The Alvin Show

TV Series
1961–1962
TV-G
30m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

337

YOUR RATING

Adventure Animation Family Fantasy Music Musical

Following the incredible popularity of the novelty record "The Chipmunk Song", this animated series about the singing rodents was created. Manager David Seville spends his days taking care o... Read allFollowing the incredible popularity of the novelty record "The Chipmunk Song", this animated series about the singing rodents was created. Manager David Seville spends his days taking care of his young chipmunk charges, Alvin, Simon and Theodore, as they regularly get into one ty... Read allFollowing the incredible popularity of the novelty record "The Chipmunk Song", this animated series about the singing rodents was created. Manager David Seville spends his days taking care of his young chipmunk charges, Alvin, Simon and Theodore, as they regularly get into one type of trouble after another. Included in each episode was a cartoon featuring inventor Cly... Read all

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

337

YOUR RATING

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Episodes26

Browse episodes

TopTop-rated 1 Season2 years

Trivia
The Chipmunks' names were taken from the names of three executives at Liberty Records, where David Seville and the Chipmunks made most of their early recordings. Alvin was named for label president Alvin Bennett, Simon for label vice-president/record producer Si Waronker, and Theodore for recording engineer Ted Keep. One of the first cartoon shows, along with "The Flintstones," to become a success in prime time.

Quotes
Alvin: [On cue from Dave] Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure...
[whips out his harmonica]
Dave Seville: [reacting to that, whispering] No Alvin! You're supposed to introduce the great inventer.
Alvin: [to Dave] Oh.
[Puts his harmonica away]
Alvin: Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the great inventor, Thomas Alva...
Dave Seville: [Interrupting] No!
Alvin: Alexander Graham...
Dave Seville: No!
Alvin: Wilbur and Orv...
Dave Seville: NO!
Alvin: [To Dave] Well, then who?!
Dave Seville: Clyde Crashcup!
Alvin: Clyde Crashc...
[puzzled]
Alvin: Clyde Crashcup?!

Crazy credits
Alvin is in the technical director's position. Pointing to each camera, camera one has the first four sets of credits, camera two has the rest of the show's credits, and camera three has the animation card for Bagdasarian Productions.

Alternate versions
Segments from this show (both the Alvin and the Chipmunks and Clyde Crashcup shorts) were shown as part of the Nickelodeon variety show Weinerville in the 1990s. Curiously, the Weinerville airings actually have title cards for the episodes, which the "normal" airings didn't.

Connections
Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #38.4 (2008)

User reviews9

Review

Featured review

7/10

Not a Prime Time Success But Thrived in Saturday Morning Reruns

The success of The Flintstones in 1960 spawned other prime time cartoon shows that included The Alvin Show. Based on the group created by Ross Bagdasarian (aka David Seville) that was created by speeding up his voice on a tape recorder, the show featured the adventures of Alvin, Simon and Theodore along with their manager/guardian Dave Seville. There was always a song in each episode as well as a sing along for viewers.

Another segment was The Adventures of Clyde Crashcup, where the inventor, voice by Shep Menkin invented things that were already invented. Assisted by his short, balding sidekick Leonardo, Crashcup did all the talking and Leonardo only whispered.

The show lasted only one season on CBS before it was moved to Saturday mornings the following season and later in syndication. That's where I remember watching The Alvin Show and it was a funny show that wasn't violent. If you watched the credits closely, you'll see that many of the people who worked on the show also were involved in the production of the made for TV Popeye cartoons that Format Films, the co-producers of the show also produced.

If you're a fan of The Chipmunks or never seen the show before the later shows that aired on NBC in the 1980s, give them a view on YouTube. You're positively gonna love The Alvin Show.