Dumbo's Circus was a live-action/puppet

Puppet

A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....

 television series that aired on Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

, featuring the character of Dumbo from the original film

Dumbo

Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...

.

Many of the show's cast went on to star is the popular Christian radio series, Adventures in Odyssey

Adventures in Odyssey

Adventures in Odyssey , or simply Odyssey, is an Evangelical Christian-themed radio drama/comedy series created by Focus on the Family in 1987. The show's daily audience averages around 1.2 million within North America. The Odyssey series also includes several spin-off items, including a home-video...

.

Background

In the show, Dumbo has grown up, is able to speak, and has struck out on his own to begin his own circus. He and a cast of characters fly from town to town, in a wagon pulled through the air by Dumbo, performing their "greatest little show on earth". Other than Dumbo, none of the characters from the original film appeared in the show. Each character would perform a particular talent, which ranged from dancing and singing to telling knock knock jokes.

Characters

• Dumbo: Also known as the "World's Only Flying Elephant
  Elephant
  Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
  
  ". Star of the circus, Dumbo still relies on his magic feather to help him fly. He can usually be seen pulling the Circus wagon from place to place up in the sky. Often talks to the camera (breaking the fourth wall) towards the boys and girls watching the show, telling them when it's time for a song or for the sideshow. Being an elephant, Dumbo's memory is usually very good, his hearing is very sharp and sometimes his sneezes are often strong - strong enough to cause some wind.
• Lionel: A Brooklyn
  Brooklyn
  Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
  
   accented lion
  Lion
  The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
  
   who serves as Dumbo's right-hand partner, popcorn server, ticket taker and sideshow barker. Has a knot in his tail. Lionel was inspired by the character of Timothy Q. Mouse from the 1941 film.
• Fair Dinkum: Also known as "Dink" for short, he is a koala
  Koala
  The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
  
   who serves as ringmaster of the circus. As he is from Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  , he has the accent they have as well. There are a few things that Dink is afraid of - heights (so he's scared of flying) and drowning in the water being a few of them. His name comes from the Australian phrase, "fair dinkum".
• Barnaby Bowser: A goofy dog
  Dog
  The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
  
   who is the circus clown/magician as "Barnaby the Great". Known for saying "Ah-hee-ee-ee-ee-ee" whenever he laughs, and sounds like he's from the south. His magic tricks don't always work out the way he wants them to. Good friends with Lionel and Q.T. He also gets scared easily. Often hums his signature song "I'm Just a Lucky Dog". Comes from a big family - Edison Bowser (who invented flea powder), Isadoga Bowser (a famous dancer who perfected the "Dog trot"), Julia Bowser (Barnaby's favorite as she invented the hot dog) and his famous Uncle Lattimer Bowser, III.
• Lilli: The only female character before Matilda appeared, Lilli is a beautiful cat
  Cat
  The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
  
   who serves as a tightrope artist in the circus. Sometimes wears glasses because of her bad eyesight - mostly to see things that are very close like books, signs and to play checkers. Likes pretty things.
• Q.T.: A slow-witted, but good-natured orangutan
  Orangutan
  Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
  
   who is the resident strongman and calliope player (in earlier episodes he was accompanied by a small pink creature while playing the calliope). He makes friends easily, and has other talents, like kite making. Sometimes doesn't know his own strength. Looks slightly similar to King Louie
  King Louie
  King Louie is a fictional orangutan who kidnaps Mowgli in Disney's 1967 animated musical adaptation of The Jungle Book. He is voiced by Louis Prima in the film and therefore has his same mannerisms...
  
   from Disney's The Jungle Book
  The Jungle Book (1967 film)
  The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released on October 18, 1967, it is the 19th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was inspired by the stories about the feral child Mowgli from the book of the same name by...
  
  .
• Sebastian: A purple alley cat
  Alley cat
  Alley cat may refer to:*Stray cat, a homeless domestic cat; or, less probably:*Feral cat, a cat which has been separated from domestication*Alley Cat Rescue, an organization that rescues feral and homeless cats*Alley Cat , a 1984 action film...
  
   who is usually reduced to janitorial duties and likes to nap any chance he gets. Sometimes tricks others (usually Q.T.) to do his own work, but sometimes his tricks backfire on him. In the side show, Sebastian has a ventriliquist dummy with him called Sly.

Other characters

• Flip & Flap: A comitic duo who are usually seen during the side show, telling each other jokes. They are identifiable by their appearances - Flip has long rabbit ears, and Flap has a red afro and a pig-like nose.
• Rinkum Dinkum: A later addition to the series, Rinkum is Fair Dinkum's older brother. In contrast to Fair Dinkum, Rinkum is much more brave and doesn't scare easily. Like his brother, Rinkum speaks in an Australian accent. During the Side Show, Rinkum puts on a show in which the audience has to guess what country he once visited and is pretending to be from.
• Matilda Dinkum: Another later addition to the series, Matilda is Rinkum and Fair Dinkum's younger sister and loves to dance. Also known as "Matty". Like her brothers, she speaks with an Australian accent.
• Lattimer Bowser, III: Barnaby's uncle who is a famous explorer. He looks like Barnaby, but is much older, with a moustache (which he occasionally brushes with his hands), and wears a monocle and a pith helmet. Speaks with an English accent.
• Fira: Lilli's aunt, who speaks with an upper class accent. Looks like Lilli, but whereas Lilli only wears glasses for reading, she wears glasses all the time. Finds Sebastian to be sneaky, even if he is a cat.
• Mrs. Jumbo: Dumbo's mother, whom he sometimes talk about.

Voices

• Katie Leigh
  Katie Leigh
  Katherine "Katie" Leigh is an American voice actress best known for her role as Connie Kendall on the Focus on the Family radio program Adventures in Odyssey since 1987...
  
   - Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Misc. others
• Walker Edmiston
  Walker Edmiston
  -Career:Walker Edmiston was an American character actor and voice-over artist who was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Edmiston appeared on various television programs in character roles during the 1950s – 1970s, such as Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Knots Landing, and The Dukes of Hazzard, all...
  
   - Q.T. the Orangutan
• Patricia Parris
  Patricia Parris
  Patricia Parris is an American voice actress, who provided the voice of Daisy Duck in Mickey's Christmas Carol and Shelly on Jabberjaw ....
  
   - Lilli the Cat, Misc. others
• Jim Cummings
  Jim Cummings
  James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
  
   - Lionel the Lion, Aunt Fira, Misc. others
• Will Ryan
  Will Ryan
  Will Ryan is an American voice actor and producer–writer–composer, well-known for singing about the American West. In the late seventies he teamed up with Phil Baron as Willio and Phillio. They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the US...
  
   - Barnaby Bowser the Goofy Dog, Misc. others
• Hal Smith
  Hal Smith (actor)
  Harold John "Hal" Smith was an American character actor and voice actor. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts...
  
   - Fair Dinkum and Rinkum Dinkum the Koala Bear brothers, Misc. others
• Ron Gans
  Ron Gans
  Ronald Kenneth Gans , sometimes credited as Ron Kennedy, was an American voice-over artist and character actor, known for portraying Sebastian the alley cat on The Disney Channel's Dumbo's Circus and the voice of Eeyore on Welcome to Pooh Corner. He also voiced the Stunticon Drag Strip in The...
  
   - Sebastian the Alley Cat, Misc. others
• Laurie Main
  Laurie Main
  Laurence "Laurie" Main is an English former actor. Although Main appeared in many films and television series since the 1950s, he is perhaps best known for hosting and narrating the children's series Welcome to Pooh Corner, which aired on The Disney Channel during the 1980s.His television guest...
  
   - Uncle Lattimer Bowser, III
• Mona Marshall
  Mona Marshall
  Mona M. Ianotti is an American voice actress. She is often cast in the role of young boys. Her roles have included parts in not only Japanese anime, but also in American cartoons as well. Mona Marshall has recently lent her voice to the talking bear Koby the Study Buddy...
  
   - Misc. others
• Phil Baron
  Phil Baron
  Philip Mitchell Baron is an American voice actor, puppeteer and songwriter who voiced Piglet in the Disney Channel live-action/puppet television series Welcome to Pooh Corner...
  
   - Misc. others

Songs

• "Dumbo's Circus" (Opening theme song)
• "The Big Parade" (Dumbo, Lionel, Barnaby and the Chorus)
• "Clowning Around" (Chorus)
• "I'm Just a Lucky Dog" (Barnaby)
• "I'm an Elephant Too" (Fair Dinkum) (Some episodes plays it during the closing credits instead of "Gotta Fly")
• "I Love the Circus" (Chorus) (Some episodes plays it during the closing credits instead of "Gotta Fly")
• "Hand Clappin'" (Barnaby and Lionel)
• "March to the Music" (Lionel)
• "Dumbo's Up in the Air" (Chorus)
• "A Genuine Clown" (Barnaby)
• "Gotta Fly" (Regular Closing theme song)

Side-show acts

• Sebastian and Sly
• Flip and Flap
  • Flip and Flap at the Restaurant
• Dumbo's Nursery Rhymes
• Barnaby's Magic Show
• Q.T.'s Knock-Knock Jokes
• Lilli's Tongue Twisters
• Rinkum Dinkum's Make-Believe
• Lilli's Mystery

Episodes

• Dumbolina
• All 'bout Hat
• Never Trust a Stranger
• Farmer's Circus
• Lilli's Surpries Birthday
• Finding the perfect Gift
• Blue Grass Contest
• Lilli Come's Home
• The Annual Summer Parade
• Welcome to Melody Land
• A Lion Needs a Mane
• She's Really Something Special
• Tiny Town
• Yippi-ki-bow-wow
• Sandwich Hero
• Elephant
• Bye Bye Birdie
• Lilli's hat Dance
• A Taste of Medicine
• Scratch Scratch
• One Size Fits All
• Ragweed Rag
• A Present for Lionel
  • All in a Day's Play
• A Better Bet
• The Perfect Peanut
• Lionel goes to Town
• Stingman Contest
• Tricky Sebastian
• 40 winks for Dinks
• Home Sweet Home
• Hide and Seek
• Ear Trouble
• Barnaby Takes a Hike
• Quartet for Five
• The Big Switch
• Nine Lucks of Sebastian on a Disney Channel 1985
• Barnaby's Magic Coat
• Dear Diary
• Sports Town
• Blue Grass
• Rinkum's Return
• Double Dink
• Concertine for two
• Invisble Box
• Barnaby Cried Uncle
• Uncle Lattimer says "Merci"
• Sebastian Little Helper
• Ring Around the Circus
• Masquerade
• Perfect Weather
• The Magical Musical Machine
• If I Ran the Circus
• Calliope Calamity
• Friends time three
• Lionel Bubble Machine
• Quiet Please
• Sticky Fingers
• Sebastian Treasure
• the Race
• Meet Me at the Fair
• Over the Rainbow
• Eyeglasses
• Whoops-a-daisy
• Everyboby's Doing it
• Dink's New Job
• A Day at the Circus
• Luckville
• Budgadumbo
• Circus Sweeties
• The Odd Couple
• Magic B-day Cake
• Lionel Weather Machine
• A Very Special Place
• The Treasure
• Christmas at the Circus
• Here's Matty
• Lionel's Singing Lesson
• The Five Wishes
• All Abroad
• Birthday Birthday
• Helo's Dink
• Circus Trainer
• Help Wanted
• Dancing Matila
• Everyone should have a Song
• Clowning Around
• My Fair Everybody
• Stormy Night
• Catchy Tune
• Matty's Beautiful Doll
• Tell Me a Story
• Adventures through Reading
• Goldie
• Matty's Magical Mystery Tour
• Music, Maestro Please
• The Gang's all Here
• Adventure Adventure
• Think all the Times

Trivia

• The cast members are human-sized anthropomorphic animals played by people in puppet suits using technology developed by Ken Forsse
  Ken Forsse
  Ken Forsse is an American inventor, author, and producer who created the hit toy Teddy Ruxpin and the subsequent animated series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin....
  
  , the creator of Teddy Ruxpin
  Teddy Ruxpin
  Teddy Ruxpin is a children's toy talking bear. The bear would move his mouth and eyes while 'reading' stories which were played on an audio tape cassette deck built into his back. It was created by Ken Forsse with later assistance by Larry Larsen and John Davies. Later versions would use a digital...
  
  . The same production technique was used for Welcome to Pooh Corner
  Welcome to Pooh Corner
  Welcome to Pooh Corner is a live-action/puppet television series that aired on Disney Channel, featuring the characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe portrayed by actors in human-sized puppet suits, except Roo, who was originally a traditional puppet...
  
  .

• The wagon used in the show is now on display in the walk-in prop warehouse of the Studio Backlot Tour
  Studio Backlot Tour
  The Studio Backlot Tour is an attraction at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is a combination of a walking and tram tour of the backlot area of the park.-The queue area:...
  
   at Disney's Hollywood Studios
  Disney's Hollywood Studios
  Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
  
   in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
  Lake Buena Vista, Florida
  Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
  
  .

• Barnaby shares a trait with Rabbit from Welcome to Pooh Corner (also voiced by Will Ryan) - both are gifted magicians. The only difference being that Rabbit's tricks usually work well, whereas Barnaby's doesn't always work the way he wants them to.

• When the series first started, Sebastian is seen wearing only his hat, vest and short pants. After a few episodes, he is given a white t-shirt to go with it.

• Unlike Welcome to Pooh Corner, the show never had any VHS releases.