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[9/28/63 - 12/17/66]
Tennessee Tuxedo was introduced on CBS-TV in response to the 1961 speech by FCC Chairman Newton R. Minow which addressed television as a "vast wasteland". Tennessee, voiced by comedian Don Adams (who portrayed Maxwell Smart on Get Smart, and later voiced Inspector Gadget), educated as well as entertained youngsters. The series initially included repeat episodes of The Hunter and Tooter Turtle from King Leonardo. These segments were later replaced by newer components, including The World of Commander McBragg and Klondike Kat.
"Phineas J. Whoopee, you're the greatest!"
Tennessee Tuxedo
Tennessee, a wise-cracking penguin, and his dim-witted pal, Chumley (voiced by Bradley Bolke), resided in the Megalopolis Zoo. They were constantly scheming against zookeeper Stanley Livingston (voiced by Mort Marshall) and his assistant Flunky (voiced by Kenny Delmar), in an attempt to raise the quality of zoo-life. Their projects required the assistance of their educated friend, Phineas J. Whoopee (voiced by Larry Storch), and his 3-D BB (a three dimensional blackboard). The 3-D BB helped demonstrate basic scientific principles through the use of instructional film clips (a technique also used that year by Ken Snyder's syndicated Funny Company cartoons).
Even with the help of Whoopee, the pair failed to get their plans to work. Comedian Larry Storch provided the voice of Mr. Whoopee.
Other inhabitants of the Zoo included a long-horned steer, Yak (voiced by Kenny Delmar), and Baldy (voiced by Mort Marshall), a bald American Eagle. Yak and Baldy were later featured in their own short cartoon adventures when the series moved to ABC-TV in 1966.
The World of Commander McBragg
Introduced in 1963, The World of Commander McBragg featured the retired naval officer spinning Baron Munchausen-style yarns from his trophy-laden library. Kenny Delmar provided the voice of McBragg. The cartoons were also repeated on The Underdog Show and included in a package with Jay Ward's Hoppity Hooper cartoons.
Klondike Kat
This cartoon featured Savoir Faire, the French mouse with a penchant for ill-begotten goodies, who was continually pursued by Klondike Kat, an inept Northwest Territory Mountie stationed at Fort Frazzle. Klondike, under orders from Major Minor, pursued the elusive rodent, eventually stopping him in spite of his bumbling efforts.
"Savoir Faire is every-waire!"
"...I'm gonna make mincemeat out of that mouse!"
Go-Go Gophers
The Go-Go Gophers featured a pair of buck-toothed gophers, Ruffled Feathers, who spoke in unintelligible phrases, and his interpreter Running Board.
They were the native inhabitants of Gopher Gulch, which was also home to a U.S. Cavalry Fort. The Fort was headed by Colonel Kit Coyote, a blustery Teddy Roosevelt-type. He was aided by Sergeant Okey Homa, a southerner who resembled John Wayne. The military-minded Colonel spent his time planning new ways to drive the gopher-Indians from their lands. The native gophers devised ingenious and successful ways to protect their territorial rights. Sandy Becker provided the voices of Ruffled Feather and Sergeant Okey Homa. George S. Irving was the voice of Running Board and Kenny Delmar spoke for Colonel Kit Coyote.
Visit Gremlin Fine Arts Galleries for a rare look at storyboard drawings from a Go Go Gophers adventure.
Don Adams
April 13, 1923 - September 25,
2005
Don Adams, the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo, passed away September 25, 2005, at the age of 82. Adams died of a lung infection at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had been in ill health since breaking his hip a year earlier.
ANNOUNCING A NEW BOOK -
Created
and Produced by
Total TeleVision Productions:
The
Story of Underdog, Tennessee Tuxedo and the Rest
by
Mark Arnold
The ultimate guide to the cartoon empire, Total Television!
Here at last is the real story of how TTV was formed! Inside you will find rare production artwork and storyboards, as well as reminiscences from TTV's founders.
- Front cover by Mike Kazaleh ("Ren and Stimpy", "The Simpsons")
- Back cover comment by Scott Shaw! ("Captain Carrot", "The Flinstones", "Scooby-Doo")
- Written by Mark Arnold ("Hogan's Alley", "ComicBase", "Atomic Mouse")
- 380 pages! Full color covers! Complete Total TeleVision history!
Buy it at
Published
by
BearManor Media
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Updated June 22, 2009
Since August 8, 1997
