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 – December 26, 1970

The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show is a 1970 American animated television series that aired on ABC's Saturday morning schedule. The show features two characters created by British children's writer Kenneth Grahame: the Reluctant Dragon from the 1898 short story of the same name, and Mr. Toad from the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows. The show was created by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York City, who produced 17 episodes. The show was a flop, airing from September 12 until December 26, 1970. A year later, ABC aired reruns of the show on Sunday mornings on September 12, 1971, but this time, it was a disaster.

The half-hour comedy program included three shorts on each episode: the Reluctant Dragon took the first and third slots, with a Mr. Toad cartoon in the middle. Written by Romeo Muller and William J. Keenan, the series uses a team of Canadian voice actors with Bernard Cowan as the recording supervisor. Tobias, the Reluctant Dragon, was voiced by Paul Soles; other characters were performed by Donna Miller, Claude Rae and Carl Banas. The series' character designs were done by Paul Coker, Jr., and the animation supervision by Steve Nakagawa at Mushi Production in Tokyo.

The Reluctant Dragon

Tobias is a gentle, dreamy dragon who was cursed by the wizard Merlin with flaming breath, which comes upon him every time that he sneezes. He is a kind-hearted soul who doesn't want to hurt the populace of Willowmarsh Village, and is ashamed whenever he erupts in flame. He's regularly troubled by a little blonde girl who wants to give him a bouquet of daisies, which make him sneeze. Tobias is aided by a knight, Sir Malcolm Giles, who tries to protect both the village and the dragon. Willowmarsh is ruled by King Herman, who hosts a variety show. Other characters include Sir Andrew, Irving the Bold and Ugliola.

Titles of the Reluctant Dragon cartoons included "National Daisy Week", "The Campscout Girls', "A Cold Day in Wilowmarsh", "The Tobias Touch" and "Tobias, the Reluctant Viking".

Mr. Toad

Mr. Toad is a gadabout playboy who likes driving fast cars and wearing expensive clothes. He's the wealthy owner of Toad Hall, and an object of ridicule among his friends — the timid Mole, intellectual Badger and outgoing Water Rat.

Mr. Toad stories included "Ghost of Toad Hall", "Micemaster Road", "Build a Better Bungalow", "Polo Panic" and "Jove! What a Day".

In 1987, Rankin/Bass produced a more faithful TV-movie adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.

Episode list

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)