The Duck Factory 40 years old

The Duck Factory

The Duck Factory is a 1984 NBC television series produced by MTM Enterprises that is perhaps most notable for being Jim Carrey's first lead role in a Hollywood production. The show was co-created by Allan Burns. The premiere episode introduces Skip Tarkenton, a somewhat naive and optimistic young man who has come to Hollywood looking for a job as a cartoonist. When he arrives at a low-budget animation company called Buddy Winkler Productions, he finds out Buddy Winkler has just died, and the company desperately needs new blood. So Skip gets an animation job at the firm, which is nicknamed "The Duck Factory" as their main cartoon is "The Dippy Duck Show". Other Duck Factory employees seen regularly on the show were man-of-a-thousand-cartoon voices Wally Wooster; comedy writer Marty Fenneman; artists Brooks Carmichael and Roland Culp, editor Andrea Lewin, and business manager Aggie Aylesworth. Buddy Winkler Productions was now owned by his young, ditzy widow, Mrs Sheree Winkler, who had been married to Buddy for all of three weeks before his death. The Duck Factory lasted thirteen episodes; it premiered April 12, 1984. The show initially aired at 9:30 on Thursday nights, directly after Cheers, and replaced Buffalo Bill on NBC's schedule. Jay Tarses, an actor on The Duck Factory, had been the co-creator and executive producer of Buffalo Bill, which had its final network telecast on Thursday, April 5, 1984.

Credits

Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey

Skip Tarkenton

Don Messick
Don Messick

Wally Wooster

Jack Gilford
Jack Gilford

Brooks Carmichael

Jay Tarses
Jay Tarses

Marty Fenneman

Teresa Ganzel
Teresa Ganzel

Mrs. Sheree Winkler

Cast

Name Character
Jim Carrey He was 22 , now 62 years old as Skip Tarkenton
Don Messick He was 57 , 71 years old when he died as Wally Wooster
Jack Gilford He was 76 , 82 years old when he died as Brooks Carmichael
Jay Tarses He was 44 , now 84 years old as Marty Fenneman
Teresa Ganzel She was 27 , now 67 years old as Mrs. Sheree Winkler
Kenneth Mars He was 49 , 75 years old when he died
Bill Scott He was 63 , 65 years old when he died
Daphne Maxwell Reid She was 35 , now 75 years old
Larry Gelman He was 53 , now 93 years old
Julie Payne She was 43 , 75 years old when she died as Aggie Aylesworth
Clarence Gilyard He was 28 , now 68 years old as Roland Culp

Crew

Name Job title
Harry Winer Directing He was 36 , now 76 years old Director
Gene Reynolds Directing He was 61 , 96 years old when he died Director
Rod Daniel Directing He was 42 , 74 years old when he died Director
Burt Brinckerhoff Directing He was 47 , now 87 years old Director
Peter Baldwin Directing He was 53 , 86 years old when he died Director
The Duck Factory poster
The Duck Factory (40 years)

Ended

  • First Air Date: 1984-04-12
  • Runtime: [30] minutes
  • Number of Episodes: 13