Ruff and Reddy
| The Ruff and Reddy Show | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Also known as | Ruff and Reddy |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Written by |
Joseph Barbera Charles Shows |
| Directed by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera Bob Hultgren (NBC sequences) |
| Presented by | Jimmy Blaine (original run) Robert Cottle (reruns) |
| Voices of |
Daws Butler Don Messick |
| Narrated by | Don Messick |
| Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
| Opening theme | "Here Comes Ruff and Reddy" |
| Composer(s) | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 50 (155 Segments) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Distributor |
Screen Gems (original) Taft Broadcasting (former) Worldvision Enterprises(former) Turner Entertainment (former) Warner Bros. Television Distribution (current) |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Color |
| Original release | December 14, 1957 – April 2, 1960 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958–1962) |
The Ruff and Reddy Show (also known as Ruff and Reddy) is an American animated television series and the first made by Hanna-Barbera Productions for NBC. The series follows the adventures of Ruff, a smart and steadfast cat, and Reddy, a good-natured and brave (but not overly bright) dog. The series also was presented by Screen Gems, the television arm of Columbia Pictures (now Sony Pictures Television). Ruff and Reddy premiered in December 1957 and ran for fifty episodes until April 1960, comprising three seasons.
Hanna and Barbera created the series as the first of their fledgling television operation, first named H-B Enterprises. The "buddy" theme had previously been explored in their Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts, but unlike Tom and Jerry, Ruff and Reddy are not adversaries, but housemates and best friends. The series is notable as one of the earliest original animated television programs, and a pioneering use of limited animation techniques.
In 1957, the animation/director team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were terminated from an eighteen-year-long tenure at MGM Studios, producing the animated Tom and Jerry theatrical short subjects. Their staff, composed of 110 inkers, painters, and animators, were also let go. MGM found it more profitable to continually re-release older cartoons than produce new ones. Hanna and Barbera remained a partnership and invested $30,000 out of pocket into a new venture, H-B Enterprises. The duo began work on storyboards featuring new characters, the first among them Ruff, a cat, and Reddy, a dog. Hanna later equated their respective names with he and his partners' dispositions at the period in which they were created. They forged a deal with former MGM colleague George Sidney in which he forged a small percentage of the new company in return for acting as a business representative. Sidney arranged for a meeting at Screen Gems, who had at the time been considering re-entering the animation business. Feeling confidence in the Ruff and Reddy characters, the duo presented their proposal, along with a streamlined production budget employing limited animation.
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