The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
Encyclopedia
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was a syndicated
block of animated television programming and new original shows produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions.
cartoon clips (similar to Disney's D-TV
). Such radio hits included songs such as Creedence Clearwater Revival
's "Bad Moon Rising
" and Rockwell
's "Somebody's Watching Me
". In 1990, the show was hosted by Kenny Ford and Jennifer Love Hewitt
. Both hosted the series while their regular series Kids Incorporated
was off the air for 1990, and later returned to Disney once Kids resumed production.
after the sale of H-B to Turner Broadcasting System
(the primary reason why The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera finally ended in 1994 was so that Turner could refocus the studio to produce new shows exclusively for the Turner-owned networks, especially Cartoon Network
). Today, most of the shows that aired as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera are now distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
. When it first aired, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera could be seen on all independent stations owned by Taft Broadcasting
, the parent of Hanna-Barbera and Worldvision at the time.
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
block of animated television programming and new original shows produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions.
Format
A weekly programming block combining older Hanna-Barbera shows and new originals, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was aired on Sundays in most markets, although some stations showed the block on Saturdays. The block premiered on September 15, 1985 and ran through the 1993-1994 television season. Originally,The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera ran for ninety minutes, later becoming a two hour block after it proved to be successful. They were often glued together with filler segments like HBTV, which featured music videos that were composed of classic 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 clips (similar to Disney's D-TV
D-TV
D-TV was a series of music videos created by Walt Disney Productions in 1984 using popular music and video footage from Disney videos, mostly cartoons, created out of the trend of music videos on cable channel MTV, which inspired the name of this series...
). Such radio hits included songs such as Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
's "Bad Moon Rising
Bad Moon Rising (song)
"Bad Moon Rising" is a song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was the lead single from their album Green River and was released in April 1969, four months before the album. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the UK Singles...
" and Rockwell
Rockwell (musician)
Rockwell is an R&B performer who was signed to the Motown label.-Biography:...
's "Somebody's Watching Me
Somebody's Watching Me
"Somebody's Watching Me" is the debut single by R&B artist Rockwell, released on the Motown label in 1984. The song's lyrics relate the narrator's paranoid fear of being followed and watched. It featured former Motown artists Michael Jackson on the chorus and Jermaine Jackson on additional backing...
". In 1990, the show was hosted by Kenny Ford and Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
. Both hosted the series while their regular series Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
was off the air for 1990, and later returned to Disney once Kids resumed production.
Distribution
Originally distributed by Worldvision Enterprises, distribution moved to Turner Program ServicesTurner Program Services
Turner Program Services was the former syndication arm of Turner Broadcasting. It served the same purpose as Turner Entertainment's distribution unit, with the exception that TPS was more involved in distributing television series rather than films....
after the sale of H-B to Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
(the primary reason why The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera finally ended in 1994 was so that Turner could refocus the studio to produce new shows exclusively for the Turner-owned networks, especially Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
). Today, most of the shows that aired as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera are now distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television, itself a part of Time Warner formed circa 1960. In 1989, the studio formed Warner Bros...
. When it first aired, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera could be seen on all independent stations owned by Taft Broadcasting
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, the parent of Hanna-Barbera and Worldvision at the time.
Shows
- The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda (1990)
- Bill & Ted's Excellent AdventuresBill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990 TV series)Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures is a 1990 spin-off animated television series following the misadventures of two time-travelling slackers as they travel into the distant past and future...
(1990) - The Flintstone KidsThe Flintstone KidsThe Flintstone Kids is a 30-minute animated television series spin-off of The Flintstones which followed the adventures of Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Betty as children with their pet Dino.-Premise:...
(1986) - The Further Adventures of SuperTedThe Further Adventures of SupertedThe Further Adventures of SuperTed is an American/Welsh animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and Siriol Animation in association with S4C, and continues the adventures of SuperTed...
(1989) - Fantastic MaxFantastic MaxFantastic Max is an animated cartoon series created by Kalisto Ltd. and Hanna-Barbera Productions and in association with S4C. It centres on a diaper-wearing toddler with a mohawk named Max , who has adventures in outer space with two of his toys: FX, a pull string alien doll from a planet called...
(1988) - Galtar and the Golden LanceGaltar and the Golden LanceGaltar and the Golden Lance is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera.-Premise:The series is about the mythical adventures of three companions: Galtar, Princess Goleeta, and her younger mind controlling brother, Zorn...
(1985) - Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream ZoneMidnight Patrol: Adventures In The Dream ZoneMidnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone / Potsworth and Company is an animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera in conjunction with Sleepy Kids PLC and is known outside the USA as Potsworth & Co....
(1990, also known as Potsworth and Co in the UK) - Jonny QuestThe New Adventures of Jonny QuestThe New Adventures of Jonny Quest was a 1980s continuation of Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest animated television series from the 1960s. Debuting in 1986 as part of the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera syndication package, this new Jonny Quest series could be seen as the second season to a program...
(1986) - Paw PawsPaw PawsPaw Paws, sometimes known as Paw Paw Bears, debuted as one of the original segments of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. A group of small bears that lived in a tribal society, the cubs spent every day defending themselves from their enemies, The Meanos, led by the evil sorcerer, Dark Paw...
(1985) - Paddington BearPaddington Bear (1989 TV Series)Paddington Bear was the second television adaptation of the children's animated series and made by North American cartoon company Hanna-Barbera. This series was traditional two-dimensional animation and featured veteran voice actor Charlie Adler as Paddington and Tim Curry as Mr...
(1989) - The Pirates of Dark WaterThe Pirates of Dark WaterThe Pirates of Dark Water is a fantasy animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera in 1991.-Premise:The alien world of Mer is being devoured by an evil substance known as Dark Water. Only Ren, a young prince, can stop it by finding the lost Thirteen Treasures of Rule...
(premiered in 1991 on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...
; moved over to first-run syndication for its second season in the 1992-93 season) - A Pup Named Scooby Doo (1987)
- Richie RichRichie Rich (1980 TV series)Richie Rich is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1980 to 1984. Based upon Harvey Comics' popular Richie Rich comic book characters, shared time slots with Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Little Rascals, and Pac-Man over its original broadcast...
(originally aired on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...
from 1980–1984) - Skedaddle (1988)
- Sky CommandersSky CommandersSky Commanders is an animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It premiered in July 1987 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera and lasted for thirteen episodes...
(1987) - Snorks (premiered in 1984 on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
; moved over to first-run syndication for its third season in 1987) - SWAT Kats: The Radical SquadronSWAT Kats: The Radical SquadronSWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron is an animated series for television created by Christian and Yvon Tremblay and produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Program Services. Every episode of the series was directed by Robert Alvarez. The bulk of the series was written by either Glenn Leopold or Lance Falk...
(1993) - 2 Stupid Dogs2 Stupid Dogs2 Stupid Dogs was an American animated television series created by Donovan Cook and produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Program Services that originally ran from September 5, 1993 to February 13, 1995 on TBS. The main segments of the show featured two dogs, "Big Dog" and "Little Dog". The Big Dog...
(1993) - Wake, Rattle, and RollWake, Rattle, and RollWake, Rattle, and Roll is a live-action/animated television show produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Four Point Entertainment that premiered in the fall of 1990. The show's title was inspired by the song "Shake, Rattle and Roll"...
(1990) - Yogi's Treasure HuntYogi's Treasure HuntYogi's Treasure Hunt is a segment that kicked-off in 1985 as the first of the programming block, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. It also ran as a regular series in syndication from 1985 to 1988.-Plot:...
(1985) - Yo Yogi!Yo Yogi!Yo Yogi! is an animated series first aired on NBC on Saturday mornings during the 1991-92 season. It is, to date, the last television series to feature or star Yogi Bear. It is also the last Hanna-Barbera show to premiere on NBC to this date...
(1991) - Young Robin HoodYoung Robin HoodYoung Robin Hood is an animated series produced by Cinar and Hanna-Barbera. The series takes place when Robin is a teenager, Richard the Lion Heart is on his "first crusade" and Robin Hood's father, the Earl of Huntington, joins him.-Synopsis:...
(1991)