View source for Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Midnight Patrol & Potsworth & Co. (television series' logo).png
| caption              = The logo for both versions of the show.
| alt_name             = Potsworth & Co.
| genre                = [[adventure film|Adventure]]<br>[[Fantasy]]<br>[[television comedy|Comedy]]
| creator              = Martin Powell<br>Vivien Schrager-Powell
| developer            = 
| writer               = 
| director             = [[Don Lusk]]<br>Paul Sommer<br>'''Animation Directors:'''<br>Joanna Romersa<br>Sam Nicholson<br>[[Robert Alvarez]]<br>Joan Drake<br>Bill Hutten<br>Glen Kennedy<br>[[Ed Love]]<br>Tony Love<br>[[Irven Spence]]<br>Alan Wilzbach
| creative_director    = [[Ray Patterson (animator)|Ray Patterson]]
| presenter            = 
| starring             = 
| judges               = 
| voices               = [[Michael Bell (actor)|Michael Bell]]<br>[[Hamilton Camp]]<br>[[Joan Gerber]]<br>[[Elisabeth Harnois]]<br>[[Whitby Hertford]]<br>[[Janice Kawaye]]<br>George Lemore<br>[[Kenneth Mars]]<br>[[Rob Paulsen]]<br>[[Clive Revill]]<br>[[Frank Welker]]
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = [[Michael Tavera]]
| composer             = 
| country              = United Kingdom<br>United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 
| num_episodes         = 13
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = [[William Hanna]]<br>[[Joseph Barbera]]<br>Martin Powell<br>Vivien Schrager-Powell<br>Paul Sabella<br>[[Theresa Plummer-Andrews]]
| producer             = [[Davis Doi]]
| editor               = 
| location             = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 21 mins
| company              = [[Hanna-Barbera|H-B Production Co.]]<br>[[Entertainment Rights|Sleepy Kids PLC]]
| channel              = [[BBC]]<br>[[The Children's Channel]] (UK)<br>[[Broadcast syndication|Syndication]] (US)
| first_aired          = {{start date|1990|9|2|df=y}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|1990|11|25|df=y}}
| related              = 
}}
'''''Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone'''''  is a British-American animated series produced by [[Hanna-Barbera|H-B Production Co.]] in conjunction with [[Entertainment Rights|Sleepy Kids PLC]] and is known outside the US as '''''Potsworth & Co.'''''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |page=541}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=1999 |publisher=Facts on File |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |page=461 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/460/mode/2up |access-date=21 March 2020}}</ref>

==History==
The series revolves around Potsworth, an [[English Springer Spaniel]], based upon a real-life springer spaniel called Potsworth, bought from the [[Battersea Dogs and Cats Home|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.<ref name="managementtoday1">{{cite web|url=http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/409470/UK-Making-Tough-Tots---SLEEPY-KIDS/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH |title=UK: Making it Tough for Tots - SLEEPY KIDS. |publisher=Management Today |date=1992-06-01 |access-date=2012-09-15}}</ref>

First appearing on ''[[The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera]]'' on 1 September 1990, ''Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone'' lasted only 13 episodes.<ref name=Perlmutter>{{cite book |last1=Perlmutter |first1=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1538103739 |pages=390–391}}</ref>  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]]''".<ref name="managementtoday1"/>

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 ''[[The Beezer|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.

==Premise==
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.

==Computer game==
An officially licensed computer game of the series, using its British title of ''Potsworth and Co'', was released in 1992 by Hi-Tec Software for the [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[Commodore 64]] and [[Atari ST]].

In this scrolling [[platform game]], the player took on the role of one of the characters in each themed level and had to collect various items and then reach the exit.

==Characters==
===Midnight Patrol===
The 5 Midnight Patrol members are the main stars of the show. Each one has his/her individual abilities.

* '''Potsworth''' – A sarcastic 10-year-old [[English Springer Spaniel]] who is the leader and has the ability to talk when he enters the Dream Zone.
* '''Carter''' – Potsworth's owner. A 10-year-old [[African American]] boy who is an expert artist. In the Dream Zone, his magic paintbrush can bring many things to life.
* '''Keiko''' – A 9-year-old [[Japanese American]] girl who rides a flying skateboard in the Dream Zone. She is energetic and very optimistic and likes to be seen as the leader of the group.
* '''Rosie''' – An 8-year-old girl. A rude, annoying brat who gives the group a very hard time, though she still helps out in dangerous situations. She calls her brother Nick by his full name "Nicholas" whenever she yells at him, which is quite often. She is the only member of the Midnight Patrol without a special ability.
* '''Nick''' – Rosie's 6-year-old brother who is a flying superhero when he's in the Dream Zone and is sometimes referred to as "Super Nick".
** '''Murphy''' – Nick's toy ''[[Brontosaurus]]'' who comes to life when he enters the Dream Zone.

===Other Dream Zone characters===
The Dream Zone has a number of inhabitants, the principals of which include:

* '''The Grand Dozer''' – The King of the Dream Zone. He spends his time half-asleep on top of a pile of mattresses. He has to stay this way because if he were to be fully awake the Dream Zone will come to an end. The Grand Dozer gives advice, but in the form of riddles which can be a bit of a frustration.
* '''The Chief''' – A large but friendly woman who heads the local police department and assigns the Midnight Patrol with their missions.
* '''Sebastian''' – The Grand Dozer's head butler. He is always anxious that his King is safe and asleep. A running gag of the series is that, whenever Sebastian claims the Grand Dozer is in a certain mood, the Grand Dozer would be shown sleeping, prompting Sebastian to state the Grand Dozer would be in that mood if he were awake.
* '''The Greystone Giant''' – A [[giant]] made of rock who lives in a cave filled with various objects which he supplies for people's dreams. Because there are so many dreamers he is always at work and never stops grumbling about it. Though deep down, he loves his job.
* '''The Nosey Bird''' – A talking bird who enjoys spreading gossip. He talks creepy like [[Peter Lorre]] and appears in the episodes "The Nightmirror" and "Santa-Napped".

===Antagonists===
* '''The Nightmare Prince''' – The main villain of the series. The Nightmare Prince is always coming up with ways of disrupting the Grand Dozer's sleep or other nasty schemes in order to allow nightmares to take over the dreams. He is the Midnight Patrol's main enemy, though he is such a bungling idiot that his plans can fail due to his own incompetence.
** '''Igor''' – One of the Nightmare Prince's dimwitted potato-shaped minions.
** '''Irving''' – One of the Nightmare Prince's dimwitted potato-shaped minions.
** '''Shorty''' – One of the Nightmare Prince's dimwitted potato-shaped minions.
* '''The Nightmare Prince's Mother''' – This [[unseen character]] is always phoning up to tell her son to get on with destroying happy dreams and reproving him when things go wrong. The Prince has a large-sized telephone (as opposed to a [[mobile phone]]) literally up his sleeve.
* '''The Cat''' – A giant cat who enjoys bullying and terrorizing the dogs in Dogland. He only appears in "King Potsworth".
* '''Count Bubba Bonebreaker''' – The nephew of the Nightmare Prince's Mother and the cousin of the Nightmare Prince. This villain was once in charge of nightmares when the Nightmare Prince's Mother demoted the Nightmare Prince to janitor. The Midnight Patrol helped to get the Nightmare Prince back to his position by thwarting Bubba. He only appears in "When Bubba Rules".

==Episodes==
{{Episode table |background=#0000A0 |overall=6 |title=30 |writer= |airdate=20 |episodes =

{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Night of the BedBugs
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Alan Swayze & Earl Kress}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|9|2|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = The Nightmare Prince unleashes a horde of creatures called BedBugs in an attempt to destroy the Dream Zone. But when they start eating his castle, he needs the Midnight Patrol's help to get rid of them.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = The Dozer Walks Among Us
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny & Laren Bright|t=Evelyn A-R Gabai & Lane Raichert}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|9|9|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = When he [[Sleepwalking|sleepwalk]]s, the Grand Dozer goes around the Dream Zone causing unintentional chaos and destruction. Thus, he has to be locked up once in a while in order to prevent this — that is until the Nightmare Prince lets him loose.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = King Potsworth
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Kristina Luckey}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|9|16|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = Potsworth becomes the somewhat reluctant king of a kingdom of dogs called Dogland. He enlists the rest of the Midnight Patrol when Dogland is attacked by a giant devastating cat.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = The Nightmirror
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny & Lane Raichert|t=Kristina Luckey}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|9|23|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = The Nightmare Prince steals the Nightmirror which he uses to create evil twins of the Midnight Patrol who wreak havoc in the Dream Zone.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = When Bubba Rules
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Evelyn A-R Gabai}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|9|30|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = Exasperated by her son's constant failures to destroy the Dream Zone, the Nightmare Prince's mother assigns her monstrous nephew Count Bubba Bonebreaker to act as his supervisor. Though Count Bonebreaker takes over his job and demotes him to janitor. Before long, the Midnight Patrol decide that the Prince was not such a bad thing after all.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = Nick's Super Switch
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Evelyn A-R Gabai}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|10|7|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = Nick switches places with a superhero boy named Wonder Kid from the Dream Zone location of Supertown after having been bullied by a boy named Moose.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = Dozer Quest
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Evelyn A-R Gabai}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|10|14|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = The Grand Dozer is not sleeping and if he stays awake, the Dream Zone will end. The Midnight Patrol have to go to all lengths to get him back to sleep. Carter has an idea, but then he can't sleep either.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = Rosie's Extra Sweet Day
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Ken Knox}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|10|21|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = After a conversation with a talking tree, Rosie gets turned into the nicest girl in the Dream Zone.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| Title = I Was a Teenage Babysitter
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Kristina Luckey & Evelyn A-R Gabai}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|10|28|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = Rosie must take care of the Greystone Giant's little son Rocky.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| Title = The Wishing Whale
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=Alan Swayze}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|11|4|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = The Midnight Patrol (minus Keiko) meet the Wishing Whale who grants them their fondest wishes. But then the wishes get somewhat out of hand.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| Title = Santanapped
| WrittenBy = Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|11|11|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = The Nightmare Prince captures [[Santa Claus]] and the Midnight Patrol must rescue him to save [[Christmas]].
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| Title = Save the Cave
| WrittenBy = Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|11|18|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = The Greystone Giant is too far behind in his dream supplies, so the Midnight Patrol help him keep up with the dream orders. Though the Nightmare Prince plans to disrupt their plans.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| Title = Rosie's Fuss Attack
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Bill Matheny, Lane Raichert & Laren Bright|t=David Schwartz}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1990|11|25|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = Rosie changes form every time she complains, so the Midnight Patrol must find a special cure for her.
| LineColor = 0000A0
}}
}}

==Cast==
* [[Charlie Adler|Charles Adler]] as Rocky (in "I Was a Teenage Babysitter")
* Christine Avila
* [[Michael Bell (actor)|Michael Bell]] as Sebastian
* [[Hamilton Camp]] as The Grand Dozer
* [[Brian Cummings]]
* [[Jim Cummings]] as Giant Cat (in "King Potsworth"), Rags (in "King Potsworth")
* [[Judyann Elder]]
* [[Pat Fraley|Patrick Fraley]] as Jester Dog (in "King Potsworth")
* [[Dick Gautier]]
* [[Joan Gerber]] as Nightmare Prince's Mother
* [[Dorian Harewood]]
* [[Elisabeth Harnois]] as Rosie
* [[Whitby Hertford]] as Nick
* [[Janice Kawaye]] as Keiko
* [[Emily Kuroda]]
* George Lemore as Carter
* [[David Lander]]
* [[Marilyn Lightstone]]
* [[Allan Lurie]]
* [[Kenneth Mars]] as Greystone Giant
* [[Scott Menville]] as Wonder Kid (in "Nick's Super Switch")
* [[Brian Stokes Mitchell|Brian Mitchell]]
* [[Howard Morris|Howie Morris]] as Dr. Akenhoffer (in "Rosie's Fuss Attack")
* [[Ron Palillo]]
* [[Rob Paulsen]] as Nightmare Prince
* [[Henry Polic II]]
* [[Clive Revill]] as Potsworth
* [[Ronnie Schell]]
* Tom Scott
* [[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]] as Santa Claus (in "Santa-Napped")
* [[B. J. Ward (actress)|B.J. Ward]]
* [[Frank Welker]] as Murphy, Nosey Bird (in "The Nightmirror," "Santa-Napped")
* Anderson Wong

==Ratings (CBBC Channel)==
:Monday 6 May 2002- 20,000 (9th most watched on CBBC that week)
<ref>http://www.barb.co.uk {{full citation needed|date=November 2019}}</ref>

==Home media==
In 1991, [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Home Video]] released a single VHS cassette of the series in the United States entitled ''Potsworth and the Midnight Patrol'' containing four episodes which are "Save the Cave", "The Wishing Whale", "King Potsworth", and "The Nightmirror".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|1990s|Cartoon|United States|United Kingdom|Animation}}
* {{IMDb title|0281480|Potsworth & Co.}}
* [https://archive.today/20121128182011/http://78.136.27.54:8080/programming/article_328.asp Potsworth & Co. @ classic media]
* [http://potsworth101.tripod.com/ A Potsworth & Co Website]
* [http://www.toonarific.com/show.php?show_id=2381 Toonrific]

{{The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera}}
{{Dandy |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Midnight Patrol: Adventures In The Dream Zone}}
[[Category:1990s American animated television series]]
[[Category:1990s British animated television series]]
[[Category:1990s British children's television series]]
[[Category:1990 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1990 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1990 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1990 British television series endings]]
[[Category:American children's animated action television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated adventure television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated fantasy television series]]
[[Category:British children's animated action television series]]
[[Category:British children's animated adventure television series]]
[[Category:British children's animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:British children's animated fantasy television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:BBC children's television shows]]
[[Category:First-run syndicated animated television series]]
[[Category:Television series by Hanna-Barbera]]
[[Category:The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera]]
[[Category:Television series by Universal Television]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Classics]]
[[Category:Dandy strips]]
[[Category:Animated television series about dogs]]
[[Category:Television shows about dreams]]
[[Category:Television shows about nightmares]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1990]]
[[Category:BBC animated television series]]