Road Rovers

Road Rovers
Created byTom Ruegger
Jeff Gordon
Written byTom Ruegger
Mark Seidenberg
Directed byHerb Moore
StarringJess Harnell
Tress MacNeille
Jeff Bennett
Kevin Michael Richardson
Frank Welker
Joseph Campanella
Jim Cummings
Rob Paulsen
Sheena Easton
Theme music composerRichard Stone
ComposersGordon Goodwin
Don Harper
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerTom Ruegger
ProducerBob Doucette
Running time22 minutes
Production companyWarner Bros. Television Animation
Original release
NetworkKids' WB
ReleaseSeptember 7, 1996 (1996-09-07) –
February 22, 1997 (1997-02-22)

Road Rovers is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation that premiered on Kids' WB on September 7, 1996, and ended after one season on February 22, 1997.[1] It was later shown on Cartoon Network from February 7, 1998, until 2000.

The show follows the adventures of the Road Rovers, a team of five super-powered crime-fighting anthropomorphic dogs, known as "cano-sapiens". The characters all live with world leaders, including the President of the United States, the British Prime Minister, the Chancellor of Germany, the Swiss President and the President of Russia.[2]

Plot

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One year prior, in Socorro, New Mexico, Professor Shepherd was forced to relinquish his experimental transdogmafier technology to General Parvo in exchange for having his kidnapped dog Scout returned to him, but Parvo refused to do so and destroyed his laboratory. One year later, as Parvo mutates normal dogs into monsters, Shepherd, who miraculously survived the attack, takes measures to stop him.

Shepherd selects five different dogs and in his new, secret underground lab, he uses his new transdogmifier on the five, turning them into "Cano sapiens." These dogs are the pets of world leaders, and when called to action, they are a team of crime fighters known as the Road Rovers.

Characters

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  • Hunter (Jess Harnell)[3] – A Goldador from the United States and the leader of the team. Hunter is optimistic, funny, devoted, friendly, level-headed, and an effective leader. Hunter's power is super speed; this allows him to run faster than the speed of sound. He lives with President Bill Clinton in the White House. He also has a flirtatious relationship with Colleen in the later episodes of the series, which the latter reciprocates.
  • Colleen (Tress MacNeille)[3] – A no-nonsense Rough Collie from the United Kingdom, and the only female member of the Road Rovers. She is the coordinator of the team, always checking to see if everything is going well without any problems or issues. Colleen is also very athletic, being a skilled martial artist. She resides with the prime minister of the United Kingdom, John Major, and his wife Norma Johnson. She is openly attracted to Hunter, who she developed a flirtatious relationship with during later episodes of the series.
  • Exile (Kevin Michael Richardson)[3] – A Siberian Husky from Russia. His full name is Exilo Michalovitch Sanhusky. Exile speaks English with a thick Russian accent, sometimes mixing up words in the process. He is somewhat friendly and easygoing, but often clashes with Blitz. Exile is super strong and also has heat, ice, and night vision. He used to work with other huskies as a sled dog, but now lives with Russian president Boris Yeltsin. Exile and Blitz shared a running gag in which Blitz would make a comment that could be interpreted in various ways, to which Exile would reprimand Blitz for being a "weird boy".
  • Blitz (Jeff Bennett impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger)[3] – A Doberman from Germany. Unlike Hunter, Blitz is often selfish, immature, spiteful, faint-hearted, and has an ill temper. He has razor-sharp claws and strong jaws, which allow him to bite and cut through almost any substance. Blitz was formerly a guard dog for thieves, but now lives with German chancellor Helmut Kohl. Blitz attempts to flirt with Colleen several times over the series, part of a running gag in which his flirting is met with her pretending not to know who he is. This joke ran up until the series' final episode, at which point she finally acknowledges Blitz by name.
  • Shag (Frank Welker)[3] – A cowardly Old English Sheepdog from Switzerland, who lives with President Arnold Koller. Unlike the other Rovers, Shag is not fully anthropomorphic, is incapable of speech, and does not wear clothes. However, his dense fur enables him to store various objects for later use.
  • Muzzle (Frank Welker) – Professor Shepherd's Rottweiler, who was previously known as Scout before being kidnapped and experimented on by Parvo and driven insane. As a result, he is often restrained on a cart and only released when the Rovers need him.
  • Persia (Sheena Easton) – An Afghan Hound and commander of the Space Rovers.
  • Professor Hubert (David Doyle)[3] – A Bloodhound scientist.
  • Confusus – A wise dog who lives in the mountains.
  • Professor William Shepherd / "The Master" (Joseph Campanella)[3] – A geneticist who created the transdogmafier and the Road Rovers.
  • General Parvo (Jim Cummings)[3] – The Road Rovers' main enemy, who seeks to destroy Professor Shepherd and conquer the world. He was previously a cat before Shephard's assistant Jeffrey Otitus captured him and transformed him into a "Felo-Sapien". Unlike other transformed animals, he largely resembles a human except for his cat-like ears, which are usually hidden by his helmet.
  • The Groomer (Sheena Easton)[3] – General Parvo's assistant.
  • Zachary Storm (Larry Drake)[3] – A former member of the Navy with aspirations of world domination.
  • Eugene Atwater (Steve Franken)[3] – A professor and bug enthusiast.
  • Cano-mutants – Dogs who were turned into humanoid monsters and led by Parvo.
  • Werewolves – A pack of werewolves appearing in "A Hair of the Dog That Bit You". They are led by the Wolf King (Rob Paulsen).[3]

Episodes

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Series overview

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
113September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07)February 22, 1997 (1997-02-22)Kids' WB

Season 1 (1996-1997)

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Let's Hit the Road"Herb MooreTom Ruegger and Mark SeidenbergSeptember 7, 1996 (1996-09-07)
One year prior, General Parvo destroys Professor Shepherd's laboratory and steals his transdogmifier technology. In the present, Shepherd builds a new lab underground and recruits several dogs from around the world to become the Road Rovers and stop Parvo from perfecting the unstable transformation process. Afterwards, Shepherd arranges for the Rovers to be adopted by world leaders.
2"Storm from the Pacific"Jon McClenahanEarl Kress and Tom RueggerSeptember 14, 1996 (1996-09-14)
An unidentified assailant attacks a destroyer ship and steals the codes for a defense satellite. The Rovers eventually learn that the culprit is Zachary Storm, a disgruntled former Navy member who seeks to destroy the United States with the satellite. Storm captures the group, but Muzzle manages to free them and stop Storm, who escapes.
3"A Hair of the Dog That Bit You"Scott JeraldsJohn Ludin and Mark SeidenbergSeptember 21, 1996 (1996-09-21)
A werewolf pack attacks London and transforms several citizens, including the British royal family. While retrieving special swamp water to cure them, the Rovers discover that Colleen was turned into a werewolf after a battle with one and has been chosen to become the pack's leader. However, they manage to cure the wolves after intercepting their meeting at Stonehenge.
4"Where Rovers Dare"Herb MooreBrian Chin and Tom RueggerOctober 12, 1996 (1996-10-12)
Centuries prior, the bordering nations of Eisneria and Katzenstok lived in peace until eventually ravaging each other in a war. In the present, a group of rebels from Ovitznia led by Gustav Hovac steal a golden scepter from Katzenstok, with its residents accusing Eisnerian spies of being responsible and threatening to declare war again if the scepter is not recovered. Eventually, the Rovers learn of Hovac's plans and defeat him with help from a local wolf pack.
5"Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"Blair PetersNick DuboisOctober 26, 1996 (1996-10-26)
Several ninjas coordinate robberies around the world, stealing ancient Japanese artifacts that previously belonged to samurai. After infiltrating the ninjas' hideout, the Rovers learn that they are dog soldiers working for Parvo, who uses the artifacts to locate a cave containing living dinosaurs. After defeating Parvo, the Rovers seal the cave's entrance and return several of his dogs to normal.
6"The Dog Who Knew Too Much"Jon McClenahanEarl Kress and Tom RueggerNovember 2, 1996 (1996-11-02)
The Road Rovers rescue a dog, Sport, from a kidnapping operation and temporarily recruit him to testify against the suspected perpetrators. While traveling to the courthouse in Miami, the Rovers learn that Parvo and the Groomer are responsible and have forced Sport to work for them in exchange for reuniting with his owner Olivia Peru. However, they allow him to stay with them and expose the culprits.
7"Hunter's Heroes"Scott JeraldsJohn Ludin and Mark SeidenbergNovember 9, 1996 (1996-11-09)
Shag and Colleen infiltrate the headquarters of Parvo, who plans to transport his dog army around the world for a mass attack. As the two try to escape, the Rovers infiltrate the base themselves to rescue them. Eventually, they cut the base's power supply and rescue the captured dogs before returning them to their owners.
8"Dawn of the Groomer"Herb MooreMark SeidenbergNovember 16, 1996 (1996-11-16)
In 3,000 BC, two Egyptians attempt to perform a ritual to gain immortality before a storm buries the pyramid in sand. In the present, the Groomer acts against Parvo to capture and weaponize cats rather than dogs and chooses to leave his service, to his dismay. She attempts to perform the same ritual, which involves sacrificing the Rovers to the Egyptian gods, only to be foiled by them and rescued by Parvo. He reveals that he objected to her plans due to being part cat himself.
9"Still a Few Bugs in the System"Brad NeaveNick DuboisNovember 23, 1996 (1996-11-23)
Seeing that their dog army is not effective or aggressive enough, Parvo and the Groomer steal the research of professor and bug enthusiast Eugene Atwater and mutate his insects using radiation treatments and the Cano-Mutator. However, the insects refuse to obey Parvo and attempt to cause a worldwide nuclear winter with them as the sole survivors until the Rovers stop them and return them to normal.
10"Reigning Cats and Dogs"Herb MooreTom Ruegger and Mark SeidenbergFebruary 1, 1997 (1997-02-01)
After a failed attempt to stabilize his body and become fully human, Parvo is reverted to his original form as a cat and transported back in time, where Shepherd adopts him. However, Shepherd's colleague Jeffrey Otitus kidnaps Parvo, transforms him back into his humanoid form, and works with him to experiment on Shepherd's dog Scout, transforming him into Muzzle. After the Rovers defeat Parvo and everyone returns to the present, it is revealed that Hunter and Muzzle first met after being captured by animal control officers.
11"Gold and Retrievers"Jon McClenahanJeff Kwitny and Tom RueggerFebruary 8, 1997 (1997-02-08)
Luka, a blind Brazilian boy, has visions of the Road Rovers and a magic pyramid that can grant any wish to the pure of heart. Meanwhile, Parvo and the Groomer flood the global economy with gold from the pyramid, causing it to collapse. After meeting Luka and learning that Parvo kidnapped his guide dog Oso, the Rovers set out to rescue him. Parvo attempts to use the pyramid to wish for world domination, but it rejects him and instead grants Oso's wish to restore Luka's sight.
12"Take Me to Your Leader"Brian Chin and Scott JeraldsNick Dubois and Mark SeidenbergFebruary 15, 1997 (1997-02-15)
After his previous encounter with the Road Rovers, Zachary Storm is sentenced to life imprisonment before being rescued by mercenaries, who he works with to launch attacks around the world and brainwash world leaders into fighting one another. The Rovers defeat and capture Storm, but their owners continue to fight and threaten to declare war. Having no time to transform, the Rovers are forced to stop the threat as normal dogs, stalling their owners until the brainwashing wears off.
13"A Day in the Life"Scott JeraldsTom RueggerFebruary 22, 1997 (1997-02-22)
The episode showcases an ordinary day for the Rovers, consisting of freeing hostages, attending a peace treaty signing at the United Nations, and tracking down Parvo's UFO. Hunter takes time off to visit his mother on a ranch in Wyoming, but returns to save his friends from Parvo, who threatens to kill them with lava.

Home media

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A multi-region DVD of the entire series was announced on February 4, 2015, by Warner Archive and released on February 10, 2015. All of the episodes can be purchased digitally on Amazon Prime, Google TV, Apple TV, and YouTube.

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A statue of Hunter makes a cameo appearance in The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries episode "The Stilted Perch".

The Road Rovers make cameo appearances in the Histeria! episode "Big Fat Baby Theatre" and the Teen Titans Go! episode "Huggbees". Also, Loud Kiddington's dog "Fetch" bears a strong resemblance to Hunter.

References

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  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 507–508. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 669–670. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Road Rovers (1996 TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 19, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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See Also

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