Find the Right Sidekick (Baby Boomers Edition) Quiz

Answer: Mighty Manfred, the Wonder Dog

"The Adventures of Tom Terrific" was a cartoon series that ran as 5-minute daily episodes on the "Captain Kangaroo Show". The original episodes ran from 1957 to 1959 and were rerun for several years afterward. The original drawings were black and white line drawings and featured Tom's "Thinking Cap", which was an upside-down funnel, that allowed him to change to any object he wanted.

His first arch-enemy was Crabby Appleton, who was rotten to the core (raise your hand if your parents ever accused you of being a Crabby Appleton). Subsequent villains included Isotope Feeney, Sweet Tooth Sam the Candy Bandit, and Captain Kidney Bean.

Although the artwork was very primitive by today's standards, we kids used our imagination to make the characters very real.

Answer: Timmy

Lassie starred in original episodes from September 1954 to March 1973 with slight variations in casts. The first 10 seasons featured Lassie as part of the Miller family with Jeff, his mother Ruth, and his father George (called Gramps by Jeff). In season four, the Miller family adopted an orphan, Timmy.

When Gramps died, the farm was bought by the Martin family, with Timmy and Lassie staying behind. After season 10, the Martins moved to Australia and Lassie was adopted by U.S.Ranger Corey Scott. During the series run, six different collies played the role of Lassie.

Answer: Natasha Fatale

Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose starred under various show titles for pun-filled adventures, often opposed by Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, who reported to the sinister Fearless Leader. A product of Jay Ward, who had previously collaborated with Alex Anderson on "Crusader Rabbit", the series included political satire that made the cartoon also appeal to adults.

The show typically started with and ended with ongoing episodes starring Rocky and Bullwinkle sandwiched around other cartoons including "Fractured Fairy Tales", "Dudley Do-right", and "Peabody's Improbable History".

Answer: Sweet Polly Purebred

"The Adventures of Underdog", one of the original Saturday morning cartoons, ran from October 1964 to March 1967. Voiced by Wally Cox, Humble but Lovable Shoeshine Boy would take a Super Energy Pill from his ring to convert into Super Hero Underdog and save the world or Sweet Polly Purebred from the likes of Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff. The episodes were edited to remove Underdog taking the pill when the show went into syndication.

Like "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle", the show's first and last segments were Underdog episodes with Commander McBrag and Tennessee Tuxedo shorts filling the middle.

Answer: Roy

Roy Williams, a staff artist, appeared as the burly Mooseketeer. He also originated the idea that the Mouseketeers should be dressed like Mickey and Minnie and designed the trademark ears.

Everyone ran home from school to watch the original "Mickey Mouse Club" every afternoon.
Each day had a theme: Monday - Fun with Music Day
Tuesday - Guest Star Day
Wednesday - Anything Goes
Thursday - Circus Day
Friday - Talent Round-up Day
Nine Mouseketeers appeared in all four years of the original run. How many can you name?

The original Mouseketeers who appeared in all four years of the original series:
Sharon Baird
Bobby Burgess
Lonnie Burr
Tommy Cole
Annette Funicello
Darlene Gillespie
Cubby O'Brien
Karen Pendleton
Doreen Tracey

Among the many who tried out for a role as a Mouseketeer and were rejected included Candace Bergan and Paul Williams.

Answer: Baba Looey

The "Quick Draw McGraw Show" ran from 1959 to 1961. Quick Draw was a horse anthropomorphized into a cowboy and would change into an alter ego named El Kabong, whose main weapon was to hit the villains over the head with a guitar. Baba Looey was his sidekick who usually steered Quick Draw out of trouble.
Other cartoons on the show included "Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy" and "Snooper and Blabber".

Answer: Marty

Spin and Marty spent three summers at the Triple R Ranch under the dude ranch's owner, Colonel Logan, and staffed by Counselor Bill Barnett. Marty, a rich and pampered orphan, arrives at the Triple R with his butler, Perkins, who stays on as the assistant cook so he can keep an eye on "Master Martin". Marty has trouble adapting to life on the ranch but eventually adjusts by the end of the first season and becomes best friends with Spin. The second and third seasons featured Moochie, Annette Funicello, and Darlene Gillespie. The feared North Fork Ranch is the rival camp competing in a rodeo against the Triple R. The Circle H was the nearby girls' ranch.

The 11-minute episodes were aired during the original Mickey Mouse Club Show and ran for three seasons.

Answer: Penny

Inspector Gadget was human/cyborg and his archenemy was Dr. Claw, an agent of the sinister group M.A.D. Inspector Gadget always had good intentions to fight Dr. Claw, but the day was usually saved by his niece, Penny, and her dog Brain, without Gadget realizing that she and Brain had intervened. Gadget activates his mechanical powers by saying "Go Go Gadget" and naming the tool he wants to use.

He was voiced by Don Adams, who also was Maxwell Smart from the show "Get Smart" and there are similarities between the two characters.

Answer: Sherman

One of the cartoons sandwiched in between the opening and closing episodes on the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show", Mr. Peabody is a beagle who is the smartest being in the world. He legally adopted an orphan named Sherman in the first episode. Then he used his invention, the Wayback Machine, to travel back in time with Sherman to witness historical events, often having to subtly intervene, and with a pun comment at the end of the episode.

Super trivia question: What was Mr. Peabody's first name?
Answer: Hector

Answer: Rusty

"The Adventure of Rin Tin Tin" ran from October 1954 to May 1959. Rusty and his dog Rin Tin Tin were the only survivors of an Indian raid and were adopted by the men of Fort Apache. Rusty is appointed as an honorary Corporal and Rin Tin Tin is assigned as a Private. Together with Lieutenant Rip Masters, Sargent Biff O'Hara, and Corporal Randy Boone, they preserve law and order in the area around Fort Apache.

The original Rin Tin Tin (1918-1932) was a German Shepherd rescued on the battlefield in France in World War I by an American soldier, who brought him back to the US and trained him to appear in silent movies. The later hero of Fort Apache was originally cast by his offspring, Rin Tin Tin IV, but after a poor screen test was replaced by Flame Jr. Hey You, a bloodline descendant of the original Rin Tin Tin, was used as a stunt double and for fight scenes.