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TV Sidekick Blogathon: Sherman, Trusty Boy

3/8/2016

10 Comments

 
Peabody's Improbable History
Because it is next to impossible to raise a boy in an apartment.

Peabody meets Sherman
Watching some boys at their innocent play
Peabody rescues Sherman
Always pulling for the underboy
Peabody adopts Sherman
Newspapers made a big thing of it
Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Every dog should have a boy

Speak Sherman.
"Hello."
Good Boy.

Even though The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show was technically before my time (it officially ended the year I was born), my sister and I were lucky enough to catch it in syndication as part of our regular weekend cartoon lineup from elementary through high school. Macrame, crocheted vests, and constant second-hand smoke notwithstanding, the 1970s were good for this at least: regular television could give a girl a great education in satire, the power of voice characterization, and quality parody. I'm talking about the Carol Burnett Show, Saturday morning Warner Bros. cartoons, and the genius output of Jay Ward Productions, without which I may not be the classic film lover I am today.

Peabody's Improbable History was one of the short segments that broke up Rocky & Bullwinkle's serial adventures, alternating with Fractured Fairy Tales, Dudley Do-Right, and Aesop & Son, all of which featured the voice talents of Stan Freberg, June Foray, Paul Frees, Daws Butler, Edward Everett Horton, and Bill Scott. 

Mr. Peabody (Bill Scott, also the voice of Bullwinkle) is a Harvard-educated, entrepreneurial, multi-lingual former puppy prodigy who lives all alone in his Manhattan penthouse. Peabody decides to get a boy for companionship, but finds none suitable in any pet shop. One day, he sees a little ginger kid with glasses getting beat up in an alley by some street toughs. After chasing off the attackers, Mr. Peabody intends to take Sherman (veteran radio actor, Walter Tetley) back home to his parents, but finding he is an orphan and living in a crummy orphanage, Peabody decides to adopt him instead.

To keep Sherman entertained, Mr. Peabody builds the WABAC, a time machine, through which he and Sherman can -- and do -- enjoy many an adventure in what "should have been" in history. 
Mr. Peabody, Sherman, WABAC
Between 1959 and 1963, Mr. Peabody and Sherman went on 91 five-minute trips through time and space, visiting the likes of Napoleon, Galileo, Lady Godiva, and Cleopatra along the way. Sherman was always good for charmingly stating the obvious ("Mr. Franklin, your kite is going to be struck by lightning!") and setting up the horrible pun Mr. Peabody inevitably let fly at the end of every episode ("We assisted the Pony Express. The least we can do is help...Western Onion." Tuba blast.)

Walter Tetley, the man who played Sherman, was 44 years old and already a twenty year veteran as a voice actor. He started out in the 1930s as the voice of Felix the Cat and later Andy Panda, but is probably best known to old radio buffs as Leroy, the annoying nephew of The Great Gildersleeve and Julius Abruzzio, the grocery boy on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.

Tetley was born with a hormonal condition that kept his voice from cracking, which enabled him to play boys and teenagers throughout his long career, but that also prevented him from fully developing to manhood. In 1971, Tetley was injured in a motorcycle accident that confined him to a wheelchair until his death from stomach cancer only four years later at the age of 60.

My generation will always remember him as Sherman, Mr. Peabody's faithful boy, although many of us will mistakenly credit June Foray (the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel) for his fine work. On a more uplifting note, it is now possible to watch the Peabody's Improbable History pun-soaked oeuvre streaming on Hulu Plus, and many of these wonderful cartoons are on YouTube for free (for the time being).

​Do Walter Tetley a solid. 

Enjoy


TV Sidekick Blogathon
This post is my contribution to The TV Sidekick Blogathon hosted by the Classic Film & TV Cafe.

Please take a moment to read all the excellent entries about your favorite next-door-neighbors, best friends, deputies, and more.
​

10 Comments
Rick link
3/8/2016 05:00:57 pm

I admit that I preferred Mr. Peabody to Sherman because, well, I liked animated dogs. But there wouldn't have been a show with Sherman and I adored the fact that Sherman was Mr. Peabody's pet. It was a fun cartoon segment (I had no idea there were 91 of them!) on one of the best animated TV series. By the way, I want a WABAC machine....

Reply
Mitchell link
3/8/2016 06:59:49 pm

Great piece! I loved Peabody and Sherman as well - well, all of Rocky and Bullwinkle for that matter. But the humor is just wonderful. And I'm glad you singled out Walter Tetley - he adds so much to the OTR programs I listen to, and I can't imagine anyone else as Sherman.

Reply
Cheryl
3/9/2016 03:54:13 am

I enjoyed reading this, I never thought much of voice actors but now I appreciate their versatility and talent. It's interesting to know more about the actors. Thanks for the reminder of how much fun it was to watch these Fractured Fairtales.

Reply
Patricia Nolan-Hall (Caftan Woman) link
3/9/2016 05:42:19 am

Always happy to do Walter Tetley a solid, and to enjoy a trip in the WABAC machine. Great choice and wonderful piece for the blogathon!

Reply
Beth
3/16/2016 05:32:59 am

Thanks, Patricia! I have been very apathetic in the blog department lately, but this blogathon perked me right up.

Reply
Lisa link
3/9/2016 06:55:08 pm

How many of us were thrilled that the things we learned about in school were on a cool TV show? The intersection of pop culture and the pursuit of knowledge is an entertaining corner!

What a great post! Can't wait to watch some of these again!!

Reply
Joanna Wilson link
3/10/2016 06:21:30 pm

I'm with Rick--there were 91 of these segments? Wow--I'm heading to Hulu Plus. Thanks for writing about this :)

Reply
Seester
3/14/2016 09:33:09 am

Yet another great piece. I remember falling apart because of some line of Sherman's about not being able to draw a straight line.

Reply
John Scott
1/10/2021 06:28:11 am

Some sidelights for you. Sherman was patterned after Sherman Glas, a unit manager at UPA where he worked with Bill Scott. Mr. Peabody was named after Scott's son's dog (who had a bladder problem). Mr. Peabody's voice was based upon Clifton Webb. Walter Tetley did the voice of the bellboy who called, "Call for Philip Morris" in the old cigarette ad, and was known as "The World's Tallest Midget."

Reply
John Scott
1/22/2022 06:24:39 pm

One other thing. In one P&S script, after an unusually awful pun, one of the writers (possibly Allan Burns) added a line for Sherman: "Oh horseshit, Mr. Peabody!" Obviously, it was not used. :)

Reply



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