There have always been that string of shows that feature anthropomorphized main characters for one reason or another. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad, but most of the time, there is a lot of fan-art devoted to them. I don't know how that happens, but it does.
Anyway, this show actually came out of Kids WB, lasted for one season, and then cancelled for rather vague reasons that I never seem to understand. This is Road Rovers!
(Thank God for the WB for having such catchy intros)
'Road Rovers' was a series developed by (of course) Warner Bros. Animation and ran for only one season back in 1996. In short, the series was about a group of anthropomorphic dogs, called the Road Rovers, fight as a team of super dogs (of sorts) against evil and what-not. It was kinda your standard super hero show of the 90s, only without the gore you would know in from the comic books at the time. So, how does the show stand up, despite only staying around for 13 episode?
The start of the series, as well as the first episode, begins at a research center in New Mexico. A scientist named Professor Shepard is being forced by a guy called General Pavro (which is a play on words for a disease that affects dogs) to hand over a device known as the transdogmafier in order to get his own dog, Scout, back. After the device has been moved, Pavro tosses Shepard the keys to the dog's cage and leaves. As the professor opens the cage, it reveals a bomb with tape recorder mimicking the dog's howling. Then the research center explodes.
(Yes, the joke the absolutely necessary)
Cut to one year later where an old lady's afghan puppy (i think) gets turned into a giant monster after running outside, though the old lady takes it rather well at first. Then cut to the main heroes of the story, with all the dogs start howling in the sky. First up is Exile, the Siberian husky dog, who is apparently sleeping out in the snow. Eh, makes sense in dog terms. Next up is Colleen the rough collie in England, having already displayed some nice footwork as a dog. Then comes Shag, a Swiss sheep dog, who is rather reluctant at accepting the new responsibility. Next up is Blitz, a Doberman working as a police dog in Germany. At that time, Blitz has already stopped a car thief.
Finally, we have Hunter, the golden retriever mix in America, and apparently in a pound, despite the obvious dog tag around his neck. Apparently, he shared a cell with a Rotweiler named Muzzle, who is really bat-shit insane. Seriously, you know he's crazy considering how they needed to fit him into a straight jacket and muzzle to keep him down, yet he is still capable of hopping around on his own. By God, compared to Hannibal Lecter, Muzzle is the more insane one. At least Lecter would give you a nice conversation before eating you.
(Still, I don't see Lecter as the vision of perfect sanity either)
Anyway, the two dogs are about to be euthanized until Hunter makes a break for it. As he is called upon to 'save himself', Hunter heads back to save Muzzle as well, believing that his friend, despite the insanity, deserves a chance to live.
We then cut to a crater somewhere (I'm guessing its left from the professor's place in New Mexico), with a hole that leads to an underground sanctuary where Professor Shepard now resides (doesn't really explain how he survived the explosion or managed to build an entire complex in a year though). Anyway, the dogs (minus Muzzle) get put through a machine that turns them into 'canine-sapiens', which gives them the ability to speak like humans and gain super powers. Apparently, it also grants them shiny new outfits as well.
Anyway, Exile has the standard Russian accent, Blitz sounds like Schwarzenegger(despite Schwarzenegger being Austrian), Colleen has a nice English accent, Shag can't speak clearly (something happened to his device, though I'm not sure what) and Hunter reveals that his voice sounds similar to Wakko from the Animaniacs (because he's done by the same guy). Anyway, Shepard reveals himself, explaining his plans to use the Road Roves, as he calls them, as a force for good. He lists off how each one has select powers and skills, like Hunter's super speed, Colleen's enhanced martial arts, Blitz's super sharp teeth and claws, Exile's enhanced vision and vision-based powers, and Shag's super bravery (I think he messed up on that last one).
One of the things that has me off-put is the absolute loyalty the Road Rovers show after the transformation. Yeah, I know dogs can be loyal, but this seems way too fast to be happening. I keep thinking that Shepard has them under some mind control and uses them for some evil scheme.
(At least we know that Shepard isn't a raccoon...yet)
Anyway, Shepard reveals to the team that the Afghan from before in the episode (along with a Dalmatian seen now) have been transformed into vicious, intelligent monsters who apparently just hijacked a train. The Road Rovers, rather reluctantly since Shepard said they could potentially die out there, head out to stop the mutated dogs.
They go by care and plane (apparently, Shepard gave them information on how to work each, I hope) and they catch up to the train in no time. As they fight off the mutated dogs, it cuts to General Pavro, who is behind it all, needed a device about the train to stabilize the mutated dogs and created a massive army to conquer the world. Back at the train, the heroes do their best to fight off the dogs and manage to secure the device. However, Hunter gets a call in from Shepard to pull a 'bait-and-switch' maneuver on the enemy, handing them a fake device while keeping a hold of the original one. Once Pavro gets a hold of the fake device, it turns out to be a bomb.
(Unfortunately, Pavro doesn't end up looking like a guy off of a Five Finger Death Punch album cover)
After stopping the bad guy, Shepard reveals that he managed to get homes for the 5 dogs with the main leaders of their respective countries (Hunter with the President of the United States, Colleen with the Prime Minister from England, etc.) Muzzle ends up staying with Shepard, where it is revealed that Muzzle was originally Shepard's dog Scout. Thus ends the first episode of Road Rovers.
And that was Road Rovers, another animated show from the WB. Overall, it was an okay show. The characters had some basic personalities, the plot was alright, if sometimes full of plot holes, the animation was pretty good at the time and the jokes we occasionally hit and miss. I don't really see how it could've ended after one season, since there have been other series where they continued despite its apparently badness. Maybe its a mystery that is best left to be.
Anyway, until next time...
'Road Rovers' is owned by Warner Brothers Animation
Thanks to Youtube accounts fahnix19, amanojyaku69, and IHATESYOUTUBE for the videos.
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