Clifford's Puppy Days

Clifford's Puppy Days.
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Created by:	Norman Bridwell (characters)
Voices of:	Lara Jill Miller Grey DeLisle Cam Clarke Kath Soucie Masiela Lusha Orlando Brown LaTonya Holmes Ogie Banks Jess Harnell Lauren Tom Henry Winkler Candi Milo
Theme music composer	Jared Faber Emily Kapnek
Opening theme	"Love Makes Little Things Grow" by: Freedom Brenner
Ending theme	"Love Makes Little Things Grow" (Instrumental)
Composer(s)	Emily Kapnek
Country of origin	United States United Kingdom (CBeebies DUB)
Original language(s):	English
No. of seasons:	1
No. of episodes:	39
Production
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Scholastic
Release
Original network	PBS
Original release:	September 15, 2003 – February 22, 2006
Chronology
Preceded by	Clifford the Big Red Dog

Clifford's Puppy Days is an animated children's television series that originally aired on both PBS and PBS Kids from September 15, 2003 to February 14, 2006. A prequel to the original Clifford the Big Red Dog, it features the adventures of Clifford during his puppyhood before he became a big red dog and before moving to Birdwell Island.

Unfortunately, the series was cancelled in 2006 due to low ratings. Reruns aired regularly following the cancellation, though they were halted in 2006. Since then, occasional reruns continue to air, typically on holidays.

In the UK the show aired on CBeebies from 2004 to early 2011 and like the original series, the show was dubbed with British voice actors, replacing the original American soundtrack.

Setting

The series takes place during Clifford's puppyhood, the runt of the litter in a litter of puppies given birth to by the pet dog of Emily Elizabeth's neighbor, Mr. Bradley (who appeared in an episode of the first cartoon series, "Little Clifford") and after he had been adopted by Emily Elizabeth and before he grew up into a giant red adult dog, forcing the Howards to move to Birdwell Island so Clifford would have plenty of room. The series shows Clifford and Emily Elizabeth's life and friends before they moved from the city to Birdwell Island and all of their adventures.

Format

The show followed the same format as its predecessor, Clifford the Big Red Dog.

• The opening theme is followed by the first central story, which is about the dogs, and a problem they face.
• Storytime with Speckle - Between the first and second story, Emily Elizabeth reads Clifford the Speckle Story, a small 60 seconds (approximately) time filler about a fictional dog (Speckle), and his animal friends.
• This is followed by another central story, about Emily Elizabeth and her friends.
• Clifford's Idea to Grow On - Before the credits, another 30-second short takes place called Clifford's Idea to Grow On. The short is basically an animation of an etiquette, a proverb, or basic truth such as "Play Fair", "Help Others", etc., with narration by Emily Elizabeth. This short was called Clifford's Big Idea in the previous series.
• This is the first Clifford the dog title not to feature T-Bone,Cleo or KC and the Second Clifford the dog title not to feature Clifford's Big Dog Size or Mac
• This is the 2nd TV Series to feature Emily's mom and dad

Characters

• Clifford (voiced by Lara Jill Miller as a puppy) - Pet number 2 (but dog number 1) of Emily Elizabeth. An ironically small puppy who is highly playful and always looks forward to meet new friends. He loves to play with his toys, eat dog treats, and like Daffodil, he loves to take naps. His best friends are Jorge and his older sister Daffodil (who is a rabbit), who cares very deeply for him.
• Emily Elizabeth Howard (voiced by Grey DeLisle) - The affectionate owner of Clifford and Daffodil. Her best friend is Nina.
• Daffodil (voiced by Kath Soucie) - A Holland Lop, pet number 1 of Emily Elizabeth, and also Clifford's helper, protector, and sister. She is portrayed as a very neat rabbit. She loves to take walks, take naps, eat carrots, and play with Clifford and her toys. Her catchphrase is "sure I'm sure". She sometimes gets annoyed by Clifford, but whenever Clifford is crying, scared, needs help, or just feels alone, she is always there for him. In the first half of the series she was originally pink but her fur was changed to white in the second half.
• Nina (voiced by Masiela Lusha) - is the sweet and enthusiastic owner of Jorge. Her best friend is Emily Elizabeth. Sometimes, however, Nina is shown to be insensitive to others' feelings, which causes rifts between her and her friends, although they always make up in the end.
• Evan Thomas Taylor (voiced by Orlando Brown) - One of the best friends of Emily Elizabeth. He loves to play basketball, and tries to be a good friend to Emily Elizabeth.
• Shun (voiced by Lauren Tom) - A young Japanese-American boy who is quiet, intelligent, and very proud of his Japanese heritage. Although he is not good at sports, he is always willing to give new things a try.
• Flo and Zo (voiced by LaTonya Holmes and Ogie Banks) - Brother and sister, but twins of kittens who are very playful. They usually love to play with each other or play with their other friends. They are owned by Mr. Solomon. In the episodes "The Big, Big Present/Hanukkah Plunder Blunder," it is revealed that they and Mr. Solomon are Jewish.
• Jorge (voiced by Jess Harnell) - A brown dachshund who loves to have fun with his best friend, Clifford. His owner is Nina.
• Norville (voiced by Henry Winkler) - A bird who always has problems. He often calls Clifford "little red" or "pup".
• Mr. Solomon (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) - A wheelchair-bound writer. Flo and Zo are his two pet kittens. In the episodes "The Big, Big Present/Hanukkah Plunder Blunder," it is revealed that he, Flo, and Zo are Jewish.
• The Sidarsky's - A family of mice who live in the laundromat. They have five playful children, Lucy, Lewis, Sophie, Sid, and a new baby.
• Bebe (voiced by Jill Talley) - A Golden Retriever Seeing-eye dog, who joins in on Clifford and his friends' fun whenever she can spare the time. She belongs to a blind girl named Jenny.
• Jenny (voiced by Dionne Quan) - A blind girl and Bebe's owner. While she was blind, Jenny has unusually high situational awareness, being able to tell where things are without even touching them. She demonstrates expertise in botany and gardening, helping the kids to plant a willow tree. Note: Dionne Quan is blind in real life.
• Mrs. Z (voiced by Russi Taylor) - An Italian, retired circus performer who recently moves in during her debut, "Friends of All Ages." It is shown there that her full name is Isabel Zabione.
• Tricksie (also voiced by Russi Taylor) - Her shaggy dog. She teaches certain old tricks to Clifford and Jorge, but never participates herself.
• Teacup (voiced by Lucy Liu) - A miniature, adult poodle who has spent most of her life in the pound, as shown in her only appearance, "Adopt a Pup." She eventually gets adopted by an elderly woman who has always wanted a dog, but never had any room in her apartment for a normal-sized one, thus making Teacup suitable.
• Bobby (voiced by Philip Hayes) - A giant puppy of a big breed who plays roughly.
• Jack (voiced by Tara Strong) - A competitive puppy in a sandcastle contest, as he competes against Clifford and Jorge.

Stories

Each half-hour episode was divided into 2 stories.

Season 1

No.overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboard by	Original air date	Speckle story/Clifford's Idea to Grow on used
1	101	Keeping Cool Socks & Snooze	Bob Doucette	Frederick Stroppel Suzanne Collins	Dan Kuenster Jeff Gordon	September 1, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Pen Pals Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Believe in Yourself
2	102	The Monster in 3-B Cat-tastrophe	Bob Doucette	Suzanne Collins Barry "Baz" Hawkins	Cynthia Petrovic Curtis Cim	September 1, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Terrific Tour Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Share
3	103	Jorge and the Dog Run Clifford's Clubhouse	Bob Doucette	Jeff Borkin James Ponti	Dave Cunningham and Dan Kuenster Cynthia Petrovic	September 17, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Homemade Toys Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Respect
4	104	Paw Print Picasso Hup Hup	Bob Doucette	Tish Rabe Peter Bakalian	Michael Kim Anna Burns	October 15, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Made-Up Rules Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Play Fair
5	105	Sock It to Me My Toy	Bob Doucette	Dev Ross Alan Goodman	Lenord Robinson Curt Walstead	October 1, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Fairy Tale Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Respect
6	106	Friends of All Ages Clifford's Super Sleepover	Bob Doucette	Dev Ross Tish Rabe	Dan Kuenster Tim George	October 8, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle Gets Well Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Work Together
7	107	Clifford's Field Trip Helping Paws	Bob Doucette	Sindy McKay Dev Ross	Kevin Frank Tim George	December 10, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Terrific Tour Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Be Truthful
8	108	Nina's Perfect Party Just the Right Size	Bob Doucette	Frederick Stroppel Jeff Borkin	Lenord Robinson Byron Vaughns	December 17, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Cure for Hiccups Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Help Others
9	109	Something Special Shun Gets in the Game	Bob Doucette	James Ponti Tish Rabe	Roy Meurin Gloria Jenkins	October 29, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Brand New Toy Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Be Truthful
10	110	Clifford's Winter Spirit Flo-Motion	Bob Doucette	Jeff Borkin Frederick Stroppel	Holly Boruck Trevor Wall	November 5, 2003	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Holiday for Everyone Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Be Kind
11	111	No Small Parts Fine Feather Friend	Bob Doucette	Jeff Borkin Peter Bakalian	Stephen Sandoval Kevin Frank	February 16, 2004	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Pen Pals Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Good Friend
12	112	Sing-a-Song Norville Tell Me a Tale	Bob Doucette	Barry "Baz" Hawkins Sindy McKay	Byron Vaughns Tim George	February 17, 2004	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Terrific Tour Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Be Truthful
13	113	Hoop Dreams Doggie Duds	Bob Doucette	Frederick Stroppel Dev Ross	Roy Meurin Gloria Jenkins	February 18, 2004	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Made-Up Rules Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Good Friend
14	114	Best Nest Practice Makes Perfect	Bob Doucette	Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown James Ponti	Trevor Wall Ralph Zondag	February 19, 2004	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Homemade Toys Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Work Together
15	115	Your Secret Valentine Perfect Pet	Bob Doucette	Barry "Baz" Hawkins James Ponti	Ken Laramay Gloria Jenkins	February 20, 2004	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Surprising Story Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Work Together
16	116	My Blanky With Friends Like You	Bob Doucette	Peter Bakalian Barry "Baz" Hawkins	John Howley Stephen Sandoval and Jeff Gordon	September 5, 2004
17	117	Time Out Sniff, Sniff	Bob Doucette	Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown Alan Goodman	Rafael Rosaro Tim George	September 8, 2004
18	118	A Promise Is a Promise Share and Share Alike	Bob Doucette	Sindy McKay Tish Rabe	Roy Meurin Gloria Jenkins	September 12, 2004
19	119	"Fall Feast" "Norville's New Game"	Bob Doucette	Barry "Baz" Hawkins Jeff Borkin	Trevor Wall Diane Kredensor	September 15, 2004
20	120	Oh, Brother Up, Up, & Oops!	Bob Doucette	Sindy McKay Dev Ross	Kathy Carr John Howley	September 19, 2004
21	121	Moving On Fair Is Fair	Bob Doucette	Frederick Stroppel James Ponti	Kevin Frank Tim George	September 22, 2004
22	122	Grooming Gloom The Letter	Bob Doucette	Sindy McKay Alan Goodman	Roy Meurin Gloria Jenkins	September 26, 2004
23	123	Adopt-a-Pup Jokes on You	Bob Doucette	Suzanne Collins Barry "Baz" Hawkins	Diane Kredensor Kathy Carr	February 15, 2005
24	124	Lights, Camera, Action Basketball Babysitter	Bob Doucette	James Ponti Deborah Forte and Frederick Stroppel	John Howley Dan Kuenster and Tim George	February 16, 2005
25	125	The Halloween Bandit An Honest Spin	Bob Doucette	Peter Bakalian Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown	Diane Kredensor Roy Meurin	February 17, 2005	Speckle Story: Speckle and the Pen Pals Clifford's Idea to Grow on: Be Responsible

Season 2

No.overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Storyboard by	Original air date
26	201	Small Packages Clifford's Magic Lamp	Joey Ahlbum	Frederick Stroppel Sindy McKay	Scott Cooper and Jason McDonald Jennifer Batinich and Mike Wisniewski	September 12, 2005
27	202	Finders Keepers You're Famous	Joey Ahlbum	Peter Bakalian	Jennifer Batinich and Mike Wisniewski Scott Cooper and Frank Detrano	September 13, 2005
28	203	Puppy Dog Power Extra! Extra!	Joey Ahlbum	Dev Ross Sindy McKay	Jennifer Batinich and Mike Wisniewski Scott Cooper	September 14, 2005
29	204	Sandcastle Hassle School Daze	Joey Ahlbum	Jeff Borkin Suzanne Collins	Jennifer Batinich and Mike Wisniewski Scott Cooper and Frank Detrano	September 15, 2005
30	205	Celebrating Spring Garden Delights	Joey Ahlbum	Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown Dev Ross	Mike Wisniewski and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	September 16, 2005
31	206	Clifford the Scary Puppy Things That Go Bump	Joey Ahlbum	Frederick Stroppel James Ponti	Mike Wisniewski and Frank Detrano Mike Wisniewski, Jennifer Batinich and Frank Detrano	October 26, 2005
32	207	The Big, Big Present Hanukah Plunder Blunder	Joey Ahlbum	Dev Ross Baz Hawkins	Dan Haskett and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	December 21, 2005
33	214	Valentines Schmalentines Sweetheart's Dance	Joey Ahlbum	Jeff Borkin James Ponti	Mike Wisniewski, Ian Freedman and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 14, 2006
34	208	The Big Surprise Be My Guest	Joey Ahlbum	Frederick Stroppel Baz Hawkins	John Holmquist Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 15, 2006
35	210	Clifford's Little Friend Tricky Business	Joey Ahlbum	Frederick Stroppel Sindy McKay	Mike Wisniewski and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 16, 2006
36	209	But I Really, Really Saw It! The Perfect Pancake	Joey Ahlbum	Peter Bakalian Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown	Mike Wisniewski and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 17, 2006
37	211	Show and Tell What a Story	Joey Ahlbum	Peter Bakalian Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown	Ian Freedman and Frank Detrano Mike Wisniewski, Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 20, 2006
38	213	Lost and Found Basketball Blunders	Joey Ahlbum	Dev Ross Dennis Haley and Marcy Brown	Ian Freedman and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 22, 2006
39	212	Heroes and Friends The Cookie Crumbles	Joey Ahlbum	Sindy McKay Frederick Stroppel	Dan Haskett and Frank Detrano Jennifer Batinich and Scott Cooper	February 22, 2006

Cancellation

The show was ultimately short-lived, and hasn't aired since final reruns aired in 2006. However, PBS aired the Halloween episode of Clifford's Puppy Days during October 2010; this serves as the show's final national original-run airing. In mid-December 2010, Georgia Public Broadcasting started airing reruns of the show on the GPB Kids station, and they now continue to run occasionally. WGTE Family and KQEH Kids still air reruns of the show as well.

This is the second TV series to have Emily's mom and dad appear in the cartoon. Caroline seems to have her pants redesigned to light green. However, in this TV series they are not blue at all, but her light green pants appear in some of the cartoon series. Her blue pants are in either the wardrobe or in the laundry.

KC, T-Bone, Cleo and Mac are some dog characters who do not appear in this series but from the 2000 cartoon.

Opening theme

The opening theme, "Love Makes Little Things Grow", was composed by Jared Faber and Emily Kapnek and performed by Freedom Bremner.

Trivia

• This is the first Clifford The Big Red Dog show to be shot in 16:9 widescreen high-definition, unlike the 1988 cartoon and the 2000 cartoon that were both shot in 4:3 full screen standard-definition. But it was only seen on Netflix.