Yes, a few episodes were released on VHS.

They’re Still My Favorite Martians: Life-Style

Reviewed and analyzed by Jeff Baker

Continuing our look at episodes of the 1973 animated Filmation kids show “My Favorite Martians,” a version of the original 1963 series. Today, we look at the episode “Life-Style.”

We see incognito Martian Andy in one of his High School classes during this episode. Of course, he gets into a lot of trouble but it isn’t really his fault. Andy and his classmates (including his “cousin” Katy) are studying the Solar System and are assigned individual reports on one of the planets. Andy is home, levitating a book over to him to do research when he gets in Uncle Martin’s way. Andy starts to explain that it’s a project for school, but Uncle Martin interrupts.

“As a project for school flying books constitute a high hazard risk…” Martin explains, demonstrating by levitating several objects (and the dog Okie-Doakie) around his hidden lab.

With Martin not listening it takes a while for Andy and Katy to get him to understand the project is about the planets. This conversation continues at the dinner table that evening.

“The project should be very easy for you, Andy.” Martin says, levitating the pitcher of milk from the kitchen. But Andy tells him he’s afraid he might fail.

“Nonsense!” Uncle Martin says. “You simply tell them exactly what life is like on Mars.”

“If I do that, I’ll fail for sure.” Andy says. “I picked Saturn.”

This startles Martin so much the milk he was levitating empties itself on his head!

And the scene at the dinner table is woderful! Martian levitation and family conversation all taking place in this oh-so-normal setting. We are given the feeling that this is an ordinary evening at the O’Hara home and that it is what it would be really like if such wonderous visitors appeared on Earth. And it is done perfectly.

In school the next day, Detective Brennan’s jerk son Brad makes fun of Andy’s choice of Saturn as a choice for a report and says he couldn’t write about Mars; “What could you write about a dead planet?”

This goads Andy into changing the subject of his report.

The next scene is Andy delivering his report to the class. He’s being honest and didn’t edit it for an audience that doesn’t believe there is life on Mars, but his report involving inhabitants who live for hundreds of years, travel in space and have three-million-year-old cities does not go over with his teacher who sends him to the disinterested school counselor, Mr. Bridges.

Mr. Bridges is a REALLY disinterested school counselor!

Bridges doesn’t listen to a word Andy says. (“You were talking about cars…” he says. “Not cars, Mars!” Andy tells him.)

Exasperated, Andy reads Bridges’ mind, and finds out that he finds life dull and wishes he could do something exciting. When he tells Bridges that and tells him how he knew, Bridges expells him.

“What do you mean you were expelled?” Uncle Martin asks him back at home.

Andy explains what happened and the two Martians go to have a talk with Bridges. Who of course, doesn’t listen.

Martin reads his mind finding he’s daydreaming about riding a roller-coaster.

“Really, Mr. Bridges. A roller coaster? You can do better than that!” Uncle Martin says.

Bridges demands to know how Martin knew he was thinking that.

“I read your mind, of course.” Martin says.

We cut back to the O’Hara apartment.

“What do you mean you were expelled?” Tim asks Martin.

“That didn’t bother me as much as when he said I couldn’t go to the Junior Prom.” Martin wisecracks.

The joke, like many on this series is old and corny and it works and is worth a smile and a laugh.

Martin theorizes that if they give Bridges some excitement in his life he would go back to doing his job. They invite Bridges over for dinner and Martin uses “thought transferrence” to let him mentally experience life on Mars. But some of it transfers onto snoopy Detective Brennan…

Howard Morris voices Tim, Detective Brennan, Brad, Mr. Bridges and a host of other characters on the series. Morris was all over animation, he was a Filmation staple and he had a career that encompassed live TV (like “Your Show Of Shows”), character parts (Ernest T. Bass on “The Andy Griffith Show”) and directing, including helming the first McDonaldland TV commercial. His cartoon voices on “Martians” are each distinct and different even though listeners can usually pick him out.

His voicing of Tim O’Hara has the flavor of the original series’ actor Bill Bixby and the animated version of Tim is a perfect cartoon version of the actor.

Next time in this series, we’ll see more of the teen-age Earthlings and go to a school dance. (Or, at least, we’ll try to!)

—end—