Where's Huddles?

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Where's Huddles? was a Hanna-Barbera animated television program which premiered on CBS on July 1, 1970 and ran for ten episodes as a summer replacement show (for The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour) until September 2. It was similar in style to the studio's considerably more successful The Flintstones, and it used several of the same essential plots and voice actors. Also, like The Flintstones, and unlike many other animated series, Where's Huddles? aired in the evening during primetime, had a laugh track, and had somewhat adult themes. All ten episodes were produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

The show's premise involved a professional football quarterback named Ed Huddles (voice: Cliff Norton) and his neighbor, the team's center Bubba McCoy (Mel Blanc, who also played Barney Rubble on The Flintstones). They played for a team called The Rhinos. Other characters included Ed's wife Marge Huddles (Jean Vander Pyl, also the voice of Wilma Flintstone), their rather jovial if acerbic neighbor Claude Pertwee (Paul Lynde) who tended to refer to Ed and Bubba as "savages" {Pertwee's only friend is a spoiled cat named "Beverely"}; their teammate Freight Train (Herb Jeffries), and their daughter Pom-Pom. Bubba's wife Penny McCoy was played by comedic actress Marie Wilson in her final role before her death from cancer in 1972.

The Rhinos' football announcer was voiced by actual sports anchor Dick Enberg, who at the time was the voice of the UCLA Bruins and Los Angeles Rams. Alan Reed (the voice of Fred Flintstone) had a recurring role as Mad Dog Maloney, the Rhinos' coach. The Huddles had a dog named Fumbles, voiced by Don Messick, who also provided the voices for cartoon dogs Scooby-Doo, Astro (The Jetsons), and Muttley (Wacky Races and other cartoons featuring Dick Dastardly). Fumbles, much like Muttley, would often laugh at someone's misfortune, but whereas Muttley's laugh was wheezy in nature, Fumbles' laugh was more guttural.

Unlike other Hanna-Barbera roles he was playing at the time, Paul Lynde was actually credited for his role in this series as Claude Pertwee. His uncredited roles were Mildew Wolf, in the segment It's The Wolf (from Cattanooga Cats), and the 'Hooded Claw' (from The Perils of Penelope Pitstop).

In addition to the Huddles television series, there was also a comic book (with art by Roger Armstrong) which ran for three issues from Gold Key/Whitman Comics in 1971.

[edit] Episodes

HUD-1. The Old Swimming Hole (prod. #52-1, 7/1/1970)

HUD-2. A Weighty Problem (prod. #52-2, 7/8/1970)

HUD-3. The Ramblin' Wreck (prod. #52-3, 7/15/1970)

HUD-4. The Offensives (prod. #52-6, 7/22/1970)

HUD-5. Hot Dog Hannah (prod. #52-5, 7/29/1970)

HUD-6. To Catch A Thief (prod. #52-4, 8/5/1970)

HUD-7. Get That Letter Back (prod. #52-7, 8/12/1970)

HUD-8. The Odd Trio (prod. #52-8, 8/19/1970)

HUD-9. A Sticky Affair (prod. #52-9, 8/26/1970)

HUD-10. One Man's Family (prod. #52-10, 9/2/1970)