Let’s face it PBS wasn’t great for much if you were too old for Sesame Street, and too young for Masterpiece Theater back in the 70’s and 80’s but it did have a few bright spots.  It was where I saw Monty Python for the first time, and Tom Baker as Doctor Who.  It was also where I got my introduction to Japanese rubber-suit monsters through a little known but personally treasured import of a Japanese TV show named Tokusatsu, or simply translated Giant Robo.

And this series was a huge part of my monster horror DNA and why the show was identical in style to the Godzilla, Mothra, and Gamera monsters I would come to love and watch over and over growing up, and that reason is the production company behind them all was the venerable Toei Company (recycling is good).  And the theme of robot fighting monster has returned multiple times as well through beloved series like Voltron, and even Mighty Morphing Power Rangers.

In the series Earth is invaded by an galactic army (known as the Gargoyle Gang) led by Emperor Guillotine, who has come to conquer the planet, but is hiding out in his multi-colored space ship in the ocean until all resistance is destroyed.  While most of the scientists of earth are captured to help develop monsters to assist in the destruction and carnage, a young boy (Johnny Sokko) and his new older friend (Jerry Mano) are shipwrecked as the result of a monster tentacle (a monster named Dracolon) on a secret research Island.   They are quickly captured by agents of Big Fire, who reveal that Mano is a member of a secret peace keeping organization named Unicorn.  As they try to escape they run into one of the captive scientists (Lucius Guardian) who has been building a massive indestructible robot with a Pharoh-like head.   The robot is almost ready but needs an atomic bomb to activate, and then it will be controlled via a special wrist watch (coded to the voice of the first person who speaks into it, who of course turns out to be Johnny)

Oh they manage to defeat Dracolon (fortunately the robot comes equipped with an endless supply of very nicely manicured rocket missiles for finger nails…french tips no less!!!), but as Johnny points out (literally every episode), the Gargoyle Gang will try again!

If you happen to have Hulu, you can view episodes online, but here are some clips to enjoy:

https://youtu.be/UySpAN-7pa4?list=PLXwK1ZHy1igV3GdNzsH5uNQC9qaRcupOa