Care Bears (TV series)

Care Bears is a American-Canadian animated television series based on the Care Bears franchise. The first season under the name Care Bears, was produced by DIC Entertainment and ran from September 14, 1985 to November 23, 1985 in syndication. The name was changed to The Care Bear Family for the second season, and all of the remaining seasons were produced by Nelvana. This version was shown on ABC in the United States and on the Global Television Network in Canada from September 13, 1986 to January 23, 1988.[1] When ABC dropped the show, Nelvana produced some more episodes for syndication, interspersing both new and old episodes.[2]

Care Bears
Original title card for the DIC episodes
Created byLinda Denham
Elena Kucharik
StarringDIC series
Billie Mae Richards
Jayne Eastwood
Janet Laine-Green
Luba Goy
Eva Almos
Melleny Brown
Dan Hennessey
Pauline Rennie
Patrice Black
Laurie Waller Benson
Bob Dermer
Nelvana series
Jim Henshaw
Chris Wiggins
John Stocker
Terri Hawkes
Sunny Besen Thrasher
Noam Zylberman
Tracey Moore
Country of originDIC series
France
Canada
Nelvana series
Canada
United States
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes60 (100 segments, alongside 2 TV specials and a 3-part special) (list of episodes)
Production
Production companiesAtkinson Film-Arts (1983 and 1984 pilots/specials)
DIC Audiovisuel
(season 1)[lower-alpha 1]
Nelvana
(seasons 2-4)[lower-alpha 2]
DistributorLBS Communications
(DIC series)
SFM Entertainment
(Nelvana series)
Release
Original networkDIC series
Syndication
Nelvana series
Global (Canada)
ABC (United States)
Audio formatMono
Original releaseSeptember 14, 1985 (1985-09-14) –
December 25, 1988 (1988-12-25)
Chronology
Related showsCare Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot (2007–2009)

During its syndicated run, 2 Care Bears films were theatrically released after the first movie in the series.

In 2007, Sabella Dern Entertainment produced a revival, Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot.

Synopsis

The Care Bears live in a faraway place up in the clouds called Care-a-Lot, which constitutes a part of the Kingdom of Caring. With the help of the Cousins and their Buddies, they go all around the world on Missions in Caring whilst Evil villains such as Professor Coldheart (DIC episodes), and Lord No Heart (Nelvana episodes), try to thwart their plans.[3][4]

Episodes
Main article: List of Care Bears episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
Specials2April 22, 1983 (1983-04-22)April 6, 1984 (1984-04-06)N/A
DiC11September 14, 1985 (1985-09-14)November 23, 1985 (1985-11-23)Syndication
113September 13, 1986 (1986-09-13)December 6, 1986 (1986-12-06)ABC (U.S.)
Global (Canada)
26September 26, 1987 (1987-09-26)October 31, 1987 (1987-10-31)
330September 12, 1988 (1988-09-12)November 25, 1988 (1988-11-25)

Voice cast
See also: List of Care Bear characters

DIC version
  • Billie Mae Richards – Tenderheart Bear, Keith, Matthew Miller, Kara's Mother
  • Jayne Eastwood – Birthday Bear, Tommy, Willis Carter
  • Janet Laine-Green – Wish Bear, Mrs. Miller (Matthew Miller's Mother), Mary, Tricia
  • Luba Goy – Gentle Heart Lamb, Lotsa Heart Elephant
  • Eva Almos – Friend Bear, Swift Heart Rabbit, Kathy, Sanford, Millie Jacobs' Mother, Jimmy, Cathy, Lisa, Mary, Elaine
  • Linda Sorenson – Love-a-Lot Bear, Mrs. Peal (Patti Johnson's Teacher), Lisa's Mother, Paula Schaefer, Sandra, Wendy, Mary's Mother, Joey and Elaine's Mother, Amy, Kara
  • Melleny Brown – Cheer Bear, Marion Marshall, Missy, Millie Jacobs
  • Len Carlson – Professor Coldheart, Strato Nefarious
  • Louise Vallance – Proud Heart Cat, Eddie, Linda
  • Dan Hennessey – Good Luck Bear, Brave Heart Lion, Loyal Heart Dog, Captain McDougal, Cloud Worm, Mr. Miller (Matthew Miller's Father), Counselor Bob, Mayor of Abbotsville, Jim
  • Pauline Rennie – Cozy Heart Penguin, Treat Heart Pig, Timmy, Benny
  • Patrice Black – Funshine Bear, Share Bear
  • Laurie Waller Benson – Murphy, Susie, Jill
  • Theresa Sears – Champ Bear, Bedtime Bear, Joey, Fred, Millie Jacob's Teacher, Joshua, Amy
  • Bob Dermer – Grumpy Bear, Frostbite, Mr. Poole, Carl, Charlie, David, Ken, Eddie
  • Joyce Gordon – Auntie Freeze

Uncredited
  • Jim Henshaw – Bright Heart Raccoon, Jeff, Mr. Johnson (Patti Johnson's Father), Mr. Bland (Mayor of Drab City), Amy's husband, Joey and Elaine's Father
  • Marla Lukofsky – Playful Heart Monkey, Patti Johnson

Nelvana version

Season 1

Additional voices

Season 2

Additional voices

Season 3

Additional voices

Home media

United States

The DIC series of Care Bears has seen a few VHS releases from DIC Video and Buena Vista Home Video throughout the 80's and 90's.

In March 2003, Sterling Entertainment released 3 releases on VHS and DVD - "Bedtime Stories", "The Last Laugh" and "To the Rescue". Each release contained 6 or 7 episodes, with a bonus episode on the DVD version, while "To the Rescue" contained a bonus Sylvanian Families episode. An additional DVD - "Daydreams" was released in mid 2003, and contained a Strawberry Shortcake short as a bonus on the DVD version.

Sterling would later release all 22 episodes in 7 volume collections in 2004 entitled Celebration, Dreamland, Forever Friends, Land of Enchantment, Starry Skies, Tenderheart Tales and Fun in the Sun.

In 2007, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment acquired the rights to the original DIC series and re-released all the DIC-produced episodes on DVD in 5 volume collections entitled Care-A-Lot Adventures, Forest of Feelings, Magical Moments, Carousel of Dreams and Sharing in the Sunshine.

On August 26, 2008, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection on DVD in Region 1.[5] The 2-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series (with its original opening and closing titles).

In 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series and subsequently released three volume collections which contain 6 episodes each, on September 10, 2013.

On October 6, 2015, Mill Creek released The Care Bears – The Complete Original Series on DVD in Region 1.[6] The 2-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series.

International

In the United Kingdom, Maximum Entertainment released the whole DIC series on 4 DVD sets and 2 VHS releases under license from Jetix Europe (who at the time, owned the pre-1990 DIC library).

Volume 1, released in August 2004 contained the first 2 episodes (1 on the VHS) alongside the Freeze Machine and Land without Feelings specials. Volume 2, released in October 2004 contained 5 episodes, and The Magic Shop (released in February 2005) and The Girl who Cried Wolf (released in August 2005) each contained 3 episodes, with the Freeze Machine special appearing on the latter again for an unknown reason, likely as filler. Both sets were released in 2 compilations titled "Volumes 1 and 2" (released in January 2005) and "Wedding Bells" (Released in May 2005), each containing 2 discs with their respective volumes.

The separate volumes were re-released again in 2007, with the former 2 volumes being released simply as Care Bears. Another compilation titled Happy Birthday, Care Bears was released by Maximum in February 2008, containing 12 episodes set within 2 discs. Lace DVD re-issued the DVDs again in 2011 as well was releasing the entire series in a 4-disc boxset. These versions are identical to Maximum's releases.

In 2016, Platform Entertainment would release 4 DVDs of the series.

Nelvana series

Select episodes of the Nelvana series were released on VHS in the 1980s by Lorimar Home Video and Fries Home Video in the United States.

In Region 1, Lions Gate Home Entertainment has released many episodes on DVD in various single disc collections from 2004 to 2008. In total, 12 collections have been released, each featuring random episodes from the series.

On October 9, 2012, Lionsgate released Care Bears: The Original Series Collection on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.[7] The 6-disc set features the majority of episodes from the series (from the previously released discs excluding King of the Moon and Give Thanks) as well as the bonus feature Care Bears Nutcracker Suite.

In Region 4, Magna Entertainment released all 52 episodes (in chronological order) on DVD in Australia in 2004 in 12 separate volumes.

Notes
  1. Animation outsourced to KK DIC Asia, Studio Junio, Nippon Animation and Studio Korumi.
  2. Animation outsourced to Wang Film Productions and Hanho Heung-Up.

References
  1. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 185–187. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 802–804. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. Chris Richards Young People, Popular Culture and Education 1441107355 p 111 – 2011 "It may be that there is a distinction here between the power used against No Heart, similar to that used by many other superheroes... "
  4. Barbara Kruger Remote Control: Power, Cultures, and the World of Appearances 1994 0262611066 "... "in order to punish the Care Bears, a scary villain named No Heart concocts a not unfamiliar scheme — he floods "the Forest of Feelings" and forces its non-Care Bear denizens to join the Care Bears' closed colony."
  5. Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection
  6. DiC's Episodes in 'The Complete Original Series' Return to DVD Archived 2015-09-10 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Care Bears: The Original Series Collection
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