The Woody Woodpecker Show

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The Woody Woodpecker Show
Woody Woodpecker Show.png
GenreAnimation, Comedy
Created byWalter Lantz
Based onWoody Woodpecker
by Walter Lantz
Written byUniversal Cartoon
Directed by
Voices ofGrace Stafford
Composers
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes113
Production
ProducerWalter Lantz
Editors
  • F.Y. Smith
  • Norman Suffern
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesWalter Lantz Productions
Universal Cartoon Studio
DistributorNBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original networkABC (1957–58)
Original releaseOctober 3, 1957 (1957-10-03) –
September 25, 1958 (1958-09-25)
Chronology
Followed byThe New Woody Woodpecker Show
Related showsWoody Woodpecker (2018-2020)

The Woody Woodpecker Show is a long-running 30-minute American television series mainly composed of the animated cartoon shorts of Woody Woodpecker and other Walter Lantz characters including Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, and Inspector Willoughby released by Walter Lantz Productions.[1] The series was revived and reformatted several times, but remained popular for nearly four decades and allowed the studio to continue making theatrical cartoons until 1973 when it shut down. It also kept the Walter Lantz/Universal "cartunes" made during the Golden Age of American animation a part of the American consciousness. The Woody Woodpecker Show was named the 88th best animated series by IGN.[2]

History[]

Movie theater owners in the 1950s were finding that they could release features with reissued cartoons, or no cartoons at all, and the audiences would still come. Because of the practice, the theatrical cartoon business was suffering and losing money. By 1956 there were only seven animation producers in the short-subjects field, and by the end of the decade that number would dwindle down to three. Walter Lantz and his distributor, Universal Pictures, knew that the only way to subsidize the rising costs of new shorts was to release their product to television. Norman Gluck from Universal's short-subjects department made a deal with the Leo Burnett Agency to release some older Lantz product on television. Burnett handled the Kellogg's cereal account, and Lantz soon met with the Kellogg's people to sign the contract.[3] Lantz admitted that he was only working in the medium because he was "forced into TV" and "cartoons for theaters would soon be extinct."[4]

The Woody Woodpecker Show debuted on ABC on the afternoon of October 3, 1957. The series was shown once a week, on Thursday afternoons, replacing the first half-hour of the shortened Mickey Mouse Club. Lantz integrated his existing cartoons with new live action footage, giving the show an updated look that satisfied both viewers and Lantz himself. The live action and animation segments created for the show, called 'A Moment with Walter Lantz', featured an informative look at how the animation process for his "cartunes" worked as well as how the writers came up with stories and characters. The live-action segments were directed by Jack Hannah, who was fresh from the Disney Studio where he had done similar live-action/animation sequences for the Disney show.[3]

After the initial year on ABC, The Woody Woodpecker Show was syndicated until 1966. The "A Moment with Walter Lantz" segments were eventually replaced with "Woody's Newsreel" and "Around The World with Woody" which used footage of Universal Newsreels and featured voice-over commentary by Walter Lantz and Woody Woodpecker.

In 1970, the show reappeared on network television, with 26 additional episodes assembled by Lantz for NBC. The show ran on NBC until September 2, 1972, which is the same year the Walter Lantz Productions studio shut down. The show was revived again on September 11, 1976, featuring cartoons made from 1940 to 1965.[5] The show ended its network run on September 3, 1977. Local stations continued to air The Woody Woodpecker Show for the next several years.

In 1984, Lantz sold everything outright to MCA/Universal, though he remained active in overseeing how Universal handled his characters (for merchandise, TV, home video, theme parks, limited edition cels, etc.) up until his death in 1994.[6]

In 1987, MCA/Universal and The Program Exchange returned the show to television with a new 90 episode package for syndication. This Woody Woodpecker Show featured a complete overhaul of the series format. Gone were the newsreels, "Around the World" segments, and live action scenes with Walter Lantz, replaced by vignettes known as "Musical Miniatures", in which new musical compositions were played over montages of classic cartoon footage. New commercial bumpers were added and a new opening sequence was created. This one featured Woody, Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, Smedley the Dog, and Inspector Willoughby along with Woody's nemeses Buzz Buzzard, Gabby Gator, and Wally Walrus as they caused chaos in a small town. Episodes of this Woody Woodpecker Show typically consisted of two Woody cartoons bookending another Lantz cartoon (typically a Chilly Willy cartoon). The series continued airing in syndication until 1998. Around that time, Cartoon Network picked up rerun rights and aired The Woody Woodpecker Show for several months, after which the series disappeared from television.

After Cartoon Network dropped The Woody Woodpecker Show, Universal revived most of the Lantz characters in The New Woody Woodpecker Show with Billy West voicing Woody, which ran from 1999 to 2002 as part of the Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup.

Episodes[]

Cartoons with an '*' are repeats.

Series 1 (1957–1958)[]

# 1st cartoon 2nd cartoon 3rd cartoon Original air date
1 Who's Cookin' Who? The Overture to William Tell Bathing Buddies October 3, 1957 (1957-10-03)
2 Ace in the Hole The Bandmaster Banquet Busters October 10, 1957 (1957-10-10)
3 Life Begins for Andy Panda Pied Piper of Basin Street Knock Knock October 17, 1957 (1957-10-17)
4 Chew Chew Baby The Sleeping Princess The Dizzy Acrobat October 24, 1957 (1957-10-24)
5 Fish Fry Pixie Picnic Woody Dines Out October 31, 1957 (1957-10-31)
6 The Hollywood Matador Adventures of Tom Thumb Jr. Well Oiled November 7, 1957 (1957-11-07)
7 Andy Panda Goes Fishing The Poet and the Peasant Ski for Two November 14, 1957 (1957-11-14)
8 Fair Weather Fiends Scrambled Eggs Woody the Giant Killer November 21, 1957 (1957-11-21)
9 Mousie Come Home Apple Andy, The Dippy Diplomat November 28, 1957 (1957-11-28)
10 Pantry Panic December 5, 1957 (1957-12-05)
11 Dog Tax Dodgers The Mad Hatter December 12, 1957 (1957-12-12)
12 The Screwball Three Lazy Mice Solid Ivory December 19, 1957 (1957-12-19)
13 Crow Crazy Sliphorn King Of Polaroo The Reckless Driver December 26, 1957 (1957-12-26)
14 The Wacky Weed Musical Moments from Chopin The Beach Nut January 2, 1958 (1958-01-02)
15 Meatless Tuesday Jungle Jive The Loose Nut January 9, 1958 (1958-01-09)
16 Smoked Hams Fox & the Rabbit The Barber of Seville January 16, 1958 (1958-01-16)
17 100 Pygmies and Andy Panda Kitten Mittens The Coo Coo Bird January 23, 1958 (1958-01-23)
18 The Dizzy Acrobat* Toyland Premiere Woody Dines Out* January 30, 1958 (1958-01-30)
19 Life Begins for Andy Panda* Fish Fry* The Hollywood Matador* February 6, 1958 (1958-02-06)
20 Well Oiled* Pixie Picnic* Ski for Two* February 13, 1958 (1958-02-13)
21 Andy Panda Goes Fishing* Adventures of Tom Thumb Jr.* * February 20, 1958 (1958-02-20)
22 Woody the Giant Killer* The Poet and the Peasant* The Dippy Diplomat* February 27, 1958 (1958-02-27)
23 Mousie Come Home* Scrambled Eggs* Pantry Panic* March 6, 1958 (1958-03-06)
24 * Apple Andy* The Mad Hatter* March 13, 1958 (1958-03-13)
25 * * The Screwball* March 20, 1958 (1958-03-20)
26 Solid Ivory* Dog Tax Dodgers* The Reckless Driver* March 27, 1958 (1958-03-27)

Series 2 (1958-1959)[]

# 1st cartoon 2nd cartoon 3rd cartoon Original air date
27 I'm Cold A Horse's Tale Puny Express April 3, 1958 (1958-04-03)
28 Slingshot 6 7/8 Wet Blanket Policy April 10, 1958 (1958-04-10)
29 What's Sweepin' The Mouse and the Lion Rockabye Point April 17, 1958 (1958-04-17)
30 Woodpecker in the Rough Egg Cracker Suite SH-H-H-H-H-H April 24, 1958 (1958-04-24)
31 Sleep Happy May 1, 1958 (1958-05-01)
31 Hot Noon The Flying Turtle Room and Wrath May 8, 1958 (1958-05-08)
33 Crazy House May 15, 1958 (1958-05-15)
34 Wrestling Wrecks Pig in a Pickle Drooler's Delight May 22, 1958 (1958-05-22)
35 The Great Who-Dood-It Andy Panda's Pop; a.k.a Goofy Roofer Paw's Night Out May 29, 1958 (1958-05-29)
36 Real Gone Woody Boogie Woogie Sioux; a.k.a Indian Beatnick Chilly Willy; a.k.a Deep Freeze June 5, 1958 (1958-06-05)
37 Get Lost Dog That Cried Wolf Hot Rod Huckster June 12, 1958 (1958-06-12)
38 Wicket Wacky Andy Panda's Victory Garden aka Springtime for Andy Ostrich Egg and I June 19, 1958 (1958-06-19)
39 Secret Weapon ft. Space Mouse Convict Concerto I'm Cold* June 26, 1958 (1958-06-26)
40 The Redwood Sap Crazy Mixed Up Pup The Screwdriver (Woody's Jalopy) July 3, 1958 (1958-07-03)
41 Nutty Pine Cabin Scalp Treatment The Talking Dog July 10, 1958 (1958-07-10)
42 Swing Your Partner Hold That Rock Termites from Mars July 17, 1958 (1958-07-17)
43 Ration Bored; a.k.a The Gas Bandit Scrappy Birthday Flywood Panic July 24, 1958 (1958-07-24)
44 Hypnotic Hick Dizzy Kitty Maw & Paw July 31, 1958 (1958-07-31)
45 August 7, 1958 (1958-08-07)
46 Belle Boys Broadway Bow Wows Woody Woodpecker August 14, 1958 (1958-08-14)
47 Helter Shelter Hot Noon* August 21, 1958 (1958-08-21)
48 ft. Sam and Simian Real Gone Woody Rockabye Point August 28, 1958 (1958-08-28)
49 ; a.k.a The Village Blacksmith September 4, 1958 (1958-09-04)
50 The Loan Stranger Playful Pelican September 11, 1958 (1958-09-11)
51 Operation Sawdust September 18, 1958 (1958-09-18)
52 Convict Concerto Mouse Trappers Born to Peck September 25, 1958 (1958-09-25)

From Series 3 onward, the episode include four cartoons instead of three.

Series 3 (1970-1971)[]

# 1st cartoon 2nd cartoon 3rd cartoon 4th cartoon Original air date
53 Pistol Packin' Woodpecker Freeloading Feline September 5, 1970 (1970-09-05)
54 Chief Charlie Horse Space Mouse After the Ball September 12, 1970 (1970-09-12)
55 Box Car Bandit The Goofy Gardener Woody Meets Davy Crewcut Hyde and Sneak September 19, 1970 (1970-09-19)
56 Arts and Flowers Gabby's Diner September 26, 1970 (1970-09-26)
57 The Woody Woodpecker Polka October 3, 1970 (1970-10-03)
58 Woodpecker in the Moon Calling All Cuckoos The Bongo Punch October 10, 1970 (1970-10-10)
59 Misguided Missile Punchy Pooch October 17, 1970 (1970-10-17)
60 Half Empty Saddles A Chilly Reception October 24, 1970 (1970-10-24)
61 Ballyhooey Franken-Stymied Mother's Little Helper October 31, 1970 (1970-10-31)
62 The Unbearable Salesman Yukon Have It November 7, 1970 (1970-11-07)
63 Private Eye Pooch Ozark Lark Polar Pests November 14, 1970 (1970-11-14)
64 Panhandle Scandal Operation Cold Feet November 21, 1970 (1970-11-21)
65 Woodpecker from Mars Tricky Trout Everglade Raid November 28, 1970 (1970-11-28)
66 International Woodpecker Swiss Miss-Fit December 5, 1970 (1970-12-05)
67 Socko in Morocco Salmon Loafer To Catch a Woodpecker December 12, 1970 (1970-12-12)
68 Southern Fried Hospitality Mackerel Moocher December 19, 1970 (1970-12-19)
69 Stage Hoax His Better Elf Robinson Gruesome December 26, 1970 (1970-12-26)
70 The Bird Who Came to Dinner Fish and Chips January 2, 1971 (1971-01-02)
71 Poop Deck Pirate Pesky Pelican A Fine Feathered Frenzy Corny Concerto January 9, 1971 (1971-01-09)
72 Log Jammed The Tee Bird Sufferin' Cats January 16, 1971 (1971-01-16)
73 Billion Dollar Boner Coming Out Party Romp in a Swamp January 23, 1971 (1971-01-23)
74 Red Riding Hoodlum Fish Hooked January 30, 1971 (1971-01-30)
75 Tomcat Combat Heap Big Hepcat February 6, 1971 (1971-02-06)
76 Jittery Jester Clash and Carry How to Stuff a Woodpecker February 13, 1971 (1971-02-13)
77 Square Shootin' Square Witch Crafty February 20, 1971 (1971-02-20)
78 Bedtime Bedlam February 27, 1971 (1971-02-27)

Series 4 (1971-1972)[]

# 1st cartoon 2nd cartoon 3rd cartoon 4th cartoon Original air date
79 Careless Caretaker Half-Baked Alaska Busman's Holiday September 4, 1971 (1971-09-04)
80 Tragic Magic Chilly Chums Room and Bored September 11, 1971 (1971-09-11)
81 Crowin' Pains Fractured Friendship Woody's Kook-Out September 18, 1971 (1971-09-18)
82 Greedy Gabby Gator Deep Freeze Squeeze September 25, 1971 (1971-09-25)
83 Science Friction Hot Time on Ice Home Sweet Homewrecker October 2, 1971 (1971-10-02)
84 Rocket Racket Pesty Guest Short in the Saddle October 9, 1971 (1971-10-09)
85 Voo-Doo Boo-Boo Skinfolks October 16, 1971 (1971-10-16)
86 Stowaway Woody Coy Decoy Ski-Napper Little Woody Riding Hood October 23, 1971 (1971-10-23)
87 Freeway Fracas Polar Fright Calling Dr. Woodpecker October 30, 1971 (1971-10-30)
88 Dumb Like a Fox Lighthouse Keeping Blues The Tenant's Racket November 6, 1971 (1971-11-06)
89 Saddle Sore Woody Vicious Viking Snow Place Like Home November 13, 1971 (1971-11-13)
90 Woody's Clip Joint Operation Shanghai South Pole Pals November 20, 1971 (1971-11-20)
91 Robin Hoody Woody Phantom of the Horse Opera Teeny Weeny Meany November 27, 1971 (1971-11-27)

Series 5 (1976-1977)[]

# 1st cartoon 2nd cartoon 3rd cartoon 4th cartoon Original air date
92 Astronut Woody A Haunting We Will Go All Hams on Deck September 4, 1976 (1976-09-04)
93 The Big Bite Buster's Last Stand September 11, 1976 (1976-09-11)
94 Bye Bye Blackboard Chiller Dillers Canned Dog Feud September 18, 1976 (1976-09-18)
95 Show Biz Beagle Sissy Sheriff Sioux Me September 25, 1976 (1976-09-25)
96 Fat in the Saddle What's Peckin' Chilly and the Looney Gooney October 2, 1976 (1976-10-02)
97 Flim Flam Fountain Under Sea Dogs A Fish Story For the Love of Pizza October 9, 1976 (1976-10-09)
98 Wild Bill Hiccup Chilly's Cold War Gold Diggin' Woodpecker October 16, 1976 (1976-10-16)
99 Hassle in a Castle Woodpecker Wanted Have Gun, Can't Travel October 23, 1976 (1976-10-23)
100 Hi-Rise Wise Guys Horse Play October 30, 1976 (1976-10-30)
101 Hook Line and Stinker Woody and the Beanstalk Hot Diggity Dog November 6, 1976 (1976-11-06)
102 Yukon Have It Indian Corn November 13, 1976 (1976-11-13)
103 Kitty from the City November 20, 1976 (1976-11-20)
104 Little Skeeter How to Trap a Woodpecker Lonesome Ranger November 26, 1976 (1976-11-26)
105 Lotsa Luck Woody the Freeloader Monster of Ceremonies December 4, 1976 (1976-12-04)
106 The Nautical Nut Gooney's Goofy Landings One Horse Town December 11, 1976 (1976-12-11)
107 Pecking Holes in Poles December 18, 1976 (1976-12-18)
108 Phoney Pony Highway Hecklers Practical Yolk December 25, 1976 (1976-12-25)
109 Prehistoric Super Salesman Woody's Magic Touch Gopher Broke January 1, 1977 (1977-01-01)
110 Roamin' Roman Project Reject Rough Riding Hood January 8, 1977 (1977-01-08)
111 Seal on the Loose Jerky Turkey Secret Agent Woody Woodpecker January 15, 1977 (1977-01-15)
112 Shanghai Woody Ship A'hoy Woody January 22, 1977 (1977-01-22)
113 Chili Con Corny Candyland Jolly Little Elves Coo Coo Nuts January 29, 1977 (1977-01-29)

Broadcast history[]

Does not include reruns

  • October 3, 1957 - September 25, 1958 (ABC) (original animation with bridge animation)*
  • 1964 - 1965 (Syndication) (original animation with bridge animation)*
  • September 12, 1970 - September 2, 1972 (NBC) (new 26 episodes without bridge animation)
  • 1958 - 1966 (Syndication) (reruns)
  • September 11, 1976 - September 3, 1977 (NBC) (reruns only)
  • 1987 - 1997 (Syndication) (reruns only)
  • 1997 - 1998 (Cartoon Network) (reruns only)
  • 1998 - 2001 (Nickelodeon) (reruns only)
  • 2011 - 2015 (Teletoon Retro) (reruns only)

(*) = total of 59 episodes with original animation

Home media[]

In the early 2000s, a series of mail-order Woody Woodpecker Show VHS tapes and DVDs were made available through Columbia House. Each volume featured "cartunes", bumpers, and 'A Moment with Walter Lantz' or Newsreel segments set in the 1957-1977 format of The Woody Woodpecker Show, though Volumes 11-15 hardly feature any "Moments" or "Newsreels". There were complaints about cuts made to the shorts, which ranged from shorts from restored and intact prints to severely cut TV edits.[7]

In 2007, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, six behind-the-scenes segments from The Woody Woodpecker Show and a 1964 episode that contained the cartoon "Spook-a-Nanny" were released on the collection as bonus features. The following year, The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection: Volume 2 was released, featuring twelve behind-the-scenes segments and two pilot cartoons, "The Secret Weapon" and "Jungle Medics" from The Woody Woodpecker Show.

References[]

  1. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 915–917. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. ^ "88, The Woody Woodpecker Show". IGN. 2009-01-23. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  3. ^ a b "Toon Tracker's The Woody Woodpecker Show Page". Toontracker.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  4. ^ Grossman, Gary H. (1987). Saturday Morning TV. New York: Arlington House, Inc. Pg. 346.
  5. ^ Grossman, Gary H. (1987). Saturday Morning TV. New York: Arlington House, Inc. Pg. 413.
  6. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2006). Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television ... - Jeff Lenburg - Google Books. ISBN 9781557836717. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  7. ^ "The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: Cartunes on DVD: Columbia House Cuts". Lantz.goldenagecartoons.com. Retrieved 2012-10-23.

External links[]

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