Road Rovers (1996–1997) User Reviews

Very clever parody of children's action-adventure shows.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 8/10 · 24 September 2020]

Much like Freakazoid!, Road Rovers comes from the creators of Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain and has the same sharp wit and clever writing the team is known for. While not as fondly remembered as shows Like Freakazoid!, Road Rovers is still a very good example of 90s Saturday morning cartoons at their best.

Road Rovers is an affectionate parody of crime fighting animal shows of the 80s and 90s including but not limited to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Biker Mice from Mars, and Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron just to name a few. The show takes the same approach as its inspirations with a group of anthropomorphized animals(in this case pet dogs who live with various world leaders in their off time but undergo a process that turns them into superheroes) fighting crime and going on adventures that involve saving the world from a villain of the week. While on the surface that might not appear to be anything special, the show is clever enough that it can be viewed as either a parody or action adventure show thanks to its usage of pop culture and current events to effective use. One notable episode involves a trio of countries whose leaders all bear resemblance to former Walt Disney Company executives but used in a clever Maltese Falcon esque adventure.

The show was a respectable success upon release, but it was expensive to produce and had the misfortune to be released around the same time as the 4kids dub of Pokemon which was not only cheaper to produce but became a ratings juggernaut leading to a decline in traditional saturday morning cartoons and an increase in imported shonen and childrens anime. As it stands Road Rovers is a good, but short lived show that deserves its place in TV history.

A good show

[whitefang_wolf64 · 8/10 · 13 May 2006]

Now this show looks like most of the other shows of it's type from the mid-90's, but the only thing is about this one is that it's different, they use a lot of comedy and action in this one and maybe a little bit of drama too. I personally thought it was a good show, I can't understand why would they cancel it. The good thing is that the fan base of this show is still alive ever since 1997 up to date.

My hopes is that the WB bring back the show or even do a movie, which I know is gonna be impossible to do, but hey it doesn't hurt to dream, doesn't it?

Anyway, I would recommend if you hadn't seen it to find the DVD of all 13 episodes, because the characters are great, the story lines are good, the comedy is good and well the whole show is just great.

I've been a fan since the series premiere

[Keyan-the-Eagle144 · 8/10 · 15 June 2018]

Cute canine characters and superhero antics. What's not to like? Sure there were some WTF moments, but it was a good show and I was a little taken aback when it did not come back for a second season. I didn't know whether to be sad, disappointed, confused or worried about the matter. Maybe all four. If you're a dog person, this show is for you! It also inspired my original canine superhero world. It went through several changes over the years but now I'm satisfied with the direction in which it is now headed. Oh, and if they do return to this show, they should try to do a comic book for a second season. DC, are you listening? It's so unfair. Tons of short-lived shows get a second chance, but there's only one Road Rovers.

An excellent cartoon

[Rattrap007 · 14 January 2002]

This was along with Freakazoid one of the funniest cartoons I have ever witnessed. Pity it didn't run longer.

Hunter- is an all American hound. a little dim sometimes but still a good leader.

Blitz- Doberman. Sounds like a cross between Arnold Schwarzenegger and both Hanz and Franz from the old SNL skits. Has an obssesion with biting the enemies 'tushies'.

Exile- Siberian husky from Russia. Got slang mixed up constaintly.

Colleen- The female of the group. A Collie naturally. Expert in judo and totally ignors Blitz.

Shag- Sheepdog. Big hairy and has a coat with with items.

Muzzle- Deranged rotweiler. Just plain nuts.

Master- the human who created the rovers and and is their 'boss' er.. master.

The show is hilarious. For example here is a quick scene from one episode:

(They are surrounding a building) Blitz: I'll bite anything that comes out of the rear. Exile: Frued would have field day with nut boy like you.

Road Rovers will was a wonderful show and will be sorely missed

[castostarlight-1 · 10/10 · 27 April 2006]

The Road Rovers was a great show about canine superheroes chosen by the Master to fight crime around the world. The show was hilarious to say the least. Simple and complex jokes that could appeal to all ages. Running jokes throughout the series that could spawn a drinking game. The action was mesmerizing, and cleverly set up. The characters were very original, each with a very different personality. But what made me enjoy the show the most was the depth of the characters. Each of them have struggles and emotional difficulties that are never expressed, but implied in subtext. Hopefully, one day, there'll be some way to watch the Rovers in action again.

One of the Best Cartoons!

[nbgh8 · 10/10 · 16 October 2013]

I recently found this show again. I watched it as a kid, and I thought it was the best show on t.v! Its a shame that it was cut so short only allowing one season with thirteen episodes. My favorite character is Exile, a husky with super strength, heat vision, and ice vision. He had a awesome sense of humor and had a signature quote that he always said to Blitz,(another character on the show) and it had me rolling on the ground every time I heard it. If Warner Brothers every decides to make a DVD of this, or put it on Netflix I would defiantly buy it, or in the case of Netflix watch it. But due to it being so hard to find episodes online, you can't really watch it anymore, and even though it was short I think it had more of an impact, and a better sense of humor than most of the cartoon shows today!

If only it didn't get cancelled

[banjolover · 10/10 · 24 February 2009]

Far by my most second favourite cartoon Spielberg did, after Animaniacs. Even if the ratings were low, so what, I still enjoyed it and loved it, was so funny and I adored the cast, wow Jess Harnell and Tress Macneille were in there and were just fantastic, the whole cast were brilliant, especially the legendary Frank Welker.

I'd love to see this cartoon again, was so awesome and the jokes were brilliant. Also I can remember the hilarious moment where Brain cameos in it, you hear his voice and it played the PATB theme instrumental, that was just fantastic, I love it in those cartoons when cameos pop in. I wish this cartoon and Animaniacs came back, i loved them

A classic cartoon, always enjoyable and funny. has an interesting plot

[ryoshockwave · 10/10 · 17 October 2006]

A classic cartoon, always enjoyable and funny. It has an interesting plot complete with lovable characters. Road Rovers is a show worth seeing, it is a short 13 episodes, and if you can ever manage a chance to see it, you should. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find. I think Warner Brothers Studios should release a DVD that contains all 13 episodes. I would definitely buy it if they did, and if they do, you should buy it too. if you have kids who like dogs, they will love road rovers! Road Rovers should have gotten more attention while it was being aired, it was definitely an original and very special show that should have been appreciated much more than it was.

A great show

[Figaro-8 · 7 April 2000]

For a while, I was so mad at Warner Brothers for cancelling this show after only one season. This was one terrific show! It had side-splitting comedy and action, and yet there were one or two moments that actually made you STOP laughing, too. All of the voices were excellent and the music added a lot to the fun. If you like action/comedies that don't take themselves too seriously, try to check this one out on Cartoon Network.

Top Stuff

[thettubbs · 10/10 · 11 January 2021]

This show is one of a kind, it broke new ground. No other show before it turned anthropomorphic animals into heroes. This show holds a special place in my heart because me and my dad used to watch it before he died. He worked on the show... Anyways 10 out of 10

Another Of My Childhood Favorites

[jeremycrimsonfox · 10/10 · 10 September 2019]

Ah, the Road Rovers, another of my childhood favorites alongside Sonic SatAM, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and other countless shows that would be too long to list. Back when this premiered, I only got Kids' WB from when it was shown on WGN as it was adapted as its kids' programming.

In this show, after General Parvo, the main villain, starts his bid for world domination by creating Canomutants, The Master, a.k.a. Professor Shepard, summons five dogs from different parts of the world to become Road Rovers. One year prior, Professor Shepard gave up the plans to the Transdogmifier to Parvo to save his dog, Scout, but it ended up being a trap. Now, the Rovers must fight Parvo, and any other villain that dares threaten the world.

Yeah, this is an action cartoon, but it is also a comedy in the same vein as Freakazoid, as it has some jokes and even some real world references thrown in (one episode has Hunter, the super-fast leader of the Rovers, ask a villain if he's seeking revenge on the U.S. because the NFL let the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, to Blitz, the Doberman of the group, being the comic relief as he is usually subjected to a lot of slapstick violence and pain). Also, the episodes were pretty awesome, as each day, the Rovers went up against Parvo or some other villain plotting to do wrong somewhere.

Sadly, this would be a short-lived series, only getting thirteen episodes before it was cancelled. It is not known why it was cancelled, but my guess is the lack of merchandise and the fact that at the time it premiered, the FCC would start enforcing and adding new rules to the Children's Television Act, meaning network stations like Fox, ABC, CBS, and even Kids' WB had to air a certain amount of E/I content per week or face a fine. This would result in Road Rovers being cancelled and replaced with reruns of Captain Planet. This has gotten a cult following and many people are demanding a comeback, however, I do not want this show to have a reboot, mainly due to Cartoon Network's track records of horrible reboots of their classic action cartoons.

One can only wonder why this show was cancelled

[Op_Prime · 14 August 2000]

This show had it all. An original premise and intelligent humor. It's a pity this show only lasted one season. Great voices, animation and music. Each episode had a great story and had a great mixture of comedy, action and violence. Catch the reruns on Cartoon Network.

One-Season Cartoon which Should Have Lasted Longer

[lordgort · 8 January 2003]

This cartoon series was excellent while it lasted. The premise is relatively simple: dogs who live with heads of state transform into partial humans, fight crime, and go back to their pampered existences. The comedy was amusing for almost all age levels, giving adults as many laughs as children. Given its ratings for the time, it is a surprise that the show was cancelled, but then again, there's the WB for you. If you can only see one episode, watch "A Day in the Life", the last of the cartoons, for an idea of the Road Rovers at their best. Good luck finding a videotape, though...