The Dipsy Doodle Show (lost animated special; 1974)

Newspaper advertisement of the special.

Status: Lost

The Dipsy Doodle Show was a 1975 special intended to serve as a pilot for a children's series mixing live action and animation. Among the sequences was the lead named character recalling the decision by their ancestor, Yankee Doodle, to stop dreaming 'the King's Dream', leading to the American Revolution.

The series, sponsored at the time by General Foods and produced in Ohio, never panned out and the episode has not been seen since the initial broadcasts on various independent stations. It does not exist on either home video or online, where only stills of the special exist.

A production staff member has this recollection :

"The Dipsey Doodle was an ambitious and complicated project combining live actors with animated characters in sketches designed primarily for a young audience. Lacking sufficient studio time at WJKW-TV, the principal photography was taped at WUAB. The animation was created by Rick Reinert Studios. Tony Lolli was the studio director, Jerry Leonard wrote the script and directed the cast. Frank Gari and Lee Bush wrote the eight songs and incidental music that was played by a 30 piece orchestra. As Executive Producer, I bit my fingernails down to the second knuckle. The show played in a number of major markets under the sponsorship on General Foods."

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  A still of the special.