Heathcliff (1980 TV series)
Heathcliff is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series based on the Heathcliff comic strip created by George Gately and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. It premiered on ABC on October 4, 1980, with a total of 26 episodes produced under the titles Heathcliff and Dingbat and Heathcliff and Marmaduke.
History
The series began production on November 10, 1979.The first season, called Heathcliff and Dingbat, ran for 13 episodes and included backup segments with Dingbat and the Creeps, who were created for the show.
Dingbat and the Creeps revolved around the adventures of three monstrous characters who were self-employed as "Odd Jobs, Inc." which consisted of Dingbat, a vampire dog who used a bat-shaped novelty straw to eat most foods, Sparerib, a strangely rotund skeleton with the ability to change himself into useful items, and Nobody, a gravelly-voiced jack-o-lantern who led the team and often found them various work.
The second season, called Heathcliff and Marmaduke, ran for 13 episodes and featured backup segments with fellow comic strip character Marmaduke.
When it was called Heathcliff and Dingbat, it was originally aired as a half hour segment on the second season of The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, but it became its own standalone show when it was called Heathcliff and Marmaduke.
Reruns of the second season were seen occasionally on Boomerang.
In 1983, NBC reran the show as a segment on Thundarr the Barbarian reruns.
Two years after this show ended, another one based on Heathcliff was produced by DiC Entertainment, which was called simply "Heathcliff", although for distinction this series is usually referred to by the expanded title of Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats.
Cast
- Mel Blanc – Heathcliff, Spike, Milkman
- Henry Corden – Clem, Digby, Dogcatcher
- June Foray – Iggy, Muggsy, Grandma, Sonja, Marcy
- Don Messick – Sparerib, Nobody, Mr. Post, Mr. Snyder
- Russi Taylor – Barbie Winslow
- Frank Welker – Dingbat
- Paul Winchell – Marmaduke, Phil Winslow
Additional Voices
- Takayo Doran -
- Clare Peck -
- Marilyn Schreffler -
- Judy Strangis -
- Janet Waldo -
- Alan Dinehart -
- Avery Schreiber -
- Hal Smith -
Episodes
''Heathcliff and Dingbat'' (1980-81)
Each episode consists of two 5-minute Heathcliff cartoons and two 5-minute "Dingbat and the Creeps" cartoons.| Nº | Heathcliff | Dingbat and the Creeps | Air date |
| 1 | Feline Fugitive / Doggone Dogcatcher | Football Flunkies / Lumbering Loonies | |
| 2 | The Watchcat / Pumping Irony | It's a Snow Job for a Creep / Knutty Knights | |
| 3 | Great Cop 'n Cat Chase / Milk Run Mayhem | Heir Today Gone Tomorrow / U.F. Oafs | |
| 4 | Mascot Rumble / Heathcliff of Sherwood Forest | Safari Saps / Prized Pooch | |
| 5 | Angling Anglers / Cake Flakes | Health Nutz / Retail Ruckus | |
| 6 | The Mouse Trapper / Lion Around the House | Window Washouts / Door to Door Sales Creeps | |
| 7 | Robinson Cruise Ho / Heathcliff & the Sleeping Beauty | Creep Crop Crack-ups / Nautical Noodnicks | |
| 8 | Gold-Digger Daze / Hives | Batty Boo-ticians / Carnival Cut-ups | |
| 9 | Rodeo Dough / Pinocchio Rides Again | Bungling Baby Sitters / Treasure Haunts | |
| 10 | Cat In The Beanstalk / The Great Chase | LeMans-ter Rally / Beach Blanket Bozos | |
| 11 | Kitty a la Carte / Mystery Loves Company | French Fried Fracas / Showbiz Shenanigans | |
| 12 | |||
| 13 | Star Trick / The Big Fish Story | Detective Ding-a-Lings / High Flying Fools |
''Heathcliff and Marmaduke'' (1981-82)
Each episode consists of a 6-minute Heathcliff cartoon sandwiched between two 6-minute Marmaduke cartoons. Scatman Crothers sang its theme song. It competed with The Smurfs on NBC.| Nº | Marmaduke | Heathcliff | Marmaduke | Air date |
| 1 | Home Run Rover | Gator Go Round | Play Grounded | |
| 2 | Missy Miseque | Crazy Daze | Shuttle Off to Buffalo | |
| 3 | Wish Bones | Caught Cat Napping | Wondermutt | |
| 4 | Gone with the Whim | Dud Boat | Seagoing Watchdog | |
| 5 | Beach Brawl | Of Mice and Menace | Tricky Treat | |
| 6 | Ghostly Goof Up | A Briefcase of Cloak and Dagger | Fret Vet | |
| 7 | Bearly Camping | Tabby and the Pirate | Gold Fever Fracas | |
| 8 | Police Pooch | Mush Heathcliff Mush | Bone to Pick with Marmaduke | |
| 9 | Surburden Cowboy | A Close Encounter | Marmaduke of the Movies | |
| 10 | Baby Sitting Shenanigans | A New Kit on the Block | Kitty Sitter | |
| 11 | Leapin' Leprechaun | Clonin' Around | School Daze | |
| 12 | Caper Cracker | Cat Kit | Barking for Dollars | |
| 13 | The Lemonade Kid | The Great Milk Factory Fracas | Double Trouble Maker |