The Alvin Show

The Alvin Show is an American animated television series that aired on CBS from October 1961, to September 1962. It is the first series to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Alvin Show aired for one season in prime time and originally sponsored by General Foods (Jell-O, Post cereals). The series was initially telecast in black and white. A color version began airing syndication in the fall of 1965. The series rode the momentum of creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.'s original hit musical gimmick and developed the singing Chipmunk trio as rambunctious kids–particularly the show's namesake star–whose mischief contrasted to his tall, brainy brother Simon and his chubby, gluttonous brother Theodore, as well as their long-suffering, perpetually put-upon manager-father figure, David Seville. The animation was produced by Herbert Klynn's Format Films. The pilot episode, an early version of the fifth episode "Good Neighbor", was written and produced to sell the show to CBS. The actual show featured a re-worked version, which aired as part of the 5th episode.