HANNA-BARBERA
Hanna-Barbera was an American animation studio that dominated American television animation for three decades in the mid-to-late 20th century. It was founded in 1957 by former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation directors William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (creators of Tom and Jerry) and live-action director George Sidney in partnership with Screen Gems, television arm of Columbia Pictures. Hanna-Barbera was not only known for its variety of characters, but for building upon and popularizing the concepts and uses of limited animation. For over 30 years, many successful cartoons were produced, including The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, and The Smurfs. In addition to winning seven Academy Awards, Hanna and Barbera won eight Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Humanitas Prize, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other merits. (More from Wikipedia)
Josie and the Pussycats probably didn’t seem like a ground-breaking animation program at the time, when the Hanna-Barbera show debuted on CBS television in 1970; but if I am not mistaken, it was the first Saturday morning cartoon show to have all female lead characters. The cartoon show was based on an Archie comic strip of the same name, though the premise of the show was more in line with the Scooby Doo series of the same time period.
(November 2013)
