Beethoven (TV series)

Beethoven
GenreComedy
Based on
Beethoven
by
Voices of
Theme music composerChristopher Neal Nelson
Keith Baxter
Opening theme"Beethoven", performed by Geno Henderson
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
ProducersPaul Germain
Roy Smith
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesNorthern Lights Entertainment
Universal Cartoon Studios
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 10 (1994-09-10) –
December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03)

Beethoven is a 1994 American Saturday morning cartoon television series loosely based on the 1992 motion picture of the same name.[1] The series was produced by Northern Lights Entertainment and Universal Cartoon Studios, and aired for one season on CBS Saturday Mornings, with 13 episodes with two 10 minute segments produced. Dean Jones, who played Dr. Varnick in the film, voiced the role of George Newton. Nicholle Tom, who played teenage daughter Ryce in the film and Beethoven's 2nd, was the only cast member from the films to reprise her role in the series, partly due to her presence in CBS's own prime time series, The Nanny, in where she was contractually obliged to portray the Maggie Sheffield character.[2]

Premise

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The Newton family love Beethoven, their St. Bernard dog, but the father, George, has his moments with Beethoven, who gets in different mishaps time after time. When not with the Newton family, Beethoven spends time with three other dogs, Sparky (the stray from the first film), Ginger, and Caesar.

Unlike the film, Beethoven has a speaking voice, at least among the other animals.[3] The same plot was used in another animated series, Free Willy, where the main character also could talk.

Cast

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Additional voices

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Crew

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Episodes

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No.TitleWritten byOriginal air date
1"Good Old George"
"The Pound"
Joe Ansolabehere & Paul GermainSeptember 10, 1994 (1994-09-10)
When Sparky accidentally messes up Beethoven's ball which helps him sleep, Beethoven tries to go in George's room to sleep with him, Much to his master's dismay. / When Sparky gets caught by the Dog Catcher, Beethoven and his Pals attempt to break him out.
2"Dog Dreams"
"The Good, the Bad, and the Poodle"
Joe Ansolabehere
Jonathan Greenberg
September 17, 1994 (1994-09-17)
When a group of bad dogs terrorize the dogs in the neighborhood, Beethoven, Mr. Huggs and his friends try to stand up for themselves and run them out of town. / The Newton Family has random dreams about Beethoven.
3"The Experiment"
"The Incredibly Pointless Journey"
Jonathan Greenberg
Michael Ferris
September 24, 1994 (1994-09-24)
4"The Guard Dog"
"Mr. Huggs' Wild Ride"
Buddy Chuck
Peter Gaffney
October 1, 1994 (1994-10-01)
5"Cat Fight"
"The Kindergarten Caper"
Jonathan Greenberg
Peter Gaffney
October 8, 1994 (1994-10-08)
6"The Gopher Who Would Be King"
"Pet Psychiatrist"
Jim Bernstein & Michael Shipley
Buddy Chuck
October 15, 1994 (1994-10-15)
7"Cyrano de Beethoven"
"The Mailman Cometh"
Paul Germain
Joe Ansolabehere & Jonathan Greenberg
October 22, 1994 (1994-10-22)
8"A Cat Named Rover"
"The Dog Must Diet"
Buddy Chuck
Jonathan Greenberg
October 29, 1994 (1994-10-29)
9"Car Trouble"
"The Mighty Cone-Dog"
Buddy Chuck
Joe Ansolabehere
November 5, 1994 (1994-11-05)
10"Puppy Time"
"The Morning Paper"
Joe Ansolabehere & Jonathan Greenberg
Michael Ferris
November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12)
11"The Big One"
"Fleas!"
Joe Ansolabehere
Jeff Lowell
November 19, 1994 (1994-11-19)
12"Scent of a Mutt"
"Down on the Farm"
Jonathan Greenberg
Michael Ferris
November 26, 1994 (1994-11-26)
13"Trash Island"
"Long Weekend"
Christian Fletcher
Joe Ansolabehere & Jonathan Greenberg
December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03)

Home release

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Universal and Goodtimes released episodes of the show on VHS. In July 2020, the series became available on the Peacock streaming service.

References

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  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 74. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 55. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 131. ISBN 978-1476665993.
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