Speed Buggy! - Hanna-Barbera Revisited

For the past few months, I've been revisiting several Saturday morning television shows from my childhood. I've wanted to see if my memories held any accuracy about their quality level or if they would prove to be the kinds of things that only serve to guide a kid from one level of understanding to another. Most of the best remembered series that I have been able to watch have stood up as still being worthy of the time to rewatch them with some notable exceptions. Even though most of the Hanna-Barbera shows tend to fall down when seen these days, a few have proved to be interesting or entertaining enough to reward adult viewing.

 

My love of Speed Buggy remains undiminished even as my recent rewatches have pointed out the obvious flaws in the entire affair. My favorite realization is how unnecessary Mark is to show. Of the three human characters Mark is the one whose presence is a complete mystery and he only seems present to provide another person to relate information or to occasionally do things. Tinker is the driver/mechanic who 'created' Speedy Buggy and Debbie is the smart woman who seems to figure out the best course of action when needed. But Mark just seems to be there to do what Debbie tells him to do or to give Tinker tools as he works on Speedy. 

Of course, as an adult my mind roams into non-cartoon reasons for Mark to be around so I tend to think of him as Debbie's boy-toy kept as part of the group because she wants him there. This perspective adds an entertaining point of view to most episodes with Mark as an eager to please hanger-on type just trying to make Debbie happy enough to keep him as part of the group. Thinking about the show's dynamic in this way makes even the silliest scenario play out in an amusing way and invest this silly little show with extra value.