The Pink Panther (TV series)

The Pink Panther (also known as The New Pink Panther Show) is an American animated television series based on the original theatrical cartoons of the same name produced by MGM Animation in association with Mirisch-Geoffrey DePatie-Freleng and United Artists, and distributed through Claster Television (TV distribution) and Camelot Entertainment Sales (barter services).

The Pink Panther
Also known as	The New Pink Panther Show
Genre	Comedy Fantasy
Based on	The Pink Panther by Friz Freleng David H. DePatie
Directed by	Charles Grosvenor Byron Vaughns
Starring	Matt Frewer as The Pink Panther
Voices of	Sheryl Bernstein John Byner Dan Castellaneta Jim Cummings Brian George Jess Harnell Joe Piscopo Hal Rayle Charles Nelson Reilly Wallace Shawn Kath Soucie Jo Anne Worley Kenneth Mars
Theme music composer	Henry Mancini (arranged by Eddie Arkin)
Composers	Eddie Arkin Albert Olson James Stemple Mark Watters
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	60 (121 segments)
Production
Executive producers	Walter Mirisch Marvin Mirisch Paul Sabella Mark Young Jonathan Dern (season 2) Kelly Ward (season 2)
Producers	Charles Grosvenor Byron Vaughns
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	Mirisch-Geoffrey DePatie-Freleng United Artists Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation
Original release
Network	Syndication
Release	September 13, 1993 (1993-09-13) – April 12, 1995 (1995-04-12)
Related
Pink Panther and Sons Pink Panther and Pals

The series centers on the Pink Panther and his co-stars from the original cartoon shorts in a series of brand-new stories. Unlike other animated series in the franchise, this is the only series where he and the Little Man speak numerous lines; prior to this series, the Panther had only briefly spoken in two cartoons in the 1960s.

The Pink Panther was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1994 for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.

Premise

The Pink Panther stars the Pink Panther in a series of adventures in which he deals with different situations in a manner similar to the original Looney Tunes shorts, ranging from modern-day situations such as working as a delivery boy to outlandish situations like living in caveman days. Unlike previous television series and almost the entire theatrical run, the series was produced with the Panther capable of speaking throughout the episodes, to allow more interaction with other characters. Voiced by Matt Frewer, he was given a humorous American accent in order to appeal to younger children, which was in sharp contrast to the sophisticated British accent supplied by impressionist Rich Little who voiced the Panther briefly in two 1965 cartoon shorts, Sink Pink and Pink Ice.

Alongside the Pink Panther, a number of his co-stars from the original theatrical shorts appear in the series, including: The Inspector, who the Panther assists in the guise of an American police officer; The Ant and the Aardvark, with John Byner reprising the role of both characters; The Dogfather and his henchdogs Pugg and Louie, who were redesigned for this series; The Muscle Man from the 1968 cartoon Come On In! The Water's Pink; The Witch from the 1969 cartoon Pink-A-Rella; and "The Little Man", who like the Panther, was also designed to speak in the series, with Wallace Shawn providing his voice. The series also featured new characters, including a mask-wearing tribal witch doctor named Voodoo Man, a little red-headed girl named Thelma, and a sweet old lady named Mrs. Chubalingo and her pet parrot Jules.

Cast

• Matt Frewer as the Pink Panther, the Whistler (ep. 5), News Anchor (ep. 59)
• Sheryl Bernstein as Eskimo Mayor
• John Byner as Charlie Ant, Blue Aardvark
• Dan Castellaneta as Voodoo Man, Muck Luck, Chef Sumo (ep. 17), Fish World Ticket Man (ep. 31), Weasel, Snake (ep. 16), Babe the Bull (ep. 33)
• Jim Cummings as Rolo (ep. 31), Dogfather (in "It's Just a Gypsy in My Soup")
• Brian George as Pugg
• Jess Harnell as Louie, Muscle Man, Pecks (ep. 59)
• Joe Piscopo as Dogfather
• Hal Rayle as The Inspector
• Charles Nelson Reilly as Jules Parrot
• Wallace Shawn as The Little Man
• Kath Soucie as Thelma, Cleopatra (ep. 3)
• Jo Anne Worley as Mrs. Chubalingo

Additional cast

• Ruth Buzzi as Witch
• Hamilton Camp as Rupert (ep. 31)
• Jodi Carlisle
• Nancy Cartwright
• Cathy Cavadini as Thelma (ep. 2)
• Rickey D'Shon Collins as Lester (ep. 5)
• Troy Davidson
• Eddie Deezen as Robot (ep. 50)
• Mick Garris
• Phillip Glasser
• Keith David as Rhinoceros
• Barry Gordon as Bongo Cereal Founder (ep. 59)
• Paige Gosney
• Gerrit Graham
• Jennifer Hale
• Dana Hill as Alien Kid (ep. 14)
• David Lodge
• Maurice LaMarche as Spartacus (ep. 59)
• Steve MacKall as Johnny Chucklehead
• Danny Mann
• Kenneth Mars as Commissioner
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Erik the Red
• Bradley Pierce as Buddy Bimmel's Son (ep. 59)
• Gwen Shepherd
• Susan Silo
• Jean Smart
• Elmarie Wendel
• Thomas F. Wilson
• Jim Cummings

Production

In 1992, MGM/UA decided to produce new Pink Panther cartoons with a twist that he would be able to speak, hoping to bring new life to the panther. That same year, MGM/UA met with its licensees to explain the changes that were made to the character and arm them with essential artwork needed to spring the panther for the brand-new series. This decision was controversial and unpopular.

Casting

In 1993, Rich Little, who voiced the character in a few scenes of the original cartoons, was approached to reprise his role as the pink feline. However, Little did not recall voicing the character at all and turned down the offer saying giving the panther a voice would ruin the character. Franchise co-creator David DePatie also felt that giving the panther a voice would "compromise the integrity of the character." But once the producers saw Matt Frewer fill in the lines for the panther, they thought it was fantastic and they accepted it.

Episodes

Season 1 (1993)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date
1	1	"Pink, Pink & Away" "Down on the Antfarm"	September 13, 1993 (1993-09-13)
"Down on the Antfarm" features The Ant and the Aardvark
2	2	"Pink and Quiet" "The Pinky 500"	September 17, 1993 (1993-09-17)
3	3	"The Ghost and Mr. Panther" "Cleopanthra"	September 29, 1993 (1993-09-29)
4	4	"Big Top Pinky" "Yeti ’Nother Bigfoot Story"	September 16, 1993 (1993-09-16)
5	5	"Pinky In Paradise" "Department Store Pinkerton"	September 14, 1993 (1993-09-14)
6	6	"Moby Pink" "The Pink Stuff"	September 22, 1993 (1993-09-22)
7	7	"Pink Pizza" "The Pink Painter"	September 15, 1993 (1993-09-15)
8	8	"Werewolf in Panther's Clothing" "Pink Paparazzi"	September 24, 1993 (1993-09-24)
9	9	"Rock Me Pink" "Pinkus Pantherus"	September 23, 1993 (1993-09-23)
10	10	"Pilgrim Panther" "That Old Pink Magic"	September 20, 1993 (1993-09-20)
11	11	"Pink-anderthal Man" "Pink Kong"	September 21, 1993 (1993-09-21)
12	12	"The Magnificent Pink One" "Downhill Panther"	September 27, 1993 (1993-09-27)
13	13	"14 Karat Pink" "Robo-Pink"	September 28, 1993 (1993-09-28)
14	14	"Pink Encounters" "Junkyard Pink Blues"	September 30, 1993 (1993-09-30)
15	15	"Pantherobics" "Pinkenstein"	October 4, 1993 (1993-10-04)
16	16	"Pinky Rider" "Midnight Ride of Pink Revere"	October 7, 1993 (1993-10-07)
17	17	"Pinky...He Delivers" "Super-Pink's Egg-cellent Adventure"	October 17, 1993 (1993-10-17)
18	18	"Cowboy Pinky" "Stealth Panther"	October 6, 1993 (1993-10-06)
19	19	"Pinkazuma's Revenge" "Pinky Down Under"	October 11, 1993 (1993-10-11)
20	20	"Pinkadoon" "A Camp-Pink We Will Go"	October 12, 1993 (1993-10-12)
21	21	"Icy Pink" "The End of Superpink?"	October 14, 1993 (1993-10-14)
22	22	"All for Pink and Pink for All" "Service with a Pink Smile"	October 18, 1993 (1993-10-18)
"All for Pink and Pink for All" features The Ant and the Aardvark
23	23	"Trains, Pains and Panthers" "Wet and Wild Pinky"	October 19, 1993 (1993-10-19)
24	24	"From Hair to Eternity" "Strike Flea, You're Out!"	October 20, 1993 (1993-10-20)
25	25	"Cinderpink" "It's a Bird! It's a Pain! It's Superfan!"	October 25, 1993 (1993-10-25)
26	26	"Who's Smiling Now? (The Inspector)" "Rob'n Hoodwinked"	October 27, 1993 (1993-10-27)
27	27	"Hook, Line and Pinker" "Valentine Pink"	October 29, 1993 (1993-10-29)
28	28	"Dino Sour Head" "The Luck O' the Pinkish"	November 1, 1993 (1993-11-01)
29	29	"The Inspector... NOT! (The Inspector)" "Pink Links"	November 5, 1993 (1993-11-05)
30	30	"Stool Parrot (The Inspector)" "Pinky and Slusho"	November 4, 1993 (1993-11-04)
31	31	"Panthergeist" "Pinky's Pending Pink Slip"	November 8, 1993 (1993-11-08)
32	32	"The Three Pink Porkers" "The Heart of Pinkness"	November 9, 1993 (1993-11-09)
"The Heart of Pinkness" features The Ant and the Aardvark
33	33	"The Inspector's Most Wanted (The Inspector)" "Pinky Appleseed"	November 10, 1993 (1993-11-10)
34	34	"Calling Dr. Panther" "For Those Who Pink Young"	November 15, 1993 (1993-11-15)
35	35	"Lights, Camera, Voodoo" "I'm Dreaming of a Pink Christmas"	November 16, 1993 (1993-11-16)
36	36	"Wiener Takes All" "The Easter Panther"	November 18, 1993 (1993-11-18)
37	37	"The Inspector's Club (The Inspector)" "A Royal Pain"	November 22, 1993 (1993-11-22)
38	38	"Black & White & Pink All Over" "Beach Blanket Pinky"	November 23, 1993 (1993-11-23)
39	39	"Digging for Dollars (The Inspector)" "Pinknocchio"	November 29, 1993 (1993-11-29)
40	40	"Pinky Up the River" "Long John Pinky"	November 30, 1993 (1993-11-30)

Season 2 (1994–95)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date
41	1	"Muff the Magic Dragon" "Pink Thumb"	September 10, 1994 (1994-09-10)
42	2	"Pinky's Dilemma" "Oh, Varkula"	September 17, 1994 (1994-09-17)
"Oh, Varkula" features The Ant and the Aardvark
43	3	"Ice Blue Pink" "Pink Trek"	September 24, 1994 (1994-09-24)
44	4	"The Legend of El Pinko" "Pink Big"	October 1, 1994 (1994-10-01)
45	5	"Eric the Pink" "Pretty and Pink"	October 8, 1994 (1994-10-08)
46	6	"Built for Speed" "The Pooch and The Panther"	October 15, 1994 (1994-10-15)
47	7	"Pinky in Toyland" "The Detective of Oz"	October 22, 1994 (1994-10-22)
48	8	"Royal Canadian Mounted Panther" "Power of Pink"	October 29, 1994 (1994-10-29)
49	9	"Lifestyles of the Pink and Famous" "Happy Trails Pinky"	November 5, 1994 (1994-11-05)
"Happy Trails Pinky" features The Ant and the Aardvark
50	10	"A Hard Day's Pink" "You Only Pink Twice"	November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12)
51	11	"It's Just a Gypsy in My Soup" "Three Aliens and A Footstool"	November 19, 1994 (1994-11-19)
52	12	"Mummy Dearest" "Feast or Famine"	November 26, 1994 (1994-11-26)
53	13	"No Pink is an Island" "Pinky and the Golden Fleece"	December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03)
"No Pink is an Island" features The Ant and the Aardvark
54	14	"Home Stretch Pinky" "Pink Pucks"	December 10, 1994 (1994-12-10)
55	15	"The Reluctant Ninja Pink" "Pantherella"	December 17, 1994 (1994-12-17)
56	16	"Pink's Ark" "Rain or Snow or Pink of Night"	December 24, 1994 (1994-12-24)
57	17	"Pink in the Middle" "Pink in the Poke"	December 31, 1994 (1994-12-31)
"Pink in the Middle" features The Ant and the Aardvark
58	18	"A Nut at the Opera" "The Pink Panther (that's me) presents Hamm-n-Eggz"	January 7, 1995 (1995-01-07)
59	19	"The Pink Panther (that's me) presents Voodoo Man" "The Pink Panther (That's Me) presents 7 Manly Men and the Kid"	January 14, 1995 (1995-01-14)
60	20	"The Pink Panther (that's me) presents The Texas Toads" "Driving Mr. Pink" "The Pink Panther (that's me) presents The Ant and the Aardvark"	April 12, 1995 (1995-04-12)
Driving Mr. Pink was shown for the U.S. theatrical release of The Pebble and the Penguin, and the final Pink Panther theatrical short to be reissued into the television short.

Home media

On February 21, 2006, MGM Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released a DVD set in France (As "La Nouvelle Panthère Rose") and Germany (As "Der rosarote Panther - Die neue Show") This set contains all forty episodes of the first season. The set was released in the United Kingdom (as "The New Pink Panther Show - Season 1, Vol 1") but only consisted of the first twenty episodes of the first season with as a second volume was never released. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment reissued the sets in February 2009, with the UK getting the same boxset as France and Germany. Season Two has not seen any DVD releases.

The show is also available to on Pluto TV and on the official YouTube Channel. These prints refer to the series as The New Pink Panther Show, as with the DVDs.

External links

• The Pink Panther at IMDb
• The New Pink Panther Show (1993) Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine