Garfield in the Rough

Last updated
Garfield in the Rough
Garfieldintheroughtitle.PNG
Title card
Created by Jim Davis
Written by Jim Davis
Directed by Phil Roman
Starring Lorenzo Music
Thom Huge
Gregg Berger
George Wendt
Desirée Goyette
Hal Smith
Orson Bean
Composers Ed Bogas and Desirée Goyette
Desirée Goyette, Lou Rawls, Lorenzo Music and Thom Huge (vocals)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerJay Poynor
Producer Phil Roman
EditorSam Horta
Running time24 minutes
Production companies Film Roman
United Media Productions
Original release
Network CBS (United States)
CITV (United Kingdom)
ReleaseOctober 26, 1984 (1984-10-26)
Related

Garfield in the Rough is a 1984 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast October 26, 1984 on CBS. [1] It has been released on VHS, LaserDisc and DVD home video.

Contents

This is the third of twelve Garfield television specials made between 1982 and 1991. In this special, Garfield, Jon and Odie go camping. [2] It is the first Garfield special not to feature the involvement of Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez.

Storyline

Garfield is living in a boring, black and white world, claiming that all the color has gone out of his life (which explains the subtitle at the beginning: "Please do not adjust your sets; all the color has temporarily gone out of Garfield's life"). Jon agrees that all the color has gone and suggests a vacation as a remedy. The color suddenly comes back into Garfield's life. He is excited that Jon wants to take him and Odie on vacation, where he imagines himself in places such as Acapulco, Hawaii and Venice. After realizing that each destination has its drawbacks, Garfield concludes it doesn't really matter where they're actually going for their vacation, since in any case they won't be staying home. This joy is short-lived once Jon announces that they're going camping, but Jon forces Garfield to come along anyway.

After a long, exhausting journey (from Garfield's point of view), the trio arrives at the campgrounds to check in, while Garfield immediately takes a disliking to one of the camp rangers for insulting him. After a few shenanigans at their campsite, including placing a live fish in the coffee pot, Jon finally has his new "super deluxe" tent set up, although the result doesn't really match the advertisement --- "Somehow it looked larger in the ad," Jon glumly muses. Unlike Jon, who is very enthusiastic about it, Garfield doesn't take to the outdoors, stating that "it would be greater if it were inside". As night falls, the trio listen to a music program on the radio, which is interrupted by a news bulletin about a deadly panther that has escaped from the local zoo earlier that morning and has been reported in the Lake Woebegone area. Right after this news on the radio, the announcer says: "We now return to our regular broadcast of fun music." (It then plays "So Long Old Friend" from the first Garfield TV special.) Believing the news, Garfield is terrified and wants to leave, but Jon assures him that Lake Woebegone is miles from their location and that they're perfectly safe. Following the announcement, Jon sings an old campfire song that his mother used to sing called "Camping is my Life" (while Garfield and Odie endure his banjo playing) before the trio goes to bed. After they enter into their tent, the panther comes out from a vantage point on the nearby hilltops and growls as it eyes their campsite.

The next day, Odie wakes Jon up at the crack of dawn by licking his feet. This sends Jon rolling down the hill into the lake while still in his tent with Garfield in tow. At Garfield's suggestion that he "go and play with something poisonous", Odie runs into the nearby woods, passing a sign that reveals it to be Lake Woebegone, where the panther is lurking. The forest rangers are hunting for the panther and attempt to warn Jon to evacuate, but after finding no one there, leave a note and move on. Unfortunately, a gust of wind kicks up after they leave, tossing the message into a recently extinguished campfire, where it burns up. To make matters worse, Jon discovers that Garfield and Odie have eaten all of the food for the week, except for the dried fruit, and so he goes off on a tirade. Meanwhile, Garfield sneaks off into the woods to "wait for the heat to die down". While there, he starts to appreciate the beauty of nature, until he meets two forest animals named Dicky the Beaver and Billy the Bunny who warn Garfield about the escaped panther, reporting that it has already attacked other forest animals. Odie appears, after scaring all but Garfield away by accident, and the two eavesdrop on the two rangers passing by with a tranquilizer gun, hoping to capture the panther. Garfield and Odie decide that now is the time to collect Jon and leave before they are possibly attacked by the beast, and the two run all the way back to the campsite.

Upon their return, Garfield tries to warn Jon of the danger, but Jon doesn't seem to understand the warning, insisting that they have dried fruit and refuses to move. Garfield tries desperately to convince Odie to board the car, warning Odie that they will be dead if they don't leave right away. However, the full moon comes into view and shines down on the camp, revealing that the panther has now entered their campsite and is approaching the trio as they look on in horror. Garfield runs up a tree while Jon and Odie hide in the tent, followed by Jon's car as the panther tears the tent to shreds and then manages to break into the vehicle by smashing through a window. Frightened, but not willing to watch his family die, Garfield leaps from the tree and takes on the panther, clawing at its back, only to be wrestled off. Garfield recovers as the now-enraged panther begins to menacingly creep towards him and lunges at him in an attempt to kill him, until the park rangers enter the campsite and subdue the beast with a tranquilizer dart. Jon praises Garfield for his heroic actions and the rangers come by and tell Jon that they were lucky that they arrived when they did, otherwise they might have been killed. Jon then decides that they have had enough adventure and recommends they break camp and return to civilization, much to Garfield's relief. The rangers return the panther to the zoo, while Garfield, Jon, and Odie set off for home with Garfield bragging over how he took on the panther, as well as struggling to say, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

Cast

Songs

Awards

Related Research Articles

<i>Garfield</i> Comic strip created by Jim Davis

Garfield is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as Jon in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as Garfield, it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human owner Jon Arbuckle, and Odie the dog. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals and held the Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely syndicated comic strip.

<i>Garfield: The Movie</i> 2004 animated/live-action film by Peter Hewitt

Garfield: The Movie is a 2004 American comedy film based on Jim Davis' comic strip Garfield. Directed by Peter Hewitt and written by Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, it stars Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson and features Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield, who was created with computer-generated imagery.

<i>Garfield and Friends</i> American animated television series with characters from the Garfield and U.S. Acres comic strips

Garfield and Friends is an American animated television series based on the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. The show aired on CBS as part of its Saturday morning children's lineup from September 17, 1988 to December 10, 1994.

Here Comes Garfield is a 1982 animated television special based on the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. It was the first half-hour Garfield TV special. It is directed by Phil Roman and features Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield the house cat, as well as the voices of Sandy Kenyon, Henry Corden and Gregg Berger.

<i>Garfield on the Town</i> 1983 Garfield TV special

Garfield on the Town is a 1983 animated television special, directed by Phil Roman and based on the Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis. It once again starred Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield, and also featured the voices of Thom Huge, Gregg Berger and Julie Payne.

<i>Garfields Halloween Adventure</i> 1985 American TV special

Garfield's Halloween Adventure is a 1985 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It is directed by Phil Roman and written by Garfield creator Jim Davis, and features the voices of Lorenzo Music, Thom Huge, Gregg Berger and C. Lindsay Workman. It originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1985.

<i>Garfield in Paradise</i> American TV series or program

Garfield in Paradise is a 1986 animated television special directed by Phil Roman, based on the Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis. It features Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield the house cat, other regulars Thom Huge and Gregg Berger, and guest star Wolfman Jack. It originally aired on CBS on May 27, 1986.

A Garfield Christmas Special is a 1987 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip, created by Jim Davis. It is directed by Phil Roman and stars Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield the house cat, as well as Thom Huge, Gregg Berger, Julie Payne, Pat Harrington Jr., David L. Lander and Pat Carroll. The special is about Garfield spending Christmas with the Arbuckle family on their farm, and discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

<i>Garfield Goes Hollywood</i> 1987 Garfield TV special

Garfield Goes Hollywood is a 1987 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast May 8, 1987 on CBS and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 39th Primetime Emmy Awards. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.

<i>Garfield: His 9 Lives</i> 1984 book of illustrated short stories

Garfield: His 9 Lives is a 1984 book of illustrated short stories that showcase the "nine lives" of Jim Davis' comic strip character Garfield. The book is divided into ten segments; the first one displays the creation of cats in general, where the latter nine reveal events in Garfield's nine lives. Each of the nine stories has a short preface of Garfield in his modern incarnation, and explains how these various lives shaped aspects of Garfield's personality, such as the origin of his fear of the veterinarian, his love of grinny behavior, his proclivity for a slothful lifestyle, and his extremely playful side. The book was later adapted into an animated television special in 1988, and a comic book by BOOM Studios from 2014 to 2015.

<i>Garfield Gets a Life</i> 1991 Garfield TV special

Garfield Gets a Life is a 1991 animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip written by Jim Davis. It features Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast May 8, 1991 on CBS. It was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards. It was the final in the series of twelve Garfield television specials, in spite of the success of Garfield and Friends as CBS cancelled new animated specials in 1990. It is the only CBS Garfield special directed by John Sparey instead of Phil Roman, although the latter served as producer.

<i>Garfields Thanksgiving</i> 1989 Garfield TV special

Garfield's Thanksgiving is a 1989 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast November 22, 1989 on CBS and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards. The events of the special take place during the second season of Garfield and Friends. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video. On overseas DVD copies of Garfield's Holiday Celebrations, this special is replaced with Garfield in the Rough.

<i>Garfields Babes and Bullets</i> 1989 American TV special

Garfield's Babes and Bullets is a 1989 animated television special directed by Phil Roman, based on a short story of the same name by Ron Tuthill in the book Garfield: His 9 Lives. It features Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield, the house cat, re-imagined as a private detective named Sam Spayed attempting to solve a murder mystery.

<i>Garfields Feline Fantasies</i> 1990 American TV special

Garfield's Feline Fantasies is a 1990 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip and is produced by Film Roman, United Media/Mendelson, and Paws, Inc. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The animated short was first broadcast on May 18, 1990 on CBS and September 10, 1991 on CITV and was nominated for Outstanding Animated Program at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards. The events of the special take place between the second and third seasons of Garfield and Friends. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.

Desirée Goyette-Bogas is an American singer, composer, lyricist and voice-over artist. She has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and has voiced such characters as Betty Boop, Barbie, Nermal, Petunia Pig, Honey Bunny and numerous others for radio, television and toys.

<i>Garfield Gets Real</i> 2007 American film

Garfield Gets Real is a 2007 American direct-to-video animated comedy film based on the comic strip Garfield. It was produced by Paws, Inc. in cooperation with Davis Entertainment, and The Animation Picture Company and distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. It was written by Garfield's creator Jim Davis, who started working on the script in the autumn of 1996. This was the first fully animated Garfield production since the 1991 television special Garfield Gets a Life, and the season finale of Garfield and Friends. The DVD was shipped to stores on August 9, 2007. Gregg Berger, an actor from the original series, reprises his role of Odie, but Garfield was voiced by veteran voice actor Frank Welker, since the original actor Lorenzo Music died six years earlier in 2001 and Jon is voiced by Wally Wingert, as Thom Huge retired that same year. The film received unfavorable reviews.

Happy Birthday, Garfield is an hour-long television special dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Garfield comic strip, hosted by its creator Jim Davis. It uses both live-action and animation.

<i>Garfields Pet Force</i> 2009 animated film directed by Mark A.Z. Dippé

Garfield's Pet Force is a 2009 animated superhero comedy film based on characters from the Jim Davis comic strip Garfield and loosely based on the Pet Force novel series. It is the third and final installment of the trilogy, following Garfield Gets Real and Garfield's Fun Fest. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the United States on June 16, 2009, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, while it was pre-sold overseas by sales representative Velvet Octopus. It was written by Garfield creator Jim Davis. It was released theatrically in 3-D in select countries such as Poland, Italy and Spain, and became the most profitable film in the trilogy. It is the last Garfield film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, ten years prior to Nickelodeon's acquisition of Paws, Inc. in August 2019, as well as the upcoming animated Garfield film which will be distributed by Sony Pictures and produced by Alcon Entertainment, and was set to be released in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Arbuckle</span> Character from the Garfield comic strip

Jonathan Q. Arbuckle is a fictional character from the Garfield comic strip by Jim Davis. He also appears in the animated television series Garfield and Friends and The Garfield Show, two live-action/CGI feature films, and three fully CGI films.

References

  1. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 169–170. ISBN   0-8108-2198-2 . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2013). Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936-2012 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 161. ISBN   9780786474448.
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.