HB shows of the 70's and 80's based on tv shows and comics

[zoombie]

Hanna Barbara has had shows that are based on live action shows such as the Adams Family, and the comics such as Josie and the Pussycats, Richie Rich in the 70's and 80's, leased the rights to these shows from the outside.

My question is, did the the people that make live actions shows and comic books as well, get wise to what Hanna Barbara did in the earlier shows, sort of ripoff stuff for their own shows such as Top Cat (Sgt. Bilko), Yogi Bear (Ed Norton from the Honeymooners), and the Flintstones (the Honeymooners), and tell Hanna Barbara, we are on to what you have done in the past, we won't let you get away with anymore, that is why HB did some offically adapted shows from live action and the comics?

[Blackstar]

Hanna Barbara has had shows that are based on live action shows such as the Adams Family, and the comics such as Josie and the Pussycats, Richie Rich in the 70's and 80's, leased the rights to these shows from the outside.

My question is, did the the people that make live actions shows and comic books as well, get wise to what Hanna Barbara did in the earlier shows, sort of ripoff stuff for their own shows such as Top Cat (Sgt. Bilko), Yogi Bear (Ed Norton from the Honeymooners), and the Flintstones (the Honeymooners), and tell Hanna Barbara, we are on to what you have done in the past, we won't let you get away with anymore, that is why HB did some offically adapted shows from live action and the comics?

But here's the thing: Hanna Barbera didn't do anything illegal. Lots of animators parodied famous movie and TV stars of the day. That went on even before Hanna Barbera studios was formed. Warner Brothers didn't receive any flack when they caricatured famous movie start who were also working in the studio. The characters of Babbitt & Catsello were just Abbott & Costello as cats, and then later, as mice. They didn't use the exact names or settings for their shows, so they covered for themselves. The Flintstones took place in pre-history, not in 1960s Brooklyn. Fred never said "To the moon, Wilma!" They made it just different enough so that they wouldn't get sued.

[zoombie]

But here's the thing: Hanna Barbera didn't do anything illegal. Lots of animators parodied famous movie and TV stars of the day. That went on even before Hanna Barbera studios was formed. Warner Brothers didn't receive any flack when they caricatured famous movie start who were also working in the studio. The characters of Babbitt & Catsello were just Abbott & Costello as cats, and then later, as mice. They didn't use the exact names or settings for their shows, so they covered for themselves. The Flintstones took place in pre-history, not in 1960s Brooklyn. Fred never said "To the moon, Wilma!" They made it just different enough so that they wouldn't get sued.

You are right, but anyone can get sued for any ridculous reason, at least today, back than it was a different time. But my question is later on, they became more bladent, and actully had partnerships with other people such as Archie Comics and Columbia studios.

At some point, Hanna Barbara changed the way they did things sometimes, they had the real Josie and the Pussycats from the comics, the real Adams Family from the sitcoms, they could have just have had a show with original characters, that were *wink wink* like Josie and the Cats, and the same for the Adams Family. There was a time in the 70's and early 80's, HB decided to just do an outright adaptions. Why didn't they do similar characters like they do in the late 50's and 60's?

[Tobias]

You are right, but anyone can get sued for any ridculous reason, at least today, back than it was a different time. But my question is later on, they became more bladent, and actully had partnerships with other people such as Archie Comics and Columbia studios.

At some point, Hanna Barbara changed the way they did things sometimes, they had the real Josie and the Pussycats from the comics, the real Adams Family from the sitcoms, they could have just have had a show with original characters, that were *wink wink* like Josie and the Cats, and the same for the Adams Family. There was a time in the 70's and early 80's, HB decided to just do an outright adaptions. Why didn't they do similar characters like they do in the late 50's and 60's?

Because in Josie's case, HB was already running low on the 'Mystery Solving Teen + mascot' formula (Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy), and I don't think ANY of those shows outside of Scooby lasted more than a season. They probably figured an already known property in the same vein as Scooby might fare better.

The Addams Family came about because of their appearance on 'The Scooby Movies', just like how Superfriends came about because of Superman and Wonder Woman on 'The Brady Kids' and Batman & Robin's appearance on 'Scooby'.

If Hanna Barbera had thought hard enough, Don Knotts & Phyllis Diller would have had their own animated series.

[ROBOTRON]

Anybody here remember "The Saturday Superstar Movie" on ABC (I think) which combined several animated and comic stars in one show? Wasn't that a Hanna-Barbara joint?

Wouldn't mind seeing a few of those again on Boomerang...especially the Popeye one (which is the only one I remember right now).

[zoombie]

Because in Josie's case, HB was already running low on the 'Mystery Solving Teen + mascot' formula (Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy), and I don't think ANY of those shows outside of Scooby lasted more than a season. They probably figured an already known property in the same vein as Scooby might fare better.



As some of you may or may not know, the Scooby gang were going to be a band, the show was going to be called The Mysteries Five about five kids in a band that solved mysteries between gigs with the help of their dog. So Scooby would have been like Josie, though they were trying to clone Archie and Freinds.

So it is kind of ironic, that they give Josie and the Pussycats their own show a year after Scooby, which was going to be like Josie's show. And the DTV movie Scooby Doo And Legend Of The Vampire, gives a glimpse of what might have been.

[SPTO]

As some of you may or may not know, the Scooby gang were going to be a band, the show was going to be called The Mysteries Five about five kids in a band that solved mysteries between gigs with the help of their dog. So Scooby would have been like Josie, though they were trying to clone Archie and Freinds.


Interesting. I've also heard a neat story about the creation of Scooby as one of the people involved (I can't remember either it was a network exec or Hanna or Barbera) were listening to Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" and heard him sing "scooby dooby doo" and that's how the idea of a big clumsy dog with the name Scooby Doo came about.

[hobbyfan]

Anybody here remember "The Saturday Superstar Movie" on ABC (I think) which combined several animated and comic stars in one show? Wasn't that a Hanna-Barbara joint?

Wouldn't mind seeing a few of those again on Boomerang...especially the Popeye one (which is the only one I remember right now).

And that's the one you referenced (The Man Who Hated Laughter). H-B didn't gain a license to do Popeye until 6 years later. King Features owns the rights to that particular SSM, which might explain why it hasn't seen the light of day in 35 years.

Back to the topic at hand. I have here a quick list of comic strip/books adapted for television by H-B:

1. Fantastic Four (1967-70). The first TV adaptation of the Marvel series. The Thing would return to H-B as a solo act (see below), but it wouldn't be the same

2. Josie & the Pussycats (1970-74, including the Outer Space series). Lone major change was taking away Alexandra Cabot's witchcraft. Since CBS already had a good witch (Sabrina) on the schedule, why confuse the kids by having a bad witch, too? (NBC already had Witchiepoo on HR Pufnstuf, but that's neither here nor there:D )

3. Super Friends (1973-86, various formats). 'Nuff said.

4. Addams Family (1973-4, 1991-3). The 1st series came out 7 years after the live-action series ended, but is built around the New Yorker strips (especially with the way Gomez is drawn). The revival spun from the movies, using the more mobile Thing (the disembodied hand, not Ben Grimm).

5. The New Shmoo (1979-80). Spun off from L'il Abner, but taken out of his (its?) normal milieu and made into Scooby-Doo copycat #14003. Small wonder that it was folded into a 90-minute block with Fred & Barney......

6. The Thing (part of Fred & Barney meet....., 1979-80). After DePatie-Freleng's failed adaptation of the FF a year earlier, Ben returns, this time as a shape-shifting teen who changes via a 2-part Thing Ring. As lame as it sounds!

7. Richie Rich (1981-84?). Richie has a red sweater with "R" on the chest, as if he really needed that. Robot maid Irona was turned into a transforming robot before those toys came along and was more of a bodyguard to Richie than in the comics. Camp comedy-adventure.

8. Fish Police (1991). Along with Capitol Critters, this marked H-B's biggest attempt at returning to prime time. Too bad they can't dig it out of the vaults and put it on Adult Swim (where it would be most appropriate for CN). Does anyone remember the late John Ritter as Inspector Gill?

If there are others that I've forgotten, LMK.

[zoombie]

2. Josie & the Pussycats (1970-74, including the Outer Space series). Lone major change was taking away Alexandra Cabot's witchcraft. Since CBS already had a good witch (Sabrina) on the schedule, why confuse the kids by having a bad witch, too? (NBC already had Witchiepoo on HR Pufnstuf, but that's neither here nor there:D )



There was another major change. You forget in the comic book, Alexander was a consideed snob, who had a crush on Josie, and wanted to break up whoever Josie was dating, weather it was Albert or Alan M. He was a jerk in the comics, in the series he is a very loveable character, and in my opinion the second more loveable character on the show besides Melody. He went from second biggest jerk (behind Alexandra of course) to second most loveable character. That is quite a transition.

While not as dramatic change as her brother, HB did tone down Alexandra a little bit. She was much meaner in the comics. On the show, she has shown concern for the others minus Josie when someone was in danger.

Speaking of Sabrina and Alexandra, did they ever meet in the comics and discover they both had witch craft powers, and have a witch vs witch showdown?, that would have been cool. But I am glad you referred to Alexandra as a bad witch, not a evil witch. There is a big difference.

[hobbyfan]

There was another major change. You forget in the comic book, Alexander was a consideed snob, who had a crush on Josie, and wanted to break up whoever Josie was dating, weather it was Albert or Alan M. He was a jerk in the comics, in the series he is a very loveable character, and in my opinion the second more loveable character on the show besides Melody. He went from second biggest jerk (behind Alexandra of course) to second most loveable character. That is quite a transition.

While not as dramatic change as her brother, HB did tone down Alexandra a little bit. She was much meaner in the comics. On the show, she has shown concern for the others minus Josie when someone was in danger.

Speaking of Sabrina and Alexandra, did they ever meet in the comics and discover they both had witch craft powers, and have a witch vs witch showdown?, that would have been cool. But I am glad you referred to Alexandra as a bad witch, not a evil witch. There is a big difference.

1. Growing up, I didn't see too many copies of Josie comics in the stores, so I didn't read a lot of the earlier tales. From what I could remember, Alex was Josie's answer to Reggie, which I think was the point you're trying to get across. In making the transition to TV, Hanna-Barbera transferred Shaggy's personality (and voice, that of Casey Kasem) to Alex, changing him from a lout to a cowardly bungler who was always booking the band in the worst places imaginable.

2. While Alexandra vs. Sabrina would've been a good idea, I don't think it's ever happened. IMPO, Sabrina would lay a magical smackdown on Alexandra.:D :D :D

[Silverstar]

2. While Alexandra vs. Sabrina would've been a good idea, I don't think it's ever happened. IMPO, Sabrina would lay a magical smackdown on Alexandra.:D :D :D

It really depends on which version of Sabrina. Filmation's teenage witch could hold her own, but the version on Disney's Sabrina, the Animated Series was a total wuss who would've gotten her butt whooped by Tinkerbell. :anime:

[zoombie]

It really depends on which version of Sabrina. Filmation's teenage witch could hold her own, but the version on Disney's Sabrina, the Animated Series was a total wuss who would've gotten her butt whooped by Tinkerbell. :anime:

Well Sabrina is a natural witch. She is a pro, Alexandra is an amatur witch, and I am not even sure if she had any real powers, and it was really Sabastain, but I am not that familar with the Josie comics either.

But Alexandra does have the killer instinct, that a good witch like Sabrina lacks. There is not a dirty trick that Alexandra wouldn't try. One of the things I love about her. At least the comic book version, I think like most comic book characters that make the transition to kids cartoon show, she went soft.