I grew up on Hanna-Barbera cartoons of all kinds. It still reminds me of Saturday mornings, the perfect bowl of cereal and when that TV channel came in just right. I would say that I’m showing my age, but I still love doing that sometimes. Not only do the channels come in much better, streaming means I can decide whether it’s a Yogi kind of day, Jonny Quest or even Top Cat.
Thanks to Warner Bros., we might not have to make that decision. Warner Bros. Animation announced a new series, Jellystone!, that is headed to HBO Max. The series features an ensemble cast of favorite characters, all living in (and sometimes destroying) the same town together. These characters will be reimagined and modernized for today’s world and today’s younger audience. For example, Huckleberry Hound proudly serves as the town’s mayor; Cindy, Boo Boo and Yogi are the town’s medical staff; Jabberjaw works at Magilla’s clothing store where they supply all the bow ties and hats to the town’s citizens; and every character has a specific role in the community. Their paths cross in fun and ridiculous ways, turning everyday activities into hilarious pandemonium. See for yourself in the trailer for Season 1:
C H. Greenblatt serves as showrunner and executive producer, and also voices several characters including Doggie Daddy, Boo Boo, Peter Potamus, and Benny. The rest of the voice cast and characters includes: Jeff Bergman, the voice of Yogi, Mr. Jinks, Wally Gator, and Lippy the Lion; Jim Conroy, the voice of Huckleberry Hound, Captain Caveman, and Pa Rugg, and more; Georgie Kidder, the voice of Auggie Doggie, Brain, and Floral Rugg; Grace Helbig, the voice of Cindy Bear, Yappy, Taffy, and Granny Sweet; Niccole Thurman, the voice of Jabberjaw, Squiddly Diddly, and Dee Dee Sykes; Thomas Lennon, the voice of Top Cat; Ron Funches, the voice of Shag Rugg; Bernardo de Paula, the voice of El Kabong and Mildew Wolf; Dana Snyder, the voice of Snagglepuss, Touché Turtle, and Lambsy; Katie Grober, the voice of Yakky Doodle; Paul F. Tompkins, the voice of Magilla Gorilla; Jenny Lorenzo, the voice of Bobbie Looey, Hardy Har Har, and Choo Choo; Fajer Al-Kaisi, the voice of Shazzan and Hadji; Lesley Nicol, the voice of Winsome Witch; Ulka Simone Mohanty, the voice of Loopy De Loop; and Andrew Frankel, the voice of Fancy Fancy and Jonny Quest.
It’s hard not to get excited about such an extensive list. It sounds like Greenblatt is as excited as we are. He said, “I grew up watching tons of Hanna-Barbera cartoons and have a deep love for these characters. The massive amount of both classic and not-so-classic characters we were able to use from the Hanna-Barbera library is what really makes the Jellystone! universe special. Rather than recreate the feeling of cartoons of the past, we wanted to have silly, weird fun with these characters and expand their personalities to give them more depth. Chances are if there’s a character you love, you’ll see them somewhere in this world eventually. We hope longtime fans appreciate our take on this world, and we’re excited that parents get to introduce and enjoy their favorite Hanna-Barbera characters with their kids.”
Jellystone! premieres Thursday, July 29th on HBO Max. Keep checking back for updates and our review.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Animation