CBS STORYBREAK

CBS STORYBREAK

(CBS, March 30, 1985-January 28, 1989)

Southern Star Productions, Hanna-Barbera Australia, CBS Entertainment Productions

MAIN CAST:

Bob Keeshan – Host

Malcolm Jamal-Warner – Host (reruns)

            Spinning out of a regular segment of the just-ended Captain Kangaroo, star Bob Keeshan returned to host an all-new anthology series that saw the adaptation of various children’s books—typically recently-published—into animated form. It was CBS’ first in-house cartoon series since their Terrytoons after acquiring the properties, and was produced by Southern Star Productions and Hanna-Barbera Australia.

Host Bob Keeshan "reading" that episode's book on set.

CBS Storybreak debuted on CBS on March 30, 1985. Each episode saw Keeshan starring in a wraparound segment where he would stand on a set designed to look like an animated park. At the start of the episode, he would introduce the viewers to the original book and its plot, and then at the end would mention additional reading recommended by the Library of Congress (unless a preview for the next episode was shown). While most of the featured books were one-offs, several of them were the first in a series; such as Dragon’s Blood by Jane Yolen, Jeffrey’s Ghost by David A. Adler, The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall and Ratha’s Creature by Clare Bell. The most notable adaptation was one of the Raggedy Ann and Andy books by Johnny Gruelle. Raggedy Ann had been adapted into animation before; particularly in two specials by Chuck Jones Enterprises that aired on CBS in 1978 and 1979. Their appearance here would lead to an animated series on the network, The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy.

Ad for Storybreak highlighting some of the featured adaptations.

Adapting the books were Sharman Divono, Mark Evanier, Rowby Goren, Gordon Kent, Elana Lesser, Malcolm Marmorstein, Michael Maurer, Michael Reaves, Cliff Ruby, J. Michael Straczynski, and Linda Woolverton. Because the series was an anthology, there wasn’t a stable cast of characters or actors from episode to episode. Among the assortment of notable voice actors featured on the show was Hamilton Camp, Mona Marshall, Frank Welker, Michael Bell, Neil Ross, Peter Renaday, Marilyn Schreffler, June Foray, Pat Fraley, Christina Lange, Kenneth Mars, Lennie Weinrib, Linda Gary, Maurice LaMarche, Jack Angel, Brian Cummings and Joan Gerber, amongst others. The series’ music was composed by Simon Walker, John Stuart, Bruce Rowland, Chris Neal, Artie Butler, Arlon Ober, Edward Karam, Richard Kosinski and Sam Winans.

26 episodes were made in total across three seasons, with a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award coming during its first season. After leaving the network in 1990, Storybreak returned for an additional round of reruns in 1993; however, Keeshan’s segments were replaced with all-new segments starring The Cosby Show’s Malcolm Jamal-Warner. This “new” batch of episodes ran from September 18, 1993 until August 19, 1995. Notably, they featured open captions by the Caption Center for the Hearing Impaired which not only aided those with hearing disabilities, but allowed others to read along with the adventures as an enhancement of the show’s pro-reading message. Reruns would return to the network one final time from January 3 through September 26 in 1998.

One of the VHS releases.

Through CBS’ distribution deal with 20^th Century Fox, “Arnold of the Ducks”, “C.L.U.T.Z.”, “Chocolate Fever” and “How to Eat Fried Worms” were released to VHS as Video Storybreak through Fox’s Playhouse Video imprint in 1992. In 1998, Fox Home Entertainment released two additional episodes: “Robbut: A Tale of Tails” and “Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story”.

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“The Great Ringtail Garbage Caper” (3/30/85) – A group of desperate racoons organize bold schemes when their food supply is threatened b a pair of efficient garbage collector.

“Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story From China” (4/6/85) – Ye Xian’s wish to attend a festival is granted, but when she runs off after fearing being recognized she leaves a golden slipper behind.

“Robbut: A Tale of Tails” (4/13/85) – Helping a magician out of a trap earns Robbut the rabbit his grandest wish: to have a different tail.

“How to Eat Fried Worms” (4/20/85) – Billy is challenged to eat a worm a day for 15 days for $50, and he proceeds to do so while experimenting with different ways to make the worms tastier.

“Zucchini” (4/27/85) – A ferret named Zucchini seeks freedom and escapes from the zoo, but ends up meeting and becoming the pet and friend of a young boy.

“Hank the Cowdog” (5/4/85) – The adventures of Hank, a dog that views himself the “Head of Ranch Security”.

“The Double Disappearance of Walter Fozbek” (5/11/85) – Young boy Walter wakes up one day in an alternate dimension populated by human-like dinosaurs.

“Chocolate Fever” (5/18/85) – Henry loves and eats so much chocolate that he ends up contracting the rare disease, chocolate fever.

“Dragon’s Blood” (5/25/85) – Jakkin steals a baby dragon to raise and train to fight so that he can earn enough money to buy himself out of bond.

“Arnold of the Ducks” (6/1/85) – A young boy is mistaken for a fish by a nearsighted pelican and dropped into a family of ducks.

Season 2:

“C.L.U.T.Z.” (9/14/85) – Rodney befriends the broken-down robot that comes to work for his family.

“Witch-Cat” (9/21/85) – A cat has to teach a young girl that she is a witch and how to use her magical powers.

“The Pig Plantagenet” (9/28/85) – Plantagenet can’t decide if he likes the free-roaming lifestyle of his cousin more than his barnyard existence when the forest come under threat of destruction.

“Harry, the Fat Bear Spy” (10/12/85) – Bearmania spy Harry is sent to discover why all the macaroons coming out of the factory are a disgusting shade of green.

“Hugh Pine” (10/26/85) – Genius porcupine Hugh decides to emulate being a human being to avoid being flattened on the highway.

“The Roquefort Gang” (11/9/85) – Three mice help another rescue a group of mice from prison.

Season 3:

“Mama Don’t Allow” (9/19/87) – Miles and his Swamp Band find a willing audience in a group of alligators, not realizing they’re intended to become dinner once the show is over.

“The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek” (9/26/87) – Joan and Joey set out to find dinosaur fossils, and instead find and befriend an actual dinosaur.

“What Happened in Hamelin” (10/3/87) – When a town refuses to pay a piper, he plans to get his payback through the town’s children.

“The Monster’s Ring” (10/10/87) – Russell buys a magic ring from a strange magic shop that ends up being genuine and transforms him into a monster.

“Max and Me and the Time Machine” (10/17/87) – Max doubts Steve’s time machine actually works until they both end up in medieval England in the bodies of a knight and his horse.

“The Gammage Cup” (10/24/87) – Despite not living in harmony, a race of tiny people have to come together to protect their valley against a horde of evil creatures.

“Jeffrey’s Ghost” (9/17/88) – A baseball team comprised of kids nobody wants to play with ends up becoming a team of winners through the machinations of a friendly ghost.

“Grinny” (9/24/88) – Tim and Beth notice a lot of strange things about their Great Aunt Emma when she appears for a visit out of nowhere.

“Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees” (10/1/88) – Raggedy Ann and Andy team-up with a strange camel doll to rescue Babette from a group of pirates.

“Ratha’s Creature” (1/28/89) – A prehistoric wild cat named Ratha bucks her herd’s trend of only males being herders and is banished to live amongst their enemies, the UnNamed.

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS SHOW

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS SHOW

(CBS, September 14, 1985-March 7, 1987)

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia Productions

MAIN CAST:

Ruth Buzzi – Mama Bear, Grizzly Gran, Teacher Jane, Officer Marguerite, Queen Nectar, various

Brian Cummings – Papa Q. Bear, Mayor Honeypot, Too-Tall Grizzly, Bigpaw, Jake, Henchweasels, Grizzly Gramps (1 episode), various

David Mendenhall – Brother Bear

Christina Lange – Sister Bear

Josh Rodine – Cousin Freddy

Frank Welker – Raffish Ralph, Professor Actual Factual, Weasel McGreed, Grizzly Gramps, Farmer Ben, Henchweasels, Snuff the Dog, various

Marissa Mendenhall – Additional female voices

            The Berenstain Bears is a series of illustrated children’s books that was very much a family effort. Stanley Berenstain and Janice Grant met in 1941 while attending the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. After the interruption of World War II, they were married in 1946 and worked as art teachers while also pursuing a career in cartooning; providing humorous sketches and cover art for various publications. In 1951, they began a series of humorous how-to books described by Stan as “cartoon essays” with The Berenstain’s Baby Book, inspired by the raising of their son, Leo.

Jan, Mike, Leo and Stan Berenstain.

            In the 1960s, the Berenstains wanted to make books for young children. They decided to make their main characters a family of bears as the animal held wide appeal and were easy to draw, plus it was fun to dress them in silly clothing. Initially they came up with three characters: a wise Mama Bear who wore a blue dress with polka dots; an overenthusiastic Papa Bear in bib overalls who was a bumbling carpenter; and a bright, lively cub named Small Bear (later becoming Brother Bear when he gained siblings Sister and Honey). 

The original book.

The manuscript, titled Freddy Bear’s Spanking, found its way into the hands of Random House editor Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss. Geisel challenged the Berenstains to look deeper at their characters, their relationships and their motivations while also improving the writing and structure. After two years, Geisel was satisfied enough to send the book to print in 1962 as The Big Honey Hunt. With no plans for a sequel, Geisel advised the Berenstains to look into a different animal for their next book as bears were plentiful in fiction. However, that notion soon came to an end when Geisel called and told them “We’re selling the hell out of that bear book.” A sequel came in 1964, titled The Bike Lesson. Without consulting them and for “marketing reasons”, Geisel had renamed the authors as Stan and Jan and added The Berenstain Bears title to all subsequent books.

Papa, Mama, Brother and Sister Bear.

As described by the Berenstains, their books usually followed a basic formula: Small Bear would present a problem to Papa Bear who would proceed to make it worse at his own expense, until Mama came in and straightened everything out. The books usually dealt with real life issues drawn from their own life experiences such as bullying, lying, being scared of the dark, sportsmanship, safety, physical health and more. Sister Bear was introduced in 1974’s The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby in response to requests from female readers, and Honey’s arrival was announced in 2000’s The Birds, the Bees and the Berenstain Bears along with a contest to name her. 

The latest 2019 release of the series.

Despite frequent criticisms that the books are overly syrupy and sappy lectures disguised as stories and for perpetuating outdated gender roles, The Berenstain Bears have sold over 260 million copies and received multiple awards. Their sons, Leo and Mike, began working on the “Big Chapter Book” series under their parents’ names. Following Stan’s death in 2005, Mike collaborated with Jan on new installments while Leo took over the business side of the franchise. Jan would pass away in 2012, leaving Mike to continue to create new books in the series.

The Bears settling down for Christmas...fish?....in the first animated special.

On their way to becoming a media franchise, The Berenstain Bears have had board games, card games, toys and video games made about them. And, of course, cartoons. Beginning in 1979, a series of five annual specials were made by Perpetual Motion Pictures and The Cates Brothers Company and aired on NBC. With the success of those specials, it was decided to turn the concept in a full-fledged television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Joe Cates and Buzz Potamkin remained as producers and Elliot Lawrence continued to score the music; taking cues from his pieces in the specials but at a faster pace; including the series’ theme which incorporated parts of  John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever”.

The Bears showing off their home.

The Berenstain Bears Show debuted on CBS on September 14, 1985. Like the books, the series focused on the daily lives of Papa (Brian Cummings), Mama (Ruth Buzzi), Brother (David Mendenhall) and Sister (Christina Lange) in their woodland home of Bear Country. Brother and Sister often deal with the trials and tribulations of growing up and turned to their Papa for help, who then promptly managed to screw things up spectacularly leaving Mama to clean up the mess. Occasionally, the Bear family had to deal with the machinations of local con artist Raffish Ralph (Frank Welker, using a W.C. Fields impression) and the schemes of Weasel McGreed (an original creation for the show, also Welker) who wanted to take over Bear Country any way possible. Other characters included the cubs’ cousin Freddy (Welker) and his dog, Snuff (also Welker); Too-Tall Grizzly (Cummings), the tallest cub in school and frequent bully; Professor Actual Factual (Welker), the community intellectual and owner of the Bearsonian Institution museum; Mayor Horace J. Honeypot (Cummings), who often mixed up letters in words as he spoke; Bigpaw (Cummings), a giant throwback to prehistoric cave bears; Queen Nectar (Buzzi), a bee in charge of making “Wild Wild Honey” that Papa was always after; and Papa’s parents Gramps (Welker, Cummings in 1 episode), who liked to build ships in bottles and complain about government, and Gran (Buzzi), who enjoyed telling people their fortunes, amongst others.

Series villains Weasel McGreed and Raffish Ralph.

The series was mostly written by the Berenstains along with Martin Pasko, Rebecca Parr, Rowby Goren, Earl Kress, Bill Shinkai and Linda Woolverton, with Goren serving as the story editor. It ran for two seasons, airing 13 episodes per season comprised of two segments each. Half of the featured stories were adapted straight from the books. Animation duties were moved to Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia, where the character designs were refined to be more in line with the books’ updated style as well as simplified for weekly animation. The series was nominated for a 1987 Daytime Emmy Award and a Humanitas Prize.

Professor Actual Factual.

The Berenstain Bears Show remained on the network until the 1987 fall schedule. It was rerun on TLC as part of their Ready Set Learn programming block in 1998 until a contract dispute forced them to take it off. The show ended up being acquired by DiC Entertainment and was run in the early 2000s as part of the DiC Kids Network programming block with some editing and time compression. Random House Home Video began releasing collections onto VHS in 1985 collecting three segments apiece. The opening title was altered, removing the introductions showing highlights from the episode, flipping a shot and changing the on-screen title. The episode title cards, which featured a portrait of the Bears on a green background, were replaced with a shot from the opening title. The end credits were also changed to scroll up the screen and the music sped up. In 1995, Sony Wonder took over distribution of the VHS collections after signing a deal with Random House, doing so until 2004. 

Between 2003 and 2004, a second The Berenstain Bears cartoon was produced by Nelvana and aired on PBS for 40 episodes also comprised of two segments each. Because of laws necessitating that Nelvana, a Canadian company, only employ Canadian talent, Stan and Jan’s involvement in the series was minimal. As new books had been published since the CBS series, the 2003 series was approached as a supplement to that rather than as a pure reboot. However, both shows were never aired together, certain characters never appeared, and some elements like character personalities were changed. 

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“The Messy Room / The Terrible Termite” (9/14/85) – Mama wants the cubs to clean their room or she’ll throw out all their stuff. / The cubs discover Raffish Ralph is using Terrible Termite to further his insurance business.

“Go Fly a Kite / The Trojan Pumpkin” (9/21/85) – Papa inadvertently enters the hang-gliding contest. / Papa plants a pumpkin seed that turns into a mutant pumpkin.

“The Spooky Old Mansion / The Fly Away Pizza” (9/28/85) – Mama encourages her family to face their fears about the spooky mansion down the road. / Papa’s pizza flies away during the pizza-twirling competition.

“The Giant Bat Cave / The Wild Wild Honey” (10/5/85) – The cubs help the bats protect their cave from Raffish Ralph. / Papa steals some of Queen Nectar’s honey.

“The Neighborly Skunk / The Missing Pumpkin” (10/12/85) – The Bears worry when a skunk moves in next door. / The cubs search for Farmer Ben’s prize pumpkin.

“Too Much Birthday / To the Rescue” (10/19/85) – While her family plans a big birthday party, Sister is distressed about getting older. / Papa tries to help the cubs earn their merit badges but ends up needing rescuing.

“The Soccer Star / Shoot the Rapids” (10/26/85) – Brother tries out for the soccer team. / The Bear Scouts head out for their whitewater rafting merit badges.

“Knight to Remember / The Super Duper Bowl” (11/2/85) – The cubs and Professor Actual Factual find a cursed suit of armor that seems to come alive at night. / Raffish Ralph comes up with a football scheme.

“The Not So Buried Treasure / The Condemned Backscratcher” (11/9/85) – The Bears discover a treasure map and go on a hunt. / A new highway threatens an important landmark.

“Kong for a Day / Blaze a trail” (11/16/85) – Bigpaw ends up captured and put on display. / Papa interferes with the cubs’ latest scouting activity.

“No Girls Allowed / The Missing Dinosaur Bone” (11/23/85) – When Sister finally gets the best of Brother, he and his friends exclude her from their clubhouse. / The Bears decide to investigate the disappearance of a dinosaur bone from the museum.

“The Spookiest Pumpkin / The Dancing Bees” (11/30/85) – Papa is determined to win the pumpkin carving contest, making his design in utter secrecy. / Papa buys a book from Raffish Ralph to help him get some of Queen Nectar’s honey.

“Learn About Strangers / The Disappearing Honey” (12/7/85) – The Bear parents teach Sister about dealing with strangers. / The cubs investigate the disappearance of Papa’s honey supply.

Season 2:

“In the Dark / Ring the Bell” (9/13/86) – Sister becomes scared of the dark after Brother reads her a scary book. / Papa ends up accepting a challenge against Two-Ton at the fair while Queen Nectar wants revenge against him for honey theft.

“Forget Their Manners / The Wickedest Weasel Spell” (9/20/86) – Brother and Sister pick up bad habits after Too Tall pushes them around at their cousin’s party. / Weasel McGreed plans to hypnotize Bigpaw to turn him against Bear Country.

“The Truth / Save the Bees” (9/27/86) – A fight leads to the cubs accidentally breaking Mama’s favorite lamp. / Weasel McGreed targets the bees in order to cut off Bear Country’s honey supply.

“Get in a Fight / The Bigpaw Problem” (10/4/86) – Bad moods spread throughout the family, leading to fights. / Bigpaw causes tremors in town that end up saving it from an earthquake Weasel McGreed starts.

“Get Stage Fright / Go Bonkers over Honkers” (10/11/86) – Sister gets the lead in the school play and develops stage fright. / Raffish Ralph trades some geese to Bigpaw for a gold rock.

“The Great Honey Pipeline / The Great Grizzly Comet” (10/18/86) – Papa promises not to go after wild honey anymore, but the cubs soon discover he broke his promise. / Aliens arrive to warn that the coming comet will collide with Bear Country.

“The Sure-Fire Bait / The Cat’s Meow” (10/25/86) – Papa is determined to catch an elusive fish. / While catsitting the Bears decide to figure out why Puff has such a unique meow.

“The Trouble with Friends / The Coughing Catfish” (11/1/86) – Sister wants some friends her own age, but the one she ends up getting is far too bossy. / The cubs try to figure out how to motivate the community to clean up the pollution from the lake.

“The Substitute Teacher / The Mansion Mystery” (11/8/86) – The cubs decide to pull pranks on their substitute teacher. / The cubs and Papa investigate a series of thefts at Squire and Lady Grizzly’s mansion.

“Bust a Ghost / The Ice Monster” (11/15/86) – Papa decides to dress up like a ghost to scare the Bear Scouts. / Raffish Ralph stumbles across an ice monster.

“The Crystal Ball Caper / The Raid on Fort Grizzly” (11/22/86) – Weasel McGreed plans to steal Gran’s crystal ball. / Raffish Ralph and Weasel Mcgreed plan to rob the fort’s treasury.

“The Forbidden Cave / The Hot Air Election” (11/29/86) – The Bear Scouts end up trapped in a cave. / Raffish Ralph convinces Papa to run for public office, leading to a heated race.

“Life with Papa / Save the Farm” (12/6/86) – While Mama is visiting her cousin, Papa is in charge and ends up making a mess of the house. / Farmer Ben has to fend off Weasel McGreed’s attempts to buy his farm.

CARTOON ALL-STARS TO THE RESCUE

CARTOON ALL-STARS TO THE RESCUE

(Syndicated, April 21, 1990)

Southern Star Productions, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd.

MAIN CAST:

Ross Bagdasarian – Alvin, Simon
Jeff Bergman – Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck
Townsend Coleman – Michelangelo, father
Jim Cummings – Winnie the Pooh, Tigger
Joey Dedio – Dealer
Paul Fusco – ALF
Danny Goldman – Brainy Smurf
Janice Karman – Theodore
Jason Marsden – Michael
Don Messick – Papa Smurf
Lorenzo Music – Garfield
Laurie O’Brien – Baby Piggy, mother
Lindsay Parker – Corey
George C. Scott – Smoke
Russi Taylor – Huey, Dewey, Louie, Baby Gonzo
Frank Welker – Slimer, Hefty Smurf, Baby Kermit

We all wished we had this poster in our rooms.

            Taking the war on drugs to Saturday mornings, McDonald’s and Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities financed the production of an animated special that united several cartoon characters from various popular programs at the time. It was the biggest, most ambitious entry in the national anti-drug campaign.

Michael and Smoke are confronted by the cartoon characters.

            Written by Duane Poole and Tom Swale, with a musical number by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue centered on teenaged Michael (Jason Marsden) who had taken to using marijuana and stealing his father’s (Townsend Coleman) beer. Michael’s younger sister, Corey (Lindsay Parker), grows worried about Michael as he begins acting differently. When Michael steals Corey’s piggy bank for money to buy more drugs, the various cartoon character items in her room came to life to help her track it down and then to convince Michael to abandon his drug habits. But they have their work cut out for them when Michael is constantly influenced by the living smoke creature aptly-named Smoke (named on the VHS but never in the actual special, voiced by George C. Scott making his voice-acting debut).

Smoke and Pooh battle for Corey's soul.

            Featured characters included Papa Smurf (Don Messick), Brainy Smurf (Danny Goldman) and Hefty Smurf (Frank Welker) from The Smurfs, emerging from a comic book (Smurfette appeared in promotional artwork but not in the special); ALF (Paul Fusco) from ALF: The Animated Series who emerges from a picture; Alvin, Simon (both Ross Bagdasarian) and Theodore (Janice Karman) from Alvin and the Chipmunks who came off of a record sleeve; Garfield (Lorenzo Music) from Garfield and Friends as a lamp; Winnie the Pooh (a stuffed animal) and Tigger (both Jim Cummings) from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; Babies Kermit (as an alarm clock, voiced by Welker), Piggy (Laurie O’Brien) and Gonzo (Russi Taylor) from Muppet Babies; Michelangelo (Coleman) from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (who was left off of promotional material); Huey, Dewey and Louie (all Taylor) from DuckTales (replacing the proposed use of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy); Slimer (also Welker) from The Real Ghostbusters; and Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (both Jeff Bergman, marking the first time either character wasn’t voiced by the recently-deceased Mel Blanc). Because of the public service nature of the project, the characters’ various license-holders granted royalty-free access to them.

You know you're high when the smoke starts to smile at you.

Directed by Milton Gray, Marsh Lamore, Bob Shellhorn, Mike Svayko and Karen Peterson, and animated by Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd. in an impossibly tight six-week deadline (a standard episode typically took twice as long), Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue was simulcast across all the major networks, most independent stations, and several cable channels, as well as in nine different countries on April 21^st, 1990; becoming the first scripted show to do so. It only aired once, although The Disney Channel did rerun it a few more times. A rumor persisted that Jim Davis was never asked for permission to use Garfield in the special, resulting in it never airing again in America. Mark Evanier, head writer of Garfield and Friends, debunked the rumor saying that not only was permission given to use Garfield, but an agreement was in place with all the rights holders that the special would have a limited airing. The special was produced by Southern Star Productions for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The VHS box.

            Buena Vista Home Video handled the home releases of the special, which featured an introduction by then-American President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. These tapes were made available both at McDonald’s restaurants and for free rentals at libraries. To promote the film, pamphlets were distributed in McDonald’s restaurants and Barbara Bush recorded several television commercials. However, advertisements for it were careful to underplay the anti-drug angle and instead play-up the crossing over of so many favorite characters.

Retailer promo for the VHS release.

Over the next year, the special was translated and played in various international markets. In most countries, that nation’s leader introduced the special in place of the President: Prime Minister Bob Hawke for Australia, Prime Minister Jim Bolger for New Zealand, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for Canada, and President Carlos Salinas de Gortari for Mexico.

TEEN WOLF (1986)

TEEN WOLF (1986)

(CBS, September 13, 1986-November 7, 1987)

Southern Star Productions, Clubhouse Pictures

MAIN CAST:

Townsend Coleman – Scott Howard

James Hampton – Harold Howard

Stacy Keach, Sr. – Grandpa Howard

June Foray – Grandma Howard, Mrs. Seslick

Jeannie Elias – Lisa “Boof” Marconi

Donny Most – Rupert “Stiles” Stilinski

Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) thought all he had to worry about was puberty, playing for the worst team in high school basketball, and being unable to get the most popular girl in school, Pamela Wells (Lorie Griffin), to notice him. However, he soon discovered the family secret: he was a werewolf! But he quickly came to terms with that fact when he learned that his wolf form (which he could shift into and out of at will, no full moon required) made him the best player on the team, and quickly brought The Beavers to the top. Plus, Pamela was finally paying attention to him--much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, Mick McAllister (Mark Arnold). After a physical confrontation with Mick caused him to wolf-out in anger, Scott decided to curb the wolf and played the championship game as himself and also discovered that the girl he really cared about was his best friend, Boof (Susan Ursitti).

Teen Wolf, produced by Atlantic Releasing Corporation, came about due to the success of their 1983 film Valley Girl. They wanted to make a comedy that would cost almost nothing (the budget was $1 million) and could be filmed quickly. It was one of the first movies written by Jeph Loeb, and co-written by Matthew Weisman. The project came together fully when Fox, who had a filming break from his TV series Family Ties, accepted the lead role. Directed by Rod Daniel, the film was released on August 23, 1985 and ended up grossing $80 million in the box office. It debuted in second place behind Fox’s other hit movie that year, Back to the Future, which he filmed after Teen Wolf. To cash in on Future, international releases of Teen Wolf either had a time element incorporated into its title (Garato do Futuro, or Boy from the Future in Brazil) or by having Scott’s name translated as “Marty,” such as in Italy.

Scott with Boof, Harold, Grandpa and Lupe.

The movie proved popular enough to warrant an animated spin-off the following year from Southern Star Productions. Unlike the movie, Scott Howard’s (Townsend Coleman) duality was kept a secret from everyone except his family and best friends, Boof (Jeannie Elias), whose crush on Scott remained from the film, Stiles (Don Most), who would do anything for a quick buck, and Chubs (Will Ryan), his overweight teammate in the film whose love of food was the only element to remain. Scott also couldn’t change at will; rather, it was brought on by elevated stress levels and the traditional full moon. These unwanted changes often happened in public, forcing Scott to find a way to conceal himself from sight until he could change back. 

Stiles drops by.

The Howard family was also expanded considerably. Whereas it was originally just his father, Harold (James Hampton, reprising his role from the movie), Scott had gained a sister, Lupe (who didn’t yet know if she possessed the family trait), and his grandparents from Transylvania, who stayed in werewolf form most of the time. Grandpa Howard (Stacy Keach, Sr.) was often an embarrassment to the family as he tended to act like a large dog, while Grandma Howard (June Foray) dabbled in magic and fortunetelling. Nosy neighbor Mrs. Seslick (Foray) knew about the Howard family’s “condition” but was constantly unable to prove it to anyone else. Grandpa frequently terrorized her cat. Additionally, the Howards had a housekeeper named Frieda (Sheryl Bernstein), who was fully aware of their duality.

Mick doesn't take kindly to Scott being around Pamela.

Scott continued to pine for Pamela (Ellen Gerstell), now a school cheerleader. However, he only succeeding in attracting her dog, Daisy, due to his wolf side. Pamela was still dating Mick, who was older and went to a different school in the film but was now a senior at the same school and frequently bullied Scott; especially over Pamela. Beyond that, basketball, which was so central in the film, played no role in the series. Stiles was still a profiteering opportunist that frequently attempted to cash in on the town’s obsession with werewolves, among other schemes. Much to Scott’s chagrin, he often attempted to try and profit off of their family secret with little thought as to how it would affect them. While in the film Stiles drove a beat-up 1962 Chevy Nova convertible and later traded it for a 1965 International Harvester Metro Van he dubbed the “Wolfmobile”, in the series he drove an old black hearse with green doors reminiscent of a 1961 Cadillac. The town’s name was changed from Beacontown in the film to Wolverton, now run by new character Mayor Marconi (Kenneth Mars & Frank Welker). He was Boof’s father and prone to falling for tricks that often put his constituents in harm’s way while attempting to bolster tourism and capture the fabled werewolves the town was known for.

Teen Wolf debuted on CBS on September 13^th, 1986 and was successful enough to be renewed for a second season. Unfortunately, the 1986 voice actors’ strike halted production on the series, resulting in only 8 more episodes being produced. CBS did keep it on the schedule for an additional season comprised entirely of reruns. The series was written by Rowby Goren, Gordon Kent, Pamela Hickey, Dennys McCoy, Michael Reaves, Bruce Reid Shaefer and Linda Woolverton, with Buzz Dixon serving as the story editor and Loeb and Weisman retained as creative consultants. The opening theme was composed by John Lewis Parker and Barry Mann with vocals by Steve Tyrell, while the closing theme was composed by Ashley Hall and Stephanie Tyrell with vocals by Hall. The rest of the music was composed by David Kitay, Richard Kosinki, Wells Christie, James Donnellan and Parker.

A sequel film, Teen Wolf Too, was released on November 20, 1987. The movie, written by R. Timothy Kring and directed by Christopher Leitch, essentially followed the same story, this time with Scott’s cousin, Todd (Jason Bateman), discovering his ability to transform in college. The biggest difference was that the sport in question was boxing instead of basketball. Only Hampton and Mark Holton as Chubs reprised their roles from the first film, and the sequel was universally panned. As promotion for the film, the character of Todd was featured in the series’ final episode. It was the only time Todd and Scott would meet on any screen.

The DVD cover.

Family Home Entertainment released four episodes to VHS in 1993, while Avid Home Entertainment released two episodes in 1998. In the United Kingdom, where the series was known as The Cartoon Adventures of Teen Wolf, Video Gems released three VHS collections with art showcasing Scott transforming across the covers. Another VHS containing two episodes was released as well. In 2008, the complete series was released to DVD in Region 4 only. A North American release was planned by Shout! Factory in 2017, but was indefinitely delayed due to an unforeseen rights issue. In 2025, it was made available to stream on Pluto TV in time for the film’s 40^th anniversary.

A Teen Wolf 3 was planned starring Alyssa Milano until it fell through. Another attempt at the sequel was later recycled into the 1989 movie Teen Witch. In 2009, Jeff Davis developed a live-action adaptation of the movie for MTV. Teen Wolf premiered in 2011 as a darker and edgier version of the film. Social outcast Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) was bitten by a werewolf and became one, having to balance his night life with his normal life and keep his friends safe from his other half. The series contained a lot of gruesome elements intermixed with dark comedy, keeping it somewhat in line with the original film. Image Comics released a comic based on the show its debut year.

EPISODE GUIDE:
Season 1:
“Teen Wolf’s Family Secret” (9/13/86) – Scott tries to reclaim his family album from Pamela before she looks in it and discovers that they’re all werewolves.
 
“The Werewolf Buster” (9/20/86) – A werewolf hunter comes to town just as Grandpa sets out for his annual turkey hunt in the woods.
 
“Shopworn Wolf” (9/27/86) – Howard puts Scott in charge of the hardware store so he can earn money for a guitar, but Stiles’ help ends up causing him more problems along the way.
 
“The Beast Within” (10/4/86) – The Howards are suddenly unable to control their transformations and are afraid they are the monster reportedly wrecking the town.
 
“Up a Family Tree” (10/11/86) – A family reunion brings complications in trying to keep the family secret safe from the neighbors—especially when Mick falls for Scott’s attractive cousin.
 
“Grandpa’s in the Doghouse” (10/18/86) – Mrs. Seslick calls the dog catcher on Pam’s dog Daisy, but Grandpa ends up taken by accident instead.
 
“Wolf Pride” (10/25/86) – A film crew comes to Wolverton to film a typical werewolf horror film, which upsets Scott.
 
“Wolf of My Dreams” (11/1/86) – Scott becomes infatuated with a character on television he believes is a fellow teen wolf.
 
“Leader of the Pack” (11/8/86) – Scott tries to figure out a way to get rid of a biker gang causing trouble in town.
 
“The Curse of the Red Paw’ (11/15/86) – The Howards head to Transylvania to reconnect with their past and check out a castle they inherited.
 
“The All-American Werewolf” (11/22/86) – The Howards are selected to be on a television contest called The All-American Family.
 
“Under My Spell” (11/29/86) – A new family moves to town and ends up being witches that turn everyone into zombies under their control.
 
“Teen Wolf Punks Out” (12/6/86) – Scott finds acceptance for his wolf side as he and Boof enter into the punk scene.
 
Season 2:
“Teen Wolf’s Curse” (9/19/87) – Grandpa's ex-girlfriend puts a curse on the family that causes anyone they touch to become a werewolf.
 
“It’s No Picnic Being Teen Wolf” (9/26/87) – Scott is tasked with keeping an eye on Grandpa on the same weekend as the school picnic.
 
“Toot Toot, Tut Tut and All That Rot” (10/3/87) – Scott and Stiles must rescue the school’s werewolf mascot costume from Upson High.
 
“Down on the Farm” (10/10/87) – The Howards volunteer to work on a farm for a week, but the animals sensing their true natures makes things difficult.
 
“Diary of a Mad Werewolf” (10/17/87) – The Howards learn the stolen town statue contains a diary from one of their relatives that may contain their secret.
 
“Teen Wolf Come Home” (10/24/87) – On an errand for his father, Scott falls down a manhole and loses his memory in another town.
 
“Scott and the Howlers” (10/31/87) – Scott performs on a talent show with his band leading to his discovery by a record label and the choice of leaving his friends behind.
 
“Howlin’ Cousins” (11/7/87) – Scott visits his cousin and tries to help Todd come out of his shell.

Originally posted in 2015. Updated in 2025.