The Yogi Bear Show: The Complete Series

For baby boomers, the DVD release of The Yogi Bear Show, Hanna-Barbera's third foray into primetime after The Huckleberry Hound Show and Quick Draw McGraw, should be as irresistible as a "pic-a-nic" basket. The parts of this four-disc set—which, unfortunately, present the 33 episodes not as originally aired chronologically but rather as individual Yogi Bear, Snagglepuss, and Yakky Doodle cartoons—are better than the whole. It's great fun to see Yogi, the breakout star from Huckleberry Hound, run amok in Jellystone Park with his sidekick and voice of reason, Boo-Boo. It also warms the heart to watch Snagglepuss exit "stage left," and to see the adorable duck Yakky Doodle befriend Chopper, the gruff dog with the heart of gold ("Now, ain't that cute..."). A special treat for Hanna-Barbera buffs is the series-ending three-parter, "Yogi's Birthday Party," featuring a This Is Your Life all-star lineup of classic H-B characters, including Huckleberry, Quick Draw, Pixie, Dixie, Mr. Jinx, Snooper, and Blabbermouse. The cartoons may not be state-of-the-art, but the distinctive voice work by the likes of Daws Butler and Don Messick, and the smarter-than-average writing (Warner Bros. veterans Warren Foster and Michael Maltese are among the credited scribes) more than make up for it. This set contains a bounty of goodies, including a narrated sketch gallery and an illuminating segment about how sound effects were cleverly used to enhance the limited animation. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)