This Hanna-Barbera animated series mined the popularity of Evel Knievel for Ernie Devlin, a stunt motorcycle rider working in a circus. Ernie was the star of the show, helped along by his brother Tod and his sister Sandy. Together, they entertained crowds and solved mysteries in their spare time.

Devlin was one of the few dramatic cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera, which struck a chord with older kids. The episodes usually had plenty of stunts and motorcycle feats performed by Ernie and in between shows, he and his siblings would investigate criminal incidences. Some times they would help the circus dig its way out of trouble and keep it from closing down; other episodes found the Devlins looking into suspicious circumstances in the towns the circus visited.

The series had a serious tone, but not too serious as it was still aimed at kids. Ernie never suffered the horrible injuries you’d expect from someone jumping his motorcycle over a dozen cars. The show’s creators included safety information in every episode to dissuade kids from copying Ernie daring feats. They demonstrated how dangerous the stunts were and the peril inherent in the daredevil’s job.

The animation was somewhat limited—this is 1974 we’re talking about—and scenes would be recycled to cut down on costs. One notable voice talent was Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, who provided the voice for Tod, Ernie’s brother. The series had only 16 episodes but the character of Ernie Devlin later found a home in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.