DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
From The TV IV
| DePatie-Freleng Enterprises | |
| | |
| Founded | 1963 |
| President | — |
| Notable Works | Various Pink Panther cartoons Return to the Planet of the Apes The Fantastic Four |
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (also known as DFE Films) was a production company founded by Friz Freleng and David DePatie. Their work was all animated, and included theatrically released shorts as well as TV shows and specials. Their most famous work was the Pink Panther cartoons, made for the United Artists studio for theatrical and television release.
DFE was formed in 1963 after Warner Bros. shut down their Termite Terrace animation department. Friz Freleng and David DePatie, two men who had worked there, then started DFE, where they and other former Warner Bros. animators continued to work. In addition to their work with United Artists, DFE was a subcontractor for Warner Bros. cartoons in the 1960s.
The company continued operations until 1981 when Freleng left to return to Warner Bros. and DePatie sold DFE to Marvel Comics, where it continued under DePatie as Marvel Productions.
The DFE library is now in the hands of several companies. The Walt Disney Company now owns DFE productions which were later produced by Marvel (which was acquired in 1997 by Saban Entertainment), such as The New Fantastic Four and Spider-Woman; MGM Television (through parent company MGM's purchase of United Artists) owns the distribution rights to the DFE-produced Pink Panther and related cartoons; Warner Bros. owns the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons and related TV specials produced by DFE; and 20th Century-Fox Television owns and distributes Return to the Planet of the Apes, which Fox co-produced with DFE.
[edit] List of Shows
| Title | Format | Network | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Super 6 | Animated action | NBC | 1966–69 |
| Super President | Animated action | NBC | 1967–68 |
| Here Comes the Grump | Animated comedy | NBC | 1969–70 |
| The Pink Panther Show | Animated comedy | NBC | 1969–70 |
| The Pink Panther Meets The Ant and the Aardvark | Animated comedy | NBC | 1970–71 |
| Doctor Dolittle | Animated children's | NBC | 1970–71 |
| The New Pink Panther Show | Animated comedy | NBC | 1971–76 |
| The Barkleys | Animated comedy | NBC | 1972–73 |
| The Houndcats | Animated comedy | NBC | 1972–73 |
| Bailey's Comets | Animated comedy | CBS | 1973–75 |
| The Oddball Couple | Animated comedy | ABC | 1975–77 |
| Return to the Planet of the Apes | Animated action | NBC | 1975–76 |
| The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half-Hour and a Half Show | Animated comedy | NBC | 1976–77 |
| Baggy Pants & the Nitwits | Animated comedy | NBC | 1977–78 |
| What's New Mr. Magoo? | Animated comedy | CBS | 1977–79 |
| Think Pink Panther! | Animated comedy | NBC | 1978 |
| The All New Pink Panther Show | Animated comedy | ABC | 1978–79 |
| The Fantastic Four | Animated superhero | NBC | 1978–79 |
| Spider-Woman | Animated superhero | ABC | 1979–80 |
| Spider-Man | Animated superhero | Syndication | 1981 |


