The Mad Dog Gang Meets Rotten Fred and Ratsguts facts for kids
The Mad Dog Gang Meets Rotten Fred and Ratsguts is an exciting New Zealand TV show made for children. It first aired in 1978. The story was written by Ian Mune and Arthur Baysting, and Ross Jennings directed it. The show was filmed in the beautiful city of Dunedin and the countryside around Otago. It tells the story of two kids, Tony and Suey, who go on an adventure and try to solve a mystery.
Contents
Meet the Characters
- Suey: Played by Julie Wilson
- Tony: Played by Ian Templeton
- Harvey: Played by Buddy Ruruku
- Rotten Fred: Played by Walt Brown
- Aunt Maureen: Played by Eve Durning
- Uncle Eric: Played by Brian Beresford
- Wilkie: Played by John Bach
- Sergeant Daniels: Played by Barry Dorking
The Story Begins
New Home on the Farm
The show starts with 9-year-old Tony and his 7-year-old sister Suey. They are sent to live on their Uncle Eric and Aunt Maureen's farm. Their mother is recovering from a serious illness. Life on the farm is very different for them.
Meeting Harvey
Tony and Suey start at the local school. There, they meet a tough Maori boy named Harvey Kepanui. Harvey likes to bully them at first. Their teacher, Mr. Newman, warns the class about Rotten Fred. Fred is a local person who lives alone in an old shack.
Strange Happenings
Tony and Suey quickly learn how to ride horses. Many kids in the area ride horses to school every day. Suey starts having bad dreams about Fred, whom she has seen a couple of times. Meanwhile, local farmers, including their neighbor Wilkie, are worried. Many of their sheep have been killed, and it looks like a dog is responsible.
The Mad Dog Gang Forms
Daring Visit to Fred's Shack
Harvey dares Tony to go with him to Fred's shack. They get inside through a window. They find strange stuffed animals and interesting small items. Suddenly, an angry Fred appears! He chases them, but they manage to escape. Harvey has taken some cigarettes and a carving of a dog. The carving says "Mt. Eden Prison" on it.
A Secret Club
Harvey takes Tony and Suey to an old barn. There, they decide to form a secret club. They call themselves the "Mad Dog Gang." Their goal is to find out who is killing the sheep. They believe Rotten Fred is involved. They use the dog carving as their special club mascot.
First Adventure and a Big Clue
For their first adventure, the Mad Dog Gang tries to steal fruit from Wilkie's farm. Wilkie catches them, but they get away. Later, Wilkie visits Uncle Eric's farm to complain. Suey then tells him she thinks Fred's dog, Ratsguts, is killing the sheep. Wilkie drives to Fred's shack and confronts him. Fred denies his dog attacks sheep and tells Wilkie to leave him alone.
Uncovering the Truth
More Secrets at the Shack
The boys go back into Fred's shack. They find a newspaper clipping. It says that Fred had been in trouble with the law before. Suey follows them from a distance. She falls off her pony, and the pony runs away. Suey gets lost while chasing her pony. She then finds a cave from which a loud roar comes out.
A Frightening Encounter
Terrified, Suey thinks a "monster" lives in the cave. She runs through the bushes. She screams when she runs right into Fred! Fred calms her down. He asks her to give back the stolen carving she is wearing around her neck. She does, and then she becomes friends with Fred and his dog, Ratsguts. The boys find them and also become friends with Fred.
The Mystery Solved
Farmers Take Action
A very angry Wilkie visits Eric again. He complains that his sheep have been attacked once more. He promises to stop it. He gathers some local farmers. They plan to shoot Ratsguts and make Fred leave the area. The kids rush to Fred's shack to warn him.
Ratsguts Disappears
Fred thinks about what to do. He hides Ratsguts inside his shack and tells the kids to leave. But the kids take Ratsguts with them without Fred knowing. The farmers arrive and demand that Fred hand over Ratsguts. Fred refuses and fires warning shots. Local police officer Sergeant Daniels arrives just in time. He tells everyone to put down their weapons. He asks Fred to bring out the dog, but Ratsguts is gone.
The Real Culprit
The kids and Ratsguts head for the cave where Suey thought a "monster" lived. They go into the cave. Ratsguts starts fighting with a wild dog! Daniels, Fred, and the farmers arrive. Daniels shoots the wild dog, and Ratsguts is safe. They find out the dead dog was one that ran away from Wilkie's farm because it was not treated well.
A New Headquarters
Later, the kids go to visit Fred. But he has left the area. He leaves them a note. In the note, he invites them to use his abandoned shack as their new headquarters for the Mad Dog Gang!
