Wacky Races

1 9 6 8 - 1 9 6 9  (USA)
34 x 25 minute episodes

One of the most popular cartoon series to come from the prolific studio of Hanna-Barbera, Wacky Races was loosely based on the Jack Lemmon/Tony Curtis movie The Great Race. 

Eleven daredevil racers lined up each week to claim the title of 'World's Wackiest Racer' and each week produced a different winner. This caused quite a stir in Great Britain when one school headmaster revealed that he had discovered his 12-14 year old pupils 'running a book' on the weekly result. Nevertheless, the drivers drew up to the starting line each week regardless, and they were: 

01 - The Slag Brothers in the Boulder Mobile
02 - The Gruesome Twosome in the Creepy Coupe
03 - Professor Pat Pending in the Ring-A-Ding Convert-a-Car
04 - Red Max in the Crimson Haybailer
05 - Penelope Pitstop in the Compact Pussycat
06 - Sarge and Meekly in the Army Surplus Special
07 - The Anthill Mob (Clyde, Ding-a-ling, Zippy, Pockets, Snoozy, Softy, and Yak-Yak) in the Bullet-Proof Bomb
08 - Luke and Blubber in the Arkansas Chug-a-Boom
09 - Peter Perfect in the Turbo Terrific
10 - Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth in the Buzz Wagon

and lastly, the villains of the piece in 00 - The Mean Machine - Dick Dastardly and his sniggering canine sidekick, Muttley, whose sole aim was to win every race by hook or by crook. Drat and Double drat! 

Two spin-off serials followed The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Dastardly and Muttley In Their Flying Machines.