The Pink Panther Show


The Pink Panther Show is a showcase of animated shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1978, starring the animated Pink Panther character from the opening credits of the live-action films. The series was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, and was broadcast on two American television networks: from September 6, 1969, to September 2, 1978, on NBC; and from September 9, 1978, to August 30, 1980, on ABC.

History

Format

When The Pink Panther Show first aired in 1969, it consisted of one cartoon featuring The Inspector, sandwiched by two Pink Panther entries. Because of the number of shorts produced, two episodes feature a Pink Panther cartoon sandwiched by two Inspector entries. The 30-minute show was then connected via bumper sequences featuring both the panther and Inspector together, with announcer Marvin Miller acting as an off-camera narrator talking to the panther. Bumper sequences consisted of newly animated segments as well as recycled footage from existing cartoons We Give Pink Stamps, Reel Pink, Pink Outs and Super Pink, fitted with new incidental music and voice-over work from Miller.
Pink Panther shorts produced after 1969 when The Pink Panther Show began airing were produced for both broadcast and theatrical release, typically appearing on television first, and released to theaters by United Artists. A number of new series were created, including the very popular The Ant and the Aardvark, Tijuana Toads, Hoot Kloot, Misterjaw, Roland and Rattfink, The Dogfather and two Tijuana Toads spinoffs: The Blue Racer and Crazylegs Crane. The New Pink Panther Show and later shows featured newly animated bumper segments involving the Panther, the Ant and the Aardvark, Misterjaw, and the Texas Toads.
In 1976, the half-hour series was revamped into a 90-minute format, as It's the All New Pink Panther Laugh-and-a-Half Hour-and-a-Half Show Introducing Misterjaw; this version included a live-action segment, where comedian Lenny Schultz would read letters and jokes from viewers. This version performed poorly and eventually reverted to the original 30-minute version in 1977 as Think Pink Panther.
After nine years on NBC, the Pink Panther moved to ABC in 1978 and was retitled The All New Pink Panther Show and Pink Panther Encore, where it lasted two seasons before leaving the network realm entirely. The tenth season featured 16 episodes with 32 new Pink Panther cartoons, and 16 featuring Crazylegs Crane: no bumpers were produced for The All New Pink Panther Show, but 10 second "Stay tuned..." bumpers explaining an upcoming entry were produced for the first several episodes. The 32 All New Pink Panther Show entries were eventually released to theaters by United Artists.

Theme music

composed "The Pink Panther Theme" for the live action films, which would be used extensively in the cartoon series as well. Doug Goodwin composed the show's opening title music while William Lava and Walter Greene composed music scores heard throughout the cartoons, many of which were variations on Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme".

Laugh track

By the time of the show's 1969 debut, fitting cartoon and children shows with a laugh track was standard practice. In keeping with this standard, NBC added a laugh track to all seasons of The Pink Panther Show, marking the first time in history that theatrical films were fitted with a laugh track for television broadcast. This was an anomaly, as other theatrical cartoon series' that were aired successfully on television did not receive this addition.
The soundtracks were restored to their original theatrical form in 1982 when the DFE theatrical package went into syndication. Repackaging over the years has resulted in both theatrical and television versions of the entries being available. The exceptions were Misterjaw and Crazylegs Crane, which were produced specifically for television and never re-released theatrically, resulting in laughter-only versions. The U.S.-based Boomerang occasionally airs versions with the laugh track intact, though these versions are more commonly found outside of the U.S. The Spanish language Boomerang requires that MGM/UA supply them with laugh track-only versions of all shorts. The Portuguese language Boomerang, France-based Gulli, and Poland channels TV 4 and TV6 also broadcast certain entries utilizing laugh track versions.

Incarnations

Over its 10 years on various television networks, The Pink Panther Show had a variety of names:
United Artists Television syndicated The Pink Panther Show in 1980, complete with bumpers and laugh-tracked versions of the shorts. By 1982, MGM Television began syndicating some individual cartoons to local stations to air them as they saw fit. This format did not contain the series' bumpers nor the laugh track.
The following series were included in MGM Television's syndication package:
The following series were not included in the MGM Television distribution package:
Most television stations aired the later package released in 1982, featuring the cartoon shorts by themselves, isolated from the show's original bumpers sequences. The laugh track was also silenced on all entries except for Misterjaw. Chicago-based WGN-TV was one of the few stations to air the 1980 The Pink Panther Show syndication package. Conversely, New York City-based WPIX featured a stripped-down version of the shorts, airing the entries without the laugh track, bumpers, or theatrical opening/closing credits.

Reruns

The Pink Panther Show and The New Pink Panther Show has been remastered in its original format. It was previously shown on BBC Two, UK Gold, BBC One, Boomerang and Cartoon Network. In the late 2000s, it aired in Canada on Teletoon Retro weekday mornings at 8:00 AM. Teletoon Retro showed all 32 episodes of The Pink Panther Show with the panther and the Inspector, all 17 episodes of The New Pink Panther Show with the panther and the Ant and the Aardvark, and select episodes of the first syndicated Pink Panther Show series. Teletoon Retro then showed all 16 episodes of The All New Pink Panther Show, with the panther and Crazylegs Crane. The laugh track is muted for most entries.
The episodes shown on Teletoon Retro also featured remastered versions, while the wrap-around content was in rougher condition. The Inspector cartoon, Tour de Farce, had the wrong title card, that for Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat.
Cartoon Network reran The Pink Panther Show from 1992 to 2004, and intermittently in 2006, 2009, and 2012. A "no-frills" version aired on Boomerang five days a week at 5:30 AM, 10 AM and 2:30 PM; the Boomerang version included four shorts and no bumpers, in the style of its other theatrical-short compilation shows. Until August 2009, Boomerang only featured shorts from The Pink Panther, The Ant and the Aardvark and The Inspector. The laugh track was present on several entries. Currently, the show remains intact on the Spanish Language Boomerang TV channel with most entries containing their original laugh track.
The show also previously aired in its original format on This TV on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 AM Eastern time until September 22, 2011. The digital broadcast network Light TV ran the series when the network launched Christmas weekend 2016 until September 29, 2019. Currently, the show aired on Galavisión as this show dubbed in Spanish, it aired on Monday thru Fridays at 7:30 AM ET/6:30 AM CT, 1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT, 1:30 PM ET/ 12:30 PM CT, and 11:00 PM ET/10:00 PM CT.

Overall cast

''The Pink Panther Show'' (1969–1970)

The first season of The Pink Panther Show consisted of one The Inspector entry sandwiched by two Pink Panther entries. The show was "hosted" by The Pink Panther and The Inspector, seen during the opening sequence, which showed a boy driving the Panthermobile from the countryside to Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. During the journey, images of animals mentioned in the song are seen alongside clips of the panther from Reel Pink, Come On In! The Water's Pink and Put Put Pink. Upon arrival, the Pink Panther and the Inspector then disembark from the Panthermobile and enter the famous theatre. In the ending credits, the Inspector climbs back into the Panthermobile, but leaves the Pink Panther behind, who is seen chasing after the car.
The show's title song, "Panther Pink Panther From Head To Toes", was written by Doug Goodwin and played over the opening and closing sequence.
The entries utilized for the second season featured complete original theatrical titles. With only two exceptions, the first and third cartoons of each episode were Pink Panthers, and second was an Inspector. In the two exceptions, the first and third cartoons were Inspectors, and the middle one was a Pink Panther. Unlike Season 1, a full laugh track was not used but rather an abridged version using isolated laughs from Season 1 edited onto the soundtrack by DFE. Seasons 1 and 2 were repackaged as a single Season 1 in the 2000s.
Episode No.1st cartoon2nd cartoon3rd cartoonOriginal Air Date
#01The Pink BlueprintBomb VoyageThe Pink Tail FlySeptember 6, 1969
#02Pinto PinkLe Pig-Al PatrolIn the PinkSeptember 13, 1969
#03Jet PinkThe Pique Poquette of ParisTickled PinkSeptember 20, 1969
#04The Pink PillPlastered in ParisPink Pistons September 27, 1969
#05Rock A Bye PinkyToulouse La TrickSink PinkOctober 4, 1969
#06Prehistoric PinkReaux, Reaux, Reaux Your BoatCome On In! The Water's PinkOctober 11, 1969
#07Pink Pest ControlTour de FarcePink-A-BooOctober 18, 1969
#08Pink PanicTransylvania ManiaAn Ounce of PinkOctober 25, 1969
#09Prefabricated PinkLe Bowser BaggerSky Blue PinkNovember 1, 1969
#10Dial "P" for PinkNapoleon Blown-AparteBully for PinkNovember 8, 1969
#11Pink Sphinx Cock-a-Doodle Deux DeuxThe Pink PhinkNovember 15, 1969
#12Pink of the LitterThe Great De Gaulle Stone OperationShocking PinkNovember 22, 1969
#13Pink ValiantLe Quiet SquadThe Hand Is Pinker Than the EyeNovember 29, 1969
#14Reel PinkLes MiserobotsSmile Pretty, Say PinkDecember 6, 1969
#15Put-Put, PinkFrench FreudPink is a Many Splintered ThingDecember 13, 1969
#16Extinct PinkLe Great Dane RobberyThe Pink QuarterbackDecember 20, 1969
#17Genie with the Light Pink FurCherche Le PhantomPinknicDecember 27, 1969
#18G.I. Pink†Carte BlanchedPinkadilly CircusSeptember 12, 1970
#19Lucky PinkThe Shooting of Caribou LouPink in the Clink†September 19, 1970
#20Little Beaux PinkBear de GuerreThe Pink Package PlotSeptember 26, 1970
#21Pierre and Cottage CheesePinkcome TaxCirrhosis of the LouvreOctober 3, 1970
#22Pink PajamasSicque! Sicque! Sicque!Pink IceOctober 10, 1970
#23Pickled PinkApe Suzette†PinkfingerOctober 17, 1970
#24Pink PunchUnsafe and SeineVitamin PinkOctober 24, 1970
#25Pink, Plunk, PlinkThat's No Lady — That's Notre Dame!Pink OutsOctober 31, 1970
#26Pink ParadiseSacre Bleu CrossCongratulations It's PinkNovember 7, 1970
#27Psychedelic PinkLe Escape GoatPink PosiesNovember 14, 1970
#28Super PinkLe Cop on Le RocksTwinkle, Twinkle, Little PinkNovember 21, 1970
#29Slink PinkCanadian Can-CanPink-A-RellaNovember 28, 1970
#30In the Pink of the NightLondon DerriereThink Before You PinkDecember 5, 1970
#31Pink PanzerLa Feet's DefeatPink on the CobDecember 12, 1970
#32Le Ball and Chain GangWe Give Pink StampsCrow de GuerreDecember 19, 1970

''The Pink Panther Meets the Ant and the Aardvark'' (1970-1971)

The Pink Panther Meets the Ant and the Aardvark consisted of the same half-hour format of the show, but with The Inspector replaced by The Ant and the Aardvark.

''The New Pink Panther Show'' (1971–1974)

The New Pink Panther Show featured a new opening and closing sequence and theme song, pitting the attention-seeking Aardvark against the panther. The show's new title song, "Pantherly Pride", was written by Doug Goodwin and played over the opening sequence.
This incarnation aired The Ant and the Aardvark during the 1971–1972 season. Later seasons swapped The Ant and the Aardvark with theatrical series' Roland and Rattfink, Hoot Kloot or The Blue Racer, as well as reruns of The Inspector. Only eight new Pink Panther cartoons were produced over this three-year period.
Episode No.The Pink Panther
Entry 1		The Ant and the AardvarkThe Pink Panther
Entry 2		Original Air Date
#01In the Pink of the NightTechnology, PhooeySuper PinkSeptember 11, 1971
#02Think Before You PinkAnts in the PantryPink-a-RellaSeptember 18, 1971
#03Twinkle Twinkle Little PinkIsle of CapricePink PunchSeptember 25, 1971
#04Pink on the CobRough BrunchCongratulations It's PinkOctober 2, 1971
#05Pink OutsScratch a TigerThe Hand is Pinker than the EyeOctober 9, 1971
#06Extinct PinkScience FrictionPink ParadiseOctober 16, 1971
#07A Fly in the PinkThe Ant From UnclePinkfingerOctober 23, 1971
#08Pink Blue PlateThe Froze Nose KnowsLittle Beaux PinkOctober 30, 1971
#09Pink Tuba-DoreDune BugThe Pink PillNovember 6, 1971
#10Pink-InDon't Hustle an Ant with Muscle †An Ounce of PinkNovember 13, 1971
#11Psst PinkNever Bug an AntPink Pest ControlNovember 20, 1971
#12Pink PanicThe Ant and the AardvarkGong with the PinkNovember 27, 1971
#13Pink PranksHasty But TastyIn the PinkDecember 4, 1971
#14The Pink FleaI've Got Ants in My PlansPinto PinkDecember 11, 1971
#15Slink PinkOdd Ant OutTickled PinkDecember 18, 1971
#16Pinkadilly CircusFrom Bed to WorsePinkcome TaxDecember 25, 1971
#17We Give Pink StampsMumbo JumboLucky PinkJanuary 1, 1972

''The Pink Panther and Friends'' (1974–1976)

The Pink Panther and Friends followed the same format as The New Pink Panther Show. The first Pink Panther entry was a new episode, while the second was a repeat of an old entry. Bumpers featuring The Inspector and The Ant and the Aardvark connected the three entries. New series The Dogfather was also added to broadcasts, in addition to The Blue Racer or Hoot Kloot.
Episode No.The Pink Panther
new entry		The Ant and the Aardvark
repeat		The Pink Panther
repeat
#01Salmon PinkThe Ant and the AardvarkThe Pink Phink
#02Pink StreakerNever Bug an AntReel Pink
#03Pink PlasmaThe Ant from UncleThe Pink Tail Fly
#04Pink CampaignTechnology PhooeySmile Pretty Say Pink
#05Pink PiperHasty But TastyThe Pink Blueprint
#06Bobolink PinkIsle of CapricePink-a-Boo
#07Trail of the Lonesome PinkDune BugPink, Plunk, Plink
#08Pink AyeAnts in the PantrySuper Pink
#09Keep Our Forests PinkScience FrictionPinknic
#10Pink DaVinciOdd Ant OutPrefabricated Pink
#11Forty Pink WinksRough BrunchSky Blue Pink
#12Sherlock PinkI've Got Ants in My PlansCome On In The Water's Pink!
#13Therapeutic PinkDon't Hustle an Ant with MusclePink Sphinx
#14Pink ElephantScratch a TigerPink Is a Many Splintered Thing
#15It's Pink But Is It Mink?The Froze Nose KnowsPink Valiant
#16The Scarlet PinkernelMumbo JumboSlink Pink
#17Mystic PinkFrom Bed to WorsePink-A-Rella

''It's the All New Pink Panther Laugh-and-a-Half Hour-and-a-Half Show Introducing Misterjaw'' (1976–1977)

It's the All New Pink Panther Laugh-and-a-Half Hour-and-a-Half Show Introducing Misterjaw was an attempt by DFE to revamp the traditional format of three entries airing in a 30-minute format. The show was expanded to 90 minutes, and included a live-action segment featuring comedian Lenny Schultz reading letters and jokes from viewers. The show also featured two new made-for-television series, a first for the franchise: the Texas Toads, and Misterjaw. New bumper sequences featuring both the Texas Toads and Misterjaw were created for the series. These new entries were aired in combination with repeats of The Pink Panther, The Inspector and The Ant and the Aardvark.
The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show did not do well in the ratings, and lasted only one season.

''Think Pink Panther'' (1977–1978)

The final series broadcast on NBC, Think Pink Panther reverted to the traditional 30-minute format and consisted of repeats. No new cartoons were created for this show.

''The All New Pink Panther Show'' (1978–1979)

The All New Pink Panther Show was a new version of the series commenced after NBC ended its nine-year run. For its tenth season, ABC-TV picked up the series and requested 32 new made-for-television Pink Panther shorts, along with 16 entries for the new Crazylegs Crane segment. A disco-flavored rendition of Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme" was used for the opening and closing credits, with the closing credits featuring a disco-dancing panther. "Stay Tuned" bumpers were produced for seven episodes as well.
Episode No.The Pink Panther
Entry 1		Crazylegs CraneThe Pink Panther
Entry 2		Original Air Date
#01Pink BananasCrane BrainedPinktails for TwoSeptember 9, 1978
#02Pink ArcadeLife With FeatherPink S.W.A.T.September 16, 1978
#03Pink SudsKing of the SwampPink PullSeptember 23, 1978
#04Toro PinkWinter BlunderlandPink in the WoodsSeptember 30, 1978
#05Spark Plug PinkSonic BroomPink BreakfastOctober 7, 1978
#06Pink LightningStorky and HatchPink in the DrinkOctober 14, 1978
#07Doctor PinkBug OffPink PicturesOctober 21, 1978
#08Supermarket PinkAnimal CrackupsString Along in PinkOctober 28, 1978
#09Pink LemonadeFly-by-KnightPink TrumpetNovember 4, 1978
#10Dietetic PinkSneaker SnackSprinkle Me PinkNovember 11, 1978
#11Pink DaddyBarnacle BirdCat and the PinkstalkNovember 18, 1978
#12Pink QuackersJet FeathersPink and ShovelNovember 25, 1978
#13Yankee Doodle PinkBeach BummerPinkologistDecember 2, 1978
#14Pet Pink PebblesNest QuestThe Pink of BagdadDecember 9, 1978
#15Pink PressFlower PowerPink U.F.O.December 16, 1978
#16Pink Z-Z-ZTrail of the Lonesome MineStar PinkDecember 23, 1978

''Pink Panther Encore'' (1979–1980)

For its eleventh and final season, It consists of 52 episodes. Like the ninth season, no new cartoons were created for this show.

''The Pink Panther Show'' (1980, syndicated)

MGM/UA Television syndicated a weekday 30-minute Pink Panther show in 1980, complete with bumpers and laugh-tracked versions of the shorts. A new opening sequence preceding the show featured Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme" played under a segment from Pink Outs featuring the Pink Panther folding the backdrop into a square to be eaten. The closer featured the last few seconds of the theme played under a scene from Reel Pink featuring the panther water skiing.
MGM/UA created two versions of the syndication package. The first consisted of The Pink Panther, Inspector, The Ant and the Aardvark and Texas Toads entries sourced from film elements utilized during the program's original network run.
The second version consisted of The Pink Panther, The Ant and the Aardvark and Misterjaw entries sourced from new prints of the original film negatives and transferred to videotape, resulting in sharper images. As The Pink Panther and The Ant and the Aardvark entries were sourced using theatrical prints, a new, less invasive laugh track being employed on sitcoms at the time was added to the soundtrack for consistency to match the made-for-television Misterjaw entries and bumper sequences that retained their respective laugh-tracked soundtracks.
The second version also incorporated several of the made-for-television Pink Panther entries from The All New Pink Panther Show. Pre-1978 Pink Panther and Ant and the Aardvark entries featured shorter opening titles with introduction music from either The New Pink Panther Show or The All New Pink Panther Show. Closing credits featuring the Pink Panther disco dancing from The All New Pink Panther Show closed out the episodes.

Version 1

The Pink Panther
Entry 1		The Inspector,
The Ant and the Aardvark, or
Texas Toads		The Pink Panther
Entry 2
Pink PlasmaSicque! Sicque! Sicque! Pink Pest Control
Pink-A-RellaDon’t Hustle an Ant with MuscleA Fly in the Pink
Rock a Bye PinkyCirrhosis of the LouvrePinto Pink
Tickled PinkI’ve Got Ants in My PlansPink Outs
Pink StreakerLe Pig-Al PatrolPsychedelic Pink
The Hand is Pinker Than the EyeReaux, Reaux, Reaux Your BoatPink-In
Pink AyeThe Pique Poquette of ParisCome on In! The Water’s Pink
Pink PranksScratch a TigerThe Pink Quarterback
Trail of the Lonesome PinkApe SuzetteGong With the Pink
Lucky PinkTechnology PhooeyIn the Pink of the Night
The Pink PhinkNever Bug an AntPink DaVinci
Prefabricated PinkCock-a-Doodle Deux DeuxPsst Pink

Version 2

The Pink Panther
Entry 1		Misterjaw, or
The Ant and the Aardvark		The Pink Panther
Entry 2
Pinkcome TaxLittle Red Riding HalibutPink Blue Plate
Pink ParadiseDune BugPink of the Litter
Pink on the CobThe $6.95 Bionic SharkThe Pink Pro
Rocky PinkyMoulin RougesPink U.F.O.
Genie with the Light Pink FurShopping SpreePink S.W.A.T.
We Give Pink StampsShowbiz SharkPink Panic
Sherlock PinkTo Catch a HalibutPink, Plunk, Plink
Pink CampaignThe CodfatherPinkadilly Circus
PinknicThe Ant From UncleTwinkle Twinkle Little Pink

Spanish versions

Other versions of The Pink Panther Show have been seen and aired only in Spanish.
Episode No.The Pink Panther
Entry 1		Hoot KlootThe Pink Panther
Entry 2
#01Pinky DoodleApache on the County SeatPink Pajamas
#02Pink 8 BallPay Your Buffalo BillThe Pink Pro
#03Bobolink PinkThe Badge and the BeautifulDial "P" for Pink
#04Salmon PinkTen Miles to the GallopPink Streaker
#05Rocky PinkAs the Tumbleweed TurnsPickled Pink
#06Mystic PinkBy Hoot or by CrookPink Panzer
#07Trail of the Lonesome PinkStrange on the RangePink Aye
#08The Scarlet PinkernelA Self-Winding SidewindeVitamin Pink
#09The Pink of ArabeeStirrups and HiccupsRock A Bye Pinky
#10Pink CampaignPhony ExpressThe Hand Is Pinker Than the Eye
#11Sherlock PinkKloot's Kounty G.I Pink
#12Pink PiperGiddy Up WoeTwinkle, Twinkle, Little Pink
#13Pink DaVinciThe Shoe Must Go OnForty Pink Winks
#14Therapeutic PinkMesa TroublePink in the Clink
#15Pink ElephantBig Beef at the O.K. CorralPink Sphinx
#16Pink PlasmaGold StruckPink Pest Control
#17It's Pink But Is It Mink?Saddle Soap OperaExtinct Pink