Why did the Wuzzles fail?

[Zen Man]

Chances are if you were a child in the 80's, you watched this enjoyable but short-lived show. The Wuzzles along with The Gummi Bears, were the first two programs that led the way for Disney's television animation renaissance though I don't think the Wuzzles get enough recognition in that department. I've read how both The Gummi's and The Wuzzles premiered on different networks at the same time in the fall of 1985 in the same timeslot, which was rare for Disney to have to in-house shows competing against each other. The Gummi's were a major success for NBC while the Wuzzles on CBS never caught on and was ultimately canceled after one season. Rumor has it that Disney was planning on more episodes for The Wuzzles but the guy who voiced Moosel passed away and it never came about.

Any thoughts?

[Silverstar]

It's not like The Wuzzles was the sort of premise that could have gone on for years and years or anything. It was a show based on a line of toys about a group of animals who were each 2 creatures in 1. Really, how long could that have stayed fresh?

[Antiyonder]

It's not like The Wuzzles was the sort of premise that could have gone on for years and years or anything. It was a show based on a line of toys about a group of animals who were each 2 creatures in 1. Really, how long could that have stayed fresh?

I'm sure at least another 13 episodes could have worked.

[Silverstar]

The Wuzzles was very toyetic show, far more so than Gummi Bears, which by contrast was very story and character driven. Despite the Gummi Bears being named after a line of candy, the show did nothing to boost candy sales. On the flip side, Wuzzles could've only lasted as long as the toys were selling. Eventually they just ran out of animals to merge and mutate. The show might have been able to squeeze out another season, or half a season maybe, but that's about it.

[Crash]

It's not like The Wuzzles was the sort of premise that could have gone on for years and years or anything. It was a show based on a line of toys about a group of animals who were each 2 creatures in 1. Really, how long could that have stayed fresh?

You ask that, living as you do in an age of Pokemon? ...I'm sure a creative staff, or an insidious marketing team, could have found a way.

Alas, I have nothing more to add on the topic. I was 4 in 1985, so I really don't remember the wuzzles. Besides, I grew up in a Care Bear/Popples household. Care Bears: Cute little animals that shoot shiny beams of death (well, okay, shiny beams of caring) from their chests. Popples: Teddy bears that could be rolled into a ball and thrown at your brother. Wuzzles just didn't catch on in my family. Wonder why....

[Silverstar]

That's just it: The Wuzzles wasn't really about anything; it just was. The characters weren't anything special and the plots were generic storylines which could've been applied to any set of characters. The stories didn't even rely on their being 2 animals in 1.

[mammy2shoesfan]

I used to love the Wuzzles but for some reason I always remember it being on ABC.

[Blackstar]

I used to love the Wuzzles but for some reason I always remember it being on ABC.

No, the Wuzzles only aired on CBS before the reruns were shown on the Disney Channel.

However, Gummi Bears did move to ABC Saturday mornings in it's last season on network television, where it was paired with the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988).

[DrTooth]

Wuzzles, I can't say was a great show, but it was a fun show. Maybe the ratings weren't too good. That would be my guess. I remember only seeing it if I woke up really early on Saturdays, and even then, I don't think I can remember that far back.

That said...


That's just it: The Wuzzles wasn't really about anything; it just was. The characters weren't anything special and the plots were generic storylines which could've been applied to any set of characters. The stories didn't even rely on their being 2 animals in 1.That's just it: The Wuzzles wasn't really about anything; it just was. The characters weren't anything special and the plots were generic storylines which could've been applied to any set of characters. The stories didn't even rely on their being 2 animals in 1.

I can kind of agree, but then again, I have seen worse. They had generic cartoon plots, yes. They bookended different animals into each other, yes. But then of course I feel Viva Pinata is a similar example. Instead of 2 animals in one, they just have to try to make an animal's name sound sort of like a ood product without obscuring the animal name too much. There really seems to be even less to that show than Wuzzles. And there are no toys to keep it afloat.

[TnAdct1]

No, the Wuzzles only aired on CBS before the reruns were shown on the Disney Channel. Wrong-o. After a season on CBS, reruns of The Wuzzles then aired on ABC.

[tb4000]

Remember the Fluppy Dogs? My point exactly.

[Kury Wagner]

Zomg, Wuzzles!! Eleroo > the rest. =P

*clears throat* That being said, the Wuzzles were quite lame. I mean, I loved them, but it's obvious why the show wasn't super huge. As someone above said, there didn't seem to be much plot.

[DarthGonzo]

^^Yup.

At least, in the grand scheme of things, Gummi Bears did incredibly well, paving the way for future Disney television programming. Not a big loss that the Wuzzles didn't last long. It had limited appeal anyway.

[Leviathan]

The Wuzzles gets props with me for having a pretty catchy theme song. Otherwise, I agree with everyone else.

[Silverstar]

The Wuzzles gets props with me for having a pretty catchy theme song. Otherwise, I agree with everyone else.

Yeah, I agree with that. Wuzzles' theme song was pretty good.

[Zen Man]

Yeah, I agree with that. Wuzzles' theme song was pretty good.

Definately a catchy tune.

I guess you guys were right, in the grand scheme of things The Wuzzles was really a one trick pony. The Gummi's were a much more important investment for Disney at the time.

[Dr.Pepper]

I mean that I like the Wuzzles but I can easliy see how Gummi Bears got higher ratings. Also didn't one of the voices die early on in the show.

[Silverstar]

I mean that I like the Wuzzles but I can easliy see how Gummi Bears got higher ratings. Also didn't one of the voices die early on in the show?

Bill Scott, the actor who voiced Moosel on The Wuzzles, as well as Toadwart on Gummi Bears and also the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose, did indeed pass away after Gummi Bears' first season; on GB he was replaced by Corey Burton. I don't think Scott's death affected Wuzzles at all though, as it was only on for a single season; I think all 13 Wuzzles episodes were already in the can before Scott's passing.

[dth1971]

While Wuzzles last 1 season, the other first of Disney's TV cartoon series Gummi Bears did last 4 more seasons after the first 1985-1986 season.

[DrTooth]

Bill Scott, the actor who voiced Moosel on The Wuzzles, as well as Toadwart on Gummi Bears and also the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose, did indeed pass away after Gummi Bears' first season; on GB he was replaced by Corey Burton. I don't think Scott's death affected Wuzzles at all though, as it was only on for a single season; I think all 13 Wuzzles episodes were already in the can before Scott's passing.

You know what was great about Bill in Wuzzles and Gummis? In Gummi's he was reunited with one June Foray, who as we all know played Rocket J. Squirrel along side him (as well as many others in Jay Ward productions-except for Hoppity Hooper). While the Wuzzles had Stan Freberg (From what I read somewhere) as the narrator. I believe that both Bill and Stan worked on a few things together. And to cap it all off, the track reader for these shows is Skip Craig, who was the editor on the Rocky and Bullwinkle shows.

That said, how come Rhinokey gets no love?

[Silverstar]

While Wuzzles last 1 season, the other first of Disney's TV cartoon series Gummi Bears did last 4 more seasons after the first 1985-1986 season.

Yes, we've covered that. Thank you. :shrug:

[zoombie]

I think the Wuzzles were hurt by bears in both the tv and toy market. As mention in the tv ratings, Gummi Bears was more of a hit show.

But in the toy market, it was the Care Bears that beat the Wuzzles as toys. So bears were the ultimate enemy for the Wuzzles.

[Anthonynotes]

I recall watching the Wuzzles as a kid (was in grade school when the show originally aired). Thought at the time it was an OK show, even if it had a one-note premise (two animals combined into one! And...um, some of their vehicles/houses/gadgets on the island doing the same two-in-one shtick. And, erm, that's it.). Imagine that, its somewhat-early-in-the-morning timeslot, and the fact it and its toy line of stuffed dolls were just trying to cash in on the Care Bears craze (being cute fuzzy animals and all) probably resulted in a quick death.

[Silverstar]

I think the Wuzzles were hurt by bears in both the tv and toy market. As mention in the tv ratings, Gummi Bears was more of a hit show.

It wasn't that Gummi Bears was more of a hit show; it was that GB was a more thought out show. GB had an actual plot, multi-dimensional characters, somewhat intricate stories and there was room for arcs and mini-sagas. Once you got past the '2-in-1' shtick, there wasn't anything else you could say about The Wuzzles.

The Wuzzles was aimed primarily at kids aged 2-10, and it was probably more successful on the lower end of that scale. The Gummies, by contrast, were aimed at a slightly higher age group, so they had more appeal among older kids and adults as well. To me, it's a no-brainer why the Gummies outlived the Wuzzles.

[DrTooth]

It wasn't that Gummi Bears was more of a hit show; it was that GB was a more thought out show. GB had an actual plot, multi-dimensional characters, somewhat intricate stories and there was room for arcs and mini-sagas. Once you got past the '2-in-1' shtick, there wasn't anything else you could say about The Wuzzles.

The Wuzzles was aimed primarily at kids aged 2-10, and it was probably more successful on the lower end of that scale. The Gummies, by contrast, were aimed at a slightly higher age group, so they had more appeal among older kids and adults as well. To me, it's a no-brainer why the Gummies outlived the Wuzzles.

No argument there. While Wuzzles is fun to watch, there isn't too much to it. There was no way to make any real storylines that people could care about. They basically just capered about a small plot for 10 minutes at a time.

Gummis, to me, surpassed it's probable inspiration, the Smurfs. It was pretty deep for what it was, and there was just more to the concept. I wish I got that box set. Haven't seen it in years.