Yogi Bear (segments)

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This article is about the segments. For other uses, see Yogi Bear.
Yogi Bear

On-screen title card for The Yogi Bear Show.
Network Syndication
Production company Hanna-Barbera
Original release September 29, 1958—February 22, 1960; September 26, 1960—October 1, 1961; September 12—November 11, 1988
Starring Daws Butler
Don Messick
Julie Bennett
Producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Music composed by Hoyt Curtin
Writer(s) Warren Foster
Director(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Series navigation
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Second title card

Title card for The Huckleberry Hound Show.
Third title card

Title card for The New Yogi Bear Show.

Yogi Bear is a series of animated segments as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Yogi Bear Show and The New Yogi Bear Show, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Airing in syndication, it originally, it ran from 1958 to 1961, airing 35 segments before being replaced by the Hokey Wolf shorts for the third season in 1961, then airing 33 segments on The Yogi Bear Show from 1960 to 1961. In 1988, 45 segments were aired for the final incarnation, The New Yogi Bear Show. In total there were 113 segments that spanned five seasons across three decades.

Proclaiming himself to be "smarter than the average bear," Yogi Bear is Jellystone Park's sneaky resident of the woods. He goes out with his friend and constant companion Boo Boo in numerous schemes within the area, namely using his wits in an attempt to steal picnic baskets (or "pic-a-nic baskets," as Yogi calls them). The two bears are usually chased down by Ranger Smith, a stern authority figure strained by Yogi's antics.

Production

Development

Yogi Bear's characterization was a spoof of Art Carney, who was mainly notable for his role as Ed Norton in the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners.[1] His personality largely came from similar traits to Carney's character, as the two share an identical hat, carefree attitude, and vocal inflection.

Before he was given the title of "Yogi", the bear originally went by the names of "Huckleberry", "Yucca", and "Yo-Yo."[2] The name "Huckleberry" was later given to the character of Huckleberry Hound, after "Yogi" was decided.

Yogi Bear's name also share similarities, although unofficially, to that of Yankees baseball player Yogi Berra. Berra sued Hanna-Barbera for defamation over Yogi's name sounding too similar, but withdrew it when Hanna-Barbera stated that it was a coincidence.[3] According to Joseph Barbera, he claimed that the name did not have a intended reference, but asserted that "the sound of the name was awash in our collective unconscious at a time when Yogi Berra was a very popular figure."[4] Berra, however, addressed the similarities of the name in a 1963 interview, stating "Television is big enough for both me and Yogi Bear. I was going to sue the Yogi Bear program for using my name, until somebody reminded me Yogi isn’t my real name — it’s Lawrence."[4]

Music

The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin.

Episodes

The Huckleberry Hound Show

Episode Original air date
1x01 Week of September 29, 1958
1x02 Week of October 6, 1958
1x03 Week of October 13, 1958
1x04 Week of October 20, 1958
1x05 Week of October 27, 1958
1x06 Week of November 3, 1958
1x07 Week of November 10, 1958
1x08 Week of November 24, 1958
1x09 Week of November 17, 1958
1x10 Week of December 1, 1958
1x11 Week of December 15, 1958
1x12 Week of December 22, 1958
1x13 Week of January 5, 1959
1x14 Week of January 12, 1959
1x15 Week of January 26, 1959
1x16 Week of February 2, 1959
1x17 Week of February 16, 1959
1x18 Week of February 23, 1959
1x19 Week of March 2, 1959
1x20 Week of March 9, 1959
1x21 Week of March 16, 1959
1x22 Week of March 23, 1959
2x01 Week of September 14, 1959
2x02 Week of September 21, 1959
2x03 Week of September 28, 1959
2x04 Week of October 26, 1959
2x05 Week of November 2, 1959
2x06 Week of November 21, 1959
2x07 Week of November 30, 1959
2x08 Week of December 21, 1959
2x09 Week of December 28, 1959
2x10 Week of January 18, 1960
2x11 Week of January 25, 1960
2x12 Week of February 15, 1960
2x13 Week of February 22, 1960
3x01 Week of September 26, 1960
3x02 Week of October 24, 1960
3x03 Week of December 12, 1960
3x04 1960
3x05 Week of December 7, 1960
3x06 Week of December 12, 1960
3x07 Week of January 16, 1961

The Yogi Bear Show

Episode Original air date
3x08 Week of January 23, 1961
3x09 1961
3x10 Week of February 6, 1961
3x11 Week of February 1961
3x12 Week of February 13, 1961
3x13 Week of October 31, 1960
3x14 Week of February 1961
3x15 1961
3x16 1961
4x01 1961
4x02 Week of April 17, 1961
4x03 Week of April 24, 1961
4x04 1961-62 season
4x05 1961-62 season
4x06 1961-62 season
4x07 1961-62 season
4x08 1961-62 season
4x09 1962
4x10 1961-62 season
4x11 1961-62 season
4x12 1961-62 season
4x13 1961-62 season
4x14 February 5, 1962
4x15 1961
4x16 1961-62 season
4x17 October 1, 1961

The New Yogi Bear Show

Episode Original air date
5x01 September 12, 1988
5x02 September 13, 1988
5x03 September 14, 1988
5x04 September 15, 1988
5x05 September 16, 1988
5x06 September 19, 1988
5x07 September 20, 1988
5x08 September 21, 1988
5x09 September 22, 1988
5x10 September 23, 1988
5x11 September 26, 1988
5x12 September 27, 1988
5x13 September 28, 1988
5x14 September 29, 1988
5x15 September 30, 1988
5x16 October 3, 1988
5x17 October 4, 1988
5x18 October 5, 1988
5x19 October 6, 1988
5x20 October 7, 1988
5x21 October 10, 1988
5x22 October 11, 1988
5x23 October 12, 1988
5x24 October 13, 1988
5x25 October 14, 1988
5x26 October 17, 1988
5x27 October 18, 1988
5x28 October 19, 1988
5x29 October 20, 1988
5x30 October 21, 1988
5x31 October 24, 1988
5x32 October 25, 1988
5x33 October 26, 1988
5x34 October 27, 1988
5x35 October 28, 1988
5x36 October 31, 1988
5x37 November 1, 1988
5x38 November 2, 1988
5x39 November 3, 1988
5x40 November 4, 1988
5x41 November 7, 1988
5x42 November 8, 1988
5x43 November 9, 1988
5x44 November 10, 1988
5x45 November 11, 1988

Cast

Crossover

Title Number Original air date
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law: "Death by Chocolate" 1 July 14, 2002

Legacy

Yogi warning National Park visitors to not feed the bears.

Many of the spin-off TV series and movies are based on what was created for The Yogi Bear Show. The success of The Yogi Bear Show propelled Yogi onto the big screen in his only animated theatrical film, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear, released in 1964, becoming the first Hanna-Barbera movie to be distributed by Columbia Pictures.

The popularity of Yogi Bear has also extended to its influence on National Park Service, with the character's appeal boosting visitation in most United States parks. In 1961, at the request of children inquiring about Yogi, authorities in Yellowstone National Park put out signs and flyers of the character in regards to bear safety, including cut-outs of him holding a sign warning visitors to not feed the bears. Despite these efforts, data on annual bear-related injuries in Yellowstone skyrocketed as a indirect result of Yogi's public image; Numbers rose to 69 injuries in 1960, as opposed to a drop from 37 in 1959. As one park service administrator had put it, the humorous roadside signs and flyers, such as those featuring Yogi, had "instill[ed] a sense of levity rather than one of seriousness in the visitor." In response to the criticism, Yellowstone authorities discontinued the use of Yogi Bear in their anti-bear feeding campaign.[5]

The Spümcø tributes

Former Hanna-Barbera animator John Kricfalusi, better known as John K., started up his own animation studio Spümcø in 1989, which created the referred The Ren & Stimpy Show for Nickelodeon in 1991. In 1999, Cartoon Network gave him his chance to show his "love" for old Hanna-Barbera cartoons by creating two shorts called "A Day in the Life of Ranger Smith" and "Boo Boo Runs Wild."

In popular culture

WARNING: The following section contains content that may be seen as mature or offensive to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Main article: List of pop culture references to Yogi Bear
  • In The Ren & Stimpy Show episode "The Big Shot!," Stimpy becomes the co-star of Muddy Mudskipper, where they reenact one of the many chase sequences between Yogi and Ranger Smith, respectively. Muddy tells Stimpy to get his hand out of the picnic basket, while Stimpy just spouts random quotes originally said by George Jetson, Elmer Fudd, and Mr. Jinks.
  • In the Freakazoid! episode "Freak-a-Panel," when Freakazoid enters the Kids' WB panel, Tom Minton is randomly holding a sign that reads, "Yogi Bear is made of metal!" as an in-joke to the time Jean MacCurdy, head of Warner Bros. Animation, once asked him in a meeting with others if he would develop a new Yogi Bear show, with his negative response being, "Only if he were made of metal," which was itself an in-joke to Warner Bros. Animation slanting towards more DC Comics-oriented shows.[6]
  • In the Animaniacs segment "Back in Style," the Warner Siblings were loaned off to other cartoon studios, including one run by Phil and Shmoe (parodies of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera). One of the cartoon characters that the Warners met is a spoof of Yogi Bear, named Who Who Hooey, where they mocked his cartoon's superficial dialogue and flat backgrounds. The Warner siblings interfere in the lunchbox stealing escapades of Calhourn Capybara and his impressionable young sidekick, Lew Lew, parodies of Yogi and Boo Boo. Interestingly, though, it's not one of the cartoons listed as a ratings failure.
  • In the Saturday Night Live episode "Rob Lowe/Eminem," in a skit about a fictional Crime TV program called Pros & Cons, the participants talk about the ethics of Mystery Inc. taking the law into their own hands (which includes Scooby and Shaggy themselves), with the next episode's topic planning to "examine the concept of victims' rights in the theft of pic-a-nic baskets."
  • The series title card of The Ricky Gervais Show is a parody of the title cards used for the segments of Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear from The Huckleberry Hound Show.
  • In the Lucifer episode "Yabba Dabba Do Me," young Jimmy Baines watches the episode "Queen for a Day."
  • Stimpy & Muddy do Yogi & Ranger Smith.
    Stimpy & Muddy do Yogi & Ranger Smith.
  • I don't think Ranger Smith will like that, Calhourn.
    I don't think Ranger Smith will like that, Calhourn.

Dead Ringers (radio)

  • "Episode Two" (series 2): Nick Russ presents Cartoon Crimewatch that reports the theft of a picnic basket on Easter Sunday, providing a reenactment of the crime with Yogi ordering Boo Boo to provide a distraction so Yogi can steal the picnic basket, but his plan is foiled by the appearance of Ranger Smith. Russ ponders if Boo Boo is a friend or accomplice, and notes that Yogi is distinguished by a "trilby hat." He asks viewers to call if they have any knowledge.
  • "Episode Seven" (series 2): On The Jerry Springer Show, Jerry Springer has Yogi and his nephew (yes, nephew) Boo Boo on the show as Yogi wants to confess that he has been having an affair with Ranger Smith (and I thought the nephew relation was bad enough). Boo Boo doesn't like this and is concerned for Yogi's girlfriend, Cindy. But Yogi feels powerless against Ranger Smith's "picnic basket," and calls Cindy a "trailer trash hoe." Boo Boo can't hear anymore and responds with, "Talk to the paw, cos the face ain't listening!" As Yogi and Boo Boo bicker, Jerry closes the show with his "Final Thoughts," that if you go into the woods be careful because you'll be in for a big surprise.

Full House

Main article: Full House
  • "The Return of Grandma:" It is a Saturday morning and Stephanie wants to watch Bugs Bunny, but Joey who would prefer to watch Yogi Bear, says Bugs Bunny is kid's stuff and that every episode is the same, but Stephanie argues that it is the same thing with Yogi always stealing picnic baskets. When Danny wants to talk to Joey in the kitchen, he makes sure Stephanie tells him what he has missed, even though Joey has it all recorded anyway, but he likes to watch it live. Joey then spends the rest of the morning watching Yogi. It also distracts the rest of the family from cleaning up.
  • "Fraternity Reunion:" Jesse says he hid in a swamp from a horde of bees from what he saw in a Yogi Bear cartoon, but Yogi was wrong.

In other languages

Language Name
Brazilian Zé Colméia
French Yogi l'ours
Spanish El Oso Yogui
Japanese クマゴロウ　(Kumagoro)*
  • In later runs, the series was renamed to ヨギ　ベアー, which is Yogi Bear written in Katakana, the Japanese alphabet for foreign words.

Merchandise

Home media

Toys and games

References

  1. ^ Sennett, Ted (October 30, 1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera, page 60. Viking Studio Books. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  2. ^ Sennett, page 59.
  3. ^ Dowing, Tim (23 September 2015). The blurred boundaries between Yogi Berra and Yogi Bear]. The Guardian (2015).
  4. ^ a b Gardner, Eriq (September 23, 2015).Yogi Berra Suing Over Yogi Bear? Take It With a Grin of Salt. The Hollywood Reporter (2015).
  5. ^ Rumm, John (2008); McClure, Nancy (January 7, 2017). Yellowstone and Jellystone: Yogi Bear at 50, Buffalo Bill Centre of The West (2017). Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Minton, Tom (July 25, 2007). "Freazazoid at Comic Con International" (comments section). Retrieved May 31, 2024.
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