Line #17 WesternAnimation/Devlin


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devlin_completeseries_photo1.jpg]]
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3	''Devlin'' was a 1974 Hanna-Barbera cartoon about Ernie Devlin, an Evel Knievel-inspired stunt motorcyclist who travels with a circus. He is accompanied by his younger siblings, Tod (his mechanic and stunt choreographer) and Sandy (his assistant). ''Devlin'' was one of Hanna-Barbera's few dramatic ventures and ran for a total of 16 episodes.
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6	!!This series contains examples of:
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8	* AnachronicOrder: Although Sandy doesn't get her mini bike until the fourteenth episode of the series, it is referenced as an established part of the act in the seventh episode.
9	%% * TheBabyOfTheBunch: Ernie and Tod definitely underestimate Sandy at times. A particularly glaring example is in "Dad's Friend."
10	%% * BalloonBelly: Tod gets one after eating at Aunt Martha's in "Sandy's Choice."
11	%% * BigBrotherInstinct: Tod especially has this towards Sandy.
12	%% * ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: Uncle Jack's pipe]] in "Innocent or Guilty."
13	* CircusBrat: The main characters work at a circus during the summer, and Sandy has been at it since she was pretty young.
14	* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to most Hanna-Barbera fare, ''Devlin'' was some pretty heavy stuff. For comparison, a regular comment on this show is said that "when Devlin falls off his bike there's no cartoony sound effect, he goes to the hospital." And among the issues the show dealt with were PTSD, illegal immigration, child runaways, family separation, and a loose satanism metaphor [[note]]From a modern perspective "satanic idol" now conjures up stereotype images of death metal bands. But in the 70s Lucifer here was depicted as a more hedonistic and non-moralistic pop star. He also seemed to have an easy time attracting female attention in a Saturday Morning setting. You can see how the metaphor would have been written differently in the 1970s than today[[/note]].
15	* FaceYourFears: The climax of "Victory Over Fear," where Ernie is able to jump over a river to assist a troop of scouts.
16	* FamilyTitle: In universe, Ernie is "Devlin," but since the show is very much an ensemble piece, the title could be interpreted as referring to Ernie, Tod, and Sandy.
17	* FluffyTamer: Juan does a masterful job of calming zebras and lions down in "The Stowaway."
18	* FriendToAllLivingThings:
19	** Sandy endears herself to most animals she comes across -- especially baby lions.
20	** Every animal in the circus is gaga over Juan in "The Stowaway."
21	* GirlishPigtails: In the flashbacks in "Save That Lion," Sandy is shown to be younger by the fact that she's wearing pigtails.
22	* GreaseMonkey: Tod is an expert mechanic who hopes to be an engineer.
23	* HeroicBSOD: In "Victory Over Fear," Ernie has an accident that leaves him suffering from traumatic flashbacks. Things come to a head when the flashbacks prevent him from completing a stunt during a show.
24	* HiddenInPlainSight: In "Save That Lion," Prince disguises himself as a lion on the carousel.
25	* HonorBeforeReason: Ernie has a problem with this. For example, refusing to breach his contract after being injured -- even though his boss was willing to let him -- led him to having a public HeroicBSOD in "Victory Over Fear."
26	* IJustWantToBeBadass: Pete in "Hero Worshipper" desperately wants to prove that he's ''somebody'' and takes a bunch of stupid risks to prove it.
27	%% * InstrumentalThemeTune
28	* LimitedWardrobe: Each of the Devlins has about three outfits: their performance costumes, their street clothes, and their winter garb, which is basically just their street clothes with a winter coat and, in Tod's case, a different hat.
29	* MacGyvering: In "Tod's Triumph," Tod makes a pulley and winch out of a coil of rope and Ernie's motorcycle.
30	* MissingMom: Mr. Devlin is featured in a number of flashbacks, including one that reveals how he died. However, Mrs. Devlin is never shown, and it's not established what happened to her.
31	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: In the episode "Sandy's Idol," Hank engages a singer named Lucifer, who the description on the back of the DVD release describes as a "satanic idol." Downplayed somewhat, as there's no real evidence that the singer is a) {{Satan}} or b) consorting with him -- he's just really obnoxious and totally self-absorbed. See the DarkerAndEdgier entry fr a longer explanation.
32	%%* NonIronicClown: Jester
33	%%* OneWordTitle
34	* PromotionToParent: After their parents died, Ernie took on the role of caregiver for his younger siblings.
35	* RunningGag:
36	** Tod would come up with "the best stunt ''ever''," and Ernie would handily deflate it by pointing out a practical error.
37	** Throughout the second half of the series, Jumbo the elephant would harass Tod by squirting him with water at least [[OnceAnEpisode once per episode]] and [[OverusedRunningGag usually more]]. Even in "Like Father, Like Son," when the group was stranded on a mountain in the freezing cold, Jumbo was chucking ''snowballs'' at Tod using his trunk.
38	** Also in the second half of the series, Jester was wont to make really terrible jokes that would rarely elicit more than glares.
39	* ShouldntWeBeInSchoolRightNow: Averted. Ernie, Tod, and Sandy are all full-time students and only work the circus in the summer.
40	* SiblingTeam: Although an argument could be made that includes all three Devlins, this dynamic is especially present in Ernie and Tod's relationship.
41	* SingleTear: A decent number of the times Sandy is shown crying, it is this trope.
42	* SuccessfulSiblingSyndrome: Tod gets a touch of this in "Tod's Triumph." When he is offered a high profile job with another circus, he considers taking it so he will be recognized in his own right instead of just as Ernie's brother.
43	* SunglassesAtNight: Tod is never seen without his shades. The closest they ever come to leaving his face is when they slide down his nose after one of Jumbo's water attacks.
44	%% * TranquillizerDart: One is used to [[InstantSedation instantly sedate]] Prince in "Save That Lion."
45	%% * WalkingTheEarth: Subverted, as the circus actually gives them a ''reason'' to travel around.

Context WesternAnimation / Devlin