Alvin was such a hot ticket, that by 1961, he landed his own TV show. He got a second series in the '80s, which ran for eight seasons on Saturday mornings.

Incorporating the singing Chipmunk hit-makers from the 1960s, Alvin and the Chipmunks brought the scamps into the '80s and gave them a bunch of cover songs to maul with their little tiny voices.

Bagdasarian's son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., took control of the family company, Bagdasarian Productions, and in the early '80s, he and his wife, Janice Karman, revived the Chipmunks.

REVIEW Alvin and the Chipmunks Who: With Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson. Directed by Tim Hill. Rated: PG for some mild crude humor Running time: 90 minutes. When: Opens Friday, Dec. 14 ...

Now fully iconic, the Chipmunks defied expectations again by thriving in a quartet of CG/live action feature films, beginning with 2007’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” and in the current ...

The Chipmunks consist of three singing animated characters: Alvin, Theodore, and Simon. Bagdasarian Sr. named them after the executives at their original record label, Liberty Records.