Hanna-Barbera
From Muppet Wiki
Hanna-Barbera was a prolific animation studio which, between 1957 and 1998, produced scores of animated television series and specials, as well as a few forays into theatrical films. The company took its name from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who first teamed as co-directors of the Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts for MGM. When MGM closed its doors, Hanna and Barbera struck out on their own, producing limited animation television product which came to dominate network Saturday morning slots for decades. Their earliest series was Ruff and Reddy, followed by Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and Scooby-Doo, amongst others. One of their more notable successes in the 1980s came from licensing a group of popular Belgian comic characters for a long-running animated series, The Smurfs.
In 1990, Hanna Barbera was one of several companies which collaborated on Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, with the Smurfs sharing screentime with the Muppet Babies. Though the studio itself no longer exists, having been absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation in 1998, its extensive sound-effects library is still in wide use, and has been heard in several Muppet/Henson contexts since the 1980s, most notably the Muppet Babies animated series.
References
- In 1994, Jim Henson's Creature Shop supplied animatronic dinosaurs and other prehistoric characters for the live-action movie version of The Flintstones, and would do the same for the prequel The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera made cameo appearances in both films.
- On Sesame Street, in a Season 16 episode, one of the kids has two goldfish named Tom and Jerry. When Olivia learns of their names, she says, "Well, I won't go into that."
- The seventh-season Muppet Babies episode "Muppet Babies: The Next Generation" spoofed several space-themed films and TV series, including The Jetsons. The equivalent here is The Spacetons, with Baby Kermit in the George Jetson role, Baby Piggy spoofing Jane, and Baby Rowlf as "Rowlfo the Dog" (the equivalent to Astro).
- In Muppets Tonight episode 103, Sal Manilla addresses Bobo the Bear as "Yogi the Butthead," an allusion to Yogi Bear.
Connections
Several voice actors in Hanna-Barbera series were also heard in Sesame Street inserts.
- Daws Butler voiced Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Elroy Jetson, Augie Doggie, QuickDraw McGraw, and dozens of others for Hanna-Barbera
- Casey Kasem voiced Shaggy on Scooby Doo, Alexander Cabot in Josie and the Pysscats, and Robin in The Superfriends
- Howard Morris voiced Atom Ant, Mushmouse and Mr. Peebles on The Magilla Gorilla Show, Grandpa Jetson, Jet Screamer, and others on The Jetsons, and various roles on The Flintstones, amongst others
- Gary Owens voiced Space Ghost, The Blue Falcon, and various announcers
- Hal Smith voiced several roles on The Flintstones, Yappy and the king in Yippee Yappy and Yahooey, Santa Claus in multiple HB specials and series episodes, Coil Man in The Impossibles, and others; on Sesame Street, he voiced a bear, ant, and alephant in a short about co-operation and taking turns.
- Arnold Stang voiced Top Cat; on Sesame Street, he was heard as a mad scientist who invents the letter H.
Other actors who lent their voices or appeared in Muppet/Creature Shop productions also had Hanna-Barbera connections.
- Greg Berg voiced Huckleberry Hound on Yo Yogi!
- Harvey Korman performed the voice of the Great Gazoo during the last season of The Flintstones (1965-66).
- Rob Paulsen voiced Corky in The Snorks, Hadji in The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, and Dickie Dastardly in Yo Yogi!
- John Stephenson voiced Mr. Slate in The Flintstones. Dr. Benton Quest in Jonny Quest, various villains in Scooby Doo, Doggie Daddy in several productions, and others
- Frank Welker voiced Fred on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and its spinoffs, Jabberjaw, Bandit in The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Puppy and Hefty Smurf in The Smurfs, and many others.
