HELLO KITTY'S FURRY TALE THEATER

HELLO KITTY’S FURRY TALE THEATER

(CBS, September 19-December 12, 1987)

Sanrio, DiC Entertainment, MGM/UA Television

MAIN CAST:

Tara Strong (as Charendoff) – Hello Kitty/Kitty White

Elizabeth Hanna – Mama Kitty/Mary White, Grandma Kitty/Margaret White

Carl Banas – Grandpa Kitty/Anthony White

Len Carlson – Papa Kitty/George White

Sean Roberge – Tuxedo Orville J. Sam

Mairon Bennett – My Melody

Noan Zylberman – Chip

Cree Summer – Catnip

Denise Pidgeon – Fangora

Greg Morton – Grinder

Fred Savage – Mouser

Sanrio's stable of cute characters.

            In 1960, Shintaro Tsuji founded the Yamanashi Silk Company in Japan. By 1962, he had expanded to selling sandals with flowers painted on them. Noticing how well items sold with cute designs, Tsuji hired various cartoonists to design cute characters to adorn his merchandise around gift-giving occasions, renaming the company Sanrio in 1973. In 1974, Sanrio got its biggest creation from Yuko Shimizu: Hello Kitty.

Hello Kitty's first appearance.

            Hello Kitty appeared on a vinyl coin purse between a bottle of milk and a goldfish bowl. She proved an instant success and Hello Kitty continued to appear on a variety of Sanrio products in various themes courtesy of designer Yuko Yamaguchi. The Hello Kitty empire expanded when she was introduced to American audiences in 1976, and gradually around the world. Initially aimed at pre-adolescent females, the Hello Kitty brand was broadened to include products designed for teenagers and adults. Over time, Hello Kitty was given a backstory as Kitty White, a British girl five apples tall with a large family. Hello Kitty was made British because not only were foreign countries trendy at the time in Japan, but they wanted to distinguish her from their other characters who were predominantly set in America.

The cast of the theater in "Paws-The Great White Dog Shark."

            The first time Hello Kitty appeared on TV was, interestingly enough, in an American animated series, although it was a Japanese-American-Spanish co-production. Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater made use of the various themes Hello Kitty was depicted in on her merchandise by centering the series around Hello Kitty (Tara Strong) and her friends and family putting on shows in a theater. As soon as the show began, however, the theater would give way to the actual world in which the story was set (imaginary, of course). Each episode was comprised of two 11-minute segments that were a parody of well-known movies, such as Star Wars and E.T., and fairy tales, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, complete with Kitty-themed puns in both the episode titles and character names. The episode “The Phantom of the Theater” deviated from the established format slightly by taking place in the actual theater after the show had concluded. One notable difference exclusive to this show was that Hello Kitty was featured with a mouth, whereas in all other places she doesn’t have one depicted.

"The Wizard of Paws"

            Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater debuted on CBS on September 19, 1987. It was produced by Sanrio, DiC Entertainment and MGM/UA Television and adapted by Phil Harnage. Writers on the show included Harnage, Jack Hanrahan, Eleanor Burian-Mohr, Jim Lenahan, Martha Moran, Tony Marino, Pat Allee, Ben Hurst, Temple Mathews, Matt Uitz and Jack Olesker. The theme was written and performed by David Pomeranz, while Haim Saban and Shuki Levy handled the rest of the music. 

 

"Cat Wars"

            Although the series only lasted one season, that didn’t stop Hello Kitty’s popularity from continuing to grow. Sanrio teamed up with several corporate partners to expand the brand onto other objects like electric guitars and credit cards, music albums, video games, and further television adaptations; eventually leading to the opening of her own dedicated stores. In 1998, MGM Home Entertainment released two VHS collections containing four segments each. Between 2003 and 2004, the series was collected into five DVD collections: Becomes a Princess, Goes to the Movies, Saves the Day, Plays Pretend and Tells Fairy Tales. Each one contains five segments without the show’s opening and closing sequences. Only “How Scrinchenip Stole Christmas” wasn’t included. In 2011, the first three collections were collected into a triple pack, and all five DVDs were collected into a single set in 2013.

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Wizard of Paws / Pinocchio Penguin” (9/19/87) – Hello Dorothy tries to get home from the land of Paws after beating the Wicked Witchy / Granpapetto Kitty’s penguin puppet comes to life when he wishes for a son.

“Cinderkitty / The Pawed Piper” (9/26/87) – Cinderkitty becomes head cheerleader for the Royals after winning the heart of Prince Purrfect. / The Pawed Piper saves a village from a plague of fleas.

“K.T.—The Kitty Terrestrial / Peter Penguin” (10/3/87) – K.T. becomes separated from her parents on Earth and is saved from UFO hunters. / Kitty and Chip must help Peter save Dinglebell from Captain Claw.

“Kittylocks and the Three Bears / Paws—the Great White Dog Shark” (10/10/87) – Kittylocks intrudes on the home of the three bears. / A great white dog shark threatens the island of Catalina.

“Cat Wars / Tarsam of the Jungle” (10/17/87) – Fluke Penguin ends up recruited to help save the planet Caturn from evil forces. / Hunter Catnip and Bwana Grinder pursue the legendary Tarsam, who was raised by apes in the jungle.

“Sleeping Kitty / Kitty and the Kong” (10/24/87) – When Princess Kitty fails to invite Bratnip to her party, Bratnip’s mother curses Kitty to sleep forever when she watches TV. / Originally escaping the clutches of Kong, Kitty helps Kong escape when Catnip takes him to New York.

“Kitty and the Beast / Little Red Bunny Hood” (10/31/87) – Fangora and Troll Grinder turns Tuxedo Sam into a beast, which can be reversed if Kitty falls for him. / Grandma Kitty faces multiple problems as Little Red Bunny Hood goes to visit her.

“Snow White Kitty and the One Dwarf / Frankencat” (11/7/87) – Dwarf Grinder saves Snow White from the evil queen Catnip. / Dr. Frankencat builds a monster that abducts My Melody.

“Catula / Paws of the Round Table” (11/14/87) – Hello Kitty and her friends have to stop Catula from terrorizing Catsylvania. / Sir Lancelot Penguin and Arthur have to retrieve Excalibur from Morgan La Fur and the Black Knight.

“Rumpeldogskin / Robin Penguin” (11/21/87) – Kitty spins straw into gold for King Sam while Fangora pushes Catnip to become his queen. / Robin Penguin must jouse Sheriff Grinder to save Maid Kitty.

“Hello Mother Goose / Crocodile Penguin” (11/28/87) – Hello Mother Goose helps her friends retrieve what they’ve lost. / Reporters Hello Kitty and My Melody track down the legendary Crocodile Penguin.

“Grinder Genie and the Magic Lamp / The Ugly Quackling” (12/5/87) – Kitty and Sam find a magic lamp. / Ugly saves sister Catnip from Grinder Fox.

“How Scrinchenip Stole Christmas / The Phantom of the Theater” (12/12/87) – Catnip attempts to steal Christmas. / Mowser the Mouse is responsible for strange goings on at the theater.


Originally posted in 2014. Updated in 2018.

BUSTER JONES DEAD AT 71

Voice actor Buster Jones died on September 16th at age 71. You an read the article here.

His Saturday contributions included Black Vulcan on several versions of the Super Friends with several other minor characters, an unspecified role in Spider-Man (1981), Twiggy Sander aka Spaghetti Man on The Super Globetrotters, Lothar on Defenders of the Earth, Officer Quartz on The Flintstone Kids, two minor roles on Batman: The Animated Series and its follow-up The New Batman Adventures, and his best-known role as the second voice of Winston Zeddemore on The Real Ghostbusters replacing Arsenio Hall.

THE DUKES

THE DUKES

(CBS, February 5-October 29, 1983)

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Warner Bros. Television

MAIN CAST:

Byron Cherry – Coy Duke (season 1)

Christopher Mayer – Vance Duke (season 1)

Tom Wopat – Luke Duke (season 2)

John Schneider – Bo Duke (season 2)

Catherine Bach – Daisy Duke

Denver Pyle – Jesse Duke

James Best – Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane

Sorrell Booke – Boss Hogg

Frank Welker – Flash, Smokey, The General Lee

            From the 1970s through the early 1980s, popular pieces of Americana included C.B. Radios, car chases, trucking, and an infatuation with Southern culture. Hollywood was quick to capitalize on this trend with projects such as Smokey and the Bandit, Convoy, Breaker! Breaker!, B.J. and the Bear and Every Which Way But Loose. Of particular note was Moonrunners, written and directed by Gy Waldron and based on the exploits of ex-moonshiner Jerry Rushing. The film was released in 1975 by United Artists and attracted the attention of Warner Bros., who approached Waldron about turning the movie into a TV series.

The Dukes of Hazzard cast: Rick Hurst, Booke, Schneider, Pyle, Wopat, Bach, Ben Jones and
Best with Flash.

            That series was The Dukes of Hazzard, which utilized many of the same character and location names while toning down some of the cruder elements of the film to make it more suitable for television. Dukes centered on the Duke family—cousins Bo (John Schneider), Luke (Tom Wopat), Daisy (Catherine Bach) and their uncle, Jesse (Denver Pyle)—who lived in the fictional Georgia county of Hazzard. They were in the moonshine business until revenuers caught up to them and Jesse made an agreement to keep his boys out of jail by giving it up. Now a family of farmers, the Dukes earned supplemental income from Daisy’s waitressing at bar called The Boar’s Nest while Bo and Luke competed in local races with their seemingly indestructible car, an orange 1969 Dodge Charger dubbed The General Lee. Often, the Duke family found themselves at odds with corrupt county commissioner Jefferson Davis “J.D.” Hogg (Sorrell Booke), and his dimwitted brother-in-law, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (James Best). Country singer Waylon Jennings was brought on to serve as the show’s balladeer as he had in the film, as well as compose the show’s theme and serve as an uncredited script consultant to add an air of authenticity to the dialogue.

The General Lee racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles.

The Dukes of Hazzard debuted on CBS on January 26, 1979. Originally a mid-season replacement, only 9-episodes were ordered. The first five episodes were filmed on location around Georgia before production went on a Christmas break. Impressed by what they saw, Warner Bros. decided to order a full season’s worth of episodes and moved the production to their lot in Burbank, California to cut down on costs, simplify production, and enlist a larger workshop to produce Generals and police cars to replace ones destroyed by the many stunts in each episode. The Georgia episodes were noticeably grittier and more adult in tone, closer to that of Moonrunners. Given the timeslot CBS aired the program, which was typically the time families tuned in, Best led the cast in a lobby for the show to become more family-friendly. As a result, the comedy element of each episode was increased and Boss and Rosco became more inept and softer villains.

The show proved immensely popular, ranking second only to the nighttime soap opera Dallas that followed it. The show became so big that by the start of the fifth season, Schneider and Wopat entered into a contract dispute over their salaries and merchandising royalties they felt were owed them. The studio refused their demands and they walked off the show (Bach also felt this way, but she was convinced that her leaving as well would likely result in the show just being outright cancelled). Believing the real star of the show was The General Lee and the impossible stunts it did, Warner Bros. recast their roles with lookalike actors. Bo and Luke were written out, said to be racing on the NASCAR circuit, and replacing them were new Duke cousins Coy (Byron Cherry) and Vance (Christopher Mayer) to help watch over things in Hazzard. 

"Thanks for coming. We got it from here. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

The rest of the cast, Waldron, and fans did not take to the change well. Coy and Vance, rather than being made their own characters, were fundamentally carbon copies of Bo and Luke. Helping that perception was the fact that early scripts had Bo and Luke’s names scratched out and their replacements’ penciled in. The ratings sank, forcing Warner Bros. to renegotiate with Wopat and Schneider. Ultimately, a deal was struck and they returned before the end of the season. Bo and Luke thanked Coy and Vance for their help and the latter pair drove off, largely forgotten within the show.

It was during this tumultuous time that Warner Bros. was looking to further expand and diversify the Dukes franchise. With the toys selling well, they decided to attract even more of the child audience by commissioning a Saturday morning cartoon. Partnering with Hanna-Barbera, The Dukes hit Saturday morning airwaves. The cartoon featured Coy, Vance and Daisy in a race against Boss Hogg, Rosco and Rosco’s dog, Flash (Frank Welker), around the world for prize money they needed to save their farm from Boss. Because it was a cartoon, the General (Welker) was able to do a lot more in terms of stunts and contained an array of gadgetry, as well as some semblance of a personality. Each episode was told in flashback via a postcard Uncle Jesse read to his new pet racoon, Smokey (also Welker), back on the farm in Hazzard. All of the live-action stars reprised their roles for the series. 

The Dukes character models for season 1 (top) and season 2.

 

The Dukes debuted on February 5, 1983, likely due to the 1982 animators strike causing a delay in its production. The series was written by John Bradford, Benny Ferman, Clive Ferman, O. Gordy, John Graham, Orville Hampton, Tom Ruegger and David R. Toddman, with Ray Parker serving as story editor. Characters were designed by Floro Dery, Curtis Cim, Jesse Santos, Mel Keefer and Gabriel Hoyos, with music by Hoyt Curtin and Paul DeKorte. When the series was renewed for a second season, Schneider and Wopat were brought in and their character models were used to replace Coy and Vance. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled at the end of the season meaning the real Duke boys only got to appear in a mere seven episodes. In 2010, Warner Archive released the complete series to DVD as part of their Hanna-Barbera Classics Collection.

Them Dukes boys ain't causin' no trouble, but that flag sure is.

Despite the return of Bo and Luke, The Dukes of Hazzard never reclaimed its former glory; aided in part by increasingly inferior and formulaic scripts and cost-cutting measures of using models for many of the growlingly absurd stunts (like jumping over an entire building). With ratings plummeting, the show was cancelled at the end of its seventh season. The legacy of the show would live on, however, as the cast reunited for two reunion movies and several video games. There have been annual conventions attended by members of the cast and many replicas of the cars, as well as Cooter’s Place, a museum and store in Tennessee dedicated to the Dukes run by Ben Jones (Duke friend and town mechanic Cooter Davenport). In 2005, Warner Bros. attempted to relaunch the franchise with a feature film and potential series pilot television movie, but neither took off. While merchandise related to the show has had relatively continuous production and the show itself has been seen on streaming services, debate about the symbolism of the Confederate battle flag (which adorned the General Lee’s roof and front license plate as it had been a symbol of “southern pride”) has caused Warner Bros. to reconsider licensing Dukes products going forward and even the very airing of the program.

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Put Up Your Dukes!” (2/5/83) – The Dukes race Boss Hogg and Rosco around the world, their first stop taking them to Australia to visit a Duke who is a boxer.

“Jungle Jitters” (2/12/83) – In South America, Boss steals the Dukes’ extra gas and volcano-worshiping natives try to sacrifice the General Lee.

“The Dukes in Venice” (2/19/83) – The Dukes recover the General Lee from robbers who used it to escape the law, but Boss uses the incident to frame the Dukes for the crime.

“Morocco Bound” (2/26/83) – A series of mix-ups allow Aladdin’s lamp to fall into Daisy’s hands, making her the target of the thief who originally stole it.

“The Secret Satellite” (3/5/83) – The racers head after a satellite that crashed in the Arctic Circle, the Dukes doing so for their country and Boss for the hefty reward.

“The Dukes of London” (3/12/83) – Flash is accidentally mixed up with the Queen’s dog, Regina, and the Dukes get arrested for kidnapping when they wind up with Regina.

“The Greece Fleece” (3/19/83) – Boss uses a man named Big Nick to frame the Dukes while plotting to marry his daughter in order to receive a lot of money.

“The Dukes in India” (3/26/83) – Boss teams up with the Grand Vazir to slow down the Dukes so Boss can win the race.

“The Dukes in Uzbekistan” (4/2/83) – The Dukes help an English archaeologist find her father who went missing looking for a diamond mine.

“A Hogg in Hong Kong” (4/9/83) – Pirates capture the racers, and it’s up to the Dukes to save everyone.

“The Dukes in Scotland” (4/16/83) – Billy Bob and June Stewart from Hazzard have inherited a haunted castle.

“The Dukes Do Paris” (4/23/83) – A man gives a rare stamp to Daisy, whom he believes is working for Boss, putting the Dukes in trouble with the law.

“The Dukes Do Switzerland” (4/30/83) – An inventor and his daughter seek to protect their gas formula from the Slavonia Secret Police, only to have it stolen by Boss and Rosco.

Season 2:

“Boss O’ Hogg and the Little People” (9/17/83) – Boss and Rosco steal gold from leprechauns and the Dukes have to save them from being thrown over the rainbow.

“The Tales of Vienna Hoods” (9/24/83) – Thieves kidnap the Dukes and Boss’ niece Cindy Sue for a million dollar ransom.

“The Kid from Madrid” (10/1/83) – When the General Lee is run off the road, Pepino and his race horse come to the Dukes’ aid.

“A Dickens of a Christmas” (10/8/83) – Boss attempts to break the rules and continue the race on Christmas, sending him into his own “A Christmas Carol.”

“The Canadian Caper” (10/15/83) – Boss buys illegal furs from the Bouchard Brothers, who capture animal-loving Suzzette that the Dukes must rescue.

“The Dukes in Hollywood” (10/22/83) – The Dukes are hired as stunt drivers by a crooked producer who tricks Boss into investing in the film so he’ll be blamed when the payroll is stolen.

“A Hogg in the Foggy Bog” (10/29/83) – Jesse finds a treasure map and joins his kin in the Philippines to race Boss and Rosco in finding the treasure.

Originally posted in 2014. Updated in 2023.