Squiddly Diddly is an American fictional

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

created by

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

for his own cartoon segment on ''

The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show ''The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'' is an hour-long Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1965 to 1967 for NBC. In 1965, the show aired as two independent half-hour programs. ''The Atom Ant Show'' featured the tin ...

'' in 1965.

Fictional character biography

The round-headed, sailor-hatted Squiddly (who resembles an

octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

—albeit with only six tentacles—rather than a

) is kept captive in an aquatic park known as Bubbleland and resides in a pool with his name on it. Squiddly Diddly is an aspiring

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

and entertainer who makes many attempts to escape and attain musical stardom, but he is constantly foiled by Bubbleland's administrator Chief Winchley. In some episodes, Squiddly Diddly manages to escape, but chooses to return to Bubbleland after finding the outside world to be too harsh. Other times Squiddly and Chief Winchley have to work together to solve problems in Bubbleland. The cartoons show people applauding Squiddly Diddly's musical talents, but they often depict terrified people who mistakenly believed that octopuses are hostile.

List of episodes

Season 1 (1965–66)

Season 2 (1966)

Voice cast

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986), better known as Paul Frees, was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass and Walt Disney the ...

- Squiddly Diddly * John Stephenson - Chief Winchley

Home video

On November 3, 2015,

Warner Archive The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the int ...

released ''The Secret Squirrel Show: The Complete Series'' on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

in region 1 as part of their

Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection This is a list of animated television series, made-for-television films, direct-to-video films, theatrical short subjects, and feature films produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions (also known as ''H-B Enterprises'', ''H-B Production Co.'' and ''Ha ...

. This release contains all the Squiddly Diddly shorts. The episode "Way Out Squiddly" is also available on the DVD ''Saturday Morning Cartoons Vol. 1''.

In other languages

Brazilian Portuguese Brazilian Portuguese (; ; also known as pt-BR) is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of Portuguese language native to Brazil. It is spoken by almost all of the 203 million inhabitants of Brazil and widely across the Brazilian diaspora ...

: ''Lula Lelé'' *

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''El pulpo Manotas'' * French: ''Squiddly la pieuvre'' *

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

: ''Inky de inktvis'' *

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

: ''Squiddly Diddly'' *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: ''Squiddly Diddly'' *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: ''Tako no Roku chan'' *

Tunisian Arabic Tunisian Arabic, or simply Tunisian (), is a Varieties of Arabic, variety of Arabic spoken in Tunisia. It is known among its 13 million speakers as ''Tūnsi'', "Tunisian" or ''Maghrebi Arabic, Derja'' (; meaning "common or everyday dialect") t ...

: ''قرينط الشلواش'' (Qrīnaṭ il-šalwāš) *

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

: ''Сима Сипа'' (Sima Sipa)

Other appearances

* In 1966, Hanna-Barbera Records released ''Squiddly Diddly's Surfin' Surfari'' on LP. * Squiddly Diddly appears in the

TV-movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...

Yogi's Ark Lark ''Yogi's Ark Lark'' is a 1972 American animated television special produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, intended to raise ecological awareness. Written by Bob Ogle and Dick Robbins and directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna, it was ...

'' and its sequel series, ''

Yogi's Gang ''Yogi's Gang'' is an American Saturday-morning cartoon, and the second incarnation of the '' Yogi Bear'' franchise, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, which aired for 16 half-hour episodes on ABC from , to . The show began as '' Yogi's Ark ...

''. In both appearances, the character was voiced by

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered voice roles include Scooby-Doo; Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ''The Flintsto ...

. * Squiddly Diddly made a lone comic book appearance in 1966, as a back-up feature in the only issue of ''Secret Squirrel'', published by

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984. History Gold Key Comics was created in 1962, when its ...

, and again in 1996, courtesy of ''Hanna-Barbera Presents'' #6, published by

Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (often referred to simply as Archie Comics) is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jug ...

. * Squiddly and Chief Winchley appeared in ''

Yogi's Treasure Hunt ''Yogi's Treasure Hunt'' is an American animated television series, and the fifth entry in the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Featuring Yogi Bear and various other Hanna-Barbera characters, it premiered in synd ...

''. * Squiddly Diddly made two appearances on '' Yo Yogi!''. First, he appeared in the episode "Mall or Nothing" where he is juggling for the Mall-a-thon. Then, he made a cameo in the episode "The Big Snoop" where he is amongst those looking for Super Snooper when he ends up kidnapped. In the former episode, he was voiced by

. * In the British comedy ''

Only Fools and Horses ''Only Fools and Horses'' (titled onscreen as ''Only Fools and Horses....'') is a British television sitcom that was created and written by John Sullivan (writer), John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Ki ...

'' Christmas Special 1989 "

The Jolly Boys' Outing "The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth Christmas special episode of the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', first screened on 25 December 1989. Despite being aired as a Christmas special, it is set on a summer bank holiday weekend and sees Del ...

", Squiddly Diddly was cited by

Del Boy Derek Edward Trotter, more commonly known as Del Boy, is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'' and one of the main characters of its spinoff series, '' Rock & Chips''. He was played by David Jason in the original ...

as the reason for the failure of his seafood stall, since people were unwilling to consume creatures they had become fond of. * Squiddly Diddly has been seen on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

's ''

The Ricky Gervais Show ''The Ricky Gervais Show'' is a comedy radio show in the United Kingdom starring Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington, later adapted into a podcast and a television series. Although named after Gervais, it came to revolve mostl ...

'', where the character is involved in a few scripts, including being side by side with a killer octopus and giving

Karl Pilkington Karl Pilkington (born 23 September 1972) is an English presenter, actor, voice-artist, producer and author. After working with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as producer on their Xfm radio show, Pilkington became a co-host of '' The Ricky ...

rectal examination Digital rectal examination (DRE), also known as a prostate exam (), is an internal examination of the rectum performed by a healthcare provider. Prior to a 2018 report from the United States Preventive Services Task Force, a digital exam was a c ...

. * Squiddly Diddly appears in the ''

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'' is an American adult animated television sitcom created by Michael Ouweleen and Erik Richter for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. The first season of ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney ...

'' episodes "SPF", "Gone Efficien...t" and "The Death of Harvey". Chief Winchley makes a cameo in "Juror in Court". * Squiddly Diddly made a cameo in a 2012 ''

MetLife MetLife, Inc. is the Holding company, holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, Annuity (US financial produ ...

'' commercial entitled "Everyone". * Squiddly Diddly's body is shown in Janni Nemo's office in the 2015 graphic novel '' Nemo: River of Ghosts'', written by

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...

and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill. * Squiddly Diddly made a cameo as an animatronic in the ''

Dexter's Laboratory ''Dexter's Laboratory'' is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The series follows Dexter, an enthusiastic boy-genius with a science laboratory in his bedroom, which he keeps secret from his u ...

'' episode "Chubby Cheese". *

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...

has two dogs named Squiddly and Diddly, a catchphrase he has often used on reality TV shows over the years. * Squiddly Diddly appears several times in Mark Russell's 2018 comic book '' Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles''. * Squiddly Diddly makes a cameo in the ''

Wacky Races ''Wacky Races'' is a media franchise containing five animated series, several video games, and a comic book, with most centered on the theme of various Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters primarily engaged in auto racing (although occasionally employ ...

'' episode "Wacklantis" as various sea life are summoned by the king of Atlantis. * Squiddly Diddly makes two cameo appearances in ''

Scoob! ''Scoob!'' is a 2020 American animated mystery comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is a reboot of the theatrical'' Scooby-Doo'' film series and the third theatrical film based on the ...

'', as part of a mural on the side of the building and on a billboard for Bubbleland. * Squiddly Diddly makes an appearance as a silhouette in the 2020 ''

Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American Animated series, animated Comedy television, comedy Musical film, musical television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox Broadcasting Company ...

'' revival segment "Suffragette City". * Squiddly Diddly appears in ''

Jellystone! ''Jellystone!'' is an American animated television comedy, comedy television series developed by C. H. Greenblatt for the streaming service HBO Max. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and features reimagined versions of various cha ...

'', voiced by Niccole Thurman. While the original promo image presented Squiddly as a male, the character is female in the actual series. She works at a music store. Chief Winchley have yet to appear. * Squiddly Diddly is the star of his own poem, "The Story of Squiddly Diddly", which was written by Theodora Shilliton and won at 2021's National Poetry Day. The poem involves the titular squid as he tries to stop people from polluting the ocean while befriending a

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

, a

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerh ...

, and a sea cow along the way.

References

External links

''Squiddly Diddly''
at the

Big Cartoon DataBase The Big Cartoon DataBase (or BCDB for short) was an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows, and cartoon shorts. The BCDB project began in 1997 as a list of Disney animated f ...

Squiddly Diddly
-

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

Department of Cartoons (Archive) {{Hanna-Barbera The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show 1965 American animated television series debuts 1966 American television series endings Animated television series about animals Fictional squid Hanna-Barbera characters 1960s American animated television series 1960s American children's comedy television series Television series by Hanna-Barbera Television characters introduced in 1965 American children's animated comedy television series Animated characters introduced in 1965 Male characters in animation