Beethoven: The Animated Series

The animated Spin-Off of the 1992 film featuring a St. Bernard as its title character. In the animated series, Beethoven could speak, but only to his fellow canine friends, who were exclusive to the series. Also, there was a Guinea pig named Mr. Huggs who wasn't in the movie.

Developed for television by the future creators of Recess and Universal Cartoon Studios. A total of 26 episodes were aired on CBS Saturday Mornings between 1994 and 1995.

The series had most of the episodes released on home video during the shows run, but they were out of print afterwards. The series is now free to watch online through Universal's Peacock service.

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Tropes found in the cartoon series:

• The Ahnold: Killer's right-hand dog talks like this. Beethoven and friends actually thought he was the boss in part because of this.
• Always Someone Better: Ted finds a lost bloodhound named Watson in "Scent of a Mutt" and takes him in until the owner can be contacted. Beethoven can't stand Watson, due to his massive ego over his superior sense of smell and unfailing ability to prove it. Beethoven even gets roped into facing Watson to prove who the better tracker is and, as he knew would happen, loses to the bloodhound. Beethoven's one victory against Watson is finding Ted, who had gone missing while putting up posters.
• Animal Jingoism: As to be expected, dogs and cats are portrayed as bitter enemies in this series. Just the threat of being sent to live with a neighbor who owns multiple cats scares Beethoven into line. Sparky losing a fight to a cat is considered a truly shameful and embarrassing incident.
• Animal Talk: Every featured animal talks to each other with no problem, with the humans completely clueless over what's being said. On multiple occasions, it's shown that the animals perfectly understand whatever the humans are saying, albeit failing to grasp sarcasm or what specific terms mean.
• Artistic License – Biology: In "Mr. Huggs' Wild Ride", Mr. Huggs is clearly revealed to have a tail, despite guinea pigs not having them.
• Ascended Extra: Sparky was a supporting character in the first movie with a fair amount of screentime, and he got a cameo in the second one. Here, he's a main character and gets a couple episodes focused on him.
• Bait-and-Switch: Watson the bloodhound talks with the sophisticated voice of Tony Jay, suggesting he has a very fancy pedigree and upbringing. He's actually owned by a working-class junkman, and he adores the guy. Sparky in particular is stunned by this.
• Berserk Button: Beethoven is sensitive about his weight.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Beethoven is a slightly dim Big Friendly Dog, but he'll turn into a snarling attack dog if any of the Newtons are in danger.
• Big Eater: Beethoven has a big bowl for a big reason. Like the theme song says, he eats like a horse, so he'll always woof down whatever's in his bowl and want more. "The Dog Must Diet" makes this a plot-point, as Beethoven's weight becomes a problem, and he cheats on the diet imposed on him by sneaking out with Sparky.
• Big Friendly Dog: As ever, Beethoven. He's always happy to run and play with others, much to the kids' delight and George's frustration.
• Bullying a Dragon:
  • Despite his short stature, Sparky is constantly mouthing off to any and all animals, including his best pal Beethoven. One insult too many in "Cyrano de Beethoven" prompts an angry chase.
  • Albert the cat is obnoxious and antagonistic towards the dogs. He and Ginger have the same owner, so she can't actually do anything to do him without fear of reprisals. Beethoven and Sparky don't have that restriction, though, as a panicked Albert finds out firsthand.
• But Now I Must Go: How "The Gopher Who Would Be King" ends. After Beethoven repeatedly tries and fails to get rid of the troublesome gopher, he finally just surrenders and proclaims him the victor. The gopher gloats and proceeds to move on to another yard, both for the challenge and because the Newtons' backyard got seriously wrecked throughout the struggle.
• Butt-Monkey:
  • When it comes to Beethoven-related slapstick, George suffers the most abuse in the entire family. In the first episode alone, Beethoven's constant efforts to sleep in the bedroom leave George frustrated, injured, and exhausted. Following episodes go slightly better for him.
  • Mr. Huggs is a nervous wreck, and he resents how he keeps getting dragged into situations that are dangerous for someone of his tiny size. The opening credits also show him getting drooled on by Beethoven, and his frustrated expression indicates this happens a lot.
  • Also Sparky at times. On separate occasions, he gets beaten up by a cat and has to wear a medical cone, the two biggest indignities for any dog.
• Cats Are Mean: Every cat that appears goes out of their way to antagonize Beethoven and his pals. The plots to "A Cat Named Rover" and "Cat Fight" are instigated by different cats hassling the main dogs.
• Censorship by Spelling: "Okay, who's been teaching the dog to spell?"
• Clashing Cousins: Ted spends "Down on the Farm" stuck hanging out with his cousin, B.J., who he loathes for constantly getting him into trouble and causing assorted embarrassments. Averted with Jim and Lucy's older daughter, who has no problem interacting with Ryce and Emily.
• Cool Old Guy: Blind Shep. Not so much in his first appearance (where even he can't help but laugh at Sparky being forced to wear a medical cone), but his second appearance sees him give Beethoven old master-style training for the sniffing competition against Watson.
• Demoted to Extra: Of the Newtons, Ryce gets the least to do. Everyone else gets major roles in multiple episodes, but "Car Trouble" excepted, she's typically stuck with a Mandatory Line, if even that.
• Diet Episode: "The Dog Must Diet" naturally. Between the family slipping him George's lousy meatloaf and his other usual snacks, Beethoven's been putting on weight. George puts him on a diet and cuts him off from all snacks, so Beethoven resorts to sneaking out at night with Sparky to chow down.
• Distress Ball: Sparky in "The Pound" since he gets sent to, well, the pound, despite proving quite adept at evading the dogcatcher before the plot called for him to be caught.
• Dogs Are Dumb: The dogs aren't exactly dumb, but they don't understand a lot on human terms a lot. Ceasar takes the cake as the dumbest one out of the group.
• Dogs Hate Squirrels: Averted. The dogs focus their animosity on cats and generally never bother with any squirrels. Blind Shep is even good friends with one (who Shep says is quite the neighborhood gossip).
• Dream Episode: "Dog Dreams" has three different dreams. Emily dreams Beethoven is a muscle-bound superhero protecting the family from bullies. George dreams Beethoven is Godzilla-sized and making a mess of Tokyo simply by walking around and drooling. Beethoven himself dreams of a 1950s sitcom spoof, where he is the head of the Newton family and George is the excitable pet.
• Dumb Is Good: Generally, Dogs Are Dumb on this show, but Caesar is the dumbest and by far the kindest. He's consistently polite to everyone, as opposed to the others' snark.
• Fragile Speedster: Sparky is the fastest of the main five but gets beat up by a cat.
• French Jerk: The gopher in "The Gopher Who Would Be King" is as obnoxious as he is crafty. The bad attitude is a big reason why Beethoven wants to get him, and the repeated losses to the gopher make that even more frustrating.
• Here We Go Again!: "A Cat Named Rover" ends with Alfred no longer thinking he's a dog, but the collision that returned him to normal has resulted in Caesar thinking he's a cat.
• Heroic BSoD: Sparky losing a fight to Puff Puff the cat in "Cat Fight" completely shatters his self-confidence. Beethoven spends the entire episode trying to snap him out of it.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: "Good Old George" opens with George coming home to yet another Beethoven-related mess and insisting that he positively hates the big dog. The other members of the family point out he always says that, yet he'll frantically search for the dog in the event of him getting out of the backyard and wandering off. An irritated George insists he was simply going for a drive that day and just so happened to encounter the missing Beethoven by a pure fluke. Even after spending that entire episode yelling at Beethoven for keeping him up all night, he still pets him before settling in.
• I Am Not Weasel: Mr. Huggs dislikes being called a hamster.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Sparky is argumentative, boastful, and never knows when to shut up, but he's devoted to his friends.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Mr. Huggs laughs himself silly in "Fleas!" over seeing Beethoven having to endure a bath and flea powder because of the nasty bug problem. When George sees the fleas are actually coming from Mr. Huggs, the little gerbil is promptly given a bath, powdered, and shaved. Beethoven proceeds to laugh in kind.
• Lethal Chef: George makes the meals, and the rest of the family would prefer to order out. His meatloaf is so undesirable that everyone else keeps slipping it to Beethoven under the table. Beethoven actually loves it, which is part of the reason he develops a weight problem and gets put on a diet.
• Mailman vs. Dog:
  • "The Mailman Cometh" naturally. Beethoven, Ginger, and Caesar all angrily await "the monster" who keeps sliding paper through the slots on the door, barking like crazy and ripping up the mail under the belief that they're protecting their families. This is the one bit of behavior that the entire Newton family, not just George, agrees is unacceptable. Being a stray, Sparky is the only dog that considers the possibility that the humans actually want that mail and that the house dogs are getting in the way of that, but this is ignored. For his part, the mailman is a nervous wreck around the Newtons' house, especially when Beethoven gets loose. It's not until seeing the guy clinging for dear life to a tree that Beethoven figures out he's just a regular and nice human. Unfortunately, Beethoven still thinks the mail itself is bad, so he keeps ripping that up after it's delivered.
  • "A Cat Named Rover": A rough collision leaves Albert the cat thinking he's a dog. At one point, he sees the mailman and immediately gives chase. The barking initially startles the mailman, but then he sees it's just a cat. Nonetheless, Albert being aggressive still manages to send the guy running.
• Mundane Made Awesome: With fleas being such a problem, the Newtons are forced to set up and activate bug bombs in the various rooms of the house. Simple enough, but George dresses up like Rambo and sneaks around as if he were a Navy SEAL.
• Named After Somebody Famous: Beethoven is named after the famous classical composer.
• No Sympathy: Ginger and Caesar laugh themselves silly, upon learning that Sparky got beat up by Puff Puff the cat. Even Beethoven can't help but laugh in Sparky's face over it, though he does feel bad about that.
• Non-Standard Character Design: Both Beethoven and Ryce are the only characters to stand out against everyone else with a cartoon-eqse style.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: Puff Puff the cat is an overweight, obnoxious cat and considered the easiest target for an angry dog, but when backed into a corner, he beats up Sparky and sends him running.
• No True Scotsman: Sparky somewhat holds this view of his three pals, saying dogs should be fending for themselves on the streets like he does instead of living pampered in houses with humans like they do.
• Oblivious to Hatred: "Hatred" might be a strong word, but George is often frustrated with Beethoven's behavior and just as often yelling at him or locking him in the kennel. Beethoven consistently thinks that George adores him and doesn't really mean anything by it.
• Obnoxious In-Laws: The Newtons drive to the McDonald farm in "Down at the Farm" to visit Alice's sister, Lucy, and her family. George really dislikes Alice's husband, Jim, due to a certain shearing incident. Both men prove extremely competitive and petty over their canasta games.

  George: Look who's Canasta King now, farm boy! [laughs]

• Pet the Dog: Despite his comical frustration with Beethoven, George slips him a steak in "The Dog Must Diet" as a reward for supposedly sticking to the diet. (Beethoven was so exhausted from trying to avoid getting caught breaking that diet that he couldn't even nibble on it, but it's the thought that counts.)
• Phoneaholic Teenager: Ryce's scene in the opening credits establishes this trait. When George and Alice come home from dinner, the house is a mess, the younger siblings are running around, and Ryce is yakking away on the phone.
• Pounds Are Animal Prisons: Sparky gets sent to the pound in, well, "The Pound" and finds it just as bad as he always feared. All the other dogs are miserable, with a couple of the more experienced ones hinting at euthanasia befalling those that stay here for too long. Beethoven, Ginger, and Caesar manage to sneak in that night and open his cage, but Sparky refuses to leave until all the other dogs are released.
• Psycho Poodle: Killer is a recurring antagonist. He's pint-sized, pink, and poofy, but he's an aggressive bully. His entire gang is much bigger than he is, but none of them dare cross him. It takes every other dog on the street siding with Beethoven to drive Killer out of the neighborhood.
• Pyrrhic Victory: "The Gopher Who Would Be King" ends with the gopher leaving of his own accord after Beethoven surrenders. Amid a destroyed backyard, Beethoven insists he still technically won since the gopher is gone. Then George comes home, sees the damage, and starts yelling at Beethoven.
• Say My Name: George screaming Beethoven's name is practically his catchphrase.
• The Scream: "Fleas!" has two examples. First is Beethoven's Howl of Sorrow over getting a prolonged bath, and the second is George reacting to seeing a flea in the house even after everything they did to try to get rid of the fleas. Both examples are so loud that aliens on a distant planet react to the noise.
• Shout-Out:
  • "The Morning Paper": After the paper goes over the side of a waterfall, we get one to The Fugitive. Beethoven insists he has to go after it since it's George's paper, all as Sparky stands right behind him.

    Sparky: I DON'T CARE!
    [Beethoven jumps]

  • "Fleas!": George gets to the point of solving the flea problem by trying to shave Beethoven, chasing him all over the house with clippers. With Beethoven cornered in Ted's room, George peers through the doorway and shouts, "Here's Georgie!"
• Smelly Skunk: Watson encounters one in "Scent of a Mutt" while trying to evade Beethoven, during their sniff-off tracking competition. The skunk is a tad irritable, but he's content to mind his own business. To throw Beethoven off the scent, though, Watson actively antagonizes the skunk into spraying the area.

  Watson: Even badgers don't respect you.

• Something We Forgot: Caesar gets stuck in some playground equipment during "The Kindergarten Caper" and is otherwise forgotten about, as the others wander about Emily's school. Once back at the Newtons' at the very end, Sparky asks where Caesar is. A nighttime scene shows Caesar still stuck at the school playground.
• Spin-Off: Of the 1992 film based on the Comic Strip
• Talk Like a Pirate: The captain of the garbage scow in "Trash Island" talks like this when no one but his trusty parrot is around. He be the scourge of the sea, after all, and he don't take kindly to canine stowaways. Unsurprisingly, the three dogs have even greater difficulty understanding him than they do other humans.
• Talking Animal: In this series, Beethoven can talk to his fellow dogs.
• Three Shorts: Each episode is 2-eleven minute shorts. Typically, one focuses on animal life in the neighborhood, while the other on the Newton household.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Mr. Huggs tends to suffer one indignity after another, but he wins over his Love Interest in "Cyrano de Beethoven" by standing up to a pack of rats (with a little sly help from Beethoven, of course).
• Urine Trouble: After getting hassled one too many times, Beethoven does this to the neighborhood bully dog and gang leader, Killer, just to spite him. An infuriated Killer demands a showdown over this indignity.
• Whole Episode Flashback: "Trash Island" opens with Ginger wondering where everyone is and finding her three pals exhausted. Beethoven proceeds to tell the story, which involves getting taken away by a garbage truck and ending up on a barge captained by a pirate wannabe. Just as the barge is about to crash into an ocean liner, Ginger interrupts to call this story ridiculous and walk off. We then see the pirate wannabe evading police custody, meaning it really is true.
• Women Are Wiser:
  • Alice frequently has to rein in George's Beethoven rants and advocate being calm in response to any craziness.
  • None of the dogs are particularly good at grasping human concepts, but Ginger does point out George's frequent hostility towards Beethoven and questions how her pal doesn't seem to notice it.
• Women Drivers:
  • Averted with Alice, who is always shown to be a careful driver whenever she's behind the wheel.
  • Ryce's driving involves a lot of swerving and high-speed antics, leaving George a nervous wreck and Beethoven enjoying the ride. Justified in that she is just learning how to drive and thus more focused on how cool this all is instead of pesky details like basic safety. She does fiddle around with the car without proper supervision, though this is attributed to a typical teenage being irresponsible more than anything else. The chaos that follows is more cartoony slapstick than a commentary on how a woman (or dog for part of the ride) fares behind the wheel.
• You Dirty Rat!: A pack of them appear in "Cyrano de Beethoven" picking through the Newtons' garbage cans, much to Beethoven's ire. They also hassle Mr. Huggs's Love Interest, after she says this exact thing to them.

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