558:
394:"trunk" into "junk," then proceeds to shrink Letterman down to six inches tall by changing "junk" into "shrunk." However, Letterman takes action and removes the "s" and "r," changing "shrunk" into "hunk," which restores his college-football-player physique. Letterman defeats Spell Binder by bending his wand, rendering it useless and setting Spell Binder to breaking down and sobbing hysterically.
125:(the narrator would say, for example, "Ripping a 'c' from his varsity sweater..."), after which time the situation was resolved and things went back to normal. Spell Binder expressed disgust and frustration that Letterman once again foiled his fun ("Curses" or some similar line), while Letterman was sometimes invited to join with the people he helped in whatever they were doing.
401:" which inspires Spell Binder to use his bent wand as a letter "r" to change "fiend" into "friend." A strange-looking monster appears and the narrator exclaims, "I didn't know he had any friends!" to which Spell Binder answers back: "We went to school together." The monster bends the bars of Spell Binder's prison cell, allowing him to slip out and escape.
389:
A Branch Office - (good, wood, good) - Letterman declares he feels "good". Spellbinder changes the "g" to a "w" for "wood", turning
Letterman into a talking tree. Spellbinder then proceeds to get a drill to try to drill holes in Letterman. Before Spellbinder returns, Letterman is able to convince
378:
Silver
Threads Among the Bold – (bold, old, bold) - The narrator declares Letterman to be our "bold" hero. Spellbinder removes the "b", leaving "old" and turning Letterman into an aged version of himself. The Spellbinder taunts the aged Letterman, but drops the "b" in the process; Letterman picks
393:
Small Talk - (trunk, junk, shrunk, hunk) – Spell Binder sneaks into
Letterman's home in order to exact revenge for being foiled, time and time again. He spies upon Letterman, who happens to be packing away all of his letters into a trunk as he prepares to go on vacation. Spell Binder changes the
385:
Betterman OR It's Hard to Keep A Good Man Down - (Letterman, wetterman, betterman) – Spellbinder changes the "L" in "Letterman" to a "w" ("wetterman"), causing
Letterman to struggle in a pool to keep from drowning. Letterman is somehow able to find a "b" and replace the "w" to make "Betterman"
128:
Sometimes three different words ("watch," "witch," and "itch") would be involved, with
Letterman solving the problem created by Spell Binder's mischief by changing the operative word to a third alternative, rather than reinstating the original word.
105:
Then the narrator describes a simple, everyday situation. The Spell Binder expresses disgust at what is occurring and uses his magic wand to change a key letter in a word causing havoc. For example, in one episode a group of people who are enjoying
390:
a small bird to take a "g" from his front and replace the "w", thereby turning him back into the "feeling-good" Letterman, just in time as
Spellbinder attempts to drill into him. The drill breaks and engulfs Spellbinder in the twisted metal.
117:
After the narrator expresses despair at the situation, Letterman—having observed the situation from afar—jumps into action. He replaces the incorrect letter with a more appropriate one that was conveniently placed on his
65:
as the narrator. Plots revolve around Spell Binder causing trouble by changing the letter of a word so means something completely different, then
Letterman restoring it. Sixty segments were produced from 1972 to 1976.
371:, portraying Letterman's childhood and growing up. The most notable episodes were the ones where Letterman himself, rather than some innocent victim(s), was the target of Spellbinder's torment. Examples are:
418:. In the lone segment, the Spoil Binder changes a woman sitting on a park bench ("sitter") into a pile of garbage ("litter"). After the litter begins reeking, Litterman arrives to correct the situation.
367:
Though nearly all episodes of the segment were stand-alone stories that followed the same general story line, there were some exceptions. One episode functioned as an
397:
A Friend In Need – (fiend, friend) - a re-composed Spell Binder has been placed behind bars. The narrator of the episode declares, "This looks like the end of a
489:
581:
527:
449:
586:
379:
it up and re-adds it to the word to change it back to "bold", restoring him to his youthful condition.
114:, causing them to turn red and feel burning in their mouths. Spell Binder then revels in his fun.
490:"The Adventures Of Letterman: Gene Wilder And Zero Mostel's Best (Non-Mel Brooks) Partnership"
34:
8:
111:
557:
445:
441:
552:
523:
519:
453:
166:, and football socks and shoes. He can run very fast, jump very high and he can fly.
464:
films of the fifties and sixties." Shaheen finds these segments discontinuous with
422:
465:
163:
20:
156:
119:
575:
512:
437:
426:
368:
50:
45:, it debuted during the show's second season. Each episode was animated by
173:
152:
142:
75:
62:
58:
54:
46:
42:
19:
This article is about the cartoon. For the comedian and entertainer, see
546:
469:
29:
is a series of animated shorts that was a regular feature on the 1970s
563:
38:
207:
203:
159:
122:
107:
518:. Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. pp.
177:
457:
226:
181:
30:
283:
A Jolting
Experience – (light, lightning, lightning rod)
176:) — Letterman's arch-enemy, dressed in a white coat and
271:
Custard's Last Stand – (custard, mustard, custard)
511:
358:Mighty Casey at the Bat – (batter, butter, batter)
313:The Lady and the Beagle – (beagle, eagle, beagle)
573:
328:A Shattering Experience – (class, glass, class)
253:A Rolling Bun Gather No Seeds – (sun, bun, sun)
244:The Roar of Rage – (cage, age, rage, age, cage)
259:His Just Desserts – (dessert, desert, dessert)
96:(a sign for Tessie's Diner resembling the "T")
452:, criticized the Spell Binder as a negative
322:Here Comes the Fudge – (judge, fudge, judge)
301:The Plummeting Plant - (plane, plant, plane)
295:A Weighty Problem - (weight, freight, eight)
250:A Mouse in the House – (mouse, moose, loose)
232:Monkey Business – (bassoon, baboon, balloon)
325:Putting His Foot In It – (feat, feet, feat)
268:Dancing in the Dark – (light, night, light)
238:Singing in the Train – (train, rain, train)
222:The Broken Bridge – (bridge, ridge, bridge)
94:Able to leap capital "T" in a single bound!
556:
410:Letterman was parodied as the live-action
274:A Snake in the Grass – (rake, snake, cake)
256:Bigger than Life – (flower, shower, tower)
99:It's a word, it’s a plan...it's Letterman!
505:
503:
235:Sticky Finances – (money, honey, baloney)
199:The Corniest Concert – (horn, corn, horn)
57:, against the "Spell Binder", voiced by
509:
247:Travels with an Ant – (ant, giant, ant)
91:(removing the "e" at the end of "tube")
53:and pit the title character, voiced by
574:
500:
340:- (heels, wheels, heels, eels, heels)
292:Far Out – (bars, stars, cigars, stars)
280:Making Time Fly – (watch, witch, itch)
262:What a Dragon – (wagon, dragon, wagon)
219:A Jarring Experience – (car, jar, car)
213:In a Pickle – (pickle, tickle, pickle)
375:In the Beginning – (ball, wall, ball)
355:Gone With the Wind – (win, wind, win)
337:A Clean Sweep – (groom, broom, groom)
316:Getting Her Goat – (coat, goat, coat)
298:The Wigged Out Lady - (wig, pig, wig)
307:Putting On Airs – (chair, air, hair)
277:Having a Ball – (gown, clown, crown)
155:) — A a super-powered man wearing a
482:
362:
310:Bookworms (shelves, elves, shelves)
286:Don't Toy With Me – (boy, toy, boy)
193:
13:
386:("better man than he was before").
14:
598:
540:
468:'s realistic portrayals of other
289:Going Ape – (grapes, apes, capes)
216:All Washed Up – (tub, tube, tub)
16:1970s animated television series
319:Town in a Jam – (dam, jam, dam)
241:The Great Escape – (jail, pail)
456:"who resembles those turbaned
421:In that one-time parody skit,
334:A Bum Steer – (cow, plow, sow)
265:In the Ink – (sink, ink, sink)
33:educational television series
1:
582:The Electric Company sketches
475:
132:
450:Southern Illinois University
432:
425:played the Spoil Binder and
86:(running past a big red "O")
7:
414:during the sixth season of
405:
352:Cool It – (nice, ice, nice)
188:
78:narrates the introduction:
27:The Adventures of Letterman
10:
603:
225:Woman Bites Bear – (pear,
202:Hands Full – (school bus,
18:
510:Shaheen, Jack G. (1984).
304:- (car, cart, dart, tart)
84:Faster than a rolling "O"
110:have it suddenly become
89:Stronger than silent "E"
349:(waiter, water, waiter)
69:
103:
564:Official Web site of
80:
566:The Electric Company
548:The Electric Company
416:The Electric Company
382:- (hero, zero, hero)
35:The Electric Company
496:. December 9, 2014.
184:beneath his turban.
587:Parody superheroes
446:Mass Communication
442:Professor Emeritus
429:played Litterman.
346:(soup, soap, soup)
343:(boat, coat, boat)
454:racial stereotype
74:In each episode,
41:spoof created by
594:
560:
534:
533:
517:
507:
498:
497:
486:
460:in the escapist
363:Special Episodes
331:- (box, ox, box)
194:Regular Episodes
602:
601:
597:
596:
595:
593:
592:
591:
572:
571:
543:
538:
537:
530:
508:
501:
488:
487:
483:
478:
466:Sesame Workshop
435:
408:
365:
196:
191:
164:football helmet
135:
102:
97:
92:
87:
72:
24:
21:David Letterman
17:
12:
11:
5:
600:
590:
589:
584:
570:
569:
561:
542:
541:External links
539:
536:
535:
528:
499:
480:
479:
477:
474:
462:Arabian Nights
434:
431:
407:
404:
403:
402:
395:
391:
387:
383:
380:
376:
364:
361:
360:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
338:
335:
332:
329:
326:
323:
320:
317:
314:
311:
308:
305:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
284:
281:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
257:
254:
251:
248:
245:
242:
239:
236:
233:
230:
223:
220:
217:
214:
211:
200:
195:
192:
190:
187:
186:
185:
167:
146:
134:
131:
81:
71:
68:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
599:
588:
585:
583:
580:
579:
577:
568:
567:
562:
559:
554:
550:
549:
545:
544:
531:
529:0-87972-310-6
525:
521:
516:
515:
506:
504:
495:
491:
485:
481:
473:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
430:
428:
424:
419:
417:
413:
400:
396:
392:
388:
384:
381:
377:
374:
373:
372:
370:
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
336:
333:
330:
327:
324:
321:
318:
315:
312:
309:
306:
303:
300:
297:
294:
291:
288:
285:
282:
279:
276:
273:
270:
267:
264:
261:
258:
255:
252:
249:
246:
243:
240:
237:
234:
231:
228:
224:
221:
218:
215:
212:
209:
205:
201:
198:
197:
183:
180:. He keeps a
179:
175:
171:
168:
165:
161:
158:
154:
150:
147:
144:
140:
137:
136:
130:
126:
124:
121:
115:
113:
109:
101:
100:
95:
90:
85:
79:
77:
67:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
28:
22:
565:
547:
513:
493:
484:
461:
438:Jack Shaheen
436:
427:Skip Hinnant
420:
415:
411:
409:
398:
369:origin story
366:
170:Spell Binder
169:
148:
138:
127:
116:
104:
98:
93:
88:
83:
82:
73:
51:Faith Hubley
26:
25:
514:The TV Arab
174:Zero Mostel
172:(voiced by
153:Gene Wilder
151:(voiced by
143:Joan Rivers
141:(voiced by
76:Joan Rivers
63:Joan Rivers
59:Zero Mostel
55:Gene Wilder
47:John Hubley
43:Mike Thaler
576:Categories
476:References
470:minorities
182:magic wand
133:Characters
433:Criticism
412:Litterman
149:Letterman
39:superhero
423:Jim Boyd
406:Parodies
208:platypus
189:Episodes
139:Narrator
229:, pear)
204:octopus
160:sweater
157:varsity
123:sweater
120:varsity
112:mustard
108:custard
61:, with
555:
526:
399:fiend,
178:turban
520:35–36
458:Arabs
553:IMDb
524:ISBN
494:Heeb
227:bear
70:Plot
49:and
37:. A
551:at
448:at
444:of
31:PBS
578::
522:.
502:^
492:.
472:.
440:,
206:,
162:,
532:.
210:)
145:)
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.