History Of Yogi Bear

Do you remember the cute little mischievous bear of Jellystone Park, who always pompously stated - “I’m smarter than the average bear!” Yogi Bear, one of television’s most successful animated characters firstly emerged as a sidekick in a popular Hanna-Barbera show, ‘The Huckleberry Hound Show’ and the rest as they say is history. Yogi Bear was and is still the most adored animated character to have ever hit the small screen. The show featured quite a few episodes on Yogi Bear’s non-conforming efforts to break away from the conventional life of other Jellystone Park bears and do stuff like make money, dodge hibernation and ransack picnic baskets together with his sidekick, Boo-Boo bear. This show basically aired the escapades of Yogi Bear and the unending efforts of Ranger Smith to tame the occupants of Jellystone Park, especially Yogi Bear and Boo Boo. To know more interesting and amazing facts about this popular animated cartoon show of Yogi Bear, read on.

 

Yogi Bear, one of television’s most loved animated characters ever, made his screen debut in the year 1958 as a sidekick in the popular Hanna Barbera show ‘The Huckleberry Hound Show’ that earned him his envied status today. The immense popularity of Yogi Bear, inspired Hanna-Barbera to come up with a new show. It was then that Yogi Bear had its first individual tele-show in 1961. The huge popularity of Yogi Bear also motivated the makers to come out with an animation film on it. Yogi Bear hit the big screen in the year 1964 with the film ‘Hey There, Its Yogi Bear!’

 

Like most other Hanna-Barbera characters, the characteristic feature of Yogi Bear was too inspired by a well-known celebrity of the time. The character of Ed Norton in Art Carney's ‘The Honemonners’ is believed to be the real inspiration behind the character of Yogi Bear. His name too is speculated to be styled after the much-feted baseball star Yogi Berra, though the speculations remain yet to be affirmed. Yogi Bear’s escapades mainly centered on his capers displayed in the fictional Jellystone Park, together with his sidekick, Boo Boo. Yogi bear and Boo Boo bear created a chaos in the mark, much to the annoyance of Park Ranger Smith, by ransacking the picnic baskets of the tourists. His bear love, Cindy bear too disapproved of his antics.

 

The character of Yogi Bear was much lauded for his interesting catchphrases, like the typically Yogi bear-ish styled “pic-a-nic baskets”, his self-promoting phrase “I’m smarter than the average bear!” and so on. Another individualistic trademark of Yogi Bear was the deep and silly voice. In the show, he was often found greeting Ranger in a genial manner, "Hello, Mr. Ranger, sir!" To the humble sidekick, Boo Boo, "Hey there, Boo Boo!" was his favored style. Yogi Bear is still aired by the Cartoon Network’s sister concern channel, Boomerang and is still wowed and loved by kids and adults alike. The ‘Yogi Bear’ shows telecasted special episodes of "Snagglepuss," the happy-go-lucky Shakespearian mountain lion, and "Yakky Doodle," too. Vocals for the series were provided by Daws Butler, Don Messick, Doug Young, Janet Waldo, and ventriloquist Jimmy Weldon, as Yakky Doodle.