The Tom and Jerry Show (1975 TV series)

The Tom and Jerry Show is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with MGM Television. Based on the Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon series (which was created by HB co-founders William Hanna and Joseph Barbera), the show originally aired on ABC from September 6 to December 13, 1975 (for a total of 16 episodes) as the first half of The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show, with The Great Grape Ape Show representing the series' second half. [1] This series marked the first time that Tom and Jerry appeared in animated installments produced specifically for television.[2]

For The 2014 series, see The Tom and Jerry Show (2014 TV series).
The Tom and Jerry Show
Also known asThe New Tom and Jerry Show
GenreComedy
Based on
Directed byCharles A. Nichols
Voices of
Theme music composerHoyt Curtin
Opening theme"The Tom & Jerry Show"
Ending theme"The Tom & Jerry Show" (Instrumental)
ComposerHoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes16 (48 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • William Hanna
  • Joseph Barbera
ProducerIwao Takamoto (creative producer)
Editors
  • Pat Foley
  • Joe Sandusky
  • James Yaras
  • Richard Allen
  • Terry Moore
Running time22–24 minutes (7–8 minutes per segment)
Production companies
DistributorMGM Television Distribution
Release
Original networkABC
Audio formatMono
Original releaseSeptember 6 (1975-09-06) –
December 13, 1975 (1975-12-13)
Chronology
Followed byThe Tom and Jerry Comedy Show

Premise

In this show, Tom and Jerry (who wears a red bow tie) spend various episodes roaming the world competing in sports, enduring on-the-job misadventures, running afoul of dastardly villains, solving mysteries and helping others. While the show doesn't use the slapstick chases and the violence central to the theatrical shorts (due to ABC's ban of any violences in television regulations), the two do compete against each other in some episodes.[3] This series was confirmed to be non-canon to Tom and Jerry.

Voice cast

Additional voices
  • Henry Corden – Giant (in "Beanstalk Buddies")
  • Kathy Gori – Katy O'Kitty (in "The Police Kitten")
  • Don Messick – Quacker (in "The Lost Duckling"), Meteor Mouse (in "Cosmic Cat and Meteor Mouse"), Giant Watchdog (in "Beanstalk Buddies")
  • Alan Oppenheimer – Ringmaster (in "Stay Awake or Else..."), Sapstone (in "The Sorcerer's Apprentices")
  • Joe E. Ross –
  • Hal Smith –
  • Jean Vander Pyl – Fairy Godmother (in "Chickenrella")
  • Janet Waldo – Yvonne Jockalong (in "The Ski Bunny"), Cindy (in "Chickenrella")
  • Lennie Weinrib – Dinky (in "Jerry's Nephew")
  • Frank Welker –

Episodes
Nº Episode Original air date PC
1"No Way, Stowaways / The Ski Bunny / Stay Awake or Else..."September 6, 1975 (1975-09-06)80-03
80-02
80-01[4]

  • No Way, Stowaways: Caught stowing away on a pirate ship, Tom and Jerry compete to become the ship's cabin boy and avoid being thrown overboard by Weirdbeard the Pirate.
  • The Ski Bunny: While skiing in the Swiss Alps, Tom and Jerry compete for the affections of a pretty female cat (voiced by Janet Waldo), and try not to get into trouble with Spike.
  • Stay Awake or Else...: After partying all night, a circus roustabout Tom cannot stay awake on the job, Jerry tries to keep him from being fired by the ringmaster.
2"No Bones About It / An Ill Wind / Beach Bully"September 13, 1975 (1975-09-13)80-04
80-05
80-06

  • No Bones About It: A dinosaur's toe bone was missing from the museum in which Tom and Jerry work; they see Spike carrying what they think is the missing bone, so they try to get it away from him.
  • An Ill Wind: An old traveler in a desert gives Tom and Jerry a map to a gold mine to thank them for saving his life; the two of them fight over it, and also have to deal with the outlaw Black Barney who wants it too.
  • Beach Bully: Tom and Jerry's day at the beach is being interrupted by a macho cat (vocal effects provided by John Stephenson) who will not leave them alone. They plan to get revenge on the cat in creative ways, and also get Spike involved.
3"The Mammoth Manhunt / The Wacky World of Sports / Robin Ho Ho"September 20, 1975 (1975-09-20)80-07
80-08
80-10

  • The Mammoth Manhunt: A baby woolly mammoth revived after being frozen in ice escapes from the explorer who had thawed him out and who wants to display him for money. Tom and Jerry help the mammoth to get back home to Alaska while evading the greedy explorer.
  • The Wacky World of Sports: Tom and Jerry compete against each other in a decathlon. Tom uses a variety of underhanded tricks against Jerry which manage to work against Tom as well.
  • Robin Ho Ho: Tom and Jerry want to join Robin Ho Ho's band of Merry Men. After passing a few tests, including laughing and archery, the duo must pass the final test by stealing the red plume from the Sheriff of Nottingham's helmet. The title character is a parody of Robin Hood.
4"Safe But Not Sorry / Gopher Broke / The Super Bowler"September 27, 1975 (1975-09-27)80-18
80-09
80-11

  • Safe But Not Sorry: Tom and Jerry are hired to deliver the heavy safe to a house at the top of a steep hill (à la The Music Box) but sabotaging their efforts is a mischievous puppy who lives in the house.
  • Gopher Broke: The vegetables in Tom and Jerry's garden are being devoured by a gopher, and all of their attempts to get rid of him fail to work.
  • The Super Bowler: Tom and Jerry's compete against each other in the National Bowl-Off, and Tom resorts to a number of dirty tricks to win.
5"Tricky McTrout / The Tennis Menace / Cosmic Cat and Meteor Mouse"October 4, 1975 (1975-10-04)80-20
80-13
80-15

  • Tricky McTrout: Fishermen Tom and Jerry attempt to catch a crafty fish named Tricky McTrout, but everything they try just gets them into trouble with the park ranger.
  • The Tennis Menace: Tom and Jerry compete against each other in a tennis match, with Tom using a number of sneaky tricks to win.
  • Cosmic Cat and Meteor Mouse: Tom and Jerry try to watch their favorite television show, Cosmic Cat (voiced by John Stephenson) and Meteor Mouse (voiced by Don Messick), without waking up Spike.
6"The Castle Wiz / Grim and Bear It / The Flying Sorceress"October 11, 1975 (1975-10-11)80-14
80-16
80-19

  • The Castle Wiz: Tom and Jerry are offered $20 to spend a night in a haunted castle.
  • Grim and Bear It: Fledgling forest rangers Tom and Jerry try to protect a mischievous bear cub from danger without invoking his mother's wrath.
  • The Flying Sorceress: A witch recruits Tom and Jerry to help her in her flying cauldron. First, she has them dust the crops (with a feather duster) and then she runs a passenger service. The title is a reference to the classic Tom and Jerry short with the same name.
7"The Kitten Sitters / Termites Plus Two / Planet's Pest"October 18, 1975 (1975-10-18)80-27
80-21
80-24

  • The Kitten Sitters: Tom and Jerry take in six abandoned kittens without Spike's knowledge, and the sight of a kitten who seems to be everywhere almost drives him crazy.
  • Termites Plus Two: Tom and Jerry try to stop the gang of termites (on tiny motorcycles) from destroying their house.
  • Planet's Pest: A shape-changing space alien tries to eat all the food in the house, causing Tom, Jerry, and Spike to fight each other and almost giving them a nervous breakdown.
8"The Hypochondriac Lion / Give 'Em the Air / The Egg and Tom and Jerry"October 25, 1975 (1975-10-25)80-23
80-31
80-34

  • The Hypochondriac Lion: A lion (voiced by John Stephenson) at the zoo has a splinter in his paw, and veterinarians Tom and Jerry are hired to remove it, but the nervous lion is not making it easy for them.
  • Give 'Em the Air: Tom and Jerry work together in a cross-country airplane race against the cheating Purple Baron.
  • The Egg and Tom and Jerry: When an egg falls out of an eagle's nest, the newly-hatched eaglet thinks that Tom is his mother, while the mother eagle thinks that Jerry is her baby.
9"Watch Out, Watch Dog / The Super Cyclists / The Police Kitten"November 1, 1975 (1975-11-01)80-12
80-25
80-28

  • Watch Out, Watch Dog: Spike is assigned as a night watchdog for a department store; he mistakes janitors Tom and Jerry for prowlers, and spends the night chasing them throughout the store.
  • The Super Cyclists: Tom and Jerry compete against each other in a cross-country motorcycle race.
  • The Police Kitten: Police officers Tom and Jerry are assigned to train Katy O'Kitty (voiced by Kathy Gori), a female feline rookie, by letting her ride with them; their resentment over this assignment is made worse by the fact that she is better at their job than they are.
10"The Outfoxed Fox / The Towering Fiasco / The Lost Duckling"November 8, 1975 (1975-11-08)80-30
80-17
80-37

  • The Outfoxed Fox: A pushy fox hides out in Tom and Jerry's house from a pursuing hound.
  • The Towering Fiasco: Professional dog walkers Tom and Jerry are hired to walk an English sheepdog who keeps running into trouble. The title is a takeoff with The Towering Inferno.
  • The Lost Duckling: Tom and Jerry help a duckling (Quacker in his only appearance on the show) (voiced by Don Messick) to go south for the winter, using a variety of methods from a paper plane to a railroad handcar. The plot is the same as the classic CinemaScope Tom and Jerry short, Southbound Duckling, but in the short Tom does not help.
11"Beanstalk Buddies / Two Stars Are Born / Son of Gopher Broke"November 15, 1975 (1975-11-15)80-22
80-29
80-39

  • Beanstalk Buddies: In this takeoff of Jack and the Beanstalk, an impoverished Tom and Jerry find themselves in a giant's (voiced by Henry Corden)[5] castle in the sky, and try to evade a giant watchdog (voiced by Don Messick) to get some food.
  • Two Stars Are Born: Tom and Jerry are hired as stuntmen in a movie in which Catman and Reubin (a takeoff with Batman and Robin) do battle with a giant space alien.
  • Son of Gopher Broke: In this sequel to "Gopher Broke", groundskeepers Tom and Jerry try to stop the gopher from ruining their wealthy employer's garden and they create chaos in the process.
12"The Sorcerer's Apprentices / Hold That Pose / The Supercape Caper"November 22, 1975 (1975-11-22)80-26
80-38
80-42

  • The Sorcerer's Apprentices: Sapstone the Sorcerer, dissatisfied with his canine apprentice Manfred, recruits Tom and Jerry to be his new apprentices. Upset about being replaced, Manfred challenges the duo to a duel of magic wands.
  • Hold That Pose: Safari photographers Tom and Jerry try to get a picture of the rare Pip Squaker bird which has never been photographed before.
  • The Supercape Caper: Supercape, a Superman-like superhero, has lost his courage. He "deputizes" Tom and Jerry, who help him take down a number of villains.
13"Chickenrella / Double Trouble Crow / Jerry's Nephew"November 27, 1975 (1975-11-27)80-32
80-33
80-44

  • Chickenrella: After falling asleep when reading Cinderella, Tom and Jerry dream themselves into the story, helping Cindy (voiced by Janet Waldo) and her blundering fairy godmother (who briefly turns the girl into a chicken, hence the title) (voiced by Jean Vander Pyl).
  • Double Trouble Crow: Corn farmers Tom and Jerry try to get rid of a crow who is intent on devouring their crops; it later turns out that they were dealing with a whole family of lookalike crows.
  • Jerry's Nephew: Jerry's nephew Dinky (who refers to both Tom and Jerry as his uncles) (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) has come to visit, and the duo are run ragged when trying to keep him out of danger.
14"See Dr. Jackal and Hide / Planet of the Dogs / The Campout Cutup"November 29, 1975 (1975-11-29)80-35
80-43
80-45

  • See Dr. Jackal and Hide: Dr. Jackal is working on a formula to make short people tall, but when he tests it on himself, he transforms into a monster, causing his assistants Tom and Jerry to run for their lives. This cartoon is a spoof of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
  • Planet of the Dogs: While running from Spike, Tom and Jerry find themselves on a NASA rocket headed for the planet Dogstar, where the canine inhabitants of the planet are being brainwashed by a giant talking idol into believing that cats and mice are their enemies. This cartoon is a parody of Planet of the Apes.
  • The Campout Cutups: While camping, Tom and Jerry are bedeviled by a mosquito who resists their attempts to get rid of him.
15"Triple Trouble / The Bull Fighters / The Cruise Kitty"December 6, 1975 (1975-12-06)80-36
80-41
80-46

  • Triple Trouble: Tom and Jerry try to chop down a tree for a log cabin, but the squirrel who lives in the tree convinces them not to; the three of them then have to contend with Spike, who is bulldozing trees to make room for a freeway.
  • The Bull Fighters: In Mexico, Tom and Jerry save the life of a bull named Toro the Terrible, who promises to be their friend for life. Later, Tom finds himself being a bullfighter against Toro. At first Tom and Toro put on a show for the crowd, with neither actually hurting the other, but the injured Toro is being replaced by a fiercer bull named El Rotteno.
  • The Cruise Kitty: The captain of a cruise liner puts mascot Spike in charge of security, and Tom and Jerry are accidental stowaways on the ship. Spike keeps trying to call the captain's attention to them, but he keeps failing to prove their presence.
16"It's No Picnic / The Big Feet / The Great Motorboat Race"December 13, 1975 (1975-12-13)80-40
80-47
80-48

  • It's No Picnic: An ant who has accidentally been enlarged to human size escapes from a research laboratory and invades Tom and Jerry's picnic, eating all of the food, a baseball and a bat.
  • The Big Feet: Lumberjack Pierre LeChopp enlists Tom and Jerry to help him trap the elusive Big Feet (a takeoff with Bigfoot), who has been scaring away all of his lumberjacks.
  • The Great Motorboat Race: Tom and Jerry are working together to compete in a boat race.

Broadcast history

A total of 48 seven-minute Tom & Jerry shorts were produced in 1975[3] and originally aired in these following formats on ABC Saturday morning:

  • The New Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show (September 6, 1975 (1975-09-06) – September 4, 1976 (1976-09-04), ABC Saturday 8:30–9:30 a.m. [EDT])
  • The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbly Show (September 11, 1976 (1976-09-11) – November 27, 1976 (1976-11-27), ABC Saturday 8:00–9:00 a.m. [EDT]) (reruns of Tom and Jerry and Grape Ape)
  • The Tom and Jerry/Mumbly Show (December 4, 1976 (1976-12-04) – September 3, 1977 (1977-09-03), ABC Saturday 8:00–8:30 a.m. [EDT]) (reruns)
  • The Tom and Jerry Show (international reruns)

Immediately following the end of the original ABC run, these cartoons were edited within the main and end title credits and added to run with theatrical-era MGM Tom and Jerry cartoons from 1940 to 1967 for syndication by MGM until 1986 (H-B retained ancillary rights to the Mumbly and Grape Ape segments, with syndication rights to those segments going to Worldvision Enterprises from 1979 until 1991).

Since 1986, it has been rebroadcast on TBS, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Canada's Teletoon and Teletoon Retro (the former three networks are part of WarnerMedia's Turner Broadcasting System, which purchased the pre-1986 MGM library in 1986 and Hanna-Barbera in 1991).

The cartoons have been shown with the main and end title credits intact on TBS, Boomerang streaming service and Cartoon Network.

Back in the 80s, Seven Network (the Australian ‘’American Broadcasting Company’’) aired the show in Australia.

Reception

Critical reception

The show was given mixed to negative reviews due to the lack of slapstick, violence, having Tom and Jerry as friends, the lack of quality and perfectly written episodes, the poor grasp (or ignorance) on the source material, low budget animation, and the fact this cartoon was made in the time where cartoons have to follow all television regulations in the past.

Home media

The premiere episode (show #TJGA-1, September 6, 1975 (1975-09-06)) of The New Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show was released as part of Warner Home Video's Saturday Morning Cartoons – 1970s Volume 2 on October 27, 2009 (2009-10-27);[6] it marked the first home video release of the 1975 made-for-TV version of Tom and Jerry. Another cartoon, episode #80-15, "Cosmic Cat and Meteor Mouse", is included as part of the Tom and Jerry: The Deluxe Anniversary Collection, which was released by Warner Home Video on June 22, 2010 (2010-06-22).[7] The episode (show #TJGA-11, November 15, 1975 (1975-11-15)) of The New Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show was released as the digital version of Tom and Jerry: School's Out. 2 episodes was released as the digital version of Tom and Jerry: House Pests. Most episodes of this incarnation, with exceptions of "Gopher Broke", "Grim and Bear It", "The Flying Sorceress", "The Egg and Tom and Jerry", and "The Lost Duckling", are available on the Boomerang streaming service.[8] A complete series DVD set has not yet been announced.

Legacy

When Joseph Barbera was asked if public pressure had resulted in Tom and Jerry being less violent in this show, he said that the same arguments were going on 50 years ago.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Tom and Jerry". www.toonopedia.com. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 858–862. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. "TV's Controversial Cat, Mouse Team". The Kingman Daily Miner. August 21, 1975. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  4. The New Tom & Jerry Show Episode Index at 1975tomjerry.orgfree.com
  5. DataBase, The Big Cartoon. "Beanstalk Buddies (Hanna-Barbera Studios)". Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB). Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  6. "Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970's – Volume 2 DVD Review – IGN". Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  7. "Tom & Jerry: Deluxe Anniversary Collection". DVD Talk. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  8. Garun, Natt (April 12, 2017). "Boomerang now offers unlimited classic cartoons for $5 a month". The Verge. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  9. "Interview with Joe Barbera". The Guardian. December 27, 2000. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
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