The Rutles was an animated American Saturday morning TV show about the titular band. The series debuted on 25 September 1965 and ended on 7 September 1969 with 39 episodes produced for the ABC Network. Each episode featured a song with a story featured around it and a performance of the song. The show was produced by Al Broadax, and the Rutles' voices were provided by Paul Frees (Nasty's and Stig's voices) and Geoffrey Hughes (Dirk's and Barry's voices).
Depiction of The Rutles[]
The Rutles were all and skinny, tall with exaggerated features. They all had blue button-up shirts, black ties, and blue tuxes to go over the shirts and ties.
Ron Nasty[]
Nasty is depicted as the leader of the group and shown to be 'the brains of the Rutles.' His "Rut-top" hair cut is much bushier than the others and his facial expression is always that of utter annoyance. His eyes appear to be squinting and his trousers are tight, but are still the thinnest of the group.
Dirk McQuickly[]
Dirk is the follow-up-leader, or 'assistant.' He is more of a dandy than the other group members. His hair is drawn to be the longest of all the Rutles.
His eyes are stretched, often looking wide awake, and one tooth is always visible when he smiles. His fingers are spread apart whenever he is talking to someone and he always looks at whomever he is speaking with because 'he's just not rude'. However, when Ron has an idea, Dirk is the first to shoot it out of the water. His trousers are thinner than Ron's, which causes them to always be partially bent.
Stig O'Hara[]
Stig has cheeks that point into the center of his face as if he were always smiling and like Dirk, his front teeth stick out. His hair is raggedy at the top and neat and brushed at the bottom. His eyebrows connect in the middle, almost making a uni-brow, and the tops of his eyes are always drooping as if he's asleep. His trousers are the-second tightest of the group.
Barry Wom[]
Barry is the loud Rutle. His hair is the shaggiest, sometimes overtaking his eyebrows, and his ears stick out of the side of his Rutle-top. His neck is long and his nose big. In some cases, his smile would look like that of a cat, or the number 3. He always carries drumsticks and has large hands. Of all the Rutles, he has the tightest trousers.
Episodes[]
Season 1 (1965-3/1966)[]
- I Must Be in Love/Hold My Hand:
The Rutles find themselves in a monstrous house filled with beasts. What this has to do with the song or the film is unknown. To hide from fans, the Rutles hide inside a diving bell and nearly drown. However, an octopus saves them. - Glory Of Love/With a Girl Like You:
The Rutles go to Dublin, Ireland for the weekend where they meet a vampire named Wilma Borris; Nasty is kidnapped by Dr. Frankenstein and Igor, who want Nasty's pants for their monster. - Please Mr. Rutman/Kramus In Her Heart
Barry loses 15 rings he bought with all of the Rutles' spending money and they are expecting a telegram from their manager, Leggy Mountbatten, for more money; Barry wanders into the woods in Transylvania, where he meets a goblin who wants him for a husband. - Not a Second Rhyme/Baby Let Me Be:
The Rutles abandon their flight and land in Africa while trying to get away from their fans, but three girls keep tracking them down; they later encounter a few crocodiles; The Rutles are on their way to the town of Barry Raverne (named after Barry) until they encounter a donkey that smells gold named "Gold Hose". - Nasty's in Rut/I So Don't Care:
Dirk gets kidnapped by Professor Psycho, who wants him to marry his creation Vampiress - half-girl and half-bat; Ron and Stig go to a wax museum where a vampire follows them. Barry, takes a nap. - You've Really Got a Rut On Me/Is it You?:
In Africa, Barry asks a medicine maker named Jack to help fix the Rutles' flat tire. He then turns a worm into a snake and it lusts for Barry; After getting knocked out, Barry dreams about himself as Captain William Bligh from the movie Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). - I'll Rut You/Granny Don't:
The Rutles run into hunter Alan Watermain (a parody of the H. Rider Haggard character Alan Quartermain) in Africa after escaping from their fans and go out hunting for a lion; Barry is mistaken as a bull rider, and the cowboys send him to ride on a super-tough bull named Granny. - Any Rhyme At All/Number One:
The Rutles imagine themselves as the Three Musketeers (Plus One) while they are on a tour at a museum in France; The Rutles attend an art show where a girl tries to be like other artists. They inspire her with music. - Come Into The Open/I'll Rut Back:
A Native American girl on a Texas Indian reservation wants to prove that girls are as good at trapping as boys are by trapping the Rutles; The mayor of a Texas town gives Barry a golden guitar as a gift, only to be stolen by three men, prompting the Fab Four to hunt for the thieves and get the guitar back. (The song "Ticket to Rut" is heard at the beginning of this episode.) - Long Tall Harry/I'll Fry Instead:
The Rutles stay at a castle for the night during a fog. Ron and Barry try on a couple of cursed armor suits and start to fight each other; After signing too many autographs in Japan, Stig's hand gets swollen and suffers "autographitis". His bandmates take him to a hand doctor but end up in a karate class by mistake. - I'll Follow Your Mom/When I Get Rome:
The Rutles' car breaks down and they are captured by a highwayman who happens to be a car repair man; The Rutles explore the Notre Dame in France where they later meet its famous hunchback Quasimodo - Everybody's Trying to Eat My Baby/I Want To Be With You
The Rutles spending the night at a temple in Japan during a rainstorm, are mistaken for Japanese ancestors of four girls; The Rutles are in Rome trying to find a theater to rehearse. Their last resort is the Coliseum.
Merchandising[]
The ad for the Rutles' action figures from the show.
Toy adaptations of the Rutles in the show were created in 1967. They're now counted as rare and valuable collectibles.
The series was reissued later on DVD, along with the toys.