Dinky Di's
Dinky-Di's, formally known as The Dinky-Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier, is an Australian animated television series that aired on the Nine Network Australia from 6 December 1997 to 29 May 1998. It was created by Melvyn Edward Bradford, produced by Roo Films Brisbane and animated by Pacific Rim Animation. The show taught children about the dangers of having carelessness for the planet and also for animals and plants that live on the earth. A common phrase from the theme song used by fans and the creator of the show was "We show no fear, we show no pain!"
Premise
The Dinky Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier follows a group of anthropomorphic animals who go around the world saving rare and endangered animals and plants, while educating the audience on the importance of environmental preservation. Led by Aussie Roo and Cass Koala, this group consists of animals from all over the world who have many different specialties that serve to the Dinky-Di team, and are well organized with a command centre, computer network, and high-tech amphibious vehicles.The group of rescuers fight against Mephisto, a shadowy eco-terrorist with glowing red eyes who uses a gang of maligned beasts to do his dirty work: Rancid Rodent, Hugo Hyena, Ganny Goanna, Serpent Sam, and others. Mephisto's true identity, however, is a true mystery to the Dinky-Di's, and one which, when solved, will be a major step towards slowing damage to the planet.
Voice cast
- Gennie Nevinson as Cass Koala, Equulus Emu, Cauda Kiwi, Orikawa Bear's Son, Beatrice, Hydra Hen, Pleiades Panda and additional voices
- Ric Melbourne as Aussie Roo, Chopa Crocodile, G.T. Garuda and additional voices
- Lee Perry as Ernest Eagle, Goat, Sidney Seal, Whales, Iceburglar #2, Animals, Narrator and additional voices
- Grahame Matters as Bill's Secretary and additional voices
- Tony Bellette as Plato Pus, Zennie, Mephisto, Rancid Rodent, Hugo Hyena, Ganny Goanna, Serpent Sam, Lazur Lion, Orikawa Bear, Bill Buffalo, Lazur's Boss, Mephisto's Henchman, Baron of Babel, Iceburglar #1, Doctor Hope, Archduke of Avaris, Guard Bear and additional voices
Episodes
Out of the 26-episode series, only two full episodes in English have survived, "Baron of Babel" and "Funga Wunda", while the other only full episodes that are known, "Lost, One Dinky-Di", "The Compututor", "Duke of Deceit", "Sea Beneath the Sea, Beneath the Sea", "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow", "Journey to Pedra Blanca", "Java Lava", "Tapir Caper" and "Mirage Master", are in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish and Russian, respectively. However, half of the first episode and about seven minutes of "The Bilby Tale" also exist in English, and "Good Wood" partially exists in Russian. At some point on the Kooltube1 website, the episodes "The Bilby Tale", "Straits of Sorrow", "The Howling Crystal" and "Mirage Master" were available to watch. Though the Kooltube1 website is no longer around, there are a few archives still without any new content except images and copyright information.The following episode list has mostly been translated from Polish, however, so it is known that these following episodes are the names for the English version of the show.
- "Lost, One Dinky-Di"
- "The Compututor"
- "The Bilby Tale"
- "Bat Chat"
- "Good Wood"
- "Duke of Deceit"
- "The Dolphin Dare"
- "The Crustaceans"
- "Baron of Babel"
- "Sea Beneath the Sea, Beneath the Sea"
- "Funga Wunda"
- "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow"
- "Journey to Pedra Blanca"
- "Java Lava"
- "Straits of Sorrow"
- "The Howling Crystal"
- "Tapir Caper"
- "Mirage Master"
- "Small Hippo, Big Bust"
| Episode number# | Episode name | Written by | Original air date | Episode status |
| 01 | "Lost, One Dinky-Di" | Mel Bradford | 6 December 1997 | Found in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese and Polish dubs/Partially Lost |
| 02 | "The Compututor" | Neil Booth | 13 December 1997 | Found in Brazilian Portuguese dub |
| 03 | "The Mystery of the Land of Olgas" | 20 December 1997 | Lost | |
| 04 | "The Bilby Tale" | Mel Bradford | 27 December 1997 | Partially Found |
| 05 | "Bat Chat" | 3 January 1998 | Lost | |
| 06 | "Good Wood" | Neil Booth | 10 January 1998 | Partially found in Russian dub |
| 07 | "Duke of Deceit" | Neil Booth | 17 January 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 08 | Currently unknown | 24 January 1998 | Lost | |
| 09 | Currently unknown | 31 January 1998 | Lost | |
| 10 | "The Dolphin Dare" | 7 February 1998 | Lost | |
| 11 | "The Crustaceans" | 14 February 1998 | Lost | |
| 12 | "Baron of Babel" | Neil Booth | 21 February 1998 | Found |
| 13 | "Snail's Pace" | 28 February 1998 | Lost | |
| 14 | "Losers Have No Choice" | 6 March 1998 | Lost | |
| 15 | "In Defense of Forest Chanterelles" | 13 March 1998 | Lost | |
| 16 | "Return of Yak" | 20 March 1998 | Lost | |
| 17 | "Cranes to the Rescue" | 27 March 1998 | Lost | |
| 18 | "Black Chamber" | 3 April 1998 | Lost | |
| 19 | "Sea Beneath the Sea, Beneath the Sea" | Neil Booth | 10 April 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 20 | "Funga Wunda" | Neil Booth | 17 April 1998 | Found |
| 21 | "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" | Wayne Moore and Terry Burstall | 24 April 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 22 | "Journey to Pedra Blanca" | Neil Booth | 1 May 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 23 | "Java Lava" | Wayne Moore and Terry Burstall | 8 May 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 24 | "Tapir Caper" | Wayne Moore and Terry Burstall | 15 May 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 25 | "Mirage Master" | Mike Heffernan | 22 May 1998 | Found in Russian dub |
| 26 | "Small Hippo, Big Bust" | 29 May 1998 | Lost |
There is uncertainty of where the episodes "Straits of Sorrow" and "The Howling Crystal" go on the list of episodes.
Other names for the show
When it aired in Poland, the series' title was Grupa specjalna Eko. In Italy, the show was known as Parola d'ordine: arriviamo! The show is also known to have aired in the Arab world, Brazil, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal and Russia.Production
The series was created by Melvyn Edward Bradford, produced by Roo Films Brisbane from December 1989 to 1993, and distributed by Motion Picture Management Studios Australia. Originally scheduled to be completed by 1992, it experienced a series of lawsuits and legal battles during production, causing it to be delayed. The series would eventually air in New Zealand in 1992, Malaysia in 1994-1998, Italy in 1995, and Australia in 1997-1998. The series was animated by Pacific Rim Animation. The theme song, "Friends on Freedom's Frontier", and the episodes' songs, such as "Cross The Line " and "Don't Look Back", were composed and produced by Matthew Sloggett, with lyrics by Bradford and Bob LaCastra, while the soundtrack was composed by Garry McDonald and Laurie Stone and mixed at Grevillea Studios. The voices were recorded at Sunshine Studios, provided by Gennie Nevinson, Ric Melbourne, Lee Perry, Grahame Matters, and Tony Bellette.A 93-minute direct-to-video compilation film titled Mephisto's Web was commissioned in the first half of 1993 and completed in February-March 1994, but was never released, with the accounting firm, Krampel Newman & Partners Pty Ltd, cheating Bradford out of his money.
Revival attempts
In the late 2000s, four revivals of the series were attempted; a series of animated shorts named The Dinky-Di's 2, a graphic novel, a stop motion pilot and an animated sequel. The Dinky-Di's 2 was a continuation of the original series, where the Dinky-Di's were to face a new villain, Maraudo, and his holographic alien henchmen. The series would have also had a robot named DDRobo, who would work in the Dinky-Dis' High-Tech Control Room.Bradford was planning on giving the series a DVD release, but died at his computer desk of a cerebral aneurysm caused by coronary artery disease.
Credits list
Associate Producer – Mike HeffernanProduction Manager – Rhonda FortescueProduction Supervisor – Mark LovickProduction Co-Ordinator – Kerry MulgrewProduction Accountants – Debra Cole and Lyn Paeiz Production Secretary – Patricia Mcinally Production Receptionist – Tammy Sovenyhazi Script Editor – Mel BradfordAnimation – Pacific Rim StudiosStudio Representative – Richard Hindley Character Designers – Kelvin Hawley, Brian Doyle, Andrew Trimmer, Glenn Ford, Fräntz Kantor, Ray Van Steenwyk, Sue Schmidt, Paul Fitzgerald, and Ted BlackallBackgrounds – Dean Taylor – Mr. Big, Peter Sheehan, Kelvin Hawley, Paul Fitzgerald, Andrew Trimmer, Glenn Ford, Ray Van Steenwyk, Sue Schmidt, Fräntz Kantor, Ted BlackallProps – Kelvin Hawley, Glenn Ford, Paul Fitzgerald, Andrew Trimmer, Sue Schmidt, Fräntz Kantor, Brian Doyle, Ray Van Steenwyk, and Ted BlackallStory Boarders – Bob Smith, Kelvin Hawley, Bill Moselen, Ray Van Steenwyk, Glenn Ford, Fräntz Kantor, Steve LumleyScript Clerk – Fiona MattersVoice Recordings – Sunshine StudiosCharacter Voices – Gennie Nevinson, Ric Melbourne, Lee Perry, Grahame Matters, Tony BelletteMag Tracks – Hoyts JumbuckTheme Song/Cross The Line /Don't Run with the Pack/Love Comes to the Rescue/Don't Look Back/Don't Call Me A Hero/What About The Animals/Reach Out – Lyrics: Mel Bradford and Bob Lacastra, Composer: Matthew SloggettScore – Garry McDonald, Laurie StonePost Supervisor – Rod HerbertFilm Editor – Bob BladsallThis has the list of credits on the episode at the end.