Debuting alongside Star Wars: The Clone Wars on October 3, 2008 The Secret Saturdays is perhaps one of the most overlooked series in Cartoon Network’s extensive catalog. Created by Jay Stephens (Tutenstein), the show centered on a family of “planet-saving scientists” who tirelessly battle to prevent the existence of cryptids (unusual beasts from legend or folklore) from becoming public knowledge. Zak, the youngest member of the Saturday family, often served as the focal point as he struggles with his newfound ability to control these creatures.
Guiding Zak (Sam Lerner) are his parents Doc Saturday (Phill Morris), Zak’s stone-faced father and leading cryptozoologist; Drew Saturday (Nicole Sullivan), Zak’s survivalist mother and butt-kicking mystic; Fiskerton, a giant “gorilla-cat”; Komodo, a komodo dragon that can turn invisible and Doyle Blackwell (Will Friedle), Zak’s biological uncle and occasional enemy. Each of these characters help Zak build his confidence and hone his skills in a different way…even if they don’t always get along. In fact, the family dynamic is one of many aspects of the show that harken back to old school Hanna-Barbera shows like Jonny Quest and Herculoids.
Another throwback to vintage Hanna-Barbera is the art direction of the show, which Stephens has admitted was influenced by cartoon series from that era (60s)—especially the work of Alex Toth (Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Birdman) and Doug Wildey (Space Angel, Jonny Quest). These influences are most apparent in the design of The Secret Saturdays cryptids which can range from mythological beings like Kur (presumably based on the Mesopotamian deity Kur Kurnugi) to completely fictional creatures like Munya, a “were-spider” of sorts who can transform into a half-human/half-spider monster at will. Perhaps the most vile monster of all, however, is the series headline villain V.V. Argost (Corey Burton)—a somewhat sadomasochistic Yeti and horror host of “V.V. Argost’s Weirdworld” who will do anything to obtain ultimate power. Argost is basically a cryptid combination of Dr. Doom, Sabertooth and Vincent Price.
While the series ultimately lasted two seasons (three depending on how you divide the episodes) it did suffer from scheduling issues, such as Cartoon Network putting the show on hiatus for several months before finishing the first season. It also, from what I can recall, bounced around a few different time slots which only added to viewer frustration and ultimately lower ratings. Despite it’s short run, The Secret Saturdays did manage to end on a mostly conclusive story arc and spun off into a variety of other media (video games, comics, toys). The Saturdays even managed to return for one last mission in a crossover episode of Ben 10: Omniverse (“T.G.I.S.”) which found Argost returning from beyond the grave in a chimera-esque form thanks to an alliance with recurring Ben 10 villain Dr. Animo.
Ultimately, The Secret Saturdays was a series with lots of potential (not all of it realized) and chock full of monsters. As a modern take on classic Hanna-Barbera adventure shows, it’s definitely worth seeking out and currently available online via Amazon Prime and on DVD.
