List of characters in The Jetsons
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of major characters in The Jetsons. The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
is an animated television comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
and first broadcast in prime-time on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
as part of the 1962–63 United States network television schedule. Additional episodes were produced from 1985–1987, with the same cast of characters.
George Jetson
George J. Jetson is a fictional characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the 40-year-old father of the Jetson family. He is the husband of Jane Jetson and the father of teenage daughter Judy and elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
aged son Elroy.
George resides with his family in the Skypad Apartments in Orbit City, in a future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
with the trappings of science fantasy
Science fantasy
Science fantasy is a mixed genre within speculative fiction drawing elements from both science fiction and fantasy. Although in some terms of its portrayal in recent media products it can be defined as instead of being a mixed genre of science fiction and fantasy it is instead a mixing of the...
depictions of American life in the future, such as robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
servants, flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
-like cars, and moving sidewalks. All the apartment buildings are set on giant poles, resembling Seattle's Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
; the ground is almost never seen,though in Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie is a 1990 animated science fiction film produced by Hanna-Barbera and released on July 6, 1990, by Universal Pictures based on the hit cartoon series, The Jetsons . The movie features the final voice roles of George O'Hanlon and Mel Blanc who both died during production of the film...
, it is suggested that the earth is extremely polluted, thus everyone lives in the sky.
When George was a kid he had to fly through ten miles of asteroid storms to go to Orbit High School, where he was the star pitcher of its Spaceball team. George is now an employee at Spacely's Space Sprockets, a manufacturer of "sprockets" and other high tech equipment. His job title is "digital index operator." His boss is Cosmo G. Spacely, noted for being short in both height and temper; Spacely usually treats his employees (particularly George) in a rather tyrannical fashion. George's job primarily requires him to repeatedly push a single button (or on occasion a series of buttons) on a computer (named RUDI {Short for: Referential Universal Digital Indexer} in the 1980s series of Jetsons episodes). Once, George complained of his heavy work load- having to push a button for one hour, one day of the week! Often, Mr. Spacely will fire George in a fit of anger, only to hire him back by the end of the same episode.
Physically, George is a rather slim man of average height with short red hair
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
and a cartoonishly large nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
. His personality is that of a well-meaning, caring father, but he is often befuddled and stressed out by the problems of both his work and family lives. As The Jetsons was partially based on the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Blondie
Blondie (comic strip)
Blondie is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip has been published in newspapers since September 8, 1930...
, George himself was probably based on that strip's lead character, Dagwood Bumstead
Dagwood Bumstead
Dagwood Bumstead is a main character in comic artist Chic Young's long-running comic strip Blondie. He first appeared sometime prior to 17 February 1933....
. His wife Jane is voiced by Penny Singleton
Penny Singleton
Penny Singleton was an American film actress. Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was the daughter of an Irish-American newspaperman Benny McNulty — from whom she received the nickname "Penny" because she was "as bright as a penny".During her sixty...
who played the movie version of Blondie in the 1930's to 1950's.
George's most famous catchphrase is "Jane! Stop this crazy thing!" seen at the end credits of the 1960s Jetsons episodes, but is also known for frequently uttering the phrase "Hooba-dooba-dooba!" to express wonder or astonishment.
George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon
George O'Hanlon was an American screen actor, comedian, and voice actor.-Early life and career:George O'Hanlon was born in Brooklyn, New York City on November 23, 1912....
was the voice actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
who did George's voice in both the sixties and eighties versions of the cartoon series. O'Hanlon last did the voice for George Jetson in Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie is a 1990 animated science fiction film produced by Hanna-Barbera and released on July 6, 1990, by Universal Pictures based on the hit cartoon series, The Jetsons . The movie features the final voice roles of George O'Hanlon and Mel Blanc who both died during production of the film...
, which was released posthumously.
The current voice of George Jetson is Jeff Bergman
Jeff Bergman
Jeff Allen Bergman is an American voice actor, who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.-Life and career:Originally from Philadelphia,...
, who voiced George (and also Mr. Spacely) in some parts of the movie after O'Hanlon's death, and also voiced George in The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (ride)
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida, and one of the park's original attractions. The story line was that Dick Dastardly and Muttley have kidnapped Elroy Jetson, Yogi Bear gives chase and the audience is in for the ride of their lives. Peter N...
as well as for the cameo in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is an American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. The series' pilot first aired in 2000, and later became a series in...
episode "Shaggy Busted" and Spümcø
Spümcø
Spümcø, Inc. was an American animation production company based in Los Angeles, California. The studio produced three traditionally animated series, two Flash-animated cartoon series, two music videos, five animated shorts, and a comic book. The company also went on to produce content for a few...
's two Jetsons cartoons: Father & Son Day
The Jetsons: Father & Son Day
Father & Son Day is a 2000 short cartoon starring George & Elroy Jetson. It was made by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and his company Spümcø using Macromedia Flash. -Plot Outline:...
and The Best Son
The Jetsons: The Best Son
The Best Son is a 2001 short cartoon starring The Jetsons. It was made by The Ren & Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and his company Spümcø using Macromedia Flash.-Summary:...
.
In the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Back to the Present", George was voiced by Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
. In the episode, the Jetsons return to the past to sue the planet for causing global warming also in a cameo appearance on The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
.
George Jetson also appears at the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and formerly Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
as a meetable character seen in 1996 video called "Kids for Character".
He also appears on Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's music video Heartless
Heartless
-Books:*Heartless , a 2011 novel in the New York Times best-selling "Parasol Protectorate" series by Gail Carriger*Heartless , a 2010 novel in the "Pretty Little Liars" series by Sara Shepherd-Film:...
.
Jane Jetson
Jane Jetson: age 35 (self-reported in the first episode), is George's wife, mother of their two children, and a homemaker. Jane is obsessed with fashion and new gadgetry. Her favorite store is Mooning Dales. She is also a dutiful wife who always tries to make life as pleasant as possible for her family. Outside of the home, she is a member of the Galaxy Women Historical Society and is a fan of Leonardo de Venus and Picasso Pia. (Voiced by Penny SingletonPenny Singleton
Penny Singleton was an American film actress. Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was the daughter of an Irish-American newspaperman Benny McNulty — from whom she received the nickname "Penny" because she was "as bright as a penny".During her sixty...
)
Jane appears, with Wilma Flintstone
Wilma Flintstone
Wilma Anna Flintstone is a fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones. She was the red-headed wife of caveman Fred Flintstone, daughter of Pearl Slaghoople, mother of Pebbles Flintstone and a grandmother...
and Velma Dinkley
Velma Dinkley
Velma Dace Dinkley is a fictional character in the American television animated series Scooby-Doo. She is prone to losing her glasses. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange sweater, short pleated skirt , knee socks, and Mary Janes...
, in a commercial for Dove shampoo.
She even appears on a music video by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
.
Judy Jetson
Judith "Judy" Angela Jetson is a fictional character in the futuristic Hanna-Barbara cartoon series The Jetsons. She is the 16 year-old daughter of George and Jane Jetson who acts just like a normal teenage girl only with more futuristic tastes.Despite Judy still keeping modern-day "teenage girl" likes and dislikes, such as seemingly never-ending conversations on the telephone and shopping for futuristic outfits, she does not live exactly like a modern teenager, obviously because of the time the show takes place, because she enjoys taking advantage of the many gadgets at her grasp because of the technology (like controllable zero-gravity switches made for accomplishing popular dance moves of the show's time or for other uses). She also gives a summary of how her day went including her problems to a floating robotic diary, appropriately named, "DiDi" (voiced by Brenda Vaccaro
Brenda Vaccaro
Brenda Buell Vaccaro is an American stage, television and film actress.-Early life:Vaccaro was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian American parents Christine M. and Mario A. Vaccaro , both of whom were pioneers in Italian cuisine...
).
Judy is also very fond of a futuristic rock singer named "Jet Screamer", whom George at first despised until Judy won a date with the heartthrob singer in a contest in which girls who wanted to win a date with Jet Screamer were to write songs, and the writer of the winning song would win the date. Judy won because George replaced her original song with her younger brother Elroy's secret code, but it won anyway. George came along to try to stop the date but failed and wound up as the drummer for the song and soon took a liking for Jet Screamer and his music.
Judy is depicted wearing a deep pinkish-purple, futuristic outfit and, like a few other Hanna-Barbara cartoon characters (such as Bamm-Bamm Rubble
Bamm-Bamm Rubble
Bamm-Bamm Rubble is the adopted son of fictitious characters Barney and Betty Rubble. He is most famous in his infant form on the animated series The Flintstones, but has also appeared at various other ages, including as a teenager on the early 1970s spinoff The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and as an...
from The Flintstones and some background characters in various cartoons) has white hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
that is colored to resemble platinum blonde or bleached blonde hair, which she wears in a ponytail on top of her head.
Elroy Jetson
Elroy Jetson: age 6 and a half (self-reported in the first episode), is the younger of the two children in the Jetson family. He is highly intelligent and an expert in all space sciences. Elroy attends Little Dipper School where he studies space history, astrophysics and star geometry. He is a mild mannered and good child.Astro
Astro is a canine character on the Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoon, The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
. He was designed by Iwao Takamoto
Iwao Takamoto
Iwao Takamoto was a Japanese-American animator, television producer, and film director. He was most famous as being a production and character designer for Hanna-Barbera Productions shows such as Scooby-Doo....
, and originally voiced by Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
. In the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is an American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. The series' pilot first aired in 2000, and later became a series in...
episode "Back to the Present", Astro was voiced by Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
. Astro was more advanced than present-day dogs, in that he had a rudimentary grasp of the English language, albeit with r's in many places they shouldn't be, or replacing other letters. For example, "I love you, George" would be "I ruv roo, Reorge". This is similar to Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
in the cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You?; which was also voiced by Messick.
History
Astro was found by Elroy in the fourth Jetsons episode, "The Coming of Astro". When Jane, Judy, and Elroy proposed keeping him to George, he was against it claiming that an ApartmentApartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
is no place for a dog. In an effort to make his family happy, he got an electronic dog named Electronimo. Electronimo was supposed to be the new hairless, non-eating, protect your house, way to go. When The Cat Burglar tried to rob the Jetsons, Electronimo attacked him (which he did to anyone wearing a mask). Elroy tried waking Astro to get him to stop the burglar as a way to prove him, but Astro turned out to be more interested in hiding in fear. However, when trying to escape, The Cat Burglar put the mask on George. Electronimo then proceeded to chase after George. It was Astro who was trying to run from The Cat Burglar that inevitably caught the criminal by accident by crashing into him. This prompted George to decide that Electronimo was not the way to go. They gave Electronimo to the police and kept Astro as part of their family.
Rosie
Rosie the Robot Maid is a humanoid robot fictional character in The JetsonsThe Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
animated television series of the 1960s. She is the title family's maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
and housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
. Jean Vander Pyl
Jean Vander Pyl
Jean Vander Pyl was an American actress on radio, television and movies. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best remembered as the voice of Wilma Flintstone from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones...
provided the voice for Rosie. Rosie is depicted as wearing a frilly apron
Apron
An apron is an outer protective garment that covers primarily the front of the body. It may be worn for hygienic reasons as well as in order to protect clothes from wear and tear. The apron is commonly part of the uniform of several work categories, including waitresses, nurses, and domestic...
, and was often seen using a separate vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
. Her torso is mounted atop a single leg and she rolls about on a set of caster
Caster
A caster is an undriven, single, double, or compound wheel that is designed to be mounted to the bottom of a larger object so as to enable that object to be easily moved...
wheels. She frequently calls George Jetson "Mr. J".
Rosie was an old demonstrator model hired by the Jetson family from U-RENT A MAID. In the episode "Rosie the Robot", her model number is revealed as XB-500.
In episode 12, Rosie compares her window spray to radioactive mist. It is the first time she makes reference to the future.
Rosie is modeled after Hazel from the TV show Hazel
Hazel (TV series)
Hazel is a Screen Gems television series about a fictional live-in maid named Hazel Burke and her employers, the Baxters. The five-season, 154-episode series aired in primetime from September 1961 until April 1966...
, a sitcom featuring Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth was an American actress.Primarily a theatre actress, Booth's Broadway career began in 1925. Her most significant success was as Lola Delaney, in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, for which she received a Tony Award in 1950...
as a similar maid character. Just as Hazel called her boss, Mr. Baxter, "Mr. B", Rosey calls George Jetson "Mr. J".
In the episode "Rosie's Boyfriend," we learn that Rosie has a boyfriend, a helper for Henry Orbit, named Mac. When Rosie finds out Henry deactivated Mac, she goes crazy.
In 2006, Rosie appeared in an AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
TV commercial, as part of a brief history of robots that dated back in 1939.
As of 2009, Rosie has been used in an Australian TV commercial; the commercial is for capes and other superhero clothing. Rosie appears as a super-robot wearing a bright red cape. She also appeared on a Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
music video.
She was spoofed in the Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
movie Benders Game, with a robot that looked like her saying "Everything must be clean. Very clean. That's why the dog had to die. He was a dirty dog. Also that boy Elroy. Dirty. Dirty."
Orbitty
Orbitty: age unknown, the 2nd pet of the Jetson family. Orbitty is an alien with spring-like legs. He has the ability to express his emotions by changing color. This character was introduced in the 1980s version of the series.Mr. Spacely
Cosmo G. Spacely is a cartoon character in the animated series The JetsonsThe Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
. and the main antagonist. In the original series he was voiced by the late Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
. Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
voiced a teenage version of Mr. Spacely in the Jetsons Christmas Carol and Jeff Bergman
Jeff Bergman
Jeff Allen Bergman is an American voice actor, who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.-Life and career:Originally from Philadelphia,...
voiced Spacely in some scenes in Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie
Jetsons: The Movie is a 1990 animated science fiction film produced by Hanna-Barbera and released on July 6, 1990, by Universal Pictures based on the hit cartoon series, The Jetsons . The movie features the final voice roles of George O'Hanlon and Mel Blanc who both died during production of the film...
after Blanc's death, as Blanc died during the production of Jetsons: The Movie. This means the character has the distinction of being the last character to be voiced by legendary voice actor Blanc.
Spacely is president of 'Spacely Space Sprockets', where George Jetson
George Jetson
The following is a list of major characters in The Jetsons. The Jetsons is an animated television comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera and first broadcast in prime-time on ABC as part of the 1962–63 United States network television schedule. Additional episodes were produced from 1985–1987, with the...
works. Mr. Spacely is the stereotypical tough boss, constantly yelling at George for his perceived poor work performance. A typical videophone call from Spacely starts with him yelling "JETSON!!!" at the top of his lungs. Mr. Spacely's aggressive behavior is in contrast with his extremely short, rotund stature, the three hairs combed over his bald head, and his Adolf Hitler-like mustache. Not content with making George's worklife difficult, Mr. Spacely often found excuses to get involved in George's personal life, increasing his employee's already high stress level. His capricious habit of attempting to fire George for the slightest offense (his bombastic "YOU'RE FIRED!!" has since been copied by Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
and by Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
as Mr. Costington in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
) is another major irritant, though, Spacely would give George his job back at the end of the episode or the beginning of the next episode. In the pilot episode, Rosie defends George and clobbers Spacely with a pineapple upside-down cake, thus resulting in one of the very few instances that Spacely has shown the least bit of humility. George and Spacely's relationship is more of a mutual dislike for one another than true animosity.
Mr. Spacely's wife is the snooty Mrs. Stella Spacely (voiced by the late Jean Vander Pyl
Jean Vander Pyl
Jean Vander Pyl was an American actress on radio, television and movies. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best remembered as the voice of Wilma Flintstone from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones...
), who henpecks her husband unmercifully. Her favorite catch phrase is when she yells her husband's name, "COSMO!!" His son is Arthur Spacely (voiced by Dick Beals
Dick Beals
Richard "Dick" Beals is an American voice actor. He has performed many voices in his career, which spans from the early 1950s into the 21st century...
) and his pet dog, Zero. His mother-in-law is Mrs. Meltdown (voiced by Lauri Johnson). Mr. Spacely's closest (and apparently only) competitor is Spencer Cogswell, the distributor of 'Cogswell Cogs', and the one person he actually hates. It was revealed Spacely and Cogswell have been competing with each other since back in the days when they attended the same business school together and competed to be the top student of their class. In the 1980s version, he tended to turn things into competition between his family and the Jetsons, which in many ways, incurred the wrath of George's wife, Jane.
During one episode where both families appeared on a show called Family Fallout (a spoof on the game show, Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
), Spacely used every dirty trick and tactic possible to humiliate the Jetsons, which angered Jane. When he attempted to cheat to win, with the aide of ROBO, Rosie, the Jetson's maid, rectified that situation, causing the Spacelys to become intoxicated. The Jetsons ended up winning a new Foodaracacycle; while the Spacelys received a lifetime supply of Cogswell's Cogs, much to Spacely's displeasure and total humiliation. Also, in A Jetsons Christmas Carol, it is revealed that he and George Jetson had known each other since they were young.
Spencer Cogswell
Spencer Cogswell (voiced by Daws ButlerDaws Butler
Charles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
): early 50's, is Spacely's big competitor. He owns Cogswell's Cosmic Cogs company and causes a lot of trouble for Spacely and George. To a lesser extent, Cogswell is another of the series' antagonists. He and Spacely are always finding ways to bring each other's businesses down. Cogswell has often tried to steal Spacely's ideas and make them his own to gain an advantage (only for it to backfire on both bosses). He's also not above firing his employees when any little thing goes wrong. Mr. Cogswell's first name of "Spencer" is revealed in the 1980s version of The Jetsons.
R.U.D.I.
R.U.D.I.: is George's work computer as well as his best friend. His name is an acronym for Referential Universal Digital Indexer. He has a human personality and is a member of the Society Preventing Cruelty to Humans.Further reading
- Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, by Michael MalloryMichael MalloryMichael Mallory is a writer on the subjects of animation and post-war pop culture, and the author of the books Hanna-Barbera Cartoons , Marvel: The Characters and Their Universe, X-Men: The Characters and Their Universe and Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror...
, 1998, published by Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc., distributed by Publishers Group West. ISBN 0-88363-108-3