SATURDAY SUPERCADE: FROGGER

 

FROGGER

(CBS, September 17-December 10, 1983)

 

Ruby-Spears Productions

  

MAIN CAST:

Bob Sarlatte – Frogger

Marvin Kaplan – Shellshock “Shelly” Turtle

B.J. Ward – Fanny Frog

Ted Field, Sr. – Tex Toadwalker

 

            Frogger was an arcade game developed and published by Konami in Japan and Sega internationally, originally titled as Highway Crossing Frog until Sega nixed the name. The game saw players take control of a frog that had to be guided up a screen to one of the waiting “frog homes” at the top. Along the way, they had to traverse a busy highway full of various vehicles and a river teaming with turtles, alligators and logs that sometimes had snakes on them. A life was lost whenever the frog was squished by a vehicle, bitten by a snake, eaten by an alligator, ran into an otter, or fell into the water. To top it all off, there was also a time limit. Softline magazine stated in 1982 that “Frogger has earned the ominous distinction of being the arcade game with the most ways to die.” Bonuses would be given for jumping into a home where a fly was present, or by picking up another stranded frog along the way. The game was inspired by game developer Akira Hashimoto witnessing a frog having trouble getting across a road in traffic while he was stopped at a light (yes, he helped the frog).

            Released in June of 1981, the game became a success in Japan over the next few months; ending up as the 12^th highest-grossing arcade of the year. Sega, however, was reluctant to bring it to the North American market. Sega/Gremlin, the company resulting from Sega’s acquisition of American game manufacturer Gremlin, was concerned that the simple gameplay and cute graphics wouldn’t attract a wide variety of players (read: it would put off boys, their primary market), and Gremlin had produced their own frog-themed game called Frogs in 1978 that flopped. They believed that the upcoming Eliminator, a four-player game using color vector graphics, was their next big hit.

Respect the van! Parked outside Spanky's Saloon.

            Market researcher Elizabeth Falconer was tasked by Gremlin founder Frank Fogleman to check their library and see if there was anything worth licensing. She came across Frogger and set about convincing the company to allow her a 3-month test period to give the game a trial run. Sega/Gremlin agreed to license the game for 60-days from Konami for $3,500 a day and set up a prototype machine in a San Diego bar called Spanky’s Saloon. The game received a tremendous amount of attention, and it was enough to convince the company and their distributors to release Frogger that September.

            Frogger had no specific age or gender appeal, allowing it to fill the voids left by other arcade offerings at the time and contributed to its success. It was because of this that it was one of the first arcade games to attract a female audience. It ended up as one of the top-grossing video games in North America during 1981, and became the most successful Sega/Gremlin release. It performed just as well when it was ported to home consoles, earning Parker Brothers $40 million at launch for its Atari 2600 port and becoming the company’s most successful first-year product. Along with the ports came various merchandise such as clothing and board games, and the song “Froggy’s Lament” by Buckner & Garcia from their video game-inspired album, Pac-Man Fever.

            Around this time, CBS was looking to get in on the video game craze and to combat ABC’s Pac-Man produced by Hanna-Barbera. Figuring to hedge their bets, they licensed several gaming properties and commissioned former Hanna-Barbera employees Joe Ruby and Ken Spears to handle it through their studio, Ruby-Spears Productions. The resulting series was Saturday Supercade. Making up the Supercade every week were segments based on Frogger, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., while Q*bert and Pitfall! rotated weekly.

Character model sheet from an episode showing a human character compared to Frogger and Fanny.

            Frogger featured the titular frog (Bob Sarlatte) as an intrepid reporter for The Swamp Gazette newspaper. And by intrepid, it’s meant that his job was constantly threatened by his blustery editor, Tex Toadwalker (Ted Field, Sr.), unless he delivered a story worth printing. With him in his exploits were his friends Fanny (B.J. Ward) and Shellshock “Shelly” Turtle (Marvin Kaplan, impersonating Woody Allen). Even though they were anthropomorphic animals, they didn’t live in a world populated by them that mirrored our own; rather, they co-existed with ordinary humans whose reactions to them seemed to vary between amazement and indifference. Keeping in line with the game, Frogger would always end up squished at some point during their investigations, necessitating Shelly to produce an air pump from his shell and resuscitate him.

Shelly, Fanny and and Frogger in peril while hunting a story.

            Frogger debuted along with Saturday Supercade on September 17, 1983. Writers for the series included Gordon Kent, Jack Enyart, Paul Dini, Buzz Dixon, Dave Schwartz and Sheryl Scarborough, with music composed by Dean Elliott. The Supercade theme was composed by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. While the Supercade was renewed for a second season, Frogger, Pitfall! and Donkey Kong Jr. were dropped in favor of adaptations of Kangaroo and Space Ace. Warner Archive announced via their Facebook page in 2010 that plans were underway to release Supercade to DVD, but because of rights issues with the various game properties the project needed extensive research before it could happen.

Frogger flattened.

            Although Frogger’s TV life was relatively short, it continued on in games to become its own franchise with sequels, remakes, remasters and further ports well into the current generation of home consoles. Beginning in 1999, numerous bounties were offered for those who could set a new world record score on Frogger or beat the fictional one established on an episode of Seinfeld; unfortunately, players only succeeded after the bounties had expired. The newest world record score was set in 2017 by Pat Laffaye with 1,029,990 points, making him the first and only one to reach over a million on an original machine. In 2021, Komani announced via Twitter that they were launching a new Frogger game show with Eureka Productions to be released on streaming service Peacock.

 

  

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Ms. Fortune Story” (9/17/83) – Frogger and his friends investigate a string of gold robberies committed by a strongman and a fortune teller.

 

“Spaced Out Frogs” (9/24/83) – When a real UFO is spotted over the swamp, Frogger and his friends are sent to investigate it.

 

“The Who-Took-Toadwalker Story” (10/1/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Hydrofoil & Seek” (10/8/83) – Frogger and his friends are sent to investigate the disappearance of an advanced hydrofoil from a naval base.

 

“The Great Scuba Scoop” (10/15/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Headline Hunters” (10/22/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Legs Croaker Story” (10/29/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Blackboard Bungle” (11/5/83) – Frogger and Shelly accompany Fanny to the local college where a student’s super skateboard formula is being threatened by a campus phantom.

 

“Good Knight, Frogger” (11/12/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Fake Me Out to the Ball Game” (11/19/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“I Remember Mummy” (11/26/83) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Here Today, Pawned Tomorrow” (12/3/83) – The swamp is plagued by a string of robberies and Frogger and his friends check out pawn shops for the stolen goods.

 

“Hop-Along Frogger” (12/10/83) – The ghost of an Old West desperado terrorizes a dude ranch Frogger and his friends were invited to.

ARLENE GOLONKA DEAD AT 85

 

You can read the full story here.

She played Debbie in Speed Buggy, which she reprised in The New Scooby-Doo Movies and Laff-A-Lympics, and Mrs. Yarby on Fudge. She also provided additional voices for The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.

B.J. THOMAS DEAD AT 78

 

You can read the full story here.

He performed his songs on several episodes of American Bandstand.

GAVIN MacLEOD DEAD AT 90

 

You can read the full story here.

He voiced Captain Gumble in an episode of Pound Puppies (2010). It was a nod to his time as the captain in The Love Boat and the episode featured his former Mary Tyler Moore Show co-star Betty White.

RUGRATS (1991)

 

RUGRATS (1991)

(Nickelodeon, August 11, 1991-August 1, 2004)

 

Klasky Csupó Productions, Nickelodeon Animation Studio

 

MAIN CAST:

E.G. Daily – Tommy Pickles, Susie Carmichael (2 episodes), Baby Stu

Christine Cavanaugh (1991-2002) & Nancy Cartwright (2002-2004) – Charles “Chuckie” Finster, Jr.

Kath Soucie – Phil DeVille, Lil DeVille, Elizabeth “Betty” DeVille, Alyssa Carmichael, Buster Carmichael (both 1 episode), Miss Invisible

Cheryl Chase – Angelica Pickles

Cree Summer – Susie Carmichael (1993-2004)

Tara Strong – Dylan “Dil” Pickles (1998-2004), Timmy McNulty, Teddy McNulty

Dionne Quan – Kimi Watanabe-Finster (2000-04)

Jack Riley – Stuart “Stu” Pickles

Melanie Chartoff – Diane “Didi” Pickles, Minka Kropotkin

David Doyle (1991-97) & Joe Alaskey (1997-2004) – Louis Pickles

Michael Bell – Andrew “Drew” Pickles, Charles “Chas” Finster, Sr., Boris Kropotkin, Spike (1 episode)

Tress MacNeille – Charlotte Pickles, Elaine Kropotkin (1 episode), Mr. Friend, Sally Payson, Baby Stu, Baby Drew

Phil Proctor – Howard “Howie” DeVille, Thorg

Julia Kato – Kira Watanabe-Finster (2000-04)

 

 

            Upon hearing that Nickelodeon was looking to start their own line of animated shows dubbed “Nicktoons”, Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain decided to create their own show inspired by the antics of Klasky and Csupó’s infant children. The result was Rugrats, a series which centered on a group of babies whose imaginations and limited understand of the world around them sent them on amazing adventures that the adults were blissfully unaware of.

The babies: Tommy, Chuckie, Susie, Angelica, Dil, Phil and Lil with Spike the dog.

            The babies were comprised of 1-year-old Tommy Pickles (E.G. Daily, Tami Holbrook in the pilot), who was brave and adventurous with a strong sense of justice; his older best friend Chuckie Finster (Christine Cavanaugh until she retired, then Nancy Cartwright), a timid and clumsy boy full of cowardice and insecurities; and twins Phil and Lil DeVille (both Kath Soucie), who loved dirt, bugs and arguing with each other. Germain, feeling a bully was needed, added Tommy’s older cousin Angelica (Cheryl Chase) to the mix. She was a spoiled brat often stuck with the babies, although there were times she enjoyed their company and even defended them. The circle was expanded with the addition of sweet but competitive Susie Carmichael (Cree Summer) when her family moved in across the street. The adults, who only understood Angelica and Susie when they talked, were Tommy’s parents Stu (Jack Riley), an absent-minded toy inventor, and Didi (Melanie Chartoff), a part-time teacher who constantly took advice from child psychologist Dr. Lipschitz (Tony Jay); Angelica’s parents Drew (Michael Bell), an investment banker that spoiled her, and Charlotte (Tress MacNeille), a workaholic who was always yelling over her phone at her assistant, Jonathan (René Auberjonois & Dan Castellaneta); the DeVilles Betty (Soucie), a former wrestler and extreme feminist, and Howie (Phil Proctor), perpetually unemployed and constantly overpowered by his wife; Chuckie’s single father Chas (Bell), a bureaucrat who was Stu’s childhood friend; and the Carmichaels Lucy (Cheryl Carter, Lisa Dinkins in 1 episode), a Harvard-educated doctor, and Randy (Ron Glass), a screenwriter for the Dummi Bears cartoon (based on the Care Bears but named after Gummi Bears). Tommy’s grandfather, Lou (David Doyle until his death, then Joe Alaskey), also lived in the Pickles household and was the frequent babysitter—although he tended to fall asleep and left the babies to their own devices.

Candy fight in the kinda Old West.

            Rugrats debuted on Nickelodeon on August 11, 1991 right after Doug, becoming the second Nicktoon. Episodes took up to a year to produce, going through several approval processes before entering recording and animation, The series was animated by Wang Film Productions, Shanghai Morning Sun Animation and Anivision, and the process was streamlined with the use of animatics to help convey the look of the series to the overseas animators; one of the first series to do so. The series’ theme was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, who also composed the series’ music with Bob Mothersbaugh, Denis M. Hannigan and Rusty Andrews. After four seasons and 65 episodes, production on the series ceased and most of the writing staff, including Germain, left Klasky Csupó Productions due to constant tensions in regards to the content of the stories and the character of Angelica (whom Klasky hated).

Kimi joins the group.

            Two Jewish-themed holiday specials were aired in 1995 and 1996. Between them and the constant reruns on the network, Rugrats gained a significant boost in popularity; enough to warrant production resuming on the show and the first theatrical feature. The Rugrats Movie released in 1998 and became a box office success, introducing Tommy’s new younger brother Dil (Tara Strong), who was integrated into the series. The sequel, Rugrats in Paris, gave Chas a new wife in Kira Watanabe (Julia Kato) and Chuckie a new stepsister in Kimi Watanabe (Dionne Quan), both of whom also transitioned to the series. The second sequel, Rugrats Go Wild, was a crossover with another Nickelodeon production, The Wild Thornberrys. To celebrate the 10^th anniversary, a special episode set 10 years in the future was aired and became the basis for the only successful spinoff idea, All Grown Up! The series finally ended in 2004 after 9 seasons, becoming the third longest-running Nicktoon after SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly Oddparents. In 2021, a computer-animated revival debuted on streaming service Paramount+ with the original baby cast returning and all-new voices for the adults, although Howie and the Watanabes have been written out.

PAUL SOLES DEAD AT 90

 

You can read the full story here.

He's best known as the original voice of Spider-Man from Spider-Man (1967) and later Spider-Woman. He also played Barnabus Dingleknot in two episodes of Mysticons and provided voices for The King Kong Show (1966), The Smokey Bear Show and The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show.

SAMUEL E. WRIGHT DEAD AT 74

 

You can read the full story here.

He was best known as the voice of Sebastian the crab from Disney’s The Little Mermaid franchise. He played the role in the animated series, as well as Raw Toonage, Marsupilami and House of Mouse.

THE SMOKEY BEAR SHOW

 

THE SMOKEY BEAR SHOW

(ABC, September 6-December 27, 1969)

 

Rankin/Bass Productions

 

 

MAIN CAST:

Jackson Weaver – Adult Smokey

Billie Mae Richards – Cub Smokey, Bessie, various

Carl Banas – Hiram, Mayor Owl, various

Paul Soles – Benny, Floyd, various

  

            While forest fires had always been a concern, World War II put a new emphasis on their severity. Many of those who would combat these fires, such as professional firefighters, were off fighting in the war. The United States Forest Service launched an ad campaign to educate Americans about the causes of fires in the hopes of preventing any from ever starting. But while they dealt with the domestic problem, an international one was brewing as the Japanese viewed wildfires as a weapon in their arsenal. In 1942, Japanese submarines surfaced near the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and fired shells into an exposed oil field near Los Padres National Forest. It was hoped that if Americans knew how wildfires would inhibit the war effort that they would work in cooperation with the Forest Service out of patriotism.

Disney's Bambi and his friends promoting fire safety.

            The Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program was established. They created a series of public service campaigns that featured the character of Bambi, loaned to the Service by Walt Disney since a wildfire played a role in the film that debuted that year. However, as the term was only for a year and further licensing of the character was cost prohibitive, they decided they needed to come up with their own mascot. Ultimately, an anthropomorphic black bear was chosen and given the backstory of being rescued from a wildfire by Forest Rangers in New Mexico, who then raised him and whose ranks he joined. He was named “Smokey” after New York City firefighter “Smokey” Joe Martin, notable for battling the 1922 Greenwich Volcano fire.

Original Smokey Bear poster.

            On August 9, 1944 (considered his birthday), the creation of Smokey Bear was authorized by the Forest Service and the first posters in the campaign debuted that October, drawn by artist Albert Staehle. They depicted Smokey wearing jeans and a Ranger hat dousing a campfire with the slogan “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!” In 1947, the Wartime Advertising Council (now the Ad Council) gave Smokey his well-known trademarked slogan: “Remember: only YOU can prevent forest fires.” The slogan endured for over five decades before it was altered to say “wildfires” in 2001 in response to outbreaks of fires in areas other than forests, and to clarify it was directed at unplanned fires and not controlled ones.

Smokey poster featuring his well-known catchphrase.

            Smokey became a part of American popular culture, appearing on radio programs, comic strips, cartoons, books, music and merchandise. In 1950, life imitated art when a black bear cub was caught in a fire in New Mexico and rescued by Rangers. Originally named “Hotfoot” after his burned paws, he was rechristened “Smokey” and lived out his life in the National Zoo in Washington, DC as the living symbol of fire prevention until 1976. In 1952, the Smokey Bear Act was passed which took the character out of the public domain and put it under the control of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Act would allow the use of royalties to finance the continued education of fire safety.

One of the Dell comics.

Between 1955 and 1961, Dell Comics published Smokey comics as part of their Four Color Comics anthology series. The comics featured Smokey among a cast of animals acting out tales of carelessness, such as chipmunks using matches they found to start a fire, and greed, such as rams chasing deer out of their feeding grounds. There was also more adult subject matter, such as Smokey getting involved in foiling a Communist plot or two photographers willing to let a coyote pounce on a family of whooper swans in order to get a valuable snapshot. It was these comics that would serve as the springboard for Smokey’s first foray into serial television.

Smokey comes to Saturday mornings.

Produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, The Smokey Bear Show followed the adventures of Smokey (Jackson Weaver, who voiced Smokey until his death in 1992) in the hillbilly town of Piney Woods. On top of trying to keep the peace between all the residents, he tried to keep them safe as well by making sure they followed proper safety procedures. He was assisted (often ineptly) by his deputy Rangers, Benny the rabbit (Paul Soles) and Gabby the mountain lion. Each episode was broken up into several story segments with one being dedicated to Smokey in his younger days as a budding Ranger, voiced by Billie Mae Richards.

Smokey deals with a pair of pilfering wolves.

The Smokey Bear Show debuted on ABC on September 6, 1969. The series was written by Shamus Culhane, Frank Freda, Hal Hackady, Fred Halliday, Romeo Muller and William J. Keenan, with Keenan serving as the story editor. The series’ music was composed by Maury Laws and producer Jules Bass. Animation duties were outsourced to Toei Animation Studios based on character designs by Rod Willis. Unfortunately, while Smokey was still undoubtedly popular and well-known in the country, his show found itself up against some stiff competition and was thoroughly trounced in the ratings by The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour and Heckle and Jeckle. It remained on the air in reruns, however, until the start of the 1971 television season.

Computer-generated imagery adorns a 75th anniversary PSA.

            The show marked Smokey’s return to comics with the Smokey Bear series from Gold Key. Whitman published a coloring book and a sticker book, as well as a couple of puzzles utilizing characters from the show. Classic Media released two full episodes on VHS, but nothing further. To date, the entire series has never seen an official release or any new airings. While Smokey isn’t quite the massive icon he was in his early years, he continues to be one of America’s most enduring and powerful public service advertising. His birthday is frequently celebrated through a collaboration of various federal institutions, signage featuring Smokey continues to be widely used in national parks and forests, and persistent advertising campaigns utilizing animation, puppets, suit actors and eventually computer imagery with the likes of Dallas McKennon, Jim Cummings, Jack Angel, Frank Welker and Sam Elliott giving a voice to the character.

           

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Founder’s Day Folly / Spooksville / One Born Every Second” (9/6/69) – The Mayor ignores Smokey’s warning about setting off fireworks for the town celebration. / A pair of buzzards decide to have some fun with Smokey’s hiking group. / A con artist rolls into town and tricks the residents into buying his phony gold claim.

 

“The Outlaws / Silliest Show on Earth / Mission Improbable” (9/13/69) – A pair of escaped convict wolves steal the town’s picnic lunch. / NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Running Wild / Old Club House / Saga of Gas Bag” (9/20/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Hare Verses Cougar / High Divin’ / Spit ‘N Polish” (9/27/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Mighty Minerva / Casanova Hare / Great Kite Contest” (10/4/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Bessie Paints the Town / Thar She Blows / Hobo Jackal” (10/11/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Sneaky Beaky / Heroes Are Born / Winter and Still Champ” (10/18/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Freddy’s Big Date / Gone Fishin’ / An Apple A Day Keeps” (10/25/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Not So Merry Mailman / An Ill Wind / The Baby Sitters” (11/1/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Fire Fighter’s Convention / End of the World / Hizzoner the Admiral” (11/8/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Invention is the Mother of Necessity / Ancient Caleb Coyote / Haunted Castle” (11/15/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Honorable Freddy Fume / Gold Medal Grizzly / Treasure Hunt” (11/22/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Leave it to Grizzly / Citizen Fume / Invisible Benny” (11/29/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Battle of Penny Echo River / Grizzly Rides Again / Build a Better Bridge” (12/6/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“Feudin’, Fightin’ and Fussin’ / Stick ‘Em Up / Goal Line Grizzly” (12/13/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Crabtrees Forever / Hare of a Thousand Faces / Whar Fer Art Thou” (12/20/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

 

“The Celebrity / Ice Frolics / The Hambone Heist” (12/27/69) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

RIP DAVID ANTHONY KRAFT

 

You can read the full story here.

Aside from his well-regarded work in comic books and his self-published magazine Comics Interview, he served as the executive story editor on Street Fighter: The Animated Series.

CLUE CLUB

 

CLUE CLUB /

WOOFER & WHIMPER, DOG DETECTIVES

(CBS, September 4-December 11, 1976)

 

Hanna-Barbera Productions

 

 

MAIN CAST:

Paul Winchell – Woofer

Jim MacGeorge – Whimper

David Jolliffe – Larry
Patricia Stich – Pepper
Bob Hastings – D.D.
Tara Talboy – Dottie
John Stephenson – Sheriff Bagley

  

            One in a series of Hanna-Barbera’s attempts to duplicate the successful Scooby-Doo formula, Clue Club followed the titular club of teenaged sleuths as they investigated a series of mysteries that often involved the strange disappearance of some object or person typically at the behest of Sheriff Bagley (John Stephenson). The Club was comprised of Larry (David Jolliffe), the oldest member and leader that typically handled interviewing the suspects; Pepper (Patricia Stich), who handled the investigation by looking for clues; D.D. (Bob Hastings), who wore a deerstalker cap and often worked with Pepper; and Dottie (Tara Talboy), Pepper’s brilliant sister and the youngest member who typically stayed home (although sometimes made her way into the field) and entered information relayed from Larry into her crime-solving minicomputer or run various forensic tests. The Club was accompanied by two dogs: Woofer (Paul Winchell), a bloodhound that also wore a deerstalker and tended to accuse suspects of the crime without good reason, and Whimper (Jim MacGeorge), an easy-going and intelligent basset hound that sometimes went along with Woofer’s schemes and other times worked against him. While Woofer and Whimper could talk, they did only to each other and communicated in traditional dog fashion with their humans (similarly to Winchell’s earlier vehicle, Goober and the Ghost Chasers). The Club travelled around in a dune buggy (a reworked version of the one from The Funky Phantom) and utilized wristwatch communication devices.

The Clue Club crew: Larry, Sheriff Bagley, D.D., Dottie, Pepper, Whimper and Woofer.

            Clue Club debuted on CBS on September 4, 1976. The series was written by Herb Armstrong, Haskell Barkin, Dick Conway, Jack Fox, Gordon Glasco, Orville H. Hampton, Duane Poole, Dick Robbins, James Schmerer, Jeffrey Scott and Lee Sheldon, with music provided by Hoyt Curtin. Alex Toth and Donna Zeller handled the character designs. Although the series primarily aired on Saturday morning, the episode, “One of Our Elephants is Missing”, received a special airing on Thanksgiving.

Whimper trying to see Dottie right-side-up in the buggy's malfunctioning monitor.

            Following the initial airings, the series was heavily edited to put a greater focus on the antics of the two dogs and have the episodes’ overall length shortened. Retitled Woofer & Whimper, Dog Detectives, these reformatted episodes aired as a segment of the package program The Skatebirds from September 10, 1977 until January 21, 1978. Following The Skatebirds’ cancellation, it was moved over to be a part of The Robonic Stooges after they were spun off into its own show. The unaltered episodes returned to CBS on Sunday mornings on September 10, 1978 and remained until January 21, 1979. Clue Club returned periodically to television in the 80s as part of USA Cartoon Express, in the 90s on Cartoon Network as part of their Mysteries, Inc. programming block, and in the early 2000s on Boomerang.

Dottie at her computer.

            Despite its short run, Clue Club gained a decent bit of merchandise. Rand McNally published a storybook, The Case of the Missing Racehorse by Fern G. Brown and Jim Franzen, a coloring book, a read & color book, The Racetrack Mystery and tray puzzles. Whitman released several standard puzzles. Marvel Comics featured Clue Club stories in two issues of the anthology comic Hanna-Barbera TV Stars in the United States, and World Distributors released Clue Club Annual 1979 in the United Kingdom. Europe was also the only one to receive the board game based on the show from Arrow Games. Letraset Action Transfers released a set of rub-on transfers to create your own scene with the characters. There was also a school tablet from Westab. In 2015, Warner Archive released the complete series to DVD as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classics Collection.

 

 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Paper Shaper Caper” (9/4/76) – In the middle of their abduction, Larry, D.D. and Pepper discover a counterfeiting scheme.

 

“The Case of the Lighthouse Mouse” (9/11/76) – The Clue Club investigates a jewelry theft that seems to point to Uncle Salty as the culprit.

 

“The Real Gone Gondola” (9/18/76) – The Clue Club investigates the disappearance of a woman at a ski resort.

 

“Who’s to Blame for the Empty Frame?” (9/25/76) – The Clue Club is called on to investigate the theft of a million-dollar painting, resulting in Woofer and Whimper being stolen.

 

“The Weird Seaweed Caper” (10/2/76) – An investigation into a sea monster leads to a diamond smuggling operation.

 

“The Green Thumb Caper” (10/9/76) – The Clue Club investigates a string of robberies at Mr. Cosgrave’s mansion.

 

“The Disappearing Airport Caper” (10/16/76) – A pilot asks the Clue Club to investigate the disappearance of the plane he landed.

 

“The Walking House Caper” (10/23/76) – The Clue Club is asked to check out a top security safe that ends up missing.

 

“The Solar Energy Caper” (10/30/76) – A solar generator goes missing at the science fair the Clue Club attend.

 

“The Vanishing Train Caper” (11/6/76) – The Clue Club investigates the disappearance of a train carrying gold bullion that they witnessed themselves.

 

“The Dissolving Statue Caper” (11/13/76) – The Clue Club are presented with a statue at the amusement park that suddenly vanishes.

 

“The Missing Pig Caper” (11/20/76) – Sally brings the Clue Club to the county fair to see her prize pig only to discover he’s missing.

 

“One of Our Elephants is Missing” (11/25/76) – The search for a missing elephant at the zoo leads to the discovery that more animals are missing.

 

“The Amazing Heist” (11/27/76) – A werewolf interferes with the Clue Club’s investigation of a crown theft at a rock festival.

 

“The Circus Caper” (12/4/76) – While at the circus the Clue Club witness the disappearance of an acrobat.

 

“The Prehistoric Monster Caper” (12/11/76) – A prehistoric film shoot is put on hold when its director vanishes.

MICHAEL EDENS DEAD AT 69

 

You can read the announcement here.

In his writing career, he worked on The Real Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), Camp Candy, Little Shop, Beetlejuice, Dog City, X-Men: The Animated Series, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Street Fighter: The Animated Series, Wing Commander Academy, Disney’s Doug, Hercules: The Animated Series, Young Hercules, Avengers: United They Stand, NASCAR Racers, Men in Black: The Series, Gadget and the Gadgetinis, Stargate: Infinity, Sabrina’s Secret Life and Horseland. He also served as a story editor for Beetlejuice, Street Fighter: The Animated Series and Wing Commander Academy.

TAWNY KITAEN DEAD AT 59

 

You can read the full story here.

She starred as the original voice of Annabelle in Eek! The Cat.