Thursday, January 23, 2014

The Hillbilly Bears

Okay, folks. This is one last Hanna-Barbera posting. It has been a total of 49 Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

The Hillbilly Bears is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It aired as a segment on The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show for two seasons, from 1965 to 1967. During the first half of the 1966-67 television season, The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show was split into two shows, and The Hillbilly Bears aired as part of The Atom Ant Show. The characters in the series were a family of four funny animal bears: Paw and Maw Rugg, their teenage daughter Floral, and their young son Shag. The Hillbilly Bears played on a social stereotype of the hillbilly, with a gun toting, mumbling father Paw Rugg who was always "feudin" with the neighbors the Hoppers. Paw Rugg's voice was a mumble, splattered with a few understandable words. Particularly in the first episodes, Paw's voice was incomprehensible; his speech improved with the later episodes. His wife Maw was a homemaker who appeared as the more levelheaded parent; their daughter Floral had lemon-colored fur, and she was the southern belle and most sophisticated member of the family while Shag was a troublemaker who looks up to his father.

The cartoon show features the voices of Henry Cordon as Paw Rugg. Jean Vander Pyl as Maw and Floral Rugg. And Don Messick as Shag Rugg.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Snorks

The Snorks is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera which ran from September 15, 1984 to May 13, 1989. Although not as popular as the animated series The Smurfs, the program continues to be available in syndication from 1986 to 1989 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera's 3rd season, on USA Network in the late 1980s, and early 1990s on the BBC in the late 1990s, and from 2009-2011 and again from time to time on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang. The Snorks are a race of small, colorful beings that live happily in the underwater world of Snorkland. They have snorkels on their heads, which are used to propel them swiftly through the water. When the Snorks became excited, their tubes make a snork sound in the water.

The cartoon show features the voices of Michael Bell as Allstar Seaworthy. B.J. Ward as Casey Kelp. Nancy Cartwright as Daffney Gillfin. Frank Welker as Occy, Grandpa Wetworth and Tooter Shelby. Brian Cummings as Dimmy Finster. Rob Paulsen as Corkey. Fredricka Weber as Willie Wetworth. Bob Holt as Mr. Seaworthy. Edie McClurg as both Mrs. Seaworthy and Ms. Seabottom. Roger DeWitt as Jo-Jo. Clive Revill as Dr. Galeo Seaworthy. Barry Gordon as Junior Wetworth. And Mitzi McCall as Auntie Marina.
Corky
JoJoMrs. SeaworthyMr. SeaworthyAuntie MarinaMrs. Seabottom

Sunday, January 19, 2014

The Smurfs

The Smurfs is an American-Belgian animated fantasy-comedy television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1981 to December 2, 1989. Made by Hanna-Barbera, it is based on the Belgian comic series by the same name, created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo who served as Story Supervisor of this adaption and aired for 256 episodes with a total of 418 stories, excluding three cliffhanger episodes and six specials. The Smurfs are the blue people who live in the Smurf Village with houses made of mushrooms. They are led by 543-year-old Papa Smurf, a good and powerful wizard. Each Smurf is assigned a task in the village, according the ability and the needs of the community. Smurfs live peaceful lives in harmony with nature. However, the Smurfs also face a horrible wizard named Gargamel. He is evil who spends his days trying to capture, eat, or destroy the Smurfs. Gargamel's cat Azrael adds to the menace, always looking for a tasty blue snack. Each of the Smurfs possesses one dominant emotion or characteristic, which is reflected by his or her name. Characters on the show include Brainy, Jokey, Vanity, Grouchy, Smurfette, and Clumsy.

The cartoon show features the voices of Don Messick as Papa Smurf. William Callaway as Clumsy Smurf. Michael Bell as Grouchy Smurf. Frank Welker as Hefty Smurf.  Danny Goldman as Brainy Smurf. Lucille Bliss as Smurfette. And June Foray as Jokey Smurf.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Trollkins

Trollkins is a 1981 animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired for one season on CBS. The show was inspired from The Dukes of Hazard and the Troll Dolls. Essentially a cross between The Smurfs, which incidentally premiered the same day on September 12, 1981, in the same slot and The Dukes of Hazard, it followed the adventures and misadventures of Blitz, Pixlee, and Flooky. The Trollkins are a race of trolls that had green, blue, and purple faces and lived in an underground, or rather in a tree, community called Trolltown. The episode plots follows the adventures of Blitz, Pixlee, and their pet companion Flooky. Blitz's father Mayor Lumpkin was somewhat of a short, incompetent, hot-headed, fumble-mouth of a mayor, whose talk is similar to Revs from Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch. Pixlee's father Sheriff Trollsom, who was more mild-mannered than Mayor Lumpkin, and his two deputies Dotty and Flake were just as incompetent and fumble minded in maintaining order in Trolltown. Nevertheless, there was no complete love amongst the citizens of Trolltown, despite the escapades, including a renegade motorcycle gang known as the Troll Choppers who terrorized the citizens of Trolltown from time to time, but was merely a nuisance, rather than a threat to everyone.

The cartoon show features the voices of Steve J. Spears as Blitz Lumpkin. Jennifer Darling as Pixlee Trollsom and Deputroll Dotty. Frank Welker as Flooky. Alan Oppenheimer as Sheriff Pudge Trollsom. Marshall Efron as Deputroll Flake. And Paul Winchell as Mayor Lumpkin.

Friday, January 17, 2014

The Robonic Stooges / The Skatebirds

The Robonic Stooges was a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series featuring the characters of The Three Stooges in new roles as clumsy crime-fighting bionic superheroes. It was developed by Norman Maurer and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from September 10, 1977 to March 18, 1978 on CBS and contained two segments, The Robonic Stooges and Woofer & Wimper, Dog Detectives. The Robonic Stooges originally aired as a segment on The Skatebirds from September 10, 1977 to December 24, 1977 on CBS. When CBS canceled The Skatebirds in early 1978, the trio was given their own half-hour timeslot which ran for 16 episodes. Moe, Larry, and Curly are superheroes who fight crime with their special bionical powers and are given assignments via film projector from their frustrated boss Agent 000 (pronounced "Oh-Oh-Oh!") who runs the Superhero Employment Agency.

The Skatebirds is a 60-minute show on CBS Saturday mornings from 1977-78, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The Skatebirds lasted only a half-season in its original run from September 10, 1977 to January 28, 1978. The show featured four short segments hosted by live-action wraparounds featuring the three large birds played by actors in their costumes. Similar to Hanna-Barbera's successful The Banana Splits, it's a live-action and animation show with animal costumes. The Skatebirds, so-called because the roller skated were named Satchel the Pelican, Knock-Knock the Woodpecker, and Scooter the Penguin. Their nemesis was Scat-Cat.

The Robonic Stooges features the voices of Paul Winchell as Moe. Joe Baker as Larry. Frank Welker as Curly. And Ross Martin Agent 000. Followed by The Skatebirds with the voices of Scatman Crothers as Scat-Cat. Bob Holt as Satchel. Don Messick as Scooter. And Lennie Weinrib as Knock-Knock.


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Jabberjaw

Jabberjaw is a Saturday morning animated series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired from September 11, 1976 to September 3, 1977 on ABC. Jabberjaw is a 15-foot great white shark and a drummer for The Neptunes, a rock group made up of four teenagers - Biff, Shelly, Bubbles, and Clamhead, who live underwater civilization in 2076. Jabberjaw and The Neptunes travel to various underwater cities where they encounter and deal with diabolical villains who want to conquer the undersea world. The Neptunes band that play instruments are Biff with the guitar, Shelly with the tambourine, Bubbles with the keyboard, and Clamhead with the bass.

The cartoon show features the voices of Frank Welker as Jabberjaw. Tommy Cook as Biff. Patricia Parris as Shelly. Julie McWhirter as Bubbles. And Barry Gordon as Clamhead.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Clue Club

Clue Club is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from August 14, 1976 to September 3, 1977 on CBS. Clue Club only had one season's worth of first-run episodes produced, which were shown on Saturday mornings on CBS. In the fall of 1977, cut-down versions of the half-hour episodes of Clue Club appeared under the new title of Woofer and Wimper, Dog Detectives to showcase the show's basset and bloodhound which aired as a segment on the CBS Saturday morning package program The Skatebirds from September 10, 1977 to January 28, 1978.

Similar in format to Hanna-Barbera's successful Scooby-Doo, the show centers around four adolescent friends who open the titular private investigation agency out of Larry's suburban residence. They are: Larry, 19; Pepper, 18; D.D., 16; and Dotty, 13. They solve mysteries with the big help of their two talking hounds, Woofer and Wimper. The dogs only talked to each other and the camera, they were not understood by the human characters. Clue Clube mysteries usually involved investigating bizarre crimes such as a movie director vanishing or a two-ton statue disappearing into thin air. Their relationship to the police was closer than most of H-B's variations of the formula, with the local Sheriff often requesting their assistance on cases, as well as making arrests at their conclusion.

The cartoon show features the voices of Tara Talboy as Dotty. Patricia Stitch as Pepper. Bob Hastings as D.D. David Jolliffe as Larry. Paul Winchell and Jim MacGeorge as two hound dogs Woofer and Wimper.
File:Dotty.jpg

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch

Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch is a 30-minute cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera which aired for one season on NBC from September 7, 1974 to August 30, 1975. It aired on Saturday morning from 8:30-9:00 a.m., opposite the popular The Bugs Bunny Show. This was the first and only Hanna-Barbera series that has no humans and animals in it. The series focuses on Wheelie, a red Volkswagen Beetle, and his girlfriend Rota Ree, a pun on both the "rotary engine" and Ruta Lee. Wheelie made his living as a professional and quite successful racing and stunt car. Wheelie did not talk, unlike the other characters in the show, but emoted by honking and displaying symbols across his windshield showing his inner thoughts such as a heart for love or a lightbulb for an idea. Wheelie could also produce any form of prop needed from his trunk through the use of special mechanized hands, much like Inspector Gadget would later.

Wheelie's regular nemesis were a 4-member motorcycle gang called the Chopper Bunch which included the leader Chopper, (who was jealous of Wheelie and had a spiked motorcycle helmet for a head) Revs, (a sputtering three-wheeled motorcycle who often mixed up his words) Hi-Riser, (who was tall in body but shorter in brains) and Scrambles.(a small minibike who acted more like a good kid caught up in the wrong crowd) Scrambles would constantly try to warn Chopper that his plans were about to backfire only to be rebuffed, "Muffle it, Scrambles!" and ended up taunted his sullen leader once they inevitably did: Scrambles: "Itoldja! Itoldja!" Chopper: "I know! I KNOW!"

The cartoon show features the voices of Frank Welker as Wheelie and Chopper. Don Messick as Scrambles. Lennie Weinrib as Hi-Riser. Paul Winchell as Revs. And Judy Strangis as Rota Ree.





Hong Kong Phooey

Hong Kong Phooey is a 16-episode (31 shorts) Hanna-Barbera Productions animated series that first aired on ABC Saturday morning from September 7, 1974 to December 21, 1974. It was a parody of kung fu shows and movies of the time. The main character Hong Kong Phooey is a clownishly clumsy identity of Penrod "Penry" Pooch, working at a police station as a "mild-mannered" janitor under the glare of Sergeant Flint. He transforms himself into Hong Kong Phooey upon running into a magic filing cabinet despite always stuck - and unstuck by his cat Spot - and once transformed, gets equipped with the "Phooeymobile" vehicle that transformed itself into a boat, a plane, or a telephone booth depending on the circumstances by banging his gong or changes automatically whenever necessary. He fights crime relying on his copy of The Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu, but he succeeds only thanks to his cat Spot who provides a solution to the challenges or they are solved by himself as a result of a comically unintended side effect if his conscious efforts. Each of the episode begins with Rosemary the telephone operator, getting a call and routinely saying, "Hallo, hallo, this is Rosemary the telephone operator, the lovely lassie with the classy chassis." and explaining the crime to the Sergeant Flint, upon which Penry does the routine of turning into a superhero.

The cartoon show features the voices of Scatman Crothers as Penrod "Penry" Pooch who is known as Hong Kong Phooey. Don Messick as Spot. Kathy Gori as Rosemary. And Joe E. Ross as Sergeant Flint.


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Jeannie

Jeannie was a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with Screen Gems from September 8, 1973 to August 30, 1975. It is loosely based upon the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, which aired on rival network NBC. The animated series features the eponymous 2,000-year-old genie character with master Corey Anders, a high school student, and his best friend Henry Glopp. Many of misadventures often involved run-ins with their rival, S. Melvin Farthinghill, a snooty rich kid and the series' antagonist whom Henry often addressed as "Smellvin" or "Smelly". S. Melvin was often a competitor with Corey when it came to girls, undermining his efforts at every turn. Comedian and former Three Stooges star Joe Besser voiced Babu, a cowardly, bumbling, immature genie-in-training under Jeannie's charge. His typical magic words are "Yapple Dapple!" which usually gets everyone around him into a pickle, even himself. Babu normally annoyed almost everyone he met because he gets so nervous, he could never control his powers. Unlike the blonde character from I Dream of Jeannie, the animated Jeannie was a ponytail redhead. She could use her magical powers by crossing her arms and whipping her ponytail insteas of blinking her eyes.

The cartoon show features the voices of Julie McWhirter as Jeannie. Mark Hamill as Corey Anders. Joe Basser as Babu. Bob Hastings as Henry Glopp. Tommy Cook as S. Melvin Farthinghill. John Stephenson as Hadji the Master of all Genies. And Janet Waldo as Mrs. Anders.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Goober and the Ghost Chasers

Goober and the Ghost Chasers is a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera and animated by the Eric Porter Studios in Australia, which aired from September 8, 1973 to August 30, 1975. A total of 16 half-hour episodes of Goober and the Ghost Chasers were produced. The show's episodes were later serialized as part of the syndicated weekday series Fred Flintstone and Friends in 1977. Similar to Hanna-Barbera's successful Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Goober and the Ghost Chasers also features a group of teenagers solving spooky mysteries with their dog Goober. The Ghost Chasers use their equipment from the Apparition Kit (like the Spector Detector, the Poltergeist Powder, etc.) when it comes to determining whether the ghost is real or not. The major differences were that the ghosts they eventually find are real and would help in defeating the fake ghosts. Some of those people behind the mask of some fake are not criminals. Goober had the power to become invisible when he was scared by the ghosts and his closest human companion is reckless instead of cowardly. Also unlike Scooby-Doo, Goober can talk more clearly.

The cartoon show features the voices of Paul Winchell as Goober. Jerry Dexter as Ted. Jo Ann Harris as Tina. And Ronnie Schell as Gilly.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Speed Buggy

Speed Buggy is a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on CBS from September 8, 1973 to August 30, 1975. This show followed the adventures of an anthropomorphic, fiberglass Dune Buggy, Speed Buggy, his driver Tinker, and Tinker's friends Mark, and Debbie. The three young adults and their car traveled from race to race, often encountering spy capers and mysteries along the way. Speed Buggy's trademark quotes were always "Roger-Dodger!" and "Vroom-a-zoom-zoom!" Though Speed Buggy, nicknamed Speedy and his friends - had a mind of his own, which is similar to Disney's Herbie the Love Bug, he was vulnerable to commands given through a communicator/remote control device made by Tinker when he first built Speed Buggy. Speed's friends rarely used the device to control his actions, using it mainly for its communication function, but criminal and other never-do-wells would sometimes steal or duplicate the device and manipulate Speed for their own purposes.

The cartoon show features the voices of Mel Blanc as Speed Buggy. Michael Bell as Mark. Arlene Golonka as Debbie. and Phil Luther, Jr. as Tinker.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Charlotte's Web 1973

Charlotte's Web is a 1973 American animated musical film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions and based upon the 1952 children's book of the same name by E.B. White. The film, like the book, is about a pig named Wilbur who befriends an intelligent spider named Charlotte who saves him from being slaughtered and was distributed to theaters by Paramount Pictures on March 1, 1973. It is the first of only three Hanna-Barbera features not based upon one of their famous television cartoons such as Heidi's Song in 1982 and Once Upon a Forest in 1993, being the other two - and was a moderate critical and commercial success. The song score of lyrics and music was written by the Sherman Brothers, who had previously written music for family films like: Mary Poppins in 1964, The Jungle Book in 1967, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968, and before three of Winnie the Pooh featurettes. After the studio decided to make the film, Joseph Barbera visited E.B. White in Maine.

The musical cartoon movie features the voices of Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte A. Cavatica. Paul Lynde as Templeton the rat. Henry Gibson as Wilbur the pig. Agnes Moorehead as the Goose. Don Messick as Jeffrey the chick. Dave Madden the Ram the sheep. Pamelyn Ferdin as Fern Arable. John Stephenson as John Arable. Martha Scott as Mrs. Arable. Danny Bonaduce as Avery Arable. William B. White as Henry Fussy. Bob Holt as Homer Zuckerman. Joan Gerber as Edith Zuckerman and Mrs. Fussy. And Herb Vigran as Lurvy. The movie is narrated by Rex Allen.

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan is a 1972 series made by Australia's Eric Porter Studios for American Hanna-Barbera Studios and CBS. It premiered shortly after what would have been Charlie Chan creator Earl Derr Bigger' 88th birthday. The voice of Mr. Chan, Keye Luke is the only actor of Chinese ancestry to play the title character in any screen adaption. In this series, Mr. Chan (whose first name is never given, except in the one episode title), his children and their dog Chu Chu solve mysteries around the city, with the children helping their father in every episode. They traveled in a van which could be transformed into other vehicles with the push of a button, which is also very similar to Hong Kong Phooey's Phooeymobile. The older children also had their own music group called The Chan Clan in every episode featured a song, either bring played over the action or with the characters playing various instruments and performing. Vocals for the group were provided by former Archies lead singer Ron Dante, with music supervision by Don Kirshner.

The cartoon show features the voices of Keye Luke as Mr. Charlie Chan. Robert Ito as Henry Chan. Lennie Weinrib as Stanley Chan. Brian Tochi as Alan Chan. Debbie Jue as Nancy Chan. Gene Andrusco as Flip Chan. Cherylene Lee as both Mimi Chan and Suzie Chan. Jodie Foster as Anne Chan.John Gunn as Tom Chan. Michael Morgan as Scooter Chan. And Don Messick as Chu Chu.