Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clifford the Big Red Dog |
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Deborah Forte |
| Directed by | John Over |
| Voices of |
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| Ending theme | "Clifford the Big Red Dog" (instrumental) |
| Composer(s) |
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| Country of origin | |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 66 (130 segments) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Deborah Forte |
| Running time | 26 minutes (13 minutes per segment) |
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| Distributor | Scholastic (United States) TV-Loonland AG (Europe) |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Original release | September 4, 2000 – February 25, 2003 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Clifford's Puppy Days |
| Related shows | Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019) |
Clifford the Big Red Dog is a popular animated TV show from the United States and the United Kingdom. It's based on the fun children's books by Norman Bridwell. The show is all about a giant, friendly red dog named Clifford and his best friend, Emily Elizabeth. It teaches kids important lessons about friendship, kindness, and growing up.
The series was first shown on PBS Kids in the US, starting on September 4, 2000, and ending on February 25, 2003. In the UK, it began airing on BBC Two on April 1, 2002, with British voice actors.
John Ritter was the voice of Clifford in all the episodes and the movie. He was a famous actor. After the show finished, a new series called Clifford's Puppy Days came out. This show was about Clifford when he was a tiny puppy.
Even though new Clifford episodes stopped after John Ritter passed away in 2003, the show remained popular. Reruns still air on PBS Kids. In 2019, a new Clifford the Big Red Dog TV series was released, bringing the big red dog to a new generation of viewers.
Contents
About the Show
Each episode of Clifford the Big Red Dog usually has two different stories, each about 15 minutes long.
What Happens in Each Story?
- One story often focuses on Clifford and his dog friends. These friends include Cleo, T-Bone, and Mac. When the show tells a story from the dogs' point of view, you hear them speak like humans.
- The other story usually follows Clifford's owner, Emily Elizabeth, and her human friends. Her friends include Jetta, Vaz, and Charley.
Special Parts of the Show
- Storytime with Speckle: Between the two main stories, Emily Elizabeth reads a short story about a dog named Speckle and his animal friends.
- Clifford's Big Ideas: This is a short part that teaches a moral lesson. For example, it might teach about "Playing Fair" or "Helping Others."
- Live Action Segments: Some episodes also include short clips with real kids and their dogs.
Characters You'll Meet
The show features many interesting characters, both human and animal, who live on Birdwell Island.
Human Characters
- Emily Elizabeth Howard (voiced by Grey DeLisle): She is Clifford's 8-year-old owner and best friend. Emily Elizabeth adopted Clifford when he was a tiny puppy. Her love for him made him grow super big!
- Caroline Howard (voiced by Grey DeLisle): Emily Elizabeth's mom. She runs a small shop called The Sea Shell on Birdwell Island.
- Mark Howard (voiced by Cam Clarke): Emily Elizabeth's dad.
- Charley (voiced by Gary LeRoi Gray): Emily Elizabeth's friend. He lives on a houseboat with his dad, who owns a restaurant.
- Jetta Handover (voiced by Kath Soucie): Mac's owner and Emily Elizabeth's friend. She can sometimes be a bit snobby.
- Vaz (voiced by Ulysses Cuadra): A friend of Emily Elizabeth and Charley.
- Sheriff Lewis (voiced by Nick Jameson): T-Bone's owner. He is the island's sheriff and a soccer coach.
- Mrs. Diller (voiced by Cree Summer): Cleo's owner.
- Mary (voiced by Kath Soucie): Emily Elizabeth's friend who uses a wheelchair and plays the piano.
Dog Characters
- Clifford (voiced by John Ritter): The star of the show! He is a giant, friendly red Labrador Retriever. Clifford is usually shown as being about 30 feet tall.
- Cleo (voiced by Cree Summer): A purple female poodle. She is one of Clifford's best friends. Her owner is Mrs. Diller.
- T-Bone (voiced by Kel Mitchell): A yellow male bulldog. He is another one of Clifford's best friends. His owner is Sheriff Lewis.
- Mac (voiced by Cam Clarke): A blue male greyhound. His name is short for Machiavelli. His owner is Jetta Handover.
- K.C. (voiced by Cam Clarke): A male dog who walks on three legs. He is also a good friend to Clifford and his pals.
Where the Show Takes Place
| Series | Clifford the Big Red Dog |
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| Type | Island |
| First appearance | "My Best Friend" |
| Last appearance | Clifford's Really Big Movie |
The TV series takes place on a made-up place called Birdwell Island. This island is where Clifford and Emily Elizabeth live. The name "Birdwell Island" was inspired by Norman Bridwell, the author of the Clifford books. The island itself was inspired by a real place called Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, where Norman Bridwell used to live.
Emily Elizabeth and her family moved to Birdwell Island from New York City. They moved because their apartment in the city was too small for a giant dog like Clifford!
Other Clifford Adventures
Besides the TV show, Clifford has appeared in movies and video games.
Clifford's Big Movie
In 2004, a full-length animated movie called Clifford's Really Big Movie was released. In this film, Clifford, Cleo, and T-Bone join an animal show. They hope to win a lifetime supply of dog food for Clifford. This movie was one of the last projects for John Ritter, who voiced Clifford. The movie was dedicated to his memory. It also served as the ending for the original TV series.
Video Games
Clifford has also starred in several video games, allowing fans to play along with their favorite big red dog. Some of these games include:
- Clifford's Reading
- Clifford's Thinking Adventures
- Clifford's Learning Activities
- Clifford's Musical Memory Games
- Clifford's Phonics
The 2019 Reboot
On May 16, 2018, Scholastic announced that a new version of the Clifford the Big Red Dog TV series would be made. This new series premiered on December 6, 2019, on Amazon Prime Video and PBS Kids. While Clifford, Emily Elizabeth, and Birdwell Island are still part of the new show, many other characters and details are different from the original series.
Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series) at BBC Programmes
