Bailey's Comets

Last updated
Bailey's Comets
GenreAnimated
Created by David H. DePatie
Friz Freleng
Joe Ruby
Ken Spears
Written byDalton Sandifer
John W. Dunn
Larz Bourne
Voices ofJim Begg
Daws Butler
Carl Esser
Kathy Gori
Bob Holt
Sarah Kennedy
Don Messick
Karen Smith
Frank Welker
Theme music composerDoug Goodwin
Opening theme"Bailey's Comets Theme" by Every Thing Under the Sun
Ending theme"Bailey's Comets Theme" (instrumental)
ComposerDoug Goodwin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes32 (16 half-hours)
Production
Executive producers David H. DePatie
Friz Freleng
Producers Joe Ruby
Ken Spears
EditorsRick Steward (editing supervisor)
Joe Siracusa
Jim Blodgett
Allan Potter
Production company DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseSeptember 8, 1973 (1973-09-08) 
April 13, 1974 (1974-04-13)

Bailey's Comets is an animated cartoon series that aired on CBS. [1] The second season consisted entirely of reruns. The series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and was created by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng in association with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. [2]

Contents

Plot

Different roller skating teams compete in a worldwide race to different locations searching for clues that will lead them to a million-dollar prize at the end of the race. [2] Besides the teams interfering with each other, there were also outside forces and subplots that would step in to hinder the teams' progress. [3]

Characters

Bailey's Comets

The protagonists and the team presented as most likely to win the million-dollar prize were a group of teenagers called Bailey's Comets. [2] This team consisted of:

Other teams

Bailey's Comets were constantly being hindered by the other skating teams who also interfere with one another. The following are the teams that compete against Bailey's Comets:

Commentators

There were also two commentators named Gabby (voiced by Frank Welker impersonating Howard Cosell) and Dooter Roo (voiced by Daws Butler) [2] keeping constant track of the proceedings from a helicopter. Very rarely, however, did they ever get involved in the actual goings-on of the race.

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Skateroo to the Carlsbad Clue"September 8, 1973 (1973-09-08)
The skating teams race to Carlsbad Caverns. Auntie Hag of the Broomer Girls gives a hillbilly girl a love potion to make any boy skater that she catches fall in love with her. The clue is seen by all of the teams.
2"To Win or Toulouse"September 15, 1973 (1973-09-15)
The skating teams race to Paris, France, where Bailey's Comets gets mixed up with a smuggler named Pierre who had smuggled a diamond into one of the bananas that came into Pudge's possession. The Ramblin' Rivets, the Duster Busters and the Yo Ho-Ho's plan to take advantage of this by making sure that Bailey's Comets does not catch Pierre. Afterwards, the clue is found by Bailey's Comets.
3"Raja and Out"September 22, 1973 (1973-09-22)
The skating teams travel to the palace of the Raja of Punjab, India, who holds the next clue. The Raja then has the skaters compete to rescue his daughter from an evil fakir in order to get the next clue. The clue is found by the Broomer Girls.
4"Ghost of a Clue"September 29, 1973 (1973-09-29)
The skating teams are in London in a race to Nottingham Castle. When Bailey's Comets end up in another castle, they come across the Ghost of Sir Tremblelot whose family coat of arms was stolen, which ends up intensifying the search when the other teams get involved. The clue is found by Bailey's Comets.
5"Heading Home"October 6, 1973 (1973-10-06)
6"Roman Race Run"October 13, 1973 (1973-10-13)
7"Transylvania Mad Transit"October 20, 1973 (1973-10-20)
The skating teams race through Transylvania to get to Frankenstein's castle. Auntie Hag of the Broomer Girls casts a thunderstorm spell that causes Bailey's Comets and the Jekyll-Hydes to stumble upon Dr. Dracula's castle where he plans to make both teams act like the other. The clue is found by Bailey's Comets.
8"Philippine Flip-Flop"October 27, 1973 (1973-10-27)
The skating teams are in the Philippines, where Bailey's Comets stumble into a valley where Pudge unknowingly saves a tribe of natives from a giant lizard and the natives want Pudge to deal with a giant gorilla. The Yo Ho-Ho's, the Ramblin' Rivets, and the Hairy Mountain Red Eyes plan to make sure that Bailey's Comets never leave the valley. The clue is found by Bailey's Comets.
9"Space Race"November 3, 1973 (1973-11-03)
10"Slow 'n' Go to Tokyo"November 10, 1973 (1973-11-10)
11"Loch Ness Mess"November 17, 1973 (1973-11-17)
The skating teams are in Scotland, where the clue is in the Loch which ends up getting the Loch Ness Monster involved and Bailey's Comets is ordered by a police officer to get it back to Loch Ness in two hours or they will go to jail. The Texas Black Hats, the Jekyll-Hydes, and the Ramblin' Rivets plan to take advantage of this by planning to keep the Loch Ness Monster from going back into Loch Ness. Although Bailey's Comets find the clue, the rest of the skating teams manage to see it from a distance.
12"Deep Blue Clue"November 24, 1973 (1973-11-24)
13"South American Slip-Up"December 1, 1973 (1973-12-01)
14"Gold Fever Goof-Up"December 8, 1973 (1973-12-08)
The skating teams are in Mexico, heading to the Mayan ruins to find the next clue. Auntie Hag of the Broomer Girls casts a gold fever spell on Pudge that causes him to get mixed up with some prospectors. The clue is found by Bailey's Comets.
15"A Kooky Clue and a Mummy, Too"December 15, 1973 (1973-12-15)
16"Kenya Catch That Clue"December 22, 1973 (1973-12-22)
17"An Abominable Clue"December 29, 1973 (1973-12-29)
18"Madagascar Mix-Up"January 5, 1974 (1974-01-05)
19"Bear Blunder Down Under"January 12, 1974 (1974-01-12)
20"Trans-Turkey Foul-Up"January 19, 1974 (1974-01-19)
The skating teams race through Turkey to the Istanbul Museum. Bailey's Comets encounter Bad Luck Ali Booboo and bring him along in a plan to change his bad luck streak. During the race, Ali Booboo's bad luck causes problems for Bailey's Comets and the other skating teams. The clue is found by Bailey's Comets.
21"Amazon Jungle Bungle"January 26, 1974 (1974-01-26)
The skating teams are in the jungles of Brazil, where they are racing towards Sugarloaf Mountain. When Wheelie falls into the Amazon River following the Jekyll-Hydes shrinking the bridge, he is saved by an Amazon Jungle Woman named Magogo, who does not want Wheelie to go. Things get worse when Magogo's old boyfriend Bruto shows up to dispose of Wheelie. The clue is found by the Rockin' Rollers.
22"Swiss Swap Switch"February 2, 1974 (1974-02-02)
23"Hawaii Five Uh-Oh"February 9, 1974 (1974-02-09)
24"Heidelberg Robot Hang-Up"February 16, 1974 (1974-02-16)
25"Netherlands Bubble Trouble"February 23, 1974 (1974-02-23)
26"Too Strong for Hong Kong"March 2, 1974 (1974-03-02)
27"A Doggone Danish Clue"March 9, 1974 (1974-03-09)
28"Hungarian Cluelosh"March 16, 1974 (1974-03-16)
29"Gobi Desert Goof-Up"March 23, 1974 (1974-03-23)
30"Sargasso Sea You Later"March 30, 1974 (1974-03-30)
31"Fast Lap in Lapland"April 6, 1974 (1974-04-06)
32"What's Buzzin', Canadian Cousin?"April 13, 1974 (1974-04-13)

Production credits

Related Research Articles

The Skatebirds is an American live-action/animated package program produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on CBS from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blue Racer</span> Series of theatrical cartoons

The Blue Racer is a series of 17 theatrical cartoons produced from 1972 to 1974 created by Friz Freleng and David H. DePatie. The character's first cartoon, Snake in the Gracias, was released theatrically on January 24, 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Messick</span> American voice actor (1926–1997)

Donald Earle Messick was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Welker</span> American voice actor (born 1946)

Franklin Wendell Welker is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2023, making him one of the most prolific voice actors in history. With his films earning a total worldwide box-office gross of $17.4 billion, he is also the third-highest-grossing actor as of 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dogfather</span> Fictional character

The Dogfather is an American series of 17 cartoons produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and distributed by United Artists between 1974 and 1976. It is the final theatrical cartoon series made by DePatie–Freleng.

<i>Pink Panther and Sons</i> American TV series or program

Pink Panther and Sons is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng. The series was originally broadcast on NBC from 1984 to 1985 and moved to ABC in 1986. Friz Freleng served as creative producer for the series as his and David H. DePatie's production company, DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, existed as an in-name-only enterprise by this time, as its operations were absorbed by Marvel Productions in 1981. The show is based on the Pink Panther, a character created in 1963.

Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated short films. The characters featured in these cartoons, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, are among the most famous and recognizable characters in the world. Many of the creative staff members at the studio, including directors and animators such as Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson, Tex Avery, Robert Clampett, Arthur Davis, and Frank Tashlin, are considered major figures in the art and history of traditional animation.

The Super 6 is an animated cartoon series which was produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Mirisch-Rich Television Productions in 1966, and shown on the NBC television network from 1966 to 1969. This was DePatie–Freleng's first vehicle for Saturday morning. Only one season of the show was produced, but NBC ran the series for three years in the same timeslot.

<i>Galaxy Goof-Ups</i> American TV series or program

Galaxy Goof-Ups is a 30-minute American animated television series, a spin-off of Yogi's Space Race and the fourth incarnation of the Yogi Bear franchise. The show was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 9, 1978, to September 1, 1979.

Crazylegs Crane is a 16-episode made-for-television cartoon series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises in 1978 for The All New Pink Panther Show on ABC.

The New Shmoo is an American animated television series based on the character from the Li'l Abner comic strip created by Al Capp, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1979 to November 15, 1980.

The Houndcats is an American Saturday morning cartoon series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. The series was broadcast by NBC from September 9 to December 2, 1972, with reruns continuing until September 1, 1973. Thirteen episodes were produced.

Doctor Dolittle is a 1970–1971 Saturday morning animated series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The series is loosely based on the books by Hugh Lofting, as well as the 1967 film of the same title which center around Doctor Dolittle, an animal doctor who has the ability to talk to animals.

The Barkleys is an American animated television series that aired in 1972 on NBC and was produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.

The Wild Chase is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt. The short was released on February 27, 1965, and stars Speedy Gonzales, Sylvester and Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. This cartoon was the only Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoon to be directed by Freleng or Pratt, who specialized in Speedy and Sylvester cartoons. It is also noted as a crossover between the Sylvester/Speedy and Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoons.

<i>The Oddball Couple</i> American TV series or program

The Oddball Couple is an animated half-hour Saturday morning show that ran on the ABC TV network from September 6 to December 20, 1975. The show was a production of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with Paramount Television, and was distributed by CBS Television Distribution. It is an adaptation of the TV series The Odd Couple, which had ended its run that year, after five seasons on ABC.

<i>CB Bears</i> American TV series or program

CB Bears is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which aired on NBC from September 10 to December 3, 1977.

Trollkins is a 1981 animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired for one season on CBS. Essentially a cross between The Smurfs and The Dukes of Hazzard, it followed the misadventures of trolls Blitz, Pixlee, and Flooky.

Cats and Bruises is a 1965 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt. The short was released on January 30, 1965, and stars Speedy Gonzales and Sylvester.

What's New, Mr. Magoo? is an American animated television series which aired on Saturday mornings from September 10 to December 24, 1977, on CBS. It was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and United Productions of America. The series has the voices of Jim Backus, Bob Ogle, Casey Kasem, Hal Smith and Frank Welker.

References

  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). "Bailey's Comets". The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 58–59. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Woolery, George W. (1983). "Bailey's Comets". Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. p. 31. ISBN   0-8108-1557-5 . Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. Erickson, Hal (2005). "Bailey's Comets". Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 109. ISBN   978-1476665993.