Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone

September 1, 1990 - November 24, 1990

Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone is an British-American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera in conjunction with Sleepy Kids PLC and is known outside the US as Potsworth & Co. In the United Kingdom, the BBC felt that the suggestion of children being awake after midnight was inappropriate (which is reflected in the theme song's lyrics in the British broadcast); thus the name was changed.

The show is about four children who meet in their dreams every night, accompanied by their dog Potsworth and a toy dinosaur, to protect the sleep of the innocent from the dreaded Nightmare Prince.

The series revolves around Potsworth, an English Springer Spaniel, based upon a real-life springer spaniel called Potsworth, bought from the Battersea Dogs Home by Martin and Vivien Schrager-Powell. The couple were somewhat disheartened with some of the children's programmes being made at the time, commenting that "Six-year-olds just aren't content to be fobbed off with 'Mr Wizard go pouf and nasty man go away'. Stories these days have to be believable, contain some logical process". In 1987, Martin started writing stories about Potsworth who lives in a city in America and four young children: Carter, Keiko, Rosie, and Nick. The couple took the idea to Hanna-Barbera and suggested a 50-50 deal to turn the stories into a television series.

First appearing on The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera on 1 September 1990, Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone lasted only 13 episodes. It was watched by 8.5 million in the US while 5.1 million watched the series on Children's BBC in Britain, making it the "second most popular children's show on British television after Neighbours".

The "real" Potsworth became something of a celebrity when he featured extensively in the British media as part of the promotion campaign for the cartoon series when it first aired in the UK in 1990/91 television season. A comic adaptation of Potsworth & Co. was featured in the merged Beezer and Topper from issue #87 to #153 (May 16, 1992—August 21, 1993) and, when that comic closed, The Dandy from issue #2701 onwards (August 28, 1993—1994).

The series' setting, "Dream Zone", was first used on "Back to Next Saturday", the NBC Saturday Morning preview special for the 1985 season.

The Post Production Sound Services were provided by the Horta Editorial & Sound (formerly known as Hacienda Post) (uncredited).

Storyline

The series tells of four children and Potsworth the dog who live in the same neighborhood. When they go to sleep at night they turn up in the Dream Zone where, as the Midnight Patrol, they are appointed by the Grand Dozer to protect it from nightmares and other threats and are given their missions by the Snooze Patrol. Their main enemy is the Nightmare Prince.

Whilst they are in the Dream Zone, the five have special powers. Keiko has a flying skateboard; Carter can draw anything and then have it come to life; Nick is super-strong and is able to fly; his stuffed toy Murphy comes to life; whilst his cynical sister Rosie tags along. Potsworth himself acquires the power of speech which enables him to complain about the way he is treated in the real world, and make wry comments about the kids and their own attitudes and relationships. The cartoon Potsworth had a very "English" accent, even in the American version of the programmes, reflecting his real-life counterpart's British origins.

Sound Effects Used

This 1990 cartoon TV show uses Hanna-Barbera (heavily), Turner Entertainment Co., Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (Jay Ward), The Premiere Edition Volume 1/9, The Super Single Volume 1, and Series 1000 sound effects.

• Bainbridge Records, Tight Springy/Sound Ideas, BOINK, CARTOON - DOINK 03/HIT, CARTOON - PAT'S BILP
• Disney Ricochet/Hollywoodedge, Ricochet CRT2014403/RICOCHET - LONG DESCENDING SHELL SCREAM RICCO/Sound Ideas, AMERICAN EFFECTS - PISTOL & RIFLE RICOCHET 01 (First heard in "Night of the Bedbugs".)
• Gateway Records, Tires Screeching/Sound Ideas, SKID, CARTOON - BIG LONG SKID/Valentino Tires Screeching
• H-B SLIDE, CARTOON - QUICK SLIDE UP
• H-B SLURP, CARTOON - SCOOBY'S TONGUE SLURPING
• H-B ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP IN 02/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - RICCO ZIP IN 02 (R & B)
• H-B ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP IN, HIGH/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - RICCO ZIP IN 01 (R & B)/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP IN
• Hollywoodedge, Boing Boink GenericC PE941005/Sound Ideas, BOING, CARTOON - HOYT'S BOING
• Hollywoodedge, Cartoon Streaks 1 SS016501/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP OUT
• Hollywoodedge, Cartoon Streaks 2 SS016502/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - QUICK WHISTLE ZIP OUT, HIGH
• Hollywoodedge, Night Ambience Light PE011701
• Sound Ideas, BITE, CARTOON - BIG CHOMP/CRUNCH
• Sound Ideas, BLOOP, CARTOON - LITTLE BLOOP
• Sound Ideas, BOING, CARTOON - BIG, LONG BOING/TWANG, CARTOON - BIG SPROING
• Sound Ideas, BUBBLES, WATER - MEDIUM, RAPID BUBBLES
• Sound Ideas, CARTOON, MAGIC - MAGICAL ACCENT 01
• Sound Ideas, CRASH, CARTOON - KEN'S BASS, DRUM AND CYMBAL CRASH, MUSIC, PERCUSSION
• Sound Ideas, CRASH, CARTOON - LOOSE BASS, DRUM AND CYMBAL CRASH, MUSIC, PERCUSSION
• Sound Ideas, CREAK, CART WHEELS - SQUEAKING
• Sound Ideas, CREAK, WOOD - SHORT WOOD CREAK/Sound Ideas, STRETCH, CARTOON - RESIN STRING STRETCH
• Sound Ideas, DRUMS, CARTOON - ACROBATIC ROLL WITH ACCENTS, MUSIC, PERCUSSION
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - BILP
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - SWING AND BIG HIT 01
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - SWING AND BROKEN HIT
• Sound Ideas, MAGIC - BABOO MAGIC 02
• Sound Ideas, MAGIC - WILD MAGIC HARP 02
• Sound Ideas, PLUCK, CARTOON - VAROOP
• Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - CORK SQUEAK AND POP
• Sound Ideas, POP, CARTOON - HOYT'S POP
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 01/Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - RICCO ZIP OUT 01 (First heard in "Night of the Bedbugs".)
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - JET TUBE RICCO
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - TUBE ARRIVE 02/SCI FI - TUBE ARRIVE 02
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - WHOOF TUBE RICCO/Sound Ideas, SWOOSH, CARTOON - BIG SWOOSH 01
• Sound Ideas, RUN, CARTOON - BLOP GALLOP, LONG/SHORT
• Sound Ideas, RUN, CARTOON - FAST RUN, LONG/SHORT
• Sound Ideas, RUN, CARTOON - TEMPLE BLOCK RUN UP 01/02
• Sound Ideas, RUN, CARTOON - WIND WHISTLE SCAT
• Sound Ideas, SCI FI - SPACEY SWOOSH UP AND DOWN 01
• Sound Ideas, SKID, CARTOON - MEDIUM CAR SKID/SHORT CAR SKID
• Sound Ideas, SKID, CARTOON - SHORT SKID (H-B)
• Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - FAST SLIDE UP AND DOWN 02
• Sound Ideas, SLIDE, CARTOON - QUICK SLIDE DOWN
• Sound Ideas, SQUEEZE, CARTOON - HOYT'S SQUEAKY SQUEEZE
• Sound Ideas, SQUISH, CARTOON - LITTLE SQUISH/Bainbridge Records, Squishes
• Sound Ideas, STRETCH, CARTOON - PLASTIC MAN STRETCH, REVERSE
• Sound Ideas, STRETCH, CARTOON - RUBBER STRETCH, LONG/MEDIUM/SHORT 01/SHORT 02
• Sound Ideas, SWISH, CARTOON - FAST TWIRLING SWISH, LONG/MEDIUM/SHORT 01/SHORT 02
• Sound Ideas, SWISH, CARTOON - SHARP SWISH
• Sound Ideas, SWISH, CARTOON - SINGLE SWORD SWISH
• Sound Ideas, SWOOSH, CARTOON - BIG SWOOSH 02
• Sound Ideas, SWOOSH, CARTOON - FAST AIR BY 01/02
• Sound Ideas, SWOOSH, CARTOON - LONG AIR BY/SCI FI - SPACEY SWOOSH BY, LONG
• Sound Ideas, TAKE, CARTOON - SILLY SPRINGY TAKE/Sound Ideas, BOING, CARTOON - DRUM HIT WITH TAKE
• Sound Ideas, TAKE, CARTOON - TUBE TAKE
• Sound Ideas, TAKE, CARTOON - WHISTLE TAKE/SLIDE, CARTOON - FAST SLIDE UP AND DOWN 01
• Sound Ideas, TWANG, CARTOON - METALLIC RULER VIBRATE
• Sound Ideas, ZIP, CARTOON - BIG WHISTLE ZING OUT
• Sound Ideas, ZIP. CARTOON - SHARP ZIP

Image Gallery

• Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone/Image Gallery