# Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (1969)

> Dick Dastardly and his snickering dog Muttley plot against Yankee Doodle Pigeon from their WWI-style flying machines in this classic cartoon.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9378

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 89
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy, family
- Created by: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Paul Winchell, Don Messick, Lars Thiesgaard, Timm Mehrens, Niels Weyde, Ole Hinsch
- TMDB rating: 7.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063889/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, playful, cheerful, irreverent

## What critics say

Audiences remember the slapstick chase format and the Dastardly and Muttley pairing as a light, fondly regarded Saturday morning cartoon, though its reception is mixed.

## Synopsis

Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines (1969-1970) is a American animated comedy series created by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna for CBS, a classic Hanna-Barbera production. Dick Dastardly, a bungling villain voiced by Paul Winchell, and his snickering canine co-pilot Muttley, voiced by Don Messick, pilot their absurd World War I style flying machines in pursuit of a scheme to stop the plucky Yankee Doodle Pigeon. The engine of each short episode is the gap between Dastardly's grand plotting and his constant failure, with Muttley's sly laughter and loyal bickering adding the sharpest jokes. The series runs as a single season of 89 episodes, each around twenty-two minutes, built from self-contained chases and gags rather than a continuing story. Set in a cartoon version of the wartime skies, the show keeps a light, breezy and cheerful register with broad slapstick and recurring cartoon physics. Fans of Wacky Races, The Flintstones and Looney Tunes will find the same kind of playful rivalry and chase-driven fun here, suited to young viewers and families looking for gentle, easy cartoon comedy.

## Shows like Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines

- [Danger Mouse (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3304)
- [The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958)](https://ember.film/tv/909)
- [Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/5653)
- [The Pink Panther (1969)](https://ember.film/tv/1104917)
- [The Atom Ant Show (1965)](https://ember.film/tv/20434)
- [Scooby's Laff-A Lympics (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/1008)
- [Hong Kong Phooey (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/9386)
- [The Tom and Jerry Show (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/7296)
- [Wacky Races (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/925)
- [Misu si Ionica (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/1105211)

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