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The Little Rascals (animated TV series) facts for kids

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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 Worldvision Enterprises
Release
Original network ABC
Picture format NTSC
Original release September 25, 1982 (1982-09-25) – December 2, 1983 (1983-12-02)

The Little Rascals was a fun Saturday morning cartoon series. It was made by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King World Productions. The show first aired on ABC on September 25, 1982.

This cartoon was a spin-off of the classic live-action Our Gang comedy shorts. It was shown as part of other cartoon blocks. In 1982, it was part of The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show. Then, in 1983, it joined The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show.

The cartoon characters looked a lot like the original actors. Artists Iwao Takamoto and Bob Singer designed them. They used real photos of the actors and traced over them with a pencil. This cool technique was also used for other Hanna-Barbera spin-offs. These included The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang and Laverne and Shirley in the Army.

About the Show

How the Cartoon Was Different

The cartoon version of The Little Rascals was a bit different from the old live-action movies. The cartoon gang lived in the 1980s. This meant they had things like computers and television.

  • Buckwheat became a smart inventor. He loved science and often made new gadgets for his friends.
  • Darla had blue eyes in the cartoon. In the old black-and-white movies, her eye color wasn't clear.
  • The Rascals met in a treehouse. They also drove around their town, Greenpoint, in a vehicle pulled by their dog.
  • The theme music for the cartoon was completely new.

Earlier Little Rascals Cartoons

Before this Hanna-Barbera show, The Little Rascals had been animated twice. In the 1960s, there were nine clay-animated specials. These used sounds from the original Our Gang films. Later, in 1979, Fred Wolf made The Little Rascals Christmas Special for NBC.

Legal Challenge

In March 1984, some of the original Our Gang actors filed a lawsuit. Eugene Lee, who played Porky, was one of them. He said the cartoon character looked too much like him. Other actors who joined the lawsuit included George McFarland (Spanky), Tommy Bond (Butch), and Sidney Kibrick (The Woim).

Sadly, some actors like Carl Switzer (Alfalfa), Darla Hood (Darla), and Billie Thomas (Buckwheat) had already passed away. The lawsuit found that Hanna-Barbera's permission to make the show did not include using the actors' appearances. The case was settled outside of court. This means they reached an agreement without going to a full trial.

Other Languages

The cartoon was also shown in other countries. In France, it was called Les Petites Canailles. The French version had a new theme song. It was sung by a children's chorus. The song played over clips from both the old live-action shorts and the new cartoon.

Episode Guide

Season 1 (1982)

These episodes were part of The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show.

# Title and Story Airdate
1
  • Rascals' Revenge: Butch and Woim trick the Rascals into a spooky house.
  • Yachtsa Luck: The Rascals try to get Waldo's treasure back from robbers.
  • Fish Fright: Spanky and Alfalfa go fishing in a short scene.
 September 25, 1982
2
  • Grin and Bear It: On a camping trip, Porky is taken by a "Phantom Lumberjack" who is really a bank robber.
  • Beauty Queen for a Day: The boys like Dolly, a new girl. Darla enters a beauty pageant.
  • The Serenade: Alfalfa sings to Darla, but his bad singing scares Pete away.
 October 2, 1982
3
  • Big City Rascals: The Rascals visit Darla's uncle on his farm.
  • Alfalfakazam!: During Spanky's magic show, Alfalfa seems to turn into a rabbit.
  • Scoop Dupes: A short scene.
 October 9, 1982
4
  • Showdown at the Rascal Corral: Alfalfa pretends to be a cowboy. Two outlaws "arrest" him for singing.
  • Poached Pooch: Butch and Woim steal Pete's dog license.
  • Ice Escapades: Buckwheat, Spanky, and Alfalfa want to ice skate, even in a heat wave.
 October 16, 1982
5
  • Porky-O and Julie-Et: Porky likes the daughter of an ice cream boss.
  • Just Deserts: The boys enter Darla's cake in a contest. Alfalfa has to dress as a girl because Darla is sick.
  • No Hit Wit: A short scene.
 October 23, 1982
6
  • Alfalfa for President: Alfalfa and Waldo both want to be class president.
  • Rock and Roll Rascals: Darla wants an autograph from rock star Greg Groover.
  • A Swimming We Will Go: Officer Ed finds the boys swimming where they shouldn't be.
 October 30, 1982
7
  • The Irate Pirates: The Rascals hunt for treasure on the beach. They meet two grown-up troublemakers dressed as pirates.
  • All the Loot That's Fit to Print: The Rascals start a newspaper. Alfalfa accidentally spends fake money.
  • The Spare: A short scene.
 November 6, 1982
8
  • Alfalfa's Athlete Feat: Butch challenges Alfalfa to a pentathlon (a sports competition).
  • Darla's Dream Dance: Darla plans the school dance. The boys try to ruin it when Alfalfa learns Waldo is Darla's date.
  • Fiscal Fitness: A short scene.
 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 acts like a detective to find Darla's doll.
  • Go Cart Go: Butch takes Buckwheat's go-cart for a ride.
 November 20, 1982
10
  • Falling Heir: Spanky gets 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.
  • Do or Diet: Darla asks Buckwheat how many meals Porky eats. The answer surprises her.
 November 27, 1982
11
  • Trash Can Treasures: The Rascals find a lamp like Aladdin's. Darla adopts a stray horse.
  • King of the Hobos: Porky is banned from the club for eating everyone's food. He runs away and meets an old hobo.
  • Out on a Limb: Alfalfa pushes Spanky on a swing but gets 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: While swimming, Alfalfa sings a silly song. Spanky and Buckwheat know how to make him stop.
 December 11, 1982
13
  • Big Top Rascals: The Rascals try to sneak into a circus. Then they decide to put on their own circus. Butch and Woim take advantage of free entry.
  • Class Act: The Rascals enter Pete in a dog show. Waldo thinks Pete can't win against fancy dogs. Things get crazy when someone kidnaps Pete.
  • He Who Runs Away: A short scene.
 December 18, 1982

Season 2 (1983)

These episodes were part of The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show.

# Title and Story Airdate
14

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

 September 10, 1983
15

Save Our Treehouse!: A used car dealer wants to tear down the Rascals' treehouse. The Rascals protest, like workers on strike.

 September 17, 1983
16

Horse Sense: Alfalfa and Waldo are fighting for Darla's attention again. Waldo challenges Alfalfa to a horse race. The problem is, 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 friend, Maria.

 October 15, 1983
19

Fright Night: The Rascals go trick-or-treating. Buckwheat dresses as George Washington Carver. Darla dresses like Alfalfa.

 October 29, 1983
20

The Big Sneeze: The Rascals meet a goat. Alfalfa is allergic to it.

 November 12, 1983
21

Pete's Big Break: Pete saves another dog from drowning. He and the Rascals get to star in a dog food commercial.

 November 19, 1983
22

The Zero Hero: Darla wins a date with Captain Muscles, a TV superhero. To impress Darla, Alfalfa pretends to be Alpha-Man.

 December 2, 1983

Some episodes from the first season were shown again in 1983. These included "Tiny Terror", "Class Act", "Porky-O and Julie-Et", and "Cap'n Spanky's Showboat".

Voice Actors

Main Voices

Other Voices

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