Hector Heathcote was created by Paul Terry and his company, Terrytoons (creators of Heckle and Jeckle and Mighty Mouse) and first appeared in a series of 15 short theatrical cartoons in the late 50s and early 60s. In 1963, Hector made his way to the Saturday morning lineup in The Hector Heathcote Show. The show originally featured only the original theatrical shorts but soon expanded to include newly produced episodes.

Hector was a diminuative patriot who, through the miracle of time-travel, found himself smack-dab in the middle of many of the defining moments in history. While seeking a fuller understanding of these monumental events, he occasionally tried to change the outcomes - usually with little success.

While his travels didn’t always take him to the Revolutionary War era (such as when he tried to build the first plane) the early days of American History was a recurring theme. Tagging along was his loyal canine cohort,Winston, whose voice bore an uncanny resemblance to Churchill. Whether building George Washington’s rowboat for the upcoming Delaware River crossing or getting Paul Revere’s horse saddled up for its famous nighttime ride, Hector was always in the middle of history in the making.

Two other recurring segments rounded out The Hector Heathcliff Show, each former theatrical shorts of their own. Sidney’s Family Tree followed the adventures of a immature adult elephant and his caretakers, Stanley the Lion and Cleo the Giraffe. Hashimoto-san starred a Japanese mouse with advanced jujitsu skills who was befriended by his American cohort, G.I. Joe. Together, they spent their time trying to save his wife Hanako and their children Yuriko and Saburo from whatever peril they found themselves in.

The Hector Heathcote Show ran for two seasons but audiences never quite warmed to the character, even with plenty of merchandising help in the form of lunch boxes and other toys. By the time the 70s rolled around, few traces of Hector remained, other than the occasional comic book appearance.