The Little Rascals (animated TV series)

The Little Rascals
Genre Animation
Comedy
Based on Our Gang created by
Hal Roach
Directed by George Gordon
Bob Hathcock
Carl Urbano
Rudy Zamora
Voices of Julie McWhirter Dees
Patty Maloney
Scott Menville
Shavar Ross
B.J. Ward
Peter Cullen
Composer(s) Hoyt Curtin
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 22
Production
Executive producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Editor(s) Gil Iverson
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 30 minutes (11 minutes a cartoon)
Production company(s) Hanna-Barbera Productions
King World Productions
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
Release
Original network ABC
Picture format NTSC
Original release September 25, 1982 – September 1, 1984

The Little Rascals is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King World Productions. It first aired on ABC on September 25, 1982. Based on the Our Gang comedy shorts, it was broadcast as part of The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show in 1982 and then as part of The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show in 1983.

Overview

Previous Little Rascals/Our Gang animated television programs

The Little Rascals had been animated for television twice before. In the 1960s, a series of five clay-animated Little Rascals Color Specials were produced for syndication, presumably by Bura & Hardwick, the British studio responsible for Camberwick Green, using soundtracks from the original Our Gang films. In 1979, Fred Wolf produced an animated The Little Rascals Christmas Special for NBC. That company's version was further used in animated public service announcements.

Differences between the animated series and the live-action Our Gang films

The animated series and the original live-action Our Gang films differ in a number of ways. The gang now lives in a contemporary 1980s setting, with computers and television, which could be assumed that these were the descendants of the original Little Rascals. Buckwheat is now a clever inventor, always creating new devices for the gang, and Darla's eyes were changed from hazel to blue (although this detail was trivial given that all of the Our Gang shorts were in black-and-white). Also in the animated series, the Rascals met in a treehouse and drove around the town of Greenpoint in a dog-drawn vehicle. Also, the theme music was completely different.

Porky Lawsuit

In March 1984, Our Gang actor Eugene Lee, who played Porky in the original theatrical short films, sued Hanna-Barbera Productions for nearly $2 million, claiming that the animated character was a complete copy of the version he portrayed from 1935 to 1939. The series continued airing on ABC afterwards, which may imply that the case was settled out of court. Some speculated that the lawsuit settlement may have led to the cancellation of the series, while some others speculated that the lawsuit was settled because it was confirmed by that point that the series was not being renewed for a third season. The lawsuit may be the reason for no U.S. cable reruns nor home video releases to this day.

Broadcast

The animated series of The Little Rascals has been shown in the following regions:

Episode titles

Season 1

Aired as part of The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show

# Title/Plot Airdate
1
  • Rascals' Revenge: Butch and Woim lure the Rascals into a supposedly haunted house.
  • Yachtsa Luck: The Rascals try to get Waldo's treasure back from a couple of robbers.
  • Fish Fright: 30 second vignette. Spanky and Alfalfa go fishing.
 September 25, 1982
2
  • Grin and Bear It: During the Rascals' camping trip, Porky is abducted by the Phantom Lumberjack.
  • Beauty Queen for a Day: After the boys fall for the new girl in town, Darla enters the Little Miss Big City Beauty Pageant.
  • The Serenade: 30 second vignette. Alfalfa serenades Darla, but his off-key singing scares Pete away.
 October 2, 1982
3
  • Big City Rascals: The Rascals visit Darla's uncle on his farm.
  • Alfalfakazam!: During the Rascals' magic show, Alfalfa supposedly turns into a rabbit.
  • Scoop Dupes: 30 second vignette.
 October 9, 1982
4
  • Showdown at the Rascal Corral: Alfalfa plays cowboy; two outlaws "arrest" him for singing in a no-singing zone.
  • Poached Pooch: Butch and Woim steal Pete's dog license.
  • Ice Escapades: 30 second vignette.
 October 16, 1982
5
  • Porky-O and Julie-Et: Porky falls for the daughter of an ice cream magnate.
  • Just Deserts: The boys enter Darla's cake in a baking contest. Unfortunately, Darla is ill and recipe card is illegible.
  • No Hit Wit: 30 second vignette.
 October 23, 1982
6
  • Alfalfa for President: Alfalfa and Waldo compete for class president.
  • Rock and Roll Rascals: Darla wants an autograph from a rock musician.
  • A Swimming We Will Go: 30 second vignette. Officer Ed finds the boys in a pond, in violation of a "no swimming" sign.
 October 30, 1982
7
  • The Irate Pirates: On the beach, the Rascals meet two bullies dressed as pirates.
  • All the Loot That's Fit to Print: The Rascals star a newspaper; Alfalfa unwittingly spends counterfeit money.
  • The Spare: 30 second vignette.
 November 6, 1982
8
  • Alfalfa's Athlete Feat: Butch challenges Alfalfa to a pentathlon.
  • Darla's Dream Dance: Darla organizes the school dance.
  • Fiscal Fitness: 30 second vignette.
 November 13, 1982
9
  • Cap'n Spanky's Showboat: The Rascals clean up the Mississippi Queen, an old steamboat.
  • Case of the Puzzled Pals: Alfalfa plays detective to find Darla's doll.
  • Go Cart Go: 30 second vignette. Butch takes Buckwheat's go cart for a spin.
 November 20, 1982
10
  • Falling Heir: Spanky inherits a castle that is said to be haunted.
  • Flim Flam Film Fans: A movie director comes to town; Darla gets tied to a railroad gate á la Penelope Pitstop.
  • Do or Diet: 30 second vignette. Darla asks Buckwheat how many meals Porky eats in a day; the answer shocks her.
 November 27, 1982
11
  • Trash Can Treasures: The Rascals find an Aladdin-type lamp. Darla adopts a stray horse.
  • King of the Hobos: After eating the other Rascals' food, Porky runs away and meets an old hobo.
  • Out on a Limb: 30 second vignette. Alfalfa is pushing Spanky in a swing, but is distracted by Darla.
 December 4, 1982
12
  • Tiny Terror: Butch leaves his baby brother Spike with the Rascals.
  • Science Fair and Foul: Buckwheat builds a robot for a science fair.
  • Sea Song: 30 second vignette. While Spanky, Alfalfa, and Buckwheat are swimming, Alfalfa decides to sing a song. Spanky and Buckwheat know how to keep him quiet.
 December 11, 1982
13
  • Big Top Rascals: Denied entry to a real circus, the Rascals put on their own circus; Butch and Woim take unfair advantage of their free admission.
  • Class Act: The Rascals enter Pete in a dog show, but Waldo doesn't think Pete has a chance against the show's pedigree dogs. Things get hectic when somebody kidnaps Pete.
  • He Who Runs Away: 30 second vignette.
 December 18, 1982

Season 2

Aired as part of The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show

# Title/Plot Airdate
14

Wash and Werewolf: After seeing a 3-D horror movie, Alfalfa thinks he is a werewolf.

 September 10, 1983
15

Save Our Treehouse!: A used car dealer wants to destroy the Rascals' treehouse.

September 17, 1983
16

Horse Sense: Alfalfa and Waldo are fighting for Darla's affections again. This time, Waldo challenges Alfalfa to a horse race. There's just one problem: Alfalfa doesn't know how to ride.

 September 24, 1983
17

After Hours: The Rascals get jobs in a department store warehouse.

 October 1, 1983
18

A Not So Buenos Días: Alfalfa is suspicious of Darla's Latina friend, Maria.

 October 15, 1983
19

Fright Night: The Rascals go trick-or-treating. Darla dresses so as to resemble Alfalfa.

October 29, 1983
20

The Big Sneeze: The Rascals meet up with a goat, to which Alfalfa is allergic to.

 November 12, 1983
21

Pete's Big Break: When Pete saves another dog from drowning, he and the Rascals are rewarded a chance to star in a dog food commercial.

 November 19, 1983
22

The Zero Hero: Darla wins a date with Captain Muscles, a TV superhero, in order to impress Darla, Alfalfa assumes the identity of Alpha-Man.

 December 2, 1983

Cast

Main voices

Additional voices

Home Media releases

It was announced on Facebook on April 23, 2016 that the series will not be released on DVD due to reasons beyond Warner Archive[1]'s control.

References

  1. ↑ "No DVD release for Little Rascals cartoon". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-04-24.

External links

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