‘Touché Turtle and Dum Dum: The Complete Series’ Blu-ray (review)

Warner Archive

The Warner Archive keeps delivering classic Hanna-Barbera gems on Blu-ray, and their latest release—Touché Turtle and Dum Dum: The Complete Series—proves why these restorations matter.

Often remembered more for its quirky name than its episodes, this collection gathers all 52 shorts in their original, unpretentious glory: straightforward, goofy adventures brimming with charm and featuring some of animation’s all-time great voice talents.

First seen in 1962 as part of The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series—alongside Wally Gator and Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har—Touché Turtle and Dum Dum occupies a unique spot in Hanna-Barbera’s long line of anthropomorphic heroes.

The early sixties were a time when the studio was turning out character after character, refining its formula for fast-paced, limited animation humor that could be syndicated to local stations across America.

Touché Turtle may not have reached the household-name status of Yogi Bear or Huckleberry Hound, but it represents that fertile middle period when Hanna-Barbera’s writers were experimenting with tone, parody, and genre while keeping production economical and accessible.

This was Hanna-Barbera’s prolific early-’60s era, when they churned out characters at a rapid clip, honing their signature limited-animation style for syndication on local TV stations nationwide.

While it never achieved the fame of Yogi Bear or Huckleberry Hound, Touché Turtle captures that innovative middle phase, where writers toyed with parody, genre twists, and tonal experiments—all while staying budget-friendly and broadly appealing.

The premise is as absurd as it is delightful. Touché, a gallant turtle in a plumed hat, lives for adventure, aided by his loyal but somewhat clueless canine sidekick Dum Dum. Whether fighting dragons, rescuing damsels, or charging into futuristic peril, Touché embodies a sort of bumbling swashbuckler spirit. His catchphrase “Touché away!” and the ongoing joke of answering calls for help via a telephone that rings inside his shell gave the show a surreal streak that set it apart from other Hanna-Barbera efforts. Bill Thompson, best known for voicing Droopy, lent Touché a cheerful bravado, while Alan Reed—better known as Fred Flintstone—brought endearing dimness to Dum Dum. Together they created a duo that feels more like an animated vaudeville act than a traditional cartoon team.

Warner Archive’s restoration treats the series with evident respect, yielding vibrant colors and sharp lines that belie the originals’ age, though a few episodes inevitably show wear. The audio cleanup is solid, preserving the crisp dialogue despite the inherent thinness of ’60s TV sound. It’s a shame there are no extras—a deep dive into this offbeat Hanna-Barbera oddity would have been ideal—but the presentation quality alone justifies it for serious animation buffs and collectors.

In the grand scheme of Hanna-Barbera’s output, Touché Turtle and Dum Dum exemplifies the studio’s bold experimentation within constrained formats. It’s more than mere animal antics; it’s a clever satire of heroism, steeped in the buoyant whimsy of early television.

For devotees of vintage cartoons, this Blu-ray serves as a testament to an era when even Hanna-Barbera’s lesser-known entries pulsed with creativity and character. It lacks the blockbuster appeal of the big names, but it delivers heart, cleverness, and a hero who, decades later, still dashes into action with that shell phone at the ready.

Bring on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and The Quick Draw McGraw Show!