"Where's Huddles?" was Hanna-Barbera's first prime-time series since "Jonny Quest." It ran for ten weeks in the summers of 1970 and 1971. Unfortunately, I was at summer camp both those years, so my comments on the show are limited.
I didn't get the chance to see it until Cartoon Network aired it during Super Bowl Weekend. Before that, I had only read about it in my books. The plot synopses of episodes, plus book illustrations of the characters made me realize that it was just a football -themed version of "The Flintstones." And, as Artytoons mentioned in a previous thread, troublesome neighbor Claude Pertwee called the team players "Savages."
It should also be noted that by this time, H-B was just beginning to include African American characters in their animated series. For this one, they included a footballer named Freight Train. Later that same year, there'd be more, but those I'll save for future threads.
You're right about Where's Huddles, Emeraldisle: it was largely a recycling of The Flintstones set in the modern day with a pro football theme.
However, adding Claude Pertwee as an active antagonist added a little more depth to the bumbling antics of the two leads. Really, having the Hooded Claw as a neighbor will make things ... interesting. ;) I think that Hanna-Barbera Studios were trying to break away from the Funny Animal cartoons that had sustained them in the Sixties, and were fielding more exploratory ventures such as Jonny Quest and Where's Huddles to corral a broader market.
Most of the original "Flintstones" voice cast had roles in "Where's Huddles?"...Alan Reed (Fred) played the Coach, Mel Blanc (Barney) played the Barney Rubble neighbor-like Bubba McCoy, and Jean Vanderpyl (Wilma) played Ed Huddles' wife Marge.
The bulk of the stories had Ed and Bubba coming up with plans to earn more money since their pro football salaries didn't pay that much. (This is 1970, of course)
Ed Huddles resembled actor Walter Matthau.
Real-life sports play by play announcer Dick Enberg was the voice of the announcer in the football games Ed, Bubba, Night Train, and fellow Rhinos teammates played. At the time of broadcast, Enberg worked for NBC. Enberg would eventually move to CBS to handle the play by play of their NFL games and professional golf matches in the 1980s and 1990s. Enberg is also the US voice of Wimbledon tennis tv coverage. Enberg hosted the tv game shows "Sports Challenge", "Baffle", and "Three For the Money". Enberg was the announcer for the San Diego Padres baseball team's local tv broadcasts until his retirement in 2016.
I have just been informed that Herb Jeffries, the voice of Freight Train, is now dead at 100. RIP, Mr. Jeffries. :(
emeraldisle said:I have just been informed that Herb Jeffries, the voice of Freight Train, is now dead at 100. RIP, Mr. Jeffries. :(
Herb Jeffries was famous in the 1940s as a "Singing Cowboy" for various short subject films.
RIP, Mr.Jeffries...I knew not that much..about him.
Trivia Question 79: Which episode of this series dealt with a rather controversial subject?
Trivia Answer: "One Man's Family," in which Ed believed Bubba was pregnant!
