The Raccoons is a Canadian animated television series, first broadcast from 1985 to 1991. The series was created by Kevin Gillis and Hinton Animation Studios .

The series features the adventures in the Evergreen Forest of Bert Raccoon and his friends Ralph and Melissa, particularly in their attempts to thwart the anti-environmentalist actions of pink aardvark Cyril Sneer and his trio of pig henchmen (apparently all named Lloyd, as that's the only name they referred to each other as). One unique element of the series is that Cyril evolves from a unrepentantly destructive capitalist to a likeable and environmentally responsible, if still highly aggressive, businessman and occasional ally of the Raccoons. Another nasty character was the capitalist Mr. Knox—a crocodile with a Texan accent. Cyril's son Cedric is Bert's best friend.

The series had a new wave soundtrack including the theme song "Run with Us" by cast member Lisa Lougheed —a minor chart success in some countries. Unlike many cartoon series from the 1980s, The Raccoons was not heavily merchandised. Today it has a small cult following.

Episodes

The series began life as four television specials:

• The Christmas Raccoons (1980)
• The Raccoons on Ice (1981)
• The Raccoons and the Lost Star (1983)
• The Raccoons: Let's Dance

Sixty episodes were then broadcast.

Broadcast details

The series was broadcast by the following channels:

• Disney Channel
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
• BBC (BBC One and BBC Two)

External links

• The UnOfficial Raccoons Home Page