Underdog

When I was a kid, this show would come on TV at 6 AM, and I would force myself to get up that early to watch it. I remember always feeling that the other cartoons (Gopher Indians and Commander McBragg) were underwhelming. I just wanted to get back to the Underdog stories. Some other reviewers here mention Tennessee Tuxedo and other cartoons as being part of the show. I'm almost at the end of season 2, and the other cartoons have all been the Gopher Indians and McBragg. It would be nice to get some variety here. Before reading the other reviews, I predicted that a few people would have an issue with the lack of political correctness in the Gopher Indian cartoons. I found these cartoons repetitive and only mildly amusing. However, I wasn't offended by them. Too bad, that we can't rewrite history, and make everything the way some people think it should have been. It's only a silly cartoon! Get over it! Overall, the Underdog segments were more imaginative and more interesting. My only quibble with Underdog was Sweet Polly singing "Where, oh where has my Underdog gone?" I could have easily done without that.

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 cartoon was not only a favorite of mine as a child, but of my late father's as an adult. There were the gimmicks of where every phone booth he heads into to change from Shoe Shine Boy to Underdog explodes, as well as how he always crashes through roofs and walls even when there are door or window openings nearby, as well as his talking in rhyme. But what makes the comic work is the witty writing.

Examples include how he makes Simon Bar Sinister dizzy by flying in circles around him, thus preventing him from using his snow gun, or the clever ways he defeats a flotilla of alien flying saucers, or how he makes the Wicked Witch of Pickayoon wealthy by compressing lumps of coal into diamonds, or how he sends villains directly into confinement or jail. Too bad the DC Superman didn't have that level of cleverness...but then he didn't have Underdog's computer brain.

Underdog, was of course, purely Wally Cox's persona

Simon Bar-Sinister was based on Lionel Barrymore(Mr. Potter in "It's A Wonderful Life")

Riff Raff - The name is taken from George Raft, but sounded a lot like Sheldon Leonard

Tennessee Tuxedo - Of course, this was Don Adams' characterization

Baldy Eagle - Based on Ned Sparks, known for the deadpan monotone delivery of lines in his movies, in the 1940's

Yakety Yak - Based on Joe E. Ross (Fred Gwynne's partner in "Car 54: Where are You?")

Major Minor - Terry-Thomas, comedic British Actor of the 1960' and 70's

Savoir Fare - Kind of like the Pepe LePew variety of characterization.

Colonel Kit Coyote - The name is based on Kit Carson, a figure in the old American west, but his mannerisms are liked many characterizations of Colonel/President Teddy Roosevelt(see: Robin William's portrayal of Roosevelt in "A Night At The Museum"[2006])

Seargent - sounded something like Brian Keith, or Buddy Ebsen's portrayals in the Daniel Boone TV series? Maybe not.

I'd love to know if anyone has any ideas on what personalities Stanley Livingston, Chumley, Jereboah Jump, Tiger, Cad, Miss Polley, and Klondyke Kat were based on.

What with this latest "Feature-Film-Adapted-from a Sitcom or a Cartoon Series from the Good Old Days of the Age of Baby-Boomers"(there outa be such an Oscar category!), UNDERDOG(2007) just having been released for general distribution/exhibition, we were curious about the old (1964)NBC Saturday Morning Kiddiefest.So, naturally we took a little peek and we found .......

The Boomers of varying age were among those viewing this UNDERDOG Show when it debuted back in A.D. 1964. I myself got out of high school that year (6 long years!!*), but had 3 younger siblings and a whole sh*t house full of younger cousins, so naturally this gave me a good excuse to watch, or at least 'observe'! After all, wouldn't want any young relatives corrupted by any inferior, low class, mind destroying trash with any low moral tone! Luckily, for me and them, it wasn't any of those things.

Much like many of the other Kiddie Crowd-Targeted Made for Television, limited action Animated Series, Underdog's producers went for the multi-leveled* story construction. Hence, we were witnessed to serialized stories which contained humor, incidents and even names of characters that would amuse the Parents and other Adults(like yours truly)who happened to be watching. The choice of theme/background/incidental music for the series was that of original score, consisting of rather non-complex melody.(Please bear with me here,as I have zero musical training, obviously!). Even the lyrics to the opening are short, clippy but mood setting, with an ominous, even spooky "ooh-ooh-ohh!" provided by a choral back ground group.

We had already witnessed the running of many of Pioneer Animator Paul Terry's TERRYTOONS' features by its new parent company, the CBS Television Network. By way of this method, we had all become familiar with MIGHTY MOUSE. Dating back to the early 1940's, Mighty Mouse was a long standing, and possibly first Paradoy of the whole Comic Book Super Hero in general and of Superman, in particular.

So, there was a precedent out there. That meant that somethings would have to be a little different, so as to avoid any obvious charges of "copy catism" by the kiddies.

Now, the Mighty Mouse animated shorts were not done up in prose, but rather sung as an Operetta. This was perhaps somewhat lost on the kids, but seems very amusing and even 'delightful' to all of us 'big kids'!So, what to do? What to do? Well then, the folks at Leonardo Television and Total TV Produvtions settled on the idea of going not for song, but rhyme, ala Will Shakespeare!** The idea was a good one, as it became one feature of the whole series to be its one true identifier, its electronic DNA, if you please. We would listen closely in order to get the lines and the words spoken by voice artists, led by Wally Cox.

As for the 'Female Lead', we see the Name of Norma MacMillan as Polly Purebred. We read that 'Polly' was patterned on Marilyn Monroe. But I must beg to disagree, respectfully of course. My contention is that Miss Polly Purebred is a vocal and visual caricature of the lovely,late Actress/Commedienne Mary Jane Croft.(just my opinion.)

That brings us to the cast of voice artists.Wally Cox as the Lead,with Norma MacMillain(Polly), Alan Swift(Simon Bar-Sinister***) and George S. Irving as the Golden Voiced Narrator.

* Just kidding! But I did have one trip to Summer School for Physics! St. Rita High School, Chicago, Summer(the whole, damn season!), A.D. 1963!

** I get all his books, soon as they come out.

*** Just for the Record, "Bar-Sinister" is a term used in Heraldry. When the bar-sinister appears on a Family Coat of Arms, it indicates Illegitimacy. Ergo, it would appear that "Simon Bar-Sinister" would translate, "Simon the Bastard!"