What strikes your mind when you think of the Big Red Dog? Clifford? Yes, for me, all I think of is Clifford! Yesterday I was watching this 2021 trailer of Clifford the Big Red Dog and it brought all the strong nostalgia of the original Clifford show from way back in the early 2000s.
The memories of Clifford are as fresh in my mind, thanks to the bedtime stories that we used to read aloud back in the day. I would spend hours on ends reading the book. I remember binging on the show since I had read most of the book. It made watching the series easier since I had a rough idea of the storyline. Catching up with Clifford on YouTube the other made me appreciate how timeless this show is. It is almost a decade down the line but the jokes and presentation still crack me up!
Yes, certainly Clifford has revolved from the book characters of the late ‘80s to the animation character of the 2000s. But the storyline, antics, and timeless lessons are still the best. No wonder Clifford the Big Red Dog is still popular to this date. In this article, we will look into the background history of Clifford and why he has remained a well-known and loved cartoon character.
Evolution of Clifford the Big Red Dog
Since its inception, the character Clifford the Big Red Dog has been evolving and adopted in Tv Series, Toys, and other shows. Some of the most notable Clifford shows include:
- Clifford's Sing-Along Adventure (1986)
- Clifford's fun with letters (1988)
- Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000)
- Clifford's Puppy Days (2003)
- Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004)
- Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019)
- Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021)
It is amazing how creative the developers can be. To carry a story from the ‘80s to the 21st century and still manage to be relevant and appealing to the current generation is not an easy task. Also, considering the fact that the 19th century saw the rapid development of technology, video games, and movie production. The cast and characters have been continuously been developed to fit the part and remain relevant to kids and adults alike.
Unlike other TV cartoon series, Clifford the Big Red Dog has been designed to appeal to both kids and adults alike. The jokes are easy to understand and can be appreciated by both genders and ages. Back in the days, we used to watch the pre-recorded version of the show on weekends. I remember spending hours indoors catching up with past series on PVR.
Clifford The Big Red Dog Opening Theme
https://youtu.be/nWwIyKOCrd8
Back in the 90s, through to the 2000s, the opening themes were a signature that made shows unique. This opening theme keeps echoing in my mind. I literally cannot get out of my head. It reminds me back then when we would rush into the house and scramble for seats when the opening theme song started.
Background History of Clifford the Big Red Dog
Clifford the Big Red Dog is an American-Canadian educational animated children’s TV show based on Norman Bridwell’s book series with the same name. It also has an American-British version of the show. It first aired on PBS Kids from September 2000 through to February 2003 and was produced by Scholastic Productions. The UK version had British voice actors replacing the original American voiceovers, premiered on BBC Two in 2002.
Clifford was voiced by John Ritter in all episodes; however, this was initially done by Canadian actor Brent Titcomb in the 1988 direct-to-video series. By the time the final of the 65 half-hour episodes and the ensuing film Clifford’s Really Big Move were done, Ritter was back on ABC’s prime time schedule, starring in 8 Simple Rules. Ritter died on September 2003 less than two weeks after PBS aired Clifford’s Puppy Days.
While there was no new Clifford episodes that have been aired since Ritter’s passing, some of the key characters voices have been reprised for the Ready to Learn PBS Kids PSAs. Due to Ritter’s death, Clifford’s Really Big Movie stands as the series finale, as no further episodes were produced to pick up where it left off (until the reboot in 2019). Clifford’s Puppy Days, on the other hand, remained on the air until its discontinuation in 2006.
Scholastic announced a revival of the series of the same name in 2018, which was to be launched in 2019 on Amazon Prime Video and December 2019 on PBS Kids, featuring Adam Sanders as the new Clifford. However, reruns of this cartoon series continue to show on PBS Kids.
Clifford’s Storyline
Each half-hour show had two 15 minutes stories. Clifford and his canine pals, including Cleo, T-Bone, and Mac, were usually the center of one narrative, while Clifford’s owner, Emily Elizabeth, and her pals, Jetta, Vaz, and Charley, were the focus of the other. Human speech would replace barking during shows focusing on the dogs’ point of view to show the plot from the dogs’ perspective.
Clifford the Big Red Dog Main Characters
The series basically improved on the characters in the book series. It brought life to the 1963 book. A timeless treasure that has entertained kids for decades. Thanks to Norman Bridwell.
Clifford
In the book, TV series, and the 2021 Clifford movie, he has remained consistent both in character and behavior. Clifford is presented as a two-year-old male red dog modeled after a big dog in appearance, personality, and behavior.His size varies: while he is frequently depicted as begin roughly 25 feet tall from paws to head, Clifford appears much larger. The character’s name is based on the wife of the writer Norman Bridwell’s fictional childhood buddy. Bridwell planned to name the puppy “Tiny” but his wife convinced him that Clifford was a better name. Emily Elizabeth is Clifford’s pet owner, and Clifford has a mother, two brothers, and two sisters.
Clifford’s character was conceived after a Harper & Row publisher suggested Bridwell write a story to accompany one of his photographs. Bridwell recalls picking up his drawing of a baby girl with a horse-sized bloodhound and casually saying “There might be a story in this” because there was always one.
Emily Elizabeth
Emily Elizabeth is Clifford’s human buddy and owner. She is an 8-year-old girl. She is frequently seen riding him like a horse. She was named after author Norman Bridwell’s daughter and is based on Bridwell’s wife’s fictional adventures. The TV series adaptation gives her the surname Emily Elizabeth Howard.
Clifford the Big Red Dog Adaptations
The original book on Clifford the Big Red Dog has been adapted in many media (i.e. TV Series and movies). Additionally, Clifford’s Sing-Along Adventure was published by Karl-Lorimar Home Video back in 1986.
In the mid-1990s, Warner Home Video released it again. Clifford Fun with a videotape series featuring a theme tune composed by Philip Namanworth and Benjamin Goldstein was released in 1988 by Scholastic studios, Mendelson-Melendez Productions, Nelvana, Wang Film Productions, and Family Home Ent.
The ABC message Service, Clifford’s Birthday Surprise, “The Scavenger Hunt, The Rhyme Cat Rescue, Clifford goes to Hollywood and The Pet Show are among the episodes available Clifford was voiced by musician Brent Titcomb, and Emily Elizabeth was voiced by actress Alyson Court. For a brief while in the late 90s, a Spanish TV station showed the direct-to-video series.
Original Clifford TV Series Adaptation
Scholastic media created a 65-episode adaptation that ran on PBS Kids from September 2000 to February 2003. Clifford was portrayed by John Ritter, and Emily Elizabeth was portrayed by Grey DeLisle. There was also a 39-episode prequel series set during Clifford’s puppyhood that aired from September 2003 to February 2006 with Lara Jill Miller portraying Young Clifford’s voice. A theatrical film that served as the show’s finale was released in February 2004 and no more episodes were broadcast after John Ritter’s death.
However, a new series with Adam Sanders and Hannah Levinson as the new voices of Clifford and Emily Elizabeth was released in December 2019 for Amazon Prime Video and December 2019 for PBS Kids prior to returning on CBS Kids, CBBC, and TG4.
The Movie: Clifford the Big Red Dog Film
This is the most anticipated adaptation of the book. Since it is released in the 21st century, there is more to look forward to, thanks to the developed film and production technology. We all look forward to seeing a refined Clifford with more details and additional moves compared to the earlier versions.
I am personally yet to watch the movie myself; I have even lost track of the release dates. But it still remains one of the movies I highly await. Mostly because of the nostalgia and the memories wrapped around Clifford as a character.
I love the free soul, and kind-hearted Clifford. Despite being the giant dog, he was still acting as the 2-year-old dog that he was. I can’t wait to see this movie adaptation and how it has been curated. Unlike other animations that becomes a passing fad in a short while, Clifford has managed to remain popular to kids of all generation for a long time. This character is simply timeless. I can’t get enough of Clifford myself.
Background of Clifford; Coming soon Movie
Clifford the Big Red Dog Movie is directed by Walt Becker. It is a forthcoming America live-action/CGI family adventure comedy film. It is based on Norman Bridwell’s children’s book series of the same name. The film stars Jack Whitehall, Darby Camp, Tony Hale, Sienna Guillory, Russell Wong, and John Cleese, with David Alan Grier providing the title character’s voice.
Paramount Pictures plans to distribute the movie theatrically in the US in September 2021. This makes it one of the most anticipated animation series in the 21st century that is based on books series from decades back. This will be the best and biggest nostalgia hit in 2021. I have seen the trailer and I can’t wait to watch the movie. This will be epic.
Other Clifford Adaptations and Video Games.
There have since been many video games released based on Clifford. Some of the original series include
- Clifford’s Reading
- Clifford’s Thinking adventures
Other modern series based on Clifford include:
- Clifford’s Learning Activities
- Clifford’s Musical Memory Games
- Clifford’s Phonics
- Clifford’s Big Puzzle Game – A Wendy’s kids meal DVD game, limited edition
The show aired 66 episodes from September 2000 to February 2003. Season 1 of the show had 40 episodes and aired from September 4th, 2000 to December 5th, 2001. It was followed by Season 2 in the following year that aired 26 episodes starting from January 16th, 2002 to February 25th, 2003.
Season 1 (2002 – 2001)
EPISODE 1: Unlike other cartoon series, Clifford the Big Red Dog had two titled episodes. For example, the first episode of season 1 was “My Best Friend” and “Cleo’s Fair Share” which was directed by John Over, written by Sindy McKay. The storyboard was done by Joseph Orrantia and Jeff Gordon in September of 2000. This is what set the pace for the entire show. It was well-received back then thus encouraged the developers to release more series.
In the episode “My Best Friend”: Emily believes she needs to come up with something special for Show and Tell. But after scouring Birdwell Island for the perfect item to share, Emily discovered that the nicest things in life are sometimes right beneath her nose.
EPISODE 2: "Get Along, Little Kitties": Miss Clayton arranges a kitten adoption event, but the six available kittens escape. Emily and Clifford pitch in, employing methods inspired by a cowboy book, and try to find a home for the grey kitten that is the most energetic of the bunch.
"Very Big Riding Hood": When Emily and Clifford learn that Bailey is suffering from stomach pain, they set out to cheer her up with a package of heart-shaped sweets. However, the goodies become popular with the other animals, and Emily and Clifford distribute one to each animal they encounter on their route to her house. When they get to Bailey's house, there are no treats left for her, but they try to cheer her up anyhow.
EPISODE 3: "Hiccup Pup": While Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are aiming to beat the world record for the most dog biscuits stacked, Clifford gets the hiccups, causing the tower to collapse. Everyone appears to have various opinions about how to cure hiccups, but Emily Elizabeth will go to any length to assist her big pal get rid of his hiccups.
"Top of the Charts": Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are inspired to establish their own band after complimenting a local band on their songs. The band appears to be complete after gathering their buddies, but there is one thing missing: practice.
Willa moment: Willa is intrigued by the flower the mouse has just placed in a pot, but when she accidentally knocks it over, she hides her actions for a moment. Willa, on the other hand, confesses the truth when the mouse begins blaming the frog for what happened to the flower.
EPISODE 4: "Knights of the Wobbly Table": Emily Elizabeth and Clifford go to the library to check out a previously read adventure story, but Miss Clayton discovers that they haven't returned the book. Emily Elizabeth, Clifford, and their pals go off on a quest to find the book, only to discover that it's been right under Miss Clayton's nose the whole time.
Willa moment: Willa is playing with a tennis ball when a seagull steals it from her and begins playing with it. When the seagull realizes he has damaged Willa's feelings, he resolves to share the ball through a game of catch instead.
EPISODE 5: "Things That Go Bump": Inspired by a camping book, Emily Elizabeth and Clifford have a backyard campout with their friends (kids and dogs alike), but something seems to be making spooky things happen around the campsite, and Emily Elizabeth and Clifford must be brave to save Sam's new hermit crab Shelley and expose the "ghost."
Willa moment: Willa and the seagull are intrigued by a bicycle they see outside the cycling shop, but they can't get it to move. Fortunately, the frog appears to provide a helping hand...or foot.
EPISODE 6: "The Little Red Dream": Clifford inadvertently creates a great shambles on the main thoroughfare. Emily tries to cheer up Clifford by reading "Gulliver's Travels," but Clifford falls asleep and dreams of being small, but soon realizes that being big is okay.
"The Mail Mix Up": Ms. Clayton is throwing a party for the new mailman, but the preparations leave her short on time, so Emily and Clifford deliver the invitations for her. Emily and Clifford successfully deliver all of the invites, except for one mysterious guy named Mr. Basu!
EPISODE 7: "Coming Soon!": Pablo is overjoyed when Mr. Howard informs him that the author is visiting after he has shared the current issue of his favorite comic book with his friends. The librarian's explanation that the ferry went down, necessitating a cancellation, dampens the mood. Emily Elizabeth, feeling sorry for their friend, comes up with the idea of putting on a play to cheer Pablo up. When the production encounters a snag, only one of the cast members can save the show...and receive praise from an unexpected guest.
"Fire Dog Tucker": Tucker is getting ready to take his Fire Dog Test, and Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are ready to assist him in any way they can. Tucker, on the other hand, is easily afraid and hides in the Fire Chief's fire trousers during every section of the exam. Emily Elizabeth cheers Tucker up with a history lesson about dalmatians and their duties as fire dogs, but when Willa becomes trapped in a cave and the fire truck suffers a puncture, Tucker must face his fears to rescue the day.
Willa moment: Willa and the frog are having a good time playing with a balloon when it gets stuck in a lamp on a high container. When neither of them can reach the balloon, they must enlist the assistance of a third friend to save their game.
EPISODE 8: "Muddy Buds Hit the Suds": Emily Elizabeth, Clifford, Sam, and Bailey are delighted to play "racing cars" in the mud after a rain, but Tucker isn't interested in getting messy because it means he'll have to take a wash later. Tucker tries to hide to avoid a bath until he ends up engaging in the fun and getting dirty. Emily Elizabeth, Sam, and their dogs assist Tucker by equating bathing to race cars and pit crews...by having the Fire Chief and some of the townfolk bathe Clifford.
"Lights, Camera, Clifford!": Inspired by a movie she saw at Birdwell Island's Movie Night, Sam decides to produce her own. Sam comes up with a decent narrative for a movie with the help of a book about creating movies and invites her human and dog friends to join the cast while she directs. However, the friends' creative disagreements threaten to wreck Sam's idea, and only Emily Elizabeth can save Sam's dream from being ruined.
Willa's moment: Willa arrives at the playground, depressed. Will finally realizes that being among her friends was all she needed to cure her blues, despite the efforts of the seagull and the frog.
EPISODE 9: "Making Lemonade Out of Lemons": Emily Elizabeth, Clifford, and friends decide to start up a lemonade stand to generate funds for new soccer jerseys.
"The Watering Hole": Emily Elizabeth is eager to swim in the local pool, but it isn't yet open! She and Clifford kill time with their buddies by dressing up as animals and going to the "watering hole."
Willa segment: Willa climbs a seesaw. She keeps playing until a frog leaps on it. Willa forces the frog to leap off the seesaw out of selfishness, but she eventually learns to share it with the frog. After that, they get along just well.
EPISODE 10: "Up, Pup, and Away": Emily Elizabeth has a present for Aunt Violet: paper airplanes decorated with drawings of special events they shared! When Aunt Violet arrives, the propellers of her seaplane disperse all the paper planes!
"Abra-Ca-Lifford!": When Emily Elizabeth's father gives her and Clifford his old magic kit, the two decide to become magicians! But what happens when a disappearing act goes overboard?
Willa Pause: Willa and Shelly go for a walk through the woods, but Willa keeps getting smacked in the head by acorns. Shelly plans to use leaves and a flower to prevent Willa's natural mishap from happening again. She, happily, manages to stay on Willa's head in order to avoid the falling acorns.
EPISODE 11: "Mount Norma": Inspired by a news article, the youngsters pretend to be mountain climbers and submit their own "mountain"—the local hill. Meanwhile, the Fire Chief instructs Bailey and Tucker to bring a box of cookies delivered from his Aunt Norma to Emily Elizabeth to share with everyone, but Seagull steals the gift, and Bailey and Tucker try to catch up to him by hiking up the same slope to save the box. When the kids' final stretch evolves into a race to the top to call the "mountain," they discover the new name already there.
"Hide and Sneak": The pals are playing Animal Star Rangers Hide-and-Seek to save the galaxy! When Clifford's size makes playing hide-and-seek difficult, Emily Elizabeth devises a novel solution to assist him. Meanwhile, when Clifford rescues Willa from a tree, she begins playing tag with a red butterfly, which leads her through the Animal Star Rangers' Hide-and-Seek.
Willa pause: Willa and the gopher play hide-and-seek in the park, but as the gopher starts taking advantage of the many holes he's dug, he realizes he's offended Willa by not playing fairly.
EPISODE 12: "The Big Red Tomato": Emily Elizabeth's small seed has blossomed into a HUGE tomato! Can Emily Elizabeth and Jack come to an agreement on what to make with it before the Firehouse Feast begins?
"Dogbert": Emily Elizabeth and Clifford disguise themselves as robots on Robo-missions to assist her parents in preparing for a dinner gathering that evening.
Willa moment: Willa intends to play in a front-yard full of party decorations, but she gets trapped in some of them, resulting in scotch tape. A mouse and a frog encounter the same problem, but thanks to their cooperation, they are able to release themselves from the sticky scotch tape.
EPISODE 13: "The Birdwell Island Blues": Emily Elizabeth's day has begun disastrously, and she is in a foul mood! Her poor mood sets off a chain reaction, and practically everyone on the island soon has a miserable day!
"The Big Red World": After showing his friends his father's trunk of foreign travel treasures, the youngsters are encouraged to go on a play "world tour" around Birdwell Island.
Willa pause: Willa plans to play with the seagull in the botanical front yard, but the weather quickly turns from sunny to rainy. She tries to dry herself beneath a massive stem. Regrettably, she gets wet.
The frog and seagull stay dry by hiding beneath a wooden cart. They graciously allow Willa to remain beneath the cart.
EPISODE 14: Emily Elizabeth and Clifford have just uncovered a dinosaur egg in "A Reasonable Eggsplantion." However, in their efforts to care for tiny "Eggie," they discover that not everything is as it appears.
"The Special Agents of Birdwell Island": Emily Elizabeth's father discusses getting rid of something large and red. Is that Clifford? Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are sent as special agents to solve the mystery.
Willa pause: A frog leaps onto a swimming float made of plastic. Willa tries to jump on it, but the frog tosses her into the water. They have a difficult time getting along with one another. A mouse, thankfully, motivates them to work together.
EPISODE 15: "Towel Team Go!": Emily Elizabeth and a buddy are inspired to join a superhero team after witnessing Fire Chief Franklin saving Fisherman Charlie.
"Puppy Preschool": Clifford, Bailey, and Tucker create a puppy preschool after Fisherman Charlie's new puppy, Hudson, struggles to share and play with everyone.
Willa moment: On her first snow day, Willa sees Mouse outside and misinterprets her pantomimes as wanting to blow on the windows and draw pictures in the cold breath until she realizes Mouse simply wants to come inside to avoid the cold weather.
EPISODE 16: "Captain Chrysalis": When Pablo realizes his new butterfly companion may want to join other butterflies on excursions in Butterfly Grove, he must learn to empathize with her.
"It's Berry Season!": Berry Day has arrived on Birdwell Island. Emily Elizabeth and Clifford become engrossed in gathering all of the berries. When they find they did not save any berries for other Birdwell Island residents, they set out to right their error.
Willa pause: Willa blows a blue feather into the air. She intends to land on a frog after blowing it over a volleyball goal. Willa plans to reclaim it by scaling the volleyball goal. She, happily, regains it with the help of the frog.
EPISODE 17: "Farm Friends": Emily Elizabeth and her friends pretend to be farmers. They start their own farm in Emily Elizabeth's backyard.
Emily Elizabeth and Clifford imagine themselves as fairies in "The Big Book Giveaway." When they fly over Birdwell Island collecting books during Donation Day, they unintentionally donate his cherished book. He cheerfully learns his lesson, knowing that his friends will enjoy reading it as well.
Willa pause: Willa enters the little botanical front yard, but one of her paws becomes muddy. A seagull gets her to clean her paw in a birdbath. Willa falls into the birdbath after climbing into it. She and the seagull take a bath in bubbles. Willa's paw has been thoroughly cleaned.
EPISODE 18: Clifford is determined to meet Babette the white whale in "Whale of a Time." She is said to be larger than Clifford, but no one on Birdwell Island has ever seen her.
Willa moment: Willa plans to skateboard down a slope, and the seagull encourages her. She panicked slips down on the skateboard. It sinks to the bottom of the pool. Following that, Willa and the seagull begin to get along.
EPISODE 19: "The Adventures of Clifford the Good": Inspired by the British folktale of Robin Hood, Clifford sets out to complete a series of "good deeds" in his neighborhood. When a major disaster happens, he and his merry band of rescuers arrive to solve all of Birdwell Island's issues.
Clifford The Big Red Dog S01Ep19 Fluffed Up Cleo ¦¦ Team Spirit
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Willa pause: Willa faces a difficult obstacle course on a playground with a frog and a seagull, but she has difficulty jumping over a pond and a barrier. Willa is encouraged by the frog to leap on rocks to cross the pond, and the seagull manages to unlock the gate for Willa.
EPISODE 20: "The Wild Wolf Pack": Clifford and his canine pals establish a wolf pack and cavort around Birdwell Island, but when it comes to howling at the night sky, they realize how much they miss their humans.
Emily Elizabeth and Clifford want to surprise their pals by constructing a miniature golf course. This activity is difficult until students learn to ask for help and collaborate.
Willa moment: Willa and a mouse are playing tag in a house when they come to a piano. They begin to touch its black and white keys, but at different moments. They can gladly play together as a team.
Final Thoughts
Clifford The Red Big Dog is one of the few animated TV series that will exist forever. Am looking forward to watching the movie and anything in store that will be developed based on the original book series.
What memories does the show bring to you? Did you watch it back then?
