Yo Yogi! is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired on NBC on September 14 through December 7, 1991 for 13 episodes, and the seventh incarnation of the Yogi Bear franchise. This would be one of the last Yogi Bear animated series by Hanna-Barbera until Jellystone!, which was released on July 29, 2021 on Max.
Synopsis[]
Taking place in the town of Jellystone (known as Jellystone Township), it features Yogi Bear and other popular Hanna-Barbera characters including Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Yogi's sidekick, Boo Boo, and love interest, Cindy, depicted as teenagers. The gang hung out at Jellystone Mall, owned by "Diamond" Doggie Daddy (with Augie Doggie as his heir to the mall business). Yogi and the gang worked at an agency called the L.A.F. Squad (the mall's Lost and Found department) where they acted as detectives trying to solve mysteries under the supervision of the mall's young security guard, Officer Smith. Dickie Dastardly and his sidekick Muttley would cause trouble for Yogi and his gang. The show also introduced a teenage bear named Roxy Bear who was Cindy's rival and Yogi's competitor, as well as news reporter Chuck Toupée. They were never seen at home or school.
Some of Yogi's other pals like Secret Squirrel, Hardy Har Har, and Squiddly Diddly were also featured as young teens.
Other Hanna-Barbera characters are still in adult form: Hokey Wolf was the Mayor of Jellystone Town and Ding-a-Ling was his photographer, Loopy De Loop worked at the Jellystone Mall's Picnic Basket Food Court, Atom Ant served as Jellystone Township's superhero, Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey were wild west-themed entertainers, Pixie and Dixie lived in the cheese cottage within a cheese store owned by Mr. Jinks, Lippy the Lion owned a jewelry store, Peter Potamus and So-So ran a plant shop called "Peter Potamus' Plant Palace", Snooper was a crime-solving celebrity while his partner Blabber ran the "Crooks 'n' Books" store, and Magilla Gorilla appeared as a teen idol in "Jellystone Jam" as Magilla Ice (a takeoff of Vanilla Ice). Also, Granny Sweet made appearances in both episodes "Super Duper Snag" and "Bearly Working".
Cast (in alphabetical order)[]
- Charlie Adler - Dap (in "There's No Business Like Snow Business")
- Lewis Arquette – Bombastic Bobby (in "Yo, Yogi!")
- Greg Berg – Huckleberry Hound, Moe and Joe Wendell (in "Hats Off to Yogi")
- Charlie Brill
- Greg Burson – Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, Mr. Jinks, Loopy De Loop, Peter Potamus, Lippy the Lion, Officer Smith, Uncle Undercover
- Bernard Erhard – The Pest (in "Super Duper Snag")
- Pat Fraley – Mad Painter (in "It's All Relative")
- Pat Harrington Jr. – William Shakesbear (in "To Tell the Truth, Forsooth")
- Matt Hurwitz – Hokey Wolf
- Arte Johnson – Lou (in "Huck's Doggone Day")
- Nancy Linari
- Danny Mann
- Gail Matthius – Roxy Bear
- Mitzi McCall – Talula LaTrend (in "Fashion Smashin'!")
- Allan Melvin – Magilla "Ice" Gorilla (in "Jellystone Jam")
- Don Messick – Boo-Boo Bear, Pixie, Squiddly Diddly, Atom Ant, Muttley, Umbrella Owner (in "Mall Alone"), Pierre (in "Hats Off to Yogi")
- Howard Morris – Murray (in "Huck's Doggone Day")
- Roger Nolan
- Rob Paulsen – Hardy Har Har, Dickie Dastardly, Super Snooper, Chuck Toupée, Wee Willie Gorilla (in "Mellow Fellow"), Robin Hood (in "Huck's Doggone Day"), Maitre'd (in "Yo, Yogi!"), Birdbrain of Alcatraz (in "Polly Want a Safe Cracker"), Announcer (in "Fashion Smashin'!")
- Henry Polic II – P.R. Flack (in "The Big Snoop")
- Neil Ross - Baba Looey
- Ronnie Schell – Calvin Klunk (in "Fashion Smashin'!")
- Hal Smith – Blabber Mouse
- Kath Soucie – Cindy Bear, Granny Sweet, Secret Squirrel, Mother and Baby (in "Super Duper Snag"), Jellystone Mall Patron (in "Of Meeces and Men")
- John Stephenson – "Diamond" Doggie Daddy, Mr. Myopic (in "To Tell the Truth, Forsooth"), Bruno Bear (in "It's All Relative"), Guard (in "Mall Alone")
- Sally Struthers
- B.J. Ward
- Lennie Weinrib – Max the Mole (in "Grindhog Day")
- Frank Welker - Robotic Dog and Zombies (in "Mall Alone"), Howie Cheatem (in "Mall or Nothing"), Bully the Bull (in "Yippee Yo, Yogi"!), China Choice Owner (in "Yippee Yo, Yogi"!)
- Patric Zimmerman – Augie Doggie, Dixie, Ding-a-Ling
Production[]
Yo Yogi! featured episodes, or parts of episodes, in 3D, with Kellogg's Rice Krispies offering 3D glasses. Generally, the 3D scenes were chase scenes of the variety made famous by Hanna-Barbera in the Scooby-Doo series. At the beginning of these 3D sequences, Yogi would spin his hat atop his head, as a cue to viewers to don their 3D glasses.
Reception[]
The show was met with negative reviews from critics panning the studio for trying to hip and with it for the kids. William Hanna disliked the show saying Yogi looked like a whoremonger
Episodes[]
- Main article: Yo Yogi! episode list
Production Credits[]
Executive Producers
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Co-Executive Producers
Paul Sabella and Mark Young
Executive in Charge of Production
Jayne Barbera
Animation Producer
Cos Anzilotti
Story Producers
Rich Fogel and Mark Seidenberg
Supervising Director
Ray Patterson
Directors
Don Lusk
Joanna Romersa
Jay Sarby
Paul Sommer
Carl Urbano
Animation Directors
Michael V. Bennett
Rebecca Bristow
Zeon Davush
Joan Drake
Ed Love
Sam Nicholson
Joanna Romersa
Robert Tyler
Allen Wilzbach
Storyboard Artists
John Ahern
Michael V. Bennett
Barry Caldwell
Mike D'Isa
Robert Dranko
Curt Geda
Scott Jeralds
Lew Saw
David Schwartz
Mike Wanke
Jim Willoughby
Recording Director
Gordon Hunt
Voices
Charlie Adler
Lewis Arquette
Greg Berg
Charlie Brill
Greg Burson
Bernard Erhard
Pat Fraley
Pat Harrington Jr.
Matt Hurwitz
Arte Johnson
Nancy Linari
Danny Mann
Gail Matthius
Mitzi McCall
Allan Melvin
Don Messick
Howard Morris
Roger Nolan
Rob Paulsen
Henry Polic II
Neil Ross
Ronnie Schell
Hal Smith
Kath Soucie
John Stephenson
Sally Struthers
B.J. Ward
Lennie Weinrib
Frank Welker
Patric Zimmerman
Animation Casting Director
Kris Zimmerman
Talent Coordinator
Lynne Batchelor
Main Title Design
Cos Anzilotti
Graphics
Iraj Paran
Tom Wogatzke
Director of Music Production
Bodie Chandler
Main Title Song:
Music by: Joe Curaile
Lyrics by: Duncan Pain
Music Score
Jonathan Wolff
Layout Artists
Fil-Cartoons, Inc.
Wang Film Productions Co, Ltd.
Key Layout Artists
Jim Hickey
Ron Roesch
Animation Supervisor
Kunio Shimamura
Animation
Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd.
Background Supervisor
Al Gmuer
Background Artists
Allison Belliveau
Joe Binggeli
Bonnie Callahan
Ruben Chavez
Jim Hickey
Patti Palmer
Ron Roesch
Ink and Paint Supervisor
Alison Leopold
Color Stylist
Suzette Darling
Production Supervisor
JoEllyn Marlow
Xerography
Star Wirth
Word Processing
Gail Prewitt
Linda Germain
Graphics Assistant
Parviz Parandoush
Production Coordinator
Vicki Casper
Animation Checking Supervisor
Jan Adams
Animation Checking
Beth Goodwin
Program Administrator
Annie Montgomery
Production Publicist
Tom Brocato
Production Assistants
Sandy Benenati
Nancy Grimaldi
Olivia Knighton
Debby Lanthrop
Janet Mazzotti
Margot McDonough
Valerie Menk
Linda Moore
Joe Moriconi
Ann Powell
Animation Computer System Developed By
Cindy Ball
John Haskey
Bennett Leeds
Marc Levoy
Jim Mahoney
Chris Odgers
Tim Victor
Bruce Wallace
Computer Production Consultant
William Kelly
Supervising Film Editors
Larry C. Cowan
Terry W. Moore
Editors
Gil Iverson
Tim Iverson
Music Editors
Peter Collier
Mark Shiney
Greg Watson
Sound Editors
Mike DePatie
Joel Valentine
Track Readers
Carol Iverson
Kerry Iverson
Kay Douglas
Jim Hearn
Sound Direction
Ed Collins
Ezra Dweck
Negative Consultant
William DeBoer, Jr.
Camera
Dan Bunn
Produced In Association With
Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd.
Fil-Cartoons, Inc.
Studio Operations Executive
Bennett E. McClellan
Production Supervisors
Wayne Dearing
Bob Marples
Home Media[]
In the early '90s, a VHS release of the show came with 3D glasses. As of 2018, there are no plans for a complete series set of the show from either Warner Home Video or Warner Archive. However, it is available on iTunes as part of the Hanna-Barbera Diamond Collection. As of 2023, the complete series is available as part of the Boomerang streaming service.
Notes/Trivia[]
- The first few episodes used digital ink and paint, while the next few episodes used cel animation.
- Modern voice actors played the voices of certain characters not only because some of them are teenagers, but due to the deaths of Daws Butler, Mel Blanc, and Paul Frees before this series began.