History WesternAnimation / Underdog

Underdog's alter ego was "humble, lovable Shoeshine Boy". When summoned by TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred, Shoeshine Boy dashed into the nearest phone booth and emerged in his heroic costume. For some unexplained reason, Underdog always [[RhymesOnADime spoke in rhyme]]. His foes included the mad scientist Dr. Simon BarSinister and his henchman, Cad Lackey (voice caricatures of [[Film/ItsAWonderfulLife Lionel Barrymore]] and HumphreyBogart), and the lupine crime boss Riff Raff (based on George Raft).

* NotableCommercialCampaigns: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMf5cCDy1I Underdog vs. Stewie Griffin]]

* RoguesGallery

One of Total Television's most famous AnimatedSeries, '''''Underdog''''' was a canine parody of ''Superman'' which debuted on {{NBC}} in 1964 and moved to {{CBS}} in 1966. Usually, each half-hour episode consisted of two chapters of a four-part ''Underdog'' story, separated by an unrelated TTV short.

A live-action film [[InNameOnly that just happened to be called]] ''{{Film/Underdog}}'' was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 2007.

* HeroicDog

* ShoeShineMister: Underdog's secret identity.

You might've heard the theme song thanks to being SampledUp by WuTangClan on their "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit". Parts of the ''Underdog'' theme song could also be heard in ''Wheels!'', an AppleMacintosh game aimed at disabled children.

Underdog's alter ego was "humble, lovable Shoeshine Boy". When summoned by TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred, Shoeshine Boy dashed into the nearest phone booth and emerged in his heroic costume. For some unexplained reason, Underdog always [[RhymesOnADime spoke in rhyme]]. His foes included the mad scientist Dr. Simon BarSinister and his henchman, Cad Lackey (voice caricatures of [[ItsAWonderfulLife Lionel Barrymore]] and HumphreyBogart), and the lupine crime boss Riff Raff (based on George Raft).

* ArrangedMarriage: Underdog was forced into a marriage with an alien princess in "Zot." [[spoiler:He doesn't follow through, though, and the princess marries someone else. And that's after Underdog defeats a [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever Two-headed dragon]] that was menacing the aliens, also making it an inversion of RescueRomance.]]

* DumbMuscle / [[EvilMinions Evil Minion]]: Cad to Simon, as well as Mooch to Riff Raff. Then again, they're not much dumber than the average citizen on this show.

* GrandFinale: Vacuum Gun. Simon brings several old villains, including Electric Eel and Batty Man, BackForTheFinale. The end of the episode apparently has [[spoiler: all the villains KilledOffForReal when, after Simon tries to use the Vacuum Gun for the last time on Underdog, Underdog uses his "[[SuperBreath Atomic Breath]]" and sucks all the villians and the Vacuum Gun towards him, uses the Vacuum Gun on the villians, then exhales into the Vacuum Gun, causing it to [[StuffBlowingUp explode]]]].

* [[TheHerosBirthday The Hero's Birthday]]: Sweet Polly repeatedly mentions this in "Pain Strikes Underdog".

* PaperThinDisguise: Aside from the various villains, Underdog himself. This is [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the movie.

* [[TrueLovesKiss True Love's Kiss]]: Once done with [[strike:Lois Lane]] Sweet Polly thanks to a WickedWitch.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Two failed pilots were made by Total Television but were not shown on TV until Underdog went into syndication. One was "Cauliflower Cabbie" (a canine cabbie who became do-gooder The Champion), and "Gene Hattree" (a QuickDrawMcGraw ripoff in that it starred a singing cowboy horse).

* CounterfeitCash: The opening of every episode shows a customer tossing a nickel to Shoeshine Boy, and Shoeshine Boy biting the nickel. This was an old trick dating back to TheGreatDepression, to tell if a nickel was real or just a wooden disc painted to look vaguely nickel-like. (He was adhering to the old adage "Don't take any wooden nickels!")

* HumanPopsicle: Underdog (and several other town citizens) get this treatment in "Go Snow." [[IGotBetter They got better]], [[HarmlessFreezing of course]].

Underdog also inspired a well-remembered, well-loved Macy's ThanksgivingDay balloon, as evidenced by [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiMf5cCDy1I this commercial]], made 35 years after the balloon's debut.

* ThanksgivingDay: One of the best remembered Macy's balloons.

* CounterfeitCash: The opening of every episode shows a customer tossing a nickel to Shoeshine Boy, and Shoeshine Boy biting the nickel. This was an old trick dating back to the GreatDepression, to tell if a nickel was real or just a wooden disc painted to look vaguely nickel-like. (He was adhering to the old adage "Don't take any wooden nickels!")

Underdog's alter ego was "humble, lovable Shoeshine Boy". When summoned by TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred, Shoeshine Boy dashed into the nearest phone booth and emerged in his heroic costume. For some unexplained reason, Underdog always [[RhymesOnADime spoke in rhyme]]. His foes included the mad scientist Dr. Simon Bar Sinister and his henchman, Cad Lackey (voice caricatures of [[ItsAWonderfulLife Lionel Barrymore]] and HumphreyBogart), and the lupine crime boss Riff Raff (based on George Raft).

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Two failed pilots were made by Total Television but were not shown on TV until Underdog went into syndication. One was "Cauliflower Cabbie" (a canine cabbie who become do-gooder The Champion), and "Gene Hattree" (a QuickDrawMcGraw ripoff in that it starred a singing cowboy horse).

* CriminalDoppelganger: One of Underdog's enemies was his exact double, Tap-Tap the Chiseler, who didn't have any of Underdog's powers. It didn't stop Tap-Tap from using Underdog's image to get stuff like bombs without anyone batting an eye.
* [[CuteClumsyGirl Cute Clumsy Dog]]
* DamselInDistress: Sweet Polly Purebred, in practically every episode.
** Subverted in [[spoiler:"The Phony Booths", where Polly takes it upon herself to stop the [[MassHypnosis Phony Booths]]. By that time, Simon Bar Sinister has gotten Underdog under his control, so he sends Underdog to stop Polly. However, LoveRedeems, and because of this, Polly saves Underdog for a change]].

* HumanPopsicle: Underdog (and several other town citizens) get this treatment in "Go Snow." [[IGotBetter They got better]], of course.
* [[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy Lions and Tigers and Humans, Oh, My!]]

* {{Monster of the Week}}: Underdog often fights one of these in episodes where the villain isn't Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff.

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Batty Man
* [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Our Anthropomorphic Wolf Gangsters Are Different]]: Riff Raff

* SuperHero

* MonsteroftheWeek: Underdog often fights one of these in episodes where the villain isn't Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff.

* GrandFinale: Vacuum Gun. Simon brings several old villains, including Electric Eel and Batty Man, BackForTheFinale. The end of the episode apparently has [[spoiler: all the villians KilledOffForReal when, after Simon tries to use the Vacuum Gun for the last time on Underdog, Underdog uses his "[[SuperBreath Atomic Breath]]" and sucks all the villians and the Vacuum Gun towards him, uses the Vacuum Gun on the villians, then exhales into the Vacuum Gun, causing it to [[StuffBlowingUp explode]]]].

Underdog's alter ego was "humble, lovable Shoeshine Boy". When summoned by TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred, Shoeshine Boy dashed into the nearest phone booth and emerged in his heroic costume. For some unexplained reason, Underdog always spoke in [[SublimeRhyme rhyme]]. His foes included the mad scientist Dr. Simon Bar Sinister and his henchman, Cad Lackey (voice caricatures of [[ItsAWonderfulLife Lionel Barrymore]] and HumphreyBogart), and the lupine crime boss Riff Raff (based on George Raft).