Jump to content

The Woody Woodpecker Show

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Monkbot (talk | contribs) at 02:06, 31 January 2021 (Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 5 templates: del empty params (1×); hyphenate params (8×);). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Woody Woodpecker Show
GenreAnimation, Comedy
Created byWalter Lantz
Based onWoody Woodpecker
by Walter Lantz
Written byUniversal Cartoon
Directed by
Voices ofGrace Stafford
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Production
ProducerWalter Lantz
Editors
  • F.Y. Smith
  • Norman Suffern
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesWalter Lantz Productions
Universal Cartoon Studio
Original release
NetworkABC (1957–58)
ReleaseOctober 3, 1957 (1957-10-03) –
September 25, 1958 (1958-09-25)
Related
Woody Woodpecker (2018)

The Woody Woodpecker Show is a long-running 30-minute American television series mainly composed of the film series in animated cartoon escapades of Woody Woodpecker and other Walter Lantz characters including Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, and Inspector Willoughby released by Walter Lantz Productions.[1] The series was revived and reformatted several times, but remained popular for nearly four decades and allowed the studio to continue making theatrical cartoons until 1973 when it shut down. It also kept the Walter Lantz/Universal "cartunes" made during the Golden Age of American animation a part of the American consciousness. The Woody Woodpecker Show was named the 88th best animated series by IGN.[2]

History

Movie theater owners in the 1950s were finding that they could release features with reissued cartoons, or no cartoons at all, and the audiences would still come. Because of the practice, the theatrical cartoon business was suffering and losing money. By 1956 there were only seven animation producers in the short-subjects field, and by the end of the decade that number would dwindle down to three. Walter Lantz and his distributor, Universal Pictures, knew that the only way to subsidize the rising costs of new shorts was to release their product to television. Norman Gluck from Universal's short-subjects department made a deal with the Leo Burnett Agency to release some older Lantz product on television. Burnett handled the Kellogg's cereal account, and Lantz soon met with the Kellogg's people to sign the contract.[3] Lantz admitted that he was only working in the medium because he was "forced into TV" and "cartoons for theaters would soon be extinct."[4]

The Woody Woodpecker Show debuted on ABC on the afternoon of October 3, 1957. The series was shown once a week, on Thursday afternoons, replacing the first half-hour of the shortened Mickey Mouse Club. Lantz integrated his existing cartoons with new live action footage, giving the show an updated look that satisfied both viewers and Lantz himself. The live action and animation segments created for the show, called 'A Moment with Walter Lantz', featured an informative look at how the animation process for his "cartunes" worked as well as how the writers came up with stories and characters. The live-action segments were directed by Jack Hannah, who was fresh from the Disney Studio where he had done similar live-action/animation sequences for the Disney show.[3]

After the initial year on ABC, The Woody Woodpecker Show was syndicated until 1966. The "A Moment with Walter Lantz" segments were eventually replaced with "Woody's Newsreel" and "Around The World with Woody" which used footage of Universal Newsreels and featured voice-over commentary by Walter Lantz and Woody Woodpecker.

In 1970, the show reappeared on network television, with 26 additional episodes assembled by Lantz for NBC. The show ran on NBC until September 2, 1972, which is the same year the Walter Lantz Productions studio shut down. The show was revived again on September 11, 1976, featuring cartoons made from 1940 to 1965.[5] The show ended its network run on September 3, 1977. Local stations continued to air The Woody Woodpecker Show for the next several years.

In 1984, Lantz sold everything outright to MCA/Universal, though he remained active in overseeing how Universal handled his characters (for merchandise, TV, home video, theme parks, limited edition cels, etc.) up until his death in 1994.[6]

In 1987, MCA/Universal and The Program Exchange returned the show to television with a new 90 episode package for syndication. This Woody Woodpecker Show featured a complete overhaul of the series format. Gone were the newsreels, "Around the World" segments, and live action scenes with Walter Lantz, replaced by vignettes known as "Musical Miniatures", in which new musical compositions were played over montages of classic cartoon footage. New commercial bumpers were added and a new opening sequence was created. This one featured Woody, Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, Smedley the Dog, and Inspector Willoughby along with Woody's nemeses Buzz Buzzard, Gabby Gator, and Wally Walrus as they caused chaos in a small town. Episodes of this Woody Woodpecker Show typically consisted of two Woody cartoons bookending another Lantz cartoon (typically a Chilly Willy cartoon). The series continued airing in syndication until 1998. Around that time, Cartoon Network picked up rerun rights and aired The Woody Woodpecker Show for several months, after which the series disappeared from television.

After Cartoon Network dropped The Woody Woodpecker Show, Universal decided to give most of the Lantz characters a redesign. The redesign led to The New Woody Woodpecker Show, which ran from 1999 to 2003, with Billy West now voicing Woody, as part of the Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup and to date is the last Woody Woodpecker series.

Episodes

# 1st cartoon 2nd cartoon 3rd cartoon Original air date
1 Life Begins for Andy Panda Pied Piper of Basin Street Knock Knock October 3, 1957 (1957-10-03)
2 Who's Cookin' Who? The Overture to William Tell Bathing Buddies October 10, 1957 (1957-10-10)
3 Smoked Hams Fox & the Rabbit The Barber of Seville October 17, 1957 (1957-10-17)
4 Secret Weapon Convict Concerto I'm Cold October 24, 1957 (1957-10-24)
5 Belle Boys Broadway Bow Wows Woody Woodpecker October 31, 1957 (1957-10-31)
6 Ace in the Hole The Bandmaster Banquet Busters November 7, 1957 (1957-11-07)
7 The Redwood Sap Crazy Mixed Up Pup The Screwdriver (Woody's Jalopy) November 14, 1957 (1957-11-14)
8 Hot Noon The Flying Turtle Room and Wraith November 21, 1957 (1957-11-21)
9 Chew Chew Baby The Sleeping Princess The Dizzy Acrobat November 28, 1957 (1957-11-28)
10 The Screwball Three Lazy Mice Solid Ivory December 5, 1957 (1957-12-05)
11 Woodpecker in the Rough Egg Cracker Suite SH-H-H-H-H-H December 12, 1957 (1957-12-12)
12 Wrestling Wrecks Pig in a Pickle Drooler's Delight December 19, 1957 (1957-12-19)
13 Fish Fry Pixie Picnic Woody Dines Out December 26, 1957 (1957-12-26)
14 Crow Crazy Sliphorn King Of Polaroo The Reckless Driver January 2, 1958 (1958-01-02)
15 What's Sweepin' The Mouse and the Lion Rockabye Point January 9, 1958 (1958-01-09)
16 Termites from Mars Swing Your Partner Hold That Rock January 16, 1958 (1958-01-16)
17 The Hollywood Matador Adventures of Tom Thumb Jr. Well Oiled January 23, 1958 (1958-01-23)
18 The Wacky Weed Musical Moments from Chopin The Beach Nut January 30, 1958 (1958-01-30)
19 Chili Con Corny Candyland Jolly Little Elves February 6, 1958 (1958-02-06)
20 Coo Coo Nuts Indian Beatnik Deep Freeze aka Chilly Willy February 13, 1958 (1958-02-13)
21 Andy Panda Goes Fishing The Poet and the Peasant Ski for Two February 20, 1958 (1958-02-20)
22 Meatless Tuesday Jungle Jive The Loose Nut February 27, 1958 (1958-02-27)
23 The Great Who-Dood-It Andy Panda's Pop aka Goofy Roofer Paw's Night Out March 6, 1958 (1958-03-06)
24 Wicket Wacky Andy Panda's Victory Garden aka Springtime for Andy Ostrich Egg and I March 13, 1958 (1958-03-13)
25 Fair Weather Fiends Scrambled Eggs Woody the Giant Killer March 20, 1958 (1958-03-20)
26 100 Pygmies and Andy Panda Kitten Mittens The Coo Coo Bird March 27, 1958 (1958-03-27)
27 Get Lost Dog The Cried Wolf Hot Rod Huckster April 3, 1958 (1958-04-03)
28 Arts and Flowers Salmon Yeggs, Gabby's Diner Doc's Last Stand April 10, 1958 (1958-04-10)
29 TBA TBA TBA April 17, 1958 (1958-04-17)
30 TBA TBA TBA April 24, 1958 (1958-04-24)
31 TBA TBA TBA May 1, 1958 (1958-05-01)
31 TBA TBA TBA May 8, 1958 (1958-05-08)
32 TBA TBA TBA May 15, 1958 (1958-05-15)
33 TBA TBA TBA May 22, 1958 (1958-05-22)
34 TBA TBA TBA May 29, 1958 (1958-05-29)
35 TBA TBA TBA June 5, 1958 (1958-06-05)
36 TBA TBA TBA June 12, 1958 (1958-06-12)
37 TBA TBA TBA June 19, 1958 (1958-06-19)
38 TBA TBA TBA June 26, 1958 (1958-06-26)
39 TBA TBA TBA July 3, 1958 (1958-07-03)
40 TBA TBA TBA July 10, 1958 (1958-07-10)
41 TBA TBA TBA July 17, 1958 (1958-07-17)
42 TBA TBA TBA July 24, 1958 (1958-07-24)
42 TBA TBA TBA July 31, 1958 (1958-07-31)
43 TBA TBA TBA August 7, 1958 (1958-08-07)
44 TBA TBA TBA August 14, 1958 (1958-08-14)
45 TBA TBA TBA August 21, 1958 (1958-08-21)
46 TBA TBA TBA August 28, 1958 (1958-08-28)
47 TBA TBA TBA September 4, 1958 (1958-09-04)
48 TBA TBA TBA September 11, 1958 (1958-09-11)
49 TBA TBA TBA September 18, 1958 (1958-09-18)
50 TBA TBA TBA September 25, 1958 (1958-09-25)

Broadcast history

Does not include reruns

  • October 3, 1957 - September 25, 1958 (ABC) (original animation with bridge animation)*
  • 1964 - 1965 (Syndication) (original animation with bridge animation)*
  • September 12, 1970 - September 2, 1972 (NBC) (new 26 episodes without bridge animation)
  • 1958 - 1966 (Syndication) (reruns)
  • September 11, 1976 - September 3, 1977 (NBC) (reruns only)
  • 1987 - 1997 (Syndication) (reruns only)
  • 1997 - 1998 (Cartoon Network) (reruns only)
  • 2011 - 2015 (Teletoon Retro) (reruns only)

(*) = total of 59 episodes with original animation

Home media

In the early 2000s, a series of mail-order Woody Woodpecker Show VHS tapes and DVDs were made available through Columbia House. Each volume featured "cartunes", bumpers, and 'A Moment with Walter Lantz' or Newsreel segments set in the 1957-1977 format of The Woody Woodpecker Show, though Volumes 11-15 hardly feature any "Moments" or "Newsreels". There were complaints about cuts made to the shorts, which ranged from shorts from restored and intact prints to severely cut TV edits.[7]

In 2007, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, six behind-the-scenes segments from The Woody Woodpecker Show and a 1964 episode that contained the cartoon "Spook-a-Nanny" were released on the collection as bonus features. The following year, The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection: Volume 2 was released, featuring twelve behind-the-scenes segments and two pilot cartoons, "The Secret Weapon" and "Jungle Medics" from The Woody Woodpecker Show.

References

  1. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 915–917. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. ^ "88, The Woody Woodpecker Show". IGN. 2009-01-23. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  3. ^ a b "Toon Tracker's The Woody Woodpecker Show Page". Toontracker.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  4. ^ Grossman, Gary H. (1987). Saturday Morning TV. New York: Arlington House, Inc. Pg. 346.
  5. ^ Grossman, Gary H. (1987). Saturday Morning TV. New York: Arlington House, Inc. Pg. 413.
  6. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television ... - Jeff Lenburg - Google Books. ISBN 9781557836717. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  7. ^ "The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: Cartunes on DVD: Columbia House Cuts". Lantz.goldenagecartoons.com. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Woody_Woodpecker_Show&oldid=1003865586"