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The Alvin Show

 
 

 

 
 

Prod. Notes:


 

October 1961 - September 1965,  CBS

February 1979 - September 1979,  CBS

Format Films

 

Cast:

 

Alvin .................................................................................. Ross Bagdasarian

Simon ................................................................................ Ross Bagdasarian

Theodore ........................................................................ Ross Bagdasarian

David Seville ................................................................. Ross Bagdasarian

Clyde Crashcup .............................................................. Sheperd Menken

Daisy Belle ................................................................................. June Foray

Mrs. Frumpington ..................................................................... Lee Patrick

Dragon .......................................................................................... Joe Besser

Voices ............................................................................................. Paul Frees

Voices ................................................................................................... Bill Lee

Voices ....................................................................................... Johnny Mann

Voices ................................................................................ William Sanford

 

 

Synopsis:

 


 
The world of Saturday morning is filled with stories of unlikely success, but The Alvin Show may have the best one of all. Somehow, a basement recording experiment turned into a multi-platinum single, which turned into two wildly popular animated series.

Ross Bagdasarian was a songwriter of moderate success at best, but taking the performing name David Seville, Bagdasarian recorded the surprise hit novelty single “Witch Doctor” in 1957. The sped-up “oo-ee-oo-ah-ah” of that song’s chorus caught on like wildfire, and Bagdasarian/Seville decided to push things further. Recording his own voice on four separate tracks, then speeding up three of the voices, Seville created “The Chipmunk Song,” part of a Chipmunk Christmas album (“Christmas, Christmas time is here…”). The “chipmunk” designation had come from Bagdasarian’s children, and the individual Chipmunk names - Alvin, Simon, and Theodore - were the names of Liberty Records executives Al Bennett, Si Warnoker, and Ted Keep.

“The Chipmunk Song” went on to sell five million copies, and the futures of Alvin, Simon and Theodore began looking brighter and brighter. Format Films was hired to bring the trio to television, and with the success of The Flintstones in 1960, CBS decided to debut the animated The Alvin Show on 1961’s prime time schedule.

The series dealt with the animated adventures of Dave Seville, a song-writing bachelor, and his three musically inclined chipmunk charges. Alvin was the brash leader, bespectacled Simon was the calmer and smarter one and Theodore was the pudgy giggler. They were constantly getting into mischief, initiated by Alvin, and forever frustrating poor Dave. Dave usually showed his displeasure with the antics of Alvin by emitting a loud "Al-l-l Vin-n-n!" Each episode also included a Chipmunk song, a sing-a-long segment, and a separate segment featuring the misadventures of the great inventor Clyde Crashcup.

Up against the hit Wagon Train, The Alvin Show fared poorly in prime time, but the characters themselves proved to be enormously popular with young viewers. And so, in 1962, The Alvin Show popped up in repeats on CBS’ Saturday morning. Here the show found a more welcome home, airing to widespread success for three seasons.

The show continued to run in syndication over the ensuing years, and Bagdasarian/Seville continued to release numerous Chipmunk albums. The songwriter died in 1972, but his creation remained popular long after his death. In 1979, NBC aired a season of The Alvin Show repeats, and in 1980, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. recorded a new album tiled Chipmunk Punk. Alvin, Simon and Theodore rocketed to resurgent fame, and in 1983, NBC unveiled the all-new Alvin and the Chipmunks. The new series was an instant hit, running for eight seasons, and Ross Bagdasarian’s unlikely success story continued to be written into the 1990s.

 


 

 
 
Episodes:
 

 

Good Neighbor

Ostrich

Squares

Sam Valiant, Private Nose

Overworked Alvin

Alvin's Curse

Alvin's Alter Ego

Stanley the Eagle

Fancy

Sam Valiant: Real Estate

Dude Ranch

Camping Trip

Bentley Van Rolls

The Whistler

Love Sick Dave

Jungle Rhythm

Theodore's Dog

Hillbilly Son

Little League

Eagle in Love

Alvin's Studio

Haunted House

Sir Alvin

Good Manners

Eagle Music

Disc Jockey

 

 

 

 

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