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[via press release]

Boomerang to Host First-Ever SUPER FRIENDS Marathon, Saturday, Sept. 27

DC Comic Justice League Superheroes Revisited in Four Classic Saturday Morning Animated Series from 1978-1985

Proving no end in sight to its classic cartoon resources, Boomerang will present its first-ever all-day tribute to the world’s most famous and beloved superheroes who teamed together in the ‘70s and early ‘80s to form broadcast television’s Saturday morning Super Friends. On Saturday, Sept. 27, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (ET), Cartoon Network’s Boomerang will spotlight more than 30 specially selected episodes from four favorite animated series that served as popular spin-offs from the original Super Friends (1973). The series include The Challenge of the Super Friends (1978), The World’s Greatest Super Friends (1979), Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984) and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985).

Unique, powerful and seemingly immortal crime-fighters, the “Super Friends” comprised multiple heroic characters from the DC Comics universe, from the familiar and highly popular Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Batman and Robin, to less well-known Green Lantern, Apache Chief, Hawkman and Black Vulcan. The shows also featured several “mere mortal” human characters that joined the “Super Friends,” who essentially provided opportunities for comic relief within the high octane adventures. Opposed to the good intentions of “Super Friends,” accordingly, were members of the fearsome “Legion of Doom,” including Lex Luthor, The Riddler, Brainiac, Black Manta, Toyman, Giganta, Cheeta, Captain Cold, Scarecrow and Grodd the Gorilla.

“In light of the success of this summer’s superhero movies like The Dark Knight and Iron Man, I think it’s definitely the right time to pay tribute to the animated heroes who once captured our imaginations every Saturday morning,” said Rico Hill, vice president of programming and scheduling for Boomerang and Cartoon Network. “People often ask me why audiences are so drawn to superhero adventures. I think that elevating the classic battle between good and evil to the highest level of superhero vs. super-villain is something that has appealed to the kid in all of us since comic books were first introduced in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. These animated stories bring out our fighting spirit, so we love to root our heroes on to victory.”

Spin-off series from Super Friends to be featured within the Boomerang marathon include the following:

• The Challenge of the Super Friends (1978)
Evil forces unite to annihilate those guardians of humanity—Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and other comic-book superheroes of the Hall of Justice—who are forced to use all their superpowers to combat the wicked Legion of Doom, composed of well-known DC comic book villains Lex Luthor, Braniac, Bizarro, Toyman, The Riddler and others. A Hanna-Barbera production that premiered Sept. 8, 1978 on ABC.”

• The World’s Greatest Super Friends (1979)
Justice League superheroes Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are called to fight supernatural creatures and other powerful forces from the pages of DC Comics. A Hanna-Barbera production that premiered Sept. 22, 1979 on ABC.”

• Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984)
Comic book superheroes Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and Robin take on evil forces with help from several new super-human characters—including Firestorm and Cyborg—who later were depicted as part of Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans. Arch nemesis characters also included Darkseid, Desaad and Kalibak. A Hanna-Barbera production that premiered Sept. 8, 1984 on ABC.

• The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985)
An alliance of the world’s greatest superheroes—Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin, Firestorm and Cyborg—work to help mankind resist the incursions of Darkseid, the “Godfather” of intergalactic crime, as they battle injustices on Earth and through the vast reaches of space. A Hanna-Barbera production that premiered Sept. 7, 1985 on ABC.

Boomerang is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s (TBS, Inc.) 24-hour cable/satellite network offering the best in classic animated entertainment. In partnership with Cartoon Network, the service boasts 75 percent unduplicated programming and is available to cable/satellite operators and their customers in Spanish. Boomerang’s official Web site is located at http://Boomerang.CartoonNetwork.com.

Cartoon Network, currently seen in more than 91 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Overnight from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.