SOME HAVE REFERRED to TV animation as being "Illustrated Radio" and that label would surely be a fitting and true description of the state of the art, video division. Short cut "limited" animation, stock background music and briefly set running times are all elements of the sub-genre.
IN THE CASE of DEPUTY DAWG, those elements are all present; making the series a veritable a highly rated candidate for "Limited Animation's Poster Boy".
WHENEVER WE VIEWED a typically scripted episode, we were rudely reminded that this indeed was no FANTASIA., not even a HUCKLEBERRY HOUND. The "Limited Animation" process, that had been popularized by United Productions of America or UPA for short, was now being developed to the Nth Degree.
SO JUST HOW did the series attain its multi-year run in syndication? SIMPLY BY USE of short, happy little story lines added to the upbeat and peppy harmonica music; which rendered the audience to be relaxed and giggly.
TO OUR WAY of thinking, there was one final puzzle part to come into play in a major way. That last element is the voice characterizations. In this case we have to tip our fedora to Actor/Comedian/Voice-Over man supreme, Dayton Allen. Whenever DD was on the trail of some desperado, he would be accompanied by his deputy, a Possum (I think).
BUT IT WAS his voice that set him apart. It was a good impersonation of Comedian, Frank Fontaine's long running "Crazy" Guggenheim" from THE JACKIE GLEASON Show.
