Aired: 1961-62
DAD: David Seville (voice of Ross Bagdasarian) / Single
DAD’S JOB: Booking Agent
KIDS: Alvin (voice of Ross Bagdasarian), Simon (voice of Ross Bagdasarian), and Theodore (voice of Ross Bagdasarian) Chipmunk
WHERE’S MOM?: Unknown
STAND-IN “MOM”: Unknown
This one will cause arguments as to “Is David Seville a Single Dad?” — except — David has (on at least two shows) needed to make sure the boys got to school on time. He professed a requirement to get this task accomplished, so it must be inferred that he *is* the responsible guardian for Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. OK, they’re *rodents*, but they’re *talking* (and singing) rodents, so that makes them a special case. Besides, if they go, I can’t include Duckman, either.
Update: Alert Viewer Cassidy Peterson checks in with ponderments on Alvin, the Chipmunks, and their mom – – “I’m pretty darn sure what I watched wasn’t the original The Alvin Show, but I forget the specific name of the series I watched – probably “Alvin & the Chipmunks” . The Chipettes were involved. Anyways, the Chipmunks’ mother HAS been shown. There was a Mother’s Day special in which they visit her in her forest tree home – unfortunately I only saw it once, some years ago, but I think her logic behind leaving them with Dave was that she didn’t think she could provide them with the kind of life they deserved (NOT that she couldn’t take care of them, just that she couldn’t take care of them like she wanted to). I also seem to remember her saving them from some sort of forest-dwelling meanie like a warthog or something? – but I could just be retroactively hallucinating.”
A tip of the Ben Cartwright Memorial Stetson to Cassidy Peterson on the mom info. Thanks, Cassidy!