Cartoon
The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show
The story
The Reluctant Dragon & Mr. Toad Show is a 1970 American animated television series that aired on ABC's Saturday morning schedule. The show features two characters created by British children's writer Kenneth Grahame: the Reluctant Dragon from the 1898 short story of the same name, and Mr. Toad from the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows. The show was created by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York City, who produced 17 episodes. The show was a flop and canceled midway through its first season, airing from September 12 to December 26, 1970. ABC aired reruns of the show on Sunday mornings during the 1971–72 season. Copies of all 17 episodes were deposited at the Library of Congress, but only 10 episodes from other sources have been made publicly available as of 2024.
The half-hour comedy program included three shorts on each episode: the Reluctant Dragon took the first and third slots, with a Mr. Toad cartoon in the middle. Written by Romeo Muller and William J. Keenan, the series uses a team of Canadian voice actors with Bernard Cowan as the recording supervisor. Tobias, the Reluctant Dragon, was voiced by Paul Soles, while Mr. Toad was voiced by Claude Rae; other voices were done by Carl Banas and Donna Miller. The series' character designs were done by Paul Coker, and the animation supervision by Steve Nakagawa at Mushi Production in Tokyo.
The Reluctant Dragon
Tobias is a gentle, dreamy dragon and Merlin the wizard placed a curse on him so that whenever he sees a daisy, he breathes fire. He is a kind-hearted soul who does not want to hurt the populace of Willowmarch Village, and is ashamed whenever he erupts in flame. He is regularly troubled by Daisy, a little blonde girl who wants to give him a bouquet of daisies, which make him breathe fire. Tobias is aided by a knight, Sir Malcolm St. George, who tries to protect both the village and the dragon. Willowmarch is ruled by King Herman, who hosts a variety show.
Mr. Toad
Mr. Toad is a carefree gadabout playboy who likes driving fast cars and wearing expensive clothes. He is the wealthy owner of Toad Hall, and an object of ridicule among his friends — the timid Mole, intellectual Badger and outgoing Water Rat. Unlike Tobias, who lives in medieval Willowmarch, Mr. Toad lives in 19th century Scotland, but in the episode "Toad's Time Machine", Mr. Toad and friends travel back in time to medieval Willowmarch, and end up meeting Tobias, Daisy, and King Herman.
In 1986, Rankin/Bass produced a more faithful TV-film adaptation of The Wind in the Willows.
Episode list
A Cold Day in Willowmarch / Build a Better Bungalow / A Day at the Fair
Cowardly Herman / Casey Toad / Daisies Away
Dippy / Gentlemen's Gentleman / Dragon Under Glass
Free a Cold, Starve a Viking / Ghost of Toad Hall / Happy Birthday, Dear Tobias
How to Be a Wizard / Jack of All Trades / How to Vex a Viking
If It's Wednesday It Must Be Vikingland / Jove! What a Day / Lights, Camera, Action
Merlin the Magician, Jr. / Micemaster Road / National Daisy Week
Never Count on a Cornflower / Movie Maker Toad / No Bix Like Show Bix
Saving the Crown / Polo Panic / Sir Tobias
Subway Sabotage / Sail Ho-Ho / Taxes Are a Drag on Dragons
The Big Break / Sandhogs / The Campscout Girls
The Flying Flagon / The Amphibious Mr. Toad / The Haunted Castle
The Kid's Last Fight / The Demolition Derby / The Purple Viking
The Robot Dragon / The Great Bonfire Contest / The Starve Versus Herman, the Attrocious
The Tobias Touch / The Great Motorcycle Race / Tobias the Terror of the Tournament
Tobias, the Reluctant Viking / Toad's Time Machine / Wretched Robin Hood
The Toughest Daisy in Willowmarch / Twenty Thousand Inches Under the Sea / The Great Zoo Bustout
Voices
Paul Soles: Tobias, Irving The Bold, Merlin The Magician Jr., Inkley, Mole, Badger, Chief Weasel, King the Lion, Robin Hood, Sir Lancelot, Additional voices
Carl Banas: King Herman The Atrocious, Ugly Olaf, Sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Gallahad, Uncle Charles, Monk the Gorilla, Sir Andrew Agincourt, Additional voices
Donna Miller: Daisy, Water Rat, Queen of England, Field Mice, Additional voices
Claude Rae: Mr. Toad, Sir Malcolm St. George, Bunkley, King Arthur, Sir Mack, Additional voices