Dinky Di's

Last updated

Dinky Di's
Also known asThe Dinky-Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier
Genre Action-adventure
Edutainment
Created byMelvyn Edward Bradford
Written byMelvyn Edward Bradford
Neil Booth
Terry Burstall
Leonard Lee
Peter Merrill
Wayne Moore
Mike Heffernan
Willie Mombassa [1]
Voices of Gennie Nevinson
Ric Melbourne
Lee Perry
Grahame Matters
Tony Bellette
Theme music composerMatthew Sloggett
Opening theme"Friends on Freedom's Frontier" performed by Melvyn Edward Bradford and Bob LaCastra
Composers Pat Aulton
Garry McDonald
Laurie Stone
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producerHugh Cornish
ProducerMelvyn Edward Bradford
EditorsCarlos Alperin
Bob Bladsall
Running time26 minutes
Production companiesPacific Rim Animation
Motion Picture Management Studios Australia
Original release
Network Nine Network
Release6 December 1997 (1997-12-06) –
29 May 1998 (1998-05-29)

Dinky-Di's, also known as The Dinky-Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier, is an Australian animated television series that aired on the Nine Network Australia from 6 December 1997 to 29 May 1998. It was created by Melvyn Edward Bradford, produced by Roo Films Brisbane and animated by Pacific Rim Animation. [2] The show taught children about the dangers of having carelessness for the planet and also for animals and plants that live on the earth. A common phrase from the theme song used by fans and the creator of the show was "We show no fear, we show no pain!"

Contents

Premise

The Dinky Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier follows a group of anthropomorphic animals who go around the world saving rare and endangered animals and plants, while educating the audience on the importance of environmental preservation. Led by Aussie Roo (a Kangaroo) and Cass Koala (a Koala), this group consists of animals from all over the world who have many different specialties that serve to the Dinky-Di team, and are well organized with a command centre, computer network, and high-tech amphibious vehicles.

The group of rescuers fight against Mephisto, a shadowy eco-terrorist with glowing red eyes who uses a gang of maligned beasts to do his dirty work: Rancid Rodent (a Rat), Hugo Hyena (a Hyena), Ganny Goanna (an Iguana), Serpent Sam (a Dragon), and others. Mephisto's true identity, however, is a true mystery to the Dinky-Di's, and one which, when solved, will be a major step towards slowing damage to the planet. [3]

Voice cast

Episodes

Out of the 26-episode series, only two full episodes in English have survived, "Baron of Babel" and "Funga Wunda", [6] [7] [8] while the other only full episodes that are known, "Lost, One Dinky-Di", "The Compututor", "Duke of Deceit", "Sea Beneath the Sea, Beneath the Sea", "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow", "Journey to Pedra Blanca", "Java Lava", "Tapir Caper" and "Mirage Master", are in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish and Russian, respectively. However, half of the first episode and about seven minutes of "The Bilby Tale" also exist in English, and "Good Wood" partially exists in Russian. At some point on the Kooltube1 website (the website that Mel Bradford had), the episodes "The Bilby Tale", "Straits of Sorrow", "The Howling Crystal" and "Mirage Master" were available to watch. Though the Kooltube1 website is no longer around, there are a few archives still without any new content except images and copyright information. [7] [9]

The following episode list has mostly been translated from Polish, however, so it is known that these following episodes are the names for the English version of the show.

Episode list
Episode number#Episode nameWritten byOriginal air dateEpisode status
01"Lost, One Dinky-Di"Mel Bradford6 December 1997Found in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese and Polish dubs/Partially Lost
02"The Compututor"Neil Booth13 December 1997Found in Brazilian Portuguese dub
03"The Mystery of the Land of Olgas"20 December 1997Lost
04"The Bilby Tale"Mel Bradford27 December 1997Partially Found
05"Bat Chat"3 January 1998Lost
06"Good Wood"Neil Booth10 January 1998Partially found in Russian dub
07"Duke of Deceit"Neil Booth17 January 1998Found in Russian dub
08Currently unknown24 January 1998Lost
09Currently unknown31 January 1998Lost
10"The Dolphin Dare"7 February 1998Lost
11"The Crustaceans"14 February 1998Lost
12"Baron of Babel"Neil Booth21 February 1998Found
13"Snail's Pace"28 February 1998Lost
14"Losers Have No Choice"6 March 1998Lost
15"In Defense of Forest Chanterelles"13 March 1998Lost
16"Return of Yak"20 March 1998Lost
17"Cranes to the Rescue"27 March 1998Lost
18"Black Chamber"3 April 1998Lost
19"Sea Beneath the Sea, Beneath the Sea"Neil Booth10 April 1998Found in Russian dub
20"Funga Wunda"Neil Booth17 April 1998Found
21"Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow"Wayne Moore and Terry Burstall24 April 1998Found in Russian dub
22"Journey to Pedra Blanca"Neil Booth1 May 1998Found in Russian dub
23"Java Lava"Wayne Moore and Terry Burstall8 May 1998Found in Russian dub
24"Tapir Caper"Wayne Moore and Terry Burstall15 May 1998Found in Russian dub
25"Mirage Master"Mike Heffernan22 May 1998Found in Russian dub
26"Small Hippo, Big Bust"29 May 1998Lost

There is uncertainty of where the episodes "Straits of Sorrow" and "The Howling Crystal" go on the list of episodes.

Other names for the show

When it aired in Poland, the series' title was Grupa specjalna Eko. [19] In Italy, the show was known as Parola d'ordine: arriviamo! [20] The show is also known to have aired in the Arab world, Brazil, Korea, Malaysia, [10] [13] [14] [11] [21] [12] [15] [17] [16] [18] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] New Zealand, [28] Portugal and Russia.

Production

The series was created by Melvyn Edward Bradford, produced by Roo Films Brisbane from December 1989 to 1993, and distributed by Motion Picture Management Studios Australia. Originally scheduled to be completed by 1992, it experienced a series of lawsuits and legal battles during production and was delayed, before eventually airing in New Zealand in 1992, Malaysia in 1994-1998, Italy in 1995, and Australia in 1997-1998. [29] [30] [31] [28] [10] [13] [14] [11] [21] [12] [15] [17] [16] [18] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [20] [32] The series was animated by Pacific Rim Animation. The theme song, "Friends on Freedom's Frontier", and the episodes' songs, such as "Cross The Line (Start, Don't Stop)" and "Don't Look Back", were composed and produced by Matthew Sloggett, with lyrics by Bradford and Bob LaCastra, while the soundtrack was composed by Garry McDonald and Laurie Stone and mixed at Grevillea Studios. The voices were recorded at Sunshine Studios, provided by Gennie Nevinson, Ric Melbourne, Lee Perry, Grahame Matters, and Tony Bellette. [32] [4] [5]

A 93-minute direct-to-video compilation film titled Mephisto's Web was commissioned in the first half of 1993 and completed in February-March 1994, but was never released, with the accounting firm, Krampel Newman & Partners Pty Ltd, cheating Bradford out of his money. [32]

Revival attempts

In the late 2000s, four revivals of the series were attempted; a series of animated shorts named The Dinky-Di's 2, a graphic novel, a stop motion pilot and an animated sequel. The Dinky-Di's 2 was a continuation of the original series, where the Dinky-Di's were to face a new villain, Maraudo, and his holographic alien henchmen. The series would have also had a robot named DDRobo, who would do some very amazing things in the Dinky-Dis' High-Tech Control Room. [7]

Bradford was planning on giving the series a DVD release, but died of a cerebral aneurysm caused by coronary artery disease at his computer desk in the town of Coolangatta near the border of Queensland and New South Wales on 4 November 2010. His service took place in Parkwood, Queensland on 23 November 2010. [33]

Credits list

This link has the list of credits on the episode at the end. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuala Lumpur Tower</span> Telecommunication tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Kuala Lumpur Tower, colloquially referred to as KL Tower, is a 6-storey, 421-metre-tall telecommunication tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the world's seventh-tallest tower. It features an antenna which increases its height to 421 metres. The roof of the pod is at 335 metres. The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners with a panoramic view of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lat (cartoonist)</span> Malaysian cartoonist

Dato' Mohammad Nor bin Mohammad Khalid, more commonly known as Lat, is a Malaysian cartoonist. Winner of the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 2002, Lat has published more than 20 volumes of cartoons since he was 13 years old. His works mostly illustrate Malaysia's social and political scenes, portraying them in a comedic light without bias. Lat's best known work is The Kampung Boy (1979), which has been published in several countries across the world. In 1994, the Sultan of Perak bestowed him the honorific title of datuk, in recognition of the cartoonist's work in helping to promote social harmony and understanding through his cartoons. Lat also works for the government to improve the city's social security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TV3 (Malaysian TV network)</span> Malaysian private television channel

Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad, operating as TV3, is a Malaysian free-to-air television channel owned by Malaysian media conglomerate, Media Prima. TV3 is the third oldest TV station in Malaysia. It was launched on 1 June 1984 as the country's first and oldest private television channel. As of October 2021, TV3 remains to be the most-watched television station in Malaysia with about 17% of its viewing share among other Malaysian television stations, followed by TV9 with 15% of its viewing share, making two of them become the second most-watched television station in the country, despite the declining viewership of 3 free-to-air television channels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Televisyen Malaysia</span> Public broadcaster of Malaysia

Radio Televisyen Malaysia, also known as the Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia is the national public broadcaster of Malaysia, headquartered at Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur. Established on 1 April 1946 as Radio Malaya, it is the first and the oldest broadcaster in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ampang, Kuala Lumpur</span> Place in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ampang, or Ampang Hilir, is a ward and city district, in the eastern part of Kuala Lumpur (KL) in the Titiwangsa constituency. Its area in Kuala Lumpur can be identified as being along the Ampang Road and Ampang Hilir.

The Shapies is an Australian animated children's television series. Produced by Light Knights Productions, it first aired on 6 July 2002, on the Australian Nine Network and, in the United States, on PBS Kids and Animania. The series originally lasted for 26 episodes, with the Series 2 finale airing 30 December 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Kuala Lumpur</span> City Flag

The flag of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was officially adopted on 14 May 1990 to commemorate the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) or Kuala Lumpur City Hall's 100 years as the local authority of Kuala Lumpur. The flag was designed as a variant to Jalur Gemilang, the Flag of Malaysia, incorporating design elements with its own identity as one of the Federal Territories of the nation. The flag is flown annually on the first day of February, commemorating the day when Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory on 1 February 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziana Zain</span> Malaysian singer and actress

Siti Roziana binti Zain is a Malaysian pop singer and actress. Her music career began in the early '90s with her signature single, "Madah Berhelah" followed by hits like "Terlerai Kasih", "Setia Ku Di Sini" and "Puncak Kasih". In 1995, she was crowned Voice of Asia in Kazakhstan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 in Malaysia</span>

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1997, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 in Malaysia</span>

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1994, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angkasapuri</span> Malaysian federal building

Angkasapuri is the main governmental building for Malaysia's Ministry of Information and it is also the headquarters for Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) located in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Embassy is an Australian television series originally broadcast by ABC Television from 1990 to 1992. Three series were produced with a total of 39 episodes. The program is set in the Australian embassy of a fictional South-East Asian country called Ragaan, located half-way up the Malay Peninsula, somewhere between Thailand and Malaysia. It features stories about Australian ambassadors and their staff.

Adibah Noor Mohamed Omar was a Malaysian singer, actress and master of ceremonies. She made her start in the entertainment industry in 1995 and had gone on to star in films such as Sepet and Gubra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chacko Vadaketh</span>

Chacko Vadaketh is a Malaysian actor, emcee and voice over artist, formerly a litigation lawyer who is part of the Malayali/Keralan Syrian Christian community. He is based in Kuala Lumpur and Los Angeles.

<i>The Kampung Boy</i> Autobiographical graphic novel by Lat

The Kampung Boy, also known as Lat, the Kampung Boy or simply Kampung Boy, is a graphic novel by Lat about a young boy's experience growing up in rural Perak in the 1950s. The book is an autobiographical account of the artist's life, telling of his adventures in the jungles and tin mines, his circumcision, family, and school life. It is also the basis for the eponymous animated series broadcast in 1999 and a musical theatre staging in 2011. First published in 1979 by Berita Publishing, The Kampung Boy was a commercial and critical success; its first printing was sold out within four months of its release. Narrated in English with a smattering of Malay, the work has been translated into other languages, such as Japanese and French, and sold abroad.

<i>Wowser</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Wowser, known in Japan as Bigger and Better: Dommel & Ron, is an anime based on the Belgian comic strip Cubitus. It is the first TV anime to be produced by anime studio J.C. Staff. Telescreen Japan co-animated the series alongside J.C. Staff. It consisted of 52 two-part episodes the running time of 25 minutes in total, and it originally aired from 5 April 1988 to 27 March 1989. The show aired in the United States on The Family Channel in 1989.

Khadijah Hashim is a Malaysian writer, teacher and journalist. She has worked as a teacher and also as a journalist with local newspapers Utusan Melayu (1974–1976) and Berita Harian (1976–1985). She is better known as a novelist, and has produced 19 novels. She also expanded her creativity in the field of short stories, radio drama scripts, children's books, rhymes and poetry. The children's rhyme book "Sayang Sayang" has been selected to be on Honour List of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in Basel, Switzerland (2002) and "Semerbak Poetry" in Macau, China (2006). Khadijah continues her interests in writing rhymes, which led to her latest creation of "Putera-puteri Malaysia".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Nevinson</span> British actress (1918–2012)

Nancy Nevinson was a British actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombia–Malaysia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Colombia–Malaysia relations refers to bilateral relations between Colombia and Malaysia. Colombia maintains an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, while the embassy of Malaysia in Lima, Peru is accredited to Colombia. Both countries are members of the Group of 77, Non-Aligned Movement and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.

References

  1. ↑ Mombassa, Willie (2008). Far East, La!: A Far Eastern Journal of Personal Growths and Other Skin Conditions. Trafford. ISBN   9781412062275 . Retrieved 17 June 2024. Years later, I wrote a script for an Australian eco-warriors animated series called "The Dinky-Di's," (shown everywhere but Australia!) in which a particular critical environmental conservation issue would be the premise on which a bunch of good animals (a Kangaroo, Koala, etc.) would battle evil, bad animals (Jackals, Hyenas, etc.). Naturally good would triumph. Anyway, for my script I chose the plight of the South American Spider Monkey. That's it really, not much more to the story than that, just another symptom of monkey madness I'd caught somewhere in my Dreaming.
  2. ↑ "The Dinky-Di's". Screen Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Andrew Trimmer Portfolio" . Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Voice Actor". Gennie Nevinson. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Tony Bellette". BrisVO. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "Baron of Babel Episode". YouTube. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "KoolTube1". Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "The Dinky Di's Friends On Freedom's Frontier - 'Funga Wunda'". YouTube. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  9. ↑ "KoolTube1". Archived from the original on 28 February 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (8 January 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 12.
  11. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (20 February 1994). "WEEKLY PLANNER". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 12.
  12. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (10 March 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 13.
  13. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (22 January 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 13.
  14. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (23 January 1994). "WEEKLY PLANNER". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 19.
  15. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (17 March 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 13.
  16. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (21 April 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 13.
  17. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (26 March 1994). "WEEKLY PLANNER". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 59.
  18. 1 2 3 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (11 May 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 14.
  19. ↑ "Glos Pomorza – TV RTL 7 – program telewizyjny z 12 listopada 2001". Bałtycka Biblioteka Cyfrowa. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  20. 1 2 "Parola d'ordine: arriviamo!". AntonioGenna.net. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  21. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (3 March 1994). "TV/RADIO". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 23.
  22. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (18 May 1994). "WEEKLY PLANNER". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 20.
  23. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (25 May 1994). "Nuclear sub sinks after collision with freighter". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 20.
  24. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (8 April 1997). "TV GUIDE". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 24.
  25. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (29 April 1997). "TV GUIDE". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 22.
  26. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (11 May 1997). "WEEKLY PLANNER". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 20.
  27. 1 2 Editorial Staff, New Straits Times (11 October 1998). "WEEKLY PLANNER". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. p. 19.
  28. 1 2 "The Dinky Di's Next On 2 Promo 1992". YouTube. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  29. ↑ "Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office". U.S. Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office . 11 February 1991. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  30. ↑ "Motion Picture Management Limited v Bradford [1993] QSC 87". Supreme Court of Queensland . 5 April 1993.
  31. ↑ "Motion Picture Management Limited v Bradford [1993] QSC 87" (PDF). Supreme Court of Queensland . 6 April 1993.
  32. 1 2 3 "Krampel Newman Partners Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2003] FCA 123". Federal Court of Australia . 2003.
  33. ↑ "The Dinky Di's Theme Song with Lyrics". YouTube. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2024. Alilb Ani: The last moments of Mel Edward Bradford's life. Mel had been trying to find peace within himself, despite being an agnostic. He would often sit at a local church and ponder the existence of God. Mel was my dear friend and neighbour. He asked me that I be with him to sit at the top of Razorback Lookout. As we sat there overlooking the valley, he was in a sorrowful mood, a glistening tear running from his eye, and he said, "All that I ask for; continue my legacy." He feared all that he had and all that he was will one day be discarded like rubbish, his memory and his achievements forever lost. The evening before Mel died we were discussing many things, some of which were the characters of The Dinky Di's 2 and others were deep profound discussions of God. Part of Mel's last email to me that evening was, "The thing that I have noticed with God and being on or offside with him is sometimes we are being offside with ourselves more so." On 4 November 2010, Mel died suddenly of an aneurysm at his computer desk in a humble unit in the town of Coolangatta near the boarder of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. The post-mortem examination took some weeks to reveal an aneurysm. Though my memory escapes me tortured by the last vision I had, the impression was of a cerebral (brain) aneurysm from the officials. Mel did indeed suffer heart problems. I can not recall with certainty if the aneurysm may have in fact been coronary-related. I was quite traumatised by the event at the time, and only now I've felt strong enough to revisit. His service took place in Parkwood, Queensland on 23 November 2010. Most of his possessions, including his works of The Dinky Di's, were thrown out in the rubbish just as he had feared they would be treated. I jumped in the dumpster after them and I salvaged what I could, including an old reel that perhaps Mel never got around to converting, and if so may hold the key to lost episodes.
  34. ↑ "Polish Dub/Credits". Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023– via YouTube.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.