The Berenstain Bears (1985 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Berenstain Bears |
|
|---|---|
The main shot from the opening, showing all four main characters.
|
|
| Genre | Children's series Comedy |
| Based on | Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain |
| Developed by | Joe Cates |
| Directed by | Buzz Potamkin |
| Creative director(s) | Chris Cuddington |
| Voices of |
|
| Opening theme | "We Are The Berenstain Bears" |
| Ending theme | "We Are The Berenstain Bears" (instrumental) |
| Composer(s) | Elliot Lawrence |
| Country of origin | Australia United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Buzz Potkin |
| Editor(s) | Robert Ciaglia |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | The Joseph Cates Company Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 14, 1985 – December 6, 1986 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
|
The Berenstain Bears Show (also known as "The Berenstain Bears") is an animated TV series for children. It is based on the popular children's books by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The show was made by Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia.
It first aired in the United States on CBS from September 14, 1985, to December 6, 1986. There were 26 episodes, each about half an hour long. Each episode usually had two shorter stories. One story was often based on a Berenstain Bears book. The second story was a new adventure. Reruns of the show continued on CBS until September 5, 1987.
In 1987, the series was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award. This was for "Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming." It was also nominated for a Humanitas Prize. This award recognized shows that promote human values.
A second Berenstain Bears TV series was made later. It aired in Canada from 2002 to 2003 and in the United States from 2003 to 2004.
Contents
About the Show's Story
The series takes place in a forest where only bears live. The main characters are the Berenstain Bears family. They live in a rural area called Bear Country.
The family includes Mama Bear, Papa Q. Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear. The show teaches important lessons. It also adds to the world of Bear Country and helps characters grow. Each episode often shows the family's challenges, especially those faced by Brother and Sister Bear.
Who Are the Characters?
Many characters and places come from the books by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Some also appeared in earlier TV specials by Joe Cates.
Other characters you might see include:
- Actual Factual
- Big Paw
- Mayor Horace J. Honeypot
- Farmer Ben
- Cousin Fred
- Grizzly Gramps & Gran
New characters added to the TV series include:
- Officer Marguerete
- Scout Leader Jane
- Lizzy Bruin
- Queen Nectar
- Old Jake the Catfish
Queen Nectar and Jake are not bears. However, they can talk and interact with the bear cubs.
Who Are the Antagonists?
The main "bad guys" in the series are Raffish Ralph, a tricky con artist. Weasel McGreed also appears in some episodes. Too-Tall Grizzly is another character who sometimes causes trouble. He acts as the school bully.
Some episodes also feature "The Bear Detectives" and their dog, Snuff. Other stories show Papa Q. Bear trying to collect honey. The bears also interact with other forest animals. Sometimes, Weasel McGreed tries to take over Bear Country.
Episodes List
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 13 | September 14, 1985 | December 7, 1985 | |
| 2 | 13 | September 13, 1986 | December 6, 1986 | |
Voice Actors
Here are the talented actors who gave voices to the characters:
- Brian Cummings voiced Papa Q. Bear, Actual Factual, Bigpaw, Horace J. Honeypot, Too-Tall, and other characters.
- Ruth Buzzi voiced Mama Bear, Grizzly Gran, Scout Leader Jane, Queen Nectar, Teacher Jane, and more.
- David Mendenhall was the voice of Brother Bear.
- Christina Lange voiced Sister Bear.
- Marissa Mendenhall voiced Lizzy Bruin and other characters.
- Josh Rodine voiced Cousin Fred.
- John Stephenson voiced Bill Bunny.
- Frank Welker voiced Raffish Ralph, Weasel McGreed, Grizzly Gramps, Farmer Ben, Mr. Skunk, and many other voices.
How the Show Was Made
Before this TV series, The Berenstain Bears appeared in holiday TV specials. These specials aired on NBC from 1979 to 1983. Stan and Jan Berenstain created and wrote these specials. Joe Cates produced them, and Buzz Potkin directed. They made one holiday special each year for five years.
After a special called The Berenstain Bears Play Ball was released, the team started working on a TV series. This new series was based on the books and the earlier TV specials. Joe Cates and Buzz Potkin also produced this TV series. Elliot Lawrence continued to compose music for the episodes. His music was based on his earlier compositions but played at a faster speed.
Many staff members from the specials also helped develop the TV show. Stan and Jan Berenstain were producers for the show. They also wrote some of the scripts.
Joe Cates first tried to get NBC to fund the TV series. However, his efforts did not work because of changes in NBC's leadership. But CBS became interested in the project. They made a deal to pick up the series for a first season of 13 episodes. CBS wanted to attract new viewers to their Saturday morning cartoon lineup.
CBS executives also wanted the series to include original stories. These new stories would be tied into the episodes. Some planned episodes based on books like "Too Much TV" and "Too Much Junk Food" were reportedly turned down by executives. This was because of concerns about unhealthy eating. Stan and Jan Berenstain were frustrated by this. However, many of the original stories from the show later became books.
The show was produced by Southern Star Productions and Hanna-Barbera Australia. New voice actors were hired for the series. The characters in this TV series do not speak in rhyme. The show also had a more modern look compared to the earliest books.
The series greatly expanded Bear Country. It introduced many new characters and places. It also showed more about the economy and government of Bear Country. Because of these changes, the episodes felt faster. The characters seemed much busier than in the TV specials. The stories were told without a narrator and were about 11–12 minutes long.
One major focus of the show was Papa Bear as the funny character. He was even more of a comic relief than in the books. Stan Berenstain did not like this portrayal. He felt Papa Bear came across as "selfish" and "bumbling." Stan Berenstain preferred how Papa Bear was shown in the 2002 TV series.
Some characters introduced in this TV series, like Raffish Ralph, later appeared in future Berenstain Bears books.
Where the Show Aired
The show briefly aired on TLC's Ready Set Learn! block. This was from November 2, 1998, to January 8, 1999. A contract disagreement caused TLC to remove the show from its schedule.
In the early to mid-2000s, reruns were seen on the DIC Kids Network. This was a syndicated programming block. It aired on some stations of FOX, the now-closed UPN, and The WB. However, these episodes were edited and sped up by DIC (now known as WildBrain).
In Australia, where Southern Star is based, the series aired on Network Ten.
Home Video Releases
Some episodes were released on VHS tapes and DVDs. These were from various companies like Random House Home Video and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. These home releases sometimes had small changes, like different designs for the episode title cards.
All of the episodes are available to watch for free on YouTube. You can find them on the official Berenstain Bears channel. The video quality can vary.
