Thunder (TV series)

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Thunder
Format	animal adventure
Starring	Melora Hardin
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	13
Production
Running time	22? minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 10, 1977 – September 2, 1978
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Thunder was a television series which aired on Saturday Mornings on NBC during the 1977-78 television season. The show centered around the adventures of Cindy Prescott (Melora Hardin) and her friend, Willie Williams (Justin Randi) and featured Thunder, a black stallion who ran wild near the ranch owned by the Prescott family: The cast also featured Cindy’s parents: Bill (Clint Ritchie), a rancher, and Anne (Melissa Converse), a veterinarian. Thunder was always there to rescue Cindy and/or Willie in times of trouble “caused by others’ misdeeds and thoughtlessness,” including a forest fire caused by a practical joker, and Willie being hit by a stray bullet fired by teens in a no-shooting area. Also playing a part in the adventures was Willie’s stubborn mule, Cupcake, who was trained to “burp” on camera.

For about a month, in an effort to improve ratings, the producers of Thunder re-titled the show “Super Horse, Starring Thunder.”

Thunder was created by the creators of Fury, another show featuring a stallion. This show also aired on NBC, from 1955 to 1960.

Thunder was part of a 90-minute block of three live action shows to debut on NBC during the 1977 season, along with Search and Rescue: the Alpha Team and The Red Hand Gang. It was the only one of the three run for a full season in the United States, with all episodes aired. (Search and Rescue: the Alpha Team was shown in prime time in Canada, where it was filmed and simply titled Search and Rescue, and stayed on the air for a full season.)