The Wuzzles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Wuzzles
Created by	Carson Van Osten
Starring	Jo Anne Worley Henry Gibson Bill Scott Brian Cummings Kathleen Helppie-Shipley Alan Oppenheimer
Narrated by	Stan Freberg
Opening theme	"The Wuzzles" performed by Stephen Geyer
Ending theme	"The Wuzzles" (instrumental)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Running time	approx 22–26 mins
Production company(s)	Walt Disney Pictures Television Division Walt Disney Pictures Television Animation Group
Distributor	Buena Vista Television
Release
Original network	CBS
Picture format	4:3
Audio format	Mono (CBS) Stereo (ABC)
Original release	September 14 (1985-09-14) – December 7, 1985 (1985-12-07)

The Wuzzles is a fun animated TV show from 1985. It first aired on September 14, 1985, on CBS. The idea for the show came from Michael Eisner for Disney's new animation studio. The main characters in the show are special because they are a mix of two different animals! There were 13 episodes made for the first run on CBS.

Meet the Wuzzles and Their World

The Wuzzles features many cute, round animal characters. Each one is called a Wuzzle, which means "to mix up." Every Wuzzle is a colorful mix of two different animal types. For example, the theme song says they are "livin' with a split personality." All the characters also have small wings on their backs. However, only Bumblelion and Butterbear seem to be able to fly.

All the Wuzzles live on a special place called the Isle of Wuz. On this island, not just the Wuzzles are mixed up. Almost everything on Wuz is a mix of two things! They eat "appleberries" (part apple, part berry). They might use a "telephonograph" (part telephone, part phonograph). Even a fancy house can be a "castlescraper" (part castle, part skyscraper).

The characters from the show were very popular. You could find them in children's books, as toys you could pose, and as soft plush toys. There was even a board game about them!

Show History and Success

Disney launched two cartoon shows on the same day in 1985. The Wuzzles was on CBS, and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears was on NBC. Both shows were very successful in their first year.

However, The Wuzzles stopped making new episodes after its first season. This was mainly because Bill Scott, who voiced the character Moosel, sadly passed away. CBS then stopped showing the series. But ABC (which Disney later bought) picked up the show. They aired reruns during the 1986–1987 season. ABC showed it at a different time so it wouldn't compete with the other Disney show.

The Wuzzles was even more popular in the United Kingdom. The first episode was shown in movie theaters in 1986. It played before a re-release of Disney's Bambi. In the UK, both The Wuzzles and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears were shown on the same channel, ITV. This helped both shows become very popular there. Later, reruns of the show were also shown on the Disney Channel and Toon Disney. The theme song was sung and created by Stephen Geyer.

Meet the Wuzzle Characters

• The Narrator (voiced by Stan Freberg): You never see the narrator, but he welcomes you to "the Land of Wuz." He talks throughout each episode, telling you about different things.

• Bumblelion (voiced by Brian Cummings): He's half bumblebee and half lion. Bumblelion mostly looks like a lion. He is a short, orange creature with a pink mane, fuzzy antennae, and a lion's tail. He also has small insect wings and brown stripes on his tummy. He lives in a beehive and loves sports. He is brave and likes Butterbear. He is known for being someone who "rushes in where angels fear to tread." He and Eleroo are best friends.

• Eleroo (voiced by Henry Gibson): He's half elephant and half kangaroo. Eleroo is one of the bigger Wuzzles. He is purple with a kangaroo's body shape and tail. He also has an elephant's trunk and ears. He has a striped pouch, even though only female kangaroos usually have them. Eleroo sometimes forgets what he puts in his pouch. He is kind but often has accidents or causes small disasters. He and Bumblelion are best friends.

• Butterbear (voiced by Kathleen Helppie-Shipley): She's half bear and half butterfly. Butterbear mostly looks like a bear. She has yellow fur with a white tummy. She has bigger wings than the other Wuzzles and short antennae with flowers on the ends. She loves gardening and is gentle and patient. This is true even when her friends are having wild adventures.

• Moosel (voiced by Bill Scott): He's half moose and half seal. Moosel has a moose-like head with antlers. He also has flippers like a seal. Moosel is the smallest Wuzzle and is blue and purple. He has a big imagination, which sometimes makes him believe in monsters. He is the youngest of the Wuzzles. He and Rhinokey are best friends.

• Hoppopotamus (voiced by Jo Anne Worley): She's half rabbit and half hippopotamus. Her friends call her Hoppo. Hoppo is the largest Wuzzle. She is a hippopotamus with rabbit ears, buck teeth, and a fluffy tail. She has blue fur with a purple tummy and loves to sing and act. Hoppo can be a bit bossy and demanding, but she can also be sweet. When things get tough, especially with the grumpy villain Crocosaurus, she is the strongest Wuzzle. Hoppo likes Bumblelion, but Bumblelion likes Butterbear.

• Rhinokey (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer): He's half rhinoceros and half monkey. Rhinokey mostly looks like a monkey. He has a rhino-like snout with a striped horn, pink fur, and rhino-like legs. He often stands like a monkey. Rhinokey is a fun-loving prankster. He loves to play jokes on his friends. He can sometimes be annoying, especially to Hoppopotamus, but he cares about his friends. He and Moosel are best friends.

• Crocosaurus (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer): He's half crocodile and half dinosaur. He is the main bad guy in the show. Crocosaurus (often called Crock) is grumpy, lazy, and a bully. He always wants the best things that the other Wuzzles have. But he never wants to work to get them himself.
  • Brat (voiced by Bill Scott): He's half wild boar and half dragon. Brat is Crocosaurus's main helper. Brat makes many sounds like sputtering, crying, and grunting. But Crocosaurus always understands him. Like Crocosaurus, he is very lazy. He also dislikes the other Wuzzles and wants their things without working for them. As his name suggests, Brat is very bad-tempered. He often throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way. He is also not very smart. His mistakes often cause problems for him and Crocosaurus.

• • Flizard (voiced by Brian Cummings): He's half frog and half lizard. Flizard is Crocosaurus's other helper. He is not super smart, but he means well. He is friendlier than Crocosaurus or Brat. He is also more accepting of the Wuzzles. But he is still very loyal to Crocosaurus. When Crocosaurus and Brat argue, Flizard often tries to help them make up. Flizard teaches us to be kind to others, even if you're not close friends. He also shows loyalty to your friends, even if their plans aren't always right. Flizard doesn't appear in every episode.

Episodes List

Voice Actors

• Brian Cummings – Bumblelion, Flizard, Peter Parafox, Molecrab
• Stan Freberg – Narrator
• Henry Gibson – Eleroo, Girafbra
• Kathleen Helppie-Shipley – Butterbear
• Alan Oppenheimer – Rhinokey, Crocosaurus, Mr. Packcat, Pirat Captain
• Bill Scott – Moosel, Brat, Officer Eaglbeagle, Dr. P.U. Quack, Mr. Beaverbuck, Pigmouse, Chef, Mover
• Jo Anne Worley – Hoppopotamus

Extra Voices

• Gregg Berger – Tycoon
• Tress MacNeille – Mrs. Pedigree, Transylvia
• Will Ryan – Wishing Well
• Frank Welker – Mockingbirddog

Wuzzles in Other Shows

Butterbear and Rhinokey appeared in an episode of the 2017 DuckTales TV series. The episode was called "The Lost Cargo of Kit Cloudkicker!" In DuckTales, their designs looked more like real animals. Rhinokey even looked more like a gorilla than a monkey. They were created by a magical item called the Stone of What Was. This stone looked like Bumblelion and could combine any two animals that touched it into one mixed creature.

See also

In Spanish: Los Wuzzles para niños