| Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Animation |
| Created by | Martin Powell, Vivien Schrager-Powell |
| Developed by | Dave Edwards |
| Directed by | Don Lusk Paul Sommers |
| Creative director(s) | Ray Patterson |
| Voices of | George Lemore Elizabeth Harnois Janice Kawaye Whitby Hertford Joan Gerber Kenneth Mars Hamilton Camp Rob Paulsen Scott Menville Frank Welker Clive Revill |
| Theme music composer | Michael Tavera |
| Country of origin | United States United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera Martin Powell Vivien Schrager-Powell Paul Sabella |
| Producer(s) | Davis Doi |
| Running time | 21 mins |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions Sleepy Kids Communications PLC |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC The Children's Channel (UK) Syndication Cartoon Network (USA) |
| Original run | 1st September 1990 – 24th November 1990 |
Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone / Potsworth and Company is an animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera in conjunction with Sleepy Kids PLC and is known outside the USA as Potsworth & Co.. In the UK (which is reflected in the theme song's lyrics in the UK broadcast),the BBC felt that the suggestion of children being awake after midnight was inappropriate, thus the name was changed (similarly, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had been changed to "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles").
Contents |
The series revolves around Potsworth, an English Springer Spaniel, based upon a real-life springer spaniel called Potsworth, bought from the Battersea Dogs Home by Martin and Vivien Schrager-Powell. The couple were somewhat disheartened with some of the children's programmes being made at the time, commenting that "Six-year-olds just aren't content to be fobbed off with 'Mr Wizard go pouf and nasty man go away'. Stories these days have to be believable, contain some logical process". In 1987, Martin started writing stories about Potsworth who lives in a city in America and four young children: Carter, Keiko, Rosie, and Nick. The couple took the idea to Hanna Barbera and suggested a 50-50 deal to turn the stories into a television series.[1]
First appearing on The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera on the 1st September 1990, Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone lasted only 13 episodes. It was watched by 8.5 million in the USA while 5.1 million watched the series on CBBC in Britain, making it the "second most popular children's show on British television after Neighbours".[2]
The "real" Postworth became something of a celebrity when he featured extensively in the British media as part of the promotion campaign for the cartoon series when it first aired in the UK in 1990/91. A comic strip based on the show featured in the merged Beezer and Topper and, when that comic closed, the Dandy.
The series tells of four children and Potsworth the dog who live in the same neighborhood. When they go to sleep at night they turn up in the Dream Zone where, as the Midnight Patrol, they are appointed by the Grand Dozer to protect it from nightmares and other threats and are given their missions by the Snooze Patrol. Their main enemy is the Nightmare Prince.
Whilst they are in the Dream Zone, the five have special powers. Keiko has a flying skateboard; Carter can draw anything and then have it come to life; Nick is super-strong and is able to fly; his stuffed toy Murphy comes to life; whilst his cynical sister Rosie tags along. Potsworth himself acquires the power of speech which enables him to complain about the way he is treated in the real world, and make wry comments about the kids and their own attitudes and relationships. The cartoon Potsworth had a very "English" accent, even in the American version of the programmes, reflecting his real-life counterpart's British origins.
An officially licensed computer game of the series, using its British title of Potsworth and Co, was released in 1992 by Hi-Tec Software for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64.
In this scrolling platform game, the player took on the role of one of the characters in each themed level and had to collect various items and then reach the exit.
The 5 Midnight Patrol members are the main stars of the show. Each one has his/her individual abilities.
The Dream Zone has a number of inhabitants, the principals of which include:
| # | Title | Original air date | Episode Plot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Night of the BedBugs | 1 September 1990 | The Nightmare Prince accidentally unleashes a horde of creatures called BedBugs and needs the Midnight Patrol's help to get rid of them. |
| 2 | The Dozer Walks Among Us | 8 September 1990 |
When he sleepwalks, the Grand Dozer goes around the Dream Zone causing unintentional chaos and destruction. Thus, he has to be locked up once in a while in order to prevent this — that is until the Nightmare Prince lets him loose. |
| 3 | King Potsworth | 15 September 1990 | Potsworth becomes the somewhat reluctant king of a kingdom of dogs, under threat by a giant, devastating cat. |
| 4 | The Nightmirror | 22 September 1990 | The Nightmare Prince steals the Nightmirror which he uses to create evil twins of the Midnight Patrol who wreak havoc in the Dream Zone. |
| 5 | When Bubba Rules | 29 September 1990 | Exasperated by her son's constant failures to destroy the Dream Zone, the Nightmare Prince's mother has him replaced by the monstrous Count Bubba Bonebreaker. Before long, the Midnight Patrol decide that the Prince was not such a bad thing after all. |
| 6 | Nick's Super Switch | 6 October 1990 | Super Nick switches abilities with the powers of Wonder Kid after he has read many of his Wonder Kid comic books. |
| 7 | Dozer Quest | 13 October 1990 | The Grand Dozer is not sleeping and if he stays awake the Dream Zone will end. The Midnight Patrol have to go to all lengths to get him back to sleep. Carter has an idea, but then he can't sleep either. |
| 8 | Rosie's Extra Sweet Day | 20 October 1990 | After a conversation with a talking tree, Rosie gets turned into the nicest girl in the Dream Zone. |
| 9 | I Was a Teenage Babysitter | 27 October 1990 | Rosie must take care of the Greystone Giant's little son Rocky. |
| 10 | The Wishing Whale | 3 November 1990 | The Midnight Patrol (minus Keiko) meet the Wishing Whale who grants them their fondest wishes. But then the wishes get somewhat out of hand. |
| 11 | Santa-Napped | 10 November 1990 | The Nightmare Prince captures Santa Claus, and the Midnight Patrol must rescue him to save Christmas. |
| 12 | Save the Cave | 17 November 1990 | The Greystone Giant is too far behind in his dream supplies, so the Midnight Patrol help him keep up with the dream orders. |
| 13 | Rosie's Fuss Attack | 24 November 1990 | Rosie changes form every time she complains, so the Midnight Patrol must find a special cure for her. |