The Wuzzles
| The Wuzzles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by |
|
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "The Wuzzles" performed by Stephen Geyer |
| Ending theme | "The Wuzzles" (instrumental) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Marc du Pontavice |
| Running time | approx 22–26 mins |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | September 14 – December 7, 1985 |
The Wuzzles is an animated television series created for Saturday morning television, and was first broadcast on September 14, 1985 on CBS. An idea of Michael Eisner for his new Disney television animation studio, the premise is that the main characters are hybrids of two different animals. The original thirteen episodes ran on CBS for their first run.
The Wuzzles features a variety of short, rounded animal characters (each called a Wuzzle, which means to mix up). Each is a roughly even, and colorful, mix of two different animal species (as the theme song mentions, "livin' with a split personality"), and all the characters sport wings on their backs, although only Bumblelion and Butterbear are seemingly capable of flight. All of the Wuzzles live on the Isle of Wuz. Double species are not limited to the Wuzzles themselves. From the appleberries they eat to the telephonograph in the home, or a luxury home called a castlescraper, nearly everything on Wuz is mixed together in the same way the Wuzzles are. The characters in the show were marketed extensively. The characters were featured in children's books, as poseable figures and plush toys (similar to Care Bears), and in a board game.
Disney premiered two animated series on the same day in the same time slot, 8:30 AM ET, in the United States, with the other being Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears on NBC, and both series were successful during their first seasons. However, The Wuzzles ended production after its initial run largely due to the sudden death of Bill Scott, the voice of Moosel. However, Scott was also the voice of Gruffi Gummi, Sir Tuxford, and Toadwart (aka Toadie) on Gummi Bears (which also saw the deaths of voice actors Bob Holt and Roger C. Carmel within 15 months of one another) and Corey Burton and Carmel (later Brian Cummings in 1987) took over those roles. CBS cancelled the show, and ABC (later acquired by Disney in February 1996) picked it up and showed reruns during the 1986-1987 season; they aired it at 8:00 AM so the two Disney shows would not be in competition with one another.
...
Wikipedia