The Little Rascals (animated TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Little Rascals |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Based on |
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| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Composer(s) | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | |
| Editor(s) | Gil Iverson |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes (11 minutes a cartoon) |
| Production company(s) |
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| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 25, 1982 – December 3, 1983 |
The Little Rascals was a fun Saturday-morning cartoon that brought classic characters to life in animation. This American animated series was created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and King World Productions. It first appeared on ABC on September 25, 1982.
The show was a spin-off from the famous live-action Our Gang comedy shorts. It was shown as part of other cartoon blocks, like The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show in 1982 and The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show in 1983.
Artists Iwao Takamoto and Bob Singer designed the cartoon characters. They used a special method: tracing over real photos of the original actors. This helped them capture the look of the beloved characters. This technique was also used for other Hanna-Barbera shows, like The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.
Contents
Discovering The Little Rascals Cartoon
Earlier Animated Adventures
Before the 1982 cartoon, the Little Rascals characters appeared in animation a couple of times. In the 1960s, there were nine special clay-animated episodes. These were made by a British studio, likely Bura and Hardwick. They used the actual sounds from the old Our Gang movies. Some of these episodes included "Shiver My Timbers" and "Teacher's Beau".
Later, in 1979, Fred Wolf created an animated The Little Rascals Christmas Special for NBC. This animated style was also used for helpful public service announcements.
How the Cartoon Was Different
The animated series brought some cool changes compared to the original live-action movies. The gang lived in the 1980s, with computers and television. Buckwheat became a super smart inventor, always building new gadgets for his friends.
Darla's eye color changed from hazel to blue in the cartoon. This was a small detail, as the old movies were in black-and-white. The Rascals also had a secret treehouse meeting spot. They even zoomed around their town, Greenpoint, in a vehicle pulled by their dog! The theme music was brand new, and some characters from the old films, like Stymie, didn't appear.
A Challenge Over Character Rights
In March 1984, some of the original Our Gang actors raised concerns about the cartoon. Eugene Gordon Lee, who played Porky, felt the animated character looked too much like him. He believed his image was used without proper permission. Other former child actors, like George McFarland (Spanky) and Tommy Bond (Butch), joined him.
They pointed out that the company making the cartoon didn't have the right to use their likenesses. This disagreement was eventually resolved outside of court. Because of this situation, ABC stopped showing reruns of the cartoon. The series was also not shown on other channels like Cartoon Network or Boomerang. This also meant that Warner Bros. Discovery could not release the show on DVD.
Around the World
The cartoon was also shown in other countries! For example, in France, it was called Les Petites Canailles. The French version even had a different theme song. A children's chorus sang the new song, playing over clips from both the old movies and the new cartoon.
Episode Guide
Season 1 (1982)
This season aired as part of The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show.
| # | Episode Title and Summary | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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September 25, 1982 |
| 2 |
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October 2, 1982 |
| 3 |
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October 9, 1982 |
| 4 |
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October 16, 1982 |
| 5 |
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October 23, 1982 |
| 6 |
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October 30, 1982 |
| 7 |
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November 6, 1982 |
| 8 |
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November 13, 1982 |
| 9 |
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November 20, 1982 |
| 10 |
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November 27, 1982 |
| 11 |
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December 4, 1982 |
| 12 |
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December 11, 1982 |
| 13 |
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December 18, 1982 |
Season 2 (1983)
This season aired as part of The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show.
| # | Episode Title and Summary | Original 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 car dealer wants to tear down the Rascals' treehouse. The Rascals protest to save it. |
September 17, 1983 |
| 16 |
Horse Sense: Alfalfa and Waldo compete for Darla's attention in a horse race. Alfalfa doesn't know how to ride! |
September 24, 1983 |
| 17 |
After Hours: The Rascals get jobs working in a department store warehouse. |
October 1, 1983 |
| 18 |
A Not So Buenos Días: Alfalfa is suspicious of Darla's new friend, Maria. |
October 15, 1983 |
| 19 |
Fright Night: The Rascals go trick-or-treating. Buckwheat dresses as George Washington Carver, and Darla dresses like Alfalfa. |
October 29, 1983 |
| 20 |
The Big Sneeze: The Rascals meet a goat, and Alfalfa is allergic to it. |
November 12, 1983 |
| 21 |
Pete's Big Break: Pete saves another dog from drowning. He and the Rascals get a chance to star in a dog food commercial. |
November 19, 1983 |
| 22 |
The Zero Hero: Darla wins a date with Captain Muscles, a TV superhero. Alfalfa pretends to be Alpha-Man to impress her. |
December 3, 1983 |
Some episodes from the first season, like "Tiny Terror" and "Class Act", were shown again on October 8 and 22, and November 5 and 26, 1983.
Meet the Voice Actors
Main Voices
- Peter Cullen as Pete the Pup and Officer Ed
- Patty Maloney as Darla Hood
- Julie McWhirter as Alfalfa, Porky, and The Woim
- Scott Menville as Spanky
- Shavar Ross as Buckwheat
- B.J. Ward as Butch and Waldo
