Pole Position (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Pole Position is an animated cartoon series produced by DIC Entertainment
.
The name Pole Position was used under license from Namco
, who held the rights to the name due to the video game Pole Position. The show sought to capitalize on the popularity of the video game. However, there is very little in common between the game and the show.
in 1984
as part of their Saturday morning children's programming line-up, and later returned in reruns for a few months in 1986. It was also shown in the UK during the 1980s on CBBC
and repeated in the early 1990s on Saturday mornings as part of Going Live on BBC1.
The show featured three young sibling crime fighters, two of whom were stunt drivers and part of a secret government operation under the guise of the "Pole Position Stunt Show" that was run by their uncle. The youths inherited the role after their parents died in an unfortunate car accident
. The team is equipped with two high-tech talking vehicles named "Roadie" and "Wheels."
The vehicles featured numerous hidden gadgets like water skis and hover jets. The vehicles' computers themselves are portable and can be removed from the dashboards and carried around using handles (thus they are often referred to as "the modules"). They are characters that appeared as computer-drawn faces displayed on video screens.
A 2-disc DVD set with all 13 episodes is available for Region 1 from Exposure Entertainment.
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
.
The name Pole Position was used under license from Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, who held the rights to the name due to the video game Pole Position. The show sought to capitalize on the popularity of the video game. However, there is very little in common between the game and the show.
Overview
Pole Position ran for 13 episodes on CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1984
1984 in television
This article is a list of television-related events in 1984.-Events:*January 9 – Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" ad first airs, which propels Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase to national prominence....
as part of their Saturday morning children's programming line-up, and later returned in reruns for a few months in 1986. It was also shown in the UK during the 1980s on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
and repeated in the early 1990s on Saturday mornings as part of Going Live on BBC1.
The show featured three young sibling crime fighters, two of whom were stunt drivers and part of a secret government operation under the guise of the "Pole Position Stunt Show" that was run by their uncle. The youths inherited the role after their parents died in an unfortunate car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
. The team is equipped with two high-tech talking vehicles named "Roadie" and "Wheels."
The vehicles featured numerous hidden gadgets like water skis and hover jets. The vehicles' computers themselves are portable and can be removed from the dashboards and carried around using handles (thus they are often referred to as "the modules"). They are characters that appeared as computer-drawn faces displayed on video screens.
Characters
- Tess Darrett - Tess is the older sister and "de factoDe factoDe facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
" leader of the group who drives Wheels. Tess is voiced by Lisa LindgrenLisa Lindgren (American actress)Lisa Lindgren is an American actress, not to be confused with the Swedish actress of the same name. She played Kathy Summers in the soap opera General Hospital in 1980 and Cindy Spooner in Hill Street Blues in 1981...
. - Dan Darrett - Tess' hot-headed brother who drives Roadie. Dan is voiced by David CoburnDavid CoburnDavid Coburn is an American actor, voice actor and singer. He is best known as the voice of Captain Planet in the TV series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers.-Filmography:...
. - Daisy Darrett - The younger pre-teen sister of Dan and Tess. Daisy is voiced by Kaleena KiffKaleena KiffKaleena Kiff is an American actress, producer, and director. Kiff is best known for her roles in the sitcoms Love, Sidney and The New Leave It to Beaver.-Career:...
. - Dr. Zachary Darrett - A wheelchairWheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-using engineer and uncle of the Darret kids. He runs the Pole Position operation and is responsible for the development of the vehicles. He is voiced by Jack AngelJack AngelJack Angel is an American voice actor, who has worked on many children's television series, movies and video games.-Life and career:Angel was born in Modesto, California...
. - Kuma - Daisy's pet, Kuma is a genetic creation and is a strange cross between a raccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
and a monkeyMonkeyA monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
(though the name "Kuma" is derived from the Japanese word for "bearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
"). Kuma is voiced by Marilyn SchrefflerMarilyn SchrefflerMarilyn Schreffler was an American actress, who provided voice-overs for several animated TV programs, mostly for Hanna-Barbera Productions.-Life:Born in Concordia, Kansas, and had an affinity for cartoons since age 6...
. - Wheels - a red and black 1965 Ford MustangFord Mustang (first generation)The first-generation Ford Mustang is the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.It was initially introduced as a hardtop and convertible with the fastback version put on sale the following year...
driven by Tess. Wheels' AIArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
computer is more careful than his counterpart Roadie and frequently says he's "getting too old for this" when part of a mission becomes most pivotal. Wheels is voiced by Melvin FranklinMelvin FranklinDavid Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
(who was a member of the singing group The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
). - Roadie - a more futuristic-looking light-blue coupe driven by Dan. Roadie's AI computer is very smart and typically tries to keep Dan out of trouble. Roadie is voiced by Darryl HickmanDarryl HickmanDarryl Gerard Hickman is an American film and television actor, former television executive, and child star of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
.
List of episodes
| Episode | Title | Aired | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Code | 15 September 1984 | A spy steals the control codes to Roadie and Wheels in an attempt to get his hands on the high-tech cars. |
| 2 | The Canine Vanishes | 22 September 1984 | The team goes to the Florida Everglades looking for Pandora, a lost dog that is carrying an important vaccine. They must find the dog before enemy agents gets their hands on her. |
| 3 | The Chicken Who Knew Too Much | 29 September 1984 | The team protects a chicken, given to them as a gift from an archaeologist. But when a bad guy shows up to abduct the fowl, the team must figure out the bird's link to finding a hidden treasure. |
| 4 | Strangers on the Ice | 9 October 1984 | The team is assigned to deliver satellite equipment to a mountain research station but the equipment is stolen, and a snow storm thwarts the kids' attempts at getting it back. |
| 5 | The Race | 13 October 1984 | The team enters a race suspected to be used to smuggle a computer chip out of the country. |
| 6 | The Thirty-Nine Stripes | 20 October 1984 | The team is assigned to protect museum paintings that are being mysteriously vandalized; the cut pieces secretly contain a diagram for an advanced computer chip. |
| 7 | The Thirty-One Cent Mystery | 27 October 1984 | Kuma uncovers a plot to steal an Indian totem hidden somewhere at Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States... . He tries to warn the others with a quarter Quarter (United States coin) A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth ¼ of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796. The choice of 25¢ as a denomination, as opposed to 20¢ which is more common in other parts of the world, originated with the practice of dividing... , nickel Nickel (United States coin) The nickel is a five-cent coin, representing a unit of currency equaling five hundredths of one United States dollar. A later-produced Canadian nickel five-cent coin was also called by the same name.... , and a penny Penny A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:... (31 cents) all of which have the same presidents as the monument; Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. |
| 8 | Dial M for Magic | 3 November 1984 | The team gets stuck in a weird town controlled by a strange illusionist. |
| 9 | The Bear Affair | 10 November 1984 | The team searches for an abducted engineer who designed Roadie and Wheels. The only clues to finding him lie in a talking teddy bear Teddy bear The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items... . |
| 10 | To Clutch a Thief | 17 November 1984 | Tess is made carnival queen during a hometown festival, but an amulet she wears gets stolen. Clues lead to a jealous woman angry that she wasn't chosen as queen. |
| 11 | The Secret | 24 November 1984 | The team is stranded in an unfriendly town and harassed by the local sheriff Sheriff A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country.... . The unwelcoming treatment leads the team to suspect criminal activity at the town's gold mine and that the sheriff may be involved. |
| 12 | Shadow of a Trout | 1 December 1984 | Uncle Zach is missing, and the kids find out they are suspects in his disappearance. |
| 13 | The Trouble with Kuma | 8 December 1984 | The kids go to an island threatened by a tsunami Tsunami A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake... to rescue Dr. Lungo (Kuma's creator). They find that Lungo's shady assistants are trying to kill him and steal his genetic research. |
Principal cast
- Jack AngelJack AngelJack Angel is an American voice actor, who has worked on many children's television series, movies and video games.-Life and career:Angel was born in Modesto, California...
- Dr. Zachary Darrett - David CoburnDavid CoburnDavid Coburn is an American actor, voice actor and singer. He is best known as the voice of Captain Planet in the TV series, Captain Planet and the Planeteers.-Filmography:...
- Dan Darrett - Melvin FranklinMelvin FranklinDavid Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
- Wheels - Darryl HickmanDarryl HickmanDarryl Gerard Hickman is an American film and television actor, former television executive, and child star of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
- Roadie - Kaleena KiffKaleena KiffKaleena Kiff is an American actress, producer, and director. Kiff is best known for her roles in the sitcoms Love, Sidney and The New Leave It to Beaver.-Career:...
- Daisy Darrett - Lisa LindgrenLisa Lindgren (American actress)Lisa Lindgren is an American actress, not to be confused with the Swedish actress of the same name. She played Kathy Summers in the soap opera General Hospital in 1980 and Cindy Spooner in Hill Street Blues in 1981...
- Tess Darrett - Marilyn SchrefflerMarilyn SchrefflerMarilyn Schreffler was an American actress, who provided voice-overs for several animated TV programs, mostly for Hanna-Barbera Productions.-Life:Born in Concordia, Kansas, and had an affinity for cartoons since age 6...
- Kuma
Additional voices
- Jared Barclay -
- Philip L. ClarkePhilip L. ClarkePhilip Lewis Clarke is an American voice actor. He has provided voices in various TV series, films, and video games, but is most notable for his leading role as Malcolm Betruger in Doom 3. He also voiced the villain Doctor Go in Challenge of the GoBots....
- - Brian CummingsBrian CummingsBrian Cummings is an American voice actor.-Biography:He is known for his work in radio and television commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on The All-New Let's Make a Deal from 1984 to 1985...
- - Erv Immerman -
- Paul Kirby -
- Derek McGrathDerek McGrathDerek McGrath is a Canadian actor.He is known for his roles in Cheers as "Andy-Andy" Schroeder , Dr. Benjamin Jeffcoate in My Secret Identity, Crewman Chell in Star Trek: Voyager, and as Dr. Derek Hebert in Doc...
- - Tony PopeTony PopeAnthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,...
- - Neil RossNeil RossTheodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
- - Steve SchatzbergSteve SchatzbergSteve Schatzberg is an American voice actor who is also known as Steven Schatzberg.He was probably best known for doing the singing voice of Piglet in two films of Winnie the Pooh which included Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving.He also...
- - Hal SmithHal 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...
- - Robert TowersRobert Towers-Animated roles:* Doctor Dolittle - Various Animals* Kidd Video - Cool Cat* Pole Position - Additional Voices-Film roles:* Masters of the Universe - Karg* Switch - Mental Patient...
-
DVD release
On April 21, 2008, Brightspark Productions released a 4-disc box set containing all 13 complete episodes of the series on DVD in the UK.A 2-disc DVD set with all 13 episodes is available for Region 1 from Exposure Entertainment.