The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon facts for kids

The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon is a fun Canadian children's television series. It aired in Canada on YTV and in the United States on public television stations. The show ran for five seasons, from 1993 to 1997, with reruns continuing until 1999.

This show was special because it used real actors, full-body costume characters (like Dudley the dragon!), and puppets. The story is about Dudley, a friendly dragon who wakes up after sleeping for hundreds of years. He quickly becomes friends with two kids, Matt and Sally, who are ten years old. Together, they explore the modern world and learn important lessons about environmentalism, friendship, and being kind to others.

Later, other kids like Terry, Julia, Mickey, and Laura joined Dudley's adventures. There were also other fun characters like Sammy the frog, the Robin family, a grumpy apple tree named Mr. Crabby Tree, and a lovable caveman.

The show even won awards! Graham Greene won a Gemini Award in 1994 for playing Mr. Crabby Tree. He was also nominated again in 1998. Jackie Burroughs was nominated for the same award in 1994 for her role as Aggie.

Meet the Characters

The Puppets

• Dudley the Dragon – Dudley is a sweet, innocent, and happy green dragon. He is the main character of the show. In the first episode, he wakes up after sleeping for centuries! He quickly makes friends with Sally and Matt and learns about the modern world. Dudley lives in a colorful cave with his favorite teddy bear, Freddy Bear. His favorite food is dragonberries. Dudley loves adventure, but sometimes he prefers to be safe at home with his friends. In the last episode, Dudley goes looking for other dragons but learns that his friends are his "true dragon friends."

Dudley the Dragon was actually created before the TV show! In 1983, the Ontario Ministry of Energy wanted to teach kids about saving energy. A play called The Conserving Kingdom was created, featuring a clumsy dragon named Dudley. This play was performed in schools and even led to a TV special in 1986. Alex Galatis was inside the Dudley costume for the first two seasons of the TV show and also did Dudley's voice for the whole series.

• Sammy the Frog – Sammy is a relaxed frog who loves playing the saxophone. He often watches Dudley's adventures and gives advice. Sammy sometimes warns Dudley (who he calls "Big Green") about getting into trouble.

• Mr. Robin – Mr. Robin is a cheerful robin who is married to Mrs. Robin. They are almost always seen together. He sometimes warns Dudley about getting into mischief. His first name is Charles.

• Mrs. Robin – Mrs. Robin is also very cheerful, even when things go wrong. She is happily married to Mr. Robin and sometimes tries to help Dudley avoid trouble. Her first name is Tiffany.

• Grandpa Robin – Grandpa Robin is a wise, older robin who has traveled the world many times. He knows a lot about the magic in the forest and sometimes teaches Dudley and the kids.

• Junior Robin – Junior Robin is the baby son of Mr. and Mrs. Robin. He appeared in a few episodes and learned to fly with Dudley's help.

• Yammi the Frog – Yammi is Sammy's cousin who speaks Spanish. He loves music and plays the guitar.

• The Dodo – The Dodo is a happy and fun-loving bird who loves to say "dodo!" He appeared in a few episodes and became good friends with Dudley and Sally.

• Didi the Woodpecker – Didi is a colorful female woodpecker who appeared in the first two seasons.

• Katrina the Whale – Katrina is a whale who lives in the ocean and appeared in a few episodes.

• Rosie the Skunk – Rosie is a sassy skunk who appeared in two episodes.

The Kids

• Sally – Asia Vieira played Sally. She is a friendly, fun-loving girl and Dudley's best friend. She was the first person Dudley met after he woke up. Sally is responsible and often acts like an older sister to Dudley and the other characters. She is good at gymnastics and always seems to have just the right item in her bag for any adventure! Sally appeared less in later seasons because Asia Vieira was working on other projects.

• Matt – Daniel DeSanto played Matt. He is Sally's brother and wants to be a detective. When something strange happens, Matt often says, "A mystery! Let's investigate!" He tries to solve the mystery with Sally's help. Like Sally, Matt appeared less in later seasons due to Daniel DeSanto's other acting jobs.

• Terry – Robin Weekes played Terry. He is a smart boy with a computer on his wristwatch and loves inventing things. Terry first appeared as a bit of a loner but became good friends with Dudley and the gang. His computer skills often helped them on their adventures.

• Mickey – Daniel Tordjman-Goodfellow played Mickey. He joined the show in season 3 and often took on the "detective" role that Matt used to have. Mickey is friendly and helpful but can sometimes be a bit mischievous. He loves sports like basketball and baseball.

• Julia – Natasha Greenblatt played Julia. She was first introduced as a doll who wanted to be human. With Dudley and Mickey's help, she came to life! Julia started as the youngest and most curious of the group but later became a good friend and older sister figure to Dudley.

• Laura – Andréanne Bénidir played Laura. She had a personality very similar to Sally's, being an energetic older sister to Dudley. Laura moved away in one episode, which made Dudley sad, but she returned later.

Other Important Characters

• Mr. Crabby Tree – Graham Greene played Mr. Crabby Tree. He is a grumpy, wisecracking tree who often complains but has a good side. He sometimes gives advice to Dudley and the kids. In one episode, he wished to be able to move around for a day, and in another, he wished to be human! Graham Greene played this role in both the English and French versions of the show.

• The Caveman – Martin Julien played The Caveman. He is a friendly caveman who first appeared as a bit of a bully but quickly became good friends with Dudley. He often speaks in "caveman talk," using simple phrases. Like Dudley, he loves dragonberries!

• The Troll – Martin Julien (in costume) and Patrick McKenna (voice) played The Troll. He is a grumpy but magical troll who loves to cook up different potions. His magic sometimes causes funny problems, but he means well. In one episode, he accidentally turned himself into a dog!

• The Prince – Jesse Collins played The Prince. He is the oldest son of the King of All Living Things. He can be stuck-up and arrogant, but Dudley and his friends often teach him important lessons about being kind and fair.

• Chloe the Fairy – Anne-Marie MacDonald played Chloe. She is a sarcastic but kind fairy who is both a fairy godmother and a tooth fairy. She needed Dudley and Terry's help to earn her fairy wings.

• Aggie – Jackie Burroughs played Aggie. She is an adventurer who sometimes joined Dudley on his journeys.

Episodes

The show had 65 episodes over five seasons. Here are some of the first episodes:

Season 1: 1993

Season 2: 1994

Season 3: 1995

Season 4: 1996

Season 5: 1997

How the Show Was Made

Dudley first appeared in a play called The Conserving Kingdom in 1982. Ira Levy and Peter Williamson, who owned Breakthrough Films and Television Inc. in Toronto, bought the rights to the character. They produced the show with TVO, a provincial educational broadcaster. Dudley even appeared as a giant float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

The creators said that Dudley was made for kids aged three to seven, a bit older than shows like Barney & Friends. They also made sure that any toys or products related to the show were made from natural materials or didn't have sugar or preservatives. Alex Galatis, who helped create the show, was inside the Dudley costume for the first two seasons. After that, he only did Dudley's voice.

Home Videos

Many episodes of The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon were released on VHS tapes by GoodTimes Entertainment and Malofilm Video.

Arthur the Dragon's Adventures

While the first two seasons of the English show were being made, a French version called "Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon" was also produced. The puppeteers like Alex Galatis, James Rankin, and Sue Morrison continued to perform their characters, but their voices were dubbed by French-speaking actors. The young actors who played the kids in the French version would watch the English actors perform a scene and then do their own version. Most of the Canadian guest stars were replaced by French celebrities, except for Graham Greene, who continued to play "M. Pommier-Grognon" (Mr. Crabby Tree) with a French voice.

French Cast Highlights

• Alex Galatis as "Arthur le Dragon" (Dudley, puppetry only)
• Olivier L'Éuyer as "Arthur le Dragon" (Dudley, voice only)
• Annick Obonsawin as "Sophie" (Sally, season 1)
• Andréanne Bendir as "Annick" (Sally, season 2)
• Anael G. Roy as "Max" (Matt, season 1)
• Owen Leitch as "Mathieu" (Matt, season 2)
• James Rankin as "Ti-Louis" (Sammy, puppetry only)
• Christian Laurin as "Ti-Louis" (Sammy, voice only)
• Graham Greene as "M. Pommier-Grognon" (Mr. Crabby Tree, performance only)
• Patrick McKenna as "Le Sorcier" (The Troll, performance only)