My Top 12, Less Renowned, Hanna-Barbera Animated Specials.
Although I am somewhat of a Hanna-Barbera cartoons fan, I'm not a completist. Because though I may not have known about the history nor learned about as many of the studio's productions when I was little/younger, I know to be picky. Based on the reviews of several shows I read that have reviews on here and elsewhere as well as comments I read on here, and elsewhere, it wasn't the most perfect animation studio. But it's not without any good material in its oeuvre either. Because of this, it's still better than certain, foreign cartoon studios like Dingo Pictures, Bevanfield, Spark Plug Entertainment, and Video Brinquedo, among others. Because unlike those studios, at least it can be said that there are still some good to great works that were made by it. I didn't see every single Hanna-Barbera work growing up, but the ones I did see included both T.V. shows and specials with the more renowned characters. For instance, I had a VHS copy of the crossover movie, The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones. Well, for this list, I want to focus on naming my favorite Hanna-Barbera specials that don't (or mostly don't) feature the regular characters. Most of these I was unaware of in my childhood and I wouldn't discover, and watch them until after I reached adulthood. But everything on here is what I would consider to be amongst the best works the studio ever did, as despite its flaws, there have been times when it still could churn out some great material. I think I like several of the specials more than the T.V. series. So here are my picks.
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- DirectorRay PattersonStarsDrew BarrymoreBilly BartyMichael BellThe Star Fairies grant kids' and teens' wishes, retrieve Sparkle's magic wand from elves, and take a girl named Hilary on an adventure.I'm just so fascinated by this H-B special with its concept among other things. After coming across the title mentioned in a message board thread, I wouldn't see this until last December. Several toy-based cartoons may get a lot of hate for notoriously being nothing more than extended toy commercials and some may wonder why those behind the merchandise don't just stick with the minute or less ads instead, and why those aren't satisfyingly good enough. But there are also exceptions. This is one of the better ones that managed to make it work well. It is, indeed, more than just an extended toy commercial. It's nearly perfect in every way, from the writing to the crisper quality of the art and animation to the characters to the voice acting. 1985 was quite a banner year as far as the quality of TV animation went, not just for H-B, but other cartoon studios as well as it saw them improving the production values of their shows and it became more common, even though H-B went back to lower quality work with Pink Panther and Sons the next year, making things inconsistent. But that doesn't mean it stopped making higher quality work altogether. If a company like this planned to make a cartoon special based on a toyline, it better make it count. And that's just what it did here as it doesn't disappoint at all as it has plenty of heart going for it. I didn't watch any of the girly cartoons growing up for the simple fact that they're meant for girls. But this is one of those I wish I had watched sooner somehow. As far as I'm concerned, this is among Hanna-Barbera's best. An impressive concept of wishing upon the Star Fairies who grant wishes to kids and I like that. So wholesome and positive. A great, toy-based cartoon based on the doll-line of the same name by Tonka.
- DirectorRay PattersonStarsNancy CartwrightSusan SiloFrank WelkerBefore the Yum Yum Theme Park is opened, it is sabotaged by the Sour Pusses who want to ruin everyones fun. A group of Yum Yums must travel to Sour City in a dangerous mission to recover their magic tools to fix the park and save the day.This, along with the greeting cards and toyline on which it based, I don't remember being aware. After coming across this H-B title, I wouldn't see it until I finally did just this past August. It also has a lot going for it like the cutesy, anthropomorphic, talking animals who smell like various confections and the world-building of their confectionary land. It may be somewhat sweet and sugary, both literally and figuratively, but not too sweet and sugary. It's one of those things that not just kids, but adults can get into viewing as well and find it pleasing. I find this to be much better than H-B's Pound Puppies and wish it could'd been expanded into a series as I feel it's worthy of it and has more potential. Without the saccharinity, this is something worth sinking one's teeth into easily.
- DirectorSteve LumleyStarsFred TravalenaJanet WaldoNoelle NorthFive siblings named Penny, Pamela, Peter, Patsy, and Pollywog have one thing in common: They like to spend their free time getting lost in their imaginations. One day, several items in their house mysteriously go missing and the kids' perplexed mother asks about their whereabouts. Then while the siblings play a game, the baby, Pollywog, and their pet cat, Earless, go missing too. The remaining foursome and their dog, Yukie, discover that there's a trap door in their playhouse. The kids and Yukie believe that Pollywog, and Earless, were kidnapped through there. So they enter it as well and search for the two. But what they find, they never would've expected: An underground city where several green goblin-like creatures live, who also like to get lost in their imaginations, and, at first, seem to have their own language they speak which consists of nothing but the word "og". The kids must find away to retrieve Pollywog and Earless, and return home before their mother finds out they've all disappeared. Based on the book by Pierre Berton.Five siblings and their pets meet a race of short, green people or beings who spend their time reacting various stories they read in books and comics. It's fitting for the show on which it was featured, since that's the whole idea as most of the specials are best on literary works after all and the point was the encourage the young viewers to get into reading more. But the lesson of this is that there is a lot more to life than acting out or reenacting stories. It encourages to explore the world around one. Later, I'd learn that the family in both this and its source are inspired by the author's real-life family, which could be considered some neat trivia. For all the aforementioned reasons, this is the lesson to take home and make a note out of it.
- DirectorSteve LumleyStarsFrank WelkerNancy CartwrightRobbie LeeOriginally telecast on March 24 and 31, 1984, as a two-part animated episode of the Saturday morning ABC Weekend Special anthology, "The Amazing Bunjee Venture" juxtaposes the Stone Age with the Modern Age in time-honored Hanna-Barbera tradition. Two 20th century youngsters, Andy and Karen Winsborrow, are accidentally transported back to the year 100,000,000 B.C. While dodging dinosaurs and surly cavemen, the kids find a loyal friend in the form of Bunjee, a lovable, orange-haired creature who resembles a flying elephant with suction cups for feet. Returning the courtesy, Andy and Karen bring Bunjee with them when they return to the present. Alas, Bunjee is hardly ready for modern civilization, and vice versa. Nancy Cartwright, later famous as the voice of Bart Simpson, is heard as Karen.Like some of the others on this list from the same decade, it's one of the better cartoons from the 1980s and by H-B in general or ever. I love it so much, it's also one of those things I wish could'd been expanded into a series. Anyway, two siblings named Karen and Andy get in their dad's time machine that he invented and accidentally go back to prehistoric times. That's when they meet a friendly, mammoth-like creature called a Bunjee. After he's brought back into the real world, he later has a night out at a market. When the exterminator, Willy, is called, he attempts to catch him. But when Willy gets into a perilous situation, Bunjee shows his loyalty by coming to his aid. That's one of several great moments and the highlights of this. This may be better than the book as I read a short comment or review somewhere claiming the book isn't that good. If that's so, then this just may outdo it. This is among those things worth rewatching and the sequel is just as good.
- StarsFrank WelkerNancy CartwrightRobbie LeeKaren, Andy and Bunjee are determined to find a mom for the little Bunjee babies. The time machine sends them to the Middle Ages, where they tangle with an evil sorceress, battle a three-headed dragon -- and have more fun than a barrel of Bunjees!There is no book counterpart to this sequel, because it's an original in its own right. In fact, it's one of the few ABC Weekend Specials not based on a book. Even so, it's still great as both an original presentation and a sequel. In fact, it's what I'd consider to be one of the best sequels ever made. A well-worthy follow-up that has the titular creature searching for an adoptive mom for his two offspring. When Bunjee does find one in Bunjina, his youngsters aren't thrilled and are rather unappreciative, at first. But after some persuasion from Karen and Andy, they come around and learn to be better. For years since it aired, this was one of the rarest, if not the rarest, cartoons from the show and by H-B (or it's subsidiary studio, H-B Australia co-produced with what was then known as Southern Star). The original got a VHS release in the U.S., but not this for some jacked reason. But it got a release in Italy. Anyway, after learning and knowing about this for years and I created pages on both the Lost Media Wiki and Lost Media Archive sites, three copies finally became available on Youtube earlier this year and it's about time. All that tediousness of being forced to wait until it became available to watch online at last. For some dumb, jacked reason, the companies that are supposed to own the rights to these various media haven't been keeping them in storage rooms or vaults like they should've and like what one would think, and expect. Why they don't, I have no idea. Sorry for getting somewhat off track, but it bugs me and I just had to vent, and complain about that because it's absurd. Anyway, after watching it, it turns out it was well worth the wait. Impressive, it didn't disappoint, and I recommend it.
- StarsChub BaillyJodi CarlislePeter CullenRobert (voiced by Josh Rodine) is convinced that his toy rabbit is real. When he contracts scarlet fever, the rabbit is considered the cause of the illness and ordered to be burned. He is saved from "death" by a fairy, who turns him into a real rabbit.I can't decide which adaptation I like more. This one or Atkinson-Film-Arts's version of the story. It's so hard to pick since I like them both equally. But this and the other version I mentioned are very good and well-executed. They both did a good job in emphasizing the message of hope in the face of despair and both rabbits having their wish of going from toy rabbits to real ones come true.
- DirectorTony CollingwoodStarsFrancesca Marie SmithHenry GibsonTim CurryThe Cat in the Hat (the most famous Dr. Seuss character) narrates a story about a girl named Mayzie McGrew, who mysteriously has a daisy growing from her head. This happens during school hours, so she's ridiculed by her friends, and speculated by her teacher, principal, parents, and any other adults confirmed of Mayzie's problem. The situation reaches its high point when Finagle steps in and offers Mayzie a place in stardom, based from the daisy on her head. Mayzie herself, for reasons unknown, takes the offer, not long before she finds out the hard way how fame and fortune can bring unhappiness. It's some time after her daisy disappears that Mayzie realizes that the love of her family and friends is what really matters. From that point on, things are back to normal (except for a few of Mayzie's daisy's occasional sprout up every now and then).It's thrilling that this was produced by H-B and directed by the creator (or co-creator) of Captain Zed and Oscar's Orchestra. As a departure from the studio's usual art styles, the animators who worked on this managed to emulate Dr. Seuss's visual style of the book and stayed true to it. The message of this that fame isn't all that as much as friends and family. Maybe not the most flawless of the Dr. Seuss animated specials, but it's still decent enough. The one loose end that was never tied up and resolved is the diagnosis, and, explanation of why a daisy suddenly grew out of Mayzie's head. I don't know if this is so or not, but it's probably cleared up in the book. But regardless, the adaptation still has plenty to enjoy.
- DirectorOscar DufauCarl UrbanoStarsRussi TaylorStu GilliamJohnny WilliamsThe Harlem Globetrotters change fairy tale history on their way to Grimmania.I remember seeing the cartoon Harlem Globetrotters making a guest appearance in an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies in my childhood. At that time, I didn't know they also had their own couple series, let alone this as well. I haven't seen an episode of the original series just yet, but I saw the intro and heard the theme tune, and it's great. From the reviews I read on here and elsewhere, The Super Globetrotters isn't as good, so I'm not in any rush to see any of that except through a video review. Anyway, this adaptation of the fairy tale somehow finds the basketball team in this fairy tale world of a version of the titular character. It stands out from other versions in that the ballers fill in for the seven dwarves when they aren't available. It's a pleasing enough H-B special/production, the Globetrotters are on point here with providing the humor as usual, and I recommend it over Super Globetrotters.
- 19661h6.3 (172)TV MovieDirectorAlex LovyStarsSammy Davis Jr.Zsa Zsa GaborBill DanaAlice needs to do her homework but she ends up in televisionland where she meets characters from Alice in Wonderland and some Hanna-Barbera cartoons.Out of all of these, this is one of a couple that I remember seeing years ago on regular T.V. on the channel either that before it became known as UPN or after it became UPN. I'm not sure, but anyway, this is such an innovative take on and update/upgrade on the original story. There's some creativity here to set it apart from other adaptations, like this version of the character entering Wonderland through a T.V. screen in her dream. Clever, reimagined takes on the characters with even Fred and Barney from The Flintstones making an appearance as the caterpillar, an equally clever, hinted reference to that. It's been fun finding this online and watching this classic again online years later.
- DirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsKevin CooperJune ForayMarilyn MayneA talking squirrel must save the holiday by rescuing a young Pilgrim boy and a young Native American boy that has gone missing in the woods on Thanksgiving day.Despite this sharing some similarities with another Thanksgiving special, which came out a few years before this, Mouse on the Mayflower, this is still just as good as there are more differences than similarities. It's an interesting reimagining and alteration of a historical event of how the holiday came to be. With great characters, infectious musical numbers, and a properly done message involving cooperation, it makes for an entertaining, enjoyable, holiday special.
- DirectorMario PilusoStarsRay BradburyLeonard NimoyAnnie BarkerFour children learn the origins of Halloween customs while trying to save the life of their friend.I remember this is the only, other H-B special on this list I saw in my childhood. It has since been one of my favorite Halloween specials as well. It provides an intriguing history lesson about how the holiday came to be. One of the true classics.
- DirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsRoss MartinVincent Van PattenGinny TylerThe last male Eskimo curlew, his search for a mate, and the problems they face as they make the treacherous migration from the high arctic tundra to Argentina and back to the nesting grounds.It's different from the studio's usual fare but decent. I guess I could consider it sort of an animated documentary that deals with the plight of a bird species being endangered. Even though it may not have as much to it as some, certain, other H-B cartoons, it's still a breath of fresh air. It's still better than several of those Scooby Doo and Smurfs clones. But this has a social awareness message.