DECEMBER 14, 1957 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AaronHandy3 · 12-14-2007, 11:44 AM

The Ruff & Reddy Show debuted on The NBC TV Network.

It was the very first foray into television animation for William Denby Hanna and Joseph Roland Barbera, having previously spent 18 years churning out Tom & Jerry cartoons for MGM. Hanna-Barbera Productions, Incorporated would leave an indelible mark on cartoon history, with Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Hong Kong Phooey, Jabberjaw, Wacky Races, The Banana Splits, Penelope Pitstop, Devlin, Valley Of The Dinosaurs, Super Friends, Josie and The Pussycats, Jeannie, Partridge Family 2200 A.D., Grape Ape, Mumbly, Dynomutt, Captain Caveman, Richie Rich, Pac-Man, and so forth.

Hanna passed away in 2001; Barbera in 2006. However, their legacy continues to live on in the hearts of animation fans worldwide.

BEGINING THE NEXT 50 YEARS OF HANNA-BARBERA
(DECEMBER 14, 1957-DECEMBER 14, 2007)

comedyfreak · 12-14-2007, 12:18 PM

Thank you Hanna-Barbera! I love their cartoons, they truely rock! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

tv star collector · 12-14-2007, 04:45 PM

I was ten years old when I sat down to watch that very first episode of RUFF & REDDY, on this date in 1957. It was the beginning of a lifetime passion for
cartoons in general--and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, in particular. Over the next
five decades, the shows produced by Bill and Joe would bring me many more
hours of laughter and adventure. To say that their cartoons have had an impact on my life would be an understatement: from imitating Daws Butler's
terrific voices to collecting H-B comic books and toys to listening to H-B records
and watching H-B videos and DVDs to eating Kellogg's cereals hawked by H-B
cartoon stars, from a childhood fan to now a senior citizen (and still a fan).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HANNA-BARBERA PRODUCTIONS!

waichingliu81 · 12-14-2007, 05:25 PM

apart from disney and warner bros, there is no other animation company which has captured people's hearts around the world with wonderful and memorable characters and theme songs as hanna barbera.

top cat, flintstones, jetsons, hucklebery hound, even TV star collector's favourite yogi bear, their impact and contribution to the cartoon scene has been immense. i was a tad sad when hanna barbera folded as a company in the early 2000s. they were a massive loss to the cartoon world indeed.

suffice to say, happy 50th birthday!

tv star collector · 12-17-2007, 08:29 AM

Mark Evanier (who later wrote for Hanna-Barbera Productions) writes about
RUFF & REDDY at his website:

http://www.newsfromme.com/

TV Knowledge Fan · 02-19-2008, 08:34 PM

....was H-B's version of "CRUSADER RABBIT". In fact, Bill Hanna had attempted, with Jay Ward, to produce a new series of "Crusader" TV cartoons around 1954, but Ward did not have the legal rights to do so, and the project fell through. Bill and Joe entered into an agreement in late 1957 with Screen Gems {Columbia's TV subsidiary} to produce cartoon series for them, the first being "RUFF AND REDDY", which was packaged for NBC as a series of serialized five minute episodes (as "Crusader Rabbit" was) with older Columbia theatrical cartoons and framed by a live host {Jimmy Blaine} with puppets. Hanna and Barbera were very happy they got their TV studio off the ground with this series, but they wanted to produce an entire half-hour show WITHOUT a live host, and feature original cartoon series exclusively, within that format. They had a powerful ally in Kellogg's, who agreed to sponsor their first half-hour series, "HUCKLEBERRY HOUND", in syndication in the fall of 1958- and the rest is history.

MrCleveland · 02-19-2008, 11:49 PM

I did sense that Jay Ward recognition of that show. I sooooo wish they would put that show on DVD real soon!

tv star collector · 02-20-2008, 09:43 AM

By coincidence, I just watched the Ruff & Reddy canyon adventure (which
marked the return of villain Harry Safari) yesterday morning on video tape
(recorded off Boomerang). Daws Butler voiced Harry, clearly modeled after
Stan Freberg's Dishonest John on Bob Clampett's earlier puppet show Time
for Beany, which also featured Daws. About five years later, Clampett
produced an animated version of Beany & Cecil, in which D.J. looked
even more like Harry Safari.

The Ruff & Reddy Show gave us many other colorful, supporting characters such as the outlaw twins Killer & Diller, Professor Gizmo, Captain
Greedy and his stooge Salt-Water Daffy, to name a few. Ah, what great
memories!

12-14-2007, 11:44 AM	#1
AaronHandy3 Classic TV Buff Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 21, 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 859	DECEMBER 14, 1957 The Ruff & Reddy Show debuted on The NBC TV Network. It was the very first foray into television animation for William Denby Hanna and Joseph Roland Barbera, having previously spent 18 years churning out Tom & Jerry cartoons for MGM. Hanna-Barbera Productions, Incorporated would leave an indelible mark on cartoon history, with Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Hong Kong Phooey, Jabberjaw, Wacky Races, The Banana Splits, Penelope Pitstop, Devlin, Valley Of The Dinosaurs, Super Friends, Josie and The Pussycats, Jeannie, Partridge Family 2200 A.D., Grape Ape, Mumbly, Dynomutt, Captain Caveman, Richie Rich, Pac-Man, and so forth. Hanna passed away in 2001; Barbera in 2006. However, their legacy continues to live on in the hearts of animation fans worldwide. BEGINING THE NEXT 50 YEARS OF HANNA-BARBERA (DECEMBER 14, 1957-DECEMBER 14, 2007) Attached Images
	__________________ Aaron Handy III - ah07_1999@yahoo.com, aaronhandy_iii@...trois@mail.com https://i.ibb.co/mcb1SZ7/new-MFTVVmasthead.png http://tvwebshrine.orgfree.com/-

12-14-2007, 12:18 PM	#2
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	Thank you Hanna-Barbera! I love their cartoons, they truely rock! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

02-19-2008, 08:34 PM	#6
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	"ruff And Reddy".... ....was H-B's version of "CRUSADER RABBIT". In fact, Bill Hanna had attempted, with Jay Ward, to produce a new series of "Crusader" TV cartoons around 1954, but Ward did not have the legal rights to do so, and the project fell through. Bill and Joe entered into an agreement in late 1957 with Screen Gems {Columbia's TV subsidiary} to produce cartoon series for them, the first being "RUFF AND REDDY", which was packaged for NBC as a series of serialized five minute episodes (as "Crusader Rabbit" was) with older Columbia theatrical cartoons and framed by a live host {Jimmy Blaine} with puppets. Hanna and Barbera were very happy they got their TV studio off the ground with this series, but they wanted to produce an entire half-hour show WITHOUT a live host, and feature original cartoon series exclusively, within that format. They had a powerful ally in Kellogg's, who agreed to sponsor their first half-hour series, "HUCKLEBERRY HOUND", in syndication in the fall of 1958- and the rest is history.

02-19-2008, 11:49 PM	#7
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,229	I did sense that Jay Ward recognition of that show. I sooooo wish they would put that show on DVD real soon!
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

12-14-2007, 04:45 PM	#3
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,487	I was ten years old when I sat down to watch that very first episode of RUFF & REDDY, on this date in 1957. It was the beginning of a lifetime passion for cartoons in general--and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, in particular. Over the next five decades, the shows produced by Bill and Joe would bring me many more hours of laughter and adventure. To say that their cartoons have had an impact on my life would be an understatement: from imitating Daws Butler's terrific voices to collecting H-B comic books and toys to listening to H-B records and watching H-B videos and DVDs to eating Kellogg's cereals hawked by H-B cartoon stars, from a childhood fan to now a senior citizen (and still a fan). HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HANNA-BARBERA PRODUCTIONS!

12-14-2007, 05:25 PM	#4
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	apart from disney and warner bros, there is no other animation company which has captured people's hearts around the world with wonderful and memorable characters and theme songs as hanna barbera. top cat, flintstones, jetsons, hucklebery hound, even TV star collector's favourite yogi bear, their impact and contribution to the cartoon scene has been immense. i was a tad sad when hanna barbera folded as a company in the early 2000s. they were a massive loss to the cartoon world indeed. suffice to say, happy 50th birthday!

12-17-2007, 08:29 AM	#5
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,487	Mark Evanier (who later wrote for Hanna-Barbera Productions) writes about RUFF & REDDY at his website: http://www.newsfromme.com/

02-20-2008, 09:43 AM	#8
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,487	By coincidence, I just watched the Ruff & Reddy canyon adventure (which marked the return of villain Harry Safari) yesterday morning on video tape (recorded off Boomerang). Daws Butler voiced Harry, clearly modeled after Stan Freberg's Dishonest John on Bob Clampett's earlier puppet show Time for Beany, which also featured Daws. About five years later, Clampett produced an animated version of Beany & Cecil, in which D.J. looked even more like Harry Safari. The Ruff & Reddy Show gave us many other colorful, supporting characters such as the outlaw twins Killer & Diller, Professor Gizmo, Captain Greedy and his stooge Salt-Water Daffy, to name a few. Ah, what great memories!