The Bod Squad
Encyclopedia
The Bod Squad was the collective title for a series of short public service announcements broadcast on Saturday mornings on the ABC
television network
, from the late 1970s through the first half of the 1990s. These thirty-second and one-minute segments promoted healthy nutrition
and personal hygiene through humorous animation and catchy music with clever lyrics.
The segments generally appeared at half-hour intervals, interspersed with regular commercials, between Saturday morning cartoon
programs. While many were not labeled as such, at least four or five segments ended with an announcement, "Another nutritional message from the ABC Television Network
," and accompanying stock animation identifying the series as The ABC Bod Squad. The same original segments produced in the 1970s repeated every Saturday morning for nearly 20 years, so that many if not most Americans who were TV-watching children during that period are familiar with them.
The Bod Squad segments never carried official titles but are informally known by the catch phrases from their lyrics. Some of the memorable Bod Squad segments included
Some others not explicitly identified as Bod Squad segments but in the same vein were
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s ABC broadcast several other series of educational public service cartoon spots as well, including Time For Timer
and, perhaps the most famous of all, Schoolhouse Rock.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, from the late 1970s through the first half of the 1990s. These thirty-second and one-minute segments promoted healthy nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
and personal hygiene through humorous animation and catchy music with clever lyrics.
The segments generally appeared at half-hour intervals, interspersed with regular commercials, between Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
programs. While many were not labeled as such, at least four or five segments ended with an announcement, "Another nutritional message from the ABC Television Network
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
," and accompanying stock animation identifying the series as The ABC Bod Squad. The same original segments produced in the 1970s repeated every Saturday morning for nearly 20 years, so that many if not most Americans who were TV-watching children during that period are familiar with them.
The Bod Squad segments never carried official titles but are informally known by the catch phrases from their lyrics. Some of the memorable Bod Squad segments included
- Yuck Mouth and Nutty Gritty (both sung by actor/singer Scatman CrothersScatman CrothersBenjamin Sherman "Scatman" Crothers was an American actor, singer, dancer and musician known for his work as Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show Chico and the Man, and as Dick Hallorann in The Shining in 1980...
), - (Watch Out For) The Munchies, about craving food when a person is not hungry, and
- Quickfast, suggesting pre-made or leftover foods for breakfast, or easily-prepared foods such as toast, for children who are too young to fix meals themselves.
Some others not explicitly identified as Bod Squad segments but in the same vein were
- Don't Drown Your Food (voiced by actor/comedian Arnold StangArnold StangArnold Stang was an American comic actor who played a small and bespectacled, yet brash and knowing big-city type.-Career:...
), encouraging children not to overuse condiments, such as gravy, ketchup and salad dressing, and learn to enjoy the natural flavors of vegetables, eggs, etc. - Beans and Rice, about complementary proteins, and combining basic foods to create new dishes.
- Make A Saturdae, about using healthy foods — such as bananas and yogurt — to create "fun" snacks.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s ABC broadcast several other series of educational public service cartoon spots as well, including Time For Timer
Time for Timer
Time for Timer was the collective title for a short series of public service announcements broadcast on Saturday mornings on the ABC television network starting in the early 1970s. The animated spots featured Timer, a tiny cartoon character who represented the sense of "time" in the human body...
and, perhaps the most famous of all, Schoolhouse Rock.