Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series)

Clifford The Big Red Dog
Clifford the Big Red Dog, as seen on the PBS Kids animated adaptation.
Format	Animated television series
Created by	Norman Bridwell (characters)
Voices of	John Ritter Grey DeLisle Cree Summer Kel Mitchell Cam Clarke Earl Boen Terrence 'T.C.' Carson Ulises Cuadra Alanna Ubach Nick Jameson Phil LaMarr Edie McClurg Haunani Minn Tony Plana Katherine Soucie Frank Welker Susan Blu Brent Titcomb (1988 video tapes) Alyson Court (1988 video tapes)
Country of origin	Canada United States
No. of episodes	65 (List of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Lionsgate Television Nelvana (VHS Tape series) Scholastic Corporation (Both Series)
Running time	92 Minutes 30 Minutes (15 Minutes per segment) (approx. per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel	PBS Kids (USA) Treehouse TV (Canada) TVNZ 6 (New Zealand)
Original run	September 4, 2000 (2000-09-04) – February 25, 2003 (2003-02-25)

Clifford The Big Red Dog is an American animated series based upon Norman Bridwell's famous children's book series of the same name. It was produced by Scholastic Studios, and aired on PBS Kids from September 4, 2000 to February 25, 2003. However, the series is still shown on some PBS stations.^[1]

Clifford was the runt of the litter, and was chosen by a city child named Emily Elizabeth Howard as her birthday present. No one expected Clifford to grow, but Emily Elizabeth's love for her tiny red puppy changed Clifford dramatically. Before long, he was over 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, forcing the Howard family to leave the city and move to the open spaces of Birdwell Island.

Clifford The Big Red Dog was one of many PBS Kids shows designed to teach children a number of life lessons. Two 15-minute stories made up each half-hour cartoon. Usually one story featured Clifford and his canine friends, T-Bone and Cleo among them; the other story would focus on Emily Elizabeth and friends her age. One principle was kept religiously: the dogs talked only when humans were not present; otherwise, they only barked.

Veteran actor John Ritter voiced Clifford in all episodes, this was originally done by Brent Titcomb in the 1988 and the early 1990s. Generally speaking, his schedule dictated the production of Clifford The Big Red Dog. By the time the last of the 68 half-hour cartoons and the movie were completed, Ritter was back on ABC's prime-time schedule, starring in 8 Simple Rules. Ritter's death on September 11, 2003, came just days after PBS debuted Clifford's Puppy Days, a function of keeping Clifford's legacy going.

While no new Clifford episodes have been released, voice actors for the main characters have reprised some of their roles for the Ready to Learn campaign on PBS Kids.

Foreign adaptations

Like most cartoons produced in the United States but exported to Britain, the series was re-dubbed using British actors and vice versa like most cartoons produced in Great Britain but exported to the USA are revoiced using American accents. On its telecasts on the BBC, the voice of Clifford was done by Tom Eastwood.

The characters

The pets

• Clifford The Big Red Dog (voiced by the late John Ritter): Male red dog, based on a giant Vizsla.^[2] Friendly, outgoing and helpful and also the main protagonist. He sometimes gets into trouble because of his size or is tempted into trouble by his friends and those he meets. Clifford's size is inconsistent—he is often shown as being about 15' tall from paws to head, but can appear far larger—in one episode he removes the top of the lighthouse and swims out with it to guide the ferry through the fog to the dock. The character is based on the imaginary friend of creator Norman Bridwell's wife.^[3] Clifford's owner is, of course, Emily Elizabeth, to whom he is devoted.
• Cleo (voiced by Cree Summer): Female Poodle. Energetic, selfish, troublemaker who sometimes doesn't tell the truth, but remains loyal to her friends. Her catchphrase is "Have I ever steered you wrong?", which she inadvertently does immediately after saying this. In make-believe games with Clifford and T-Bone, she portrays "the evil Fluffy-Face." One of Clifford's best friends. Her owner is Mrs. Diller.
• T-Bone (voiced by Kel Mitchell): Male Bulldog with a large appetite. He is often shy and cautious, but likes to pretend he is Super T-Bone, a caped hero. He is one of Clifford's best friends. His owner is Sherriff Lewis. Voiced by Kel Mitchell.
• Hamburger (voiced by Kenan Thompson): T-Bone's old friend, who left the island just before Clifford arrived.
• K.C (voiced by Cam Clarke): A three-legged Beagle trained to assist Mrs. Young (his owner's mother). His owner is Bruno.
• Mac (Machiavelli) (voiced by Cam Clarke): Greyhound with an inflated sense of his own importance, who shifts between aloofness and wanting to be part of Clifford, Cleo, and T-Bone's circle of friends in almost all episodes. Mac competes in dog shows. His owner is Jetta.
• Mimi (voiced by Tyisha Hampton): Female spaniel who sometimes visits the island and who T-Bone has a crush on.
• Billy and Betty: Mischievous kittens. Voiced by Susan Blu (Billy) and Debi Derryberry (Betty)
• Manny: An elderly schnauzer who appears in some episodes from time to time. Voiced by Frank Welker.
• Artie: A dog who dares Clifford to do bad things but soon plays his way. Also an occasional visitor to the island. Voiced by Henry Winkler.

The children

• Emily Elizabeth Howard: Clifford's owner. A friendly, curious, and helpful, ten-year-old girl. The best skater on the island, and also very good at soccer. Emily Elizabeth adopted Clifford when he was a puppy, and her love caused him to grow enormous in size, thus starting their new lives on Birdwell Island. Emily was named for creator Norman Bridwell's daughter and based on the imaginary adventures of Bridwell's wife.^[3] Voiced by Grey DeLisle.
• Charley: Emily Elizabeth's best friend and the best soccer player on the Birdwell Birds (the school soccer team). He lives on a houseboat with his father, who owns a restaurant. Voiced by Gary LeRoi Gray.
• Jetta: Mac's human. Wealthy, self-centered, friend of Emily Elizabeth who is often oblivious to others' feelings. She is often shown leading parades and competing in talent shows as a majorette. Often claims her accomplishments are bigger or better than others', and often finds herself humbled when she aims too high. Her mother owns one of the island stores and seems somewhat oblivious to Jetta's behavior. She has an infant brother named Cosmo first seen in Baby Makes Four. She sometimes tends to dislike Clifford and tries to blame stuff on him but usually is very friendly towards Clifford. She is known VERY well for bragging. Jetta is voiced by Kath Soucie; Cosmo is voiced by Debi Derryberry.
• Vaz: Somewhat clumsy, shy, and unlucky boy who is friends with Emily Elizabeth and Charley. Performs magic tricks for a talent show in Stage Struck. Voiced by Ulises Cuadra.
• Dan: One of the children. Voiced by Susan Blu who's also the voice director.
• Mary: Child who is in a wheelchair. Wins first prize in a talent show for her singing and piano playing (Stage Struck). Voiced by Kath Soucie.

The Adults

• Caroline and Mark Howard: Emily Elizabeth's parents. Caroline is voiced by Grey DeLisle; Mark by Cam Clarke.
• Samuel: Charley's father and the Jamaican owner of Samuel's Fish and Chips. Voiced by Terrence C. Carson.
• Sheriff Lewis: T-Bone's human. The island's sheriff and the soccer coach. Voiced by Nick Jameson.
• Deputy Brown: Hamburger's owner who left the island shortly before Clifford arrived.
• Mrs. Diller: Cleo's human. She loves Cleo and often enters her in dog shows, and thus cares a lot about keeping Cleo well-groomed.
• Horace and Violet Bleakman: The Howards' neighbors. Mr. Bleakman is often grumpy about the noise or mess Clifford inadvertently causes, but Violet is a little more patient. Horace is voiced by Earl Boen; Violet by Edie McClurg.
• Dr. Dihn: Birdwell Island's veterinarian. Voiced by Haunani Minn.
• Fire Chief Campbell: The island's leading firefighter. Voiced by Terrence 'T.C.' Carson.
• Ms. Carrington: The school teacher. Voiced by Grey DeLisle. She departs Birdwell Island in Wedding Bell Blues, to be replaced by Mrs. Grumbly (voiced by Carol Bach y Rita)
• Mr. Kibble Groomer and pet shop owner. He's shown to be very caring towards the pets, but Cleo hates getting her hair done by him.
• Bruno Young: K.C.'s human, a painter. He eventually moves to Birdwell Island to care for his elderly mother. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson
• Victor and Pedro Workers at the Birdwell Island dock.- Voiced by Tony Plana.

Funding

Funding for the program is

• Ready To Learn Television Cooperate Agreement (2000–Present)
• U.S. Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service (2000–Present)
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (2000–present)
• Viewers Like You (2000–present)
• Kix cereal (2000–2003)
• Milton Bradley board games (2002–2004)
• Chuck E. Cheese's (2000–present)
• Lipton Noodle Soup (2000–2005)
• Danimals Yogurt (2000–2007)

1988 Series

This series was produced by Nelvana and Scholastic Studios. The nelvana logo has a gradient background on this series. Clifford was voiced by Brent Titcomb.

2003 Series

This series was only produced by Scholastic Studios. John Ritter voices Clifford on this series before his death in 2003.

Episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired	Season Premiere	Season Finale	DVD release date
	Season 1: 2000-2001	41	2000	September 4, 2000	December 5, 2001
	Season 2: 2002-2003	27	2002	February 12, 2002	February 25, 2003

Season 1 (2000-2001)

1 - 9/4/2000: My Best Friend; Cleo's Fair Share
2 - 9/4/2000: Clifford the Big Red Dog
3 - 9/5/2000: Special Delivery; A Ferry Tale
4 - 9/6/2000: And Birdy Makes Three; Homes Is Where the Fun Is
5 - 9/7/2000: Clifford's Carnival; Clifford's Doggy Reunion
6 - 9/8/2000: The Great Race; Tummy Trouble
7 - 9/11/2000: Cleo Comes to Town; False Friends
8 - 9/12/2000: Clifford and the Beanstalk; Itchy Patch
9 - 9/13/2000: A New Friend; Stormy Weather
10 - 9/14/2000: Circus Stars; Limelight Fright
11 - 9/15/2000: To Catch a Bird; The Best Party Ever
12 - 9/18/2000: Come Back Mac; Boo!
13 - 9/19/2000: Little Clifford; Welcome to Birdwell Island
14 - 9/20/2000: Doing the Right Thing; The Dog Who Cried Woof
15 - 9/21/2000: Leaf of Absence; Nobody's Perfect
16 - 9/22/2000: Teacher's Pet; Islander of the Year
17 - 9/25/2000: Clifford's Big Surprise; The Ears Have It
18 - 9/26/2000: Tough Enough; Stars in Your Eyes
19 - 9/27/2000: Mac's Secret Dog Club; The Dog Park
20 - 9/28/2000: Fluffed-up Cleo; Team Spirit
21 - 9/29/2000: Clifford on Parade; Follow the Leader
22 - 1/18/2001: Good-Bye T-Bone; The Truth About Dogs and Cats
23 - 1/19/2001: The Big Sleepover; Dog for a Day
24 - 1/22/2001: T-Bone Dog About Town; Clifford's Big Heart
25 - 1/23/2001: Who Me Jealous?; A Bunny In A Haystack
26 - 1/24/2001: Clothes Don't Make the Dog; Short-Changed
27 - 1/25/2001: The Kibble Crook; Screaming for Ice Cream
28 - 1/26/2001: New Dog in Town; Get Well
29 - 1/29/2001: Babysitter Blues; Saturday Morning
30 - 1/30/2001: Best Paw Forward; Then Came Bob
31 - 1/31/2001: Friends, Morning, Noon, & Night; Mr. Bleakman's Special Day
32 - 10/3/2001: Doggie Garden; Captain Birdwell's Treasure
33 - 10/10/2001: Welcome to the Doghouse; Promises Promises
34 - 10/17/2001: Clifford's Hiccups; It's My Party
35 - 10/24/2001: Clifford Cleans His Doghouse; And Baby Makes 4
36 - 10/31/2001: Jetta's Tall Tale; The Big Fetch
37 - 11/7/2001: Potluck Party Pooper; The Best Gift
38 - 11/14/2001: Two's Company; Fair-Weathered Friend
39 - 11/21/2001: Topsy Turvy Day; Clifford's Charm School
40 - 11/28/2001: Forgive and Forget; Mimi's Back in Town
41 - 12/5/2001: Blanket Blues; Dino Clifford

Season 2 (2002-2003)

42 - 2/12/2002: That's Snow Lie; A Friend in Need
43 - 2/13/2002: Fan Mail; Hooray for Cleo
44 - 2/14/2002: Valentine's Day Special
45 - 2/14/2002: Nothing to Fur but Fur Itself; Jetta's Project
46 - 2/15/2002: Stinky Friends; He's Wonderful Mr. Bleakman
47 - 2/18/2002: Magic in the Air; Everyone Loves Clifford
48 - 2/19/2002: Clifford Grows Up; Jetta's Sweater
49 - 2/20/2002: Big-Hearted T-Bone; Cleo's Valentine Surprise
50 - 2/21/2002: Embarrassing Moments; Lucky Charm
51 - 9/18/2002: Princess Cleo; Basketball Stories
52 - 9/25/2002: Doggie Detectives; Camping It Up
53 - 10/2/2002: Cleo Gets a Cone; A Job Well Read
54 - 10/9/2002: When I Grow Up; Not Now I'm Busy
55 - 10/16/2002: Special T-Bone; Jetta's Sneak Peek
56 - 10/23/2002: Vaz Goes Down The Tube; Cyber Puppy Problems
57 - 10/30/2002: Another Fine Mess; King Mac
58 - 11/6/2002: Who Moved My Bone?; Clifford the Pirate King
59 - 11/13/2002: Clifford's Cookie Craving; Jetta's Friend
60 - 11/20/2002: Fishing Lessons; No Baths for Cleo
61 - 2/14/2003: Clifford's Big Heart; Cleo's Valentine Surprise
62 - 2/17/2003: Flood of Imagination; Lights Out
63 - 2/18/2003: A Big Help; The Trouble with Kittens
64 - 2/19/2003: Led Astray; Wedding Bell Blues
65 - 2/20/2003: Food for Thought; Friends Forever
66 - 2/21/2003: Tie-Dye Clifford; Stage Struck
67 - 2/24/2003: Doghouse Rock; Guess Who's Coming to Birdwell Island
68 - 2/25/2003: Little Big Pup; Getting to Know You

Video games

Original Series

• Clifford's Reading
• Clifford's Thinking Games

Modern Series

• Cliffords' Learning Activities
• Cliffords' Music
• Cliffords' Phonics
• Cliffords' Big Puzzle Game (A Wendy's Kids' Meal DVD game, available for a limited time only)

See also

Children's literature portal

• Younger versions of cartoon characters
• Clifford's Puppy Days
• Clifford's Really Big Movie

References

^ Media and Culture, 5th ed., Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos.

1. ^ "TV schedule for OPB". http://www.opb.org/television/schedules/. 
2. ^ Dog Breed Advice - Hungarian Vizsla
3. ^ ^{a b} Clifford the Big Red Dog - Don Markstein's Toonopedia

External links

• Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Internet Movie Database
• Official site of book series
• Official site of television series
• Clifford the Big Red Dog at TV.com
• Good article about Clifford's creation