101 Dalmatians



Entry #17 in the Disney Animated Canon. The Hundred and One Dalmatians was adapted for animation by Walt Disney Pictures and it was the second Disney animated film to be set unambiguously in contemporary times. Furthermore, the 1961 production was the first to use xerography to ease the inking process and make a film with this much technical complexity (the 101 dogs and their collective innumerable spots) possible. Unfortunately, this technology became the norm and its limitations trapped all Disney animation into a hard scratchy outline look for 16 years until The Rescuers, which finally was able to use further advancements for allow for a softer look again.

Disney adapted it again into live-action in 1996, casting Glenn Close as Cruella and setting the story in more modern times. The remake was mixed in critical terms, but it turned out such a big monetary profit that it spun off an Animated Series that ran in both Syndication (as part of what remained of The Disney Afternoon) and on Saturday mornings (as part of ABC's One Saturday Morning) in the 1997-98 season. Did we mention it was made by the same studio that made Doug? Then the live-action version got a sequel in 2000, as did the animated version three years later.

The television show was seen briefly as part of the Disney Junior lineup on Disney Channel and is now airing on the Disney Junior network, for whatever reason. While the show isn't a preschool show, it still has good morals at the end of the episodes, plus little kids probably are already familiar with the characters.

The original children's novel is less remembered than the Walt Disney movie based on it. (And it had a sequel, too.)

The Disney Adaptation (1961) and its sequel (2003)
"Thunderbolt: I always arrive in the nick of time...(whispering to Patch) Hey, I may not be a real hero, but I can act like one. I'll distract them."
 * Adaptation Name Change: Mr. and Mrs. Dearly were changed to Roger and Anita Radcliffe for the animated movie. Later adaptations give them the given names from the movie and the surname from the book. Also, Saul Badun becomes Horace, and Lt. Tib becomes Sgt. Tibbs (with that particular cat also getting a sex change in the process).
 * Adult Fear: The kidnapping of the puppies is very much presented as if it was Roger's and Anita's children who were taken as well as Pongo and Perdita's.
 * Alliterative Name: Roger Radcliffe.
 * Angrish: When Cruella comes to claim the puppies, Roger starts stuttering in anger.
 * Ascended Extra: Pongo and Perdita's son Patch and TV-star dog Thunderbolt, a background and a one-scene character respectively in the first film, are primary characters in the sequel.
 * Battle Couple: Pongo and Perdita.
 * Becoming the Mask: Thunderbolt in the sequel. At first, he just wants to use Patch's fanboy knowledge of his show to get some press but ends up becoming genuine friends with the pup and helps him rescue his family.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Pongo and Perdita are as charming and adorable as animated dogs can be. But mess with any of their kids and they will find you and they will kick your ass.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Pongo and Perdita crashing into Hell Hall just in time to stop Horace and Jasper from killing their puppies.
 * Played with in the sequel when Thunderbolt arrives to save the puppies.


 * Big Eater: Rolly, who continually remarks that he's hungry.
 * Big "Shut Up!": Spoken by Jasper to Cruella at the very end in response to her yelling at him and Horace from the ditch for letting the dogs get away and breaking down crying.
 * The Cameo: Jock and Peg (along with the bulldog from the pound who seems to have had puppies with her) from Lady and the Tramp make cameos during the citywide dog barking scene.
 * Tramp and Lady themselves show up in the very same scene, Tramp on top of a car and Lady in the street.
 * Catch Phrase: One really gets the sense that the dialogue editors loved the word "idiot."
 * To help get the point across: Early in the movie there's a gag where a character on the phone with Cruella says "You idiot!" to someone else in the room, but Cruella hears it and thinks she's being called an idiot. A little while later, still not even halfway through the film, the exact same gag is repeated with different characters (but still Cruella on the other line).
 * Cat Scare: Happens twice. The first time, Jasper tries to take a swig from a bottle and mistakenly tries to drink the cat. The second time is when Tibbs is helping the puppies to hide. Tibbs can't take on Horace and Jasper on his own, but when Jasper looks under the bed, the ensuing MEEEOOWWWW and wild leap from Tibbs startles Jasper enough for the puppies to run by him.
 * Cats Are Mean: Completely averted with Sergeant Tibbs; he's perfectly fine around dogs and vice versa. In fact, he was about to die protecting the puppies from Horace and Jasper just before Pongo and Perdita arrive.
 * Ceiling Banger: Nanny did this to get Roger to take a break from writing songs.
 * Chase Scene
 * Clothes Make the Legend: One of the most famous fur coats ever. Ironic considering it never actually gets made.
 * Composite Character: Perdita/Missis, as well as Nanny Cook/Butler.
 * In a way, Horace and Jasper; they're given a somewhat expanded role compared to the book, and replace the nameless group of significantly more competent professional thieves who steal the puppies in the original.
 * Also, Lucky/Cadpig; as Cadpig does not appear in the movie, her role and main traits have been given to Lucky.
 * Conversational Troping: The bit where they watch Thunderbolt's show ("Ol' Thunder always wins!").
 * Cool Car: Cruella's car. A lot of people have put effort into trying to figure out what model it is.
 * CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable: One of the fifteen (the eventual "Lucky") was apparently stillborn, leading Roger to get an idea, rubbing the pup to stimulate it to breathe.
 * What did you expect? It's a Disney film! Lord forbid something actually die.
 * Cut Song: Some alternate songs about Cruella (one of which, "The Creation of Cruella de Vil," is full of Nightmare Fuel), a Drunken Song for Horace and Jasper, and some marching songs for the dogs' return to London.
 * Demoted to Extra: In a similar vein to the TV series, Pongo and Perdita are largely secondary characters in the sequel with their puppy Patch taking the foreground.
 * Deus Ex Machina: Ever notice how the Dalmatians had nothing to do with their final escape from the villains? It was only by pure luck that the Baduns lost control of their truck and collided with Cruella's car.
 * Dinky Drivers: The Dalmatian Puppies do this to a London double-decker bus at the end of 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure.
 * The Dog Bites Back: Not one of the dogs, but at the end as Cruella is having her sobbing Villainous Breakdown which involves verbally assaulting Horace and Jasper some more, Jasper finally has enough and says "Awww, SHADDAP!".
 * Dogs Are Dumb: Subverted with most of them but played straight with the Colonel.
 * Dog Walks You
 * Doomed New Clothes: Anita has a new spring suit on as she walks Perdita. Cue the Meet Cute, and she's sopping wet in a pond. What we go through for love, huh?
 * Drives Like Crazy: Cruella. Big time. Horace and Jasper go a little crazy at the end as well.
 * Dumbass Has a Point: Horace is clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, but by assuming that dogs think the way people do (which in this movie, they do), he is constantly suggesting what the dogs are actually up to when trying to evade them. He's almost always right, but Jasper will have none of it.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: At the very end, as Cruella yells at her henchmen from the ditch and breaks down crying, Jasper just says, "Aw, shaddup!"
 * Evil Is Hammy: Cruella
 * Evil Laugh: Roger has one when he sings about Cruella.
 * Fake Brit: In the first film, Cruella, Nanny and the Captain's voice actors were all American, and Pongo's was Australian. In the second film, basically everyone except Patch and Pongo's voice actors.
 * False Friend: Lil' Lightning in the sequel. He informs Thunderbolt that his character is being killed off the show, when in fact,.
 * Then upon hearing about Thunderbolt still gaining fame while on a real heroic mission, Lil' Lightning then decides to join forces with him, along with the pup, . Once they reached the bad guys' hideout,.
 * Fairytale Wedding Dress: Averted. Anita's wearing what looks like a modest dress similar in style to her Spring outfit.
 * Gender Flip: The character of Sergeant Tibbs (Tibb, in the novel) is changed in this adaptation from female to male. And on a more minor level, so is the puppy whose life Mr Dearly/Roger saves at birth.
 * Genre Savvy: Dimwitted henchman Horace actually guesses what the dogs are doing on two occasions by attributing to them human-level intelligence; however, both times this is dismissed by Jasper who says that "dogs ain't that smart."
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: Roger's magazines, filled with attractive young women
 * Lilliput was a real-world magazine of humor, short stories, photography, and the arts. Word of God is that it was simply a graphic design magazine that featured the kind of art that inspired the style of film. According to The Other Wiki, it was known for including what were for the time period daring photos of female nudes. Apparently it eventually merged with another magazine and later became explicitly pornographic.
 * Cruella also lists a bunch of ways to kill puppies (poison them, drown them, bash them in the head).
 * Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Roger's pipe vs Cruella's cigarette with holder.
 * G-Rated Sex: Well, where else did those fifteen puppies come from?
 * Happily Married: Pongo and Perdita and their "pets" Roger and Anita.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: Sargent Tibbs and The Captain to The Colonel.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Cruella telling Horace and Jasper "Watch your driving you imbeciles! You wanna get nabbed by the police?!"
 * Just in Time: The moment when the Baduns have cornered Sgt. Tibbs and the puppies and are about to kill them, Pongo and Perdita smash through a window and attack the would-be murderers.
 * The Kids Are American: Noticeably Averted in both.
 * Knight of Cerebus: The film is a sweet romantic comedy before Cruella literally rolls in.
 * Large Ham: Thunderbolt in the sequel. And Cruella.
 * Lean and Mean: Cruella De Vil.
 * Mama Bear / Papa Wolf: As if traveling through the English countryside in the middle of winter to save their puppies wasn't enough, Pongo and Perdita are scary when they face off against Horace and Jasper, teeth bared and eyes red! Considering they just interrupted the Baduns as they were about to bludgeon their children to death, who can blame them?
 * Meet Cute: Pongo was probably going for more of a conventional Boy Meets Girl scenario, but his intervention leads to Roger and Anita's (and consequently his and Perdita's) first meeting starting out as this.
 * Meaningful Name: Cruella De Vil = cruel devil.
 * Men Can't Keep House: Commented on by Pongo at the beginning of the film, Roger's flat is a horror.
 * Parental Bonus: "Pongo, you old rascal..."
 * Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Averted and possibly even inverted with the dogs' collars. Later adaptations didn't care as much. Nor did the tie-in merchandise artists.
 * Rotoscoping: Sort of. Cruella's car was a white model with outlines drawn on the edges shot in stop-motion in front of a white background with a high exposure; the result was then photocopied onto the cells.
 * Sarcasm Mode: When Horace suggests to Jasper that the puppies have disguised themselves using soot, Jasper says "Dogs is always paintin' themselves black! *hits him in the head* YOU IDIOT!"
 * Scenery Porn: In a retro and colorful way that perfectly complements the characters' angular designs.
 * Show Within a Show: "Thunderbolt".
 * "What's My Crime?"
 * Shout-Out: The Silly Symphonies short Springtime briefly appears on the TV the pups are watching.
 * Suddenly Always Knew That: In the sequel, Thunderbolt uses his dramatic death scene to distract Cruella and her lackeys while the puppies get away.
 * Taught by Television: In the sequel, Patch has every episode of "Thunderbolt" memorized and uses the show's plots to first help Thunderbolt do "big hero stuff" and then to rescue his family.
 * The Other Darrin: In the 2003 sequel. What is the deal with the white-eared Lucky?
 * Think Nothing of It: In the sequel, after the puppies are safe and sound, Pongo thanks Thunderbolt for saving his family to which he responds "Oh, don't thank me. Thank your son. He's the real hero."
 * Those Two Bad Guys: Horace and Jasper.
 * Through a Face Full of Fur: In the original film, Horace's face turns three shades of red from the heat of the flames in the fireplace on his rear, when Perdita and Patch snatch a rug out from under him and cause him to fall back there.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Cruella during the climactic Chase Scene.
 * "The Villain Sucks" Song: You know the one. It probably got published either because Cruella's universally acknowledged as a horrible person, or the publishers thought it was a made up name.
 * Watch the Paint Job: Cruella epically trashes and then wrecks her own presumably-valuable classic car in her rage-induced pursuit of the puppies. It even returns in the sequel, having apparently been very cheaply slapped back together. (Guess she's not as rich as she comes across.)
 * Women Drivers: Cruella Drives Like Crazy, and a truck driver even cites this trope at one point. Justified by Cruella being completely Ax Crazy.

The Live Action Adaptation (1996) and its sequel (2000)
"Cruella: Alonzo, we're going to make them pay! Alonzo: Yes. How much?"
 * All of the Other Reindeer: Oddball, the spotless dalmatian.
 * Always Camp: Cruella and Le Pelt from 102.
 * All There in the Manual: Pretty much all of the puppies' names are found only in promotional materials for the film.
 * Animated Adaptation: Sort of. Cartoon versions of these movies' unique puppies have been featured on tie-in merchandise, and a few characters from the first movie made it into the cartoon series.
 * Ascended Extra: Alonzo was a one-scene character in the first movie. But the character (and even the actor who played him) returns in the sequel in a major role.
 * Ash Face
 * Banana In the Tailpipe: Raccoons put a large nut in the tailpipe of the bad guys' truck. The pressure does shoot the nut out eventually - when the bad guy is examining the tail pipe.
 * Chekhov's Skill: At the climax of the sequel.
 * Conspicuous CG: Any scene where the dogs could be in a dangerous situation. The drainpipe scene is particularly conspicuous.
 * Completely Missing the Point: Alonzo took Cruella's statement rather literally once in 102 Dalmatians.

"Horace: Crikey! Look at the size of that scar! No bloody wonder you can't talk, mate! Skinner: (Death Glare) Jasper: Excuse me. (closes the door and decks Horace)"
 * Cone of Shame: Lucky in one episode had to wear a cone after falling from a high tree branch and getting stitches. Cue humiliation from the other dogs.
 * Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Jasper tries to emphasize to Horace not to comment on Mr. Skinner's huge scar on his throat. First words out of his mouth when Skinner opens the door?


 * Evil is Hammy: Cruella, of course/
 * Fake Brit: Glenn Close.
 * Fur Bikini: In the fashion show in the second movie.
 * Get On With It Already: Cruella is very impatient.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: A G-rated sex scene consisting of clothes symbolically bursting into flames.
 * In the first park scene with Roger and Pongo one of the dogs walking by is a bulldog with very large (and noticeable) testicles.
 * Gross-Out Show: A pig farts in Cruella's face, she falls into a vat of molasses and is kicked by a horse into a pigsty.
 * Harmless Freezing: Horace, though he's still blue and shivering in the next scene.
 * Humiliation Conga: The villains in both films end up getting this.
 * Knight of Cerebus: Mr. Skinner in the first film, the only villain in it to not be played as the slightest bit Laughably Evil.
 * Large Ham: Glenn Close as Cruella and Gérard Depardieu in the sequel.
 * Lost in Imitation: Naturally seems to be based more on the 1961 film than on the book.
 * Meaningful Name: Lucky is, well lucky, Rolly is fat, Wizzer has a weak bladder...
 * Misplaced Wildlife: Raccoons and a skunk in England.
 * My Name Is Not Durwood: Cruella never gets Roger's name right (This trope is repeated in the TV series.)
 * Parental Bonus: "Puppies? You have been a busy boy!"
 * And right before that when Anita tells Cruella that she's having a baby, "You know what they say, accidents may happen!"
 * Pimped-Out Dress: Some of Cruella's outfits and the fashion show in the second film.
 * Polly Wants a Microphone: One of the funniest things in 102 is Eric Idle as a parrot who thinks that he's a dog.
 * Punny Name: The puppy who constantly pees is named Wizzer.
 * Setting Update: Among other things, Roger is a video game designer.
 * Shipper on Deck: Waddlesworth in the sequel ships himself and Oddball.
 * Tastes Like Chicken: The parrot who thinks he's a dog when he was chewing at the woodwork when he saw the puppies below.
 * Those Two Guys: Domino and Little Dipper in 102 Dalmatians.
 * Those Two Bad Guys: Jasper and Horace. Their place is taken by Le Pelt and Alonzo in the sequel.
 * Wacky Marriage Proposal: "Would you like another cup of marriage? I mean tea?"
 * Worst News Judgment Ever: Why do National Newspapers like The Independent have reports on two relative nobodies getting married? Or make the kidnapping of fifteen puppies front page headline news? Though Anita did work as a fashion designer for Cruella's fashion house, nothing on screen implies she is particularly notable within in the company - Cruella only notices her when she designs the coat (her original idea being for FAKE fur).

The TV series (1997)
"Ivy: I don't mind, Auntie Cruella can FAIL first!"
 * Absentee Actor:
 * In "Home is Where the Bark Is", Spot is out of commission, but she is shown for a split second at one point in the episode.
 * Spot is absent in "You Slipped a Disk".
 * Spot is absent in "Cadpig Behind Bars".
 * In "Horace and Jasper's Big Career Move", the main pups are absent for a majority of the episode. They do appear in the flashback sequences, but they also appear briefly at the very end, and Lucky has one little speaking part.
 * The Ace: Tripod.
 * An Aesop: In almost every episode. (Well, it is from most of the same writers and artists of Sabrina the Animated Series)
 * The Artifact: The prominent "One-oh-one"s in the theme song is apparently a holdover from when the show was going to be titled Dalmatians 101 which they changed at the last minute.
 * Author Guest Spot: Jim Jinkins appears in the final episode as the leader of a cult of alien followers. He also provides a Shout-Out by dressing up like his Author Avatar, Doug.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Cadpig is usually sweet and innocent, but if she ever gets mad, watch out!
 * Big Eater: Rolly, Dumpling, and Ed Pig.
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Ivy De Vil so very much.
 * Brother-Sister Incest: Wasn't there an episode where Lucky was hoping to go to party with Two-Tone? Maybe it's different for dogs...
 * Of course, for what it's worth, if we assume that the events that lead up to the series match those portrayed in the original story (with Pongo and Perdita rescuing a whole lot of pups beside their own from Cruella and then adopting them, etc), it would seem that they're only step-siblings.
 * Butt Monkey: Spot.
 * Brainwashed: The townspeople (and, for much of the episode, the Dearlys and the puppies) in "De Vil-Age Elder".
 * Can't Get Away with Nuthin' / Downer Ending: In "Mall Pups," three of the pups and the chicken sneak away from class to attend a mall event featuring the first lady and first dog. They are eventually caught up by the Colonel, do not get to meet either the first lady or the first dog, and are sentenced to a three-week grounding and other punishments.
 * Catch Phrase: Rolly has two known catchphrases: "Oh, papa!" and "Are you calling me fat?" The pups have also said, "Holy Chimmichanga!" a couple of times.
 * Chaste Toons: Anita and Cruella both had nieces.
 * Christmas Episode: "A Christmas Cruella", the inevitable Yet Another Christmas Carol parody. Later released on video.
 * Composite Character: The whole show is a mix of the animated film and the live-action one. For instance, Cruella still owns a fashion company and employs Anita (like in the remake), but she apparently never went to prison (like in the cartoon... maybe).
 * Not to mention the series contains Cadpig who appeared in the book, but was never mentioned in either the animated or live action movies.
 * Cool Old Guy: The Colonel.
 * Cross-Dressing Voices: Lucky, Rolly and Wizzer are all male characters, but their voices are all provided by female actors: Pamela Segall Aldon (Lucky - later, Debbi Mae West), Kath Soucie (Rolly) and Christine Cavanaugh (Wizzer).
 * Cultural Translation: The show is clearly set in the U.S. judging from the accents and the presence of a mailbox reading "US MAIL" at one point.
 * Cute Bruiser: Cadpig.
 * A Day in the Limelight: Some episodes were featured on one character of the cast. LT. Pug, Tripod, Two-Tone, Spot....
 * Demoted to Extra: Pongo and Perdita. See Spin Offspring below.
 * Devil in Plain Sight: Cruella's niece, Ivy.
 * Dog Stereotype: With non-Dalmatians.
 * Don't Ask
 * Dub Name Change: Cadpig is Goliath in some dubs, others Penny (a character from the 1961 movie).
 * Engineered Public Confession: "Dog Food Day Afternoon".
 * Evil Brit: While the rest of the characters are Americanized, Cruella, judging by her accent, remains British. Hmm...
 * Expressive Ears: The dogs' ears droop when they are upset about something.
 * Expy: Being by the same creators and all, Mooch and his gang are very similar to Roger and his gang.
 * Eyedscreen: When Lt. Pug decides to face his nemesis in "Howl Noon," the scene is presented in letterbox widescreen, but then switches box to the normal aspect ratio when Cadpig (who is chained to Pug) pulls them underground to hide.
 * Five-Bad Band:
 * Bigger Bad - Malevola De Vil
 * Big Bad - Cruella De Vil
 * The Dragon - Cecil B. De Vil
 * Evil Genius - P. H. De Vil
 * The Brute - Horace and Jasper
 * Dark Chick - Ivy De Vil
 * Five-Man Band:
 * The Hero - Lucky
 * The Lancer - This varies, but usually Spot.
 * Most fans wanted this to be Patch, thus casting all four puppies from the book.
 * The Smart Guy - Spot
 * The Big Guy - Rolly
 * The Chick - Cadpig
 * Sixth Ranger - This varies but usually Patch, Tripod, or Two-Tone
 * Friend to All Living Things: Anita's niece, Amber.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: Spot uttering the s-bomb in one episode. In "Un-Lucky", when she, Lucky, Rolly, and Cadpig get trapped and Lucky blames himself for getting them into this predicament due to his misfortune, Spot says, "Ah, stop it. I hate it when you get all whiny and insecure, that's my s***". (Was likely meant to be "that's my stint", but the delivery came out wrong.)
 * Grand Finale: "Dalmatian Vacation".
 * Great Detective: Spot's alter-ego -- Pullet Marlow, Private Chick.
 * Green Around the Gills: In "The Dogs of De Vil", Lucky and Cadpig turn entirely green in a seasickness moment.
 * Handicapped Badass: Tripod, the three-legged dog.
 * Human Ladder: The main pups do this quite regularly. Most traditionally, the lineup is Lucky on top, Cadpig in the middle, and Rolly on the bottom, for obvious reasons. It's even shown twice in the show's opening sequence - curiously, though, in both cases it's Rolly who is on top.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Cadpig believes in world peace and preaches non-violent solutions to problems but then beats up other dogs for insulting her friends or family members or attacks Cruella right after stating her opposition to violence.
 * Idea Bulb: Lucky gets one in Barnboozled when he figures out to drive Cruella out of the barn.
 * I Don't Think That's Such a Good Idea: Spot is Closer to Earth than the puppies and will often voice her concern over their latest Zany Scheme, only to be ignored.
 * Interspecies Romance: Rolly fell in love with Dumpling the pig, and she was also attracted to Lucky.
 * It Runs on Nonsensoleum: When Lucky needs a needle, he finds one by tearing apart the nearest haystack. Cue groans.
 * Jerkass: Lt. Pug, Mooch, Swamp Rat, and the De Vil family.
 * Kangaroo Court: "12 Angry Pups," complete with a public defender who openly states that he believes the defendant to be guilty and a judge who doesn't even try to hide that he's taking bribes
 * Keep Circulating the Tapes: Dalmatian Vacation was released onto video CD in the late 90's very quietly, as did the VHS of 101 Dalmatians Christmas. And after Toon Disney pulled it, it was gone...until it was announced that it would be part of the new Disney Jr channel. And now it looks like Disney Junior has a very limited number of episodes available to repeat... so, back to circulatng the tapes?
 * Large Ham: Cruella and Cecil B. De Vil.
 * Laugh Track: In "You Slipped a Disk," one is briefly played after Lucky accidentally pounces Rolly and Cadpig suggests "Um... Lucky? Next time, why don't you tackle the bad guy?" It comes up again in the episode's second half, "Chow About That?," when she suggests that Rolly is having a "psychic sugar rush."
 * Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: During the Grand Finale, Wile E. Coyote (!) briefly stops chasing the Road Runner to answer the Twilight Bark.
 * Lost in Imitation (again): The premise and cast are a motley mix of all three previous versions. The characters all look (more or less) like the ones from the 1961 film, and Cruella apparently never went to jail, but Anita works for Cruella's fashion company, Roger is a video game developer, their last name is Dearly, and all the new puppies from the 1996 film get secondary roles. And Cadpig, who only appeared in the original book, is one of the lead characters!
 * Little Miss Badass: Ivy De Vil.
 * Little Miss Snarker: Ivy De Vil.


 * And Cadpig.
 * Mad Libs Catchphrase: Cruella's "Memo to myself..."
 * Mad Scientist: P.H. De Vil.
 * Missing Episode: Alive N' Chicken/Prima Doggy. There was nothing wrong with Prima Doggy, but the climax of the former episode caused it to be recognized as the series' lost episode. The plot dealt with Spot thinking she was going to die, and Lucky, Rolly and Cadpig try to help her make the most of her last few moments. Near the end, Spot gets into a makeshift airplane, flies it over the farm and crashes it into a windmill. This episode was pulled from syndication after 9/11.
 * The Movie: The final three episodes of the series were also released as a direct-to-video movie, Dalmatian Vacation (but only in foreign countries), bringing the total number of 101 Dalmatian-themed Disney movies up to five.
 * The Napoleon: Lt. Pug.
 * Off-Model: The episodes animated by Wang Film Productions and Koko Enterprises come into this, albeit for different reasons. Also in play due to other being involved.
 * Out of Order: Since the program began airing on the Disney Junior channel in repeats, the broadcasts began with an episode in the middle of the program's second season and then have been airing in what seems to be an order picked by throwing darts at a board. The recap episode "Humanitarian of the Year" was aired before many of the stories it recaps, while the third part of "Dalmatian Vacation" aired with the first two parts not even anywhere in sight on the schedule. They have also started airing repeats of episodes they have already aired, even though there are still numrous episodes that they haven't, and it's beginning to look like they just don't have those episodes to air.
 * Picked Last: Lt. Pug picks Lucky and Tripod as team leaders for cohesian drils in one episode. Spot is the last picked and Lucky even tries to pick a bucket instead because she is a chicken and the rest are dogs. She gets her own back later in the episode, though.
 * Pounds Are Doggy Prison: The pound that Cadpig gets sent to in "Cadpig Behind Bars" is situated on an island and actually does have cages with bars, a security card system to raise & lower the drawbridge, and a prison yard.
 * "Previously On...": "Dalmatian Vacation", the three-parter.
 * Punny Name: A three legged dalmatian has the name Tripod, and Cruella's relatives P.H. de Vil (a Mad Scientist) and Cecil B. de Vil (a film director). And, oh yeah, Spot.
 * Rent-A-Zilla: Chockzilla, literally rented from an ad agency by Cecil B. de Vil to destroy the Dearly farm.
 * Rich Bitch: Cruella De Vil.
 * Road Sign Reversal: Occurs in the first episode to lure Cruella away from the three main puppies she's chasing after in her car.
 * Scooby-Dooby Doors: Happens when Lucky, Rolly and Cadpig pursue Scorch in "You Slipped a Disk".
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money
 * Shallow Love Interest: Rebecca, for Lucky.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran: Lt. Pug will often panic in mundane situations that he mistakes for something much more serious.
 * Shout-Out: In "Mall Pups," Lt. Pug is knocked into a basket of toys which includes a Woody doll.
 * Skunk Stripe: The De Vil family's hair color.
 * Skyward Scream: Rolly in "Chow About That?" "We... missed... LUNNNNCH!!!"
 * Spin Offspring: In a way. Pongo and Perdita, the stars of the film, are Demoted To Extras, while their puppies Lucky, Rolly (both of whom were supporting characters themselves in the film) and Cadpig (who was only named in the book) take the spotlight.
 * The episode "The Making Of..." hangs a lampshade on this with a scene where Pongo and Perdita remark that they thought they were were going to star in the show but were told that the studio "decided to go for a younger look".
 * This Is Reality: Spot gives the line "This is a real life, not television," in "On the Lamb" when Lucky decides they should pursue Lambo.
 * Those Two Bad Guys: Jasper and Horace. There is even one episode of the series called "Horace and Jasper's Big Career Move" which focuses on the two of them applying for work. This episode takes the focus off Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly and Spot (who don't even physically appear until the end) to focus on Cruella's henchmen who aren't particularly interesting to start with, runs for a whole half-hour, and to top it all off, it's a clip show. This episode tends to be many fans' pick for the series' worst episode. Watch it if you're in desperate need of sleep.
 * Those Two Guys: Whizzer and Dipstick.
 * Also The Colonel and Sgt. Tibbs.
 * Through a Face Full of Fur: In "Spots And Shots", Lucky's fur eventually turns green and his spots turn pink, as well as his nose turning blue and swelling up. This is a result of him not getting the vaccination needed to prevent these symptoms of a highly contagious condition from happening, after he spent the day attempting to avoid seeing the vet.
 * In "Beauty Pageant Pandemonium", an irate Ivy's face turns red when her chances at winning the contest (due to her aunt Cruella's not-so-full-proof plan) turn bust.
 * In "Love 'Em And Flea 'Em", Lucky's fur is turned pink from pink food coloring that Mooch spills intentionally (in an effort to be Two-Tone's date at the dance instead), mixed with water and soap, after being bathed by Nanny. And at the end of the episode/segment, a literally steamed Mooch gradually turns red from bottom to top and steam comes out of his ears when his sabotage fails and Lucky tells him, "Cheer up, Mooch. You look so blue".
 * Title Theme Tune
 * Took a Level In Badass: Spot when she becomes Pullet Marlow.
 * Valentines Day Episode: "Valentine Daze"
 * Weasel Mascot: Scorch, Cruella's pet ferret.
 * You Get Me Coffee: When Lucky first meets Thunderbolt in "Watch for Falling Idols," Thunderbolt tells Lucky to get him some lunch - "a mineral water and a croissant, if you can find it." Unlike most instances of this trope, however, Lucky is thrilled to do it, because he's so starstruck.