I recorded this made-for-TV holiday special and later purchased the VHS video. As a bear collector, I enjoyed the animation in this story about a bear who searches for Christmas. The main character, Ted Edward Bear (Ted E. Bear), decides not to join his fellow Bear City community who are getting ready for their long hibernation. Instead, he sets out on a journey to find out if there is such a thing as Christmas music, lights and a fat human who goes down chimney's. Ted tries to buy a plane ticket to "Christmas" and soon learns that Christmas is not a destination. He sets out on a long walk, fighting to stay awake. He wonders into a big city and starts asking where he can find Christmas. Confused and frightened, he finds the big Christmas Tree with all its beautiful lights and hears some Christmas music. In delight, he gets into a store window and plays with all the animated toys. He wonders if this is what Christmas is. The toys tell him that he is close to it. They tell him if they don't get bought, they will not find Christmas. To his dismay, he gets locked in the store but accidentally gets out. He runs into Santa and tells him he's trying to find Christmas. Santa tells him Christmas isn't a place, or a thing, or even a time. It's something you carry around in your heart and something you give. Thinking he doesn't have anything to give, Santa tells Ted he has very much to give and helps him find the true meaning of Christmas.
9 Reviews
The bear who did NOT sleep through Christmas.
CuriosityKilledShawn10 December 2011
This cartoon, directed by Pink Panther regular Hawley Pratt, features a bear who manages to stay awake for Santa, despite what the title may lead you to believe.
Theodore E. Bear (get it?) works in a honey factory (wait...doesn't it come from bee farms?) and decides he doesn't want to hibernate for winter. He is laughed at and mocked but is determined to find out what Xmas really is.
The animation is similar to the minimalistic schemes found in Pink Panther but there is plenty of dialogue and a decent amount of characterization. Not quite a classic, but pleasant festive viewing.
Theodore E. Bear (get it?) works in a honey factory (wait...doesn't it come from bee farms?) and decides he doesn't want to hibernate for winter. He is laughed at and mocked but is determined to find out what Xmas really is.
The animation is similar to the minimalistic schemes found in Pink Panther but there is plenty of dialogue and a decent amount of characterization. Not quite a classic, but pleasant festive viewing.
A recommended watch for the holidays
Horst_In_Translation5 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas" is a 25-minute animated short film from December 1973, which means not only that it is already 44 years old, but also that it is of course a Christmas-themed work as you may have guessed from the title already. I will not bother you with all the names of the writers and directors here as you can check these out for yourself. Same about the voice actors, but I must say I am not familiar with any of them. My loss I guess as here everybody's doing a decent job. The story is sweet too and I am not surprised at all about the name Freleng being linked to the project. Plus, the visual side is among the film's biggest strengths. The characters and locations/landscapes look really retro, really traditional and it goes well with the story of a rougher Winnie the Pooh finding out about Santa and the spirit of Christmas despite obstacles getting in his way like other bears who don't like Christmas at all. Oh yeah, the comedy in terms of plays on words here was great too like the one reference about the bear symbolizing bad times in the world of finance or the comment about building something with one's bear/bare hands that actually had me laugh out loud. So yeah, this is definitely a good choice for a harmless little fun film for the holidays. It also has a pretty nice message and I recommend this well-rounded effort. The one area where it came a bit short for me was the music, but that's entirely subjective. I'm sure many will like that aspect too. Go check it out.
Good Holiday Story!!
AbeStreet12 December 2001
It seems that Christmas specials about bears trying to stay awake until Christmas are a dime a dozen. I can't count how many different specials I've seen using this scenario. However, this is one of the good stories. We, the viewers, follow Ted E. Bear on his journey to find Christmas through various hardships and trials. What he finds in the end is not what one might first expect given the way the show starts but is just as good if not better.
I think the simple art work is great. It is simple and yet satisfying. Thumbs up to Tom Smothers, Barbara Feldon, Arte Johnson and the other actors who provided the voices.
I think the simple art work is great. It is simple and yet satisfying. Thumbs up to Tom Smothers, Barbara Feldon, Arte Johnson and the other actors who provided the voices.
This Completed My Christmas
macktruck90919 December 2002
I grew up watching this movie from 3 years old until I was about 12. At the time I thought it was a great cartoon, but 10 years later, after losing my original tape and paying $20 for a new copy at a pawn shop, I love this movie even more. Now I understand the story and it is the most touching Christmas special and it completes my Christmas holiday. If anyone is lucky enough to see this, please do, it will be worth it.
Great Christmas Special!
dbzchic2116 December 2010
This is my absolute favorite Christmas special. I have not gone a year without watching it. There are several stories about bears not wanting to hibernate through Christmas. But this one is unique and not one of the others holds a candle to it. I have a VHS but would love a DVD. This special is cute, funny, and catchy. Ted is my favorite character ever (aside from Mickey). In fact, I still have a plush Ted E. Bear that I got when I was one for Christmas. I wouldn't give up my Teddy for anything! I seem to be the only person out there who has one of these bears. My poor Ted lost his clothes and bow-tie. But he looks great for being almost 30 years old!
A Christmas Favorite from DePatie-Freleng
ja_kitty_7119 December 2019
This is one of my favorite Christmas TV specials by the animation team that did the "Pink Panther" cartoons. I vaguely remember watching this special on the channel Teletoon in its early days, and it never crossed my mind to tape it. But thank God, I recently discovered YouTube, which I watched through my smart TV.
The special is about a bear named Theodore Edward Bear (or Ted. E. Bear) who has wanted to know what Christmas is since he was young. Every year he tried to stay awake to see Christmas, since bears sleep through the winter and never see Christmas. So one year, despite naysayers who laugh at him and getting fired from his job at the Organic Honey Works plant, Ted sets out to the big city (in the human world) to find Christmas. Will he succeed? Well, you will have to watch and see what happens. You know, in 1983, there was another Ted E. Bear TV special for Halloween called "The Great Bear Scare." Of course, I didn't know it existed until I watched it online, and after that, I thought, "I love this special way better."
I really consider this and other Christmas specials criminally underrated and never seen on TV anymore! I mean that the next generation of kids, including my young nephew, should watch these for their Christmas holidays. So anyway, I love every bit of this special, and I really wish it was on a DVD and not on those crappy M. O. D. Discs.
The special is about a bear named Theodore Edward Bear (or Ted. E. Bear) who has wanted to know what Christmas is since he was young. Every year he tried to stay awake to see Christmas, since bears sleep through the winter and never see Christmas. So one year, despite naysayers who laugh at him and getting fired from his job at the Organic Honey Works plant, Ted sets out to the big city (in the human world) to find Christmas. Will he succeed? Well, you will have to watch and see what happens. You know, in 1983, there was another Ted E. Bear TV special for Halloween called "The Great Bear Scare." Of course, I didn't know it existed until I watched it online, and after that, I thought, "I love this special way better."
I really consider this and other Christmas specials criminally underrated and never seen on TV anymore! I mean that the next generation of kids, including my young nephew, should watch these for their Christmas holidays. So anyway, I love every bit of this special, and I really wish it was on a DVD and not on those crappy M. O. D. Discs.
Has Some Charm That Makes It Worth Watching
Michael_Elliott23 November 2012
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas (1973)
*** (out of 4)
This animated short starts off in a bear community where the honey factory is about to close down so that everyone can hibernate. This doesn't sit well with one bear because he wants to know what happens on Christmas morning so he sets out to find it. After a somewhat slow start I was worried this one here was going to be a dub but it actually turned out to be quite good and I'd say the ending was highly memorable as well. I'm not going to spoil the twist at the end but I thought it was quite touching and it certainly managed to end the film on a high note. I also really enjoyed the section of the film taking a look at a bear's life inside the factory. I thought the honey plant featured some pretty good animation with a lot of imagination. I found the bear characters to be mostly memorable and especially the lead one who wants to go against his kind, refuse sleep and try to find out about Santa. I'm sure kids will enjoy the cute looking bear and the adventure he goes on.
*** (out of 4)
This animated short starts off in a bear community where the honey factory is about to close down so that everyone can hibernate. This doesn't sit well with one bear because he wants to know what happens on Christmas morning so he sets out to find it. After a somewhat slow start I was worried this one here was going to be a dub but it actually turned out to be quite good and I'd say the ending was highly memorable as well. I'm not going to spoil the twist at the end but I thought it was quite touching and it certainly managed to end the film on a high note. I also really enjoyed the section of the film taking a look at a bear's life inside the factory. I thought the honey plant featured some pretty good animation with a lot of imagination. I found the bear characters to be mostly memorable and especially the lead one who wants to go against his kind, refuse sleep and try to find out about Santa. I'm sure kids will enjoy the cute looking bear and the adventure he goes on.
I loved seeing The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas again, all these years later!
tavm29 June 2014
With Casey Kasem's death a few weeks ago, I decided to watch whatever of his movies and TV shows I could find on the internet and review them in chronological order. So I'm still in 1973 when he narrated this-a DePatie-Freleng animated holiday special about one bear's search for Christmas. His name is Theodore Edward Bear (voice of Tom Smothers) who gets laughed at by his entire community-especially his workmates at his honey plant. I'll stop there and just say that having remembered enjoying this when I was a kid, I got my memories renewed just seeing this again after so many years of missing it. I especially was once again laughing at Artie Johnson's commentary as Professor Werner von Bear which is still hilarious! But the special also provides plenty of warmth during the second half courtesy of Smothers, Kasem, and Santa Claus (voice of Robert Holt). So on that note, The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas is still worth seeing, all these years later!
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