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Wacky Races (2017 TV series)

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Wacky Races
Genre
Based onWacky Races
by Hanna-Barbera and Heatter-Quigley
Developed by
  • Rebecca Himot
  • Tramm Wigzell
Voices of
Theme music composerHoyt Curtin
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerSam Register
Producers
EditorCraig Paulsen
Running time11 minutes
Production companyWarner Bros. Animation
Original release
NetworkBoomerang
ReleaseAugust 14, 2017 (2017-08-14) –
November 24, 2019 (2019-11-24)[2]
Related

Wacky Races is an American animated television series developed by Rebecca Himot and Tramm Wigzell. It is a reboot/revival series, but serves as a sequel to the 1968–69 Hanna-Barbera animated series of the same name. The show debuted in 2017 on Boomerang's video on demand service in the United States.[3][4] Wacky Races was picked up for a second season.[5][better source needed]

Summary

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The series features the return of some of the characters from the original Wacky Races program: Dick Dastardly, Muttley, Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect and the Gruesome Twosome. More than half of the original characters do not return.[6] Several new characters were introduced, including new racer I. Q. Ickly, announcer Brick Crashman, racing sponsor P. T. Barnstorm, and Penelope's twin sister Pandora Pitstop.

While the reboot is based on the original series, it also focuses on the Racers' personal lives; storylines are added and there usually is no actual winner or loser at the end of each race. There is also meta-humor and fourth wall breaking.

Characters

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Main

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  • Dick Dastardly the Third and Muttley (voiced by Peter Woodward and Billy West): In this modern series, Dick Dastardly is still up to his usual trickery and cheating activities, though is now often badgered into either being nice or not cheating by Peter Perfect. Unlike before, his appearance is predominantly purple in color instead of blue, red and purple. Muttley, however, has undergone virtually no changes aside from his outward appearance, still either snickering or grumbling. In "Mother Drives Best", it is revealed that Dick Dastardly is actually the son of Dick Dastardly the Second from the original Wacky Races series, and Delilah Dastardly, who taught her own son how to cheat. In "Grandfather Knows Dast", his grandfather is revealed to be Dick Dastardly the First from Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines.
  • Penelope Pitstop (voiced by Nicole Parker): Another original character, Penelope Pitstop has undergone the most changes from the original, both in appearance and outlook. While more assertive and much less of a damsel in distress than the original, she is still often the goody-two-shoes of the group and still talks like a Southern belle. Like before, her appearance is predominantly pink with hearts.
  • Peter Perfect (voiced by Diedrich Bader): Like Dastardly and Muttley, largely unchanged from the original, although he is a bit more taunting of Dastardly and his intellegence has been drastically reduced. His appearance is predominantly orange and red.
  • Tiny and Bella – the Gruesome Twosome (voiced by Billy West and Tom Kenny) are the other characters from the original series, and are the closest to their original versions in almost every respect.
  • Ignatius Quinton "I. Q." Ickly (voiced by Jill Talley): A new character who is often called a "walking encyclopaedia" by Dastardly and has little social capability. Like Professor Pat Pending before him, he is a genius with a large amount of inventions that he uses throughout the race. As he is only 10 years old and he does not actually drive, his car drives itself due to it being a sentient AI, which is prone to misunderstanding his verbal commands.

Secondary

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Racers

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  • Pandora Pitstop (voiced by Nicole Parker): A new character. Penelope's twin sister and frequent guest Racer. She is similar to Penelope, except her outfit is predominantly purple and is often meaner and more underhanded than even Dastardly. She often allies with Dastardly, but usually for her own ends.
  • Captain Dash, Polly, Bugsy, Bluebeard and Davey Bones (voiced by Billy West and Tom Kenny): A gang of pirates that often steal gigs from Dastardly. They are similar to the Anthill Mob from the original Wacky Races.

Non-racers

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  • Brick Crashman (voiced by Christopher Judge): A former racer and the enthusiastic announcer for the Wacky Races. He often changes his appearance or character to match the location of the episode's racecourse, and is at a loss as to what to do when there is no actual race happening in an episode.
  • Pearl Tricia "P. T." Barnstorm (voiced by Jill Talley): The owner and sponsor for the Wacky Races. A diminutive old woman with a southern drawl who claims to be concerned with the racer's well-being, but in truth only cares about their profitability.

Guest stars

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Episodes

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Main article: List of Wacky Races (2017 TV series) episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
140August 14, 2017 (2017-08-14)May 31, 2018 (2018-05-31)
238November 29, 2018 (2018-11-29)November 24, 2019 (2019-11-24)

Broadcast

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Wacky Races premiered internationally in 2017.[1] The first episode was released on Boomerang's SVOD service in the United States on August 14, 2017. The other 11 episodes were released on August 31, 2017.

The series was first shown on television in the United States on the Boomerang channel, with the episode "Under the Rainbow" airing on Boomerang as a preview on February 22, 2018,[7] and the series officially premiering on the Boomerang channel on May 21, 2018, alongside another show from Boomerang's SVOD service, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.

The series aired as a repeat on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2018.[8]

Home video

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Start Your Engines!, a DVD release containing the first 10 episodes of the series, was released on April 24, 2018.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Boomerang Launching 'Dorothy & The Wizard Of Oz' and 'Wacky Races' in June". Animation World Network. 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  2. ^ @willterrell (December 12, 2018). "Not that I know of. The three shows I know were canceled were all the Boomerang App Exclusive Shows. Wacky Races, Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs, and Dorothy and the Wizard Of Oz, which I was on" (Tweet). Retrieved December 9, 2019 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Boomerang Schedule – Cartoon Network". 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Todd Spangler (March 7, 2017). "Turner, Warner Bros. to Launch Boomerang Cartoon Streaming-Subscription Service for $5 Monthly". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  5. ^ "Google Photos". photos.google.com. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  6. ^ (DVD Review) ‘Wacky Races: Start Your Engines! – Season 1, Volume 1’, screen-connections.com, April 24, 2018
  7. ^ "Boomerang Schedule - Cartoon Network". 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-02-22. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". cnschedulearchive.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "Wacky Races DVD news: Press Release for Season 1, Vol. 1: Start Your Engines! - TVShowsOnDVD.com". www.tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
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