The Alvin Show

The success of The Flintstones in 1960 spawned other prime time cartoon shows that included The Alvin Show. Based on the group created by Ross Bagdasarian (aka David Seville) that was created by speeding up his voice on a tape recorder, the show featured the adventures of Alvin, Simon and Theodore along with their manager/guardian Dave Seville. There was always a song in each episode as well as a sing along for viewers.

Another segment was The Adventures of Clyde Crashcup, where the inventor, voice by Shep Menkin invented things that were already invented. Assisted by his short, balding sidekick Leonardo, Crashcup did all the talking and Leonardo only whispered.

The show lasted only one season on CBS before it was moved to Saturday mornings the following season and later in syndication. That's where I remember watching The Alvin Show and it was a funny show that wasn't violent. If you watched the credits closely, you'll see that many of the people who worked on the show also were involved in the production of the made for TV Popeye cartoons that Format Films, the co-producers of the show also produced.

If you're a fan of The Chipmunks or never seen the show before the later shows that aired on NBC in the 1980s, give them a view on YouTube. You're positively gonna love The Alvin Show.

REMEMBERING the old adage about "Striking while the Iron is Hot", Songwriter Ross Bagdasarian inked a deal to give form, faces and anthropomorphic life to his Chipmunks on the TV Screen via the animated half-hour series. THE ALVIN SHOW (Bagdasarian Films, Ltd./Format Productions /CBS TV Network, 1961-62)hit the Tiffany Network in the Autumn of 1961.

MR. BAGDASARIAN, who was probably much better known to the public under his Stage Name of David Seville,* was capitalizing on the big-time popularity of his "Chipmunks Singing Group"; consisting of Simon, Theodore and Alvin, who had the number one (that's # 1!) Popular Record Hit, "The Chipmunks' Christmas Song". The decidedly 'novelty' record shot to the top of the Charts in December of 1958;making an annual re-visit every year at the Christmas Holiday Season. This was followed up with some other hit records and the all important Record Album, which is a 33 1/3 RPM collection of many song recordings.

THE comic format followed was not unlike that which had been used by folks such as Hannah-Barbera Productions in such successful cartoon half hours as HUCKLEBERRY HOUND, RUFF 'N REDDY, QUICKDRAW McGRAW, THE JETSONS AND (yabba-dabba-doo!) THE FLINTSTONES. In order to establish a format for animated short cartoons which would mixed 'Funny Animal' characters with their 'Human ' Straight-Man counterparts, the production team's writers made the rodent trio into, not pets**; but rather sort of adopted wards of mentor, the animated David Seville.

TYPICALLY an adventure would involve some family-type of spat and follow the events that were undertaken when the Chipmunk/Child Figures go off disobeying the Dave/Parental Symbol; or the yuk-yuks generated when the kids put something else over on adults. As we recall, most often the Chipmunk Cartoons would wind-up or at least feature a song from The Quartet (Now concentrate, Schultz! That's 1 Man + 3 Chipmunks = 4, the number needed for a quorum). This should be no surprise, being that their origin is in the records business. Also as to be expected the songs were Bagdasarian's own compositions; which included not only existing Chipmunk 'standards, but also some original songs (such as Ross' first Hit Parade Top 10 ranking, "The Witch Doctor".

SPEAKING of music, the show had its own original score. In addition to the aforementioned opening theme song ("It's the Alvin Show, the Alvin Show, you're positively gonna love the Alvin Show…..), there was bright, peppy and fresh incidental music that was easily recognizable and judiciously used throughout the three cartoon shorts that made up the program.

APPERAING in each show as a 2nd Banana Sort of back-up feature, the series was presented chronicling the adventures of CLYDE CRASHCUP, a madcap inventor. Quite original and cleverly amusing, we actually looked forward to Clyde's appearances as being the high-point of the show.

BEING tall, thin, scraggly haired and mustachioed, this eccentric genius possessed a distinctly high pitched nasally voice; with which he would always announce his latest brainstorm to his diminutive, nearly mute and cherubic assistant, the bespectacled Leonardo. This routine of Crashcup's doing all of the 'mike' work, with the much shorter and silent Leonardo only occasionally whispering back in the boss' ear is an astoundingly close approximation of the format that would be followed by comic magicians PENN & TELLER some 35 years or so in the future. (Sounds silly, maybe; but, just take a look-see sometime and let us know what you think.)

DEMONSTRATING a distinctly adult appeal (No Schultz, not the "X" Rated variety!), as well as making it at the same a mark of distinction, was not only the manner in which the wacky inventor would announce his new ideas, but also the nature of his inventions. Remembering that he is not a discoverer, but rather an inventor; Clyde would abruptly shout from a dead silence something such as "That's it, Leonardo! I'll invent NOISE!" The list was long and varied, but the essential point was that he was INVENTING some Natural Phenomenon, rather than some Rube Goldberg-type of kooky contraption.

IT was a great demonstration of how some complex ideas can have such a simple genesis. We give it an overall rating of ***1/2, that's Three Stars, Schultz, with or without our overalls!

NOTE * Some years later, it was Ross Bgdasarian. Jr. who masterminded, wrote and voiced "ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS" (Bagdasarian/Ruby-Spears/National Broadcasting Corporation, 1983-91), as well as some other Chipmunk Specials, both to Television as well as Direct to Video.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

I used to watch this show when I was a little girl. When I think about it, I remember it pretty well. If you ask me, it was a good show. The opening sequence and theme song are two things I remember pretty well, too. In addition to that, everyone was ideally cast. Also, the writing was very strong. The performances were top-grade, too. I hope some network brings it back so I can see every episode. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I don't think I've seen every episode. Now, in conclusion, if some network ever brings it back, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.

THE ALVIN SHOW From the early 1960's,was one of the first animated television series to feature the singing characters,"The Chipmunks"(who won the Grammy in 1958 for Best Original Recording of "The Chipmunk Song" on Liberty Records)originally lasted one season in prime time when it originally was broadcast on CBS-TV from October 4,1961-September 12,1962 has become something of a cult favorite over the years. The original rode the momentum of creator Ross Bagdasarian's original hit musical gimmick and developed the singing Chipmunk trio as rambunctious kids---particularly the namesake brat and harmonica-playing star of the show himself,whose mischief contrasted to(and usually exasperated)his tall brainy brother Simon,and his chubby,gluttonous brother Theodore,to say nothing of their long-suffering,perpetually put-upon manager-father figure,Dave Seville(all voices done by the show's creator and executive producer Ross Bagdasarian himself)with the featured segment of Clyde Crashcup(voiced by Shepard Menken).

An almost accidental parody of the family situation comedy(which was modeled after the huge success of My Three Sons),the Alvin cartoons are not masterpieces of animation sophistication-but as an underrated satire of uncontrollable comedy--THE ALVIN SHOW stood up surprisingly well nearly after four decades after failing to find a prime time niche. When it premiered in October of 1961,the show was up against NBC's formidable hit western Wagon Train and ABC's variety series The Steve Allen Show and it was followed by repeated episodes of Robert Young's Father Knows Best. But the real culprit may have been the production delays that really kept the show from even going into another season. The idea was to keep Alvin and company from reaching the air long enough to allow an obvious imitation,The Nutty Squirrels to beat The Chipmunks to television by a full year. Since Bagdasarian's musical success had been happening upon a clever gimmick and getting it up and forward first,that delay(caused mostly by disagreements among Format Films and Bagdasarian Film Corporation on acceptable character designs)probably helped doom The Alvin Show before even the first installments went on the air. Its even amazing the show survived a full season in prime time,producing 26 episodes. One of a small number of animated series to be shown in prime time on CBS,The Alvin Show was originally filmed and produced in color,but the network originally broadcast all 26 episodes in black and white,even though the show made the switch to Saturday Mornings the following season where CBS would repeat the episodes in color which lasted until 1965. However,CBS did not switch to full across the board color television until 1964,where a majority of its animated shows and live-action specials would be shown in color. General Foods was the show's main sponsor as well as Post Cereals.

After CBS cancelled the show in 1965,NBC picked up the original Alvin Show cartoons and re-ran them on Saturday Mornings for one season from 1979-1980. 26 episodes were for the Alvin and the Chipmunks segments along with 52 musical segments. Bit of trivia: The Chipmunks' names were taken from three Liberty Records executives,where David Seville and the Chipmunks made most of the recordings with Liberty Records. Alvin was named for label president Alvin Bennett. Simon for label vice-president and record producer Simon Waronker. Theodore for recording engineering Theodore Keep.

I have great memories of watching the "old" Alvin show on Saturday morning in the 1960's. I would really like to see the the episodes, unedited, released on DVD. I have seen segmets of the show on a Nickelodeon show ten years ago and I believe Walt Disney owns the rights now as there are "sing-a-long" tapes on the market. Can't they just put the whole episode on DVD, including Prof. Crashcup?