Total TeleVision productions

Total TeleVision productions

Company type	Private
Industry	Animation, Television production
Founded	1959
Founder	Buck Biggers, Chester "Chet" Stover, Joe Harris, Treadwell D. Covington
Defunct	1969
Fate	Rights acquired by DreamWorks Classics/DreamWorks Animation
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Products	Animated television series and commercials
Parent	Dancer Fitzgerald Sample (founders were part of this advertising firm)

Total TeleVision productions was a U.S.-based animation company established in 1959 by Buck Biggers, Chester "Chet" Stover, Joe Harris, and Treadwell D. Covington. These founders were part of the advertising firm Dancer Fitzgerald Sample, which managed the account for General Mills. The studio was formed with the objective of creating animated characters to advertise General Mills’ cereals and other products. Total Television mainly developed animated series for broadcasters such as NBC. Among its prominent creations are Underdog, King Leonardo and His Short Subjects, and Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales.

Production and shows

At first, Total Television contracted animation work to TV Spots but transitioned to Gamma Productions around 1961 during the third season of King Leonardo and His Short Subjects.

Significant projects produced by Total Television include:

• Commercials for Cocoa Puffs (1960–1969)
• King Leonardo and His Short Subjects
  • The King & Odie (1960–1964)
  • The Hunter (1960–1964)
  • Twinkles the Elephant (1960–1961)
  • Tooter Turtle (1960–1961)
• Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–1966)
  • Commander McBragg (1964–1966)
• Underdog (1964–1967)
  • Go Go Gophers (1964–1966)
  • Klondike Kat (first 14 episodes, 1966)
• The Beagles (1966–1967)
  • The Sing A Long Family (1960s)
  • Klondike Kat (final 12 episodes, 1966–1967)
• Pilot episodes: Gene Hattree, Cauliflower Cabby, and The Colossal Show (1960s)

Following their original network runs, syndication rights were handled by The Program Exchange until it ceased operations in 2016. Presently, these rights belong to DreamWorks Classics/DreamWorks Animation, subsidiaries of Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal.

See also

• Animation in the United States in the television era

External links

• "Whatever Happened to Total TeleVision productions?," Hogan's Alley #15, 2009