The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon

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The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon is a children's television series which aired in Canada on YTV and the United States on public television stations, through Tampa, Florida PBS member station WEDU. The show ran for five seasons from 1993 to 1997. It was a live-action show incorporating actors, full body costume characters (notably the titular dragon) and puppets. The story follows Dudley, a dragon who recently woke up from centuries of hibernation and his new ten-year-old siblings Matt and Sally. The two kids would guide Dudley around the modern world and the trio would learn about environmentalism, friendship and pro-social values.

Besides Matt and Sally, Dudley was later joined by other kids, Terry, Julia, Mickey and Laura. Other recurring characters included a laid back frog named Sammy, the Robins, a grouchy apple tree named Mr. Crabby Tree and a lovable caveman.

Graham Greene won a Gemini Award in 1994 for his role, and was nominated in 1998 for the episode The Tiny Little Raincloud. Jackie Burroughs was also nominated in 1994 for the same award, for her performance in the episode High Flying Dragon.

Video The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon

Cast

Puppets

• Dudley the Dragon - Alex Galatis (Seasons 1-2, costumed performer and voice; Seasons 3-5, voice only) and Kirk Dunn (Seasons 3-5, costumed performer). A lovable, innocent, happy-go-lucky green dragon. In the series premiere, Dudley wakes up from centuries of hibernation. He quickly befriends Sally and Matt, among others, and just as quickly adjusts to his new surroundings. However, Dudley still has childlike qualities, notably having to learn valuable lessons from his friends. Nevertheless, Dudley proves to be a great friend to everyone. Dudley lives in a colorful cave, with his favorite teddy bear, Freddy Bear. His favorite food is dragon berries. Dudley has a love for adventure, but sometimes, when the adventures get just a little out of hand, Dudley would prefer to be back at home with his friends. In the series finale, The Last Dudley, Dudley realized that he was the only dragon still around. Dudley decides to take on one more adventure, looking for another dragon. Dudley doesn't have much luck, but in the end learns that his friends are his "true dragon friends". At the very end of the episode, a dragon that looks and sounds similar to Dudley (but wears a bowtie and glasses) shows up and asks Dudley if he's seen any dragons around. He is the main protagonist in the series.
• Dudley's debut actually predates the creation of the series "Dudley the Dragon" by several years. In 1983, the Ontario Ministry of Energy wanted to teach children the importance of energy conservation. Karen Waterman wrote a play (The Conserving Kingdom), that did just that. The play featured a bumbling dragon named Dudley. The Conserving Kingdom was performed in grade schools from 1984 to 1987, and also led to a TV special in 1986. Dudley was a full-body puppet performed by Alex Galatis. In 1992, when Dudley got his own TV show, Galatis continued to perform Dudley. Galatis performed Dudley by using his right arm to operate Dudley's head and mouth, and his left arm to operate Dudley's left arm. During the first seasons of Dudley the Dragon, Dudley's right arm rested on his chest, with no form a movement. In between the first and second season, the Dudley costume was modified, with the right arm moving thanks to the help of a fishing line attached to Dudley's arm. The same process is used to perform various full body Muppets, most notably Big Bird. The new puppet also had an eyelid mechanism, but it wasn't until the third season that Dudley's eyelids could move at will Also, beginning with the third season, actor Kirk Dunn took Galatis' duties as Dudley's costume performer. Nevertheless, Galatis continued to provide Dudley's voice for the remainder of the series. Dudley is the only character in the series to appear in every episode. In the short-lived French version of the series, Dudley was renamed "Arthur".
• The remaining puppets were all hand puppets, performed by James Rankin, Sue Morrison, and (in early episodes) Wende Welch.
• Sammy the Frog - James Rankin (Seasons 1-5). Sammy is a laid-back frog who has a love for playing the saxophone. Sammy is typically on the sidelines, commenting on the adventures of Dudley's and the others. However, Sammy also frequently acts as a mentor to Dudley and the kids. Sammy is typically the first one to feel that something bad is going to happen, and often warns Dudley (whom he often refers to as "Big Green") about getting into trouble. In "Have Yourself a Crabby Little Christmas", it is revealed that Sammy is Jewish. Sammy has a Spanish-speaking cousin named Yammi, who appeared occasionally, though never in any scenes with his cousin (most likely due to the fact that James Rankin performed both characters). Sammy's debut was in the series premiere, and his last appearance was in the second-to-last episode Lullaby Dragon. In the short-lived French version of the series, he was renamed "Ti-Louis".
• Mr. Robin - James Rankin (Seasons 1-5). A chipper, though often forgettable robin. Mr. Robin is happily married to his wife, Mrs. Robin, and the two are almost always seen together. Like Sammy, Mr. Robin will also sometimes be the one to warn Dudley (whom he refers to as "Mr. Dudley") about getting into mischief. Mr. Robin's first name is Charles. His debut was in the series premiere, and his last appearance was in the series finale. In the French version of the series he was named M. Rouge-Gorge.
• Mrs. Robin - Wende Welch (Season 1), Sue Morrison (Seasons 1-5). Like her husband, Mrs. Robin is very chipper, even when things go wrong. She's happily married to her husband, and also sometimes tries to talk Dudley out of getting into trouble. Mrs. Robin's first name is Tiffany. Her first appearance was in the series premiere, and her last appearance was in the series finale. Mrs. Robin was played by Wende Welch for the first few episodes (the last being "Dudley Meets Mr. Can"), but was quickly replaced by Sue Morrison. In the French version of the series, Mrs. Robin was named "Mme. Rouge-Gorge".
• Grandpa Robin - James Rankin (Seasons 2-5). A wise elderly robin who has "been around the world seven times plus two". He is the grandfather of either Mr. or Mrs. Robin. Grandpa Robin has a good knowledge of the magic that goes on in the forest, including the origins of "Giggle Soup" and "Bubble Pie". Like Mr. and Mrs. Robin, Grandpa Robin is kind and cheerful, but can also be forgettable. He too often acts as a guide to Dudley and the kids. Grandpa Robin also apparently asks as a school teacher for some of the kids, as evidenced in the episode "Alphabet Dragon". His first appearance was in the season 2 episode "Dudley Through the Looking Glass". His last appearance was in the fifth-season episode "The Wishing Well". In the French version of the series, he was named "Gran-Pere Rouge Gorge".
• Junior Robin - James Rankin (Seasons 4-5). The Robin's infant son who appeared in the episode "Junior Robin's Big Day Out". At first, Junior was reluctant to fly and eat worms like other robins. He also initially had a fear of Dudley (although he liked Mickey). Eventually, with some help from Dudley and Mickey, Junior learned how to fly. Junior returned in the second-to-last episode "Lullaby Dragon". In the episode, Dudley was upset because he lost Freddy Bear. Dudley eventually found out that Junior Robin found Freddy Bear, and wanted to keep him. Dudley was reluctant to give up Freddy Bear, but eventually decided that Junior could take good care of Freddy.
• Yammi the Frog - James Rankin (Seasons 1, 3, and 5). Sammy's Spanish-speaking cousin who only appeared in three episodes ("Dudley in the Rainforest", "Dudley and the Lost City", and the series finale, "The Last Dudley"). Like his cousin, Yammi likes music, and plays an instrument (the guitar). Yammi looks and sounds similar to Sammy, but has a slight Hispanic accent, a black moustache and eyebrows, and a purple serape. In the French version of the series, Yammi was named "Ti-Gus".
• The Dodo - James Rankin (Seasons 1, 3-4). A happy, fun-loving dodo bird, who loves saying, "dodo!". Like Yammi, The Dodo only appeared in three episodes. In his first appearance, the season 1 finale "Dudley and the Dodo", The Dodo thinks that Dudley is his mother. However, The Dodo quickly learned otherwise, and became good friends with Dudley and Sally. In his next appearance, "Dudley's Amazing Journey", we learn that the Dodo lives in a cave, and has a love for worms and jelly beans. The Dodo finds himself in danger in his last appearance, "The Royal Crown", where the Prince tries to pluck the Dodo's feathers as decorations for his crown. However, the Prince quickly learned that the Dodo's feather mean a lot to the Dodo, and ultimately decides not to pull the Dodo's feathers.
• Didi the Woodpecker - Wende Welch (Season 1), Sue Morrison (Seasons 1-2). A colorful female woodpecker who appeared occasionally during the first two seasons. Her first appearance was in the episode "Mr. Crabby Tree" (where she was portrayed by Wende Welch), and her last appearance was in the season 2 finale, "Imagine That!". In the French version of the series, Didi was renamed "Madame Lepic".
• Katrina the Whale - Wende Welch (Season 1), Sue Morrison (Seasons 1-3). A whale that lived in the ocean and only appeared in a few episodes. She first appeared in the second episode, "Dudley's Tea Party" (where she was portrayed by Wende Welch), and made her last appearance, a short non-speaking cameo, in the episode "Mr. Crabby Tree's Really Great Adventure". In the French version of the series, Katrina was named "Irène".
• Rosie the Skunk - Sue Morrison (Seasons 1 and 5). A sassy skunk who only appeared in two episodes, "Dudley Goes Camping" and "Doggone Dragon". In the French version of the series, her name was spelled "Rosi".
• Bernardo - James Rankin (Season 2). One of Sammy's cousins. Appeared in the episode "Dudley and the Great Race".
• Kostus - James Rankin (Season 2). Another of Sammy's cousins. Appeared in the episode "Dudley and the Great Race".
• Radar the Dog - James Rankin (Season 2). A computer character created by Terry who appeared in the episode "Dudley Meets Flammo the Magician".
• Rita the Frog - James Rankin (Season 4). A Native American frog who bears a strong resemblance to Sammy. However, when Dudley brings up Sammy, Rita claims that she's never heard of him. Like Sammy, Rita is musically gifted (she plays the drum). She only appeared in one episode, "Mama Crabby Tree".

The kids

• Sally - Asia Vieira (Seasons 1-5). A friendly, fun-loving girl, and Dudley's best friend. She was the first person that Dudley met when he woke up from his hibernation. Sally is a responsible person, often acting as an older sister to Dudley and some of the other characters. Sally is into gymnastics, as seen in the episodes "Mr. Crabby Tree's Really Great Adventure" and "The Red Sneakers". Sally also has a bag that coincidentally always has a specific item needed for a specific adventure. Sally's bag was a running gag throughout the series, with the mention of it often leading to somebody saying, "I've got to get one of those bags". Sally appeared in most of the episodes from the first two seasons, but appeared less in the remaining three seasons (five in season 3, two in season 4, and two in season 5). The reason for Sally's fewer appearances in later seasons most likely had to do with the lack of availability of Asia Vieira, who was working on several other projects around the same time. She was also featured in the series finale. For the first season of the short-lived French version of the series, Sally was renamed "Sophie", and was portrayed by Annick Obonsawin. During the second season of the French series, she was renamed "Annick", and was portrayed by future Dudley regular Andréanne Bendir. An older version of Sally (portrayed by Marcia Bennett in the English version, and Louise Nolan in the French version) appeared in the episode "Dudley Through the Looking Glass"
• Matt - Daniel DeSanto (Seasons 1-3). Sally's brother and an aspiring detective. Whenever some sort of strange situation occurs, Matt will often say, "A mystery! Let's investigate!" Matt will then try to solve the 'mystery', often with the help of his sister. Like Sally, Matt appeared in most of the episodes during the first two seasons. However, he too made fewer appearances after the second season. Like Asia Vieira, this most likely had to do with DeSanto's commitments to other projects at the time (which included the voice of Carlos on The Magic School Bus, and portraying Tucker in the series Are You Afraid of the Dark?). Matt only appeared in three episodes during the third season ("The Spooky Castle", "The Tree House", and "Mr. Crabby Tree's Really Great Adventure") before vanishing from the series altogether (although he would be mentioned a few times by other characters in future episodes). For the first season of the short-lived French version of the series, Matt was renamed "Max", and was portrayed by Anael G. Roy. During the second season of the French series, he was renamed "Mathieu", and was portrayed by Owen Leitch.
• Terry - Robin Weekes (Seasons 2-5). A clever boy, with a wristwatch computer and a knack for inventing things. Terry first appeared in the season 2 episode "Dudley Meets Flammo the Magician", but his official introduction was in the season 2 finale, "Imagine That!". In the episode, Terry is introduced as a loner with an antisocial personality, who isn't that fond of the activities that Dudley and the others take part in. However, Dudley's friendly personality brings Terry into befriending the gang. While Terry could still have his moments of pessimism, he would take part in Dudley's adventures just as much as the other kids would, with his computing knowledge being a great help. In the episode "Dudley and the Tooth Fairy", Terry helps Chloe the tooth fairy get her wings. Terry continued to appear regularly for the remainder of the series, making his last appearance in the episode "Dudley and the Knight Club". In the short-lived French version of the series, Terry was renamed "Bastien", and was portrayed by Barnabè Geisweiller.
• Mickey - Daniel Tordjman-Goodfellow (Seasons 3-5). Making his debut in the season 3 premiere, "The Living Doll", Mickey more or less took over the 'aspiring detective' role previously handled by Matt. Mickey was often friendly and helpful, but sometimes mischievous, as evidenced in the episode "The Boy Who Cried Witch". In the episode, Mickey has a bad habit of telling tall tales, but eventually learns his lesson. He has a love for sports, particularly basketball and baseball. Mickey also seems to look up to Terry as an older brother, trying to be like him in the episode "Dudley and the Lost City". Like Terry, he continued to appear regularly for the remainder of the series. His last appearance was in the episode "Spooky Birthday".
• Julia - Natasha Greenblatt (Seasons 3-5). Julia was originally introduced in the season 3 premiere "The Living Doll". In the episode, Julia is introduced as a doll who wants to be a human. With the help of Dudley and Mickey, she comes to life. Strangely, after her debut, Julia's previous life as a doll was never mentioned again. In fact, in some later episodes, it's implied that Julia lives a pretty normal life (it's said that she has parents in "Dudley and the Tooth Fairy", and she mentions having a sister in the episode "Lullaby Dragon"). In most of her earlier appearances, Julia was depicted as the youngest of the group, the curious one who often had to be looked after by Dudley and the older kids. However, as time went on, Julia began to more or less occupy a similar role to Sally's, acting as a good friend and surrogate older sister to Dudley. Like Terry and Mickey, Julia appeared regularly throughout the remainder of the series, her last appearance being in the series finale.
• Laura - Andréanne Bénidir (Seasons 4-5). Laura had a very similar personality to Sally's, acting as an energetic older sister to Dudley. Ironically, Bénidir had portrayed Asia Vieira's French counterpart in the second and final season of the short-lived French Dudley series, "Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon". It seems that Bénidir's addition to the English-speaking Dudley cast had to do with Vieira's absence from the series. Bénidir's Laura character had very similar traits to Sally, such as being good friends with the Dodo, and being described as Dudley's best friend. At the end of the episode "Dudley's Big Decision", Laura moves away to join her parents out East. Throughout the episode, Dudley is upset because he's afraid of losing his "best friend". At one point, Laura gives Dudley a photo of the two of them (actually a photo of Dudley and Bénidir taken from an episode of the French Dudley series). Also of interest is that in the opening scene of the series finale, Sally meets up with Dudley, and the two act as though they haven't seen each other in a long time. All of this could lead to the possibility that "Dudley's Big Decision" was originally written for Asia Vieira's Sally. Whatever the case, both Laura continued to appear regularly during the fifth season (and finally appeared with Sally in one episode, "The Great Dragonberry War"). Her first appearance was in the fourth-season episode "The Royal Crown". Her last appearance was in the second-to-last episode "Lullaby Dragon".

Recurring characters

These characters, while mostly portrayed by well-known performers, made several appearances throughout the series.

• Mr. Crabby Tree - Graham Greene (Seasons 1-5). A grouchy, wisecracking tree who made his debut in the third episode, "Mr. Crabby Tree". Mr. Crabby Tree, while frequently in a bad mood, still has his good side. He does often act as a mentor to Dudley and the kids, and even once called Dudley his best friend. In the episode "Mr. Crabby Tree's Really Great Adventure", Mr. Crabby Tree made a wish on a shooting star that for one day, he would be able to move around and do all of the things he wanted to do. A running gag during the fourth season involved Mr. Crabby Tree's ability to walk, despite returning to life as a stand-still tree at the end of "Mr. Crabby Tree's Really Great Adventure". Oftentimes, a character would question how Mr. Crabby Tree is able to walk, which would be followed by a brief excuse from Mr. Crabby Tree (i.e. finding a lucky four-leaf clover, borrowing a luck rabbit's foot, etc.). In the episode "The Wishing Well", Mr. Crabby Tree made yet another wish, this time to be human. However, Mr. Crabby Tree quickly grew tired of life as a human, and by the end of the episode, went back to living as a tree. Mr. Crabby Tree's mother (also played by Graham Greene) appeared in the episode "Mama Crabby Tree". Mr. Crabby Tree's last appearance was in the episode "The Boy Who Cried Witch". In the short-lived French version of the series, Mr. Crabby Tree was named "M. Pommier-Grognon". Unlike most of the other actors in the series, Graham Greene actually played his role in both the English and French versions of the series (though his voice was dubbed in the French version).
• The Caveman - Martin Julien (Seasons 3-5). The Caveman is a friendly caveman who first appeared in the episode "Dudley and the Caveman". In the episode, The Caveman is introduced as a bully who constantly picks on other characters, and even steals Freddy Bear from Dudley. However, Dudley learns to be nice to the Caveman, and eventually the two become good friends. In all future episodes with the Caveman, he's friendly and helpful. Like Dudley, The Caveman has a love for dragonberries. This once led to an argument between the two in the episode "The Great Dragonberry War", where Dudley and the Caveman fight over ownership of a dragonberry bush. Despite this argument, Dudley and the Caveman are almost always the best of friends. The Caveman often speaks in "caveman talk", talking in third person, among other things. His last appearance was in the episode "The Pumpkin King".
• The Troll - Martin Julien (costume) and Patrick McKenna (costume and voice, and later voice only) (Seasons 2-5). A rather grumpy, but magicical troll who always cooks up different potions for different purposes. Despite the Troll meaning well, his magic often backfires, resulting in some sort tragedy. Patrick McKenna originally performed in the Troll's costume and did the Troll's voice at the same time. Later, Martin Julien took over the costume, but McKenna still provided the Troll's voice. He made his debut in the season 2 episode "Dudley and the Gingerbread House" and made his last appearance in the season 5 episode "Doggone Dragon". In the latter episode, the Troll accidentally turns himself into a dog named Buster. Buster was portrayed by Cliff Saunders. In the French version of the series, the Troll was named "Le Sorcier".
• The Prince - Jesse Collins (Seasons 3-5). The Prince is the oldest son and heir apparent to the King of All Living Things. He is a generally stuck-up, arrogant character who finds himself incredibly handsome. The Prince often finds himself going by tradition and his arrogant instincts until Dudley and the gang teach him a lesson. The Prince has done his share of nasty things such as cheating in a foot race against Dudley, not inviting Julia to a ball because of her gender, and wanting to pull off the feathers of the Dodo in order to make a decoration for his crown. However, by the end of every episode, the Prince learns his lesson, proving that, like most of the show's villains, he was merely misguided rather than evil. The Prince made his first appearance in the episode "The Frog Princess", and his last appearance in the episode "Cinderella Ha-Ha".
• Chloe the Fairy - Anne-Marie MacDonald (Seasons 4-5). Chloe is a rather sarcastic, but responsible and well-meaning fairy who doubles as both a fairy godmother and a tooth fairy. Originally, Chloe didn't have her fairy wings, but with the help of Dudley and Terry, she finally managed to earn them. Chloe appeared in three episodes, "Dudley and the Tooth Fairy", "Alphabet Dragon", and "Cinderella Ha-Ha".
• Aggie - Jackie Burroughs (Seasons 1-2). Aggie is an adventurer who would sometimes join Dudley in his adventures. She appeared in four episodes: "High Flying Dragon", "Dudley in the Rainforest", "Dragons Ahoy!", and "Dudley and the Great Race". For her first two appearances in the French version of the series, Aggie was renamed "Rosi", and was portrayed by Marthe Moliki-Sassa. For her latter three appearances, she was renamed "Vivi", and was played by Lyne Tremblay.

Guest stars

• The Genie - Sky Gilbert (Seasons 1 and 3). A trouble-making Genie who appeared in two episodes. In his first appearances, "Dudley and the Genie", the Genie tries to get Dudley to waste his energy resources. The Genie eventually returned to his lamp, but was released when Dudley came upon the lamp in the episode "The Red Sneakers". In that episode, the Genie convinced Dudley, Sally, and Mickey (and unsuccessfully tried to convimce Sammy and Julia) to replace practicing for physical activities with a pair of magical red sneakers. In the end, Julia wishes for a pair of red sneakers for the Genie. The Genie winds up going out of control, and agrees to get rid of all of the red sneakers. Julia wishes for the sneakers to be off of everyone but the Genie. Ultimately, the Genie is stuck with the out-of-control sneakers. His fate afterwards is unknown. It is also unknown who portrayed the Genie in the short-lived French version of the series. He is the first antagonist in the series.
• Clarence the Can - Ed Sahely (Season 1). A talking trash can who appeared in the episode "Dudley Meets Mr. Can".
• The Tiny Giant - Gary Farmer (Season 1). A normal-sized "giant" who appeared in the episode "Dudley Meets a Tiny Giant". In the French version of the series, he was portrayed by Bernard Gagnon.
• Vernon the Toxin - Earl Pastko (Season 1). A scary skeleton-like character that appeared in Dudley's nightmare in the episode "Dudley and the Toxins". Earl Pastko reprised his role for the French version of the episode, with his voiced dubbed by another actor.
• The Face of Nature - Jackie Richardson (Season 1). Appeared in the episode "Dudley Goes Camping". In the French version "Visage de la Nature" was portrayed by Louise Shekter, who directed and adapted many of the episodes for the French version of Dudley.
• The Snowman - Keith Knight (Season 2). Appeared in the episode "Dudley and the Snowman".
• The King of All Living Things - Jan Rube? (Season 2). The King appeared in the episode "Dudley and the King", where he attempted to take down Mr. Crabby Tree. He is the father of the Prince. In the French version of the series, he was portrayed by René Lemieux.
• The Leprechaun - Eric Peterson (Seasons 2 and 3). A mischievous leprechaun who is able to produce magic, as well as transport from place to place, and even shift in size, by saying his name ("McCopper Bequick"). Dudley first met him in the episode "Dudley and the Leprechaun". The Leprechaun had a bad habit of smoking, and at the end of the episode promised Dudley that he would give up smoking. He returned in the episode "The Tree House", where it's revealed that he did not keep his promise. Dudley and Matt tried unsuccessfully to catch the Leprechaun, but Julia eventually managed to catch him. The Leprechaun later invited Dudley, Matt, and Julia to his home (in a tree) for some tea, but quickly turns them off, as his home is filled with cigarette smoke. The Leprechaun promised to transport Dudley and co. out of his home, but unfortunately bumped his head before he was able to do that. The bump caused the Leprechaun to forget his name, which meant that the gang had to take venture through the Leprechaun's entire smoke-filled house for an exit. The bump also caused the Leprechaun to wonder why he began smoking in the first place, and eventually led to him giving up smoking altogether. In the French version of the series, the Leprechaun was portrayed by Olivier L'Ècuyer, who also dubbed Dudley's voice for the French series.
• Pablo Pickle - Diego Matamoros (Season 2). A famous artist who appeared in the episode "Dudley Meets Pablo Pickle". Mr. Pickle turned out to be prejudiced, as evident by his hatred for the color green (including a dislike towards both Dudley and Sammy). However, Dudley and the gang taught Mr. Pickle to love everyone, no matter how different they are. In the French version of the series, "Pablo Picot" was played by Daniel Richer.
• Flammo the Magician - Clark Johnson (Season 2). A magician who appeared in the episode "Dudley and Flammo the Magician". Flammo was initially a threat to the woods, as he dangerously used flammable material in his act. After his wand is destroyed, Flammo decides against using fire. Angelo Cadet portrayed the character in the French version of the series.
• The Alien - Julian Richings (Season 2). An alien from outer space who appeared in the episode "Dudley Meets the Alien". Julian Richings reprised his role for the French version, with his voice dubbed by a French actor.
• The Daisy - Erica Luttrell (Season 3). A talking daisy whom Dudley and Mickey met in the episode "The Unhappy Garden". The Daisy was initially sick and covered in colorful spots (due to Dudley carelessly throwing away water filled with paint).
• Lola the Butterfly - Diane Flacks (Season 3). A happy-go-lucky butterfly who appeared in the episode "The Unahppy Garden". Lola is an expert flyer, and also cares greatly about the garden that she lives in.
• Venus Flytrap - Diane Flacks (Season 3). An extremely happy, wisecracking Venus flytrap who appeared in the episode "The Unhappy Garden".
• The Rose Queen - Diane Flacks (Season 3). A rose that acts as the Queen of a garden. She appeared in the episode "The Unahppy Garden".
• Lou the Lion - Saul Rubinek (Season 3). A friendly, happy-go-lucky lion who befriended Dudley and Mickey in the episode "Dudley and the Lion".
• Princess Pureheart - Mary Walsh (Season 3). Appeared in the episode "The Frog Princess". She was originally a frog who was turned into a human Princess thanks to a kiss from the Prince. The Princess tried several attempts to make the Prince fall in love with her, but the attempts failed due to the Prince's dislike towards Pureheart's frog-like behavior. The Prince led Princess Pureheart to believe that she was not of pure heart, but Dudley, Julia, and Sammy convinced her otherwise. The Princess has a very friendly, upbeat personality, but often displays frog-like mannerisms (particularly a bad habit of eating flies).
• The Bear - Andrew Massingham (Season 4). A bear who is good friends with Caveman. Appeared in the episode "You and Me and Caveman Makes Three".
• The Tiny Raincloud - Robin Duke (Season 4). A raincloud who appeared in the episode "Dudley and the Tiny Raincloud". She wound up leaving the woods after Dudley, Mickey, and Julia hurt her feelings. The three eventually learned the importance of rain, and managed to convince the Raincloud to return.
• Brave Sir Poindexter of Knot - Albert Schultz (Season 4), Peter Keleghan (Season 5). Also known as "Pointy". A brave, but somewhat arrogant knight who first appeared in the episodes "Good Knight Dragon", where he was portrayed by Albert Schultz. In the episode, it is revealed that dragons and knights never got along with each other. As a result, Pointy and Dudley initially did not see eye-to-eye. But the two eventually became friends. Pointy returned for the episode "Dudley and the Knight Club", where he was portrayed by Peter Keleghan. In the episode, Pointy is the founder of the Knight Club, an organization for people who are considered "cool". Terry is initially a member of this club, but eventually quits after seeing the mean tricks Pointy pulls on people, including several tricks used to initiate Dudley into the club. Dudley also eventually learns of Pointy's mean-spiritedness, and quits the club shortly after being accepted.
• Sabrina the Clown - Linda Kash (Season 4). A circus clown who showed up in the forest in the episode "Dudley and the Balloon Forest". Sabrina had a need for being funny, which eventually led to trouble. She began to pull off a few mean-spirited pranks on the Troll, even going so far as to steal the Troll's book of magic. Things only got worse when she accidentally turned both Mrs. Robin and Sally into balloons. Like most of the characters in the series, Sabrina eventually learned her lesson.
• Catherine Two Birds Flying - Michelle St. John (Season 4). Also known as "Cathy". A Native-American who helped Mr. Crabby Tree find his mother in the episode "Mama Crabby Tree".
• Mama Crabby Tree - Graham Greene (Season 4). Mr. Crabby Tree's mother, who appeared at the end of the episode "Mama Crabby Tree".
• Jacob Spookem - Greg Thomey (Season 5). A deceased lumberjack who eventually revised as a ghost. Appeared in the episode "Dudley and the Cowardly Ghost". Spookem was initially a coward, but found his courage with the help of Dudley, Mickey, and Laura.
• Sprite -- Catherine Fitch (Season 5). Lived inside of a necklace that the Troll created in the episode "Dudley's Big Decision". In the episode, Dudley asked the Troll to help stop Laura from moving away. Sprite used hypnotic poems in order to force Laura to stay in the forest. Sprite eventually caused Laura to become a temperamental loner. With the help of Dudley, Laura was able to get rid of the necklace, causing Sprite to vanish.
• Gabby Tree - Sheila McCarthy (Season 5). A female talking tree whom Mr. Crabby Tree attempted to woo in the episode "Mr. Crabby Tree Falls in Love". Gabby Tree is essentially a female counterpart to Crabby Tree. She was initially turned off by Crabby Tree, but he eventually won her over.
• Buster the Dog - Cliff Saunders (Season 5). Buster is actually what the Troll turned into in the episode "Doggone Dragon" after a mishap in one of his experiments.
• The Face in the Well - Jackie Richardson (Season 5). The face inside of a wishing well in the episode "The Wishing Well". Granted Mr. Crabby Tree his wish to become a human being, and later changed him back into a tree after he learned that he preferred his old life.
• Willomena the Witch - Mary Walsh (Season 5). A mischievous witch who appeared in the episodes "The Boy Who Cried Witch", "The Pumpkin King", and "Spooky Birthday". She is the most antagonistic of her family, ahead of her sister, Ernestina.
• Ernestina the Witch - Cathy Jones (Season 5). Willomena's sister, who also appeared in the episodes "The Boy Who Cried Witch", "The Pumpking King", and "Spooky Birthday". While often assisting her sister in evil schemes, Ernestina also tends to be a bit more worldy and generous.
• The Pumpkin King - John Neville (Season 5). Appeared in the episodes "The Pumpkin King" and "Spooky Birthday".
• The Scarecrow - Daniel Kash (Season 5). Appeared in the episodes "The Pumpkin King" and "Spooky Birthday".
• The Great Mezmra the Fortuneteller - Rick Mercer (Season 5). A fortune-teller who tricks Dudley into joining his sideshow in the series finale, "The Last Dudley". He is the final antagonist in the series.

Maps The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon

Episodes

Season 1: 1993

Season 2: 1994

Season 3: 1995

Season 4: 1996

Season 5: 1997

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Production

Dudley first appeared in The Conserving Kingdom, a 1982 play, and the rights to the character were bought by Ira Levy and Peter Williamson, partners in Toronto's Breakthrough Films and Television Inc, who produced the show with provincial educational broadcaster TVO. Dudley appeared as a six-storey tall float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The creators have stated that the show does not directly compete with Barney, to which it has been compared and seen as more entertaining for adults, as Dudley was intended for what they claim is a slightly older age group of three years old to seven years old. Jean Morphee-Barnard, an educational consultant on the show, said that, "We don't want to use violence or insults. We want to avoid stereotyping; girls have to be just as involved as the boys are. And usually our villains are misguided rather than evil." The creators of the show have stipulated that merchandising, such as toys and clothing or food products, should be made from natural fibres or should not include any sugar or preservatives. Series writer and co-creator Alex Galatis was inside the costume for the first two seasons, but later only did the voice.

Broadcast history

In 2008 Breakthrough closed a deal with APTN to rebroadcast the show. APTN also broadcast the series in French as Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon.

In 2009, Breakthrough offers Dudley the Dragon on Children's IPTV service Ameba.

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Home media releases

VHS Tapes released from GoodTimes Entertainment and Malofilm Video.

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Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon

During the production of the first two seasons of "Dudley", a French version was also produced. The series, "Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon" was a rarity, as very few TV shows had a foreign language version produced simultaneously with its regular production. For the French version, puppeteers Alex Galatis, James Rankin, and Sue Morrison (as well as Patrick McKenna, who played the Troll) continued to portray their characters, with their voices dubbed by French-speaking actors. These actors included Olivier L'Ècuyer, Christian Laurin, and Mireille Dumont. Asia Vieira, Daniel DeSanto, and Robin Weekes were replaced by French actors. The young actors portraying the kids would watch Vieira, DeSanto, and Weekes perform a scene, and then would do their version of the same scene. In addition, most of the Canadian guest stars on the show were replaced by French celebrities, with the exception of Graham Greene, who continued to portray "Mr. Crabby Tree" (with his voiced dubbed by a French actor).

French Cast

• Alex Galatis as "Arthur le Dragon" ("Dudley", puppetry only)
• Olivier L'Éuyer as "Arthur le Dragon ("Dudley", voice only), 'Le Lutin" ("The Leprechaun")
• Annick Obonsawin as "Sophie" ("Sally", season 1)
• Andréanne Bendir as "Annick" ("Sally", season 2)
• Anael G. Roy as "Max" ("Matt", season 1)
• Owen Leitch as "Mathieu" ("Matt", season 2)
• Barnabé Geisweiller as "Bastien" ("Terry")
• James Rankin as "Ti-Louis" ("Sammy", puppetry only), "M. Rouge-Gorge" ("Mr. Robin", puppetry only), "Gran-Pere Rouge Gorge" ("Grandpa Robin", puppetry only), "Ti-Gus" ("Yammi", puppetry only), "Dodo" (puppetry only), "Radar" (puppetry only)
• Christian Laurin as "Ti-Louis" ("Sammy", voice only), "M. Rouge-Gorge" ("Mr. Robin", voice only), "M. Pommier-Grognan" ("Mr. Crabby Tree", voice only), "Gran-Pere Rouge Gorge" ("Grandpa Robin", voice only), "Ti-Gus" ("Yammi", voice only), "Bernardo" (voice only), "Kostus" (voice only), "Maluron" ("Vernon the Toxin", voice only), "Radar" (voice only), "Le Sorcier" ("The Troll", voice only), "Extraterrestre" ("The Alien", voice only)
• Wende Welch as "Mme. Rouge-Gorge" ("Mrs. Robin", puppetry only, first few episodes), "Madame Lepic" ("Didi the Woodpecker", puppetry only, first few episodes), "Iréne" ("Katrina the Whale", puppetry only, first few episodes)
• Sue Morrison as "Mme. Rouge-Gorge" ("Mrs. Robin", puppetry only), "Madame Lepic" ("Didi the Woodpecker", puppetry only), "Iréne" ("Katrina the Whale", puppetry only), "Rosi" ("Rosie the Skunk", puppetry only)
• Mireille Dumont as "Mme. Rouge-Gorge" ("Mrs. Robin", voice only), "Madame Lepic" ("Didi the Woodpecker", voice only), "Iréne" ("Katrina the Whale",voice only), "Rosi" ("Rosie the Skunk", voice only), "Giselle La Poubelle" ("Clarence the Can", voice only)
• Graham Greene as "M. Pommier-Grognan" ("Mr. Crabby Tree", performance only)
• Patrick McKenna as "Le Sorcier" ("The Troll", performance only)
• Marthe Moliki-Sassa as "Rosi" ("Aggie", season 1)
• Lyne Tremblay as "Vivi" ("Aggie", season 2)
• Ed Sahely as "Giselle La Poubelle" ("Clarence the Can", performance only)
• Bernard Gagnon as "Grand et Petit Géant" ("Tiny Giant")
• Earl Pastko as "Maluron" ("Vernon the Toxin", performance only)
• Louise Shekter as "Visage de la Nature" ("The Face of Nature")
• René Lemieux as "Le Roi" ("The King of All Living Things")
• Daniel Richer as "Pablo Picot" ("Pablo Pickle")
• Angelo Cadet as "Flammo"
• Julian Richings as "Extraterrestre" ("The Alien", performance only)

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References

• TV.com Episode List

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External links

• Dudley at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
• The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon at TV.com
• TV Archive (Canada)

Source of the article : Wikipedia