- Dink, the Little Dinosaur
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Dink, the Little Dinosaur Starring R. J. Williams
Anndi McAfee
Ben Ryan Ganger
S. Scott Bullock
Frank WelkerCountry of origin 
United StatesNo. of episodes 21 Production Running time 30 min. Broadcast Original channel CBS Original run September 16, 1989 – 1991 Dink, the Little Dinosaur is an animated series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. The series originally aired on the CBS Kids block on CBS from 1989 to 1991. The series was developed for television by Karen Willson and Chris Weber. Reruns were previously seen on the Cartoon Network, and can now be seen on Boomerang. This has not yet been released on DVD.
Contents
Production
Starting with the second season, the show introduced a weekly segment called “Factasaurus” that taught lessons and fun facts educating children about different dinosaur species.
Several episodes were later combined into the 1989 video movie Dink the Little Dinosaur while further episodes combined to form the Land of No Return in 1994. Its storylines fostered positive behaviors, such as caring about oneself and others, tolerance, ecology, problem-solving and team work.
It received a "Humanitas Prize" and was nominated for an Emmy.[citation needed][1]
Plot
The series followed Dink the Apatosaurus as he roams the volcanic landscape of prehistory in a place called Green Meadow.
Characters
- Dink (voiced by R.J. Williams): The main protagonist, an Apatosaurus. He is nice, brave and smart, Dink has a strong bond with his friends.
- Amber (voiced by Anndi McAfee): A close friend of Dink's, she is like a big sister figure and she is often teamwork with her best friend Dink. She is a Corythosaurus.
- Scat (voiced by Frank Welker): Scaredy-cat friend of Dink's with a humongous appetite, a Compsognathus. Speaks in the third person. Will do just about anything to get at honeyfruit, which is his favorite food. Tends to think a lot of Dink's ideas are dangerous. His appetite get him into trouble a lot.
- Shyler (voiced by Ben Ryan Ganger): A shy friend of Dink's, an Edaphosaurus, who talks in a child's voice, pronouncing with a "w" instead of an "r". Shyler looks up to Dink, Amber and Crusty. Dink is like an older brother figure to Shyler as Amber is like big sister to him.
- Flapper (voiced by S. Scott Bullock): A jokester friend of Dink's, a Pteranodon. Tends to be a braggart, and he speaks with a slight lisp. Constantly tries to land in water, but always fails.
- Crusty (voiced by Frank Welker): An old Turtle who mentors the dino youngsters. Often tells the kids stories that often help teach them valuable lessons, and is usually around when they have a problem going on.
Allies
- Ariel (voiced by Jennifer Darling): A white Parasaurolophus (possibly an albino) who once saved Amber from Tyrannor.
- Uncle Longbeak (voiced by Hamilton Camp): Flapper's uncle, whom he talks about a lot.
- Frill: A female Edaphosaurus friend of Shyler.
- Scratcher (voiced by Dick Beals): A Deinonychus who preferred to eat plants instead of meat.
- Red: A Brachiosaurus (Thundermaker) who was really a spirit who lived in the Cave of Spirits.
- Earthshaker (voiced by Frank Welker): A giant Ultrasaurus who shook the ground when he walked and talked.
- Dippo (voiced by Dana Hill): A Diplocaulus afraid of what other dinosaurs think of his kind. Good friends with Shyler.
- Opo: An Opisthocoelicaudia friend of the gang who helps Ariel the white dinosaur to escape from Tyrannor.
- Dim: A dimwitted Rebbachisaurus friend of the gang.
- Tubble & Hubble (voiced by Jim Cummings and Jack Angel): An old Diplodocus pair of pathfinders for a herd of Diplodocus.
- Squirt (voiced by Russi Taylor): A Stegosaurus who once thought Crusty was his mother.
- Shortspike: A Polacanthus whose parents were in trouble by a volcano. He is friend with Dink.
- Cornelius: An Iguanodon who was a rival of Dink's.
- Trail Blazer: A Apatosaurus who used his tail to create Green Meadow and Tarpit Pass (which protects Green Meadow from Hunters like Tyrannor).
- Patch & Ridetail: Trail Blazer's children.
- Strongfoot: Trail Blazer's rival.
- Tiny (voiced by Joey Camen): A Megazostrodon who Dink helps get to a fruit guarded by a bullish Sauropod.
- Brighteyes (voiced by Jodi Carlisle): A mother Titanosaurus who the gang help to protect her eggs against some egg-eating hunters.
- Buttercup (voiced by Billie Hayes): Crusty's childhood turtle friend.
- Beast (voiced by Michael Bell): A Saurolophus with a deformed face.
- Iggy: An Camptosaurus who Shyler helps find his way home.
- Nobbie: A Pachycephalosaurus. He is good friend with Shyler.
- Daisy: A Barosaurus who Scat had a crush on.
- Brusier: Daisy's boyfriend.
- Glowy: A Firefly that Shyler wanted to keep.
- Melodi (voiced by Kath Soucie): A Supersaurus (sea dragon) who the gang helps save her mate.
- Forest (voiced by Cam Clarke): A Corythosaurus who once made Dink jealous one time.
- Stormfoot (voiced by Dana Hill): A Centrosaurus who fought Dink in the "Challenge of the Desert" duel.
- Jerry: A pink Gerrothorax who's tail gets stuck under a rock and whom Crusty frees.
- Mama Triceratops: A Triceratops who once thought Scat was her son.
Villains
- Tyrannor: The main antagonist of the series. He is a Tyrannosaurus Rex who chased Dink and the gang all over their prehistoric world. He is feared by every known dinosaur.
- Hunters: Various Velociraptors, Deinonychuses, Megalosaurus, Dromaeosauruses, Unquillosauruses, Allosauruses, Troodon, Snakes (known as slidetooth), Albertosauruses, Baryonyxes, Herrerasauruses, Dilophosauruses, Spinosauruses, Deinosuchus, Utahraptors and Giganotosauruses.
- Scavengers (voiced by Frank Welker): Villainous Pterosaurs.
- Fleetfoot (voiced by Jim Cummings): A Ornitholestes who hunted Pterosaurs.
- Honeyfruit Monster: An evil Iguanodon.
- Sharptooth: An Allosaurus who according to Crusty would even scare Tyrannor.
- Snakenecks: An Elasmosaurus.
- Sandtooth: A Rattlesnake.
- Watertooth: A Nothosaur.
- Shelleater: A Baryonyx. They are known to prey on turtles.
- Bolderbuns (voiced by Frank Welker): An evil Brachiosaurus.
- Waterhunters: Kronosaurus and Liopleurodon
- Egghunters: Three evil Acanthopholis
- Sharpmouth: An Albertosaurus.
Points of interest
- Cave of Spirits - The spirit of Red lives here.
- Cloudtop Mountain - Beast lives here.
- Crystal Cavern - A cavern filled with crystals and lava rivers.
- Green Meadow - The main setting of the series which was created by Trail Blazer.
- Honeyfruit Valley - A valley with a lot of Honeyfruit growing there.
- Hunter's Grove - Tyrannor and other Hunters live here.
- Tarpit Pass - An area that has a lot of tar pits. It was created by Trail Blazer.
- Turtle Creek - Buttercup lives here.
Episode guide
Season 1
- Shell Game/Shyler's Friend (9/16/1989)
- Dink, Come Home/White Beauty (9/23/1989)
- Crusty's Baby/The Gentle Hunter (9/30/1989)
- Phantom of the Cave/Dry River (10/7/1989)
- Tricera-Scat/Search (10/14/1989)
- Amber's Crusade/Old Timers (10/21/1989)
- Uncle Longbeak/Surprise! (10/28/1989)
- The Hollow Tree/Badge of Courage (11/4/1989)
- Wish Mountain/Crusty's New Home (11/11/1989)
- Small Stuff/Light's Out (11/18/1989)
- Mystery of the Broken Claw/Encounter at Flatrock (11/25/1989)
- The Sky is Falling/Sea Rescue (12/2/1989)
- Raiders of the Lost Nest/Land of No Return (12/9/1989)
Season 2
- Scavenger/Tar Troubles (9/15/1990)
- The Honeyfruit Hero/Tall Tale (9/22/1990)
- Crusty's Reunion/Tale of the Beast (9/29/1990)
- Scat-ter Brained/Fraidy Scat (10/6/1990)
- The Reluctant Head-Banger/Wrongs of Spring (10/13/1990)
- Overrun/The Last of Their Kind (10/20/1990)
- Day of the Snake/Rivals (10/27/1990)
- Challenge/The Secret (11/3/1990)
Voices
- R.J. Williams - Dink
- S. Scott Bullock - Flapper
- Ben Ryan Ganger - Shyler
- Anndi McAfee - Amber
- Frank Welker - Scat, Crusty, Scavengers, Earthshaker, Bolderbuns
Additional Voices
- Charlie Adler -
- Jack Angel - Hubble
- Dick Beals - Scratcher
- Michael Bell - Beast
- Joey Camen - Tiny
- Hamilton Camp - Uncle Longbeak
- Jodi Carlisle - Brighteyes
- Nancy Cartwright - Shortspike
- Cam Clarke - Forest
- Townsend Coleman -
- Jim Cummings - Tubble, Fleetfoot
- Jennifer Darling - Ariel
- Debi Derryberry -
- David Doyle -
- Linda Gary -
- Billie Hayes - Buttercup
- Whitby Hertford -
- Dana Hill - Dippo, Stormfoot
- Marvin Kaplan -
- Tress MacNeille -
- Patricia Parris -
- Ethan Randall -
- Hal Rayle -
- Steve Schatzberg -
- Kath Soucie - Melodi
- Russi Taylor - Squirt
Crew
- Ginny McSwain - Voice Director
External links
See also
- The Land Before Time, a feature film with similar characters
First-run animated series Dink, the Little Dinosaur (1989–1991) • Jim Henson's Muppet Babies (1984–1991) • The California Raisin Show (1989–1990) • Garfield and Friends (September 17, 1988-October 1995) • Rude Dog & the Dweebs • The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy (1988–1990) • CBS Storybreak (1985–1990) • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990–1996) • Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990) • Mother Goose and Grimm (1991–1992) • Back to the Future (1991–1993) • Where's Waldo? (1991–1992) • Fievel's American Tails (1992–1993) • The Little Mermaid (1992–1995) • Raw Toonage (1992–1993) • Marsupilami (1993–1994) • All-New Dennis the Menace • Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1993–1994) • Conan and the Young Warriors • Beethoven (1994–1995) • Aladdin (1994–1996) • Skeleton Warriors • Wild C.A.T.s • The Adventures of Hyperman • Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1997) • The Mask • Santo Bugito (1995–1996) • The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1997) • Project G.e.e.K.e.R. • Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1995–1997) • Anatole • Dumb Bunnies (1998–1999) • Flying Rhino Junior High (1998–2000) • Birdz (1998) • Mythic Warriors (1998–2000) • New Tales from the Cryptkeeper (1999–2000)First-run live-action series Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–1991) • The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys • Beakman's World (1992–1998) • Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. (1996–1997) • Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House • The New Ghostwriter Mysteries (1997) • Wheel 2000 (1999–2000) • The Weird Al Show (1997) • The Sports Illustrated for Kids ShowRebroadcasts Schedules 1989-90 • 1990-91 • 1991-92 • 1992-93 • 1993-94 • 1994-95 • 1995-96 • 1996-97 • 1997-98 • 1998-99 • 1999-2000Related programming and topics Categories:- Television series by Ruby-Spears Productions
- Dinosaurs in television fiction
- American children's television series
- CBS network shows
- 1980s American animated television series
- 1990s American animated television series
- 1989 television series debuts
- 1991 American television series endings
- Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters
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