The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show facts for kids

The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show
Genre	Comedy
Created by	Kenneth Grahame
Written by	Romeo Muller William J. Keenan
Directed by	Arthur Rankin Jr. Jules Bass
Voices of	Paul Soles Donna Miller Claude Rae Carl Banas
Composer(s)	Maury Laws Jules Bass
Country of origin	United States Canada Japan
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	17
Production
Producer(s)	Arthur Rankin Jr. Jules Bass
Cinematography	Steve Nakagawa
Editor(s)	Irwin Goldress Script Editor: William J. Keenan
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Rankin/Bass Productions Animation: Mushi Production
Release
Original network	ABC
Picture format	Color
Original release	September 12 (1970-09-12) – December 26, 1970 (1970-12-26)

The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show was an animated TV series from 1970. It aired on ABC on Saturday mornings. This fun show brought together two famous characters created by the British writer Kenneth Grahame. One was the Reluctant Dragon, from a short story written in 1898. The other was Mr. Toad, from the well-known 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows.

The series was made by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York City. They created 17 episodes for the show. It first aired on September 12, 1970, and its last episode was on December 26, 1970. The show was shown again in 1971, but it still didn't become a big hit.

Each episode was 30 minutes long and featured three short cartoons. The Reluctant Dragon had the first and third cartoon slots. A Mr. Toad cartoon was always in the middle. Romeo Muller and William J. Keenan wrote the stories for the series. Canadian voice actors brought the characters to life. Paul Soles was the voice of Tobias, the Reluctant Dragon. Other voices were done by Donna Miller, Claude Rae, and Carl Banas. Paul Coker, Jr. designed the characters. The animation was supervised by Steve Nakagawa at Mushi Production in Tokyo.

Meet the Reluctant Dragon

Tobias is a sweet and gentle dragon. He has a special problem: the wizard Merlin put a spell on him. This spell makes him breathe fire every time he sneezes! Tobias is a very kind dragon and never wants to hurt anyone in Willowmarsh Village. He feels embarrassed when he accidentally breathes fire.

A little blonde girl often bothers Tobias because she wants to give him flowers. These flowers, especially daisies, make him sneeze! Luckily, a knight named Sir Malcolm Giles helps Tobias. Sir Malcolm tries to keep both the village and the dragon safe. King Herman rules Willowmarsh and hosts a variety show. Other characters in the dragon's stories include Sir Andrew, Irving the Bold, and Ugliola.

Some of the Reluctant Dragon cartoons had titles like "National Daisy Week," "The Campscout Girls," and "Tobias, the Reluctant Viking."

Adventures of Mr. Toad

Mr. Toad is a rich and fancy character who loves to have fun. He enjoys driving fast cars and wearing expensive clothes. He owns a grand home called Toad Hall. His friends often make fun of him because of his silly adventures. His friends include the shy Mole, the smart Badger, and the outgoing Water Rat.

Some of Mr. Toad's stories were called "Ghost of Toad Hall," "Micemaster Road," and "Jove! What a Day."

Years later, in 1987, Rankin/Bass Productions made another TV movie. This movie was a more accurate version of The Wind in the Willows.

Episode Guide

Here is a list of the episodes from the show:

• A Cold Day in Willowmarch / Build a Better Bungalow / A Day at the Fair
• Cowardly Herman / Casey Tad / Daisies Away
• Dippy / Gentlemen's Gentleman / Dragon Under Glass
• Free a Cold, Starve a Viking / Ghost of Toad Hall / Happy Birthday, Dear Tobias
• How to Be a Wizard / Jack of All Trades / How to Vex a Viking
• If It's a Wednesday It Must Be Vikingland / Jove! What a Day / Lights, Camera, Action
• Merlin the Magician, Jr. / Micemaster Road / National Daisy Week
• Never Count on a Cornflower / Movie Maker Toad / No Bix Like Show Bix
• Saving the Crown / Polo Panic / Sir Tobias
• Subway Sabotage / Sail Ho-Ho / Taxes Are a Drag on Dragons
• The Big Break / Sandhogs / The Campscout Girls
• The Flying Flagon / The Amphibious Mr. Toad / The Haunted Castle
• The Kid's Last Fight / The Demolition Derby / The Purple King
• The Robot Dragon / The Great Bonfire Contest / The Starve Versus Herman, the Attrocious
• The Tobias Touch / The Great Motorcycle Race / Tobias the Terror of the Tournament
• Tobias, the Reluctant Viking / Toad's Time Machine / Wretched Robin Hood
• (unknown) / Twenty Thousand Inches Under the Sea / (unknown)