The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise

The Berenstain Bears Easter Surprise is an Easter-themed animated television special based on the Berenstain Bears children's book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Produced by Buzz Potamkin and directed by Mordicai Gerstein and Al Kouzel, the program made its debut on NBC on April 14, 1981.[1][2][3]

The Berenstain Bears Easter Surprise
Created byStan and Jan Berenstain
Written byStan and Jan Berenstain
Directed byMordicai Gerstein
Al Kouzel
Theme music composerElliot Lawrence
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
Production
Producer(s)Buzz Potamkin
Running time25 minutes
Production company(s)Perpetual Motion Pictures
The Joseph Cates Company
DistributorNBC
Embassy Home Entertainment
Release
Original networkNBC
Original release
  • April 14, 1981 (1981-04-14)
Chronology
Preceded byThe Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (1980)
Followed byThe Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine (1982)

Development

Stan and Jan Berenstain's first animated holiday special aired on NBC in December 1979. The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree was the first of five annual animated specials that would air on NBC, produced by Joe Cates and the Joseph Cates Production Company. The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw was the second in this series.[4]

The Berenstains utilized rhyming couplets in the script - for both the narrator and the character dialogue. This element had also been used in the Christmas Tree special and was familiar to audiences since a similar type of writing was used in the Berenstain Bears Beginner Books series.[5]

Production and casting

The 25-minute special was created and written by Stan and Jan Berenstain and featured original music composed and conducted by Emmy-winning musician Elliot Lawrence, with lyrics provided by Stan Berenstain. The score included three original songs.[6] The special starred Ron McLarty, Gabriela Glatzer, Jonathan Lewis, and Pat Lysinger as Papa, Sister, Brother, and Mama Bear, respectively. McLarty also doubled as the show's narrator. All four actors were reprising their vocal roles from The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree.

It was the third of five Berenstain Bears animated specials that aired on NBC from 1979 to 1983.[7]

Plot

The story takes place before Sister Bear was born and Brother Bear was the only cub on the block. During fall, when he isn't playing with his friends down by the bog, he enjoys asking Papa different questions about life. Papa, although he has no idea how to answer most of his son's questions, plays along anyway.

During the long cold winter, no one has any explanation for why it doesn't seem to want to end. Both Mama and Papa Bear are especially anxious for Spring, as they had a special Easter Surprise planned, which neither of them want to disclose (although Brother does notice that he can't sit on Mama's lap anymore, and it probably isn't merely because he's getting bigger). When Brother asks about what Easter is, Papa tells him all about candy and the Easter Bunny, but Mama sings about new life and miracles.

The family decides to pay Boss Bunny a visit. Boss Bunny is bear Country's official Easter bunny and the one responsible for bringing on spring. However, to their shock, they find out that he has quit. Papa, while initially just as depressed as Brother about the loss of Easter, decides to take over the Easter Bunny duties and create his own candy and egg factory, but it ultimately ends in disaster.

Brother eventually decides to take matters into his own hands and goes to find Boss Bunny on his own. He encounters his friend Bill Bunny, who turns out to be Boss Bunny's son. They find the Easter Factory in an abandoned, and dilapidated state and then they find Boss Bunny himself, who complains that the workload, and being in charge of the seasons has become too much for him to handle in his old age and he is simply too burnt out to continue. Despite Brother's pleading, Boss Bunny refuses to reconsider until he sees a large rainbow and glistening sun that relieves his ailments, jumpstarts his energy, and he gladly puts his factory back in business.

On Easter morning, Brother finds his Easter candy, but Mama and Papa have an additional Easter surprise for him: a strong healthy baby sister. When Brother asks where she came from, Papa is left speechless, but Mama reminds Brother about the miracle of new life (and Brother notices that he can sit on Mama's lap again).

Book adaptation

Home media releases

In 1984, Embassy Home Entertainment released the special on LaserDisc as a double-feature with The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree, called "A Berenstain Bears Celebration."[8] In 1987, the special was made available on VHS by Embassy Home Entertainment as part of their Children's Treasures series.[9] In 1989, the special was distributed on VHS by Kids Klassics.[10] The special was re-released in 1992 by GoodTimes Home Video, in a double-feature with The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree.[11] In 2002, the special was released on DVD by GoodTimes, also in a double-feature with The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree.[6]

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References
  1. Shaw, Jane. "Christmas tree is focus of Berenstain Bears' newest adventure." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1980-12-02, p. 32.
  2. Mariska, Bradley (2015). "Berenstain Bears Bibliography". Berenstain Bears Complete Bibliography & Blog. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  3. "The Berenstain Bears' Thanksgiving". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  4. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 29–34. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  5. Berenstain, Stan and Jan (2002). Down a Sunny Dirt Road: An Autobiography. Random House. ISBN 978-0375814037.
  6. The Berenstain Bears Double Feature (DVD). GoodTimes. 2002.
  7. Berenstain Bears History, The Berenstain Bears, Inc., 2015, retrieved 11 October 2015
  8. A Berenstain Bears Celebration (LaserDisc). Embassy Home Entertainment. 1984.
  9. The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (VHS). Embassy Home Entertainment. 1987.
  10. The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (VHS). Kids Klassics. 1989.
  11. The Berenstain Bears Double Feature (VHS). GoodTimes. 1992.
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