Wacky Races (2017 TV series)

Image
Genre	Action Comedy Fantasy
Developer	Rebecca Himot Tramm Wigzell
Voices	Peter Woodward Billy West Nicole Parker Diedrich Bader Tom Kenny Jill Talley Christopher Judge
Theme Music Composer	Hoyt Curtin
Composer	Michael McCuistion Lolita Ritmanis Kristopher Carter Kevin Riepl
Country	United States
Language	English
Num Seasons	2
Num Episodes	78
List Episodes	List of Wacky Races (2017 TV series) episodes
Executive Producer	Sam Register
Producer	Mike Disa Jeff Siergey
Editor	Craig Paulsen
Runtime	11 minutes
Company	Warner Bros. Animation Hanna-Barbera Cartoons
Network	Boomerang
First Aired	2017-8-14
Last Aired	2019-11-24

Wacky Races is an American crossover animated comedy television series developed by Rebecca Himot and Tramm Wigzell. It is a reboot/revival series, but serves as a sequel to the 1968–69 Hanna-Barbera animated series of the same name. The show debuted in 2017 on Boomerang's video on demand service in the United States. The second season of the show premiered on November 29, 2018.

Summary

The series features the return of some of the characters from the original Wacky Races program: Dick Dastardly, Muttley, Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect and the Gruesome Twosome. More than half of the original characters do not return. Several new characters were introduced, including new racer I. Q. Ickly, announcer Brick Crashman, racing sponsor P. T. Barnstorm, and Penelope's twin sister Pandora Pitstop.

While the reboot is based on the original series, it also focuses on the Racers' personal lives; storylines are added and there usually is no actual winner or loser at the end of each race. There is also meta-humor and fourth wall breaking.

Characters

Main

Dick Dastardly the Third and Muttley (voiced by Peter Woodward and Billy West): In this modern series, Dick Dastardly is still up to his usual trickery and cheating activities, though is now often badgered into either being nice or not cheating by Peter Perfect. Unlike before, his appearance is predominantly purple in color instead of blue, red and purple. Muttley, however, has undergone virtually no changes aside from his outward appearance, still either snickering or grumbling. In "Mother Drives Best", it is revealed that Dick Dastardly is actually the son of Dick Dastardly the Second from the original Wacky Races series, and Delilah Dastardly, who taught her own son how to cheat. In "Grandfather Knows Dast", his grandfather is revealed to be Dick Dastardly the First from Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines.
Penelope Pitstop (voiced by Nicole Parker): Another original character, Penelope Pitstop has undergone the most changes from the original, both in appearance and outlook. While more assertive and much less of a damsel in distress than the original, she is still often the goody-two-shoes of the group and still talks like a Southern belle. Like before, her appearance is predominantly pink with hearts.
Peter Perfect (voiced by Diedrich Bader): Like Dastardly and Muttley, largely unchanged from the original, although he is a bit more taunting of Dastardly and his intelligence has been drastically reduced. His appearance is predominantly orange and red.
Tiny and Bella – the Gruesome Twosome (voiced by Billy West and Tom Kenny) are the other characters from the original series, and are the closest to their original versions in almost every respect.
Ignatius Quinton "I. Q." Ickly (voiced by Jill Talley): A new character who is often called a "walking encyclopaedia" by Dastardly and has little social capability. Like Professor Pat Pending before him, he is a genius with a large amount of inventions that he uses throughout the race. As he is only 10 years old and he does not actually drive, his car drives itself due to it being a sentient AI, which is prone to misunderstanding his verbal commands.

Secondary

Racers

Pandora Pitstop (voiced by Nicole Parker): A new character. Penelope's twin sister and frequent guest Racer. She is similar to Penelope, except her outfit is predominantly purple and is often meaner and more underhanded than even Dastardly. She often allies with Dastardly, but usually for her own ends.
Captain Dash, Polly, Bugsy, Bluebeard and Davey Bones (voiced by Billy West and Tom Kenny): A gang of pirates that often steal gigs from Dastardly. They are similar to the Anthill Mob from the original Wacky Races.

Non-racers

Brick Crashman (voiced by Christopher Judge): A former racer and the enthusiastic announcer for the Wacky Races. He often changes his appearance or character to match the location of the episode's racecourse, and is at a loss as to what to do when there is no actual race happening in an episode.
Pearl Tricia "P. T." Barnstorm (voiced by Jill Talley): The owner and sponsor for the Wacky Races. A diminutive old woman with a southern drawl who claims to be concerned with the racer's well-being, but in truth only cares about their profitability.

Guest stars

Hooded Claw (voiced by Tom Kenny impersonating Paul Lynde)
Huckleberry Hound (voiced by Billy West): a guest racer and Peter Perfect's stunt double
Snagglepuss (voiced by Billy West and Tom Kenny)
Hong Kong Phooey (voiced by Phil LaMarr)
Quick Draw McGraw (voiced by Billy West)
Touché Turtle (voiced by Billy West): a guest racer
Ricochet Rabbit (voiced by Tom Kenny): a guest racer.
The Dalton Brothers

Dinky Dalton (voiced by Christopher Judge)
Finky Dalton (voiced by Tom Kenny)
Pinky Dalton (voiced by Diedrich Bader)
Stinky Dalton (voiced by Billy West)

Winsome Witch (voiced by Nicole Parker): a guest racer.
Paw and Maw Rugg (voiced by Billy West and Jill Talley)
Mildew Wolf
Magilla Gorilla
Scooby-Doo
Scrappy-Doo (voiced by Tom Kenny): Scooby-Doo's nephew
Mr. Jinks (voiced by Billy West)
Jabberjaw (voiced by Billy West)
Chief (voiced by Billy West)
Top Cat
Benny the Ball

Episodes

List of Wacky Races (2017 TV series) episodes

Broadcast

Wacky Races premiered internationally in 2017. The first episode was released on Boomerang's SVOD service in the United States on August 14, 2017. The other 11 episodes were released on August 31, 2017.

The series was first shown on television in the United States on the Boomerang channel, with the episode "Under the Rainbow" airing on Boomerang as a preview on February 22, 2018, and the series officially premiering on the Boomerang channel on May 21, 2018, alongside another show from Boomerang's SVOD service, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.

The series aired as a repeat starting on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2018.

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