Dumbo's Circus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dumbo's Circus
Starring	Patty Maloney Mark Sawyer Van Snowden Joe Giamalava Sharon Baird Norman Merrill, Jr. Caleb Chung Ron Mangham
Voices of	Katie Leigh Jim Cummings Walker Edmiston Ron Gans Patricia Parris Will Ryan Hal Smith
Opening theme	"Dumbo's Circus" by Phil Baron
Ending theme	"Gotta Fly" by Phil Baron
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	115
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Left Coast Television Walt Disney Pictures Television
Distributor	Buena Vista Television
Release
Original network	The Disney Channel
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	May 6, 1985 (1985-05-06) – May 25, 1986 (1986-05-25)

Dumbo's Circus was a fun live-action and puppet TV show. It aired on The Disney Channel starting on May 6, 1985. The show featured the famous character Dumbo from the original Disney film. You could still watch reruns of the show until February 28, 1997.

The characters in the show were human-sized animal puppets. Real people wore these puppet suits. This special technology was created by Ken Forsse, who also made Teddy Ruxpin. The same puppet style was used for another show called Welcome to Pooh Corner. Unlike Pooh Corner, Dumbo's Circus was never released on VHS tapes.

Many actors from the show later worked on the Christian radio series, Adventures in Odyssey. A wagon used in the show could be seen at the Studio Backlot Tour in Disney's Hollywood Studios for many years. When the show first started, the character Sebastian only wore a hat, vest, and shorts. Later, he was given a white T-shirt. Some puppets used as audience members in the circus also appeared in Mother Goose's Treasury.

About Dumbo's Circus

In this TV show, Dumbo has grown up and can now talk! He decides to start his very own circus. Dumbo and his friends travel from town to town. Dumbo pulls their circus wagon through the air, flying high above the ground. They put on "the greatest little show on earth" for everyone to enjoy.

None of the other characters from the original Dumbo movie appeared in this show. Each character in Dumbo's new circus had a special talent. Some would sing or dance, while others told funny knock-knock jokes.

Meet the Characters

Main Circus Stars

• Dumbo (voiced by Katie Leigh) - He is known as the "World's Only Flying Elephant". Dumbo is the main star of the circus. He still uses his magic feather to help him fly. You can often see him pulling the circus wagon through the sky. Dumbo sometimes talks directly to the kids watching the show. He tells them when it's time for a song or a special act. Like all elephants, Dumbo has a great memory and very sharp hearing. Sometimes, his sneezes are super strong and can even cause a little wind!

• Lionel (performed by Sharon Baird, voiced by Jim Cummings) - Lionel is a lion with a high-pitched Brooklyn accent. He is Dumbo's best friend and helps with many jobs. Lionel sells popcorn, takes tickets, and introduces the side-show acts. He has a funny knot in his tail. Lionel was inspired by Timothy Q. Mouse from the original Dumbo movie. He often says goodbye to the viewers at the end of many episodes. Lionel's voice even sounds a bit like Timothy Q. Mouse! He wears a blue uniform, just like the other circus band members.

• Fair Dinkum (performed by Patty Maloney, voiced by Hal Smith) - Also called "Dink" for short, he is a koala from Australia. He speaks with an Australian accent and is the ringmaster of the circus. Dink is afraid of a few things, like heights (so he doesn't like flying) and water. His name comes from the Australian saying, "fair dinkum", which means "true" or "genuine".

• Barnaby Bowser (voiced by Will Ryan) - Barnaby is a silly dog who is the circus clown and a magician. He performs as "Barnaby the Great". When he laughs, he says "Ah-hee-ee-ee-ee-ee" and sounds like he's from the southern United States. His magic tricks don't always work perfectly, but they often get lots of laughs! Barnaby is good friends with Lionel and Q.T. He also gets scared easily. He often hums his special song, "I'm Just a Lucky Dog". Barnaby comes from a big family with famous relatives.

• Lilli (voiced by Patricia Parris) - Lilli is a beautiful cat and the only girl character for a while. She is a talented tightrope walker in the circus. Sometimes, she wears glasses because her eyesight isn't perfect, especially for reading or playing checkers. Lilli loves pretty things.

• Q.T. (performed by Caleb Chung, voiced by Ron Gans) - Q.T. is a friendly but a bit slow orangutan. He is the circus's strongman and plays the calliope (a musical instrument). In earlier episodes, a small pink creature was sometimes with him when he played music. Q.T. makes friends easily and is good at other things, like making kites. Sometimes, he doesn't realize how strong he is!

• Sebastian (voiced by Walker Edmiston) - Sebastian is a purple alley cat. He usually has to do cleaning jobs and loves to take naps whenever he can. Sometimes, he tries to trick others (especially Q.T.) into doing his work. But his tricks often don't work out the way he planned. In the side show, Sebastian has a ventriloquism dummy named Sly.

Other Friends and Family

• Flip & Flap - This funny duo often appears during the side show, telling jokes to each other. Flip has long rabbit ears. Flap has a red afro, a pig-like nose, and cat-like ears, making him look a bit like a vampire bat.

• Rinkum Dinkum (voiced by Hal Smith) - Rinkum joined the show later. He is Fair Dinkum's older twin brother. Unlike Fair Dinkum, Rinkum is very brave and doesn't get scared easily. He also speaks with an Australian accent. Rinkum is the circus's stunt performer. During the Side Show, he puts on a guessing game where the audience tries to figure out what country he's pretending to be from.

• Matilda Dinkum (voiced by Mona Marshall) - Matilda, also known as "Matty," is Rinkum and Fair Dinkum's younger sister. She loves to dance! Like her brothers, she has an Australian accent. Her name comes from the famous Australian song "Waltzing Matilda".

• Lattimer Bowser III (voiced by Laurie Main) - He is Barnaby's uncle and a famous explorer. He looks like an older Barnaby, with a mustache, a monocle, and a pith helmet. He speaks with an English accent.

• Fira (voiced by Jim Cummings) - Fira is Lilli's aunt. She speaks with a fancy accent and always wears glasses. She thinks Sebastian is sneaky, even though he's a cat!

• Mrs. Jumbo - Dumbo's mother, whom he sometimes talks about.

Side-Show Acts

Lionel introduces all these fun acts during the show:

• Sebastian and Sly
• Flip and Flap
• Dumbo's Nursery Rhymes
• Barnaby's Magic Show
• Q.T.'s Knock-Knock Jokes
• Lilli's Tongue Twisters
• Rinkum Dinkum's Make-Believe
• Lilli's Mystery

Cast and Voices

Puppeteers

These are the talented people who brought the characters to life inside the puppet suits:

• Sharon Baird - Lionel
• Caleb Chung - Q.T.
• Charlie Edwards
• Paul Fusco
• Joe Giamalva
• Richard Griggs
• Frank Groby
• John Lovelady - Flap
• Ron Mangham
• Patty Maloney - Fair Dinkum
• Norman Merrill Jr.
• Tom Reed
• Mark Sawyer
• Van Snowden

Voices

These actors gave voices to the characters:

• Katie Leigh - Dumbo
• Jim Cummings - Lionel the Lion, Aunt Fira
• Walker Edmiston - Sebastian
• Ron Gans - Q.T.
• Laurie Main - Uncle Lattimer Bowser III
• Mona Marshall - Matilda Dinkum
• Patricia Parris - Lilli
• Will Ryan - Barnaby Bowser
• Hal Smith - Fair Dinkum, Rinkum Dinkum

Episode List

Dumbo's Circus had many episodes! Here are some of them:

• "Yippi-Ki-Bow-Wow"
• "Elephant"
• "A Taste of Medicine"
• "Scratch, Scratch"
• "Ragweed Rag"
• "Tiny Town"
• "All In a Day's Play"
• "The Perfect Peanut"
• "Strong Man Contest"
• "40 Winks for Dinks"
• "Hide and Seek"
• "Horsin' Around"
• "All Bout Hats"
• "The Big Switch"
• "Barnaby's Magic Coat"
• "Sports Town"
• "Dumbolina"
• "Never Trust a Stranger"
• "Going Bananas"
• "The Long Walk"
• "Barnaby Cries Uncle"
• "Sebastian's Little Helper"
• "Dink's Double"
• "Copycat"
• "The Magical Musical Machine"
• "If I Ran the Circus"
• "Calliope Calamity"
• "Lionel's Bubble Machine"
• "Barnaby's Trek"
• "Sticky Fingers"
• "The Race"
• "Over the Rainbow"
• "Whoops-A-Daisy"
• "Dink's New Job"
• "Who's Got the Feather?"
• "Luckville"
• "Circus Sweeties"
• "Magic B-day Cake"
• "Lionel's Weather Machine"
• "The Treasure"
• "Everyone Should Have a Song"
• "The Five Wishes"
• "Lionel's Singing Lesson"
• "Sandwich Hero"
• "Bye Bye Birdie"
• "Lilli's Hat Dance"
• "Kite Day"
• "One Size Fits All"
• "A Present for Lionel"
• "A Better Bet"
• "Lionel Goes to Town"
• "Tricky Sebastian"
• "Home Sweet Home"
• "Eat Trouble"
• "Barnaby Takes a Hike"
• "Quarter for Five"
• "The Nine Lucks of Sebastian"
• "Dear Diary"
• "Bluegrass Contest"
• "Rinkum's Return"
• "Concertina for Two"
• "Circus Derby"
• "Invisible Box"
• "Uncle Latimer Says Merci"
• "Ring Around the Circus"
• "Masquerade"
• "Perfect Weather"
• "Friend Times Three"
• "Out of Sight Circus"
• "Quiet Please"
• "Sebastian's Treasure"
• "Meet Me At the Fair"
• "Eyeglasses"
• "Everybody's Doing It"
• "A Day At the Circus"
• "Make Believe Circus"
• "Budgadumbo"
• "A Very Special Place"
• "Christmas At the Circus"
• "Here's Matty"
• "All Abroad"
• "Birthday, Birthday"
• "Helo's Dink"
• "Circus Trainer"
• "Help Wanted"
• "Dancing Matilda"
• "Mount Frosty"
• "Clowning Around"
• "My Fair Everybody"
• "Stormy Night"
• "Catchy Tune"
• "Matty's Beautiful Doll"
• "Tell Me a Story"
• "Adventures Through Reading"
• "Goldie"
• "Matty's Magical Mystery Tour"
• "Music, Maestro Please"
• "The Gang's All Here"
• "Adventure, Adventure"
• "Think of All the Times"
• "Teaching a Bird to Fly"
• "Farmer's Circus"
• "Lilli's Surprise Party"
• "Finding the Perfect Gift"
• "Lilli Comes Home"
• "The Annual Summer Parade"
• "Welcome to Melody Land"
• "A Lion Needs a Mane"
• "She's Really Something Special"
• "That Darn Trike"
• "Snookie and the Coodies"
• "Forest Full of Friends"
• "The Big Parade"
• "Solo Circus"
• the North Pole

Songs from the Show

Dumbo's Circus featured many catchy songs!

• "Dumbo's Circus" (This was the opening theme song)
• "The Popcorn Song"
• "Our Big Animal Fair"
• "Puttin' On A Show"
• "When the Circus Comes to Town"
• "The Marching Band Parade" (Sung by Dumbo, Lionel, Barnaby and the Chorus)
• "Clowning Around" (Sung by the Chorus)
• "I'm Just a Lucky Dog" (Sung by Barnaby)
• "Follow Me" (Sung by Lilli)
• "I'm an Elephant Song" (Sometimes played during the closing credits)
• "The Rainbow Song"
• "Laugh With Me!"
• "Boom, Boom, Ain't It Great to Be Crazy?"
• "Brushing My Teeth"
• "The Squirrel on the Flying Trapeze"
• "Yankee Doodle"
• "The Exercise Song"
• "Me and My Teddy"
• "When the Circus Comes to Town (Reprise)" (Sung by Fair Dinkum, sometimes played during closing credits)
• "I Love the Circus" (Sung by the Chorus, sometimes played during closing credits)
• "Hand Clappin'" (Sung by Barnaby and Lionel)
• "March to the Music" (Sung by Lionel)
• "Dumbo's Up in the Air" (Sung by the Chorus)
• "A Genuine Clown" (Sung by Barnaby)
• "Gotta Fly" (This was the regular closing theme song)