Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (TV series)

This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Cadillacs and Dinosaurs.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs bootleg DVD cover
Genre Science fiction, cartoon
Created by Steven E. de Souza
Mark Schultz
Developed by Nelvana
Starring David Keeley
Susan Roman
Narrated by Greg Spottiswood
Country of origin United States, Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Steven E. de Souza, Sasha Harari, Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert
Release
Original network CBS (USA)
Original release September 18, 1993 – January 28, 1994

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is an American animated television series which aired on CBS Kids in the United States from 1993 to 1994, lasting for one season of 13 episodes. Based on the comic book of the same name (formerly titled Xenozoic Tales) by Mark Schultz, the show was created by screenwriter Steven E. de Souza, who acquired the TV rights after producing the video game Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, which was also based on Schultz's comic.[1][2] The show dealt with many strong ecologicial and political issues that were central to the plot development. One major focus was the question of how the dinosaurs managed to re-emerge after they were thought to be extinct.

Plot

The series followed the exploits of Jack Tenrec and his crew of ecological freedom fighters known as the "Mechanics". His often-reluctant companion is the foreign ambassador Hannah Dundee. She hires Jack as a liaison while she attempts to create clear communication between her land and the modern civilization. Together they confront the serious issues facing the futuristic environment that humanity has come to inhabit.

Jack also has Hermes, a juvenile "cutter" that Jack hand-reared after the latter's mother death. Gentle with Jack and Hannah, he can still be rather fierce when angered. The show also includes a race of intelligent lizards called "Griths".

Jack and his crew square off against opposition including the Council of Governors and Hammer Terhune's gang.

Characters

Creatures

Many of the dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures featured in this series are referred to by different names:

Episodes

No. Title Original air date
1"Rogue"September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18)
Hammer cuts Hannah and her expedition off with an ambush. Jack heads to a burning town where he is blamed for the attack of a Shivet. Wilhelmina is intent on destroying every settlement and Jack. At the coast to the Ocean City, Hannah mistakes Jack for a poacher. Jack takes Hannah to his garage to meet Mustapha and Hermes. Jack goes off to eliminate the rampaging shivet, but instead finds and destroys the receiver Hammer attached to its neck. After a long fist fight with Hammer, Jack scares off Hammer. Jack confronts Wilhelmina with no results.
2"Dino Drive"September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25)
An earthquake causes a herd of Macks to stampede through a village. Wilhelmina intends to exterminate them which Jack points out will disrupt the ecological life cycle. Jack is promoted to take care of the threat. Jack plans to rally the Macks away with three Cadillacs and aid from Hermes. Jack manages to herd the Macks and thwart Hammer's ambush attempt. The Mack leader destroys Mustapha's Cadillac. Wilhelmina makes a deal with Hammer to ruin Jack and kill all the Macks. Hammer detonates dynamite and smoke bombs in a nearby pass, but Jack counters him and drives his men away. The Macks make it to their new home.
3"Death Ray"October 2, 1993 (1993-10-02)
Dr. Fessenden shows Wilhelmina a satellite laser, but needs to get to the station in Grith territory. Wilhelmina requests Jack to take Dr. Fessenden there. They avoid a Shivet on the way. Jack receives a talisman from the Griths. Hammer abducts Dr. Fessenden, finding out about the Death Ray. Jack, Hannah and Fessenden reach the station and Hannah finds out Dr. Fessenden's true intentions. Hammer catches Jack and Hannah. Before the laser can be tested on them, they escape. Hammer intends to destroy Sea City. As Hannah re-aims the laser on the station, Hammer's lot flees. Jack rescues a Zeek's baby before the station blows up. Jack leaves the talisman to the Griths.
4"Siege"October 9, 1993 (1993-10-09)
After Jack stops Hammer from poaching tri-colored Sandbucks, he swears revenge. Mikla goes undercover getting in Jack's inner circle when she thwarts a minor attack from poachers. Hammer sends his full force to siege Jack's garage. Before Jack and his men can fire the lava launchers, they malfunction from the valve Hermes damaged earlier. Jack descends into the crater to reach the source having difficulty along the way, but turns the main valve. The attackers are warded off, but Hammer penetrates and captures everyone. Jack tricks Hammer into turning on the water system that flushes them out of the garage.
5"Wild Child"October 23, 1993 (1993-10-23)
Jack and Hannah go for an expedition to a mine. When they are chased by a herd of Stegosaurus, they find a wild boy amongst them. While Jack investigates the mine, Hannah goes after the boy, saving him from a Pterosaur. Jack tries to help a wounded Sandbuck, when Hobbs attends to it and asks Jack to find the wild boy. Jack learns from a Grith that they raised the boy after saving him from hyenas. Hannah is attacked in a lake by a sea dinosaur, but the boy talks to it. Hammer sees this as an opportunity to pin the Sandbucks. Hannah refuses to let the boy go until Hobbs explains how they raised him. Hammer kidnaps the boy and uses him to talk with a slither. Jack and Hannah rescue the boy and the slither, Hammer following in pursuit. The boy is then returned to Grith.
6"Mind Over Matter"November 6, 1993 (1993-11-06)
Jack and Hannah go to the Mall Market to trade. Hannah swipes a top secret file. Jack runs into a Mack and finds the river dried up. Hannah finds out the document is the property of Wilhelmina regarding an ancient laboratory. Jack finds the river has been dammed up so that Wilhelmina's men can excavate the lab. Hannah is caught but Jack assists her. Dr. Fessenden activates a deadly robot. The robot activates other robots becoming a threat even for Wilhelmina. The diggers destroy the lab. The robots have survived, but Jack destroys the dam to bury the dig site.
7"Survival"November 20, 1993 (1993-11-20)
Jack extracts rubber from trees, while Laschard blasts a ravine disturbing a family of Stegosaurus and getting himself trapped. Wilhelmina has uncovered a train. Hannah knew a similar train with toxic material nearly wiped out her people, so she and Jack get some flowers which are an antidote. Wilhelmina assigns Laschard to kill Jack. His attempts fail. Wilhelmina tries to abort Laschard's assignment when she sees the ill state Mustapha is in, Laschard doesn't listen. Jack and Hannah fail to get Laschard's car as a cutter stands guard. Next day Jack turns a group of cutters against Laschard and diverts the cutters into a river. Jack and Hannah reach the Sea City and provide the flowers for the antidote.
8"It Only Comes Out at Night"November 27, 1993 (1993-11-27)
As Jack docks at Sea City, Kirgo is taken away by a Whiptail. Jack and Hannah investigate the night disappearances and the Whiptail. They are attacked by the monster inside an excavation tunnel. Wilhelmina refuses to believe Jack's findings. Jack and Hannah try again to track the Whiptail. As the whiptail passes them, Mustapha arrives with Jack's Cadillac. When they try to lure the whiptail it abducts Mustapha. Jack chases the Whiptail in his car until he finds her lair. They find Kirgo and Mustapha and that the Whiptail has no babies save one. Hannah rescues the Whiptails and sorts out the excavation problem the following morning.
9"Remembrance"December 11, 1993 (1993-12-11)
Jack and Hannah successfully evade a Shivet and uncover a storage capsule, with a hibernating man. The man is called Adamus. Jack takes him and Hannah to meet an old friend Captras. As Adamus prevents an accident, Hammer spreads word of his presence to Wilhelmina. Jack evacuates Adamus and they run into the Shivet again. When Adamus drives it away, Jack discovers Adamus is an android, while Wilhelmina uncovers the capsule and a codebook inside. Adamus is suspected to dangerous and sure enough Wilhelmina arrives and Dr. Fessenden takes control of him. As Wilhelmina uncovers an explosives cache, Adamus fires a missile causing a volcano to erupt. Hannah turns Adamus against Wilhelmina. Jack and Adamus successfully block the volcanic lava flow from the settlement. Adamus is put back into his capsule.
10"Pursuit"December 18, 1993 (1993-12-18)
Jack is arrested after he fails to stop Hammer salvaging the government's pile driver. In court, Jack retells the time the pile driver was in testing and Hammer in pursuit of it. Jack is tried guilty, but escapes from his sentence. Wilhelmina hires a bounty hunter called Brink to capture Jack. While Hannah searches for evidence, Jack pursues the poachers only to be caught by Brink, but he gets away. Hannah soon finds evidence on Captain Noc's person and divulges the truth to Wilhelmina. Jack destroys the tech house and Brink arrests Hammer.
11"Departure"January 14, 1994 (1994-01-14)
As preparations are made at the harbor, a Thresher attacks and heads up the city canal raiding a fish market. Jack scares away the Thresher. Hannah brings a flock of Zeeks to the city despite Wilhelmina's disapproval. Hannah decides to leave for her hometown. Jack tries to convince Hannah to let him escort her. As they go their separate ways, Jack gets attacked by a large war tank. Jack is captured by Lars Striker. Jack refuses to assist Lars and plunges into a river, Hannah coming to his rescue. Together, they stop Lars and destroy his tank. The zeeks prove to useful against the Threshers.
12"Duel"January 21, 1994 (1994-01-21)
Jack barely escapes from a Bonehead. Back at the garage Jack meets his old buddy Sean Rustle. Hannah doesn't find him good company. The next day Jack returns to find Hermes drugged and his Whirlybird engine stolen. Shortly, Hermes and every other dinosaur acts very strangely. The wild child takes Jack and Hannah to the Grith lair where they are dying from the lifestone been stolen. Jack retells how Sean was always one step ahead of him. Sean reveals his deceitful nature. After blasting Sean out of his chopper, Jack decides to do a rematch race against him. Jack outruns Sean, Hannah saves him from falling, and they return the lifestone to the Griths.
13"Wildfire"January 28, 1994 (1994-01-28)
Hannah manages to maneuver Jack's Cadillac past an earthquake area. Hammer sets fire to the jungle with dynamite. As Jack investigates the fire, Wilhelmina assigns him to deliver nitro glycerin to blow the canyon escorted by the poachers and Mustapha. The convoy runs into a sick Tree Grazer, but Hannah helps it. The convoy manages to cross an unstable bridge and avoid Laschard. Hammer loses one of the trucks. At the river, Hammer tries to dispose of Jack, but he and Hannah fires at them. Hammer recruits Laschard to assist him. With more pursuing, Hannah drives the Cadillac and crashes into the canyon wall, blocking the fire.

Reception

Esther Sinclair, UCLA associate professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioral sciences, analyzed the message of the show: "Jack is altruistic, does not have aggressive impulses, resists temptation and is sympathetic toward others. . . . The viewer may draw an analogy to other endangered species such as eagles and condors. . . . There is an emphasis on the interconnection of all living things. Jack respects all life forms."[2]

The show still has a cult following.[3]

Releases and availability

The show is available in the US through the instant video retailer Amazon Video, and in Canada through the streaming video service Shomi. On June 19th, 2015, the entire series was made available for free viewing through the Nelvana Retro channel on YouTube.[4] In addition, the series has aired for many years on HBO Family in Latin America, where the episodes can be viewed dubbed in Spanish or in their original English.

References

  1. ↑ "Interview: Mark Schultz: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet". The Trades. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  2. 1 2 Du Brow, Rick (1994-02-12). "Cadillacs Cartoon Enters Brave New World". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  3. ↑ "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs". TV.com. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZb1SVCX0ajrh8I-EvaogEZSJohIVlh3A

External links

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