Dinky-Di's, also known as The Dinky-Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier, is an Australian animated television series that aired on the Nine Network Australia from 6 December 1997 to 29 May 1998. It was created by Melvyn Edward Bradford, produced by Roo Films Brisbane and animated by Pacific Rim Animation.^[1] The show taught children about the dangers of having carelessness for the planet and also for animals and plants that live on the earth. A common phrase from the theme song used by fans and the creator of the show was "We show no fear, we show no pain!"

Premise

The Dinky Di's: Friends on Freedom's Frontier follows a group of anthropomorphic animals who go around the world saving rare and endangered animals and plants, while educating the audience on the importance of environmental preservation. Led by Aussie Roo (a Kangaroo) and Cass Koala (a Koala), this group consists of animals from all over the world who have many different specialties that serve to the Dinky-Di team, and are well organized with a command centre, computer network, and high-tech amphibious vehicles.

The group of rescuers fight against Mephisto, a shadowy eco-terrorist with glowing red eyes who uses a gang of maligned beasts to do his dirty work: Rancid Rodent (a Rat), Hugo Hyena (a Hyena), Ganny Goanna (an Iguana), Serpent Sam (a Dragon), and others. Mephisto's true identity, however, is a true mystery to the Dinky-Di's, and one which, when solved, will be a major step towards slowing damage to the planet.^[2][3]

Voice cast

• Gennie Nevinson as Cass Koala, Equulus Emu, Cauda Kiwi, Orikawa Bear's Son, Beatrice, Pleiades Panda and additional voices^[4]
• Ric Melbourne as Aussie Roo, Chopa Crocodile and additional voices
• Lee Perry as Ernest Eagle, Goat, Sidney Seal, Whales, Iceburglar #2, Narrator and additional voices
• Grahame Matters as Bill's Secretary and additional voices
• Tony Bellette as Plato Pus, Zennie, Mephisto, Rancid Rodent, Hugo Hyena, Ganny Goanna, Serpent Sam, Lazur Lion, Orikawa Bear, Bill Buffalo, Lazur's Boss, Mephisto's Henchman, Baron of Babel, Iceburglar #1, Doctor Hope and additional voices^[5]

Episodes

Out of the 26-episode series, only one full episode in English has survived, "Baron of Babel",^[3][6] while the other only full episodes that are known, the first episode "Lost, One Dinky-Di", the seventeenth episode "Tapir Caper" and the twenty-fifth episode "Mirage Master", are in Arabic, Polish and Russian, respectively. However, half of the first episode and about seven minutes of "The Bilby Tale" episode also exist in English. At some point on the Kooltube1 website (the website that Mel Bradford had), the episodes "The Bilby Tale", "Straits of Sorrow", "The Howling Crystal" and "Mirage Master" were available to watch. Though the Kooltube1 website is no longer around, there are a few archives still without any new content except images and copyright information.^[6][7]

The following episode list has mostly been translated from Polish, however, so it is known that these following episodes are the names for the English version of the show.

• "Lost, One Dinky-Di"
• "The Bilby Tale"
• "Good Wood"
• "Baron of Babel"
• "Tapir Caper"
• "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"
• "Straits of Sorrow"
• "The Howling Crystal"
• "Mirage Master"
• "Small Hippo, Big Bust"

There is uncertainty of where the episodes "Straits of Sorrow" and "The Howling Crystal" go on the list of episodes.

Production

The series was created by Melvyn Edward Bradford, produced by Roo Films Brisbane from December 1989 to 1993, and distributed by Motion Picture Management Studios Australia. Originally scheduled to be completed by 1992, it experienced a series of lawsuits and legal battles during production and was delayed, before eventually airing in Italy in 1995, and Australia in 1997.^[8][9][10] The series was animated by Pacific Rim Animation. The theme song, "Friends On Freedom's Frontier", and the episodes' songs, such as "Cross The Line" and "Don't Look Back", were composed and produced by Matthew Sloggett, with lyrics by Bradford and Bob LaCastra, while the soundtrack was composed by Garry McDonald and Laurie Stone and mixed at Grevillea Studios. The voices were recorded at Sunshine Studios, provided by Gennie Nevinson, Ric Melbourne, Lee Perry, Grahame Matters, and Tony Bellette.^[10][4][5]

A 93-minute direct-to-video compilation film titled Mephisto's Web was commissioned in the first half of 1993 and completed in February-March 1994, but was never released, with the accounting firm, Krampel Newman & Partners Pty Ltd, cheating Bradford out of his money.^[10]

Revival attempts

In the late 2000s, four revivals of the series were attempted; a series of Flash-animated shorts named The Dinky-Di's 2, a graphic novel, a stop motion pilot and an animated sequel. The Dinky-Di's 2 was a continuation of the original series, where the Dinky-Di's were to face a new villain, Maraudo, and his holographic alien henchmen. The series would have also had a robot named DDRobo, who would do some very amazing things in the Dinky-Dis' High-Tech Control Room.^[6]

Bradford was planning on giving the series a DVD release, but died of a cerebral aneurysm at his computer desk in the town of Coolangatta near the boarder of Queensland and New South Wales on 4 November 2010. His service took place in Parkwood, Queensland on 23 November 2010.

Credits list

• Associate Producer - Mike Heffernan
• Production Manager - Rhonda Fortescue
• Production Supervisor (China) - Mark Lovick
• Production Co-Ordinator - Kerry Mulgrew
• Production Accountants - Debra Cole and Lyn Paeiz
• Production Secretary - Patricia Mcinally
• Production Receptionist - Tammy Sovenyhazi
• Script Editor - Mel Bradford
• Animation - Pacific Rim Studios
• Studio Representative - Richard Hindley
• Character Designers - Kelvin Hawley, Brian Doyle, Andrew Trimmer, Glenn Ford, Fräntz Kantor, Ray Van Steenwyk, Sue Schmidt, Paul Fitzgerald, and Ted Blackall
• Backgrounds - Dean Taylor - Mr. Big, Peter Sheehan, Kelvin Hawley, Paul Fitzgerald, Andrew Trimmer, Glenn Ford, Ray Van Steenwyk, Sue Schmidt, Fräntz Kantor, Ted Blackall
• Props - Kelvin Hawley, Glenn Ford, Paul Fitzgerald, Andrew Trimmer, Sue Schmidt, Fräntz Kantor, Brian Doyle, Ray Van Steenwyk, and Ted Blackall
• Story Boarders - Bob Smith, Kelvin Hawley, Bill Moselen, Ray Van Steenwyk, Glenn Ford, Fräntz Kantor, Steve Lumley
• Script Clerk - Fiona Matters
• Voice Recordings - Sunshine Studios
• Character Voices - Gennie Nevinson,^[4] Ric Melbourne, Lee Perry, Grahame Matters, Tony Bellette^[5]
• Mag Tracks - Hoyts Jumbuck
• Theme Song/Cross the Line/Don't Look Back - Lyrics: Mel Bradford and Bob Lacastra, Composer: Matthew Sloggett
• Score - Garry McDonald, Laurie Stone
• Post Supervisor - Rod Herbert
• Film Editor - Bob Bladsall

This link has the list of credits on the episode at the end.^[11]

References