Colleen (Road Rovers)
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Colleen (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is a fictional anthropomorphic dog from the action/comedy cartoon Road Rovers that premiered in September 1996 on Kids' WB. She is a rough collie from the United Kingdom and the only female in the group. She was a street dog prior to joining the Road Rovers, which serves as a good explanation for her fighting skills, as she is an accomplished martial artist in her humanoid form and, as seen in the first episode, uses a similar fighting style as an ordinary dog. She apparently enjoys the flexibility and freedom of movement that come with her humanoid form, as she is often visible in the background performing motions resembling a cross between ballet and slow-motion martial arts during briefings or while the other Road Rovers are discussing a situation in the foreground.
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[edit] Personality
Colleen is a classic example of a tough girl. She, like her fellow team member Hunter (a golden retriever mix from the United States), frequently makes quips in the middle of a fight. She has a clever, flirtatious attitude and a plainly visible attraction to Hunter, even though (or possibly because) she often seems to find his jokes annoying. Although they are not known to have ever dated, there have been several cases of semi-romantic remarks, the most frequent being Colleen's nickname for Hunter: Huntie-Wuntie (Huntie for short). The pair has been the subject of considerable fanart and fanfiction, and there has been at least one known picture of Colleen in a wedding dress (although it was not shown who was to be the groom). However, due to the show's cancellation, the question of a bona-fide relaionship is still not fully answered and will most likel remain so permanately.
It is one of the running gags of the show that Colleen receives endless confessions of love from the German doberman Blitz, but seems to be constantly forgetting his name and even existence (or rather pretends to). Instead, she gives him new names ("Mr. Stuffington Fluffy Pants") and kicks him across the scene if he starts to complain. Actually, there have been signs that almost every one of the male Rovers is attracted to her, but Blitz is by far the most persistent and least welcomed.
[edit] Talents
Although she is the only member of the team without any superpowers perse (aside from her cunning and agility, which are debatable as superpowers), her quick mind and quicker fists and feet make her a valuable team member in a fight. In addition, she has a sharp tactical mind and considerable skill as a medic.
One skill she does not appear to possess, however, seems to be safe driving - once when she is at the wheel, Hunter says that he is looking for his donor card. However, this rather seems to be another running joke, since there are also various other scenes where she safely flies aircraft, navigates submarines or handles complicated scientific equipment. In the first episode, she even has to tell Hunter that he needs to turn the ignition key in order to start a motorized vehicle.
[edit] Allusions
Much of the humor contained in the show was derived from popular culture, with lots of allusions to the action, spy and science fiction film genres.
The particular character Colleen has a lot of similarities with Emma Peel, a fictional female spy in the British 1960s adventure series The Avengers. Both characters are of British origin, and Colleen's interactions with Hunter appear to be similar to Emma Peel's relation with John Steed, whose professional respect always keeps him from acting upon his attraction to his female colleague. Colleen's abilities in martial arts are another indication for this similarities, as Emma Peel was the first female martial artist to appear in a TV series.
During fighting scenes, Colleen uses various battle cries, similar to kiai as they are used in karate. But different from real kiai, which are nothing more than a short yell without a specific meaning, Colleen always uses terms which are related to cynology, literature, music, sports or politics. Some examples: "Shar Pei - Shih Tzu!" (two dog breeds from Asia); "Jacques Cousteau - Platini!" (a French underwater explorer and a former French football manager, now president of the UEFA); "Nelson Mandela!" (former South African president).
