The Ultimate Guide to the Cartoons of the 1980s – Chapter 12: The Adventures of Raggedy Ann & Andy

Chapter 12: The Adventures of Raggedy Ann & Andy

Total Episodes: 13
Total Segments: 13
Episode Length: 22 Minutes

First Air Date: September 17th, 1988
Final Air Date: December 24th, 1988
Day(s) Aired: Saturdays
Channel: CBS
Reboot/Spin-Off Data: Remake for the 70th Anniversary of the Dolls. Not a direct reboot or spin-off of another series or movie
Based On: Raggedy Ann doll created by Johnny Gruelle introduced in 1915

Creator: Janis Diamond
Developed By: Janis Diamond
Producer: Davis Doi
Casting Director: Ginny McSwain
Director(s): Jeff Hall
Voice Director: Ginny McSwain
Writer(s):
Janis Diamond (4)
George Atkins (4)
Karen Willson (2)
Chris Weber (2)
Linda Woolverton
Sheryl Scarborough
Kayte Kuch
Gordon Bressack
Buzz Dixon

Music: Bobby Bennett and Dave Storrs

Production Companies: CBS Entertainment Productions

Component or Standalone: Standalone

What Came First: Dolls in 1915, Books in 1918

Episode List: (Click HERE for Episode Guide)

Season 1:
Episode 1: The Perriwonk Adventure
Episode 2: The Pirate Adventure
Episode 3: The Mabbit Adventure
Episode 4: The Beastly Ghost Adventure
Episode 5: The Pixling Adventure
Episode 6: The Ransom Sunny Bunny Adventure
Episode 7: The Megamite Adventure
Episode 8: The Boogeyman Adventure
Episode 9: The Christmas Adventure
Episode 10: The Sacred Cat Adventure
Episode 11: The Little Chicken Adventure
Episode 12: The Warrior Star Adventure
Episode 13: The Magic Wings Adventure

Main Cast:

Raggedy Ann: Christina Lange

Raggedy Andy: Josh Rodine

Grouchy Bear: Charlie Adler

Camel with the Wrinkled Knees: Ken Mars

Raggedy Dog: Dana Hill

Raggedy Cat: Kath Soucie

Sunny Bunny: Katie Leigh

Marcella: Tracy Rowe

Marcella’s Mom: Gaille Heidemann

Cracklin, Tick and Tack: Brian Cummings, Charlie Adler and Danny Mann [Doing research to confirm who voiced who]

Recurring Roles / Guest Roles:

Jim Cummings: Pirate Captain, Stalker, Trollit

Rob Paulsen: Tally-Ho, Indian Boy

Ruth Buzzi: Minx

Danny Cooksey: Cousin David

P.L. Brown: Boogeyman

Sheryl Bernstein: Helena

Christine Cavanaugh: Cody

Tony Jay: Ludlum

Ellen Gerstel: Princess Astra

Sherry Lynne: Lorelei

Nancy Cartwright: Little Chicken

Unconfirmed Credits (My Best Guesses):

Frank Welker: Cinge, Megamite, Sandbagger #2

Patty Paris: Nursemaid & Prince Luke

Jennifer Darling: Clea & Nephra

Hal Rayle: Genie, Guard 1, Guard 2

Russi Taylor: Magpie Flower

Neil Ross: Darek

Michael Bell: Mr. Grunge

Allan Melvin: Sandbagger #1, Indian Chief

Other Actors appearing in the series:

Bob Bergen, Cam Clarke, Peter Renaday, Bill Callaway, Hamilton Camp, David Prince, Dave Mallow, Maggie Roswell

Other Characters appearing in this series:

Synopsis:

The Adventures of Raggedy Ann & Andy was a reboot of the character to celebrate its 70th anniversary. In this version we are introduced to the Raggedy gang through a girl named Marcella. Marcella, who like Nanny from the Muppet Babies is never seen from the waist up, owns a variety of toys that come to life when she leaves, some of which make up Raggedy Ann, Andy and their friends Grouchy Bear, Raggedy Dog, Raggedy Cat, Sunny Bunny and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees. Once brought to life the toys venture out to the yard or the clubhouse which lead them to a fantasy land full of all kinds of different characters including, pirates, witches, princesses, dragons and monsters. Once they retrieve an artifcat, rescue one of the gang or complete their adventure, they return to the house and become inanimate again. The series consists of 13 episodes, most of which contain standalone stories. There are a few recurring characters, specifically the main villain of the series, Cracklin and his minions, Tick & Tack.

Overall Breakdown:

This series is well written and while it steals many ideas from the likes of Muppet Babies and the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, you can also see many parallels to things that come later on, such as the Toy Story franchise. The stories are inventive and the voice work for the most part is top notch, employing the likes of legendary voice artists such as Frank Welker, Jim Cummings, Charlie Adler, Bob Bergen, Cam Clarke, Rob Paulsen, Michael Bell, Hal Rayle, Russi Taylor, Nancy Cartwright, Kath Soucie and Katie Leigh among others. I especially appreciated the ninth episode, A Christmas Adventure, which sees a number of characters from previous episodes make repeat appearances in a story that highlights many of the previous episodes wrapped up with all of the typical holiday fun and cheer.

Where this series suffers perhaps though, is the fact that it’s main stars, Raggedy Ann and Andy, are simply not as magnetic as many of the other characters we had seen throughout the eighties. They had a look that was frozen in the past like those of Betty Boop and Mighty Mouse to the verge that many might even see them as too creepy to carry a series on their own. It’s no surprise that many horror films over the years have found it fitting to place these characters throughout their works in a way that brings out feelings of Chuckie from Child’s Play.

The other issue with this series is that it lacks the visual appeal that many of the shows of it’s time held. It comes across as a series that aired near the beginning of the decade NOT near the conclusion of it. It pales in comparison to the visuals we were shown in shows like Denver the Last Dinosaur, C.O.P.S. and Garfield and Friends which all came out the same year as Raggedy Ann & Andy. It has much more in common with the New Adventures of Beany & Cecil, another series that most would not peg as coming from 1988.

If you aren’t turned off by the lead characters or the overall visuals, there is some quality to glean from this series. Whether one outweighs the other is up to viewer discretion.

Overall Show Score: 3 / 5
Average Episode Rating on our Episode Guide: 3.04

Behind the Scenes/Fun Trivia:

• Raggedy Ann and Andy’s Grow and Learn Library is a series of 19 children’s books published by Lynx Books in 1988. The set also included a 20th book, the Parent’s Guide, which had a section on each book in the series. Each had a brief summary, went over the themes, and described activities kids and parents could do that related to the main message. The books were published the same year The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy started airing, and features many of the same characters and a similar art style.
• A Raggedy Ann doll can be seen on the toy shelf in the back of the classroom Andy Barclay was in while attending school in the Universal slasher film, Child’s Play 2.

Related Media/Merchandise – Toys – Comics:

There was a toyline in 1988 from Tara Toys but not much information is available on the details of that line. Along with a toyline the dolls got a re-release in 1988 and we also saw general merchandise appear with Raggedy Ann and Andy from color and activity books to lunch boxes and even it’s own Colorforms set

Title Screen and/or End Credit Shots: