The Peter Potamus Show
| The Peter Potamus Show | |
|---|---|
 On-screen title card. | |
| Network | Syndication ABC |
| Production company | Hanna-Barbera |
| Original release | September 16, 1964—October 23, 1967 |
| Starring | Daws Butler Don Messick Howard Morris Hal Smith Mel Blanc John Stephenson Doug Young |
| Producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Music composed by | Hoyt Curtin |
| Writer(s) | Tony Benedict Warren Foster Dalton Sandifer |
| Director(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
The Peter Potamus Show is an American animated anthology television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in syndication, but was later picked up for ABC's Saturday morning children's programming. It ran from 1964 to 1967, airing 27 episodes that spanned two seasons.
The show debuted with segments, Peter Potamus and So-So, Breezly and Sneezly and Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey.
The entire series has been released on DVD.
Production
Development
In partnering with Hanna-Barbera and sponsoring The Peter Potamus Show, the Kitsap Sun reported that the Ideal Toy Corporation invested $30,000,000 in a five year period to sponsor four animated shows, on a 52-week basis.[1][2] On December 23, 1963, Variety reported that the studio budgeted $4,200,000 for the Peter Potamus and Magilla Gorilla shows;[2] with Magilla preceeding the former's airing on January 15, 1964.
In developing the lead character of the series, animator and layout artist Jerry Eisenberg recounted on how Peter Potamus was created:
"Once I was thinking about a hippopotamus… Since I was overweight, I could relate to that. So I started making some drawings in the Hanna-Barbera style—the character standing on two legs. I put a safari coat on him and a pith helmet. Joe kind of liked it, so he got some writers together and we began to work on it. I don't know who came up with the name, but that was Peter Potamus."
- Jerry Eisneberg[3]
Segments
- Peter Potamus and So-So (1964-1967)
- Breezly and Sneezly (1964-1966)
- Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey (1964-1967)
- Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-long (1966-1967)
Music
The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin.
Opening Theme Lyrics
He's been everywhere,
flying through the air,
he is everyone's friend.
He will always land,
Just to land a hand,
He's a friend to the end.
Peter Potamus has the charm,
He will never conceal.
It's time to meet Peter Potamus,
Our IDEAL.
Look out!
Watch it!
The Peter Potamus Show, presented by... IDEAL!
Their wonderful toys, their Ideal
Yes it's time to meet Peter Potamus, our Ideal!
Episodes
Cast
- Daws Butler as Peter Potamus and Yahooey
- Don Messick as So-So
- Howard Morris as Breezly Bruin
- Hal Smith as Yappee and the King
- Mel Blanc as Sneezly
- John Stephenson as Colonel Fuzzby
- Doug Young as Yippee
References
- ^ (October 23, 1964). "250 People, 10,000 Drawings Go Into Cartoon Production". Kitsap Sun, page 10. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Yowp, Don M. (9 April 2015) "Here Comes a Star or Six". Yowp Yowp Blogspot. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ King, Susan (August 29, 2009). "Those yabba-dabba-doo-ers." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
