Cartoon based on the spinning, incomprehensible
Warner Brothers
Tasmanian Devil "Taz". The theme song conveniently lists all of the
recurring characters.
Welcome to Taz-mania
Welcome to the land that's way under, down under,
the sky's always yellow in rain or shine...
Down in Taz-Mania,
Come to Taz-Mania.
Where topsy meets turvy and they start to spin,
Like a Tazmanian devil and his closest kin.
Down in Taz-Mania,
Come to Taz-Mania.
Mom's a live wire, dad's a bump on a log,
Molly's all fired up while Jake plays with the dog.
Down in Taz-Mania,
Come to Taz-Mania.
Digeri Dingo and Wendel T. Wolf,
Francis X. Bushlad is never uncouth.
Bushwacker Bob and his mother called Mum,
Constance and Thickley just want to have fun.
Bull Gator and Axl are always left sore,
If you have a deal just call Buddy Boar,
The Platypus brothers are a-backin' about,
The kiwi, the bushrats, have we left anyone out?
Oh yea, don't forget Taz...
He put the Taz in Taz-Mania,
Down in tazmania,
Come to Tazmania,
We mean you!
(Taz-speak) Ack buh buh thbbbt
Now a sentence or two about some of these characters. Most of the gags involve Taz chasing something, Taz being chased by something, or Taz being dragged by a friend on wacky adventures.
- Taz: Has a spin capable of burrowing through ground, trees, large rocks, etc. Much of his humor has to do with his voracious appetite, limited vocabulary, and ability to be flattenned by large boulders. Taz switches between the role of hero and villain, depending on who is the recurring character of the day.
- Taz's dad: Sometimes goes on long rants of advice which turn into "blah blah yackety shmackety" in Taz's ears. Willing to go to great lengths for a good golf game, and drag Taz along for hilarious consequences.
- Taz's mom: Encourages Taz to eat more.
- Molly: Tasmanian devil valley girl, always on the phone and annoyed at Taz.
- Jake: Taz's little brother is a boy scout, and looks up to his big brother, dragging Taz along on adventures or whatever.
- Dog the turtle: a turtle named "Dog" that barks and otherwise behaves like a dog. Taz's pet.
- Digeri Dingo: Profit-seeking trickster who is Taz's buddy when it's convenient for him, and frequently drags Taz along on a profit making venture. Obsessed with collecting bottlecaps.
- Wendel T. Wolf: Talks and behaves exactly like a wolven animated Woody Allen.
- Francis X. Bushlad: A native who has to capture Taz to complete his initiation into adulthood. Or otherwise tries to outsmart or outdo Taz.
- Bushwacker Bob and Mum: They own a hotel where Taz sometimes works as a bellhop. One episode involved Taz waiting on Foghorn Leghorn.
- Constance and Thickley
- Bull Gator and Axl: These hunters want to capture Taz for the zoo. Much of their humor is self-referential mockery of the stereotypical role of the sidekick, filled in this case by Axl.
- Buddy Boar: Sort of a hollywood dealmaker, wearing sunglasses and always talking on a cell phone.
- the Platypus brothers: Inventors and handymen who like to try out their inventions on Taz. Sometimes they try to help Taz with a problem he's having, (e.g. a hiccup) but they manage to get the remedies backwards.
- Kiwi: Where the roadrunner has speed, the kiwi has maneuverability. By the time Taz has looked to his left to where the (tasty-looking) kiwi was standing, the kiwi has blink-warped to Taz's right. By the time Taz has turned to the right, the kiwi's foot has grown 10 sizes, (as can only happen in cartoons) and Taz is just in time to watch himself getting kicked into next Monday by the tiny kiwi.
- Bushrats: Strange tribe of rats speaking a language somewhere between French, German and Swedish, but who sometimes sing Frere Jacques. Alternately fight with Taz or worship him.