The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon

Did You Know?

• In 2008, Breakthrough closed a deal with APTN to rebroadcast the show, including the French version Les Aventures d’Arthur le Dragon.
• As of 2023, the series airs in the U.S. on Heartland and Retro TV.
• VHS tapes were released by GoodTimes Entertainment and Malofilm Video.

Premise

A dragon named Dudley wakes up after sleeping for hundreds of years. He meets ten-year-old Matt and Sally, who show him how the world works now. The three of them discover things about taking care of the planet, being good friends, and helping others. Later, more kids named Terry, Julia, Mickey, and Laura become part of the group. Other friends include a relaxed frog called Sammy, the Robins, a grumpy apple tree named Mr. Crabby Tree, and a friendly caveman.

Cast

Dudley the Dragon was performed by Alex Galatis (costumed performer and voice for seasons 1–2, voice only for seasons 3–5) and Kirk Dunn (costumed performer for seasons 3–5). Dudley is a lovable, innocent, happy-go-lucky green dragon who wakes from centuries of hibernation in the series premiere. He quickly befriends Sally and Matt and adjusts to his surroundings, though he retains childlike qualities and learns valuable lessons from his friends. Dudley lives in a colourful cave with his teddy bear Freddy Bear, loves dragonberries, and enjoys adventure but sometimes prefers being home. In the final episode, The Last Dudley, he realizes he is the only dragon left and searches for another, ultimately learning his friends are his true dragon friends; a similar dragon with a bowtie and glasses appears at the end.

Production

Dudley first appeared in The Conserving Kingdom, a 1982 play by the Ontario Ministry of Energy. Rights to the character were bought by Ira Levy and Peter Williamson of Toronto's Breakthrough Films and Television Inc, who produced the show with provincial educational broadcaster TVO. Dudley appeared as a six-story tall giant balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The creators stated the show does not directly compete with Barney and is intended for ages 3 to 7. Educational consultant Jean Morphee-Barnard said the show avoids violence, insults, and stereotyping, and its villains are misguided rather than evil. Merchandising was required to use natural fibres or avoid sugar and preservatives. Series writer and co-creator Alex Galatis performed in the costume for the first two seasons, then only voiced the character. In 2009, Breakthrough announced plans for a CGI-animated revival with Greene returning, but the project did not materialize.

Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon

A French version titled Les Aventures d'Arthur le Dragon was produced during the first two seasons of Dudley. It aired on TFO (September 26, 1993 to March 11, 1994) and Canal Famille (March 11, 1994 to 1995) in Canada, and on TF1 and France 3 in France. Puppeteers Alex Galatis, James Rankin, Sue Morrison, and Patrick McKenna (as the Troll) continued their roles, with their voices dubbed by French-speaking actors such as Olivier L'Ècuyer, Christian Laurin, and Mireille Dumont. The child actors Asia Vieira, Daniel DeSanto, and Robin Weekes were replaced by French actors who watched the original performances and then recreated the scenes. The French cast included Alex Galatis (puppetry only for Arthur le Dragon), Olivier L'Éuyer (voice of Arthur le Dragon and Le Lutin), Annick Obonsawin (Sophie, season 1), Andréanne Bendir (Annick, season 2), Anael G. Roy (Max, season 1), Owen Leitch (Mathieu, season 2), Barnabé Geisweiller (Bastien, season 2), James Rankin (puppetry for several characters), Christian Laurin (voice for several characters), and Wende Welch (puppetry for several characters). The version was not distributed to other French-speaking nations due to cancellation.