012). "Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World (1987)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ^ "Barbie and the Rockers: Out of this World". Metacafe. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.
- ^ Melanson, James (May 13, 1987). "Hi-Tops Woos Barbie To Homevid; Lands Rights To 'Power' TV Skein". Variety. p. 85.
- ^ Stewart, Al (May 23, 1987). "Newsline" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ^ "Channel Five Moves Into Music & Kid Vid" (PDF). World Radio History. July 11, 1987. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ^ Lapin, Lisa a (October 6, 1986). "Barbie Takes Up Rock 'n' Roll to Match Rival Jem". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World (1987)". AllMovie. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ "Syndication Marketplace" (PDF). World Radio History. November 10, 1986. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "NATPE 87 -- Bleak days for animation" (PDF). World Radio History. January 19, 1987. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
External links
[edit]- 1980s American television specials
- 1980s animated television specials
- 1987 television specials
- Barbie films
- DIC Entertainment films
- American English-language television shows
- Films about musical groups
- Films set in 1987
- Animated films set in outer space
- Animated films set in the United States
- Animated films set in the 1980s
- Musical theatre television specials
- Saban Entertainment films
- Science fiction musical films
- Science fiction television specials
- 1987 films
- Films scored by Shuki Levy
- Films scored by Haim Saban
- Television pilots not picked up as a series
- Films directed by Bernard Deyriès
- 1980s French films