Dudley and the Changing Cast
In the mid-1990s the supernatural came into vogue on kids TV. Shows like Goosebumps (1995-1998) and Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1991-1996, 1999-2000) involved schoolkids getting involved in paranormal adventures. Even The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon participated in the trend. “It’s fun to be scared!” was the message in “The Spooky Castle”, “Dudley […]
All Hail the Prince
Come one, come all. Come see the Prince. See him wear the finest clothes. Behold his golden crown. Bask in the light of his rugged handsomeness. Observe that he never sweats. His teeth are like pearls; no cavities can touch them. When he speaks, even William Shatner can envy … the dramatic pauses … he […]
Dudley’s Kids
For the first two seasons, brother-and-sister Matt and Sally served as Dudley’s human contacts in the modern world. To the viewers at home, they had at least three functions on the show. (1. They provided a reality-based anchor in a fantasy world. (2. Young viewers had young heroes to relate to. Viewers could learn from […]
Dudley on Parade
In 1995, Dudley had another opportunity to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This time, he would appear as a $350,000 balloon: 65-feet tall, 28-feet wide, 45-feet long wearing 20-foot sneakers. And he would lead the parade! Behind him would trail 22 floats, 14 marching bands, 1,000 cheerleaders and marchers, and 17 other large […]
There’s Gold in Them Thar Dragons
Dudley the Dragon’s merchandising potential was enticing. Already, Breakthrough had seen its gross revenue rise from $100,000 in the mid-1980s to $5 million as of May 1994. By June 1995, Breakthrough had signed 72 licensees—52 American, 20 Canadian—to market Dudley products. The Canadian licensing agent, Art Kraus of Castle Licensing Inc., estimated that Dudley’s worth […]
The Pro-Social Dragon
Dudley’s second season began the weekend of October 1-2, 1994 in Canada. The show had lost most of its environmental sponsors but gained financial support from other sources. (See previous posts.) With a change in sponsors came a change in themes. And so it would be for the remainder of the series. Season One taught […]
Dudley’s First Appearance at Macy’s
November 24, 1994. Thanksgiving Day, America. The 68th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York would be televised to some 45 million viewers. Newspapers and TV newscasts would report about it nationwide. What an opportunity to promote Dudley the Dragon to the American public! In his first Macy’s appearance, Dudley was just an actor […]
Licensing the Dragon
June 4-5, 1994. Dudley the Dragon appeared at the PBS National Convention in Florida, his debut in America. By then, 150 PBS stations had committed for 25 episodes. The list continued to grow, and why not? For them, the show was free. Executive producer Peter Williamson explained: “Dudley is underwritten by Vail Associates [a ski […]
The Second Dudley
Alex Galatis wore the costume for Dudley the Dragon‘s first two seasons. After that, Kirk Dunn performed the character while Galatis continued providing his voice. The blend was seamless. In May 1999, Dunn recalled winning the role: “I showed up for this audition. They put me into a body puppet. My right arm went up […]
