Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines & Perils of Penelope Pitstop DVDs.

grundle · #1 10-24-2004, 09:39 PM

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=2356

Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - Stop The Pigeon! But don't stop the DVDs! Posted by David Lambert

10/23/2000

Wacky Races - The Complete Series arrived on DVD this past Tuesday, and my son and I are enjoying it immensely even as I type this up! This is the series which first starred Dick Dastardly and Muttley, who cheated their way along each race in car Double-Zero (00), "The Mean Machine".

One of the supplements on the 3rd disc in this set is "Spinout Spinoffs", which looks at the two toons that came out separately after Wacky Races wrapped its 34-episode run. It describes how a show in development called "Stop The Pigeon" was re-engineered to include the very popular bad guys from Wacky Races, and gave them the additional henchmen of Klunk and Zilly to help stop Yankee Doodle Pigeon, a carrier pigeon from the USA trying to deliver messages to the front line of World War I. Dick Dastardly, Muttley, Klunk, and Zilly - all voiced by returning Wacky voice actors Paul Winchell and Don Messick - were a flying squadron reporting to America's enemies, and they used more and more bizarre planes to try to stop the pigeon from performing its missions. Anyone who likes the Road Runner/Coyote matchups would enjoy this as well.

The spinoff featurette ended with the card below, letting us know that the Hanna Barbera Classic Collection of cartoons will continue in 2005, with a release that includes all 35 episodes of Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. Stay tuned for more info on that, just as soon as distributor Warner Home Video makes their announcement.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=2355

Perils of Penelope Pitstop - Thanks for wantin' me on DVD, y'all! Posted by David Lambert

10/23/2004
Wacky Races - The Complete Series arrived on DVD this past Tuesday, and my son and I are enjoying it immensely even as I type this up! This is the series which gave invention to both Penelope Pitstop and her rival racers, The Anthill Mob.

One of the supplements on the 3rd disc in this set is "Spinout Spinoffs", which looks at the two toons that came out separately after Wacky Races wrapped its 34-episode run. It describes how Penelope was developed into a full-fledged character who had globe-trotting adventures while trying to escape the schemes of "The Hooded Claw" (voiced by the memorable Paul Lynde), who was really her "guardian" Sylvester Sneekly, but was always trying to do her in and gain her inheritance for himself. Her actual (but self-appointed) protectors were The Anthill Mob, who's Wacky "Bullet-Proof Bomb" car had been upgraded to the more Speed Buggy-like "Chug-a-boom"...voiced by Mel Blanc! Announcer Gary Owens was also present, as were classic voice actors Don Messick and Paul Winchell. Janet Waldo returned as the voice of Penelope, of course.

The featurette ended with the card below, letting us know that the Hanna Barbera Classic Collection of cartoons will continue in 2005, with a release that includes all 17 episodes of The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. Stay tuned for more info on that, just as soon as distributor Warner Home Video makes their announcement.

**Jon Cooke** · #2 10-24-2004, 09:44 PM

Are there really many people out there clamoring for Penelope Pitstop DVDs?

I hope we see WB bring out the Yogi or Huck Hound or Quick Draw DVDs first...

-Jon

grundle · #3 10-24-2004, 09:48 PM

I don't know anyone who would want it.

I'm hoping for the 1970s Hanna Barbera Godzilla cartoon. That's Godzookie in my avatar!

guy incognito · #4 10-25-2004, 02:04 AM

Hell, I don't know why anyone would want a DVD of "Wacky Races" itself. Nostalgia? Kitsch appreciation?

angilbas · #5 10-25-2004, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy incognito

Hell, I don't know why anyone would want a DVD of "Wacky Races" itself. Nostalgia? Kitsch appreciation?

Portions of Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines were written by Michael Maltese. When Teletoon went Wacky several years ago, it was fun to spot the Maltese gags.

-Tony

cbrubaker · #6 10-25-2004, 04:52 AM

I don't know about you, but I actually like "Wacky Races"

Heck, IMO, I think that was Hanna-Barbera's last GOOD cartoon series.

P.S., I didn't know Maltese wrote some of the episodes.

Kaleido · #7 10-25-2004, 06:29 AM

I think Warner Home Video is attempting to play off of the popularity of the current Wacky Races DVD set.

(No, I never understood the appeal of Wacky Races either.)