Jun 25, 2021

Dozens of Hannah Barbera characters will appear in Hbo Max's "Jellystone"!'(Watch the trailer)

Warnermedia exec Tom Ascheim recently described properties like the Hanna-Barbera catalog as “the gift that keeps on giving.” No joke: Warnermedia has raided the hallowed studio's library of characters for its new HBO Max show Jellystone!, which stars the likes of Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Top Cat, Snagglepuss, and Jabberjaw.

The series, which premieres on the streamer on July 29, is set in the town of the same name (a reference to Yogi Bear's native Jellystone Park), and follows the classic - and some not-so-familiar - characters as they work, play, and cause mayhem. It promises “a reimagined take on these beloved characters, modernizing them for today's family audience.” Decide what that means for yourself by watching the trailer:

Jellystone! is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, with showrunner and executive producer C.H. Greenblatt at the helm. Greenblatt previously created Cartoon Network's Chowder and Nickelodeon's Harvey Beaks, and has worked as a writer and storyboard artist on the likes of Spongebob Squarepants and Disney's Fish Hooks. We interviewed him back in 2015.

Of Jellystone!, Greenblatt said in a statement, “Rather than recreate the feeling of cartoons of the past, we wanted to have silly, weird fun with these characters and expand their personalities to give them more depth. Chances are if there's a character you love, you'll see them somewhere in this world eventually.”

Rebooting vintage shows and characters has been a central pillar of Warnermedia's animation strategy of late. Features like Scoob! and Space Jam: A New Legacy, and series like Looney Tunes Cartoons, ThunderCats Roar, and the upcoming Velma, draw on the company's vast range of world-famous properties.