View source for The Perils of Penelope Pitstop

{{pp|small=yes}}
{{short description|Animated television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image        = Perils of Penelope Pitstop.jpg
| genre        = [[Comedy]]
| runtime      = 21 minutes
| creator      = {{plainlist|
* [[William Hanna]]
* [[Joseph Barbera]]}}
| writer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Joe Ruby]]
* [[Ken Spears]]
* [[Michael Maltese]]}}
| director     = {{plainlist|
* [[William Hanna]]
* [[Joseph Barbera]]}}
| network      = [[CBS]]
| starring     = {{plainlist|
* [[Mel Blanc]]
* [[Paul Lynde]] (uncredited)
* [[Don Messick]]
* [[Janet Waldo]]
* [[Paul Winchell]]}}
| narrated     = [[Gary Owens]]
| composer     = [[Ted Nichols]]
| country      = United States
| language     = English
| num_seasons  = 1
| num_episodes = 17
| producer     = {{plainlist|
* [[William Hanna]]
* [[Joseph Barbera]]}}
| first_aired  = {{Start date|1969|09|13}}
| last_aired   = {{End date|1970|01|17}}
| company      = [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]]
| related      = {{Plainlist|
*  ''[[Wacky Races (1968 TV series)|Wacky Races]]'' (1968)
*  ''[[Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines]]''
*  ''[[Wake, Rattle, and Roll#Fender Bender 500|Fender Bender 500]]''
*  ''[[Wacky Races (2017 TV series)|Wacky Races]]'' (2017) 
}}
}}
'''''The Perils of Penelope Pitstop''''' is an American Saturday morning [[animated television series]] produced by [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]] that premiered on [[CBS]] on September 13, 1969.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1557-5  |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool/page/218/mode/2up |access-date=14 March 2020 |pages=217–218}}</ref> The show ran for one season with a total of 17 half-hour episodes, the last first-run episode airing on January 17, 1970. Repeats aired Sunday mornings on CBS until September 4, 1971; and in syndication as ''Fun World of Hanna-Barbera'' from 1976 to 1982.<ref>{{cite news|title= The Perils of Penelope Pitstop – The Complete Series|url= https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/15730/perils-of-penelope-pitstop-the-complete-series-the/|work = DVD Talk|access-date=2010-10-21}}</ref> It is a spin-off of ''[[Wacky Races (1968 TV series)|Wacky Races]]'', reprising the characters of [[Penelope Pitstop]] and the Ant Hill Mob.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=607–608}}</ref> Rebroadcasts of the show air on the [[Cartoon Network]]-owned channel [[Boomerang (TV network)|Boomerang]], as well as [[MeTV Toons]].

==Production==
The series was patterned on the [[silent movie]] era [[melodrama]] cliffhanger movie [[Serial (film)|serial]] ''[[The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial)|The Perils of Pauline]]''. It originally was to also star the characters of [[Dick Dastardly]] and [[Muttley]], though Dastardly and Muttley were later dropped in pre-production. Those characters would be later reused in their own series, ''[[Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines]]''.

[[Joe Ruby]] and [[Ken Spears]] were the head writers for the series, and Ruby, Spears, and [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]] veteran [[Michael Maltese]] wrote the stories for the individual episodes.<ref name="STUEP1">Shostak, Stu (05-02-2012). "[https://www.stusshow.com/archives.php Interview with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears]". ''Stu's Show''. Retrieved 03-18-2013.</ref> Deciding to feature the characters in a different setting, studio heads decided to set the characters into an active adventure format strongly reminiscent of the 1910s.

==Plot==
The series features characters from ''[[Wacky Races (1968 TV series)|Wacky Races]]'', [[Penelope Pitstop]] and the Ant Hill Mob, the latter of whom take on the role of heroes in contrast to their previously nefarious personalities.<ref name=Perlmutter>{{cite book |last1=Perlmutter |first1=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1538103739 |page=452}}</ref>

In each episode, Penelope's guardian, Sylvester Sneekly, attempts to claim Penelope's inheritance for himself by attacking her in the disguise of his sinister alter-ego the Hooded Claw. Aided by his twin henchmen the Bully Brothers, who always speak in unison, the Claw creates overly elaborate [[Rube Goldberg machine|Rube Goldberg]]-style plots to do away with Penelope. Even though the Ant Hill Mob often come to Penelope's rescue, she herself often needs to save the Mob from the unintended effects of their attempts to rescue her. But just as quickly as Penelope is delivered from one quandary, she almost immediately finds herself ensnared in another one of the Claw's traps. Despite their overall bumbling, however, the Ant Hill Mob always manage to rescue Penelope and foil the Hooded Claw's plans in the end.

While Penelope is helpless whenever the Hooded Claw grabs her, once he leaves her tied up for his fiendish plans to take effect she usually becomes resourceful and ingenious, sometimes coming up with spontaneous or creative methodologies to escape her own predicaments.

==Characters==
* '''[[Penelope Pitstop]]''' is the title character and the [[protagonist]] of the spin-off. She is the heiress who inherits the Pitstops' vast fortune, but is unaware that her guardian, Sylvester Sneekly, who disguises himself as the Hooded Claw, has plans to kill her for her fortune. She is often rescued by the Ant Hill Mob from her perils and she also rescues them when they fail to rescue her. Despite constantly being portrayed as the typical [[damsel in distress]], Penelope is shown to be clever and resourceful when in danger.
* '''The Ant Hill Mob''' is a group of seven adventurers. This incarnation is vastly altered from their Wacky Races incarnation where they are active gangsters constantly being chased by various law officials into a collection of thrill seekers who openly reflect characteristics of the Seven Dwarfs of the fairy tale ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]''.  The Mob are usually the ones called upon to rescue Penelope when she is caught in one of the Hooded Claw's schemes.
** '''Clyde''': The [[Moe Howard]]-like leader of the Mob. He is the only character who retains his Wacky Races format though drastically reduced in the Wacky Races aggressive nature
** '''Dum Dum''': comedic foil to "straight man" Clyde and is the marksman of the group despite his reduced intellect.
** '''Pockets''': inventor and technical support person of the group who carries an excessive number of devices or creating such devices from the source material he carries in his multitude of pockets visible on his suit.
** '''Snoozy''': A constantly sleeping character.
** '''Softy''': Cries at any opportunity, often at ironic times (often heard sobbing "Penelope is saved!").
** '''Yak Yak''': In many ways Softy’s opposite, Yak Yak instead chuckles at any opportunity, including inappropriate ones ("Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hoo! We're gonna crash! Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hoo!").
** '''Zippy''': A character with impressive speed.
* '''Chugga-Boom''' (a.k.a. '''Chuggie'''): The Ant Hill Mob's sentient [[touring car]].
* '''Sylvester Sneekly/the Hooded Claw''': The guardian of Penelope Pitstop and the main [[antagonist]] of the spin-off, who plots to kill Penelope to inherit her vast fortune. Described by the show's narrator as "that villain of villains" in his disguise as the Hooded Claw, he manages to capture or kidnap Penelope, who is unaware of her guardian's secret identity. In most episodes, he usually makes deadly traps for Penelope to get her killed and thereby get her inheritance. However, he always fails to kill Penelope when the Ant Hill Mob rescues her or Penelope outsmarts him when she manages to free herself from his traps. When his plans are foiled, he angrily yells "Blast!"
** '''The Bully Brothers''': The Hooded Claw's henchmen. The two large goons speak almost entirely in unison in a guttural voice: "Right, Claw."

==Cast==
* [[Janet Waldo]] as Penelope Pitstop
* [[Mel Blanc]] as Yak Yak, Chug-a-Boom, the Bully Brothers
* [[Don Messick]] as Dum Dum, Snoozy, Pockets, Zippy
* [[Paul Winchell]] as Clyde, Softy
* [[Gary Owens]] as Narrator
* [[Paul Lynde]] as Sylvester Sneekly/the Hooded Claw (uncredited)

==Episodes==
{{Episode table |background=#A42258 |overall=6 |title=30 |airdate=20 |prodcode=10  |episodes=

{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=1
 |Title=Jungle Jeopardy
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|9|13}}
 |ProdCode=46-1
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is about to complete the last leg of an around-the-world flight as a surprise for her guardian, Sylvester Sneekly. The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers have sabotaged her plane and are watching her as the engines conk out. The Ant Hill Mob makes an attempt to rescue her as she jumps from the plane and into an empty eagle's nest. After that, she takes her chances in the jungle, fighting against all sorts of dangers. Will the Hooded Claw get to her first and send her to her doom or will the Ant Hill Mob get there first and rescue her?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=2
 |Title=The Terrible Trolley Trap
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|9|20}}
 |ProdCode=46-2
 |ShortSummary=The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers tie Penelope to some trolley tracks hoping to get rid of her once and for all. After that, she is taken into the ocean, on a ship that belongs to the Hooded Claw, where he plans to get rid of her permanently. Will the Ant Hill Mob be able to find Penelope before it is too late?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=3
 |Title=The Boardwalk Booby Trap
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|9|27}}
 |ProdCode=46-4
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is spending a relaxing day at the beach being buried in the sand by the Ant Hill Mob. The Hooded Claw has mixed in cement with the sand so she cannot get out. Along comes a bulldozer driven by the Bully Brothers. The Ant Hill Mob cannot pull her up, so they dig a tunnel to pull her down. They save her in the nick of time. Later, Penelope is kidnapped by the Bully Brothers during a scavenger hunt and taken to an abandoned fishing village, where the Hooded Claw awaits her. Will the Ant Hill Mob come crashing in to save her in time?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=4
 |Title=Wild West Peril
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|10|4}}
 |ProdCode=46-5
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is driving in her car when she crashes through a false front trap set by the Hooded Claw. The Ant Hill Mob races to the rescue with a mattress strapped to the top of their car to save her.  Then a trap is set on the edge of a cliff, designed to lure the Mob in and fall off the edge, hitting a board that will catapult Penelope in a barrel, and the Ant Hill Mob into the near-bottomless canyon. She is then finally placed in a miner's car filled with explosives, which is set to rocket down to the bottom of a steep and deep mine shaft. Will she be saved in time?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=5
 |Title=Carnival Calamity
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|10|11}}
 |ProdCode=46-8
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is on her way to the carnival. Unknown to her, the Hooded Claw has set a trap for her. The Bully Brothers have set a trap of their own for the Ant Hill Mob so they cannot save her. Penelope gets out of trouble on her own and continues on to the carnival, where she gets in more sticky situations.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=6
 |Title=The Treacherous Movie Lot Plot
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|10|18}}
 |ProdCode=46-6
 |ShortSummary=Penelope has gone to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] to star in a movie. The Hooded Claw adds a scene to the movie that involves Penelope being taken off by a giant ''King Kong''-like ape, which was not written in the script. After the Ant Hill Mob saves her from certain doom, she continues to film the movie, but the Hooded Claw still has a few tricks upon his sleeve. Will the Ant Hill Mob be fast enough to save her?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=7
 |Title=Arabian Desert Danger
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|10|25}}
 |ProdCode=46-7
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is trying to escort a rare white baby camel out of [[Egypt]] so she can donate it to the Children's Zoo. The Hooded Claw traps her in a giant tent that he and the Bully Brothers fill with hot air to make a balloon. The Ant Hill Mob see this and move in to help. After that rescue, Penelope is taken into a pyramid, where she will be mummified alive. It is up to the Ant Hill Mob to save her from this tight situation.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=8
 |Title=The Diabolical Department Store Danger
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|11|1}}
 |ProdCode=46-9
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is at Pitstop's Department Store to help introduce the new [[Paris]] fashions. Little did she know that the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers were inside, setting a few traps for her.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=9
 |Title=Hair Raising Harness Race
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|11|8}}
 |ProdCode=46-3
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is at the County Fair and determined to win the Pitstop Gold Cup for the main event, the harness race. The Hooded Claw attempts to sabotage Penelope's efforts of winning the race. The Ant Hill Mob sees her in danger and tries to save her. This was the only episode where Penelope gets to rescue herself with her intelligence throughout the episode whereas all attempts of the Ant Hill Mob fail, as well as the only episode where she does not get tied up by the Hooded Claw.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=10
 |Title=North Pole Peril
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|11|15}}
 |ProdCode=46-11
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is paddling up the [[Nanook River]] in a kayak seeking to become the first woman to reach the North Pole. Unfortunately, the Hooded Claw is following her in a paddle-wheeler and attempting to chop her up in the blades. The Ant Hill Mob is on their way to save her. Will they be in time to save her, so she can finish her journey?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=11
 |Title=Tall Timber Treachery
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|11|22}}
 |ProdCode=46-10
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is on her way to the "Pitstop [[lumber camp|Lumber Camp]]" where she has been elected Queen of the Indian Summer Festival. The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers unhook her rail car and she goes sailing back down the railroad track. The Ant Hill Mob gets her out of the jam and offer her a ride to the festival. But unfortunately, the Hooded Claw does not give up that easily, and he will do everything to kill Penelope, even if he has to chop down all of the trees in the forest to do it.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=12
 |Title=Cross Country Double Cross
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|11|29}}
 |ProdCode=46-12
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is making a daring parachute jump to publicize a statue unveiling. The Hooded Claw cuts the parachute lines in an attempt to stop her once and for all. Unfortunately for Penelope, the Bully Brothers are helping the Hooded Claw and they capture her and place her in a pit. After she is rescued, the Ant Hill Mob tell her that the unveiling is supposed to be on the other side of the country, and Penelope has to travel through the country as quickly as possible to get there. Will Penelope be able to get there on time?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=13
 |Title=Big Bagdad Danger
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|12|6}}
 |ProdCode=46-13
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is on the way to the Shah's palace to get the secret map to Ali Baba's cave, but the Hooded Claw has a few plans of his own. Will the Ant Hill Mob be able to save her before she meets her doom, and will Penelope find the treasure so she can give it to the poor children of Baghdad?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=14
 |Title=Bad Fortune in a Chinese Fortune Cookie
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|12|13}}
 |ProdCode=46-14
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is in [[Chinatown (San Francisco)|Chinatown]] in [[San Francisco, California]] to watch the [[New Year|Chinese New Year]] Parade. The Hooded Claw captures her in the mouth of a fire-breathing dragon float from the parade. He sends her down a hill towards a warehouse full of fireworks. The Ant Hill Mob follow after Penelope to try and save her. Will they save her in time?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=15
 |Title=Big Top Trap
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1969|12|20}}
 |ProdCode=46-15
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is performing in a circus. When her life is threatened, the Ant Hill Mob take jobs as clowns so they can act as her bodyguards. The Hooded Claw takes the form of Clyde and throws her from the trapeze to the awaiting Bully Brothers, who whisk her off to the jungle where she is about to be fed to a man-eating plant. Will the Ant Hill Mob be able to find her in time, and get her back to the circus on time? In the end, Sylvester Sneekly reveals to Penelope he is the Hooded Claw, but Penelope refuses to believe that they are one and the same person.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=16
 |Title=Game of Peril
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1970|1|10}}
 |ProdCode=46-17
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is on a scavenger hunt, with a list of items especially made for her by Sylvester Sneekly. After finding her first item, a unicycle, she gets on and is heading towards a cliff. The Ant Hill Mob arrives just in time to save her. The Hooded Claw sees her rescue and comes up with a plan to do her in.
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=17
 |Title=London Town Treachery
 |OriginalAirDate={{start date|1970|1|17}}
 |ProdCode=46-16
 |ShortSummary=Penelope is visiting [[London]] to deliver a painting to the Earl of Crumpet. The Hooded Claw has a different plan in mind. He grabs Penelope and the painting. Will the Ant Hill Mob be in time to save her? Will they get the painting back and deliver it to the Earl?
 |LineColor=A42258
}}
}}

==Home media==
On {{start date|2005|05|10}}, [[Warner Home Video]] (via [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Cartoons]] and [[Warner Bros. Family Entertainment]]) released the complete series on DVD in [[DVD region code#Region codes and countries|Region 1]] territories. The [[United Kingdom|UK]] had the full series released on DVD on July 31, 2006 in Region 2 PAL format. The series is also available at the [[iTunes Store]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!DVD name
!Episode #
!Release date
!Additional information
|-
| ''The Perils of Penelope Pitstop: The Complete Series''
| 17
| {{start date|2005|05|10}}
|
* Commentary on various episodes
* Featurette: The Players in ''Perils'' (featurette on the great escapes of Penelope and other characters)
* Penelope Pitstop's Spin-Outs (retrospective documentary)
|}

==Cultural references==
* The 1984 song "[[The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood song)|The Power of Love]]" by [[United Kingdom|British]] [[dance-pop]] band [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]] makes reference to the show's main villain, the Hooded Claw.
* The 2008 series ''[[Headcases]]'' featured segments parodying ''The Perils of Penelope Pitstop''.
* The Hooded Claw appears in the ''[[Wacky Races (2017 TV series)|Wacky Races]]'' episode "The Trial of Dick Dastardly" voiced by [[Tom Kenny]] impersonating Paul Lynde. He appears as the prosecutor at Dick Dastardly's trial. There is also a reference to the original voice actor Paul Lynde's appearances on the original 1966-1981 version of ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'' as the Hooded Claw is shown in a middle square. The Hooded Claw was planned to return in season 3 but the series was canceled after the second season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/user16489686|title=Mike disa}}</ref>
* The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers will appear in ''[[Jellystone!]]''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.hotink.com/wacky/pitstop/ ''The Perils of Penelope Pitstop''  site]
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/pitstop.htm ''The Perils of Penelope Pitstop''] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20240527122054/https://www.webcitation.org/6bIn8KUYJ?url=http://toonopedia.com/pitstop.htm Archived] from the original on September 4, 2015.
* {{IMDb title|0173587|The Perils of Penelope Pitstop}}
{{Portal|Television|Cartoon|Comedy|1960s|1970s
}}{{Wacky Races}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1960s}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1970s}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perils Of Penelope Pitstop, The}}
[[Category:American children's animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:1960s American animated television series]]
[[Category:1960s American children's comedy television series]]
[[Category:1970s American animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:1970s American children's comedy television series]]
[[Category:1969 American animated television series debuts]]
[[Category:1970 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series set in the 1910s]]
[[Category:American animated television spinoffs]]
[[Category:Television series by Hanna-Barbera]]
[[Category:Wacky Races spinoffs]]
[[Category:CBS animated television series]]
[[Category:Damsels in distress]]