Heathcliff

After originating in George Gately’s daily comic strip in 1973, Heathcliff made his way to television in 1980 as a segment on Heathcliff and Dingbat. The show lasted for a single, thirteen episode season, in which two Dingbat and the Creeps and two Heathcliff segments filled out each half-hour show.

Heathcliff was a brash and trouble-prone cat who ruled the streets of his neighborhood. Whether he was evading the dogcatcher, stealing fish from Mr. Schultz’s fish mart, or vying for supremacy with a local bulldog named Spike, the orange tabby nary broke a sweat while making short work of his adversaries.

Displaying a more civil domestic side (but still greedily snatching any food he came across for himself), Heathcliff had the good favor of his elderly owner Mrs. Nutmeg, and sometimes found himself protecting her grandson Iggy from dangers like the neighborhood bully Muggsy Faber, owner of Spike the bulldog.

When not causing mayhem, Heathcliff took time to visit his love interest, the penthouse pussycat Sonja. Of course, their meetings were never without distraction, because mayhem stubbornly followed Heathcliff wherever he went.

Ruby-Spears Productions continued to create Heathcliff episodes for the 1981 broadcast season, but as part of a new series called Heathcliff and Marmaduke. A single Heathcliff segment played alongside two Marmaduke segments during each half-hour show. That series also lasted for a single season, but Heathcliff again returned a few years later as part of the 1984, DiC Entertainment series, Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats.