The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

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The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
POPP title card.png
On-screen title card.
Network CBS
Production company Hanna-Barbera
Distributor Taft Broadcasting
Original release September 13, 1969January 17, 1970
Starring Janet Waldo
Mel Blanc
Don Messick
Paul Winchell
Paul Lynde
Gary Owens
Producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Alex Lovy
Music composed by Hoyt Curtin
Writer(s) Joe Ruby
Ken Spears
Mike Maltese
Director(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Animation director(s) Charles A. Nichols
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The Perils of Penelope Pitstop is an American animated comedy television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for CBS' Saturday morning children's programming. It ran from 1969 to 1970, airing 17 episodes that spanned one season. It was the second spin-off from Wacky Races.

In the style of the silent movie era of melodrama cliffhangers, Penelope Pitstop must evade capture of the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers. The Hooded Claw is in fact really her guardian, Sylvester Sneekly. If Sylvester can do away with Penelope, he will receive her inheritance. She is often aided by the Ant Hill Mob, who have been converted from villainous mobsters to heroic Seven Dwarfs-types. Despite their best intentions, they end up in need of her help during their rescue of her, although despite her resourcefulness, she inevitably will always need to be the one saved.

The entire series has also been released on DVD.

Production

Early concept art, drawn by Iwao Takamoto.

Development

Fred Silverman, head of children's programming for CBS, suggested the idea of spinning off the Wacky Racers based on the success of Wacky Races.[1] The Perils of Penelope Pitstop was inspired by the silent film serial The Peril of Pauline.[2]

Music

The score was composed by Hoyt Curtin, who was credited as music director.

Episodes

Episode Original air date
1x01 September 13, 1969
1x02 September 20, 1969
1x03 September 27, 1969
1x04 October 4, 1969
1x05 October 11, 1969
1x06 October 18, 1969
1x07 October 25, 1969
1x08 November 1, 1969
1x09 November 8, 1969
1x10 November 15, 1969
1x11 November 22, 1969
1x12 November 29, 1969
1x13 December 6, 1969
1x14 December 13, 1969
1x15 December 20, 1969
1x16 January 10, 1970
1x17 January 17, 1970

Cast

Legacy

The show's versions of the Ant Hill Mob would later reappear for the Yogi's Treasure Hunt episode "Yogi Bear on the Air."

In 2018, DC Comics published Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #41, which concluded the series with Penelope discovering the truth about her guardian.

In popular culture

  • In the Animaniacs segment "Back in Style," Penelope Pit-A-Pat Stop is mentioned to have lost ratings by adding the Warner siblings.
  • In "Episode 4" (series 2) of the BBC Radio 4 comedy sketch show Dead Ringers, Alistair Stewart presents Police Crash Bang Wallop (a parody of Police Camera Action!), in which Luke and Blubber, Professor Pat Pending, and Dick and Muttley are described as a bunch of boy racers who are flagrantly disregarding the rules of the road. They are said to be repentant, although Dick says, "Drat and double drat," followed by Muttley's snicker and laugh. As a crossover with Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Hooded Claw then joins the race to get Penelope.

References

  1. ^ Sennett, Ted (October 30, 1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera, page 153. Viking Studio Books. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  2. ^ Sennett, Ted (October 30, 1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera, page 157. Viking Studio Books. Retrieved November 25, 2022.