Bailey's Comets

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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. Like some Depatie-Freleng Enterprises shows like The Houndcats , The Pink Panther , and The Barkleys , this show contained an adult laugh track. [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 release 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

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 March 14, 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.