In 1958, a certain anthropomorphic furry animal made his debut in the animated series The Huckleberry Hound Show. Although initially serving as a supporting character, this forest-dwelling bear went on to become the first breakout character in animated television and remains as one of Hanna-Barbera’s most beloved creations. Do you know who this is?
Created by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and Ed Benedict, Yogi Bear followed his success on The Huckleberry Hound Show with his very own show. Sponsored by Kellogg’s, The Yogi Bear Show debuted on January 30, 1961, and ran for 33 episodes until January 6, 1962. This series featured the voices of Daws Butler as Yogi Bear, Don Messick as Boo-Boo Bear and Ranger Smith, and Julie Bennett as Yogi’s girlfriend Cindy Bear. The Yogi Bear Show centered on Yogi’s misadventures in Jellystone Park as he stole picnic baskets and evaded Ranger Smith.
Yogi’s personality and mannerisms, like many Hanna-Barbera characters, were based on a popular celebrity of the time – in this case, Art Carney’s Ed Norton from The Honeymooners. Yogi often spoke in rhyme, had a penchant for using puns and had a habit of pronouncing large words with a long vocal flourish. He also had a number of catchphrases, including “pic-a-nic baskets,” and “I’m smarter than the av-er-age bear!” Despite Yogi’s habitual criminality, stealing picnic baskets and their contents, he is depicted as a sympathetic protagonist.
Following The Yogi Bear Show’s cancellation, many spinoff incarnations, feature movies, and specials appeared. Most notably, the musical animated feature film, Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear! in 1964. Not only was this the first theatrical feature produced by Hanna-Barbera, but it was also the first feature-length theatrical animated film based on a television program. Butler, Messick, and Bennett reprised their roles alongside Mel Blanc as Grifter Chizzling and J. Pat O’Malley as Snively Chizzling.
Additional spinoffs included Yogi’s Ark Lark, Yogi’s Gang, Yogi's Space Race, Yogi’s First Christmas, Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper, Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, Yogi’s Great Escape, Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose, Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears, and Yogi the Easter Bear. Hanna-Barbera also produced a 1988 version of the original Yogi Bear Show called The New Yogi Bear Show, before introducing the series, Yo Yogi!. This 1991 series, which featured Yogi and the gang as teenagers, was the last time Yogi starred as a main character in an animated series. Until now.
After almost 30 years, Yogi will take center stage in a new animated series for HBO Max entitled Jellystone! Along with Yogi, the series features Boo-Boo Bear, Augie Doggie, Doggie Daddy, Jabberjaw, Captain Caveman, and a host of others living in the town of Jellystone – where they can’t help but make trouble for one another. Created by C.H. Greenblatt (Chowder) in conjunction with Warner Bros. Animation, this slapstick series will be premiering sometime in 2020. Greenblatt will also serve as executive producer alongside Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi creator, and President of Warner Bros. Animation, Sam Register.
