Jana of the Jungle
| Jana of the Jungle | |
|---|---|
 On-screen title card. | |
| Created by | Doug Wildey Dick Robbins[1] Duane Poole[1] |
| Network | NBC |
| Production company | Hanna-Barbera |
| Distributor | Taft Broadcasting |
| Original release | September 9—December 2, 1978 |
| Run time | 21 minutes |
| Starring | B.J. Ward Michael Bell Ted Cassidy |
| Executive producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Producer(s) | Doug Wildey Iwao Takamoto |
| Music composed by | Hoyt Curtin |
| Writer(s) | Dick Robbins Duane Poole |
| Director(s) | Ray Patterson Carl Urbano Wally Burr (voices) |
Jana of the Jungle is an American animated adventure television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for NBC's Saturday morning children's programming. It ran in 1978, airing 13 episodes that spanned one season.
As a child, Jana and her father become the victims of a boating accident while traveling the Great River of South America. She is saved from being drowned by Montaro, the last of a warrior tribe (who can speak perfect English), while her father survives, but is not found. His survival is only revealed to the audience, while she believes that he has survived based solely on no evidence, and it's barely on her mind (as if that wouldn't have made an interesting side plot). She grows up into a formidable protector and defender of the jungle since being raised by Montaro and has befriended many of the local animals, including a white tiger named Ghost, and a parrot named Picchu. By the start of the series, she has already been joined by Doctor Ben Cooper, a veterinarian who happens to be there (and would've clearly made an interesting love interest, but alas, he is not).
Most episodes revolve around Jana dealing with the numerous indigenous tribes who are superstitious and uneducated.
Production
Development
Jana of the Jungle may have been Hanna-Barbera's response to Filmation's Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle. Like Jana, he was well-spoken and intelligent, opposed to being simple-minded.
Music
The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin, credited as musical director, with musical supervision from Paul DeKorte.
Episodes
| Episode | Number | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| "Countdown" | 1x01 | September 9, 1978 |
| "The Golden Idol of the Gorgas" | 1x02 | September 16, 1978 |
| "Katuchi Danger" | 1x03 | September 23, 1978 |
| "Race for Life" | 1x04 | September 30, 1978 |
| "The Cordillera Volcano" | 1x05 | October 7, 1978 |
| "The Animal Snatchers" | 1x06 | October 14, 1978 |
| "The Renegade" | 1x07 | October 21, 1978 |
| "Rogue Elephant" | 1x08 | October 28, 1978 |
| "The Prisoner" | 1x09 | November 4, 1978 |
| "The Invaders" | 1x10 | November 11, 1978 |
| "Dangerous Cargo" | 1x11 | November 18, 1978 |
| "The Sting of the Tarantula" | 1x12 | November 25, 1978 |
| "Suspicion" | 1x13 | December 2, 1978 |
Cast
Legacy
In the same year, Jana also made a hilariously misplaced guest appearance on Yogi's Space Race.
References
- ^ a b Poole, Duane in response to HBGrifkuba (May 19, 2021). "Yes, I story-edited, produced, and co-created that series along with my then-partner". Twitter. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
