The legendary animation team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera first met while working for Fred Quimby at MGM Studios. The Academy Award® nominated short “Puss Gets the Boot,” the first Hanna-Barbara collaboration, featured the precursors to Tom and Jerry. Between 1943 and 1953 Hanna-Barbera’s Tom and Jerry would earn them a record-breaking seven Oscars® for MGM’s animated shorts.
Faced with the end of an era when MGM and many other studios eliminated (or soon would eliminate) the studio’s animation department, Hanna and Barbera formed their own production company in 1957 to create animated cartoons for television. At the time, original animation for television was almost unheard of…Hanna and Barbera faced the challenge of creating original animation programming on a very limited budget…with so many animators out of work in Hollywood, they developed a team of great artists and writers to re-invent cartoons for television.
Hanna-Barbera’s first television stars were Ruff and Reddy, followed by Huckelberry Hound in 1958. Huckleberry Hound was the first cartoon to receive an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children’s Programming. Among Hanna-Barbera’s other renowned characters are Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Auggie Doggie and Doggie Daddy, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi and Boo Boo Bear, Scooby Doo, Quick Draw McGraw, and many more.
Hanna-Barbera’s quick gags and comedic wit allowed the duo to create the world’s first half-hour animated situation comedy – “The Flintstones,” based on “The Honeymooner’s”. The “Flintstones” would become one of the most watched and loved animated families, remaining in primetime for six years. Two years later, in 1962, America would meet George Jetson and his wife Jane in the futuristic based situation comedy “The Jetsons”.
The unprecendented ‘Masters Of The Small Screen’, Hanna-Barbera’s lifetime of achievement has provided some of televisions most memorable cartoon characters. Having produced well over 3,000 cartoons, the team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera have created an extensive legacy guaranteed to delight generations yet to come.
Chronology of Hanna-Barbera Studios
- 1957 The Ruff & Ready Show Premiere
- 1958 The Huckleberry Hound Show and Pixie & Dixie Premiere
- 1959 Auggie Doggie & Doogie Daddy, Quick Draw McGraw and Snooper & Blabber Premiere
- 1960 Yakky Doodle & Yogi Bear Premiere, The Flintstones Premieres On Primetime Television, Hokey Wolf and Snagglepuss Premiere
- 1961 Top Cat Premiere
- 1962 Lippy The Lion, Touche Turtle & Wally Gator Premieres and The Jetsons Premiere
- 1964 Magilla Gorilla, Peter Potamus, Richochet Rabbit, Breezly & Sneezly, Punkin Puss, Yippe, Yappee & Yahooey & The Adventures Of Jonny Quest Premieres
- 1965 Precious Pupp, The Hillbilly Bears, Secret Squirrel, Squiddly Diddly, Winsome Witch, Sinbad Jr., and Laurel & Hardy Premiere
- 1966 Space Kidettes, The Space Ghost, Dino Boy, Frankenstein Jr., and The Impossibles Premiere
- 1967 Abbott & Costello, The Herculoids, Samson & Goliath, The Fantastic Four Moby Dick, The Mighty Mightor, Birdman, The Galaxy Trio and Shazzan Premiere
- 1968 The Three Musketeers, The Arabian Knights, The Micro Ventures, The Adventures Of Gulliver, and The Wacky Races Premiere
- 1969 The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop, The Cattanooga Cats, Motormouse & Autocat, Scooby-Doo Where Are You?, Dastardly & Muttley In Their Flying Machines and Around The World In 79 Days Premiere
- 1970 Where’s Huddles?, The Harlem Globetrotters and Josie & The Pussycats Premiere
- 1971 Pebbles & Bamm Bamm, Help! Its The Hair Bear Bunch!, and The Funky Phantom Premiere
- 1972 Sealab 2020, Roman Holidays, Amazing Chan & The Chan Clan, and Wait Till Your Father Gets Home Premiere
- 1973 Jeannie, Speed Buggy, The Addams Family, Goober & Ghost Chasers, Inch High Private Eye, Butch Cassidy & The Sun Dance Kids, Superfriends and Peter Puck Premiere
- 1974 Hong Kong Phooey, These Are The Days, Devlin, Valley Of The Dinosaurs, Wheelie & The Chopper Bunch and Partridge Family: 2200 A.D. Premiere
- 1975 The Great Grape Ape Premieres
- 1976 Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, Jabberjaw, Mumbly and Clue Club Premiere
- 1977 The C.B. Bears, Shake, Rattle & Roll,Undercover Elephant, Heyyyyy, It’s The King, Wonder Wheels, Blast Off Buzzard, Captain Caveman & The Teen Angels and Posse Impossible Premiere
- 1978 The Three Robonic Stooges, The Galaxy Goof-Ups, The Galloping Ghost, The Buford Files, Godzilla, Jana Of The Jungle, The All-New Popeye Hour and Dinky Dog Premiere
- 1979 The New Shmoo, The Super Globetrotters, Casper & The Angels, The Thing and Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Premiere
- 1980 Drak Pack, Fonz & The Happy Days Gang and Richie Rich Premiere
- 1981 Astro & The Space Mutts, Teen Force, Crazy Claws, Kwicky Koala, Dirty Dawg, The Bungle Brothers, The Smurfs, Lavern & Shirley, Private Olive Oyl and The Trollkins Premiere
- 1982 Mork & Mindy, The Little Rascals, Pac-Man, Shirt Tales and The Gary Coleman Show Premiere
- 1983 The Dukes, Monchhichis and The Biskitts Premiere
- 1984 The Snorks, The Pink Panther & Sons and Challenge Of The GoBots Premiere
- 1985 Paw Paws and Galtar & The Golden Lance Premiere
- 1986 Pound Puppies, Wildfire and Foofur Premiere
- 1987 Sky Commanders and The Flintstone Kids Premiere