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This article is about the 1987 series. For the 2017 series, see DuckTales (2017 series).

DuckTales is an animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. It officially premiered on September 18, 1987 and ended on November 28, 1990. The series had a 2017 reboot that aired on Disney XD and Disney Channel.

The show stars Donald Duck's rich maternal uncle, Scrooge McDuck. He is put in charge of his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Meanwhile, Donald leaves Duckburg for an extended time to join the Navy. The main characters include Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, along with newly created characters Webby Vanderquack, Bentina Beakley, Launchpad McQuack, and Duckworth, as well as classic villains from the comic books, like the Beagle Boys band, Magica De Spell, and Flintheart Glomgold. Huey, Dewey, and Louie live with Scrooge in his mansion.

The theme song for the series was written (words & music) by pop music songwriter, Mark Mueller, who also wrote the theme song for Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. Both theme songs were performed by Jeff Pescetto. Ron Jones composed the music for many of the show's episodes.[1]

Premise[]

The show follows the adventures of Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, as they travel the world or solving everyday chaos.

The nephews, who were originally living with their uncle Donald Duck, are left in Scrooge's care when the former joins the Navy. Though Scrooge is the wealthiest duck in the world, he constantly tries to find ways to increase his wealth. In order to deal with the three kids featuring into his life, Scrooge hires caretaker Mrs. Beakley, who brings along granddaughter Webby Vanderquack. Many episodes involve him protecting his wealth from villains who want to rob him of all his money. The prominent recurring antagonists in the show include the Beagle Boys and Magica De Spell, who are always finding ways to rob and swindle Scrooge and his nephews. Scrooge's rival in the show is Flintheart Glomgold, who always tries to devise plans to dethrone Scrooge from his "Richest Duck in the World" title. A few of the stories also surround Scrooge's "Number One Dime", which is the source of Scrooge's good luck and wealth. Scrooge keeps the dime under a glass dome in his money vault and constantly protects it from the villains.

The show's second season saw the addition of new characters, most notably Fenton Crackshell (Gizmoduck) and Bubba the Cave Duck. Along with them came stories that generally shifted away from the globe-trotting plots of the first season and revolved primarily around the contemporary setting of Duckburg. Some episodes would prominently feature either Bubba or Fenton, but rarely both.

Although Scrooge and his nephews are the show's main characters, some episodes focus on other characters like, Launchpad McQuack or Gyro Gearloose. Some members of Scrooge's extended family, like Gladstone Gander, also make appearances in the series. Characters like Gladstone were often seen in the early Carl Barks comic book stories. Some episodes are based upon Carl Barks' comic stories or simply have elements from such stories. For example, the episode "The Unbreakable Bin" is based on Barks' story "The Unsafe Safe".

Production[]

The series is notable for being the first Disney animated television series to be produced for syndication, paving the way for future Disney animated TV shows, such as Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, and Darkwing Duck, the latter of which is considered to be a crossover with DuckTales.

A world broadcast premiere television movie (entitled "The Treasure of the Golden Suns") first aired during the weekend of September 1820, 1987 (date and time varied by market). Since then, it has been shown in the series' regular rotation as a five-part serial. A feature-length movie was released in theaters on August 3, 1990.

The 1987-1988 season of DuckTales consisted of 65 episodes (the standard length for a Disney animated TV show, as well as the standard length of many first seasons of 1990s era TV shows).

Two more five-part serials, "Time is Money" and "Super DuckTales", premiered as television movie specials in November 1988 and March 1989, respectively. The rest of the second season (Autumn 1989 - Winter 1989) included an additional 18 episodes. In the second season, new characters, such as Bubba the Cave Duck and his pet triceratops Tootsie and Fenton Crackshell and his power-suited alter-ego Gizmo Duck were introduced.

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp was released theatrically in August of 1990. Seven final episodes premiered in Autumn 1990 (including three produced for season two but held back for airing and four produced explicitly for season three), bringing the total up to 100 episodes, making DuckTales one of the longest-running Disney shows in terms of the number of episodes produced (before Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Phineas and Ferb, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Handy Manny overtook it). It was the first Disney cartoon, and, to date, the first show in the entire history of The Disney Afternoon to have 100 episodes.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers was paired with DuckTales in an hour-long syndicated block during the 1989-1990 television season. In the 1990-1991 season, Disney expanded the idea even further, creating The Disney Afternoon―a two-hour-long syndicated block of half-hour cartoons. DuckTales was one of the early flagship shows in that block. It concluded in The Disney Afternoon on September 1992.

On October 2, 1995, DuckTales began airing its reruns on The Disney Channel as part of a two-hour programming block called "Block Party" which aired on weekdays in the late-afternoon/early-evening and which also included Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin, and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. DuckTales aired on Disney Channel until 2000. The show began airing on Toon Disney on September 3, 1999 with a 7-hour marathon followed by an airing of the movie.

On April 19, 1997, reruns began airing on ABC's "Animal Broadcasting Cooperation" Saturday Morning block, up until August 30, 1997. Two days later, on September 1, 1997, DuckTales began re-airing again in a new syndication run.

The show currently airs on:

  • Disney XD: Netherlands and Flanders
  • Disney Jr.: English Canada (formerly), Netherlands, Flanders, Turkey, Poland and Serbia
  • Disney Channel: Flanders (formerly), Germany, India (formerly), Italy (formerly) Netherlands (formerly), Portugal (formerly), Russia (formerly), Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) (formerly), Serbia, UK/Ireland (formerly), Poland (formerly).
  • Disney Cinemagic: France

Huey, Dewey, and Louie appeared in the drug prevention TV special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. Scrooge and Launchpad appeared in the short-lived animated series Raw Toonage, which originally aired on CBS in the 1992-1993 season.

The show was the most successful of Disney's early attempts at creating high-quality animation for an animated TV series (earlier shows included The Wuzzles and Adventures of the Gummi Bears in 1985). Disney invested a far greater amount of money into the TV series than had previously been spent on animated shows of the time. This was considered a dangerous move, because animated TV series were generally considered low-budget investments for most of the history of TV cartoons up through the 1980s. Most of the DuckTales episodes were animated in Asia by companies, such as Cuckoo's Nest Studios, Wang Film Productions of Taiwan, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha of Japan.

The studio took a high number of risks during the 1980s that paid off handsomely and DuckTales was one of those risks that won big. The studio gambled on the idea that a larger investment into quality animation could be made back through syndication — a concept that worked well with live-action TV reruns, but which had only been used with inexpensive cartoon series that either recycled theatrical shorts from decades past or only featured limited, low-budget animation.

The show was successful enough to spawn a theatrical feature film (DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp) and two spin-off series (Darkwing Duck and Quack Pack). The success of DuckTales also paved the way for a new wave of high-quality animated TV series, including Disney's own The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1988.

Characters[]

Heroes[]

DuckTales Cast

The main cast of the show's first season.

Villains[]

Minor characters[]

Home video release[]

Main article: DuckTales videography

The show's first season (which consists of the first 65 episodes) was made available on Amazon Prime, but became unavailable as of 2013. The first two seasons of the series are currently available as Disney Movie Club exclusives for those who have signed up for the service. However, the entire series (except for the episode "Sphinx for the Memories") was made available for purchase on digital on Amazon Instant Video in 2016 in the SD format in addition to being released on Google Play and iTunes.

The entire series is also currently available on Disney+, without cuts, except for two episodes ("Sphinx for the Memories" and "Launchpad's Civil War", despite the fact that both episodes were released on VHS in the 1980s and on DVD in 2005), where the episodes are divided into 3 seasons, according to the first digit of the production code, and sorted by its premiere date.

Movie[]

Main article: DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp

Reboot[]

Main article: DuckTales (2017 series)

On February 25, 2015, it was announced that an all-new version of the show will be aired on Disney XD in 2017, making it the first Disney Afternoon show to get revived. It was released on Google Play and ITunes on August 2017.

In May 2015, Terry McGovern (the original voice of Launchpad McQuack) stated on Facebook that the entire voice cast would be replaced, stating he felt "heartsick" at the news.[2]

On July 20, 2016, a new look for Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby was announced for the reboot.[3][4]

On March 15, 2021, the series concluded its run after 74 episodes in three seasons.

Videos[]

Gallery[]

Wiki
The Disney Wiki has a collection of images and media related to DuckTales.

Trivia[]

References[]

External links[]


v - e - d
DuckTales logo
Media
Shows/Movies: 1987 series (videography) • 2017 seriesWalt Disney's World on Ice: Double Feature... Live!Raw ToonageDuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost LampChibi Tiny TalesThis Duckburg Life

Video Games: Video game (HD remake/Soundtrack) • DuckTales 2The Quest for GoldScrooge's LootDisney Heroes: Battle ModeDisney All-Star RacersDisney All-Star Party
Comics: Comic Books (IDW)
Books: The Secret City Under the SeaSphinx for the Memories and Sir Gyro GearlooseScrooge's Treasure HuntChristmas at the North PoleWebby Saves the DayThe Art of DuckTales

Disney Parks
DuckTales World Showcase AdventurePLAY!Donald's Duck Pond
Characters
1987 series: Scrooge McDuckHuey, Dewey, and LouieLaunchpad McQuackWebby VanderquackBentina BeakleyDuckworthChief O'HaraShedlock JonesGyro GearlooseLittle HelperYardarmDoofus DrakeFenton CrackshellDonald DuckLudwig Von DrakeGladstone GanderBubba the Cave DuckAbominable SnowwomanTootsie the TriceratopsSkittlesBlackjackPouponGene the GenieGlittering GoldieMad Dog McGurkFeathers GaloreBurt QuackarachMajor CourageMicro DucksAdmiral GrimmitzKing HomerQueen ArielShawebizadGandra DeeMcPapaMcMamaRoboticaBeagle BoysMa BeaglePeteFlintheart GlomgoldPhantom BlotDijonArgus McSwineMagica De SpellMinima De SpellPoe De SpellEl CapitanJoaquin SlowlyMerlock the MagicianCinnamon TealDracula DuckDr. NoGoodMillionara VanderbucksFritter O'WayLawrence LoudmouthArmstrongThe SirensCirceHarpiesYuckalindaQueen GriseldaDjinniTerra-Firmie KingOverlord BulovanSolegoGICU-2Magica's ShadowThe Fear DemonsVacation Van Honk

2017 series: Della DuckLenaBradford BuzzardBentley and Buford BuzzardCaptain PeghookManny the Headless Man-HorsePixiuGabby McStabbersonHack and Slash SmashnikovRoxanne FeatherlyToad Liu HaiMark BeaksFalcon GravesAmunetSabafToth-RaZeusSeleneStorkulesCharybdisBriar and BrambleDarkwing DuckGosalyn MallardMegavoltDon KarnageQuackerjackLiquidatorBlack HeronZan OwlsonFisherMannDrosera occidendumJosé CariocaPanchito PistolesFethry DuckJohn D. RockerduckJeevesGavinGrandpappy BeagleViolet SabrewingUnicornPercival P. PeppingtonNightmare BeastPaddywhackBushrootNegaduckDaisy DuckGoofyChip and Dale Monterey JackZipperGadget HackwrenchKit CloudkickerTaurus BulbaMolly CunninghamLieutenant PenumbraGeneral LunarisMoonlandersMoon MitesGilded ManNeighbor JonesSteelbeakIsabella FinchIndy and Ty SabrewingTri-Crested TittertwillAletheiaVeroKing HonestusEmma GlamourInspector TezukaAkitaStrongbeardHeckaJormungandrPonce de LeonMatilda McDuckEmutilda

Episodes
1987 series

Season One: "The Treasure of the Golden Suns" • "Send in the Clones" • "Sphinx for the Memories" • "Where No Duck Has Gone Before" • "Armstrong" • "Robot Robbers" • "Magica's Shadow War" • "Master of the Djinni" • "Hotel Strangeduck" • "Lost Crown of Genghis Khan" • "Duckman of Aquatraz" • "The Money Vanishes" • "Sir Gyro de Gearloose" • "Dinosaur Ducks" • "Hero for Hire" • "Superdoo!" • "Maid of the Myth" • "Down and Out in Duckburg" • "Much Ado About Scrooge" • "Top Duck" • "Pearl of Wisdom" • "The Curse of Castle McDuck" • "Launchpad's Civil War" • "Sweet Duck of Youth" • "Earth Quack" • "Home Sweet Homer" • "Bermuda Triangle Tangle" • "Micro Ducks from Outer Space" • "Back to the Klondike" • "Horse Scents" • "Scrooge's Pet" • "Catch as Cash Can" • "Merit-Time Adventure" • "The Golden Fleecing" • "Ducks of the West" • "Time Teasers" • "Back Out in the Outback" • "Raiders of the Lost Harp" • "The Right Duck" • "Scroogerello" • "Double-O-Duck" • "Luck o' the Ducks" • "Duckworth's Revolt" • "Magica's Magic Mirror"/"Take Me Out of the Ballgame" • "Duck to the Future" • "Jungle Duck" • "Launchpad's First Crash" • "Dime Enough for Luck" • "Duck in the Iron Mask" • "The Uncrashable Hindentanic" • "The Status Seekers" • "Nothing to Fear" • "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. McDuck" • "Once Upon a Dime" • "Spies in Their Eyes" • "All Ducks on Deck" • "Ducky Horror Picture Show" • "Till Nephews Do Us Part"
Season Two: "Time is Money" • "Super DuckTales"
Season Three: "The Land of Trala La" • "Allowance Day" • "Bubbeo & Juliet" • "The Good Muddahs" • "My Mother the Psychic" • "Metal Attraction" • "Dough Ray Me" • "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" • "The Big Flub" • "A Case of Mistaken Secret Identity" • "Blue Collar Scrooge" • "Beaglemania" • "Yuppy Ducks" • "The Bride Wore Stripes" • "The Unbreakable Bin" • "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Webby" • "The Masked Mallard" • "A DuckTales Valentine"
Season Four: "Ducky Mountain High" • "Attack of the Metal Mites" • "The Duck Who Knew Too Much" • "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" • "Scrooge's Last Adventure" • "The Golden Goose"

2017 series
Season One: "Woo-oo!" • "Daytrip of Doom!" • "The Great Dime Chase!" • "The Beagle Birthday Massacre!" • "Terror of the Terra-firmians!" • "The House of the Lucky Gander!" • "The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!" • "The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!" • "The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest!" • "The Spear of Selene!" • "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!" • "The Missing Links of Moorshire!" • "McMystery at McDuck McManor!" • "JAW$!" • "The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains!" • "Day of the Only Child!" • "From the Confidential Casefiles of Agent 22!" • "Who is Gizmoduck?!" • "The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!" • "Sky Pirates...in the Sky!" • "The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck!" • "The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!" • "The Shadow War!"
Season Two: "The Most Dangerous Game...Night!" • "The Depths of Cousin Fethry!" • "The Ballad of Duke Baloney!" • "The Town Where Everyone Was Nice!" • "Storkules in Duckburg!" • "Last Christmas!" • "What Ever Happened to Della Duck?!" • "Treasure of the Found Lamp!" • "The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck!" • "The 87 Cent Solution!" • "The Golden Spear!" • "Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!" • "Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!" • "Friendship Hates Magic!" • "The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!" • "The Duck Knight Returns!" • "What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?!" • "Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!" • "A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!" • "The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot!" • "Timephoon!" • "GlomTales!" • "The Richest Duck in the World!" • "Moonvasion!"
Season Three "Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!" • "Quack Pack!" • "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!" • "The Lost Harp of Mervana!" • "Louie's Eleven!" • "Astro B.O.Y.D.!" • "The Rumble for Ragnarok!" • "The Phantom and the Sorceress!" • "They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!" • "The Trickening!" • "The Forbidden Fountain of the Foreverglades!" • "Let's Get Dangerous!" • "Escape from the ImpossiBin!" • "The Split Sword of Swanstantine!" • "New Gods on the Block!" • "The First Adventure!" • "The Fight for Castle McDuck!" • "How Santa Stole Christmas!" • "Beaks in the Shell!" • "The Lost Cargo of Kit Cloudkicker!" • "The Life And Crimes of Scrooge McDuck!" • "The Last Adventure!"

Locations
DuckburgAtlantisThe Money BinMcDuck ManorCastle McDuckFountain of YouthScotlandNotre DuckValley of the Golden SunsSt. CanardCape Suzette
Organizations
Air PiratesF.O.W.L.Junior WoodchucksS.H.U.S.H.
Objects
Number One DimeJunior Woodchucks GuidebookGizmosuitGene's LampMerlock's TalismanSun CoinSun ChaserHarp of TroyMillennium ShortcutGyro's HelicopterMolecular ManipulatorGolden GooseWebby's Quacky Patch DollHindentanicMagic MedallionRatcatcherJewel of AtlantisPep!Gummiberry JuiceIron VulturePirate FightersSpear of SeleneSea DuckRanger Plane
Songs
DuckTales ThemeThree Cheers for Bubba DuckBoogie Beagle BluesMoon Stage ThemeSky PiratesThe Three CaballerosHear My Voice
See also
Carl BarksThe Disney AfternoonDarkwing DuckQuack PackDisney XD (Netherlands)Let's Go to Disneyland Paris


v - e - d
Disney Afternoon logo
Shows
Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985-90) • DuckTales (1987-90) • Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (1989-90) • TaleSpin (1990-91) • Darkwing Duck (1991-92) • Goof Troop (1992-93) • Bonkers (1993-94) • Aladdin (1994-96) • Gargoyles (1994-97) • The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show (1995) • Timon & Pumbaa (1995-98) • Quack Pack (1996) • Mighty Ducks (1996-97)
Shows aired only in international versions
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-91) • Donald's Quack Attack (1992-93) • The Little Mermaid (1992-94) • 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997-98) • Mickey Mouse Works (1999-2000) • The Legend of Tarzan (2001-03) • Kim Possible (2002-07) • Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-06) • W.I.T.C.H. (2004-06)
Other media
SoundtrackDisney Afternoon AvenueComic bookVinylmationThe Disney Afternoon: The Making of a Television RenaissanceThe Disney Afternoon Collection
See Also
Disney Afternoon ThemeThe Disney Club


v - e - d
Walt Disney Television Animation logo
1980s
The Wuzzles (1985) • Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985-1991) • DuckTales (1987-1990) • The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991) • Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (1989-1990)
1990s
TaleSpin (1990-1991) • Darkwing Duck (1991-1992) • Goof Troop (1992) • The Little Mermaid (1992-1994) • Raw Toonage (1992-1993) • Bonkers (1993-1994) • Marsupilami (1993) • Aladdin (1994-1995) • Gargoyles (1994-1997) • The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show (1995) • Timon & Pumbaa (1995-1999) • Quack Pack (1996) • Mighty Ducks (1996-1997) • Disney's Doug (1996-1999) • Jungle Cubs (1996-1998) • Recess (1997-2000)• Pepper Ann (1997-2000) • Nightmare Ned (1997) • 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997-1998) • PB&J Otter (1998-2000) • Hercules (1998-1999) • Mickey Mouse Works (1999-2000)
2000s
The Weekenders (2000-2004) • Teacher's Pet (2000-2002) • Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-2001) • House of Mouse (2001-2003) • Lloyd in Space (2001-2004) • The Legend of Tarzan (2001-2003) • Teamo Supremo (2002-2004) • Kim Possible (2002-2007) • Fillmore! (2002-2004) • Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-2006) • Dave the Barbarian (2004-2005) • Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (2004-2006) • Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! (2004-2006) • American Dragon: Jake Long (2005-2007) • The Buzz on Maggie (2005-2006) • Get Ed (2005-2006) • The Emperor's New School (2006-2008) • Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006-2016) • The Replacements (2006-2009) • Yin Yang Yo! (2006-2009) • My Friends Tigger & Pooh (2007-2010) • Phineas and Ferb (2008-2016, 2024-present) • Special Agent Oso (2009-2012)
2010s
Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (2010-2012) • Fish Hooks (2010-2014) • Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2011-2016) • Motorcity (2012) • Tron: Uprising (2012-2013) • Gravity Falls (2012-2016) • Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja (2012-2015) • Sofia the First (2013-2018) • Mickey Mouse (2013-2019) • Wander Over Yonder (2013-2016) • The 7D (2014-2016) • Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (2014-2017) • Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2015-2019) • Pickle and Peanut (2015-2018) • Descendants: Wicked World (2015-2017) • The Lion Guard (2016-2019) • Elena of Avalor (2016-2020) • Future-Worm! (2016-2018) • Milo Murphy's Law (2016-2019) • Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures (2017-2021) • Tangled: The Series (2017-2020) • Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer (2017) • DuckTales (2017-2021) • Big Hero 6: The Series (2017-2021) • Muppet Babies (2018-2022) • Big City Greens (2018-present) • Fancy Nancy (2018-2022) • Amphibia (2019-2022)
2020s
The Owl House (2020-2023) • The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (2020-2023) • Monsters at Work (2021-present) • The Ghost and Molly McGee (2021-2024) • Mickey Mouse Funhouse (2021-present) • Baymax! (2022) • Alice's Wonderland Bakery (2022-2024) • Chibiverse (2022-present) • Hamster & Gretel (2022-present) • Firebuds (2022-present) • Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2023-2025) • Kiff (2023-present) • Hailey's On It! (2023-2024) • Zombies: The Re-Animated Series (2024-present) • Primos (2024-present) • StuGo (2025) • RoboGobo (2025) • Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2.0 (2025) • Sofia the First: Royal Magic (2026)
See Also
The Disney AfternoonOne Saturday MorningPlayhouse DisneyDisney ChannelJetixDisney XDDisney Jr.
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