# Shazam! (1974)

> A teenage orphan who speaks one magic word becomes the adult superhero Captain Marvel, trained by six mythic mentors.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9705

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 28
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: family, fantasy, action
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Michael Gray, Les Tremayne, Jackson Bostwick, John Davey, Greg Mabrey, Andrew Stevens
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071050/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: earnest, wholesome, whimsical, hopeful, breezy

## Synopsis

Shazam! (1974-1976) is an American live-action superhero series produced by Filmation Associates and Warner Bros. Television for CBS, adapted from the DC comic book character. Michael Gray plays Billy Batson, a young boy who speaks a single magic word and becomes the grown-up Captain Marvel, played in most episodes by Jackson Bostwick and in others by John Davey. Les Tremayne voices and appears as the Mentor, the wise guardian who oversees Billy's training. Across three seasons and twenty-eight episodes of roughly twenty-two minutes each, the series follows a gentle engine: Billy must use his borrowed strength, wisdom, speed and courage to help people in trouble and to keep his powers a secret. Each episode is largely self-contained, built around a rescue or a moral test that shows how the six mythic mentors shape the hero. Set in a contemporary American city, the show feels like a wholesome seventies Saturday morning adventure, bright and earnest, with a warm family register. Its mythic framing draws on Greek legend. Fans of The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys will find a similar mix of superhero spectacle, classical myth and gentle family adventure.

## Shows like Shazam!

- [Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976)](https://ember.film/tv/4017)
- [Young Justice (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30562)
- [Ms. Marvel (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/78515)
- [DC's Stargirl (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/69355)
- [Birdman and the Galaxy Trio (1967)](https://ember.film/tv/966)
- [Isis (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/11252)
- [Kid Cosmic (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/96821)
- [Batman (1966)](https://ember.film/tv/2168)
- [The Greatest American Hero (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/1801)
- [My Secret Identity (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/2225)

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