The Biskitts
| The Biskitts | |
|---|---|
 Title screen | |
| Genre | |
| Directed by |
|
| Voices of | |
| Composer(s) | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 13 (26 segments) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Producer(s) | Art Scott |
| Editor(s) | Gil Iverson |
| Running time |
20 minutes (whole) 10 minutes (separate) |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 17, 1983 – September 8, 1984 |
The Biskitts is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1983 to 1984 and aired on CBS. The series lasted for only one season; Shirt Tales replaced the show in its time slot the following year. The Biskitts returned to that same time slot in March 1985 but only aired reruns in the remainder of that season.[1] Following the series' retirement from CBS, like many other cartoons, it was acquired by the Armed Forces Network and shown throughout much of the 1980s, mainly as entertainment for children of deployed American servicemen in Asia and Europe.
Plot
The Biskitts are a group of tiny anthropomorphic dogs who live on Biskitt Island and are committed to guarding the crown jewels of Biskitt Castle. Modeled after Robin Hood, the Biskitts still serve their recently deceased king while performing good deeds for the underprivileged inhabitants of their tiny island. It is explained in the opening narration that due to their good reputation for responsibility and security, other kings have entrusted their treasures to be safeguarded by the Biskitts. The villain of the series is the king's mean-spirited, wasteful, younger brother King Max who rules the neighboring Lower Suburbia. In lieu of a proper coronation, Max constantly schemes to steal the royal treasure with the help of his hench-hounds Fang & Snarl and his jester Shecky. The Biskitts are also in danger of being captured and eaten by a large wildcat named Scratch.
Characters
- Waggs (voiced by Darryl Hickman) – The protagonist, who leads the Biskitts on every mission and is always there if his friends are in trouble. He is Sweets' boyfriend. He is a Jack Russell Terrier.
- Sweets (voiced by Kathleen Helppie) – A kind and gentle Biskitt, friendly to other animals as well as the Biskitts and very helpful. She is Waggs's girlfriend. She is a Saluki.
- Shiner (voiced by Jerry Houser) – Very lazy and selfish and jealous of Waggs' leadership. Sometimes when the Biskitts fall into a trap he blames Waggs for nothing. He makes poor Downer do all his work. However, he does have a hidden kindly side. He is a Shar Pei.
- Lady (voiced by B.J. Ward) – The posh Biskitt, who likes to stay clean and pretty and can't the slightest dirt or wetness. She also like decorating the castle. She is an American Cocker Spaniel.
- Bump (voiced by Bob Holt) – A strong Biskitt, who is a bit dim and clumsy but is also helpful and friendly with Scat. In one episode he found Shecky's jokes funny and becomes friends with him. He is a St. Bernard.
- Downer (voiced by Henry Gibson) – Downer is an unhappy and cowardly Biskitt, pessimistic that something bad will happen. He is unlucky friends with Shiner, who makes him do work for him while Shiner lies about. He is a Basset Hound.
- Wiggle (voiced by Jennifer Darling) – Wiggle is another girl Biskitt who helps out with events. She likes Shiner but in one episode she had a crush on Waggs. She is a Rough Collie.
- Spinner (voiced by Bob Holt) – Spinner is the oldest and a wiser Biskitt. He helps the Biskitts when they stumble into something he knows about, in fact Spinner knows a lot about the swamp. He is a Siberian Husky.
- Scat (voiced by Dick Beals) – Scat is a young Biskitt. He is industrious and brave, but sometimes his bravery can land him into trouble. He is friends with Bump who saves him sometimes from trouble. He is a Dachshund.
- Mooch (voiced by Marshall Efron) – Mooch is the fat and greedy Biskitt who always thinks about food. He really likes bones, berries and cakes. He is an Old English Sheepdog.
- King Max (voiced by the Kenneth Mars) – The evil, mean-spirited, and wasteful King who rules the neighboring Lower Suburbia and serves as the antagonist. He is the younger brother of the previous King. Why Max is not crowned the new ruler of the Biskitts is never explained. He tries hard to go the Biskitts Castle to steal the royal treasure. He bosses Shecky around the castle most of the time and threatens the Biskitts to talk sometimes by trying to kill them from an Eagle who does not like Biskitts attacking them to boiling them alive.
- Shecky (voiced by Kip King) – Shecky is King Max’s sidekick and court jester. Although Shecky was rather dimwitted and not always loyal to Max, as he even made friends with Bump who shared his love of practical jokes. He is not just a Jester, he cleans, cooks and other jobs for King Max.
- Fang and Snarl (vocal effects provided by Kenneth Mars and Peter Cullen) – Fang and Snarl are King Max's hounds. They help Max and Shecky to sniff them out.
- Moat Monster (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) – A serpentine monster that lives in the moat surrounding King Max's castle.
- Scratch (voiced by Peter Cullen) – Scratch is a wildcat who is always trying to catch the Biskitts and eat them. He lives in a cave somewhere in the swamp. When the Biskitts are near Scratch's cave they need to be on the watch out from him. He has a cousin named Itch who caused the Biskitts confusion.
Other characters
- Rover (voiced by Peter Cullen) – Rover is a pirate like Biskitt who has been away from Biskitt island for a long time. He is a Golden Retriever.
- Flip – A laid-back Biskitt. He is a Doberman Pinscher.
- Fetch (voiced by Kenneth Mars) – A silly-looking Biskitt. He is a Beagle.
- The Whiskers – A group of cats. Only appear on the episode "Raiders of The Lost Bark".
- Mouser – Leader of the Whiskers. He befriends with Sweets and showed her his home.
- Pendora – A female cat who has a crystal ball to see what's going on.
- Boots – A fat lazy cat who always sleeps so he could go to bed at night.
- Scaredy Cat – A cat who is afraid of everything.
- Mink – A pretty French-accented cat and have a crush on Scat, after he saved her from Scratch.
- Jinks – A cat with constant bad luck.
- Tiger – A tough cat with an eye patch.
- Talon the Rat – A large rat who tries eat the Whiskers, just like Scratch hunts the Biskitts. When they crossed each other's paths, Talon was scared of Scratch and ran away, causing Scratch to chase him and meaning that both of them weren't seen for a while.
- King Otto – A king who arrived with his army of knights to steal King Max's treasure. He only appeared in "King Max's War".
- The Witch – She tries kidnapped Sweets and Waggs and feed them to her mirror. But Spinner knows a lot about her and stops just in time and her castle gets destroyed alone with her. She has a pet bat and a pet rat.
- Princess Biskitt – The Princess Biskitt gets kidnapped by King Max to capture the Biskitts. The male Biskitts fall into the trap and was about to boiled alive with her. Sweets, Wiggle and Lady thought she was not real at first but found out that she is and saved the male Biskitts and Princess Biskitt from their hot watery doom.
- Pyronce – The Dragon who menaced the Biskitts until he was defeated.
List of episodes
| # | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "As the Worm Turns / Trouble in the Tunnel" | As the Worm Turns: Len Janson, Chuck Menville, and Gene Ayres Trouble in the Tunnel: Duane Poole and Tom Swale | September 17, 1983 |
|
As the Worm Turns: Sweets befriends a worm. Trouble in the Tunnel: Shiner give Scat for cleaning treasure and a mole comes on Biskitt Island and the ring get stock on the mole’s nose and Scat follow the mole, can Scat save the day and stop King Max. | |||
| 2 | "The Moonpond / Fly Me to the Goon" | The Moonpond: Michael Reaves Fly Me to the Goon: David Wise | |
|
The Moonpond: Shiner want to be brave by legendary The Moonpond so battle against Scratch, so the Biskitts helping him. Fly Me to the Goon: Bump lands on King Max's castle. Waggs, Sweets, Scat and Shiner must save him. | |||
| 3 | "Spinner's Surprise / Two Leagues Under the Pond" | Spinner's Surprise: Michael Reaves and Marc Scott Zicree Two Leagues Under the Pond: Dan DiStefano | |
|
Spinner's Surprise: It's Spinner's birthday. Two Leagues Under the Pond: King Max and Shecky use a submarine in the shape of a crocodile to get King John's treasure on Biskitts Island. | |||
| 4 | "Dogfoot / Up to His Old Tricks" | Dogfoot: Michael Reaves Up to His Old Tricks: Tom Swale and Duane Poole | |
|
Dogfoot: Downer is sick and Biskitts meets Dogfoot. Up to His Old Tricks: King Max using the Trick Book and he get treasure. Unfortunately, Sweets and Downer are on the treasure box. Wags and other Biskitts must get the treasure back and save Sweets and Downer. | |||
| 5 | "Turnaround Hound / A Dark and Stormy Knight" | Turnaround Hound: Diane Duane A Dark and Stormy Knight: Michael Reaves and Marc Scott Zicree | |
|
Turnaround Hound: Snarl get hurt and Biskitts take care of him. Shiner help him to get better. A Dark and Stormy Knight: A Black Knight appears and he wants the Biskitts treasure as he kidnaps Scat. Now the Biskitts and King Max have to work together to thwart the Black Knight. | |||
| 6 | "Belling the Wild Cat / King Max's War" | Belling the Wild Cat & King Max's War Michael Reaves | |
|
Belling the Wild Cat: The Biskitts plot to bell Scratch to keep him from sneaking up on them. Meanwhile, Scratch is visited by his cousin Itch. King Max's War: King Otto and his knights arrive in Biskitt Swamp in order to claim King Max's treasure even though he doesn't have any. To keep their swamp from being burned down, the Biskitts end up arranging a duel between King Max and King Otto. | |||
| 7 | "Moving Day / A Biskitt Halloween" | Moving Day: Jeff Segal and Alan Burnett A Biskitt Halloween: Michael Reaves | |
|
Moving Day: Using the rainy weather to their advantage, King Max and Shecky search for the Biskitts and do a sneak attack on them. A Biskitt Halloween: On Halloween, a witch that the Biskitts have outsmarted years ago returns to obtain two Biskitts in order to stay on Biskitt Swamp. Her spell ends up draining the life out of the swamp which also turns Scratch, King Max, and Shecky to stone. She kidnapped Waggs and Sweets. Now the other Biskitts must save them before the witch's spell is complete. | |||
| 8 | "Around the Swamp in a Daze / Rogue Biskitt" | Around the Swamp in a Daze: Marc Scott Zicree and Don Glut Rogue Biskitt: Michael Reaves and Marc Scott Zicree | |
|
Around the Swamp in a Daze: King Max and Shecky use a balloon to find the Biskitt Island. Rogue Biskitt: A Biskitt named Rover arrives on Biskitt Island. Scat want to join him on his journey. | |||
| 9 | "The Golden Biskitt / The Bone in the Stone" | The Golden Biskitt & The Bone in the Stone Michael Reaves | |
|
The Golden Biskitt: Lady is turned into gold by a wizard's apprentice. The Bone in the Stone: When Waggs' leg is hurt, Sweets take over as a leader for the other Biskitts and try get the treasure back from the dragon. | |||
| 10 | "The Trojan Biskitt / Snatched from Scratch" | The Trojan Biskitt: Michael Reaves Snatched from Scratch: Gene Ayres | |
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The Trojan Biskitt: King Max plot to give Biskitts a statue of Biskitts, he can get the treasures. Snatched from Scratch: Shiner get kidnapped both Scratch and King Max. Can the Biskitts save their selfish friend? | |||
| 11 | "The Biskitt Who Cried Woof / Shecky's Last Laugh" | The Biskitt Who Cried Woof: Michael Reaves and Marc Scott Zicree Shecky's Last Laugh: Michael Reaves | |
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The Biskitt Who Cried Woof: Wiggle try to impress Waggs (who has a crush on him). King Max uses an eagle to capture Biskitts, can Wiggle save them. Shecky's Last Laugh: Bump befriends Shecky. | |||
| 12 | "Raiders of the Lost Bark / The Princess and The Plea" | Raiders of the Lost Bark: Michael Reaves The Princess and The Plea: Dianne Dixon | |
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Raiders of the Lost Bark: Sweets meets the Whiskers, a group of cats. The Princess and The Plea: Princess Biskitt is kidnapped by King Max. Waggs, Bump, Shiner, Scat, Mooch and Downer go out to save her. Sweets, Wiggle and Lady must show the boys that the girls are better. | |||
| 13 | "The Swamp Monster / May the Best Biskitt Win" | The Swamp Monster: David Gerrold May the Best Biskitt Win: Cynthia Friedlob and John Semper | September 8, 1984 |
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The Swamp Monster: Scat tries to be brave. May the Best Biskitt Win: Shiner challenge Waggs with Vote, who will win the Vote and how is leader for Biskitts Waggs or Shiner. | |||
Music
Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 is used in theme and in parts in some of episodes. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera used the tune in their Tom and Jerry cartoon The Cat Concerto.
Cast
- Dick Beals - Scat
- Peter Cullen - Dog Foot, Snarl, Scratch, Rover
- Jennifer Darling - Wiggle
- Marshall Efron - Mooch
- Henry Gibson - Downer
- Kathleen Helppie - Sweets
- Darryl Hickman - Waggs
- Bob Holt - Bump, Flip, Spinner
- Jerry Houser - Shiner
- Kip King - Shecky
- Kenneth Mars - Fetch, King Max, Fang
- Mark L. Taylor -
- B.J. Ward - Lady
- Frank Welker - Itch, Moat Monster (uncredited)
Children's book
A children's book was created based on The Biskitts. In the book it is discovered that Shecky, the jester and lackey of King Max, bears a striking resemblance to King John, one of the kings who has entrusted his treasure to be safeguarded by the Biskitts. When King Max learns of this, he plots to use it to his advantage telling Shecky that they will attempt to steal King John's treasure by having Shecky impersonate King John to come and withdraw his treasure, and Max will pretend to be his slave. While Max and Shecky fool the Biskitts at first into thinking the real King John has come; Shecky seems to enjoy goofing off more and allowing Max to have to do all sorts of chores, much as King Max made him do plenty of demeaning labor.
Home Media releases
An episode of the show, part of the DVD collection, Saturday Mornings Cartoons: 1980s - Volume 1, released on May 4, 2010.