Nickelodeon and Disney might come to mind when you think of great kids shows. After all, both networks have been producing programming for kids for decades.

Despite that fact, both companies have been under fire in recent years, particularly Nickelodeon, following the release of the Quiet on Set documentary.

Here is the perfect list if you want to expose your kids to some great shows that are not associated with either company.

Hanna-Barbera Classics (Various)

The Hanna-Barbera cartoons are classics that kids and adults of all ages can enjoy together. Many of them are geared toward children but include jokes to amuse adults.

Founded by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in the late 1950s, Hanna-Barbera Productions produced 249 cartoon series between the 1950s and 1980s. Many of those have since become beloved classics.

A personal favorite of mine is Scooby Doo, and many fans share my love for the crime-solving dog and his Mystery Inc.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has become an increasingly important marketing opportunity for major U.S. studios to show off their upcoming animated offerings. This year, Warner Bros. Discovery companies are putting forth one of their strongest lineups to date.

Below, we break down the major highlights from this year’s Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe lineups for this year’s Annecy Festival.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” – Filmmaker Conversation and Exclusive Extended Look

One of Warners’ biggest swings this year is its first animated feature adaptation of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, which will debut in theaters on December 13. Annecy attendees who manage to snag one of the surely hard-to-get tickets to this presentation will catch an early look at the first publicly screened footage from the film, presented by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens (“The Lord of the Rings...

Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc gang are heading back to the small screen in a live action series for Netflix, here are the details.

Jinkies: Netflix has ordered a live action Scooby Doo television series. No casting details have been confirmed, but we do know (thanks to a Deadline report) that it will be written by Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg – the same Scott Rosenberg who penned Con Air, one of the greatest action films of the 1990s.

This isn’t, of course, the first time Hanna Barbera’s cartoon has been reworked in live-action. Long before James Gunn took creative control of the DC Extended Universe, he was a prolific screenwriter, and arguably his most successful films, at the box office at least, were 2002’s Scooby Doo and 2004’s Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

The films brought the classic cartoon to life with a pitch perfect cast – Matthew Lillard...

Warner Bros might finally be learning to undelete films following its Coyote Vs Acme debacle: now it should revisit its disastrous cull of Batgirl and Scoob! 2.

It’s been a difficult week for Warner Bros Discovery, in a year that’s not been shy of them. Not that filmmakers and film fans are offering much sympathy for the company, which is in danger of making a habit of canning completed films.

The story so far.

Following its 2022 decision to scrap both Batgirl and Scoob! 2: The Holiday Haunt, a pair of pretty much completed movies that collectively had cost over $120m to make, it threw the anvil last week on Coyote Vs Acme.

As film critic Robbie Collin wrote on whatever Twitter’s called now, “Why would anyone work for a studio that makes a habit of this?”

And that’s the problem. Doing it once? A nasty one-off. Twice?...

Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service Max saw its official launch this week, rolling out to users on Tuesday, May 23. It’s the culmination of efforts that began more than a year ago — before the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery was even finalized. The new platform will attempt to be all things to all people, offering general entertainment as well as some of the best prestige TV available.

7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com

Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually

One of the programming genres that will see an increased focus on Max will be kids and family shows. That may be somewhat surprising to those following the story since its inception, as Wbd CEO David Zaslav promised to “reexamine” the amount of content for kids on HBO Max last May. That reexamination led to over 200 episodes of “Sesame Street” being purged from the platform,...

The launch date for Max is fast approaching. The new Warner Bros. Discovery streaming platform will roll out on May 23 in the United States, and will combine HBO Max’s current library with most of the titles now available exclusively on discovery+.

7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month hbomax.com

Get 20% Off Your Next Year of HBO Max When Pre-Paid Annually

Wbd held its quarterly conference call to discuss its earnings report on Friday, giving executives the chance to further discuss Max. CEO David Zaslav was highly optimistic, but noted some key differences between HBO Max and discovery+ that he hopes will aid the company in fighting its biggest opponent: subscriber cancelation, also known as churn.

“[It’s] very difficult to build a strong business with churn,” the CEO explained. “The churn on discovery+ is quite low. The churn on HBO Max is high. And so driving that churn is as or maybe more important than driving the growth.

Jackie Gleason never won an Emmy. Neither did Ed Sullivan. Or Andy Griffith. Or Fred Rogers. Or “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry. Or “Rocky & Bullwinkle” genius Jay Ward. Bob Newhart’s sole Emmy win was as a guest actor on “The Big Bang Theory” in 2013.

Yes, the 74 years of Emmy history are chock full of surprises spanning both winners and non-winners. That extends to the Emmy’s Governors Award as well. The TV academy describes that Governors Award – bestowed generally but not always annually since 1978 – as follows: “The Board of Governors of the Television Academy may, when warranted, recognize an individual, company or organization that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television by presenting them with the Governors Award.”

SEE2023 Emmy Predictions: Gold Derby Predicts the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards

The first Governors Award in ’78 went to CBS founder William Paley.

Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, the Emmy Award-winning co-creator and executive producer of “Phineas and Ferb,” will join his longtime creative partner Dan Povenmire to executive produce and voice direct two new seasons of the popular animated series announced earlier this year.

“Phineas and Ferb,” which first premiered in 2008 and ran for four seasons, became the most successful animated series for kids ages 6 to 11 and tweens ages 9 to 14 in Disney Television Animation history, spanning 126 episodes, five one-hour specials including a musical and two hit movies about resourceful stepbrothers who conquer boredom and make every day of their summer vacation count. The first of the two television movies it inspired, “Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension,” ranked in TV’s Top 2 movies for 2011.

Marsh, a musician, animator, writer, producer, director, and voice actor who originated the role of Major Francis Monogram in the series, wrote more than 450 original songs with Povenmire encompassing pop,...

From the low-budget gross-outs of Troma films to head of DC movies at Warner Bros. is a journey maybe only James Gunn could have made. Heavily versed in all the classics — Marvel, DC, and Shakespeare — the writer/director's sensibility have always jelled with fans of his generation and beyond. In his younger years, he made cult films that college kids delighted in. As he grew in stature, his pop culture sensibilities became mainstream. Frequently working with other people's properties, he very much made them his own, to the point that his takes often eclipse the originals. Yondu, Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man, Mantis, Drax ... chances are when you picture all of these characters, you're thinking of interpretations specifically created by Gunn.

Gunn made his name as a distinctive screenwriter before directing his own words, so in ranking his films we're including features written by him and directed by others. We're not including shorts or segments,...

Click here to read the full article.

On Sept. 23, 1962, ABC debuted The Jetsons at 7:30 pm to television audiences. Like the Stone Age Flintstones, the futuristic animated family sitcom would become an enduring franchise for producers Hanna-Barbera. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review of the first episode, “Rosey The Robot,” is below:

The Jetsons is based on the same premise as The Flintstones, with the difference that the projection is in the future instead of the past. A family situation comedy, done in animation (and for those with color sets, color), the new Hanna-Barbera production should attract a good audience.

The jokes are familiar, but the setting gives them novelty and an added dimension, and cartooning is certainly suited to the TV screen.

Larry Markes’ script for the initial episode lightly sketched in the characters, mother, father, two children (boy and girl) of the Jetsons, a 21st Century family.

Jokes...

Video Version of this Article Photo: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera When talking about the growth of animation in Cinema and television, there are plenty of names you could list: Pixar, Disney, Warner Bros., Studio Ghibli, etc. While all these companies have made strides in their contributions to the field and to the childhoods of many, there’s one company that stands out among its peers in terms of its output and reverence: Hanna-Barbera. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Hanna-Barbera absolutely dominated the TV animation field for decades, creating a plethora of shows that are universally loved. With cartoons like ‘The Yogi Bear Show’ and ‘Scooby-Doo: Where Are You!’, their reign over American television and Saturday morning cartoons is unlike anything else. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to...

If there was any doubt that the future is here (for better or worse), just remember that you are now living in George Jetson’s lifetime. Animation fans are celebrating an important milestone this weekend, as several savvy Twitter users noticed that the Spacely Sprockets employee, husband to Jane, and father of June and Elroy, is said to be born on July 31, 2022. That still gives us 40 years before the events of the show begin, so there’s no need to feel bad about not having flying cars yet.

“The Jetsons” famously followed a middle class family living in Orbit City in a chrome-tinged future where robots allow humans to live leisurely. It was conceived as a companion show to “The Flintstones,” which famously reimagined 1950s sitcom tropes from shows like “The Honeymooners” in a Stone Age world full of cavemen and dinosaurs. “The Jetsons” took the inverse approach, making a...

The Herculoids: The Complete Original Series

Blu ray

Warner Archive

1967/ 1.33:1

Starring Mike Road, Virginia Gregg

Directed by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera produced 114 Tom and Jerry cartoons for MGM between 1940 and 1956—and then they were fired. The following year they found new employment as America’s babysitters; debuting in December of 1957 was The Ruff and Reddy Show, a rise and shine treat for the little ones and one of the first Saturday morning cartoon shows produced exclusively for television. With its success the duo expanded their reach, greeting kids just home from school with the sweet-natured adventures of Huckleberry Hound, Pixie and Dixie, and Yogi Bear. But the Sixties were the Sixties and in the midst of that mind-bending decade Hanna-Barbera took a turn for the weird: Frankenstein Jr. featured a blimp-sized version of Mary Shelly’s creature. Birdman was a solar-powered superhero with the...

With a 'defund the police' movement and out-of-control crime rate destroying New York City, the upcoming animated TV series, "Tom and Jerry in New York", directed by Darrell Van Citters unleashes "mayhem across the big city, inciting hilarious chaos" streaming July 1, 2021 on HBO Max:

"...the iconic cat and mouse duo settle in to their new digs at the 'Royal Gate Hotel', unleashing mayhem across the big city, inciting 'hilarious chaos' uptown, downtown and everywhere their manic escapades take them..."  

"Tom and Jerry in New York" is executive produced by Sam Register, President Warner Bros. Animation (Wba) and Cartoon Network Studios (Cns). Renegade's Darrell Van Citters serves as the show's director and produces alongside Renegade's Ashley Postlewaite. 

Created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the characters starred in 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, following the rivalry between 'Tom' the cat and 'Jerry' the mouse, winning seven Academy Awards for 'Best Animated Short Film'.

WarnerMedia has revitalized one of the most iconic names in animation history with the establishment of London-based Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.

The newly renamed facility, which was formerly known as Cartoon Network Studios Europe, operating from Great Marlborough Productions, will be WarnerMedia’s flagship television animation studio within Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation (Wba) and Cartoon Network Studios (Cns), and Vanessa Brookman, head of kids Emea, will jointly head the studio.

The original studio, Hanna-Barbera Productions, was founded in 1957 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and created several iconic characters including Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Yogi Bear.

“Earlier this year, we aligned two of the industry’s most powerful animation studios in Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios and their collaboration is already yielding some very exciting results,” said Tom Ascheim, president of Warner Bros. global kids, young adults and classics.

WarnerMedia is reviving one of the most beloved brands in animation, resurrecting the Hanna-Barbera name for its flagship television animation studio in Europe. 

The London-based Cartoon Network Studios Europe will be renamed Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, taking its brand from the original Hanna-Barbera Productions studio, set up in 1957 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

With series such as Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Yogi Bear, Hanna-Barbera was a pioneer in television animation and set new technical and artistic standards for the industry. Many of the production and storytelling techniques introduced by Hanna-Barbera remain in use today. 

The name change was announced Wednesday by Tom ...

WarnerMedia is reviving one of the most beloved brands in animation, resurrecting the Hanna-Barbera name for its flagship television animation studio in Europe. 

The London-based Cartoon Network Studios Europe will be renamed Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, taking its brand from the original Hanna-Barbera Productions studio, set up in 1957 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

With series such as Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and Yogi Bear, Hanna-Barbera was a pioneer in television animation and set new technical and artistic standards for the industry. Many of the production and story-telling techniques first introduced by Hanna-Barbera remain in use today. 

The name change was announced Wednesday by ...

Photo: ‘Tom & Jerry’/HBO Max Tom and Jerry were a huge part of my childhood. In addition to the ‘Looney Tunes’ and ‘Merrie Melodies’ series with Bugs Bunny and Co., Tom and Jerry were among the first cartoons I ever saw when I was a kid. I still have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV and devouring the shorts whenever Cartoon Network ran marathons of the series whether it’s the original run from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the quirky Gene Deitch era (with its strong Eastern European animation feel), or the more stylized and comparatively subdued Chuck Jones years. There’s a reason the gray and white housecat and his brown mouse foil have endured for 81 years since their debut in 1940: they’re the quintessential cat-and-mouse team. There’s a simplicity to the premise: Tom tries to catch Jerry, plucky Jerry always outsmarts unlucky Tom,...

Everyone’s favorite cat and mouse are taking their antics to New York City. Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled a trailer for the upcoming “Tom and Jerry” movie, scheduled for a 2021 theatrical premiere.

While the titular characters are animated in similar styles as the original television show, the new film diverges from tradition with live actors and a real-world set. Chloë Grace Moretz stars as an event planner hired by a hotel to organize a wedding, but she’s also expected to remove a pesky mouse — Jerry — from his recent residence within the building’s walls.

Written by Kevin Costello and based on Joseph Barbera and William Hanna’s classic characters, “Tom and Jerry” revives the decades-old rivalry as Tom is enlisted to help remove Jerry from the premises before the date of the wedding arrives. Cartoon violence ensues as Tom contrives various schemes to sneak up on Jerry, only to fail on numerous occasions.

Scooby-Doo co-creator Ken Spears died on Friday, November 6. He co-founded Ruby-Spears Productions with Joe Ruby, who died in August. Spears was 82.

Spears’ son Kevin confirmed his death to Variety, saying that he died from complications related to Lewy body dementia.

A Los Angles native, Spears co-created the iconic animated series Scooby Doo with Ruby. He was born Charles Kenneth Spears in L.A. on March 12, 1938. He befriended the son of animation producer William Hanna of Hanna-Barbera fame. This was his way into the animation space.

In 1959, he was hired to work at Hanna-Barbera Productions as a sound editor. It was here he met Ruby and they forged a bond and became writing partners. They wrote teleplays for projects at Hanna-Barbera as well as Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.

In addition to Scooby-Doo, the duo created Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, Jabberjaw and other programs. While at Depatie-Freleng, they...

Ken Spears, co-creator of the beloved animated series “Scooby-Doo” and co-founder of Ruby-Spears Productions along with the late Joe Ruby, died Friday. He was 82.

Spears’ son, Kevin Spears, tells Variety that he died from complications related to Lewy body dementia.

“Ken will forever be remembered for his wit, his story-telling, his loyalty to family, and his strong work ethic,” Kevin Spears says. “Ken has not only made a lasting impression on his family, but he has touched the lives of many as co-creator of ‘Scooby-Doo.’ Ken has been a role model for us throughout his life and he will continue to live on in our hearts.”

Born Charles Kenneth Spears on March 12, 1938, Spears grew up in Los Angeles, Calif., where he befriended the son of animation producer William Hanna. Spears was later hired at Hanna’s company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, in 1959 as a sound editor. While working in the editing department,...

Donald Douglas, an Emmy-nominated film editor who worked on Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the Angela Lansbury crime series Murder, She Wrote, died Oct. 3 after a brief illness in Greeley, Colorado, his family announced. He was 87.

After a stint working in the tool-and-die industry, Douglas accepted an offer from William Hanna in the early 1960s to join Hanna-Barbera Productions, and he went on to edit episodes of The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Jonny Quest and cartoons featuring Yogi Bear, Peter Potamus, Magilla Gorilla, Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant.

Douglas received his first Emmy nom in 1984 for his work on the miniseries George Washington, starring Barry ...

Donald Douglas, an Emmy-nominated film editor who worked on Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the Angela Lansbury crime series Murder, She Wrote, died Oct. 3 after a brief illness in Greeley, Colorado, his family announced. He was 87.

After a stint working in the tool-and-die industry, Douglas accepted an offer from William Hanna in the early 1960s to join Hanna-Barbera Productions, and he went on to edit episodes of The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Jonny Quest and cartoons featuring Yogi Bear, Peter Potamus, Magilla Gorilla, Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant.

Douglas received his first Emmy nom in 1984 for his work on the miniseries George Washington, starring Barry ...

Following a listening party on Monday, Deerhoof dropped a surprise new album, Love-Lore, via Joyful Noise Recordings.

Love-Lore was recorded live in the studio over a single afternoon at Rivington Rehearsal Studios in New York City. The album contains a medley of 43 covers, which range from the Velvet Underground to Krzysztof Penderecki.

Muindi Fanuel Muindi wrote an essay to accompany the release, while Benjamin Piekut wrote the liner notes. “Deerhoof is not the future of music and doesn’t want to be — they simply want to embrace you, here and now,...

The Jetsons: The Complete Original Series

Blu ray

Warner Archive

1962/ 1.33:1 / 629 min.

Starring George O’Hanlon, Penny Singleton

Directed by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

In 1962 Kennedy’s New Frontier was in full effect – the country was still celebrating John Glenn’s heroics and Disney’s Tomorrowland had proved so popular it tacked on a monorail. Flush with the success of The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbara decided it was high time for The Jetsons, a space age sit-com set in a cartoon Utopia. Premiering on a Sunday night in the fall of ‘62 it was the first animated program to be broadcast in color, an eye-popping upgrade that only enhanced the show’s futuristic appeal.

The Flintstones owed its inspiration solely to The Honeymooners but The Jetsons relied on a long line of family-centric fare from The Life of Riley to Make Room for Daddy. The chief cook and bottle-washer was George Jetson, an...

Jonny Quest: The Complete Original Series

Blu ray

Warner Archive

1964/ 1.33:1 / Each Episode 25 min.

Starring Tim Matheson, Don Messick

Music by Hoyt Curtin

Directed by William Hanna, Joe Barbera

Though the heartland was nearing a showdown between the Masters of War and the Age of Aquarius, things were relatively status quo in 1964, Beatles or no Beatles. Dad could still be found daydreaming over the garish macho fantasies of Men’s Action magazine while Junior was in the rec room hypnotized by Jonny Quest – a weekly cartoon show flaunting the same retro thrills found in the old man’s rags but aimed at the sandbox set.

Jonny lasted just one season, from September of 1964 to March of ‘65, but the combination of pulp fiction mayhem with junior league heroics would transfix a generation.

Jonny’s producers, William Hanna and Joesph Barbera, made their move to the small screen in 1957 when MGM shuttered...

Exclusive: Saturday Night Live co-head writer and Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost has boarded Warner Bros’ live-action/animation hybrid Tom and Jerry.

He joins Chlöe Grace Moretz and Michael Peña who have already been announced. Tim Story is directing and executive producing the update of the 1940 cartoon shorts created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Former Warner Bros exec and DreamWorks Animation boss Chris DeFaria is producing, with Adam Goodman serving as Ep.

Jost is a 10-time Primetime Emmy nominee for Saturday Night Live. He has won, and shared, a WGA Award for his work on SNL a total of five times, with a nomination as recently as this year in the comedy/variety sketch series category.

Jost’s films credits include How to Be Single and Staten Island Summer. He co-hosted the 70th Primetime Emmys with his Weekend Update co-host Michel Che in 2018.

Jost is repped by CAA.

Actor Michael Pe?a will play the antagonist in Warner Bros live-action/aminated take on the classic cartoon, "Tom and Jerry".

It will be directed by Tim Story.

Pe?a joins previously announced star Chloe Grace Moretz, who leads the film as Kayla, a new hire at an elegant Park Hotel where Jerry is staying. Worried for her job, she hires a broke alley cat, Tom, to get rid of the mouse, reports deadline.com.

Pe?a's character, Terrance, is the Deputy General Manager of the hotel. A bit of bully, he hires Kayla as a temporary hire only to end up pitted against her and Tom/ Jerry once she starts impressing upper management.

The slapstick cat-and-mouse antics of "Tom and Jerry" have been around since 1940 when they were introduced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Between 1940 and 1958, the original "Tom and Jerry" series yielded 114 shorts and won seven Oscars in the animated short category.

Exclusive: Michael Peña will play the antagonist in Warner Bros’ live-action/aminated take on the classic cartoon, Tom & Jerry, which Tim Story is directing. Peña joins previously announced star Chloe Grace Moretz, who leads the film as Kayla, a new hire at an elegant Park Hotel where Jerry is staying. Worried for her job, she hires a broke alley cat, Tom, to get rid of the mouse.

Peña’s character, Terrance, is the deputy general manager of the hotel. A bit of bully, he hires Kayla as a temporary hire only to end up pitted against her and Tom/ Jerry once she starts impressing upper management.

The slapstick cat-and-mouse antics of Tom & Jerry have been around since 1940 when they were introduced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Between 1940 and 1958, the original Tom & Jerry series yielded 114 shorts and won seven Oscars in the animated short category. Television franchises, more shorts and a 1992 feature film,...

Warner Bros just announced two new films starring children’s characters rooted in the mid-20th century. The studio said today that it has dated untitled Sesame Street and Tom & Jerry movies for release in two years.

The live-action Sesame Street musical is set for January 15, 2021, and starts shooting in July with MGM co-financing with WB. The hybrid T&J, directed by Tim Story, will arrive three months later on April 16.

Portlandia co-creator Jonathan Krisel is set to direct the family musical with 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy producing with Entertainment 360’s Michael Aguilar. Anne Hathaway is reportedly on board for the revival which would bring Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Elmo and other denizens of Sesame Street to the big screen for the first time in this century.

Sesame Street, which airs on WarnerMedia-owned HBO these days, turns 50 this year. The television production of the Children’s Television...

The Warner Animation Group is in negotiations with Tim Story ("Fantastic Four") to direct a new "Tom and Jerry", live-action, animation hybrid feature, among the 'evergreen' Hanna-Barbera cartoon titles the studio controls:

Created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the premise centers on a rivalry between 'Tom', a cat and 'Jerry', a mouse, based around violent slapstick comedy...

...inspiring Matt Groening's "The Itchy & Scratchy Show".

In its original run, Hanna and Barbera produced 114 Tom and Jerry shorts for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1940 to 1958, winning seven Academy Awards (!) for Animated Short Film.

After the MGM cartoon studio closed in 1957, MGM revived the series with Gene Deitch directing an additional 13 "Tom and Jerry" shorts for Rembrandt Films from 1961 to 1962. "Tom and Jerry" then became the highest-grossing animated short film series of that time, overtaking "Looney Tunes".

Chuck Jones then produced another 34 shorts with Sib Tower 12 Productions between 1963 and 1967. Three more shorts were produced,...

Tom and Jerry are ready to play cat and mouse once more.

Filmmaker Tim Story is in talks to direct a live-action hybrid Tom and Jerry movie for Warner Bros. Animation Group, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Tom and Jerry began life as a series of long-running shorts created by animation pioneers William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and first introduced in 1940. They centered on the exploits of house cat Tom and his never-ending battle with mouse Jerry. Seven of the shorts, released by MGM, won Oscars from 1943-53. The animated pair have remained in the pop culture consciousness over the years,...

Tom and Jerry are ready to play cat and mouse once more.

Filmmaker Tim Story is in talks to direct a live-action hybrid Tom and Jerry movie for Warner Bros. Animation Group, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. 

Tom and Jerry began life as a series of long-running shorts created by animation pioneers William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and first introduced in 1940. They centered on the exploits of house cat Tom and his never-ending battle with mouse Jerry. Seven of the shorts, released by MGM, won Oscars from 1943-53. The animated pair have remained in the pop culture consciousness over the years,...

Animation producers William Hanna and Joseph Barbera had hit paydirt with their 1960 primetime cartoon The Flintstones, which was essentially The Honeymooners in prehistoric times, with Fred Flintstone in place of Ralph Kramden and Barney Rubble subbing for Ed Norton. Seeking a follow-up, the duo decided that they would look to the future in the form of the then-distant 21st century, which resulted in The Jetsons, a cartoon about America's first space-age family. The focus is on George Jetson, an employee of Spacely Space Sprockets, and much of the comedy came from interactions with his wife, Jane; daughter Judy, his boy Elroy, and their mutt with a speech impediment (think Scooby-Doo), Astro. The other aspect of the show was its look at the evolution of technology, presenting a world where virtually everything is automated, flying cars fill the skies, we talk on large screen video phones, and have robot servants — in many (though not all) ways,...

The beloved 1960s cartoon character, Snagglepuss, has been reinvented as a closeted gay playwright working on Broadway during the McCarthy era. DC Comics, who have previously updated Hanna-Barbera classics like “The Flintstones” and “Scooby-Doo” to give them more of a modern twist, have now turned their sights on the talking pink mountain lion. The comic […]...

So far, it’s been a pretty good week for those of you who enjoy both Scooby-Doo and DC Comics. Just days ago, we learned that our favorite Great Dane will soon take part in an animated crossover film with a freshly resurrected Batman: The Brave and the Bold and, today, we’re proud to bring you this exclusive first look inside the next issue of Scooby Apocalypse.

In my view, I think this particular series has flourished and seen longevity beyond that of the other recent Hanna-Barbera revivals because it’s been able to appeal to multiple areas of fandom. Sure, Apocalypse may be a radical reimagining of the cartoon we grew up loving, but the camaraderie of the gang and many of the intrinsic aspects remain. Okay, the cast often fights, but that’s to be expected in extreme situations.

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“Tra-la-lalala”A simple tune that quickly transformed into an earwig which burrowed into the brains of a generation (“Generation X” to be more precise). Yes, it’s the rallying song of that big, blue behemoth of kid-friendly franchises, the Smurfs. Those petite (three apples high) magical imps were introduced by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (Aka Pierre Colliford) way, way back in 1958. They were a merchandising phenom in Europe, but didn’t truly achieve worldwide superstar status until they descended on the Us thanks to TV cartoon titans Bill Hanna and Joe Barbara (the creators of The Flintstones and Scooby Doo also co-wrote that too-catchy theme song with Hoyt Curtin) and became the anchor for NBC’s Saturday morning line-up in 1981 through 1989. Tons of toys and imitations (remember the Snorks?) followed, but things were quiet in their hidden spot in the magic forest for the next twenty years or so. And then...

It.s quite possible that we have now crossed the franchise event horizon. All properties that are capable of being turned into a "cinematic universe" will now see it done. We know that this has happened because the Warner Animation Group, a division of Warner Bros, announced at Cinemacon this week that they were interested in "unlocking the whole Hanna-Barbera Universe" beginning with a new Scooby-Doo movie slated for 2018. So, who will join Scooby-Doo in the Hanna-Barbera universe? Hanna Barbera.s list of cartoons is absolutely massive. It honestly probably rivals Marvel when it comes to simply the sheer volume of characters that they have created over the years. But, if we.re going to do this, let.s do it right. Here are 10 other Hanna-Barbera characters that we want to see in future movies. Who did we forget? Yogi Bear The Yogi Bear movie needs to happen for a...

Sometimes news can be both surprising and unsurprising. While no-one really expected a new Scooby-Doo film to be announced, the fact that it has and that Warner Bros. have decided to announce plans for a fully-fledged Hanna Barbera cinematic universe seemed inevitable. Especially since the studio just can.t seem to help themselves when it comes to extended franchises. Entertainment Weekly have confirmed that Warner Bros. are currently developing a Scooby Doo reboot with director Tony Cervone that is bizarrely entitled S.C.O.O.B. This announcement was made at CinemaCon, with Warner Bros. confirming that S.C.O.O.B. will be their "first shot at unlocking the whole Hanna-Barbera Universe."  Obviously this means that Warner Bros. plan on following up S.C.O.O.B. with a number of other films, which will then almost certainly overlap and crossover into each other. This could include The Flintstones,...

Classic cartoon lovers rejoice! That fantastic feline superstar returns to UK movie screens in just a few weeks. As the Hoyt Curtin TV theme proclaims, “…but above everything, he’s the most tip top…Top Cat!”. Tc, as close friends call him, did indeed debut on American TV screens on the then fledgling ABC network in September of 1961 (talk about your nine lives!). This show, along with “The Jetsons” and “Jonny Quest” was an attempt by animation studio Hanna-Barbera to replicate the prime time success of that “modern stone-age family “The Flintstones” just a year or so before. Unfortunately Tc was not the rating smash that Fred and company were, so only one season (30 half hour episodes) were produced. But the kitty con-artist and his pals endured as a Saturday morning staple,then a syndicated smash. As beloved as the show was in its native Us, “Top Cat” was an even bigger hit overseas,...

So if you thought the news that DC was going to be revamping Hanna Barbera characters into comics was kind of boring, you aren't alone. I wasn't giving it a second thought until I saw this latest episode of DC All Access where we actually see what facelifts are coming to these classic characters.

Dan Didio gives a rundown of some of the new series, including Future Quest which will show Johnny Quest teaming up with Space Ghost, Birdman, Frankenstein Jr. etc. Jim Lee is reimagining Scooby Doo and the gang in the apocalypse. The weirdest of all (and probably most exciting) is a mashup of Mad Max and Wacky Racers called Wacky Race Land. How is that going to work out?! I can't wait to read it! Check out the full video below.

To mark the release of Jetsons, the Movie on 15th February, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD. The original 1962 Jetsons animation was Hanna Barbera’s space age answer to the stone-age Flintstones. This movie from 1990 stars the cartoon’s original voice actors George O’Hanlon, Penny Singleton and Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc’s

The post Win Jetsons, the Movie on DVD appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Let's hope Jack Nicholson has a pleasant birthday on Wednesday, or at least a less disturbing one than the birthday when pal Hunter S. Thompson showed up outside his house, turned on a spotlight, blasted a recording of a pig being eaten alive by bears, fired several rounds from his 9mm pistol, and (when the terrified actor and his kids refused to open the door) left an elk's heart on the doorstep.

Nicholson turns 78 on April 22, and even though he hasn't been in a movie for five years, he still looms large in our collective imaginations. Younger viewers know him from his flamboyant performances in "The Departed," "The Bucket List," "Something's Gotta Give," and "Anger Management," but his older films remain ubiquitous on TV as well, including "As Good as It Gets," "A Few Good Men," "Batman," "The Witches of Eastwick," "Terms of Endearment," "The Shining," and "Chinatown." A late bloomer,...

Another day, another report on a childhood classic that’s being repackaged for modern audiences. Today’s news hails from The Tracking Board, who reveal that a brand new animated feature based on the iconic Hanna Barbera characters Tom and Jerry has entered development. In the second theatrical outing for the mismatched pair, Warner Bros. intend to “reinvent the characters for a mass audience,” with studio executives Cate Adams and Jesse Ehrman set to oversee the project.

Currently, there’s no talent attached, as the studio are searching for a writer to pen “the right take on the characters.” Whoever Warner signs to command the flick will be following in the footsteps of noted Charlie Brown animator Phil Roman, who shepherded Tom and Jerry: The Movie to the big screen in 1992. While that misfire received a critical mauling, there’s every hope this new incarnation will avoid those same pitfalls.

It’s iconic – the green van with groovy artwork on the side and a dog and young teenager who are always mysteriously hungry. Even though the original Scooby Doo is from another generation, almost everyone alive today knows the dog, but why? Why do we love the hunky sleuth, the ginger bombshell, the nerdy know-it-all, and the two goof-offs who always manage to solve the crime independently of everyone else? Here’s why.

See, it all began in 1968, when Fred Silverman (an executive in charge of children’s programming for the CBS network) was looking for a new show that would revitalize the stale Saturday morning schedule.

The first attempt was The Archie Show. The show, based on Bob Montana’s classic comic book “Archie” was successful, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted a kid’s mystery show. So, he hired William Hanna and Joseph Barbera to come up with another show.

All hail another cartoon superstar who shines brightly in the animation galaxy. Well, he’s been shining for more than fifteen years now, actually. But in the realm of ‘toon icons, this lil’ guy is pretty unique. He’s not part of the group that were created during Hollywood’s “golden age” to star in pre-feature film short subjects, this includes Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse in the 1920’s right through to the 1960s’ with the Pink Panther (of course, a few jumped from the printed page to the big screen like Popeye the Sailor and Casper the Friendly Ghost). This fella’s an off-shoot of the made-for-tv superstars that include Rocket J Squirrel and his pal Bullwinkle J. Moose, the Simpsons, and the colossal roster of characters from Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera’s company (Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, and Scooby Doo). While they debuted on old-fashioned broadcast networks,...

The Jetsons are returning to the big screen in animated form, as Warner Bros orders a screenplay.

The last time that The Jetsons arrived in cinemas in a feature didn't quite go to plan. In spite of the involvement of Joseph Barbera, William Hanna and Mel Blanc, it was an underwhelming effort, with a song plonked in the middle of it all that didn't really help. We love The Jetsons, but that film was not a high point.

Effectively the futuristic take on The Flinstones, there's still a lot to like about The Jetsons then, which has become oddly prescient. How many people do you know push a few buttons and then sit down needing a rest?

Anyway, Warner Bros had been toying with a live action movie of The Jetsons for some time now, and we now learn that it's opted to go fully animated. As such, it's hired...

The Jetsons is being adapted into a feature length film by Warner Bros.

The studio has hired Disney's Matt Lieberman to write the movie script, according to Deadline.

The Jetsons was set in the year 2062 and centered on George, Jane, Judy and Elroy Jetson along with Rosie the Robot.

The children's show ran on ABC from September 1962 to March 1963. It returned to screens in the 1980s.

It will be the second time the space-age cartoon has appeared on the big screen. Jetsons: The Movie, which was released in 1990, was directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and featured original voice artists George O'Hanlon and Mel Blanc.

There is no release date for the adaptation as yet.

Martha Stewart: Actress / Singer in Fox movies apparently not dead despite two-year-old reports to the contrary (Photo: Martha Stewart and Perry Como in 'Doll Face') According to various online reports, including Variety's, actress and singer Martha Stewart, a pretty blonde featured in supporting roles in a handful of 20th Century Fox movies of the '40s, died at age 89 of "natural causes" in Northeast Harbor, Maine, on February 25, 2012. Needless to say, that was not the same Martha Stewart hawking "delicious foods" and whatever else on American television. But quite possibly, the Martha Stewart who died in February 2012 -- if any -- was not the Martha Stewart of old Fox movies either. And that's why I'm republishing this (former) obit, originally posted more than two and a half years ago: March 11, 2012. Earlier today, a commenter wrote to Alt Film Guide, claiming that the Martha Stewart featured in Doll Face, I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now,...

Warner Archive, the really cool digital library for Warner Bros and its vast array of titles, has a series of new DVD releases coming this fall for the discerning comic book fan and the lover of old school television fare.

Pre-orders are now open for Warner Archive Collection’s Blu-ray™ release of Beware The Batman: Dark Justice. Featuring the final 13 episodes of the groundbreaking, all-new CGI series’ first season, the single-disc Blu-ray™ will be released on September 30. Beware The Batman: Dark Justice pits Batman, Alfred and swordstress Katana against the underworld likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. Over the final 13 episodes, the rogues gallery expands with appearances by Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Deathstroke and more. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this action-packed detective thriller deftly redefines what we have come to know as a ‘Batman show.”

Here’s a glance at other animated offerings now available...