Dr. Shrinker
A mad scientist shrinks teens in a repetitive chase.
Dr. Shrinker is a segment from the first season of the ABC network's The Krofft Supershow in 1976. The series follows a mad scientist who uses a shrinking ray to miniaturize three teenagers, who then struggle to escape and return to normal size. It is notable as a short-lived children's television serial that was dropped after one season.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 15 minutes (per episode)
- Producer
- Sid and Marty Krofft
- Starring
- Jay Robinson / Billy Barty / Ted Eccles / Susan Lawrence / Jeff MacKay
- Company
- Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions
- Country
- United States
- Network
- ABC
- First Aired
- 1976-09-11
- Last Aired
- 1976-12-25
- Num Episodes
- 16
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Dr. Shrinker (Jay Robinson) is a mad scientist who creates a shrinking ray that can miniaturize anything. Three teenagers — Brad Fulton (Ted Eccles), B.J. Masterson (Susan Lawrence) and her brother Gordie Masterson (Jeff MacKay) — crash land their airplane on an island. As they make their way to the only house on the island, they meet Dr. Shrinker and his assistant, Hugo (Billy Barty). Dr. Shrinker, in an effort to prove that his shrinking ray works, shrinks the three people down to 6 inches (15 cm) tall. The remainder of the series was different efforts by the 'Shrinkies' to return to normal size, while Dr. Shrinker and Hugo want to catch the trio so that they will have physical proof that the ray works for whatever world power wants to buy it. Dr. Shrinker also implied that he would give the unnamed buyer the Shrinkies as a free bonus. However, in one episode, Dr. Shrinker's plan was to sell the shrinking ray to the highest bidder, and the second highest bidder would receive the Shrinkies.
Reader's Guide
Dr. Shrinker lasted only one season on The Krofft Supershow. During the second season, it was dropped (as was the superhero segment Electra Woman and Dyna Girl). The concept may have been inspired by the 1940 film Dr. Cyclops in which a scientist working in the South American jungle uses his radiation experiments to shrink a group of fellow scientists to prevent them from discovering his secret work. One episode, 'Slowly I Turn', is available on DVD with the Krofft Box Set. In 2005, Marty Krofft said that he and his brother would be recording commentary for a DVD release of Dr. Shrinker. The show is remembered as a repetitive but distinctive example of 1970s children's television, with each episode following the same chase-and-escape pattern described by Dr. Shrinker himself: 'I chase the Shrinkies. I catch the Shrinkies. The Shrinkies escape. It's a vicious cycle, and it's driving me mad!'
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