Alvin und die Chipmunks

The Chipmunks are almost unknown here in Sweden, but in the mid-1990s one TV channel showed the 1980-90s series on Sunday mornings. I found it by sheer coincidence while zapping between channels, and it was love at first sight! I was a nearly 30-yrs old cartoon buff with the penchant for classic Looney Tunes and the like, I couldn't dream of falling for a cutesy-pootsy "kiddies" cartoon like that. But I simply HAD TO get up early every Sunday morning to watch it! The plots were usually rather tame (with some brilliant exceptions), but the dialog was fun and witty with lots of jokes a grown-up could appreciate. And these little guys were soooo CUTE and so COOL! The animation was so well done, and then there was the MUSIC!! It was so fun hearing those classic rock-and-roll tunes sung with those silly Chip&Dale-type voices.

But I must admit it took a few episodes to get the grip of things. Like: What are these very peculiar-looking little boys supposed to be? "Chipmunks"???!!!... They doesn't look the slightest like chipmunks to me. Why are they goofing around in those ridiculous nightshirts all the time? Why are they living with that human guy in a realistically drawn human world? All other talking cartoon animals live among other cartoon animals, not among humans. Weird, weird...

For many years I assumed The Chipmunks was something new, that David Seville was just a cartoon character, and Alvin, Simon and Theodore had always looked like their 1980-90s versions. I didn't knew there had been something before! So it was rather confusing to come across songs written by "David Seville", plush animals from 1959 resembling an ugly rat or distorted guinea-pig but supposed to be "Alvin from the Chipmunks", gramophone records from 1960 showing the boys as "real" chipmunks on the cover, and so on! But the Internet soon made all clear to me. Anyway, a great cartoon, so unlike the mass produced cheap crap of today (but the "Chipmunks goes to the Movies" series were rather poor -the movie spoofs were often not even funny).

Another Saturday morning cartoon I have a soft spot for...I even got a Chipmunks coloring book for Christmas one year! Cute characters and stories, and I thought it was so cool that Alvin, Simon and Theodore sang and did videos to the hot pop songs of the day (Up Where We Belong, Hungry Like The Wolf, etc). OK, it's cheesy now but it was great fun. By the way, has anyone else noticed that the Chipmunks theme song and Van Halen's "Jump" sound awfully similar?

I think anything to do with the Chipmunks is AMAZING. I have been a fan of the series ALL the series for years now.

Since then I've wished to have them at home. The songs are catchy all the movies and series are GREAT if your a real Chipmunks fan you'll appreciate all the series and their cuteness and the fact that they and the Chipette's are so cute.

The series I would particularly like is "The Chimunks" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks".

Alvin is cute and a lead singer. He's a babe and a star, Simon is smart back up singer and helps Alvins stay in line, Theodore is little babyish plays the drums loves his brothers and food.

Brittany is a perfect match for Alvin she's also cute lead singer and very conceited she and Alvin are constantly challenging each other as they are both stubborn. Jeanette isn't so much naturally smart but more so clumsy and a gorgeous dweeb she's interested in the same things as Simon only that she must study to be half his equal. Eleanor and Theodore are a very good match because they share the same interests they both like food and are both chubby and proud except little blonde Eleanor is maternal and not so innocent.

P.S. Does anyone know where it's possible to buy the series?!! Thanx

This was a hip cartoon show that I've watched during my childhood - about three chipmunks named Alvin, Simon, and Theodore and their misadventures, with their adopted owner, Dave, thrown into the mix. I've always remember Alvin to be the adventurous one, Simon to be the brainy one, and Theodore to be the cuddly and thoughtful one.

A different cartoon that shows the hipness and a little bit of young-adult fun that attracts an audience of all ages. A catching opening tune and some unique stories.

Grade B

This was probably the one cartoon made by Ruby-Spears Enterprises that lasted more than two seasons, but this is still a great cartoon. Even today, it looks more meticulously drawn and animated than a lot of other American cartoons now. I am a child of the '80s, and I grew up watching this show. It makes me wonder why we don't draw cartoons to this caliber anymore.

Most of the episodes are about the Seville brothers Alvin, Simon and Theodore, who often get themselves into a jam, and needing to get out of it, without causing too much more trouble (and without getting Dave too angry). The three chipmunks kept their old personalities from "The Alvin Show" (1961), but they now have different voices. Sometimes they also involve the Chipettes, known as Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor.

They also did some spoofs on TV shows of the '80's era. They included "The A-Team", "Miami Vice", "Charlie's Angels", "Moonlighting", (that episode is a favorite of mine) etc. The Chipmunks also occasionally go into a song number, but it's not stupid Disney-like garbage. They performed "Surfin' USA", "Uptown Girl", "Do you Love me", "Monster Mash", and even classic '80's hits like "Beat It". Makes you feel all nostalgic inside...

"The Chipmunks Go To the Movies" offered parodies of late '80's/early '90s movies, like "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", "King Kong", "A Christmas Carol", and "Batman".

This cartoon is currently running in syndication on Cartoon Network. If you can, I suggest to try it. You'll love it. And if anyone hates the boys just because they're chipmunks who appear to be living in a human world...well, Bugs Bunny is taller than Elmer Fudd, but no one gripes about it. "Anyting's possible inna cartoon!" -Bugs Bunny

Ross Bagdasarian's son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., did this cartoon in 1983, and had a movie, "The Chipmunk Adventure", in 1987. Pick it up today!

The 1980s had some of the coolest cartoons. It's, like, the stuff of legend, dude. Alvin and the Chipmunks forever....