From The TV IV

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.

[edit] History

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 produced by DFE

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

[edit] External links

• Unofficial DePatie-Freleng website