Secret Squirrel
Secret Squirrel is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, featuring the titular anthropomorphic squirrel as a bumbling secret agent parodying James Bond-style spies, alongside his dimwitted sidekick Morocco Mole, as part of The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show that aired on NBC from 1965 to 1967.[1] The character, designated Agent 000, operates under the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS), using absurd gadgets and disguises to thwart villains like the diabolical Yellow Pinkie and the elderly Masked Granny, producing 52 seven-minute segments across two seasons of the half-hour program, which also featured Squiddly Diddly and Winsome Witch segments.[2] Voiced by Mel Blanc as the suave yet accident-prone squirrel and Paul Frees as the accented mole assistant, the series satirized the 1960s spy craze popularized by films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., blending humor with limited animation techniques typical of Hanna-Barbera.[1] The show premiered in a prime-time special titled The World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant on September 12, 1965, before transitioning to Saturday mornings on October 2, 1965, as one of Hanna-Barbera's early network series in that format.[1] Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, it filled the hour-long block with espionage-themed adventures that emphasized verbal gags and chase sequences over fluid animation.[2] The franchise inspired merchandise, including comic books and records, and contributed to the cultural lexicon with the phrase "secret squirrel," now slang for overly secretive operations, as noted in official U.S. government contexts.[3] In 1993, Secret Squirrel was revived as Super Secret Secret Squirrel on the syndicated series 2 Stupid Dogs, which aired on TBS and in syndication, featuring updated animation, voices by Jess Harnell and Jim Cummings, and more exaggerated, meta-humor in 13 new segments that poked fun at 1990s pop culture.[1] Both the original and revival episodes have been released on home video through Warner Archive and streaming platforms, preserving its legacy as a whimsical entry in Hanna-Barbera's roster of anthropomorphic animal heroes.[2]Premise and Characters
Protagonists
Secret Squirrel is an anthropomorphic squirrel serving as Agent 000 in the International Sneaky Service (I.S.S.), a parody of espionage organizations, where he undertakes covert missions against criminal threats.[4] He is depicted as a cool, competent operative with a serious demeanor, often employing clever understatement and quick thinking to outmaneuver foes, drawing inspiration from James Bond while incorporating comedic elements typical of 1960s spy tropes.[1] Physically, Secret Squirrel appears as a brownish-orange squirrel walking upright, featuring prominent buck teeth, a bushy tail, and dressed in a signature white trenchcoat and purple fedora, the latter equipped with hidden tools like a boxing glove, handgun, or mirror for espionage tasks.[4] His arsenal includes versatile gadgets, such as a brown briefcase that transforms into a sports car or helicopter for high-speed pursuits, and a bulletproof trenchcoat with concealed pockets for additional devices like a machine gun cane.[4] Voiced by Mel Blanc in the original series, Secret Squirrel's Humphrey Bogart-inspired delivery adds to his suave, no-nonsense persona.[2] Complementing Secret Squirrel is his loyal sidekick, Morocco Mole, a diminutive anthropomorphic mole who functions as his chauffeur-turned-assistant, providing comic relief through his bumbling nature and unwavering devotion.[2] Morocco Mole is characterized by frequent mishaps and malapropisms, yet his enthusiasm and disguises—often involving a red fez, yellow scarf, green jacket, and dark glasses—make him an endearing foil to his partner's precision, boosting Secret's confidence despite occasional blunders.[4] Originally voiced by Paul Frees in a style mimicking Peter Lorre, Morocco's portrayal emphasizes his supportive role in missions, where his earnest attempts at aid highlight the duo's teamwork dynamics.[2] The protagonists operate under the supervision of Double-Q, the balding chief of the I.S.S., who assigns missions from a secure headquarters and parodies authoritative spy bosses like M from the James Bond series.[1] This agency structure underscores the original series' subtle parody of espionage conventions, with Secret and Morocco relying on ingenuity and gadgets rather than brute force to maintain secrecy and resolve threats.[4] In the 1993 revival, titled Super Secret Secret Squirrel, the protagonists' portrayals shift toward more exaggerated, cartoonish antics, with Secret Squirrel reimagined as even cooler and more competent while Morocco Mole's bumbling traits are amplified for heightened comedy.[1] The duo receives updated designs and voices—Jess Harnell for Secret Squirrel and Jim Cummings for Morocco Mole—alongside a renamed agency, the Super Secret Service, emphasizing over-the-top spy humor in line with 1990s animation trends.[5]Antagonists
In the original Secret Squirrel series, the primary antagonist was Yellow Pinkie, a cunning international thief and master of disguise who served as Secret Squirrel's recurring archenemy. Voiced by Paul Frees, Yellow Pinkie was a direct parody of James Bond's Auric Goldfinger, characterized by his obsession with gold and use of a multifunctional pinky ring as a weapon for various criminal schemes, such as thefts and espionage plots. He first appeared in the episode "Yellow Pinkie" (1965), where he outmaneuvers the agents with clever disguises, and recurred in stories like "Goldflinger" and "Robot Rout," often employing high-tech vehicles and robotic minions to execute his heists.[6][7] Other notable foes in the original run included Dr. Dangit, a mad scientist who deployed robot duplicates of Secret Squirrel to frame the agent and commit crimes; Double-Ex, a double-agent spy involved in cross-deceptions and sabotage; and Scuba Duba, an underwater operative who stole missiles to threaten cities with explosive attacks. These villains typically featured sophisticated gadgets and thematic traps—Dr. Dangit's robotic schemes emphasized duplication and misdirection, while Scuba Duba relied on aquatic technology for his international espionage.[7][8][9] The 1993 revival, Super Secret Secret Squirrel, shifted toward more absurd, animal-themed antagonists, with Goldflipper emerging as the central villain and reimagined counterpart to Yellow Pinkie. Voiced by Jim Cummings, Goldflipper was an anthropomorphic sea lion crime lord obsessed with gold, leading aquatic henchmen in plots like using a massive magnet to steal golden teeth from citizens in the debut episode "Goldflipper." His schemes often involved environmental manipulation and resource plundering, parodying Bond-style megalomania with a comedic, creature-focused twist.[10] Minor villains in the revival included one-off characters like the Chameleon (full name Panoleon P. Chameleon), a sophisticated, art-obsessed reptile who used camouflage and cultural heists in his self-titled episode, and others echoing Bond parodies such as Scrooge-like hounds in greed-driven escapades. Overall, the original series' antagonists leaned toward sleek, human-like spies with intricate global threats, while the revival amplified animal absurdity and cartoonish motivations for heightened parody.)[11]Production History
Original Series
The original Secret Squirrel series was developed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at Hanna-Barbera Productions as a satirical take on the espionage genre, debuting on NBC in 1965.[1] The concept emerged amid the mid-1960s spy mania, directly inspired by the James Bond films, including the blockbuster Goldfinger released in 1964, which fueled widespread interest in secret agents and gadgetry.[12] Hanna and Barbera positioned the anthropomorphic squirrel protagonist, Agent 000, as a trenchcoat-wearing superspy with a bumbling sidekick, Morocco Mole, to parody figures like Bond and Inspector Clouseau from The Pink Panther.[1] The series was previewed in the prime-time animated special The World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant on September 12, 1965, which promoted the upcoming Saturday morning lineup.[1] Employing Hanna-Barbera's signature limited animation style—characterized by minimal character movement, reused backgrounds, and static poses to reduce costs—the shorts ran approximately 7 minutes each, forming the lead segment in a 30-minute episode alongside Squiddly Diddly and Winsome Witch.[1] This technique, refined since the studio's founding in 1957, enabled efficient production for television broadcast and marked Hanna-Barbera's targeted entry into Saturday morning programming.[13] By 1966, the format evolved into The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show, an hour-long block pairing Secret Squirrel with the superheroic Atom Ant to appeal to young audiences on NBC.[1] The writing drew from spy parody tropes, with contributions from seasoned Hanna-Barbera scribes Warren Foster, Michael Maltese, Tony Benedict, and Dalton Sandifer, who infused the scripts with puns, chase scenes, and absurd gadgets tailored for comedic effect.[1] This team, experienced in Looney Tunes-style humor, helped integrate Secret Squirrel into Hanna-Barbera's expanding portfolio of genre spoofs during the studio's growth phase in the 1960s.[13] The production avoided notable controversies, focusing instead on cost-effective expansion into adventure-themed content to meet network demands.[14] Voice selections, such as Mel Blanc for Secret Squirrel's lisping delivery, aligned closely with the character's parody roots.[2]1993 Revival
In 1993, Hanna-Barbera Productions revived the Secret Squirrel series under the title Super Secret Secret Squirrel, creating it as a series of backup segments for the TBS Superstation's animated program 2 Stupid Dogs. The revival consisted of 13 episodes, each approximately seven minutes long, designed to air between the main 2 Stupid Dogs shorts and featuring updated spy adventures with Secret Squirrel and his sidekick Morocco Mole. Fred Seibert, then president of Hanna-Barbera, commissioned the project to leverage the studio's classic properties alongside the new 2 Stupid Dogs series created by Donovan Cook and Larry Huber, producing 13 segments that aired as part of the show's first season.[15] The revival modernized the original concept with a more satirical tone, incorporating sharp in-jokes and frenetic action sequences that nodded to contemporary pop culture, distinguishing it within Hanna-Barbera's 1990s output of nostalgic reboots like those in What a Cartoon!. Animation upgrades included redesigned characters with brighter colors and exaggerated facial expressions to enhance comedic timing and visual appeal, supervised by design lead Bob Onorato, while integrating seamlessly with the host show's zany aesthetic. Voice casting featured Jess Harnell as Secret Squirrel, channeling a Mel Blanc-inspired delivery, and Jim Cummings as Morocco Mole, emphasizing amplified gadget-based humor in post-production tweaks to heighten the espionage parody.[1][16]Broadcast and Release History
Original Airings
The original Secret Squirrel series premiered as part of The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show on NBC on October 2, 1965, following a prime-time promotional special on September 12, 1965.[17][18] The program aired on Saturday mornings in the 9:30 a.m. ET time slot, featuring an hour-long format that alternated between Atom Ant and Secret Squirrel segments.[1] It consisted of 26 episodes across two seasons, with 13 episodes broadcast during the 1965–1966 season (October 1965 to January 1966) and 13 during the 1966–1967 season (October 1966 to January 1967), after which reruns continued until concluding its initial run on September 7, 1967.[19][7] The series helped strengthen NBC's Saturday morning children's programming block, drawing strong viewership among young audiences during its tenure.[1] The 1993 revival, titled Super Secret Secret Squirrel, debuted on September 5, 1993, as a backup segment within the 2 Stupid Dogs anthology on TBS Superstation.[20] It featured 13 segments that aired on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. ET, targeting older children with edgier humor and updated animation styles inspired by contemporary shows like Ren & Stimpy.[21] The revival's success was closely linked to the popularity of 2 Stupid Dogs, which achieved higher ratings than competitors in TBS's Sunday morning lineup and contributed to Hanna-Barbera's resurgence in the 1990s.[22] Internationally, the original series debuted in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 6, 1965, at 5:25 p.m. on ITV, and in Australia on July 6, 1966, at 5:25 p.m. on the Australian Broadcasting Network.[17] The 1993 revival aired globally on Cartoon Network starting in the mid-1990s, expanding its reach to international audiences through the network's syndication.[23]Syndication and Modern Availability
Following its initial network run, The Secret Squirrel Show entered syndication in 1967, with episodes repackaged alongside Atom Ant for local station broadcasts through the 1970s and 1980s, often as part of Hanna-Barbera syndication blocks like The Banana Splits and Friends Show.[1] These reruns introduced the series to new generations on independent U.S. television outlets, maintaining its visibility amid the era's growing library of classic animated content. Internationally, the show found audiences on networks such as the UK's CBBC during the 1980s and 1990s, contributing to its cult following beyond North America. In the early 2000s, Boomerang revived interest with regular airings starting April 1, 2000, and continuing until March 2, 2014, as part of the channel's focus on Hanna-Barbera classics.[24] The 1993 revival, Super Secret Secret Squirrel, aired as interstitial segments within 2 Stupid Dogs on Cartoon Network starting in 1995 through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, leveraging the network's expansion to syndicate Hanna-Barbera properties to a cable audience. This bundling helped sustain the characters' relevance during the shift from broadcast to cable animation programming.[12] In the modern era, Secret Squirrel has seen renewed availability through streaming and linear television. The original series streamed on HBO Max from 2020 to 2023, aligning with WarnerMedia's efforts to digitize its animation catalog for on-demand access. Beginning July 24, 2024, MeTV Toons introduced The Secret Squirrel Show to its lineup, with episodes airing in daily slots through at least November 2025, including pairings with 2 Stupid Dogs.[25] Recent crossovers in Jellystone!—such as appearances in the 2021 series and the March 2025 "Crisis on Infinite Mirths" special on Max—have boosted visibility without producing new standalone seasons, emphasizing digital restorations for these platforms. The character's 60th anniversary in 2025 prompted retrospective coverage, including a dedicated article in Cartoon Research on May 30, highlighting its enduring syndication legacy.[1][26]Episode Guide
Original Series Episodes
The original Secret Squirrel series aired as 7-minute animated segments within The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show on NBC, comprising 26 episodes across two seasons from October 2, 1965, to November 26, 1966. These episodes parodied James Bond-inspired espionage through absurd spy missions, including casino infiltrations, high-speed chases, and gadget-filled capers against international villains.[17][18]Season 1 (1965–1966)
Season 1 consisted of 20 episodes, each featuring Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole tackling global threats with clever disguises and improvised solutions, often involving recurring antagonist Yellow Pinkie.[27]| No. | Title | Air Date | Plot Teaser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sub Swiper | October 2, 1965 | Secret and Morocco locate a vanished atomic submarine held by Captain Ahab. |
| 2 | Masked Granny | October 9, 1965 | Secure the Bombay Bomb from the Masked Granny's heist. |
| 3 | Scotland Yard Caper | October 16, 1965 | Recover the stolen Crown Jewels after Secret is accused of the theft. |
| 4 | Robin Hood & His Merry Muggs | October 23, 1965 | Track a gang of thieves using a Robin Hood TV show as cover. |
| 5 | Wolf in Cheap Cheap Clothing | October 30, 1965 | Stop the Wily Wolf from smuggling sheep using a clever trap. |
| 6 | Royal Run Around | November 6, 1965 | Safeguard Pasha Panchabaggie during transport on a flying carpet. |
| 7 | Yellow Pinkie | November 13, 1965 | Capture the cunning enemy agent Yellow Pinkie. |
| 8 | Five Is a Crowd | November 20, 1965 | Thwart Dr. Dangit's plan to create Secret Squirrel duplicates that frame him. |
| 9 | It Stopped Training | November 27, 1965 | Recover the Silver Streak Express train stolen by Yellow Pinkie. |
| 10 | Wacky Secret Weapon | December 4, 1965 | Protect and retrieve a top-secret weapon from Yellow Pinkie. |
| 11 | Cuckoo Clock Cuckoo | December 11, 1965 | Retrieve Big Ben, stolen to serve as a giant cuckoo clock. |
| 12 | Catty Cornered | December 18, 1965 | Capture an explosive cat containing an atom, complicated by a pursuing dog. |
| 13 | Leave Wheel Enough Alone | December 25, 1965 | Chase Yellow Pinkie in a high-stakes car race involving stolen gold. |
| 14 | Jester Minute | January 1, 1966 | Safeguard the king's crown from Yellow Pinkie's medieval traps. |
| 15 | Not So Idle Idol | January 8, 1966 | Locate a golden idol stolen by Yellow Pinkie from an ancient temple. |
| 16 | Gold Rushed | January 15, 1966 | Pursue Yellow Pinkie through Washington, D.C., for stolen gold bullion. |
| 17 | Double Ex-Double Cross | January 22, 1966 | Investigate a petrified town population and capture the villain Double-Ex. |
| 18 | Capt. Kidd’s Not Kidding | January 29, 1966 | Probe Yellow Pinkie disguised as Captain Kidd's ghost on a treasure hunt. |
| 19 | Bold Rush | February 5, 1966 | Morocco tracks a stolen gold shipment with Secret providing subtle aid. |
| 20 | Tusk-Tusk | February 12, 1966 | Rescue an elephant kidnapped by the Grand Wazir to overthrow the Rajah. |
Season 2 (1966)
The shorter second season featured 6 episodes with a tighter focus on recurring villains like Yellow Pinkie and Hy Spy, emphasizing robotic threats and aerial pursuits in the spy parody style.[27]| No. | Title | Air Date | Plot Teaser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Robot Rout | September 10, 1966 | Confront Yellow Pinkie's robotic brainwashing device that turns Morocco against Secret. |
| 22 | The Pink Sky Mobile | September 17, 1966 | Battle Yellow Pinkie's flying Sky Mobile using a high-tech Spy Car. |
| 23 | Scuba Duba Duba | September 24, 1966 | Recover a stolen missile held for ransom by the underwater villain Scuba Duba. |
| 24 | Hi-Spy | October 29, 1966 | Outwit the criminal scientist Hy Spy during a mission in France. |
| 25 | Spy in the Sky | November 12, 1966 | Destroy Hy Spy's armed satellite before it causes global destruction. |
| 26 | Ship of Spies | November 26, 1966 | Locate and board Hy Spy's invisible ship to stop his espionage plot. |
Revival Episodes
The 1993 revival of Secret Squirrel, retitled Super Secret Secret Squirrel, consisted of 13 seven-minute animated segments produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and integrated as interstitial breaks within the first season episodes of the host series 2 Stupid Dogs. These shorts reimagined the original 1960s spy adventures with a more chaotic, absurd tone emphasizing meta-humor, rapid-fire gags, and parodies of 1990s action films and pop culture tropes, such as over-the-top villain lairs and gadget-laden chases.[28][1] Unlike the standalone format of the original series, the revival episodes were designed to complement the host show's silly, anarchic style, often featuring self-referential jokes about espionage clichés and faster-paced animation with streamlined character designs, including new gadgets like Morocco Mole's hyper-speed capabilities.[1][29] The segments drew loose inspiration from the original series' spy plots but amplified the absurdity, with villains often embodying exaggerated archetypes—such as the return of Secret Squirrel's archenemy Yellow Pinkie reimagined as the sea lion-themed Goldflipper, who debuts as a gold-obsessed marine menace inventing world-threatening devices. Production emphasized quicker visual timing and contemporary wit, resulting in no full standalone season beyond these 13 episodes, which aired from September 1993 to November 1993 on TBS and later Cartoon Network.[1][29] The following table lists the episodes in broadcast order, including their placement within 2 Stupid Dogs episodes and concise plot hooks focusing on the core conflict:| Episode Order | 2 Stupid Dogs Episode Title(s) | Super Secret Secret Squirrel Title | Plot Hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Door Jam / Where's the Bone? | Goldflipper | Goldflipper, a gold-obsessed sea lion villain, uses a device to steal everyone's gold teeth in the city, prompting Secret and Morocco to infiltrate his hideout selling cookies.[28] |
| 2 | Cornflakes / Home Is Where Your Head Is | Greg | A vengeful gingerbread man named Greg uses an army of ants to orchestrate a global candy heist, prompting Secret to infiltrate a sweets underworld.[28] |
| 3 | Vegas Buffet / Love in the Park | Quark | A mischievous subatomic particle villain named Quark plans a chaotic atomic revue in Las Vegas, leading Secret on a high-stakes particle pursuit.[28] |
| 4 | Show and Tell / At the Drive-In | Queen Bea | Queen Bea, a tyrannical bee monarch, enslaves Secret in her hive empire, requiring a buzzing infiltration to restore order.[28] |
| 5 | Space Dogs / Pie in the Sky | Hot Rodney | A hot-tempered race car driver villain covets Secret's high-tech vehicle for a illicit speed scheme across cosmic tracks.[28] |
| 6 | A Quarter / Red | Egg | Secret and Morocco are tasked with safeguarding a priceless, world-altering rare egg from egg-thieving poachers in a fragile high-security op.[28] |
| 7 | Substitute Teacher / Seeing-Eye Dogs | Chameleon | A shape-shifting art thief chameleon targets priceless masterpieces, drawing Secret into a gallery of deceptive disguises and forgeries.[28] |
| 8 | Spooks-A-Poppin' / Sheep Dogs | Agent Penny | Secret faces termination after a mission blunder, only to uncover a conspiracy involving a rival female agent with ulterior motives.[28] |
| 9 | Trash Day / Hollywood's Ark | Scirocco Mole | A flashback reveals how Secret first teamed with Morocco during a desert windstorm scheme by a rogue mole operative.[28] |
| 10 | Family Values / Red Strikes Back | Platypus | A mad platypus inventor deploys a ray gun that scatters animal body parts citywide, sparking Secret's bizarre reassembling pursuit.[28] |
| 11 | Stunt Dogs / Return of Red | Doctor O | Doctor O plots to sever the sun's rays for eternal night, compelling Secret to navigate a shadowy solar sabotage.[28] |
| 12 | Far-Out Friday / Let's Make a Right Price | One Ton | A massive panda enforcer aims to crush global economies with weight-based extortion, pitting Secret against brute force.[28] |
| 13 | Cat! / Love Doctors | VooDoo Goat | A mystical voodoo-practicing goat makes a voodoo doll of the Chief to gain control over the agency, leading Secret into a supernatural battle involving counter-dolls.[28] |
Cast and Crew
Voice Actors
In the original Secret Squirrel series (1965–1966), Mel Blanc provided the voice for the titular character, delivering a suave, understated spy persona that contrasted with his more bombastic roles in other Hanna-Barbera productions.[30] Paul Frees voiced Secret's sidekick Morocco Mole, as well as recurring villains such as Yellow Pinkie and Hi-Spy, and the boss Double Q, employing a versatile range that included nasal accents and authoritative tones to distinguish the ensemble.[30] John Stephenson provided additional voices, contributing to the show's bureaucratic undertones across its 26 segments.[31] The 1993 revival, titled Super Secret Secret Squirrel and integrated into 2 Stupid Dogs, featured a recast ensemble to inject higher energy and modern flair, reflecting the post-Mel Blanc era following his death in 1989. Jess Harnell assumed the role of Secret Squirrel, adopting a higher-pitched, more animated delivery that emphasized the character's gadget-reliant antics in the 13 new shorts.[5] Jim Cummings voiced Morocco Mole with a deeper, gruffer timbre, evolving the sidekick into a more comedic, bumbling foil compared to Frees' original subtlety. Tony Jay portrayed the Chief with his signature ominous gravitas, while Rob Paulsen handled additional voices, including cameos like Super Snooper and Blabber Mouse, adding layers to crossover nods within the Hanna-Barbera universe.[5]| Series | Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Original (1965–1966) | Secret Squirrel | Mel Blanc[30] |
| Original (1965–1966) | Morocco Mole, Double Q, Yellow Pinkie, Hi-Spy | Paul Frees[30] |
| Original (1965–1966) | Additional voices | John Stephenson[31] |
| Revival (1993) | Secret Squirrel | Jess Harnell[5] |
| Revival (1993) | Morocco Mole | Jim Cummings[5] |
| Revival (1993) | Chief | Tony Jay[5] |
| Revival (1993) | Additional voices (e.g., Super Snooper, Blabber Mouse) | Rob Paulsen[5] |