The Ant and the Aardvark a variety of names as sly terms of endearment (Ol' Sam, Ol' Ben, Ol' Blue, Claude, Pal, Buddy, Daddy-O). In several bumper sequences of "The Pink Panther Show", he is called "Blue Aardvark." "The Ant and the Aardvark" series was originally released by United Artists. Seventeen theatrical shorts were produced in the original series, and were subsequently featured in various television syndication packages, usually shown with DFE's other characters such as the Pink Panther and The Inspector. Most of the 17 entries appear in their television syndication form (complete with an audible laugh track added by NBC-TV) on the video
Otis the Aardvark was the puppeteer. He also performed in a number of other Children's BBC programmes, notably as The Cat from "Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow". When "Fully Booked" moved to Sundays on BBC2, the extended Saturday CBBC was renamed "Saturday Aardvark", with Otis being a key feature. In 1996, he presented "CBBC on Nickelodeon" during school hours on "Nickelodeon" alongside Nick Junior and his co-presenter was mascot "Arthur the Ant" in front of an ice cream parlour. He left in 1997 and was replaced by his cousin Marvin who presented from a shed until the strand finished on 16 July