 Originally intended to be titled Dalmatians 101, it was (fittingly) changed to 101 Dalmatians: The Series just before its premiere. In the series opener, Roger and Anita Dearly (no longer called Radcliff as in the original animated film, but Dearly as they are in the original children's book and in the live-action version film) (the latter being voiced in the Japanese dub by Aya Hisakawa), with Nanny, decide to move to the country where the 99 puppies will have room to grow and play (there wasn't enough space in their city brownstone apartment house back in Topstown). The fact that the Widow Smedley's farm, which the Dearlys purchased, sits next to the de Vil Mansion didn't bode well for Cruella de Vil, its prime occupant. She's become a corporate criminal. Of course, she no longer wants the Puppies' hides since it is not 'policially correct' to wear fur (she would eventually go back to her old tricks in House of Mouse a few years later), but she definitely wants the Dearlys and the Dalmatians off the farm. To this end, she has hired brothers Horace & Jasper of "H & J Concepts." Also, Cruella's pet ferret, Scorch has made it his business to terrorize the puppies himself. Puppies featured The show focuses primarily on three particular puppies: Lucky, TV expert and leader and canine Tom Sawyer; loyal, scholarly, and always-hungry brother Rolly; and their outspoken New Age guru sister, the runt Cadpig. They're joined by colorful friends like Spot, the chicken who wants to be a dog and a member of the "Bark Brigade." Early promotional material listed "dictatorial Penny and mischievous Patch" as two other puppy cast members, but the highlighted puppies were whittled down to three. Other puppies appearing in the show have included the brave three-legged Tripod, Dipstick, the constantly-urinating Wizzer, and their sister Two-Tone, and Patch. The show seems to be a blending of both the original animated film and the live action feature, so the potential exists for other puppies from the films to appear, especially Penny, Freckles, and Pepper (animated), and Jewel and Fidget (live action). Network run 101 Dalmatians: The Series debuted in syndication on September 1, 1997, running new episodes five days a week, as a part of the Disney Afternoon block. Less than two weeks later, the show came to ABC's One Saturday Morning lineup, airing original episodes that could only be seen on the network. 65 episodes were produced - 12 on ABC, and 53 in syndication. In August 1998, the show played its last episode in syndication. Reruns continued to play on ABC until 1999, when the show was moved to The Disney Channel, and then later to Toon Disney. On January 30, 2006, Toon Disney aired the show for the final time (to date). As of that day, 101 Dalmatians: The Series is off the air in most countries with a Disney Channel franchise. However, the series does air occasionally as part of the Toon Disney Wild Card Stack block. Characters The main characters in the series are Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly and Spot. Lucky is the most adventurous of the 99 puppies. He is unique in having his only spots in the shape of a horseshoe on his back. Cadpig is the runt of the litter. She is the smallest of the 99 puppies but quite possibly the most intelligent. She is unique in having long floppy ears and a big head. Rolly is the greedy one. Almost all his decisions are based on food and this, at times, gets him and the pups into trouble. He is, however, a loyal and helpful sibling. Spot is a chicken who wants to become a Dalmatian. She is the voice of commonsense for the foursome but, more often than not, is ignored. She is easily frightened and is prone to literally bounce off the walls. She is, however, a good dancer (which has to count for something according to her) and appears to be good at math. The main villains, as described above, are Cruella de Vil and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper. As said above, she is now a corporate criminal and most of her plans revolve around getting richer, tormenting the Dalmatians and stealing the Dearly Farm. Horace and Jasper are usually hired to perform her plans, usually failing. Other characters are Roger Dearly, Anita Dearly, Nanny, Pongo and Perdita, Scorch, Vindella de Vil, the entire de Vil family and many other animals on the Dearly farm. Continuity issues This series does not take place in the same continuity as the movies; an example of which being the fact that this show is set in the United States (as evidenced in many episodes) while the movie is obviously set in London, England and its surroundings. The original animated movie is set in the 1960s (evidenced by a newspaper that Cruella is seen reading, the year is 1961), while the live-action films and this series are set in a modern day world (1996 at the time). This series comes closer to the essence of Dodie Smith's book than the movies and is based on everything 101 Dalmatians related (Cadpig is one character that is not characterized in the movies). Therefore, all three mediums can be considered canon, even though they're not in the same continuity. |
