Yogi Bear (segments)

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This article is about the segments. For other uses, see Yogi Bear.
Yogi Bear
YB (YBS) title card.png
On-screen title card for The Yogi Bear Show.
Network Syndication
Production company Hanna-Barbera
Syndication
Original release September 29, 1958February 22, 1960; September 26, 1960—October 1, 1961; September 12November 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
YB (HHS) title card.png
Title card for The Huckleberry Hound Show.
Third title card
YB 501 title card.png
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 Number Original air date
"Yogi Bear's Big Break" 1x01 Week of September 29, 1958
"Slumber Party Smarty" 1x02 Week of October 6, 1958
"Pie-Pirates" 1x03 Week of October 13, 1958
"Big Bad Bully" 1x04 Week of October 20, 1958
"Foxy Hound-Dog" 1x05 Week of October 27, 1958
"The Brave Little Brave" 1x06 Week of November 3, 1958
"Tally Ho Ho Ho" 1x07 Week of November 10, 1958
"Baffled Bear" 1x08 Week of November 24, 1958
"High Fly Guy" 1x09 Week of November 17, 1958
"Big Brave Bear" 1x10 Week of December 1, 1958
"The Stout Trout" 1x11 Week of December 15, 1958
"The Buzzin' Bear" 1x12 Week of December 22, 1958
"The Runaway Bear" 1x13 Week of January 51959
"Be My Guest Pest" 1x14 Week of January 12, 1959
"Duck in Luck" 1x15 Week of January 26, 1959
"Bear on a Picnic" 1x16 Week of February 2, 1959
"Prize Fight Fright" 1x17 Week of February 16, 1959
"Brainy Bear" 1x18 Week of February 23, 1959
"Robin Hood Yogi" 1x19 Week of March 2, 1959
"Daffy Daddy" 1x20 Week of March 9, 1959
"Scooter Looter" 1x21 Week of March 16, 1959
"Hide and Go Peek" 1x22 Week of March 23, 1959
"Show Biz Bear" 2x01 Week of September 14, 1959
"Lullabye-Bye Bear" 2x02 Week of September 21, 1959
"Bare Face Bear" 2x03 Week of September 28, 1959
"Papa Yogi" 2x04 Week of October 26, 1959
"Stranger Ranger" 2x05 Week of November 2, 1959
"Rah Rah Bear" 2x06 Week of November 21, 1959
"Bear for Punishment" 2x07 Week of November 30, 1959
"Nowhere Bear" 2x08 Week of December 21, 1959
"Wound-Up Bear" 2x09 Week of December 28, 1959
"Bewitched Bear" 2x10 Week of January 181960
"Hoodwinked Bear" 2x11 Week of January 25, 1960
"Snow White Bear" 2x12 Week of February 15, 1960
"Space Bear" 2x13 Week of February 22, 1960
"Oinks and Boinks" 3x01 Week of September 26, 1960
"Booby Trapped Bear" 3x02 Week of October 24, 1960
"Gleesome Threesome" 3x03 Week of December 12, 1960
"A Bear Pair" 3x04 1960
"Spy Guy" 3x05 Week of December 7, 1960
"Do or Diet" 3x06 Week of December 12, 1960
"Bears and Bees" 3x07 Week of January 16, 1961

The Yogi Bear Show

Episode Number Original air date
"Biggest Show Off on Earth" 3x08 Week of January 23, 1961
"Genial Genie" 3x09 1961
"Cub Scout Boo Boo" 3x10 Week of February 6, 1961
"Home-Sweet Jellystone" 3x11 Week of February 1961
"Love-Bugged Bear" 3x12 Week of February 13, 1961
"Bearface Disguise" 3x13 Week of October 31, 1960
"Slap Happy Birthday" 3x14 Week of February 1961
"A Bear Living" 3x15 1961
"Disguise and Gals" 3x16 1961
"Touch and Go-Go-Go" 4x01 1961
"Acrobatty Yogi" 4x02 Week of April 17, 1961
"Ring-a-Ding Picnic Basket" 4x03 Week of April 24, 1961
"Iron Hand Jones" 4x04 1961-62 season
"Yogi's Pest Guest" 4x05 1961-62 season
"Missile Bound Yogi" 4x06 1961-62 season
"Loco Locomotive" 4x07 1961-62 season
"Missile-Bound Bear" 4x08 1961-62 season
"A Wooin' Bruin" 4x09 1962
"Yogi in the City" 4x10 1961-62 season
"Queen Bee for a Day" 4x11 1961-62 season
"Batty Bear" 4x12 1961-62 season
"Droop-a-Long Yogi" 4x13 1961-62 season
"Threadbare Bear" 4x14 February 5, 1962
"Ice Box Raider" 4x15 1961
"Bear Foot Soldiers" 4x16 1961-62 season
"Yogi's Birthday Party" 4x17 October 1, 1961

The New Yogi Bear Show

Episode Number Original air date
"Kahuna Yogi" 5x01 September 12, 1988
"Grin & Bear It" 5x02 September 13, 1988
"Board Silly" 5x03 September 14, 1988
"Shine on Silver Screen" 5x04 September 15, 1988
"Buffalo'd Bear" 5x05 September 16, 1988
"The Yolk's on Yogi" 5x06 September 19, 1988
"Yogi De Beargerac" 5x07 September 20, 1988
"Bearly Sick" 5x08 September 21, 1988
"Bear Exchange" 5x09 September 22, 1988
"To Bear Is Human" 5x10 September 23, 1988
"Slim & Bear It" 5x11 September 26, 1988
"Old Biter" 5x12 September 27, 1988
"Pokey, the Bear" 5x13 September 28, 1988
"Shadrak Yogi" 5x14 September 29, 1988
"Bruise Cruise" 5x15 September 30, 1988
"Bear Obedience" 5x16 October 3, 1988
"Come Back, Little Boo Boo" 5x17 October 4, 1988
"La Bamba Bear" 5x18 October 5, 1988
"Clucking Crazy" 5x19 October 6, 1988
"Misguided Missile" 5x20 October 7, 1988
"Double Trouble" 5x21 October 10, 1988
"Attack of the Ninja Raccoon" 5x22 October 11, 1988
"Biker Bear" 5x23 October 12, 1988
"Bearly Buddies" 5x24 October 13, 1988
"Predaterminator" 5x25 October 14, 1988
"Little Lord Boo Boo" 5x26 October 17, 1988
"Yogi, the Cave Bear" 5x27 October 18, 1988
"Little Big Foot" 5x28 October 19, 1988
"Top Gun Yogi" 5x29 October 20, 1988
"The Hopeful Diamond" 5x30 October 21, 1988
"Real Bears Don't Eat Quiche" 5x31 October 24, 1988
"Slippery Smith" 5x32 October 25, 1988
"In Search of the Ninja Raccoon" 5x33 October 26, 1988
"Balloonatics" 5x34 October 27, 1988
"The Big Bear Ballet" 5x35 October 28, 1988
"Blast Off Bears" 5x36 October 31, 1988
"Battle of the Bears" 5x37 November 1, 1988
"Bringing Up Yogi" 5x38 November 2, 1988
"Unbearable" 5x39 November 3, 1988
"Banjo Bear" 5x40 November 4, 1988
"Boxcar Pop" 5x41 November 7, 1988
"Yogi Meets the Mummy" 5x42 November 8, 1988
"Ninja Raccoon, The Final Shogun" 5x43 November 9, 1988
"The Not So Great Escape" 5x44 November 10, 1988
"My Buddy Blubber" 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

  • 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."
  • In the Lucifer episode "Yabba Dabba Do Me," young Jimmy Baines watches the episode "Queen for a Day."

Ren and Stimpy Show

  • "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.
  • "Ren's Retirement:" The worm who eats both Ren and Stimpy in the end wears an outfit similar to early Hanna-Barbera funny animal characters, namely Yogi, while his voice and mannerisms are clearly a parody of Fred Flintstone.

In other languages

Language Name
Brazilian Zé Colméia
French Yogi l'ours
Spanish El Oso Yogui
Japanese クマゴロウ (Kumagoro)

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.