101 Dalmatians: The Series

101 Dalmatians: The Series

Titlecard from the Disney series.
Format Animated series
Created by Jim Jinkins
David Campbell
Walt Disney Television
Starring Pamela Adlon
Debi Mae West
Kath Soucie
Tara Strong
April Winchell
Jim Cummings
Cree Summer
Jeff Bennett
Frank Welker
Charlotte Rae
Pam Dawber
Kevin Schon
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 65
Production
Running time 20 minutes (commonly as two 10-minute episodes)
Production company(s) Walt Disney Television Animation
Distributor Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Broadcast
Original channel Syndication
ABC
Picture format 480i SDTV
Audio format Dolby Surround
Original run September 1, 1997 – March 4, 1998

101 Dalmatians: The Series is a animated television series produced by the Walt Disney Company based on the classic 1961 Disney animated feature of the same name and its 1996 live-action remake.

Contents

Premise

Set on a farm, the show focuses primarily on three particular puppies: Lucky, TV expert, leader, and unconventional hero; Rolly, his loyal, scholarly, and always-hungry brother; and Cadpig, their sister, runt of the family. The three siblings are often joined Spot, a chicken who wants to be a dog and a member of the "Bark Brigade." Early promotional material had listed "dictatorial Penny and mischievous Patch" as two other puppy cast members, but the highlighted puppies were whittled down to three.

Other puppies appearing in the show have included the brave, three-legged Tripod; Dipstick; the constantly urinating Wizzer; and Two-Tone. The show seems to be a blending of both the original animated film and the live action feature.

Production

101 Dalmatians: The Series debuted in syndication on September 1, 1997, running new episodes five days a week. Less than two weeks later, the show came to ABC's One Saturday Morning lineup, airing original episodes that could only be seen on the network. Sixty-five episodes were produced: Twelve on ABC and 53 in syndication. In August 1998, the show played its last episode in syndication.

Reruns continued to play on ABC until 1999, when the show was moved to the Disney Channel and then later to Toon Disney. On January 30, 2006, Toon Disney aired the show for the final time regularly, while four episodes were shown in March 2007 for the final time. As of that day, 101 Dalmatians: The Series is off the air in most countries with a Disney Channel franchise. It is currently being syndicated on the United Kingdom channel Disney Cinemagic and was also aired on the Latin American version of Disney Channel during 2008, then on January 2, 2010, Season 2 moved to RTE Two in Ireland. It aired a few times in early 2011 Fridays at 4 a.m. on Disney Junior, but after four airings, its airing has been discontinued.

Characters

The main characters in the series are Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, and Spot. Lucky is the most adventurous of the 99 puppies. He is unique in having his only spots in the shape of a horseshoe on his back. Cadpig is the runt of the litter. She is the smallest of the 99 puppies but quite possibly the most intelligent, if not deluded. She is unique in having long floppy ears and a big head and a kind personality. Rolly is the greedy one. Almost all his decisions are based on food and this, at times, gets him and the pups into trouble. He is, however, a loyal and helpful sibling. Spot is a chicken who wants to become a Dalmatian. She is a voice of reason for the foursome but, more often than not, is ignored. She is easily frightened and is prone to literally bouncing off the walls. She is, however, a good dancer (which has to count for something, according to her) and appears to be good at math. She is also able to fly. Patch appears in the series in his look from the Dodie Smith novel; he appears to be more laid-back unlike his movie counterpart. Dipstick retains a bit of his movie look; he is portrayed as dimwitted but loyal. Wizzer changed quite a bit from his movie look, being smaller and with white ears and a red collar. He follows Mooch's orders without question and is still prone to having accidents as in the live-action movie. Two-Tone changed quite a bit from her movie appearance, now having two black ears, a gold hoop earring in her right ear, a blue collar instead of pink, and a lower black body with white spots. She was Mooch's girlfriend and second in command of his gang until she dated Lucky in "Love 'Em and Flea 'Em." Since then, Two-Tone has gone off on her own.

The main villains in the series are Cruella de Vil and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper. Cruella is now a corporate criminal and most of her plans revolve around getting richer, tormenting the Dalmatians, and plotting to steal the Dearly Farm. Horace and Jasper are usually hired to perform her plans, usually failing.

Other characters include Roger Dearly, Anita Dearly, Nanny, Pongo and Perdita, the Colonel, Danny, Thunderbolt, Lit' Lightning, Sergeant Tibbs, Lt. Pug, Duck, Tteok, Pegly, Dzoomela, Lucy, Charly, Mooch, Scorch, an alligator name Steven, Vindella de Vil, the entire de Vil family.

Episodes

ABC: 1997-1998

No. Title Original airdate Summary
1 Home is Where the Bark Is September 13, 1997 When Roger and Anita's house proves to be too much trouble for the 101 dogs they own, they move to a new farm. Lucky, Cadpig, and Rolly, however, prefer the city life and are determined to return to their old home.
2A He Followed Me Home September 27, 1997 A circus elephant wanders onto the Dearly Farm, which gives Cruella the idea that the Dearlys will be forced to sell the farm because their deed prohibits them from having any pets other than their 101 Dalmatians and the animals already part of the farm.
2B Love 'Em and Flea 'Em September 27, 1997 Lucky wishes to attend a dance with Two-Tone, but ends up with fleas.
3A Howl Noon October 4, 1997 Lt. Pug's old bully rival, Persian Pete, comes back to haunt him at exactly noon.
3B Easy on the Lies October 4, 1997 When Rolly traps himself into hearing the Colonel tell a story he has heard very often, Lucky stretches the truth to try to get him out of it, which lands them all in trouble.
4A Two for the Show October 11, 1997 Lucky and Rolly compete on the game show Squeal of Fortune to win a bone autographed by Thunderbolt.
4B An Officer and a Gentledog October 11, 1997 Lucky and Tripod compete to become Top Dog of Lt. Pug's Bark Brigade on the "Obstacle Course of Unspeakable Pain and Agony."
5A Bad to the Bone October 18, 1997
5B Southern Fried Cruella October 18, 1997 Cruella makes her latest plans using the means of pollution.
6A Swine Song October 25, 1997 Rolly believes he has fallen in love with Dumpling and attempts to impress her.
6B Watch for Falling Idols October 25, 1997 A Thunderbolt executive orders the Dearly Farm be used for the next episode of Thunderbolt. Lucky is overjoyed at the news.
7A The High Price of Fame November 1, 1997 Spot embarrasses herself while the pups videotape her every move and submit it to Stupendously Embarrassing Home Videos.
7B The Great Cat Invasion November 1, 1997 Fed up of hearing about Lt. Pug's fictional cat invasion, Lucky devises a plan to get him off their backs.
8 No Train, No Gain November 8, 1997 After seeing a boy billionaire ask for a specific railway car, Cruella tries to get rich quick by stealing the one on the Dearly's farm.
9A Rolly's Egg-Celent Adventure November 15, 1997 Rolly baby-sits one of Spot's mother's eggs, which Scorch tries to steal.
9B Wild Chick Chase November 15, 1997 Spot has to baby-sit a chick when she really would rather go for a swim.
10A The Dogs of De Vil November 22, 1997 After watching a soap opera, Cadpig jumps to the conclusion that Cruella telling Anita to work on a Saturday and her obedience to that order means Roger and Anita are divorcing.
10B Dog's Best Friend November 22, 1997 Lucky gets a new friend that makes Rolly jealous.
11 A Christmas Cruella December 20, 1997 A parody of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with Cruella in the role of Scrooge, Jasper and Horace as Marley, Cadpig as the ghost of Christmas Past, Rolly as the ghost of Christmas Present, and Spot as the ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.
12A Out to Launch January 10, 1998 Cruella wants to start a space-located weight loss spa while the puppies find her trash suspicious.
12B Prophet and Loss January 10, 1998 After Rolly wins a race, everyone accuses Cadpig of being a psychic.

Syndication: 1997-1998

No. Title Original airdate Summary
13A You Slipped a Disk September 1, 1997 Lucky has to guard Roger's computer game disk from Cruella.
13B Chow About That? September 1, 1997 When Lucky, Rolly, and Cadpig miss lunch, Lucky plans a raid on the Chow Tower.
14A Tic Track Toe September 2, 1997 The puppies and Spot cure racing greyhound Go-Go of his fear of bunnies after he looses a race, making Cruella decide to tear down the track.
14B Lucky All-Star September 2, 1997 Lucky feels that Tripod is taking his place as Roger's favorite when Roger chooses Tripod for a bone-digging contest.
15A Shake, Rattle, and Woof September 3, 1997 Cruella's latest scheme to steal the farm involves making Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, and Spot huge sensations.
15B Cadpig Behind Bars September 3, 1997 Cadpig persuades Lt. Pug that he has a feminine side, then ends up in the dog pound.
16A Leisure Lawsuit September 4, 1997 Cruella fakes an injury to try to mooch the Dearlys off their farm.
16B Purred It Through the Grapevine September 4, 1997 Lucky, Rolly, Cadpig, and Spot attempt to translate a signal in barking code.
17A Our Own Digs September 5, 1997 Lucky, Rolly, and Cadpig search for a space of their own when the barn gets too crowded.
17B Goose Pimples September 5, 1997 Lt. Pug takes the pups on night maneuvers and scares them with stories about Lockjaw.
18 Two Faces of Anita September 8, 1997 When Anita wins the Designer of the Year award, Cruella is determined to steal it.
19 The Fungus Among Us September 9, 1997 Cruella tries to steal a fungus from under the Dearlys' barn to make a perfume.
20A Market Mayham September 10, 1997 When the Dearlys run out of dog food, Nanny drives into Grutely to buy a bag of Any-Mutt. The pups and Spot sneak aboard to try to persuade her to buy Kanine Krunchies.
20B Lucky to be Alone September 10, 1997 Lucky is fed up of being surrounded by puppies, so Pongo and Perdita arrange for him to visit his Aunt Coco and Uncle Beamer.
21 Four Stories Up September 11, 1997 While dealing with the Cruellathon interrupting Thunderbolt, the pups and Spot try to guess how it ends, including themselves into the story.
22A It's a Swamp Thing September 12, 1997 Lucky looses the Colonel's scarf, then disobeys his orders never to enter the swamp to get it back.
22B Roll Out the Pork Barrel September 12, 1997 Rolly, feeling fed up of the way the others treat him, becomes Ed Pig's protégé.
23A Alive N' Chicken 1 September 15, 1997 After overhearing Anita and Nanny talking, Spot believes she is going to die imminently. Cadpig takes this as an opportunity to teach her to "live it up."
23B Prima Doggy September 15, 1997 Lucky gets chosen to be in a Kanine Krunchies commercial.
24 You Say It's Your Birthday September 16, 1997 When the Dearlys plan a surprise party for the pups, Lucky believes they are being sold to Cruella, while Cruella suspects Anita to be moonlighting for her competition.
25A Oozy Does It September 17, 1997 Lucy gets mad at the pups and Spot for using her pond.
25B Barnboozled September 17, 1997 Cruella has to spend 24 hours in the Dearlys' barn so she can claim the farm, which has legally belonged to her family since 1732.
26 Citizen Canine September 18, 1997 Mayor Pig runs for re-election with Lucky as his opponent.
27A Full Metal Pullet September 20, 1997 Lucky tries to get Spot thrown out of the Bark Brigade when she messes up their cohesion drills.
27B Dough the Right Thing September 20, 1997 When thinking they have done the right thing by returning Cruella's purse, the pups and Spot realize they have actually given Cruella Anita's purse.
28A Frisky Business September 22, 1997 The pups are determined to try out the new Kanine Krunchies recipe despite Spot's objections and steal Cruella's car, and Cruella attempts to frame Roger.
28B Cadet of the Month September 22, 1997 Lucky receives the coveted Cadet of the Month award by cheating, but ends up having to try to save Lt. Pug from being recycled.
29 Valentine Daze September 23, 1997 Lucky manages to lose the Valentine Roger made for Anita. When Cruella gets hold of it, she is determined to find out who it is from.
30A Close But No Cigar September 25, 1997 At the county fair, Cruella attempts to rig a sweepstakes to get herself to win with ticket #202, though Horace accidentally sold her ticket to Nanny. The pups, meanwhile, get left behind and must get to the fair to return Nanny her ticket.
30B Invasion of the Doggy Snatchers September 25, 1997 Spot stumbles across a chicken who believes the pups have been turned into aliens.
31A Smoke Detectors September 26, 1997 When Cruella's smoking in bed sets her house on fire, she moves in with the Dearlys until she can quit. The pups attempt to help.
31B Lobster Tale September 26, 1997 Cadpig hates her makeover from the groomer's and manages to rescue/steal a lobster from a tank while Nanny is ordering takeout.
32A Double Dog Dare September 29, 1997 The pups dare Spot to sneak into Cruella's house and take off her mask without waking her up.
32B Mooove It On Over September 29, 1997 Duchess and Princess argue over their personal space, so Cadpig attempts to fix the problem with a psychological viewpoint.
33 Shipwrecked October 1, 1997 The Dearlys and Cruella, attempting to get away from each other for a day, end up on the same cruise, then Lucky and Scorch fall overboard.
34 Mall Pups October 3, 1997 Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, and Spot sneak away from Bark Brigade class to visit the Stifle Mall. Lt. Pug pursues them.
35A Shrewzle Watch October 6, 1997 Cruella and a wildlife specialist look for a "tree shrewzle" as part of Cruella's latest scheme to get the Dearly's farm.
35B The Life You Save October 6, 1997 When Lucky accidentally pushes Dumpling, she believes he saved her life. She proceeds to see to it that he always gets what he wants.
36A Spots and Shots October 13, 1997 The vet shows up to vaccinate the pups. Lucky tries to hide instead.
36B On the Lamb October 13, 1997 Rolly, Cadpig, and Spot try to give Lucky some excitement when he claims Thunderbolt is his only excitement. A sheepdog then asks for the Bark Brigade to help retrieve a lamb, to which Lucky complains and Lt. Pug gets angry. The "lost sheep" turns out to be the Goliath-sized Lambo, who claims he will never go back to the flock.
37A Treasure of Swamp Island October 20, 1997 While Cruella tries to hide money from the government tax collector in the swamp, the pups follow a treasure map.
37B Lord of the Termites October 20, 1997 After termites from the Dearlys' farmhouse destroy Cruella's wooden clothing line, she forces them to evacuate the farm.
38A Fountain of Youth October 30, 1997 Cruella desperately seeks something to make her young again.
38B Walk a Mile in my Tracks October 30, 1997 Lt. Pug and Cornellia attempt to walk in each other's shoes.
39 Cruella World October 31, 1997 Cruella creates a funfair based on the 14th century to cover her illegal oil drilling operation.
40A Hail to the Chief November 3, 1997 The pups dream of becoming chief fire dog while Cruella attempts to drive the Grutely Volunteer Fire Service out of business.
40B Food for Thought November 3, 1997 Rolly's desire for ice cream gets him captured by P.H. De Vil
41 The Maltese Chicken November 7, 1997 A parody of The Maltese Falcon with Spot in the title role as detective "Pullet Marlow." Her mom, Corneila, lays a giant egg, which Dumpling sees as a threat to her winning streak at the "best big farm thing contest." Meanwhile, Lucy, showing her hatred of decibels, gets framed for stealing the egg.
42A Film Fatale November 10, 1997 Lucky leads the pups and Spot to sneak into the Cruellaplex movie theater to see the newest Thunderbolt film.
42B My Fair Chicken November 10, 1997 Cornelia is determined that Spot will act like a chicken at the Silver Egg Social. The pups try to remind her how to be a chicken.
43A Snow Bounders November 11, 1997 The pups and Spot stow away on Roger and Pongo's snow camping trip.
43B Gnaw or Never November 11, 1997 Rolly becomes obsessed with chewing shoes and Cruella seizes the opportunity to drive the Dearlys into the poor house.
44A Poison Ivy November 14, 1997 Ivy, Cruella's niece, helps her aunt in a scheme to buy the farm from the Dearlys by committing crimes and framing the puppies for it.
44B Twelve Angry Pups November 14, 1997 Lt. Pug still believes that cats are attacking, and commandeers all the puppies' possessions as Spot resumes her detective habits, though the evidence quickly points to Mooch.
45 The Good-bye Chick November 17, 1997 Spot get sick of her mother's temper and grounding her from hanging out with the pups, so she runs away and eventually joins a circus that is run by Cruella.
46A Robo-Rolly November 20, 1997 When Cruella fires Anita, Ralphie St. Lowrent, Cruella's competition, hires her to work for him to come up with new ideas, which Cruella is determined to steal.
46B Splishing and Splashing November 20, 1997 The pups irritate Lucy and are banned from Hiccup Hole. They seek other pools.
47 Virtual Lucky November 21, 1997 Roger creates a new video game that Cruella and Lucky get sucked into.
48 Cupid Pups November 24, 1997 The pups try to make Cruella fall in love with Baron Von Schnickerdoodle, believing that if they marry, she will move away from them.
49A The Artist Formerly Known as Spot November 25, 1997 When Spot gets covered in paint and attempts to run it off, Cruella becomes convinced it is artwork and plans to make a fortune from it.
49B The Nose Knows November 25, 1997 Rolly's nose smells everything, and it becomes a problem, enough to where Lt. Pug wants to kick him out of the Bark Brigade.
50 K Is For Kibble January 5, 1998 When the Dearlys' supply of kibble is repeatedly stolen, Rolly gets the blame. Spot reprises her role as Pullet Marlow to track down the real thief.
51 Humanitarian of the Year January 12, 1998 Horace and Jasper try to get rid of a box of incriminating photos for Cruella so she can become Humanitarian of the Year.
52A Beauty Pageant Pandemonium January 16, 1998 Amber, Anita's niece, and Ivy, Cruella's niece, enter a beauty contest. Ivy forces Cruella to help her win.
52B Hog-Tied January 16, 1998 Dumpling is bored, so she decides to join the pups' group despite the fact that they do not want her to.
53 Coup DeVil January 19, 1998 Cruella hosts a family reunion, with her bossy mother angry at her the entire time.
54A Every Little Crooked Nanny January 30, 1998 Cruella thinks Anita is working for royal clients on the side, so she has Horace and Jasper take Nanny to a beauty parlor, while she acts as her replacement.
54B Cone Head January 30, 1998 Lucky cuts his head while doing a dare by Mooch. He has to wear a cone to prevent him from tearing at his stitches. Mooch and others constantly tease him.
55A Channels February 6, 1998 When the pups and Spot are watching Thunderbolt, they get interrupted by a news reporter who is videotaping Anita because she locked her car keys in. While Horace tries to get the keys, two escaped burglars appear and try to steal Cruella's car and money. Meanwhile, Captain, Princess, Duchess, and Lt. Pug fight over the TV while the pups try to catch the burglars.
55B Un-Lucky February 6, 1998 When Lucky's horseshoe spot pattern rubs off, he believes he has lost all his luck along with it. Meanwhile, Cruella tries to sabotage Roger's newest computer game.
56 The Making Of... February 9, 1998 The pups and the entire cast talk about the original concepts for 101 Dalmatians: The Series.
57A Best of Show February 11, 1998 Irritated by Cruella's remarks about their dogs, Roger enters Lucky, Rolly, and Cadpig in a dog show, with Spot as their trainer.
57B Walk on the Wild Side February 11, 1998 Rolly, fed up with being taken for a sucker by Mooch's gang, joins forces with Swamp Rat to get even.
58 Horace and Jasper's Big Career Move February 13, 1998 When Cruella fires Horace and Jasper for good, they visit the employment agency to look for a new job. Jasper has to keep covering for Horace's mistakes.
59 DeVil-Age Elder February 16, 1998 Roger, Anita, and the pups stumble across a strange medieval town called De Vil Ville, which is under a curse.
60A Jurassic Bark February 20, 1998 Lucky and the others come across a prehistoric cave pup, frozen thousands of years ago, and try to protect him from Cruella and P.H. De Vil.
60B My Fair Moochie February 20, 1998 Cadpig and Mooch fall in love, although Cadpig's only aim is to persuade him not to fight in an upcoming wrestling match.
61A Dog Food Day Afternoon February 23, 1998 Cruella takes over the Kanine Krunchies brand of dog food and starts making it out of sawdust.
61B Spot's Fairy God-Chicken February 23, 1998 Spot wishes she was a dog. Drumstick, her fairy god-chicken, shows up to grant her wish.
62A Good Neighbor Cruella February 27, 1998 P.H. De Vil splits Cruella into her two major personality components: good and evil. Cruella unleashes her good side on the Dearlys.
62B Animal House Party February 27, 1998 While Pongo, Perdita, and the humans are away, Cadpig discovers she has PDS, and Swamp Rat takes over the house for his party. The pups, with Lt. Pug, try to drive him out.
63 Dalmatian Vacation, Part 1 - Road Warriors March 2, 1998 The Dearly family, plus the 101 Dalmatians, go on a second honeymoon. Unfortunately, Cruella tags along, threatening to fire Anita if she did not allow her to join. Worse, the Dearlys learn that they are not legally married, because their minister was a conman.
64 Dalmatian Vacation, Part 2 - Cross-Country Calamity March 3, 1998 Cruella does all she can to prevent the Dearlys from getting married, knowing that she will automatically get their farm if they fail to do so.
65 Dalmatian Vacation, Part 3 - Dearly Beloved March 4, 1998 The pups try their best to help Roger find Anita, who is held captive by alien cultists who refuse to let her leave until their "Shaggy-Green Messenger" comes for them.
Notes:
  1. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, this episode was banned due to its content matter.[1]

Merchandise

Not much merchandise has been made of this series unlike other Disney series, the only ones being:

Continuity issues

The series does not take place in the same continuity as the movies; an example of which being the fact that everyone in the series (except Cruella) has American accents while the movie is set in London and its surroundings. The original animated movie is set in the 1960s (evidenced by a newspaper that Cruella is seen reading, the year is 1961), while the live-action films and the series are set in a modern day world (1996 at the time). It is also notable that the movie is quite realistic, while the series is very cartoon-like. The series comes closer to the essence of Dodie Smith's book than the movies and is based on everything 101 Dalmatians-related (Cadpig is one character that is not characterized in the movies). Therefore, all three mediums can be considered canon, even though they are not in the same continuity. Also, Roger and Anita the dog owners' last name has been changed to "Dearly" instead of "Radcliffe," as it is in the other movies and novels.

References

External links