Care Bears (TV series)
The Care Bears is an animated television series based on the Care Bears franchise. The first season, Care Bears, was produced by DIC Entertainment in 1985 and distributed in syndication. This was followed by The Care Bear Family, which was produced by Nelvana and shown on the ABC network from September 13, 1986 to January 23, 1988.[1] When ABC dropped the show, Nelvana produced some more episodes for syndication, interspersing both new and old episodes.[2]
| The Care Bears | |
|---|---|
 Original title card for the DIC episodes | |
| Created by | Linda Denham Elena Kucharik |
| Starring | DIC series Billie Mae Richards Jayne Eastwood Janet Laine-Green Luba Goy Eva Almos Melleny Brown Dan Hennessey Pauline Rennie Patrice Black Laurie Waller Benson Bob Dermer Nelvana series Jim Henshaw Chris Wiggins John Stocker Terri Hawkes Sunny Besen Thrasher Noam Zylberman Tracey Moore |
| Country of origin | DIC series France Canada Nelvana series Canada United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 (DIC) 3 (Nelvana) |
| No. of episodes | DIC 11 (22 segments, alongside 2 TV specials) Nelvana 49 (78 segments, and a 3-part special) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Production company(s) | Atkinson Film-Arts (1983 and 1984 pilot/specials) DIC Audiovisuel (1985)[lower-alpha 1] Nelvana (1986–1988) [lower-alpha 2] |
| Distributor | LBS Communications (DIC series) SFM Entertainment (Nelvana series) |
| Release | |
| Original network | DIC series Syndication Nelvana series Global Television Network (Canada) ABC (United States) |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 14, 1985 – December 25, 1988 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot (2007–2009) |
During its syndicated run, 2 Care Bears films were theatrically released after the first movie in the series.
In 2007, Sabella Dern Entertainment produced a revival, Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot.
Synopsis
The Care Bears live in a faraway place up in the clouds called Care-a-Lot, which constitutes a part of the Kingdom of Caring. With the help of the Cousins and their Buddies, they go all around the world on Missions in Caring whilst Evil villains such as Professor Coldheart (DIC episodes), and Lord No Heart (Nelvana episodes), try to thwart their plans.[3][4]
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||
| Specials | 2 | April 22, 1983 | April 6, 1984 | N/A | ||
| DiC | 11 | September 14, 1985 | November 23, 1985 | Syndication | ||
| 1 | 13 | September 13, 1986 | December 6, 1986 | ABC (U.S.)Global (Canada) | ||
| 2 | 6 | September 26, 1987 | October 31, 1987 | |||
| 3 | 30 | September 12, 1988 | November 25, 1988 | |||
Voice cast
DIC version
- Billie Mae Richards – Tenderheart Bear, Keith, Matthew Miller, Kara's Mother
- Jayne Eastwood – Birthday Bear, Tommy, Willis Carter
- Janet Laine-Green – Wish Bear, Mrs. Miller (Matthew Miller's Mother), Mary, Tricia
- Luba Goy – Gentle Heart Lamb, Lotsa Heart Elephant
- Eva Almos – Friend Bear, Swift Heart Rabbit, Kathy, Sanford, Millie Jacobs' Mother, Jimmy, Cathy, Lisa, Mary, Elaine, Melanie
- Linda Sorenson – Love-a-Lot Bear, Mrs. Peal (Patti Johnson's Teacher), Lisa's Mother, Paula Schaefer, Sandra, Wendy, Mary's Mother, Joey and Elaine's Mother, Amy, Kara
- Melleny Brown – Cheer Bear, Marion Marshall, Missy, Millie Jacobs, Linda
- Len Carlson – Professor Coldheart, Strato Nefarious
- Louise Vallance – Proud Heart Cat, Eddie
- Dan Hennessey – Good Luck Bear, Brave Heart Lion, Loyal Heart Dog, Captain McDougal, Cloud Worm, Mr. Miller (Matthew Miller's Father), Counselor Bob, Mayor of Abbotsville, Jim
- Pauline Rennie – Cozy Heart Penguin, Treat Heart Pig, Timmy, Benny, Melanie‘s Mother
- Patrice Black – Funshine Bear, Share Bear
- Laurie Waller Benson – Murphy, Susie, Jill
- Theresa Sears – Champ Bear, Bedtime Bear, Joey, Fred, Millie Jacob's Teacher, Joshua, Amy
- Bob Dermer – Grumpy Bear, Carl, Charlie, David, Ken, Eddie
- Joyce Gordon – Auntie Freeze
Nelvana version
- Jim Henshaw – Tenderheart Bear
- Bob Dermer – Grumpy Bear
- Dan Hennessey – Brave Heart Lion
- Chris Wiggins – No Heart
- John Stocker – Beastly
- Eva Almos – Friend Bear
- Patrice Black – Share Bear
- Melleny Brown – Cheer Bear, Baby Tugs Bear
- Jayne Eastwood – Birthday Bear
- Anni Evans – Champ Bear
- Luba Goy – Gentle Heart Lamb, Lotsa Heart Elephant
- Janet Laine-Green – Wish Bear
- Nonnie Griffin – Funshine Bear
- Terri Hawkes – Baby Hugs Bear
- Ellen Ray Hennessey – Proud Heart Cat, Bedtime Bear
- Marla Lukofsky – Good Luck Bear, Playful Heart Monkey
- Eric Peterson – Noble Heart Horse
- Pauline Rennie – Cozy Heart Penguin, Grams Bear
- Billie Mae Richards – Bright Heart Raccoon
- Carolyn Scott – True Heart Bear
- Paulina Gillis – Swift Heart Rabbit
- Laurie Waller Benson – Polite Panda
- Alyson Court – Additional voices
- Victor Erdos – Additional voices
- Michael Fantini – Additional voices
- Don Francks – Dr. Fright
- Donald McManus - Sour Sam
- Ray Jafelice – Additional voices
- Keram Malicki-Sanchez – Additional voices
- Barbara Redpath – Additional voices
- Eric Richards – Additional voices
- Cree Summer – Additional voices
- Greg Swanson – Perfect Panda
- Tina Teggart – Additional voices
- Sunny Thrasher – Additional voices
- Lee-Max Walton – Additional voices
- Jason Whitebread – Additional voices
- Noam Zylberman – Additional voices
Home media
DIC series
United States
The DIC series of Care Bears has seen a few VHS releases from DIC Video and Buena Vista Home Video throughout the 80's and 90's.
In March 2003, Sterling Entertainment released 3 releases on VHS and DVD - "Bedtime Stories", "The Last Laugh" and "To the Rescue". Each release contained 6 or 7 episodes, with a bonus episode on the DVD version, while "To the Rescue" contained a bonus Sylvanian Families episode. An additional DVD - "Daydreams" was released in mid 2003, and contained a Strawberry Shortcake short as a bonus on the DVD version.
Sterling would later release all 22 episodes in 7 volume collections in 2004 entitled Celebration, Dreamland, Forever Friends, Land of Enchantment, Starry Skies, Tenderheart Tales and Fun in the Sun.
In 2007, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment acquired the rights to the original DIC series and re-released all the DIC-produced episodes on DVD in 5 volume collections entitled Care-A-Lot Adventures, Forest of Feelings, Magical Moments, * Carousel of Dreams and Sharing in the Sunshine.
On August 26, 2008, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection on DVD in Region 1.[5] The 2-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series (with its original opening and closing titles).
In 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series and subsequently released three volume collections which contain 6 episodes each, on September 10, 2013.
On October 6, 2015, Mill Creek released The Care Bears – The Complete Original Series on DVD in Region 1.[6] The 2-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series.
International
In the United Kingdom, Maximum Entertainment released the whole DIC series on 4 DVD sets and 2 VHS releases under license from Jetix Europe (who at the time, owned the pre-1990 DIC library).
Volume 1, released in August 2004 contained the first 2 episodes (1 on the VHS) alongside the Freeze Machine and Land without Feelings specials. Volume 2, released in October 2004 contained 5 episodes, and The Magic Shop (released in February 2005) and The Girl who Cried Wolf (released in August 2005) each contained 3 episodes, with the Freeze Machine special appearing on the latter again for an unknown reason, likely as filler. Both sets were released in 2 compilations titled "Volumes 1 and 2" (released in January 2005) and "Wedding Bells" (Released in May 2005), each containing 2 discs with their respective volumes.
The separate volumes were re-released again in 2007, with the former 2 volumes being released simply as Care Bears. Another compilation titled Happy Birthday, Care Bears was released by Maximum in February 2008, containing 12 episodes set within 2 discs. Lace DVD re-issued the DVDs again in 2011 as well was releasing the entire series in a 4-disc boxset. These versions are identical to Maximum's releases.
In 2016, Platform Entertainment would release 4 DVDs of the series.
Nelvana series
In Region 1, Lions Gate Home Entertainment has released many episodes on DVD in various single disc collections from 2004 to 2008. In total, 12 collections have been released, each featuring random episodes from the series.
On October 9, 2012, Lionsgate released Care Bears: The Original Series Collection on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[7] The 6-disc set features the majority of episodes from the series (from the previously released discs excluding King of the Moon and Give Thanks) as well as the bonus feature Care Bears Nutcracker Suite.
In Region 4, Magna Entertainment released all 52 episodes (in chronological order) on DVD in Australia in 2004 in 12 separate volumes.
Notes
- Animation outsourced to KK DIC Asia, Studio Junio, Nippon Animation and Studio Korumi.
- Animation outsourced to Wang Film Productions and Hanho Heung-Up.
References
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 185–187. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 802–804. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Chris Richards Young People, Popular Culture and Education 1441107355 p 111 – 2011 "It may be that there is a distinction here between the power used against No Heart, similar to that used by many other superheroes... "
- Barbara Kruger Remote Control: Power, Cultures, and the World of Appearances 1994 0262611066 "... "in order to punish the Care Bears, a scary villain named No Heart concocts a not unfamiliar scheme — he floods "the Forest of Feelings" and forces its non-Care Bear denizens to join the Care Bears' closed colony."
- Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection
- DiC's Episodes in 'The Complete Original Series' Return to DVD Archived 2015-09-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Care Bears: The Original Series Collection
External links
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