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{{Short description|Characters of a television series}} | |||
{{refimprove|date=August 2010}} | |||
'''''The Get Along Gang''''' is a group of characters created in 1983<ref name=wwd>{{cite journal|last=Josephson|first=Nancy|title=Get Along Gang gets '84 push|date=1983-06-20|journal=Women's Wear Daily (WWD)|publisher=]|number=145|page=14}}</ref> by Tony Byrd, Tom Jacobs, Ralph Shaffer, Linda Edwards, ], and Mark Spangler for ]' toy design and licensing division, "Those Characters from Cleveland"<ref>{{Citation|title=Get Along Gang Full Closing 1985| date=25 October 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbhBf4HRZDM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/BbhBf4HRZDM |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-04-21}}{{cbignore}}</ref> (now ]), for a series of greeting cards. ''The Get Along Gang'' is a group of 6 ] ] animal characters in the fictional town of Green Meadow, who form a club that meets in an abandoned ] and who have various adventures whose upbeat stories were intended to show the importance of teamwork and friendship. The success of the greeting card line led to a ], which aired on ] for 13 episodes in the 1984–1985 season, with reruns showing from January to June 1986.<ref name=Perlmutter>{{cite book |last1=Perlmutter |first1=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1538103739 |page=336}}</ref> | |||
{{Infobox television | |||
| show_name= The Get Along Gang | |||
| image= The Get Along Gang.jpg | |||
| caption= | |||
| camera= | |||
| picture_format= | |||
| audio_format= | |||
| runtime= 22 minutes | |||
| creator= ] | |||
| developer= ]<br>] <small>(pilot episode)</small> | |||
| executive_producer= ]<br>] | |||
| starring= ]<br>]<br>]<br>Robbie Lee<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
| narrated= | |||
| opentheme= | |||
| endtheme= | |||
| country= France<br>United States<br>Canada <small>(pilot episode)</small> | |||
| language= English | |||
| network= ] (Pilot, 1984)<br/>] (TV series) (1984) | |||
| first_aired= May 6, 1984 (Pilot), September 15, 1984 | |||
| last_aired= December 8, 1984 (TV series) | |||
| num_episodes= 14 (including the pilot) | |||
| list_episodes= | |||
| preceded_by= | |||
| followed_by= | |||
| website= | |||
}} | |||
'''The Get Along Gang''' are characters created in 1983<ref name=wwd>{{cite journal|last=Josephson|first=Nancy|title=Get Along Gang gets '84 push|date=1983-06-20|work=] (WWD)|publisher=]|number=145|page=14}}</ref> by ]' toy design and licensing division, "Those Characters from Cleveland" (now American Greetings Properties), for a series of greeting cards. The Get Along Gang are a group of twelve (and later, fourteen) ] ] ] characters in the fictional town of Green Meadow, who form a club that meets in an abandoned ] and who have various adventures whose upbeat stories intended to show the importance of teamwork and friendship. The success of the greeting card line led to a ], which aired on ] for 13 episodes in the 1984-1985 season, with reruns showing from January until June 1986. | |||
==Characters== | ==Characters== | ||
''The Get Along Gang'' franchise was loosely inspired by ]'s '']'' series of short films.<ref name=wwd/> The |
''The Get Along Gang'' franchise was loosely inspired by ] '']'' series of short films.<ref name=wwd/> The core six members of the gang appeared frequently in merchandising and the show. The other six made fewer appearances in the series, but were regulars in merchandising.<ref name="Daytime">{{cite book |last1=Hyatt |first1=Wesley |title=The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television |date=1997 |publisher=Watson-Guptill Publications |isbn=978-0823083152 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat/page/184/mode/2up|access-date=19 March 2020|page=184}}</ref> | ||
=== Protagonists === | |||
Each of the characters also has obvious faults, which they learned to overcome with the help of friends. For instance, Montgomery Moose, the group's leader, is quite clumsy; Woolma Lamb is extremely vain and self-centered; Dotty Dog could be careless; Zipper Cat could be overbearing, Portia Porcupine could get upset easily; Bingo Beaver could be greedy and tended to get himself and/or others into trouble (although he was not mean-spirited like the Gang's enemy, Catchum Crocodile). | |||
* '''Montgomery Moose''' (voiced by ], ] (pilot)) – The leader of the Get Along Gang. | |||
* '''Dotty Dog''' (voiced by ]) – A cheerleader dog and second in command of the gang. | |||
* '''Woolma Lamb''' (voiced by Georgi Irene) – An aspiring ] sheep. | |||
* '''Zipper Cat''' (voiced by Robbie Lee) – An athletic feline who excels at sports. | |||
* '''Portia Porcupine''' (voiced by ]) – The youngest member of the gang. | |||
* '''Bingo Beaver''' (voiced by ]) – A novice prankster and ] beaver. | |||
* '''Braker Turtle''' (voiced by ]/]) – A smart and sensible problem-solver. | |||
* '''Rocco Rabbit''' – A reformed bully with a tough exterior. | |||
* '''Rudyard Lion''' – A foreign-exchange student. | |||
* '''Flora Fox''' – An avid ] and photographer. | |||
* '''Bernice Bear''' – A very sensible girl who likes keeping things neat and tidy. | |||
* '''Lolly Squirrel''' – The rich daughter of the candy factory owner. | |||
=== Antagonists === | |||
* '''Montgomery "Good News" ]''' (voiced by ]) - The ] of the Get Along Gang. He is very nurturing and kind, and knows what is right or wrong, although he is sometimes awkward. Montgomery is also very well-rounded: he excels in athletics, tinkering in electronics, and science. He wears a blue turtleneck, yellow pants and brown loafers. | |||
* '''Catchum Crocodile''' (voiced by ]) – The show's main antagonist. He is a constant troublemaker who takes what he wants with no regards to anyone else. | |||
* '''Dotty ]''' (voiced by ]) - A cheerleader and ] to Montgomery. She is very optimistic and always has a way to cheer things up, although she is sometimes not careful and quick to judge some things at some point. She wears a white and red cheerleader outfit, white socks and black and white sneakers. | |||
* '''Leland Lizard''' (voiced by ]) – Catchum's sidekick. | |||
* '''Woolma ]''' (voiced by ]) - An aspiring ]. She seems to be defined by her vanity and beauty, and is often seen carrying a mirror to admire herself. Sometimes, she can be selfish and irrational about things, but would stand up for others. She wears an entire yellow outfit consisting of a dance dress and ballet slippers. | |||
* '''Zipper ]''' (voiced by Robbie Lee) - An athletic feline who excels at sports. He often plays the "tough guy", which sometimes shows that he is also cynical; however, he remains friendly to the rest of the gang. He wears an orange sports jacket over a blue turtleneck, matching orange shorts, white socks and orange tennis shoes. | |||
* '''Portia ]''' (voiced by ]) - The youngest member of the Gang. She is very inquisitive, ] and likes her own style, but tends to cry or throw tantrums when frustrated. She wears a white shirt, blue folded jeans (denim shorts in the 1984 special), and black and white sneakers. | |||
* '''Bingo "Bet-It-All" ]''' (voiced by ]) - A prankster and ] whose bets and mistakes sometimes cause his friends to be angry with him; on the other hand, however, he enjoys being with his company. He wears blue overalls which carry a red scarf inside a pocket, and black and white sneakers. | |||
* '''Braker ]''' (voiced by ]/]) - A smart problem-solver. In contrast to his real-life species, he is also the fastest runner in Green Meadow. He enjoys being hip, despite his nerdy appearance. Braker makes occasional speaking appearances in the DIC cartoon series, usually as a friend of the gang, but did not appear to be a full-time member of the gang. He wears a blue jacket over an orange turtleneck, white pants and blue shoes. | |||
* '''Rocco ]''' - A reformed bully with a tough exterior. He wears a red shirt, blue jeans and yellow tennis shoes. | |||
* '''Rudyard ]''' - A foreign-exchange student, who has a crush on Woolma. He wears a magenta Hawaiian shirt, orange pants, black and white sneakers and a black hat. | |||
* '''Flora "Forget-Me-Not" ]''' - An avid ] and ]. She is extroverted, rather the one not to hide her feelings, despite appearing shy to others. She wears a yellow collar shirt under a sky blue dress, matching socks and mary janes. | |||
* '''Bernice ]''' - A very sensible girl who likes keeping things neat and tidy. She enjoys baton twirling and is also proficient in cooking and sewing. She wears a pink sweater over a white blouse, blue shorts and brown loafers. | |||
* '''Lollie ]''' - The rich daughter of the candy factory owner. She has good manners, yet tends to be a bit of a tattletale at times. She wears a red cardigan over a pink dress, white socks with red mary janes, and a matching beret. | |||
* '''Hocus ]''' and '''Pocus ]''' - A pair of magicians. Hocus wears a pink dress over a yellow blouse and under gray coattails, and pink dress shoes. Pocus wears red coattails over a gray dress shirt, blue pants, and black shoes. | |||
=== Background characters === | |||
The two regular ]s of the show were the only non-]s in the series aside from Braker: | |||
* '''Officer Growler''' (voiced by ]) – A ] police officer. | |||
* '''Mr. Hoofnagel''' (voiced by ]) – An old goat who owns the local ]. | |||
* '''Miss Deering''' (voiced by ]) – A deer and the teacher of the gang's class. | |||
* '''Susie''' (voiced by ]) – Bingo's ], a squirrel who likes exercise. | |||
* '''Mayor Bascombe Badger''' (voiced by ]) – The mayor of Green Meadow. | |||
* '''Schneider Squirrel''' – Lolly's father and owner of the candy factory. Schneider appeared only in the comic books. | |||
* '''Hocus Hare''' and '''Pocus Possum''' – A pair of magicians. | |||
==TV series== | |||
* '''Catchum ]''' (voiced by ]) - The show's main antagonist. He is a constant troublemaker who is always trying to take whatever he wanted, regardless of whose it was, sometimes through bets with Bingo. More than once, he had tried to steal the Gang's clubhouse caboose. | |||
{{Infobox television | |||
* '''Leland ]''' (voiced by ]) - Catchum's sidekick. Although he is rather dopey, he is not always as dumb as he looked, and is sometimes especially sneaky. In the pilot, he was able to ], but he showed no such ability in the series. | |||
| italic_title = no | |||
| image = The Get Along Gang.jpg | |||
| caption = | |||
| camera = | |||
| runtime = 22 minutes (2 11-minute segments, excluding the pilot) | |||
| creator = Tony Byrd, Tom Jacobs, Ralph Shaffer, Linda Edwards, ] and Mark Spangler for ] | |||
| company = {{ Plainlist| | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] <small>(pilot episode)</small> }} | |||
| executive_producer = {{ Plainlist| | |||
* ] | |||
* ] }} | |||
| starring = {{ Plainlist| | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* Robbie Lee | |||
* Georgi Irene | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] }} | |||
| narrated = | |||
| opentheme = | |||
| endtheme = | |||
| composer = ]<br>] | |||
| country = {{ Plainlist| | |||
* United States | |||
* France | |||
* Canada <small>(pilot episode)</small> }} | |||
| language = English | |||
| network = {{ Plainlist| | |||
* ] (Pilot) | |||
* ]/] (TV series) }} | |||
| first_aired = {{start date|1984|5|6}} | |||
| last_aired = {{end date|1984|12|8}} | |||
| num_episodes = 13 (26 segments) + pilot | |||
| list_episodes = | |||
}} | |||
Canadian studio ], in association with ], ], and ] produced a ] of ''The Get Along Gang'', which was broadcast on the ] cable network on May 6, 1984. The pilot featured the members of the gang trying to win a ], despite Catchum's cheating and their own competition-fueled infighting. Although all twelve gang members were involved, only the six core members had speaking roles. Among the voice talents in the pilot were ] (then of '']'') as Montgomery and ] (fresh from his days on '']'') as Leland. ], famous for working for ] at the time, wrote and sang for the pilot. | |||
After the pilot episode, production of the series was handed over to ], a French animation studio. The show also was taken off Nickelodeon and moved to ]. Thirteen half-hour episodes were produced, each containing two eleven-minute segments. As with the pilot, the focus was on the six core members of the gang, with the other six members making very sporadic appearances. Out of those six, only Braker Turtle had a regular speaking role. | |||
Both of their outfits suffer from recoloring or discoloring issues. | |||
===Rebroadcast=== | |||
Other characters included: | |||
From September 1986 until August 1987, all thirteen DIC-produced episodes were rerun as part of a short-lived syndicated cartoon package called ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=371–372}}</ref> | |||
===Other merchandise=== | |||
* '''Officer Growler''' (voiced by ]) - A ] ] officer. | |||
The brief series spawned a large range of merchandise and ] projects including ]s and ]s made by ], and a series of storybooks published by ]. The Tomy action figure line and Scholastic Press books actually lasted longer than the cartoon series itself. | |||
* '''Mr. Hoofnagel''' (voiced by ]) - An old ] who owns and operates the local ]. | |||
* '''Miss Deering''' (voiced by ]) - A ] and the kids' ]. | |||
* '''Susie''' (voiced by ]) - Bingo's ], a squirrel who likes exercise. | |||
* '''Mayor Bascombe ]''' (voiced by ]) - The ] of Green Meadow. | |||
* '''Schneider Squirrel''' - Lollie's father and owner of the candy factory. Schneider appeared only in the Marvel comic book stories. | |||
The characters were also adapted into ]s. In America, their series, which ran for six ] issues in 1985 and 1986, was published by ]' ] imprint. In the United Kingdom, ] published a weekly ''Get Along Gang'' comic, which ran for 93 issues from April 1985 until January 1987. | |||
==TV series== | |||
Canadian studio ], in association with ], ], and ] produced a ] of ''The Get Along Gang'', which was broadcast on the ] cable network on May 6, 1984. The plot revolved around the twelve members of the gang as they try to win a ] despite Catchum's cheating and their own competition-fueled infighting. Although all twelve characters were involved, only the six core gang members (Montgomery, Dotty, Zipper, Bingo, Woolma, and Portia) had speaking roles. Among the voice talents in the pilot were ] (then of '']'') as Montgomery and ] (fresh from his days on '']'') as Leland. The pilot also aired in syndication nationwide during the summer of 1984. ], famous for working for Nelvana at the time, wrote and sang for the pilot. | |||
===Reception and criticism=== | |||
For reasons unknown, in between the pilot episode and the series premiere on ], production of the series was handed over to ], a French animation studio. Thirteen half-hour episodes were produced, each containing two eleven-minute segments. As with the pilot, the focus was on the six core members of the gang, with the other six members making very sporadic appearances. Out of those six, only Braker Turtle had a regular speaking role. The show returned to CBS in reruns from January–June 1986. From September 1986 until August 1987, all thirteen DIC-produced episodes were rerun as part of a short-lived syndicated cartoon package called ]. Reruns of the series later aired on The Family Channel (now ]) from 1990–1993 and on the children's programming block of ] (now ]) from 1999–2001 | |||
In 1986, Ralph Novak of '']'' observed that Nelvana's pilot special "is enlivened by the music of John Sebastian and some relatively sophisticated (for television) animation. Cartoon violence is only the most innocuous sort."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Novak|first=Ralph|title=''The Get Along Gang''|date=1986-05-19|journal=People Weekly|publisher=]|number=25|page=14}}</ref> | |||
the Pilot Episode of the 1984 ''The Get Along Gang'' aired in the year 2000 on other syndicate channels. | |||
The series was the product of an era in the 1980s when ] held great influence over children's programming, demanding that shows intended for young viewers emphasize positive values rather than violence or conflict. Consequently, critics of the series accused it of "enforcing" the importance of group harmony over ]. | |||
===Voices=== | |||
* ] - Dottie Dog | |||
* ] - Catchum Crocodile; Dwayne AKA 'Duke' (ep. 13) | |||
* ] - Woolma Lamb, Additional Voices | |||
* ] - Leland Lizard | |||
* ] - Zipper Cat; Pig Lady Customer (ep. 13), Bear Lady Bus Passenger, Raccoon Gang Member (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Portia Porcupine; Movie actress Fifi Bacall (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Montgomery Moose; Randy Raccoon, Carnival Owner (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Bus Driver, Mule Warehouse Worker, Fruit Vendor, Sammy Skunk, Diner Cook (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Bingo Beaver; Raccoon Gang member (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Officer Growler, Mr. Hoofnagel, Mayor Badger, Braker Turtle; FBI Agent Andrews (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Braker Turtle; Dogart the Mouse Detective, Police Dispatcher, Sammy the Sneak (ep. 4) | |||
* ] - Montgomery Moose (Pilot) | |||
* ] - Leland Lizard (Pilot) | |||
* Julie Cohen - Woolma Lamb (Pilot) | |||
* Gloria Figura - Portia Porcupine (Pilot) | |||
* Mark Gordon - Officer Growler (Pilot) | |||
* Dan Hennessey - Catchum Crocodile (Pilot) | |||
* Jim Henshaw - Zipper Cat (Pilot) | |||
* Mara Hobel - Dotty Dog (Pilot) | |||
* Marla Lufosky - Bingo Beaver (Pilot) | |||
* Bruce Pirrie - Announcer (Pilot) | |||
* Wayne Robson - Mr. Hoofnagel (Pilot) | |||
In an August 8, 1997 article written by television/cartoon writer ] for his website, ''POVonline'', in which he recalled writing for the ], which premiered one year before ''The Get Along Gang'' (and aired alongside it on the CBS lineup), Evanier noted: | |||
==Other merchandise== | |||
The brief series spawned a large range of ] and ] projects including ]s and ]s made by ] and a series of storybooks published by ]. The Tomy action figure line and Scholastic Press books actually lasted longer than the DiC cartoon series itself. | |||
{{blockquote| all seek to make kidvid more enriching and redeeming, at least by their definitions, and at the time, they had enough clout to cause the networks to yield. Consultants were brought in and we, the folks who were writing cartoons, were ordered to include certain "pro-social" morals in our shows. At the time, the dominant "pro-social" moral was as follows: ''The group is always right...the complainer is always wrong.'' | |||
The characters were also adapted into ]s. In America, their series, which ran for six ] issues in 1985 and 1986, was published by ]' ] imprint. In the United Kingdom, ] published a weekly ''Get Along Gang'' comic, which ran for 93 issues from April 1985 until January 1987. | |||
This was the message of far too many eighties' cartoon shows. If all your friends want to go get pizza and you want a burger, you should bow to the will of the majority and go get pizza with them. There was even a show for one season on CBS called ''The Get-Along Gang'', which was dedicated unabashedly to this principle. Each week, whichever member of the gang didn't get along with the others learned the error of his or her ways.... | |||
==Reception and criticism== | |||
In 1986, Ralph Novak of '']'' observed that Nelvana's pilot special "is enlivened by the music of John Sebastian and some relatively sophisticated (for television) animation. Cartoon violence is only the most innocuous sort."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Novak|first=Ralph|title=''The Get Along Gang''|date=1986-05-19|work=People Weekly|publisher=]|number=25|page=14}}</ref> | |||
...I don't believe you should always go along with the group. What about thinking for yourself? What about developing your own personality and viewpoint? What about doing things because you decide they're the right thing to do, not because the majority ruled and you got outvoted?<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsfromme.com/pov/col145-2/|last=Evanier|first=Mark|title=Edition #145|date=1997-08-08|access-date=2010-08-25|work=POV Online}}</ref>}} | |||
The series was the product of an era in the 1980s when ] held great influence over children's programming, demanding that shows intended for young viewers emphasise positive values rather than violence or conflict.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} Consequently, critics of the series accused it of "enforcing" the importance of group harmony over ]. | |||
===Decline and attempted revival=== | |||
In an August 8, 1997 article written by television/cartoon writer ] for his website, ''POVonline'', in which he recalled writing for the '']'', which premiered one year before ''The Get Along Gang'' (and aired alongside it on the CBS lineup), Evanier noted: | |||
In mid-to-late 1985, the toy and greeting card sales began to decline, the first sign of the gang's popularity waning. A few products (plastic figurines, some greeting cards, and a coloring book) were released, with Hocus Hare and Pocus Possum joining at the tail-end of the Gang's run. The greeting card, toy line and US by-monthly comic book series had all ended by 1987. | |||
In mid-2004, the Joester Loria Group, a licensing and marketing agency, announced the addition of ''The Get Along Gang'' to its stable of classic properties. Plans called for the availability of merchandise, such as clothing, toys, games and home decor;<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kitchen|first=Jane|title=Licensing show bustles; classic brands continue comeback|date=July 2004|journal=Home Accents Today|publisher=]|volume=19|number=8|page=S10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040808000857/http://joesterloriagroup.com/press/viewpr.asp?id=98|title=The Joester Loria Group to Launch American Greetings' Get Along Gang|date=2004-06-08|access-date=2010-08-26|archive-date=2004-08-08|format=Press release|location=New York City|publisher=The Joester Loria Group|url=http://joesterloriagroup.com/press/viewpr.asp?id=98|url-status=dead}}</ref> however, this relaunch never materialized. In 2005, American Greetings started plans for an official relaunch of the franchise, which was going to feature 6 new characters: Mogo (a moose), Reagan (a dog), Hatch (a cat), Mayfield (a lamb) and Domino (a beaver), and an elderly porcupine named Mrs. Bristlemore.<ref>{{cite web|author=SACKS |url=http://sacks10.blogspot.com/2006/06/throwback-thursday-18.html |title=SACKS10: THROWBACK THURSDAY 18 |publisher=Sacks10.blogspot.com |date=2006-06-01 |access-date=2013-12-17}}</ref> There was even a CGI pilot in development at ], an unfinished version of which has been posted online. However, for unknown reasons, the planned revival was shelved by late 2007, shortly after American Greetings refused to approve the original DVD release of the series. | |||
{{quote| all seek to make kidvid more enriching and redeeming, at least by their definitions, and at the time, they had enough clout to cause the networks to yield. Consultants were brought in and we, the folks who were writing cartoons, were ordered to include certain "pro-social" morals in our shows. At the time, the dominant "pro-social" moral was as follows: ''The group is always right...the complainer is always wrong. | |||
=== Home entertainment releases === | |||
This was the message of far too many eighties' cartoon shows. If all your friends want to go get pizza and you want a burger, you should bow to the will of the majority and go get pizza with them. There was even a show for one season on CBS called ''The Get-Along Gang'', which was dedicated unabashedly to this principle. Each week, whichever member of the gang didn't get along with the others learned the error of his or her ways.... | |||
] released the Nelvana pilot on VHS shortly after it premiered on television in 1984. During the show's run, Kideo Video released several VHS tapes that included select episodes. | |||
...I don't believe you should always go along with the group. What about thinking for yourself? What about developing your own personality and viewpoint? What about doing things because you decide they're the right thing to do, not because the majority ruled and you got outvoted?<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsfromme.com/pov/col145-2/|last=Evanier|first=Mark|title=Edition #145|date=1997-08-08|accessdate=2010-08-25|work=POV Online}}</ref>}} | |||
In April 2007, plans for a DVD release of the series were announced by S'More Entertainment; however, the planned release was announced to be cancelled a month later because American Greetings would not approve it. Before the announcement of the cancellation, a representative of S'More stated that it was unlikely the release would include the pilot episode, since it involved royalty issues with Nelvana and John Sebastian.<ref>{{cite web|author=artysf |url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/GetAlongGangClubhouse/message/2663 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712170748/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GetAlongGangClubhouse/message/2663 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |title=Yahoo Groups |publisher=Groups.yahoo.com |date=2007-05-01 |access-date=2013-12-17}}</ref> | |||
==Decline and attempted revival== | |||
In mid-to-late 1985 the toy and greeting card sales began to decline, the first sign of the Gang's popularity waning. A few products (plastic figurines, some greeting cards, and a coloring book) were released, with Hocus Hare and Pocus Possum joining at the tail-end of the Gang's run. The greeting card and toy line ended in 1987, and the Scholastic book line lasted for some additional time. | |||
On July 19, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment released ''The Best of The Get Along Gang'', a 1-disc set featuring 10 of the 13 half-hour episodes (20 of the 26 individual stories).<ref>{{ASIN|B0052MXIYG|title=Best of the Get Along Gang}}</ref> The remaining episodes were released as bonus material on other Mill Creek DVD releases in 2012. | |||
In mid-2004, the Joester Loria Group, a licensing and marketing agency, announced the addition of ''The Get Along Gang'' to its stable of classic properties. Plans called for the availability of merchandise, such as clothing, toys, games and home decor;<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kitchen|first=Jane|title=Licensing show bustles; classic brands continue comeback|date=July 2004|work=Home Accents Today|publisher=]|volume=19|number=8|page=S10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040808000857/http://joesterloriagroup.com/press/viewpr.asp?id=98|title=The Joester Loria Group to Launch American Greetings' Get Along Gang|date=2004-06-08|accessdate=2010-08-26|archivedate=2004-08-08|format=Press release|location=New York City|publisher=The Joester Loria Group|url=http://joesterloriagroup.com/press/viewpr.asp?id=98|deadurl=yes|df=}}</ref> this relaunch never materialized. In 2005, American Greetings started plans for an official relaunch of the franchise, which was going to feature 5 new characters: Mogo (a moose), Reagan (a dog), Hatch (a cat), Mayfield (a lamb) and Domino (a beaver), accompanied by an elderly Portia Porcupine, now named Mrs. Bristlemore.<ref>{{cite web|author=SACKS |url=http://sacks10.blogspot.com/2006/06/throwback-thursday-18.html |title=SACKS10: THROWBACK THURSDAY 18 |publisher=Sacks10.blogspot.com |date=2006-06-01 |accessdate=2013-12-17}}</ref> There was even a CGI pilot in development at ] (an unfinished version of this pilot has been posted online). However, for unknown reasons the planned revival was shelved by late 2007, shortly after American Greetings refused to approve the original DVD release of the series. | |||
''Camp Get Along'' and ''School's Out'' are included as a bonus feature on Mill Creek's DVD release of '']: Season One, Volume One'', released in February 2012. | |||
== Home entertainment releases == | |||
=== In other countries === | |||
] released the Nelvana pilot on VHS shortly after it premiered on television in 1984. During the show's run, ] released several VHS tapes that included select episodes. | |||
While the characters' popularity was generally strong only in the United States, the series was released in several countries and dubbed into multiple languages. In Spanish, the series was translated as ''La Pandilla Feliz'' (''The Happy Gang'') and aired on channels in ], ], ], ] and ], but did not have the same impact or popularity of other 1980s cartoons. In ] the series was translated as ''A Nossa Turma'' (''Our Gang'') and was a modest success running on ] during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In France, it was known as ''Les Amichaines''. | |||
The animated series also aired in the United Kingdom in 1985 on ],<ref>Liverpool Echo, Published: Saturday 13 April 1985 Page: 13 | "The gang is already popular with children and has its own TV show every Sunday morning TV-AM."</ref><ref>Loughborough Echo: Friday 26 April 1985 Page: 74 | Get Along Gang magazine a new weekly publication featuring the characters whose popularity has been sweeping the nation since the start of their own TV series on TV-am</ref> while a few of the ] region companies also broadcast the series,<ref>Liverpool Echo, Saturday 28 September 1985, Page: 44</ref><ref>Daily Mirror, Saturday 23 November 1985, | Page: 17</ref> where it was a modest success, alongside generating merchandise sales in the country. A weekly comic book series in the United Kingdom attained reasonable popularity, running for 93 issues from April 1985. It was then merged with the ] comic in January 1987, until the latter was discontinued in 1989. All other merchandise in the UK was discontinued in early 1987. The Scholastic book line also continued for some time afterwards, whilst repeats of the animated series continued to be part of the UK television network ]'s weekend morning schedule for a time, but both of these gradually diminished after a few years. The franchise had completely disappeared in the UK by 1993. | |||
In April 2007, plans for a DVD release of the series were announced by S'More Entertainment (who released '']'', another DIC series, to DVD); however, the planned release was announced to be cancelled a month later because ], who owns the property (and thus had the final say on the matter), would not approve it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7379|last=Lambert|first=David|title=The Get-Along Gang - It's A Sad Day When We Can't All Get-Along: DVD Cancelled!|date=2007-05-26|accessdate=2010-08-25|publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911225004/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7379|archivedate=2007-09-11|df=}}</ref> Before the announcement of the cancellation, a representative of S'More stated that it was unlikely the release would include the pilot episode, since it involved royalty issues with Nelvana (producer of the special) and with John Sebastian (whose performing in the episode required music clearances).<ref>{{cite web|author=artysf |url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/GetAlongGangClubhouse/message/2663 |title=Yahoo Groups |publisher=Groups.yahoo.com |date=2007-05-01 |accessdate=2013-12-17}}</ref> | |||
===Episode guide=== | |||
On July 19, 2011, ] released ''The Best of The Get Along Gang'', a 1-disc set featuring 10 of the 13 half-hour episodes (20 of the 26 individual stories).<ref>{{ASIN|B0052MXIYG|title=Best of the Get Along Gang}}</ref> The episodes not included on the set are ''Nose for News'', ''Camp Get Along'', ''School's Out'', ''The Bullies'', ''That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles'' and ''Snowbound Showdown''. The remaining episodes were released on 2012 as bonus material of other Mill Creek's DVD releases, ''Camp Get Along'' and ''School's Out'' are included as a bonus feature on Mill Creek's DVD of ]: Season One, Volume One released in February 2012, and the other four stories were released in October 2012 as part of a 10-disc DVD compilation titled ''TV Toons to Go''. | |||
====Nelvana==== | |||
== In other countries == | |||
'''Pilot''': ''The Adventures of the Get Along Gang'' (May 6, 1984) | |||
While the characters' popularity was strong only in the United States, the series was released in several countries and dubbed into local languages. In Spanish, the series was translated as '''La Pandilla Feliz''' (''The Happy Gang'') and aired on local channels in ], ], ], ] and ], but did not have the same impact or popularity of other 1980s cartoons. In ] the series was translated as '''A Nossa Turma''' (''Our Gang'') and was a modest success running on ] during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In France, it was known as '''Les Amichaines'''. The series also aired in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, where it was a modest success too, also generating merchandise in the country. | |||
*The gang participates in their town's annual scavenger hunt, but the stakes are made even higher when Bingo makes a bet with Catchum that, if Catchum wins, he and Leland get the gang's clubhouse.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987 |date=1989 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-2198-2 |access-date=27 March 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/animatedtvspecia0000wool/page/4/mode/2up |pages=4–6}}</ref> | |||
== |
====DIC==== | ||
{{Episode table |background=#FFD700 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes= | |||
===Nelvana=== | |||
'''Pilot''': ''The Adventures of the Get Along Gang'' (1984) | |||
===DIC=== | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="background:#FFFFFF" | |||
! style="background:#FFD700; width:20px"| Nº | |||
! style="background:#FFD700"| Titles | |||
! style="background:#FFD700"| <!-- Directed by: --> | |||
! style="background:#FFD700"| <!-- Written by: --> | |||
! style="background:#FFD700; width:135px"| Air date | |||
{{Episode list | {{Episode list | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 1 | | EpisodeNumber = 1 | ||
| Title = Zipper's Millions / Half a Map Is Better Than None | | Title = Zipper's Millions / Half a Map Is Better Than None | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|9|15}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|9|15}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''Zipper's Millions'': Zipper learns that he's to inherit a large fortune, but must claim it by noon. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Half a Map Is Better Than None'': The gang find a treasure map but Catchum learns about it too. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 152: | Line 140: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 2 | | EpisodeNumber = 2 | ||
| Title = Caboose on the Loose / Montgomery's Mechanical Marvel | | Title = Caboose on the Loose / Montgomery's Mechanical Marvel | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|9|22}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|9|22}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''Caboose on the Loose'': Catchum steals the clubhouse and Bingo's attempt to get it back results in it rolling away. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Montgomery's Mechanical Marvel'': Montgomery builds a robot moose named Hermie for the science fair but it's sabotaged by Catchum, causing Hermie to go on a rampage. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 161: | Line 148: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 3 | | EpisodeNumber = 3 | ||
| Title = Head in the Clouds / Hunt for the Beast | | Title = Head in the Clouds / Hunt for the Beast | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|9|29}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|9|29}} | ||
| ShortSummary = | | ShortSummary = * ''Head in the Clouds'': The gang enter a kite-flying competition. | ||
* ''Hunt for the Beast'': The gang end up in the mountains where Zipper is taken by a strange beast. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 170: | Line 156: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 4 | | EpisodeNumber = 4 | ||
| Title = Woolma's Birthday / The Get Along Detectives | | Title = Woolma's Birthday / The Get Along Detectives | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|6}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|6}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''Woolma's Birthday'': Woolma runs away, thinking her friends forgot her birthday, and befriends a skunk carny. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''The Get Along Detectives'': The gang become detectives and search for crook Sammy the Sneak. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 179: | Line 164: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 5 | | EpisodeNumber = 5 | ||
| Title = The Get Along Gang Go Hollywood / Them's the Brakes | | Title = The Get Along Gang Go Hollywood / Them's the Brakes | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|13}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|13}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''The Get Along Gang Go Hollywood'': Montgomery's uncle Marty comes to town to shoot a movie but is framed for bank robbery. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Them's the Brakes'': While hosting Dottie's cousin Wilton, the gang end up in a mine that's haunted by a ghost. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Episode list | {{Episode list | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 6 | | EpisodeNumber = 6 | ||
| Title = A Pinch of This |
| Title = A Pinch of This and a Dash of That / Bingo's Tale | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|20}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|20}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''A Pinch of This and a Dash of That'': Montgomery creates an anti-gravity formula and Bingo tries to sell it. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Bingo's Tale'': Bingo must overcome his fear of water to stop the dam from breaking. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 197: | Line 180: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 7 | | EpisodeNumber = 7 | ||
| Title = Engineer Roary / Pick of the Litter | | Title = Engineer Roary / Pick of the Litter | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|27}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|10|27}} | ||
| ShortSummary = | | ShortSummary = * ''Engineer Roary'': The gang work to save the travel museum. | ||
* ''Pick of the Litter'': The gang pick up trash so the swamp won't be the site of a new dump but Catchum keeps messing it up. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Episode list | {{Episode list | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 8 | | EpisodeNumber = 8 | ||
| Title = Nose for News / The Lighthouse Pirates | | Title = Nose for News / The Lighthouse Pirates | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|3}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|3}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''Nose for News'': The gang and Catchum hunt for stories that'll make them junior reporters. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''The Lighthouse Pirates'': Zipper and Bingo get caught in the middle of a gang of crooks hiding in the lighthouse. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 215: | Line 196: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 9 | | EpisodeNumber = 9 | ||
| Title = The Wrong Stuff / Uneasy Rider | | Title = The Wrong Stuff / Uneasy Rider | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|10}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|10}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''The Wrong Stuff'': The gang help Mr. Hoofnagel relive his glory days as a pilot. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Uneasy Rider'': Portia takes over Braker's paper route for money to buy a bike. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 224: | Line 204: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 10 | | EpisodeNumber = 10 | ||
| Title = The Get Along Gang Minus One / Camp Get Along | | Title = The Get Along Gang Minus One / Camp Get Along | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|17}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|17}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''The Get Along Gang Minus One'': Bingo learns that he's moving away but the others don't believe him. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Camp Get Along'': Both halves of the gang go camping and the girls fare better than the boys. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 233: | Line 212: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 11 | | EpisodeNumber = 11 | ||
| Title = Bingo's Pen Pal / Follow the Leader | | Title = Bingo's Pen Pal / Follow the Leader | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|24}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|11|24}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''Bingo's Pen Pal'': Bingo's athletic pen pal Susie comes to town and thinks that Zipper is Bingo. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Follow the Leader'': Catchum takes over the school's parade float in a scheme to get free food. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 242: | Line 220: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 12 | | EpisodeNumber = 12 | ||
| Title = School's Out / The Bullies | | Title = School's Out / The Bullies | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|12|1}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|12|1}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''School's Out'': Catchum and Leland frame the gang for slacking on a test and they plot revenge. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''The Bullies'': The gang run afoul of the Pig sisters and Catchum escalates the animosity between them. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Line 251: | Line 228: | ||
| EpisodeNumber = 13 | | EpisodeNumber = 13 | ||
| Title = That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles / Snowbound Showdown | | Title = That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles / Snowbound Showdown | ||
| DirectedBy = | |||
| WrittenBy = | |||
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|12|8}} | | OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1984|12|8}} | ||
| ShortSummary = * ''That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles'': The gang start a cookie-selling business but Catchum and Leland sow discontent among them. | |||
| ShortSummary = | |||
* ''Snowbound Showdown'': The gang partake in winter fun while Zipper finds a rival in Officer Growler's nephew. | |||
| LineColor = FFD700 | | LineColor = FFD700 | ||
}} | }} | ||
}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* {{IMDb title|0174392}} | * {{IMDb title|0174392}} | ||
* at ]. from the original on August 24, 2016. | |||
* {{bcdb |Other_Studios/D/DiC_Entertainment/The_Get_Along_Gang/|The Get Along Gang}} | |||
* at ]. from the original on August 24, 2016. | |||
* {{tv.com show|get-along-gang|The Get Along Gang}} | |||
* | * | ||
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Latest revision as of 02:12, 25 December 2024
Characters of a television seriesThe Get Along Gang is a group of characters created in 1983 by Tony Byrd, Tom Jacobs, Ralph Shaffer, Linda Edwards, Muriel Fahrion, and Mark Spangler for American Greetings' toy design and licensing division, "Those Characters from Cleveland" (now Cloudco Entertainment), for a series of greeting cards. The Get Along Gang is a group of 6 pre-adolescent anthropomorphic animal characters in the fictional town of Green Meadow, who form a club that meets in an abandoned caboose and who have various adventures whose upbeat stories were intended to show the importance of teamwork and friendship. The success of the greeting card line led to a Saturday morning television series, which aired on CBS for 13 episodes in the 1984–1985 season, with reruns showing from January to June 1986.
Characters
The Get Along Gang franchise was loosely inspired by Hal Roach's Our Gang series of short films. The core six members of the gang appeared frequently in merchandising and the show. The other six made fewer appearances in the series, but were regulars in merchandising.
Protagonists
- Montgomery Moose (voiced by Sparky Marcus, Charles Haid (pilot)) – The leader of the Get Along Gang.
- Dotty Dog (voiced by Bettina Bush) – A cheerleader dog and second in command of the gang.
- Woolma Lamb (voiced by Georgi Irene) – An aspiring ballerina sheep.
- Zipper Cat (voiced by Robbie Lee) – An athletic feline who excels at sports.
- Portia Porcupine (voiced by Sherry Lynn) – The youngest member of the gang.
- Bingo Beaver (voiced by Scott Menville) – A novice prankster and gambler beaver.
- Braker Turtle (voiced by Frank Welker/Don Messick) – A smart and sensible problem-solver.
- Rocco Rabbit – A reformed bully with a tough exterior.
- Rudyard Lion – A foreign-exchange student.
- Flora Fox – An avid botanist and photographer.
- Bernice Bear – A very sensible girl who likes keeping things neat and tidy.
- Lolly Squirrel – The rich daughter of the candy factory owner.
Antagonists
- Catchum Crocodile (voiced by Timothy Gibbs) – The show's main antagonist. He is a constant troublemaker who takes what he wants with no regards to anyone else.
- Leland Lizard (voiced by Nicky Katt) – Catchum's sidekick.
Background characters
- Officer Growler (voiced by Don Messick) – A bulldog police officer.
- Mr. Hoofnagel (voiced by Don Messick) – An old goat who owns the local ice cream parlor.
- Miss Deering (voiced by Sherry Lynn) – A deer and the teacher of the gang's class.
- Susie (voiced by Sherry Lynn) – Bingo's pen pal, a squirrel who likes exercise.
- Mayor Bascombe Badger (voiced by Don Messick) – The mayor of Green Meadow.
- Schneider Squirrel – Lolly's father and owner of the candy factory. Schneider appeared only in the comic books.
- Hocus Hare and Pocus Possum – A pair of magicians.
TV series
The Get Along Gang | |
---|---|
Created by | Tony Byrd, Tom Jacobs, Ralph Shaffer, Linda Edwards, Muriel Fahrion and Mark Spangler for Those Characters from Cleveland |
Starring |
|
Composers | Shuki Levy Haim Saban |
Country of origin |
|
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 13 (26 segments) + pilot |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Running time | 22 minutes (2 11-minute segments, excluding the pilot) |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network |
|
Release | May 6 (1984-05-06) – December 8, 1984 (1984-12-08) |
Canadian studio Nelvana, in association with Scholastic Entertainment, Those Characters from Cleveland, and LBS produced a pilot episode of The Get Along Gang, which was broadcast on the Nickelodeon cable network on May 6, 1984. The pilot featured the members of the gang trying to win a scavenger hunt, despite Catchum's cheating and their own competition-fueled infighting. Although all twelve gang members were involved, only the six core members had speaking roles. Among the voice talents in the pilot were Charles Haid (then of Hill Street Blues) as Montgomery and Dave Thomas (fresh from his days on SCTV) as Leland. John Sebastian, famous for working for Nelvana at the time, wrote and sang for the pilot.
After the pilot episode, production of the series was handed over to DIC Audiovisuel, a French animation studio. The show also was taken off Nickelodeon and moved to CBS. Thirteen half-hour episodes were produced, each containing two eleven-minute segments. As with the pilot, the focus was on the six core members of the gang, with the other six members making very sporadic appearances. Out of those six, only Braker Turtle had a regular speaking role.
Rebroadcast
From September 1986 until August 1987, all thirteen DIC-produced episodes were rerun as part of a short-lived syndicated cartoon package called Kideo TV.
Other merchandise
The brief series spawned a large range of merchandise and spin-off projects including stuffed toys and action figures made by Tomy, and a series of storybooks published by Scholastic Press. The Tomy action figure line and Scholastic Press books actually lasted longer than the cartoon series itself.
The characters were also adapted into comic books. In America, their series, which ran for six bi-monthly issues in 1985 and 1986, was published by Marvel Comics' Star Comics imprint. In the United Kingdom, Marvel UK published a weekly Get Along Gang comic, which ran for 93 issues from April 1985 until January 1987.
Reception and criticism
In 1986, Ralph Novak of People Weekly observed that Nelvana's pilot special "is enlivened by the music of John Sebastian and some relatively sophisticated (for television) animation. Cartoon violence is only the most innocuous sort."
The series was the product of an era in the 1980s when television watchgroups held great influence over children's programming, demanding that shows intended for young viewers emphasize positive values rather than violence or conflict. Consequently, critics of the series accused it of "enforcing" the importance of group harmony over individualism.
In an August 8, 1997 article written by television/cartoon writer Mark Evanier for his website, POVonline, in which he recalled writing for the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series, which premiered one year before The Get Along Gang (and aired alongside it on the CBS lineup), Evanier noted:
all seek to make kidvid more enriching and redeeming, at least by their definitions, and at the time, they had enough clout to cause the networks to yield. Consultants were brought in and we, the folks who were writing cartoons, were ordered to include certain "pro-social" morals in our shows. At the time, the dominant "pro-social" moral was as follows: The group is always right...the complainer is always wrong.
This was the message of far too many eighties' cartoon shows. If all your friends want to go get pizza and you want a burger, you should bow to the will of the majority and go get pizza with them. There was even a show for one season on CBS called The Get-Along Gang, which was dedicated unabashedly to this principle. Each week, whichever member of the gang didn't get along with the others learned the error of his or her ways....
...I don't believe you should always go along with the group. What about thinking for yourself? What about developing your own personality and viewpoint? What about doing things because you decide they're the right thing to do, not because the majority ruled and you got outvoted?
Decline and attempted revival
In mid-to-late 1985, the toy and greeting card sales began to decline, the first sign of the gang's popularity waning. A few products (plastic figurines, some greeting cards, and a coloring book) were released, with Hocus Hare and Pocus Possum joining at the tail-end of the Gang's run. The greeting card, toy line and US by-monthly comic book series had all ended by 1987.
In mid-2004, the Joester Loria Group, a licensing and marketing agency, announced the addition of The Get Along Gang to its stable of classic properties. Plans called for the availability of merchandise, such as clothing, toys, games and home decor; however, this relaunch never materialized. In 2005, American Greetings started plans for an official relaunch of the franchise, which was going to feature 6 new characters: Mogo (a moose), Reagan (a dog), Hatch (a cat), Mayfield (a lamb) and Domino (a beaver), and an elderly porcupine named Mrs. Bristlemore. There was even a CGI pilot in development at Richcrest Animation, an unfinished version of which has been posted online. However, for unknown reasons, the planned revival was shelved by late 2007, shortly after American Greetings refused to approve the original DVD release of the series.
Home entertainment releases
Karl-Lorimar released the Nelvana pilot on VHS shortly after it premiered on television in 1984. During the show's run, Kideo Video released several VHS tapes that included select episodes.
In April 2007, plans for a DVD release of the series were announced by S'More Entertainment; however, the planned release was announced to be cancelled a month later because American Greetings would not approve it. Before the announcement of the cancellation, a representative of S'More stated that it was unlikely the release would include the pilot episode, since it involved royalty issues with Nelvana and John Sebastian.
On July 19, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment released The Best of The Get Along Gang, a 1-disc set featuring 10 of the 13 half-hour episodes (20 of the 26 individual stories). The remaining episodes were released as bonus material on other Mill Creek DVD releases in 2012.
Camp Get Along and School's Out are included as a bonus feature on Mill Creek's DVD release of Heathcliff: Season One, Volume One, released in February 2012.
In other countries
While the characters' popularity was generally strong only in the United States, the series was released in several countries and dubbed into multiple languages. In Spanish, the series was translated as La Pandilla Feliz (The Happy Gang) and aired on channels in Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Chile, but did not have the same impact or popularity of other 1980s cartoons. In Brazil the series was translated as A Nossa Turma (Our Gang) and was a modest success running on SBT during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In France, it was known as Les Amichaines.
The animated series also aired in the United Kingdom in 1985 on TV-am, while a few of the ITV region companies also broadcast the series, where it was a modest success, alongside generating merchandise sales in the country. A weekly comic book series in the United Kingdom attained reasonable popularity, running for 93 issues from April 1985. It was then merged with the Care Bears comic in January 1987, until the latter was discontinued in 1989. All other merchandise in the UK was discontinued in early 1987. The Scholastic book line also continued for some time afterwards, whilst repeats of the animated series continued to be part of the UK television network Channel 4's weekend morning schedule for a time, but both of these gradually diminished after a few years. The franchise had completely disappeared in the UK by 1993.
Episode guide
Nelvana
Pilot: The Adventures of the Get Along Gang (May 6, 1984)
- The gang participates in their town's annual scavenger hunt, but the stakes are made even higher when Bingo makes a bet with Catchum that, if Catchum wins, he and Leland get the gang's clubhouse.
DIC
No. | Title | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Zipper's Millions / Half a Map Is Better Than None" | September 15, 1984 (1984-09-15) | |
| |||
2 | "Caboose on the Loose / Montgomery's Mechanical Marvel" | September 22, 1984 (1984-09-22) | |
| |||
3 | "Head in the Clouds / Hunt for the Beast" | September 29, 1984 (1984-09-29) | |
| |||
4 | "Woolma's Birthday / The Get Along Detectives" | October 6, 1984 (1984-10-06) | |
| |||
5 | "The Get Along Gang Go Hollywood / Them's the Brakes" | October 13, 1984 (1984-10-13) | |
| |||
6 | "A Pinch of This and a Dash of That / Bingo's Tale" | October 20, 1984 (1984-10-20) | |
| |||
7 | "Engineer Roary / Pick of the Litter" | October 27, 1984 (1984-10-27) | |
| |||
8 | "Nose for News / The Lighthouse Pirates" | November 3, 1984 (1984-11-03) | |
| |||
9 | "The Wrong Stuff / Uneasy Rider" | November 10, 1984 (1984-11-10) | |
| |||
10 | "The Get Along Gang Minus One / Camp Get Along" | November 17, 1984 (1984-11-17) | |
| |||
11 | "Bingo's Pen Pal / Follow the Leader" | November 24, 1984 (1984-11-24) | |
| |||
12 | "School's Out / The Bullies" | December 1, 1984 (1984-12-01) | |
| |||
13 | "That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles / Snowbound Showdown" | December 8, 1984 (1984-12-08) | |
|
References
- ^ Josephson, Nancy (1983-06-20). "Get Along Gang gets '84 push". Women's Wear Daily (WWD) (145). Fairchild Publications: 14.
- Get Along Gang Full Closing 1985, 25 October 2009, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-04-21
- Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 336. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 184. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 371–372. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Novak, Ralph (1986-05-19). "The Get Along Gang". People Weekly (25). Time Inc.: 14.
- Evanier, Mark (1997-08-08). "Edition #145". POV Online. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- Kitchen, Jane (July 2004). "Licensing show bustles; classic brands continue comeback". Home Accents Today. 19 (8). Reed Business Information: S10.
- "The Joester Loria Group to Launch American Greetings' Get Along Gang". New York City: The Joester Loria Group. 2004-06-08. Archived from the original (Press release) on 2004-08-08. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- SACKS (2006-06-01). "SACKS10: THROWBACK THURSDAY 18". Sacks10.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
- artysf (2007-05-01). "Yahoo Groups". Groups.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
- ASIN B0052MXIYG, Best of the Get Along Gang
- Liverpool Echo, Published: Saturday 13 April 1985 Page: 13 | "The gang is already popular with children and has its own TV show every Sunday morning TV-AM."
- Loughborough Echo: Friday 26 April 1985 Page: 74 | Get Along Gang magazine a new weekly publication featuring the characters whose popularity has been sweeping the nation since the start of their own TV series on TV-am
- Liverpool Echo, Saturday 28 September 1985, Page: 44
- Daily Mirror, Saturday 23 November 1985, | Page: 17
- Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 4–6. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
External links
- The Get Along Gang at IMDb
- The Get Along Gang at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016.
- Adventures of the Get Along Gang (pilot) at 80sCartoons.net
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