The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
The show's modern title card, used on home video releases in the 21st century
Genre	Surreal comedy Slapstick Satire Variety
Created by	Jay Ward Alex Anderson Bill Scott
Voices of	June Foray Bill Scott Paul Frees Daws Butler Edward Everett Horton Walter Tetley Charlie Ruggles Hans Conried Hal Smith
Narrated by	William Conrad Paul Frees Edward Everett Horton
Theme music composer	Frank Comstock (Seasons 1–2) Fred Steiner (Seasons 3–5)
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	163 (815 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ponsonby Britt, O.B.E.
Producer(s)	Jay Ward Bill Scott
Running time	23 minutes
Production company(s)	Jay Ward Productions Gamma Productions Producers Associates of Television, Inc.
Release
Original network	ABC (1959–61) NBC (1961–64)
Picture format	Black and white (1959–61) Color (1961–64)
Audio format	Mono
Original release	November 19, 1959 (1959-11-19) – June 27, 1964 (1964-06-27)

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends is a classic American animated TV show. It first aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964. You could watch it on the ABC and NBC networks.

The show has had many names over the years. When it first aired, it was called Rocky and His Friends (1959-1961). Later, it became The Bullwinkle Show (1961-1964). In later reruns, it was known as The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show or The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. The name The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends was mainly used for home video releases.

Jay Ward Productions made the series. It was set up like a variety show, meaning it had different types of segments. The main part of the show followed the adventures of two best friends: Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel, a brave flying squirrel, and Bullwinkle J. Moose, a kind but not-so-smart moose.

Their biggest enemies were two spies, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. They worked for a mean leader called Fearless Leader. Besides the main story, the show also featured other fun segments. These included "Dudley Do-Right" (a funny take on old adventure stories), "Peabody's Improbable History" (where a smart dog and his boy travel through time), and "Fractured Fairy Tales" (classic stories told in a silly way).

Rocky and Bullwinkle was known for its clever writing and funny jokes. It used puns, made fun of current events, and even joked about itself. This made it popular with both kids and adults. The show was also one of the first cartoons to have its animation done in another country, Mexico. The animation style was simple, but people still loved the show for its great stories and humor.

The show moved around different TV time slots, but it was very important for other animated series that came after it, like The Simpsons. Many parts of the show have been made into movies. For example, there was a live-action and computer-animated film The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle in 2000. The "Peabody's Improbable History" segment also got its own animated movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, in 2014, which was very popular. A new Rocky and Bullwinkle animated series started on Prime Video in 2018.

In 2013, TV Guide magazine called Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show the sixth-greatest TV cartoon of all time.

Behind the Scenes

The idea for the show came from Jay Ward and Alex Anderson. They had worked together before on another cartoon called Crusader Rabbit. Their first idea for this show was called The Frostbite Falls Revue. It was about forest animals running a TV station. Rocky the Squirrel and Bullwinkle the Moose were part of this early idea. Bullwinkle's name came from a car dealership in California called Bullwinkel Motors.

Jay Ward wanted to make the show in Los Angeles. But Alex Anderson lived in a different area and didn't want to move. So, Ward hired Bill Scott to be the head writer and co-producer. Bill Scott wrote the Rocky and Bullwinkle stories.

How the Show Was Made

The show started with a pilot episode called Rocky the Flying Squirrel. Work began in February 1958. They hired voice actors like June Foray, Paul Frees, Bill Scott, and William Conrad. A few months later, a company called General Mills agreed to sponsor the show. They wanted it to be shown in the late afternoon so kids could watch it.

Jay Ward hired more writers and designers, but no animators. The advertising company for General Mills set up an animation studio in Mexico called Gamma Productions. Having the animation done in Mexico saved money, but it also caused many problems. Bill Scott said that the Mexican studios worked very fast, but they made many mistakes. For example, Boris's mustache might disappear, or Bullwinkle's antlers might change. They often didn't see the finished animation until it was already on TV!

TV Airings and Reruns

The show first aired on November 19, 1959, on ABC. It was called Rocky and His Friends and was shown twice a week. It was very popular and became the highest-rated daytime show. In September 1961, the show moved to NBC and started being broadcast in color.

NBC canceled the show in 1964. However, reruns continued to air on ABC until 1973. After that, the series was shown in reruns on local TV stations. It also had long runs on cable channels like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

Characters

From left to right: Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz

The main heroes of the show are Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel, a flying squirrel, and his best friend Bullwinkle J. Moose, a kind but silly moose. They live in a made-up town called Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.

The bad guys in most episodes are the spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. They are always trying to "catch Moose and Squirrel." Their boss is Fearless Leader, the dictator of a made-up country called Pottsylvania.

Other characters include Gidney & Cloyd, who are little green men from the Moon. There's also Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz, a captain who always gets lost. You might also see various government officials and regular people like Edgar and Chauncy.

Show Structure

Each episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle usually had two short stories about Rocky and Bullwinkle. These stories were like old movie serials and often ended with a cliffhanger. The plots would continue over many episodes. For example, the first big story was called Jet Fuel Formula and lasted for 20 episodes! Rocky and Bullwinkle often ran into Boris and Natasha during their adventures.

At the end of most episodes, the narrator, William Conrad, would give two funny titles for the next episode. These titles were usually puns. For instance, if they were in the mountains, the narrator might say, "Be with us next time for 'Avalanche Is Better Than None,' or 'Snow's Your Old Man.'" The narrator often talked directly to the characters, which was a fun way to break the fourth wall.

The show had different opening scenes:

• Rocky flies over snowy mountains. Bullwinkle walks off a ledge and becomes a giant snowball. Rocky stops it just before another cliff. Bullwinkle pops out and catches Rocky.
• In a circus, Rocky jumps from a high board, but flies around the tent instead of into Bullwinkle's tub. Rocky lands safely, but Bullwinkle falls into the tub.
• Rocky flies over a city. Bullwinkle is painting a flagpole and gets knocked off. Rocky tries to catch him with a net, but he falls through. Bullwinkle ends up hanging from a clothesline in long underwear.
• Rocky flies over the city again. Bullwinkle falls from a billboard and lands on a banner pole, which bounces him onto a store awning. He slides down and lands on a bench where Rocky is sitting, launching Rocky into the air. Bullwinkle calmly catches him.

Episodes ended with a short scene where a lightning storm appears to destroy everything. Then, the ground scrolls up, and Rocky and Bullwinkle sprout from the ground like sunflowers.

Other Fun Parts of the Show

The Rocky and Bullwinkle stories were often shown with other popular segments:

• "Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties": This segment made fun of old adventure stories. Dudley Do-Right is a Canadian Mountie who always chases his enemy, Snidely Whiplash. Snidely wears a black top hat and has a big mustache. The jokes often had double meanings. Characters were introduced with funny fake actor names, like "Abraham Wilkes Booth as Dudley Do-Right."

• "Peabody's Improbable History": This was about a super smart talking dog named Mister Peabody and his pet boy, Sherman. They used Peabody's "WABAC machine" to travel back in time. They would learn the real story behind historical events and sometimes help historical figures. These segments always ended with a clever pun. For example, they might meet someone named Esther, and Peabody would say, "Whenever you 'see Esther' (siesta), you fall asleep."

• "Fractured Fairy Tales": This segment retold famous fairy tales and children's stories in a funny, modern, and satirical way. Edward Everett Horton narrated these. For example, in their version of "Sleeping Beauty," the prince doesn't wake her up. Instead, he builds a theme park around her called "Sleeping Beautyland."

• "Aesop and Son": Similar to "Fractured Fairy Tales," but it told fables instead. Aesop would try to teach his son a lesson with a fable. But his son would always twist the moral with a pun. Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, and Daws Butler voiced his son, Junior.

• "Bullwinkle's Corner": Here, Bullwinkle tried to be cultured by reciting poems and nursery rhymes. But he would always mess them up in a funny way. He recited poems like "My Shadow" and "Little Miss Muffet".

• "Mr. Know-It-All": Bullwinkle would pretend to be an expert on different topics. Of course, things would always go wrong! Boris Badenov often played a role as Bullwinkle's opponent in these segments.

• "The Bullwinkle and Rocky Fan Club": These were short attempts by Rocky and Bullwinkle to run their fan club. The club only had Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris, Natasha, and Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz. These shorts often broke the fourth wall even more than the main stories.

Voice Actors

The talented people who gave voices to these characters were:

New Versions of the Show

There have been a few tries to bring Rocky & Bullwinkle back over the years.

A new animated series called The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle started on Amazon Prime Video on May 11, 2018. This version was made by DreamWorks Animation. The voice cast includes Tara Strong as Rocky, Brad Norman as Bullwinkle, Ben Diskin as Boris, Rachel Butera as Natasha, Piotr Michael as Fearless Leader, and Daran Norris as the Narrator.

Rocky and Bullwinkle in Other Media

Advertising

• In the 1960s, Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in commercials for cereals like Frosty O's.
• They also promoted the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Saving Stamp Club." You could collect stamps and exchange them for savings bonds.
• In 1986, they were in a TV commercial for Hershey's Kisses.
• In the 1990s, Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in Taco Bell ads, where they stopped Boris and Natasha from selling burgers.
• Computer-animated versions of Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in a 2014 GEICO commercial with the GEICO Gecko.

Comics

• A daily newspaper comic strip called Bullwinkle started in 1962.
• Rocky and Bullwinkle comic books were published by different companies like Dell Comics and Marvel Comics (under its Star Comics imprint). These comics, while for kids, often made fun of things like celebrity culture or politics.
• More recently, IDW Publishing and American Mythology Productions have released new Rocky and Bullwinkle comics.

Films

• Boris and Natasha: The Movie (1992) was a live-action movie about the two villain spies. Rocky and Bullwinkle didn't appear in it.
• Dudley Do-Right (1999) was a live-action movie starring Brendan Fraser.
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) was a movie that mixed live-action with computer-animated Rocky and Bullwinkle. June Foray voiced Rocky again.
• Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) is an animated movie based on the "Peabody's Improbable History" segment.
• A short animated film called Rocky and Bullwinkle (2014) was released with the Mr. Peabody & Sherman Blu-ray.

Music

• Golden Records released a record in 1961 with songs from the show. Boris and Natasha even sang a song about double-crossing friends!
• A 78 rpm single was released with Rocky singing "I Was Born To Be Airborne" and Bullwinkle singing "I'm Rocky's Pal."

Toys

• In 1999, Mattel released a collector series of Hot Wheels cars based on the characters.

Video Games

• THQ released The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends for Nintendo and Sega systems in the early 1990s.
• A trivia game called Rocky & Bullwinkle's Know-It-All Quiz Game was released for computers in 1998.
• Zen Studios released an Xbox Live Arcade video game called Rocky and Bullwinkle in 2008.
• Data East released a pinball machine in 1993.

Images for kids

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  Title card from the syndicated run under the title The Adventures of Bullwinkle and Rocky

See also

In Spanish: The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show para niños