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In the mid 1970's Hanna Barbera did a rare branching out and made a live-action series.
Set in the days of cavemen, "Korg: 70,000 B.C." was about Korg and his family and their struggles for survival. There were 19 to 24 episodes, depending on what source is cited (some erroneously claim 16).
EDIT: Actually, it does appear to be 16. I wonder if the old book of TV series and piltos that listed 24 episodes was correct and perhaps there are unaired episodes.
It's not a bad show, it was done seriously. And amongst that seriousness, was the score.
Composed by Hoyt Curtin, the music sound snew while mainting some tribal sounds from an ethnic horn, anklungs, and various percussion (on top of regular instruments as well). Though only listed as a music director, we've since learned that Curtin actually scored the various shows he was credited as a musical director on.
It's like a Goldsmith "Planet of the Apes" meets experimental Rosenman. But it's not all original, the episodes were heavily tracked with score from previous episodes, making me beleive Hoyt created a library of cues which were edited in as needed.
Taking into account possible un-unused cues, partially un-unused material, and what was used, I'd make a rough guess and say there's eight or less episodes worth of original material.
It's remarkble what he accomplished musically, given his schedule back then. According to an old Billboard magazine article, he was in the recording studios ten hours a week, writing 50 to 75 minutes of material each week for multiples shows at once (at least forteen each week then). There was no room for mistakes and often music couldn't be done again if somethign was wrong, with at least one time a guy standing there waiting for the music to be put into the picture.
He says he had help from arrangers (no implied composing by the people, mind you) and said of one:
Curtin priases Jack Sterm, "my arranger. I've kept him chained to his desk in a cave and all he's allowed to do is occassionally come out to look at the sun."
Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYOLNOjNX78
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I don't know what it aired at, but it's not made as a kids show, it seems to be targeted at young teens and older, telling life stories and displaying the struggle of survival.
Aside from the cheesey bear costume is two episodes and those horribly fake tarantuas in one episode, it's all well done. Belive me, when you see those tarantulas, you'll laugh.
Man, Korg was one smart caveman. Given enough time he no doubt would have painted the Mona Lisa and invented the lightbulb.
The episode "Magic Claws" features quite prominently an action cue heard before, but usually with a good deal of SFX over it.
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