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Dink, the Little Dinosaur
Dink the Little Dinosaur title screen.png
Title screen
Starring R. J. Williams
Anndi McAfee
Ben Ryan Ganger
S. Scott Bullock
Frank Welker
Narrated by Kenneth Mars
Composer(s) John Debney
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 21 (42 segments)
Production
Running time 30 minutes (2 segments)
Production company(s) Ruby-Spears Enterprises
Hanna-Barbera Productions
Release
Original network CBS
Original release September 16, 1989 (1989-09-16) – November 3, 1990 (1990-11-03)

Dink, the Little Dinosaur is an American animated series created by Karen Willson and Chris Weber, produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises. The series originally aired on the CBS Kids block on CBS from 1989 to 1990.

The series followed Dink, a dinosaur, and his four friends as they explore and dwell in the volcanic landscape of prehistory in a place called Green Meadow. Designed to help children navigate the world of friendship and making friends, the stories fostered positive behaviors such as caring about oneself and others, tolerance, ecology, problem-solving and teamwork.

The second season introduced a weekly segment called "Factasaurus" that taught lessons and fun facts educating children about different dinosaur species.

Characters

Main Characters
Name Voice Description
Dink R. J. Williams Kind, brave, smart and has a strong bond with his friends. Dink is a brontosaurus.
Amber Anndi McAfee Amber is a close friend of Dink's. She is like a big sister figure.
Scat Frank Welker Scat tends to be paranoid, but has a humongous appetite and he speaks in third person. Sometimes his appetite gets him in trouble, especially when it involves his favorite food, honey fruit.
Shyler Ben Ryan Ganger Shyler is Dink's shy friend, with a speech impediment and looks up to Dink and Amber as older siblings.
Flapper S. Scott Bullock Flapper tends to be a braggart and a jokester and he speaks with a slight lisp. He constantly tries to land in water, but always fails.
Crusty Frank Welker Crusty is a turtle who mentors the dinosaur youngsters and tells them stories that often help teach them valuable lessons.
Allies
Name Voice Description
Ariel Jennifer Darling Exceptionally courageous and self-sacrificing, Ariel lives at the Lake of Mists and is viewed by other dinosaurs as an almost supernatural figure.
Uncle Longbeak Hamilton Camp Longbeak is Flapper's uncle, whom he talks about a lot.
Pearl Pearl is a female friend of Shyler's.
Scratcher Dick Beals Scratcher is a herbivore by his own choice.
Red Red is sometimes called Thundermaker. Actually a spirit who lived in the Cave of Spirits.
Earthshaker Frank Welker Shakes the ground when he walks and talks. None too fond of smaller creatures, but willing to return a favor.
Dippo Dana Hill Dippo is afraid of what other dinosaurs think of his kind. He is good friends with Shyler.
Opo Opo is a friend of the gang who helps Ariel to escape from Tyrannor.
Dim Dim is a dimwitted friend of the gang.
Tubble and Hubble Tubble: Jim Cummings
Hubble: Jack Angel		 Tubble and Hubble are an old pair of pathfinders for their herd.
Squirt Russi Taylor Once thought Crusty was his mother.
Shortspike Shortspike is a friend of Dink and separated from his parents due to a volcano trouble.
Cornelius Cornelius was once a rival of Dink's.
Trail Blazer Trail Blazer used his tail to create Green Meadow and Tarpit Pass (which protects Green Meadow from Hunters like Tyrannor).
Patch and Ridetail Patch and Ridetail are Trail Blazer's children.
Strongfoot Strongfoot was once Trail Blazer's rival.
Tiny Tiny is a friend in need, helped by Dink to get fruit guarded by a bullish Dicraeosaurus.
Brighteyes Jodi Carlisle Brighteyes is a mother to be helped by the gang to protect her eggs from Egghunters.
Buttercup Billie Hayes Buttercup is Crusty's childhood turtle friend.
Beast Michael Bell Beast has a disfigured body structure.
Iggy Shyler helps Iggy find his way home.
Nobbie Nobbie is a good friend of Shyler.
Daisy Scar once had a crush on her.
Brusier Brusier is Daisy's boyfriend.
Glowy Shyler wanted to keep Glowy.
Melodi Kath Soucie Then gang helps Melodi save her mate.
Forest Cam Clarke Forest once made Dink jealous one time.
Stormfoot Dana Hill Stormfoot fought Dink in the "Challenge of the Desert" duel.
Jerry Tail gets stuck under a rock but is rescued by Crusty.
Mama Triceratops Once thought Scat was her son.
Enemies
Name Voice Description
Tyrannor Chases Dink and his friends all over their prehistoric world. He is feared by every known dinosaur.
Hunters Various carnivorous dinosaurs that mostly reside in Hunter's Grove.
Scavenger Frank Welker A troublesome flock of Pterodactylus.
Fleetfoot Jim Cummings Hunts Pterosaurs.
Honeyfruit Monster
Sharptooth According to Crusty, he would even scare Tyrannor. He had fought Trail Blazer with the resulting fight creating Green Meadow and Tarpit Pass.
Snakenecks
Sandtooth
Watertooth
Shelleater Known to prey on turtles.
Bolderbuns Frank Welker
Waterhunters
Egghunters A trio that targets Brighteyes' eggs.
Sharpmouth
Slidetooth

Episodes

Season 1 (1989)

No. Title Original air date
1a "Shell Game" September 16, 1989 (1989-09-16)
Scat's appetite gets him and his friends in trouble when Tyrannor gets Crusty shell in his mouth.
1b "Shyler's Friend" September 16, 1989 (1989-09-16)
Shyler is unsure of how to approach and befriend Pearl and his friends' assistance isn't helping.
2a "Dink, Come Home" September 23, 1989 (1989-09-23)
2b "White Beauty" September 23, 1989 (1989-09-23)
3a "Crusty's Baby" September 30, 1989 (1989-09-30)
Crusty becomes the unwitting mother of a newly hatched Stegosaurus he names Squirt. However Squirt doesn't eat well, forcing Crusty to unite him with his actual mother.
3b "The Gentle Hunter" September 30, 1989 (1989-09-30)
Scat meets a plant-eating Deinonychus named Scratcher. Scratcher is driven away by a Styracosaurus herd, so Dink has to save him from becoming a hunter.
4a "Phantom of the Cave" October 7, 1989 (1989-10-07)
Dink and his friends explore the Cave of Spirits to find out more about the Thundermakers (Brachiosaurus). They find one named Red, who is having trouble with Scavengers.
4b "Dry River" October 7, 1989 (1989-10-07)
A rockfall has dammed up the river and the Ultrasaurus Earthshaker is not willing to unblock it until Dink extracts a thorn from his foot.
5a "Tricera-Scat" October 14, 1989 (1989-10-14)
Scat dozing inside an eggshell is mistaken by a mother Triceratops for one of her newly hatched babies.
5b "Search" October 14, 1989 (1989-10-14)
Flapper does impractical pranks on various dinosaurs, but puts a stop to it when Shyler is in need of rescuing.
6a "Amber's Crusade" October 21, 1989 (1989-10-21)
Marooned on an island, Amber and Shyler have to look after three baby Psittacosaurus. After a close call from Tyrannor, they make it homewards.
6b "Old Timers" October 21, 1989 (1989-10-21)
7a "Uncle Longbeak" October 28, 1989 (1989-10-28)
7b "Surprise" October 28, 1989 (1989-10-28)
Dink goes to get a reflecting stone for Amber's Hatching Day. With aid from Tiny and two Ichthyosaurus he finds it.
8a "The Hollow Tree" November 4, 1989 (1989-11-04)
Dink investigates a mysterious inhabitant of a hollow tree. It turns out to be a Diplocaulus named Dippo whose looks are ridiculed, but Flapper rescues him and Shyler from a storm.
8b "Badge of Courage" November 4, 1989 (1989-11-04)
During a hike to Firetop Mountain, Dink meets Shortspike and goes with a Firebug to rescue his family.
9a "Wish Mountain" November 11, 1989 (1989-11-11)
Shyler's attempt to make a wish with his loose tooth is interrupted by an Oviraptor and an Ankylosaurus.
9b "Crusty's New Home" November 11, 1989 (1989-11-11)
Tired of fixing his cave, Crusty moves elsewhere. Not finding a new home to his liking, he returns to find Dink and his friends have fixed his old home.
10a "Small Stuff" November 18, 1989 (1989-11-18)
Two Erythrotherium ruin Dink and his friends' digging efforts to protect their home. Dink compensates them after saving their lives.
10b "Lights Out" November 18, 1989 (1989-11-18)
Amber gets a crystal rock, which she thinks is magical due to coincidental good events, but when the rock breaks Flapper has his own tricks against Tyrannor.
11a "Mystery of the Broken Claw" November 25, 1989 (1989-11-25)
Amber is blamed for destroying a water hole, so she investigates with her friends. They find the hunters did it and manage to thwart a Spinosaurus ambush and restore the water hole.
11b "Encounter at Flatrock" November 25, 1989 (1989-11-25)
Crusty gets lost trying to find Flatrock. Dink having failed to accompany him, goes off to save him from a shell-eating Segnosaurus.
12a "The Sky Is Falling at Green Meadow" December 2, 1989 (1989-12-02)
12b "Sea Rescue" December 2, 1989 (1989-12-02)
Scat is lost from a tsunami. Dink and his friends accompanied by marine creatures locate and rescue Scat amidst a storm.
13a "Raiders of the Lost Nest" December 9, 1989 (1989-12-09)
13b "Land of No Return" December 9, 1989 (1989-12-09)
Dink and his friends lure Tyrannor into the 'Land of No Return'. Flapper comes to their rescue, then they rescue Tyrannor himself.

Season 2 (1990)

No. Title Original air date
14a "Scavengers" September 15, 1990 (1990-09-15)
The kids save an Ornitholestes named Fleetfoot from a flock of Cearadactylus. However, Fleetfoot turns out to be a hunter of flying animals and attempts to eat Flapper.
14b "Tar Troubles" September 15, 1990 (1990-09-15)
Against Crusty's advice, Dink interferes with a tar pit and frantically tries to stop it spreading, but end up starting a major fire.
15a "The Honeyfruit Hero" September 22, 1990 (1990-09-22)
Scat tries to a hero by saving the Compsognathus' Honeyfruit supply from a monster, which turns out to be an Iguanodon instead of mere bugs.
15b "Tall Tale" September 22, 1990 (1990-09-22)
Crusty tells the story of Trail Blazer, his herd's survival, the battle against the Allosaurus Sharptooth and the formation of Green Meadow many years ago.
16a "Crusty's Reunion" September 29, 1990 (1990-09-29)
16b "Tale of the Beast" September 29, 1990 (1990-09-29)
A disfigured Saurolophus is believed to be a menacing beast. Amber whom Beast rescued is able to clear the misunderstanding.
17a "Scat-ter Brained" October 6, 1990 (1990-10-06)
A close encounter with Tyrannor and a bump on the head, convinces Scat that he is a Tyrannosaurus. Meeting Tyrannor again during a rockfall restores Scat.
17b "Fraidy Scat" October 6, 1990 (1990-10-06)
Scat's fear of night things makes him sleepy in daytime. He overcomes his fear to rescue his friends trapped under a fallen tree.
18a "The Reluctant Head-Banger" October 13, 1990 (1990-10-13)
Shyler befriends a Pachycephalosaurus named Nobbie, but his appetite is too big for Dink's lot to handle. However Nobbie rescues them from being buried under a rockfall.
18b "Wrongs of Spring" October 13, 1990 (1990-10-13)
19a "Overrun" October 20, 1990 (1990-10-20)
19b "The Last of Their Kind" October 20, 1990 (1990-10-20)
Shyler catches a Firebug he calls Glowy. A distressed Supersaurus named Melodi is looking for her mate. Shyler and his friends find and rescue Melodi's mate.
20a "Day of the Snake" October 27, 1990 (1990-10-27)
20b "Rivals" October 27, 1990 (1990-10-27)
21a "Challenge" November 3, 1990 (1990-11-03)
The kids provoke a herd of Centrosaurus when they drink from their watering hole. Dink must fight the herd leader's son, Stormfoot, in a "Challenge of the Desert".
21b "The Secret" November 3, 1990 (1990-11-03)

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