Touché Turtle and Dum Dum, 1962
Classic kids animated TV series that debuted in the USA in 1962 as one of the three segments on the anthology show The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series.
It was picked in the UK by the BBC in the 1970’s and was part of another animated anthology series they would show during the summer holidays ‘Lippy The Lion’. Touché broke away and was repeated in various kids TV segments by the BBC during the 1970’s and 80’s. It briefly popped up again as part of what was the Children’s BBC service in the late 19080’s early 1990’s.
Episodes were 7 minutes long and Hanna-Barbera made 52 of them between 1962 and 1963.
Summary
Touché Turtle (voiced by Bill Thompson, known for voicing another famous cartoon character – Droopy) and his dim-witted sheepdog sidekick Dum Dum (voiced by Alan Reed, known for voicing Fred Flintstone) were a pair of heroic fencers who battle villains and heroically save kings, queens, and others in distress.
The series did not follow any lasting timeline or continuity. Touché adventures happened everywhere from the Old West to the Middle Ages alongside adventures in what was the present (1960’s).
A running gag in nearly every episode showed him keeping a telephone inside his shell, and it would ring at inopportune moments when someone called for help. Touché would politely excuse himself, duck into his shell, and take the call regardless of where he was at the time.
Clips
Voices Of
Bill Thompson
Alan Reed
Details
Channel: BBC1 (UK)
Produced By: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Originally Transmitted: 1962 – 63 (USA), 1970’s (UK)