Duck Dodgers (TV series)

Duck Dodgers is an American animated television series, based on the 1953 theatrical cartoon short "Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century", produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 2003 to 2005. The series is comic science fiction, featuring the fictional Looney Tunes characters in metafictional roles, with Daffy Duck as the title character. It originally aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
Concept.
Though primarily based around the original "Duck Dodgers" short (which is set in roughly 2350 AD), the series has also taken many visual and thematic cues from other Looney Tunes shorts unrelated to the Dodgers character and its science fiction premise.
Many other familiar characters from the Looney Tunes pantheon are featured in the series, often given traits to fit within "Duck Dodgers"' own universe. For example, Yosemite Sam becomes "K'chutha Sa'am," a parody of Klingons in "Star Trek", Elmer Fudd becomes a parasitic mind-altering alien disease known as "the Fudd" (a combination of the Flood and the Borg), Witch Hazel was "Leezah the Wicked" in one episode, Count Bloodcount was "Count Muerte" in two episodes, and Wile E. Coyote was a Predator-like alien hunter in one episode where Martian Commander X-2 and K-9 were hunting. Gophers Mac and Tosh appeared as Martian gophers on an alien golf course. Nasty Canasta, Taz, Rocky and Mugsy, and the Crusher also made appearances on this series. In a two-part episode, the "Shropshire Slasher" appears as a convict named the Andromeda Annihilator. Michigan J. Frog was the host of a talent show and Ralph Phillips played Babyface Moonbeam. Egghead Junior also appeared, as well as the unnamed evil scientist who owned Gossamer.
Theme songs.
In addition to pop culture references, the show's theme (arranged by the Flaming Lips) is sung by Tom Jones, in a style reminiscent of the theme from the James Bond film "Thunderball". Jones also appeared in caricature form in the second-season episode "Talent Show A Go-Go," to sing his signature song, "It's Not Unusual". Dave Mustaine of the thrash metal band Megadeth was featured in the third-season episode "In Space, No One Can Hear You Rock", with the band performing the song "Back in the Day" from their 2004 album "The System Has Failed".
Accolades.
"Duck Dodgers" was nominated in 2004 Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production Produced For Children, Music in an Animated Television Production, Production Design in an Animated Television Production, and Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production. It won the Annie award for 2004 for Music in an Animated Television Production, music by Robert J. Kral. It was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing – Live Action and Animation and Special Class Animated Program in 2004, and again in 2005. It later won for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program—Joe Alaskey. The series ended production in 2005 after its third season.
Home media.
Warner Home Video released "Duck Dodgers – The Complete First Season: Dark Side of the Duck" to DVD on February 19, 2013, "Duck Dodgers – The Complete Second Season: Deep Space Duck" on July 23, 2013 and "Duck Dodgers - The Complete Third Season" on January 28, 2020.