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{{Short description|Children's animated television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox television {{Infobox television
|show_name=Maurice Sendak's Little Bear | image = Little Bear title.png
| genre = {{Plainlist|
|image=
* ]
|genre=Family<br>Children's animation
* ]
|format=]
|creator=]<br>]<br>]
|writer=Nancy Barr<br>Neena Beber<br>]<br>Peter Hume<br>Jed MacKay<br>Marlene Matthews<br>]<br>Peter Parnell<br>Jennifer Pertsch<br>Betty Quan<br>Alyse Rosenberg<br>]<br>James Still<br>Jeff Stockwell<br>Michael Thoma<br>Y York
|starring=]<br>Jennifer Martini<br>Elizabeth Hanna<br>]<br>]<br>]
|country=]
|language=English
|runtime=30 minutes
|num_episodes=65
|num_seasons=5
|list_episodes=List of Little Bear Episodes
|company=]
|network=]<br>]
|first_aired=November 6, 1995
|last_aired=June 2, 1999
|status=Ended
}} }}
| based_on = {{based on|]|Else Holmelund Minarik and ]}}<ref name="Perlmutter">{{cite book |last=Perlmutter |first=David |date=2018 |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |publisher=] |pages=– |isbn=}}</ref>
'''''Maurice Sendak's Little Bear''''' is an educational Canadian ] series based on the '']'' series of books which were written by ], and illustrated by ]. Originally produced by ] for ], it currently airs on ] in Canada and ] in the United States. It was first shown in the UK on the Children's BBC, and a part of Toy Box BBC video collection in the late 90s. It was also shown on Nick Jr UK and now airs on Tiny Pop. A direct-to-video/DVD full-length feature film was also created after the series ended.
| voices = {{Plainlist|
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* Amos Crawley<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* Jennifer Martini<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
* ]
* ]
* Ashley Taylor<ref name="Perlmutter"/>
}}
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
* ] (Canada)
* ] (United States)
}}
| composer = ]
| country = Canada<ref name="LA Times">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-16-ca-41391-story.html|title=A Firm From the Great White North Takes Off|date=June 16, 2000|website=]}}</ref>
| language = English
| num_seasons = 5
| num_episodes = 65 (195 segments)
| list_episodes = List of Little Bear episodes
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* ] (season 5)
* ] (season 5)
* ] (season 5)
* Maurice Sendak
* John B. Carls
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Michael Hirsh
* Patrick Loubert
* Clive A. Smith
}}
| runtime = 24 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ] (season 5)
* John B. Carls Productions Inc. (seasons 2 – 5)
* ] (seasons 2 – 5)
* Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (season 5)
}}
| network = ]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1995|10|07}}<ref name="premier_date">{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Louise |date=October 7, 1995 |title=Welcome, Little Bear Pre-schoolers Will Appreciate the Simple, Heart-warming Adventures of Beloved Storybook Pal, Little Bear |work=]}}</ref>
| last_aired = {{End date|2001|06|01}}
}}
'''''Little Bear''''', also known as '''''Maurice Sendak's Little Bear''''',<ref name="Paramount+">{{cite web |url=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/maurice-sendaks-little-bear/ |title=Maurice Sendak's Little Bear |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=] |date=September 10, 2001 |access-date=March 4, 2021}}</ref> is a Canadian children's ] co-produced by ], produced in association with the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=''Little Bear'' end credits|website = YouTube| date=December 15, 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCkvQ10y_Zo&t=1438 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/nCkvQ10y_Zo |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It is based on the '']'' series of books, which were written by ] and illustrated by ]. In the United States, the show premiered on ] as part of the ] block on November 6, 1995, until the final episode aired on June 1, 2001. The show also aired on ] on Saturday mornings from September 16, 2000, until September 15, 2001.<ref name="Hal Erickson">{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=504–505}}</ref>

Every half-hour episode of ''Little Bear'' is divided into three seven-minute segments. Most segments are new stories, but some are retellings of Else Holmelund Minarik's books (both she and Sendak were "closely involved in the creative process" when developing the new stories).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-26-ca-34101-story.html|title='Bear's' Cozy World Draws in Toddlers|work=]|date=May 26, 2000|last=Lechner|first=Ernesto}}</ref>

A direct-to-video feature film titled '']'' was released in 2001.

==Premise==
''Little Bear'' follows the titular character as he goes on exciting adventures in the forest and learns new things with his friends, including Emily, Duck, Hen, Cat, and Owl. His parents are Mother Bear, who is always there when he needs her, and Father Bear, a fisherman who is often at sea.

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Little Bear episodes}}
{{:List of Little Bear episodes}}


==Characters== ==Characters==
===Bear family=== ===Main===
]
'''Little Bear''' (voiced by ]) is a 6-year-old small, curious ] cub who lives in the forest with his family and friends around the 1880s. Throughout the series, he has grown somewhat, as his voice is slightly deeper, and he doesn't take naps as often. He is the only character whose parents are shown with the exception of Duck's mother in one show who is a chicken. Little Bear lives in a stucco, timber, plaster, and brick house. He is always kind and loves to explore. He and all his other animal friends are, and always play barefoot and without clothes, while the adult characters such as Mother and Father Bear are usually seen wearing shoes and clothes. Despite this, He has worn clothes on certain occasions, like a scarf and winter hat when the weather is cold, a fishing hat when taken fishing or hiking, and finally on one occasion a black dress suit with a red necktie and black shoes.
* Little Bear (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a six-year-old small, friendly, smart, curious, and imaginative ] cub who lives in the forest with his family and friends. Throughout the series, he has grown somewhat, as his voice is slightly deeper, and he rarely takes naps. He is the only character whose parents are shown other than Duck's mother in one episode, who is a chicken, as well as Emily's parents briefly in the episode where they met. Little Bear lives in a stucco, wood, cabined, plaster and brick house. He is always kind and loves to play and explore with his friends. His catchphrase is "Hmmmm... Interesting!"
* Owl (voiced by Amos Crawley)<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a male owl who is sometimes pompous, yet very sensible. He lives in a treehouse, and can be quite serious at times. Although Owl enjoys fun games, he will only participate if the gameplay is logical and rational; reading is his main hobby.
* Duck (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a female duck with yellow feathers, an orange beak, and a long neck. Slow and smart at the same time, Duck is one who gets herself into comical situations. She lives in a nest, although in one episode, she expressed longing for a house and tried to live in a houseboat. It floated downriver filled with frogs and Duck lived happily in her nest. She loves playing "princess" and pretend. She was hatched in a nest of chicks, because "some eggs got mixed up", and Little Bear taught her to fly when she was a duckling. Although Duck never has any ducklings of her own, she is sometimes seen babysitting a group of them.
* Cat (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a laidback, slothful ] who enjoys prowling at night, playing tricks on passersby, and eating. When he and his friends must get to a certain place in the woods, Cat often leads them through one of his shortcuts. His catchphrase is "Boo!"
* Hen (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a fussy, feisty hen who lives in a large chicken coop. She is classy and sophisticated, and enjoys cleanliness, though her several nieces and nephews often mess up her spotless house. However, she never turns down the opportunity for fun. Hen has also been shown to be fond of opera, but she seems to be not good at singing it.
* Emily (voiced by Jennifer Martini)<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a seven-year-old human girl who is Little Bear's best friend. She carries around a doll named Lucy everywhere she goes and is very attached to her. In the summer, Emily vacations with her parents by the river near Little Bear's home. Emily eventually moves to the forest permanently and lives there with her grandmother.
* Mother Bear (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is Little Bear's mother. She enjoys cooking and is always there to help Little Bear if he needs it. She also seems to be very tidy and does not like it when the house becomes messy. She normally wears a pink shirt and a blue skirt with a white apron.
* Father Bear (voiced by ]<ref>https://www.tmz.com/2024/11/19/cartoon-voice-actor-dan-hennessey-dead/</ref>)<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is Little Bear's father and Mother Bear's husband. He is a fisherman and sometimes takes Little Bear out fishing. He has been to many places and likes to keep things that are old, even if they have to be thrown away. He usually wears a blue suit with a purple tie and brown shoes.


===Recurring===
'''Mother Bear''' (voiced by ]) is Little Bear's mother. She enjoys cooking and is always there to help Little Bear if he needs it. She also seems to be very tidy and does not like it when the house becomes messy. She normally wears a pink shirt and a blue skirt with a white apron.
* No Feet (voiced by ]){{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} is a friendly green ] that lives in Mother Bear's garden. Little Bear gets along with him very well.
* Grandmother Bear (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is Little Bear's maternal grandmother and Mother Bear's mother. She likes to cook and tell stories.
* Grandfather Bear (voiced by ])<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is Little Bear's maternal grandfather and Mother Bear's father. He once worked at a circus with his wife and sister. He wears a green suit coat, but with khaki slacks and a dark red tie with brown shoes.
* Rusty Bear (voiced by ]){{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} is Father Bear's younger brother and Little Bear's uncle. He mentions that he lives in the woods and that he would prefer to live there because it is quiet and peaceful. He is a very large bear, slightly taller and huskier than Father Bear. He has a deep voice, wears overalls, and has a red handkerchief around his neck. He is only seen in a few of the ''Little Bear'' episodes. Little Bear is fascinated with Rusty's outdoor ethic, and whenever he shows up, Little Bear is tempted to emulate his rustic character.
* Granny (voiced by ]) is Emily's grandmother, with whom she and her parents live with in the summer and then permanently, has traveled the world, and has many odd pieces of furniture. She is the owner of Tutu.
* Tutu (vocal effects provided by ]) is Emily and Granny's ]. She acts very hyper and she can understand humans. According to Granny, she only speaks French, yet she understands English.
* Mitzi (voiced by Ashley Taylor)<ref name="Perlmutter"/> is a mischievous, sometimes rather unthoughtful, tomboyish monkey, who lives in a treehouse in the forest around Little Bear's home. She feels bad after slighting somebody's feelings or misleading them. She sometimes has green or white eyes. Mitzi is the last to join the supporting cast, not appearing until the end of season two.
* Moose (voiced by Ray Landry) is a moose who sometimes helps Little Bear and his friends when they are in need.
* Mermaid is a ] whom Little Bear occasionally meets when he goes to the lake. She is friendly and takes Little Bear to see places underwater. Owl and Emily have also met Mermaid.


===Others===
'''Father Bear''' (voiced by ]) is Little Bear's father and Mother Bear's husband. His occupation is a ] and sometimes takes Little Bear out fishing. He has been to many places and likes to keep things that are old, even if they have to be thrown away. He usually wears a blue suit with a purple tie and brown shoes. Throughout the run of the show he is sporadically absent in appearance, as he is "away, fishing".
* Four ] siblings sporadically appear; they reside in the local river and are balloon heads. They are frequent in episodes focusing on water activities.
* A frog that dispenses wisdom between his ]s resides at Little Bear's favorite swimming spot, Hop Frog Pond. He is very wise, and a good friend to Little Bear.
* Little Ick is a baby ] who only appears in an episode where his mother went to visit his grandmother and dropped him off with Mother Bear. Little Bear and Little Ick form a bit of a sibling relationship together, such as Little Bear feeling left out because Mother Bear seems to be paying more attention to Little Ick. Little Ick is the baby raccoon's nickname from Little Bear because "Ick" is the only thing the baby can say.
* Marshmallow is a baby ] who is found by Owl and Little Bear in an episode, and she plays with Duck, Little Bear, Owl, and Cat in the episode "Little Footprints". In the episode "The Wedding", she is the ] in Mr. and Mrs. Skunk's wedding.
* Mighty is a ] who is an old friend of Father Bear's. He first appears in the episode "Whale of a Tale" where Father Bear takes Little Bear fishing. He tells Little Bear the story of how he met Mighty when he accidentally caught him in his fishing net. A storm appears and Mighty and his son, Little Whale, help pull Father Bear and Little Bear back to shore. Mighty also appears in Little Bear's dream in the episode "Fisherman Bear's Big Catch". Although he only appears in two episodes, Mighty is in the opening credits of the show.
* Mr. Wind (voiced by ]){{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} is a cloud. He is the cold, angry wind that blows down from the north.
* Cub (voiced by Kyle Fairlie) is a wild bear that lives in the woods and much tougher than Little Bear. He was raised by Poppy and Pete after his parents got separated from him. His only appearance was in '']''.
* Poppy (voiced by ]) and Pete (voiced by Ada Perlman) are two foxes who raised Cub after Cub was separated from his parents. Their only appearance was in '']''.


==Telecast and home media==
'''Grandmother Bear''' (voiced by ]) is Little Bear's grandmother and Mother Bear's mother, and Grandfather Bear's wife. She likes to cook and tell stories.
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2024}}
In Canada, ''Little Bear'' premiered on ] on October 7, 1995, at 8 in the morning. Episodes continued to air on Saturdays at 8 a.m.<ref name="premier_date"/> as well as on weekday mornings during the preschool programming block ] until 2007. Corus-owned ] aired the show from 1998 to 2010.


In the United States, the show premiered on ]<ref>{{cite book |last=Perlmutter |first=David |author-link=David Perlmutter |date=2018 |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FMFTDwAAQBAJ&pg=362 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=362 |isbn=9781538103746}}</ref> as part of the Nick Jr. block on November 6, 1995, at noon. The last new episode premiered on Nickelodeon on June 1, 2001, and the last rerun aired on December 25, 2002. The show was also aired on ] on Saturday mornings from September 16, 2000, until September 15, 2001.<ref name="Hal Erickson"/> ] aired repeats (as part of the "Nick Jr. on Noggin" block)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.noggin.com/shows/nick_jr.php | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030622045612/http://www.noggin.com/shows/nick_jr.php | archive-date=June 22, 2003 | title=N O G G I N: Shows: Nick Jr. On Noggin }}</ref> from 2001 to 2009. Its replacement, the ], aired repeats from 2009 until 2018.
'''Grandfather Bear''' (voiced by ]) is Little Bear's grandfather and Mother Bear's father. He once worked at a circus with his wife and sister. He wears a green suit but with khakis and a dark-red tie with brown shoes.


The series has been re-aired on various foreign channels, including ] and ] (Australia), ] (Ireland), ] (New Zealand), and ] and ] (United Kingdom).
'''Rusty Bear''' - Rusty is Father Bear's younger brother. He mentions that he lives in the woods, and that he would prefer to live there because it is quiet and peaceful. He is a very big bear, slightly taller and huskier than Father Bear. He has a deep voice, wears overalls, and has a red handkerchief around his neck. He is seen in only a few of the Little Bear episodes. Little Bear is fascinated with Rusty's outdoor ethic, and whenever he shows up, Little Bear is tempted to emulate his rustic character.


===Emily's family=== ===Streaming===
On December 15, 2014, Nelvana Limited released all seasons of the show, as well as the movie, free to watch on the Official ''Little Bear'' YouTube channel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Little Bear – Official|url=https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialLittleBear/videos|access-date=February 4, 2023|website=]}}</ref>
'''Emily''' (voiced by ]) is Little Bear's 7-year-old human, female friend. In the summer, she vacations with her parents by the river near Little Bear's home. Emily carries around a doll named Lucy everywhere she goes and is very attached to her. Emily gave Little Bear Lucy when she was leaving to go back to school but then took her back, saying that she just remembered that "Lucy has to go to school", too. Emily eventually moves to the forest permanently and lives there with her grandmother.


In 2015, ''Little Bear'' was added to the ] app, which streams shows from the classic Noggin channel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=February 25, 2015 |title=Nickelodeon To Launch Noggin Subscription-Video Service in March |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/nickelodeon-to-launch-noggin-subscription-video-service-in-march-1201441634 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321061304/https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/nickelodeon-to-launch-noggin-subscription-video-service-in-march-1201441634 |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |access-date=March 23, 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
'''Granny''' - Emily's Grandmother, who she lives with in the summer and then permanently, has traveled the world and has many odd pieces of furniture. She is the owner of Tutu.


The show was added to ] (which was called CBS All Access at the time) in January 2021.<ref name="Paramount+"/>
'''Tutu''' (voiced by ]) is Granny's ] dog. She acts very hyper and she can understand humans. According to Granny, she only speaks French, yet she understands English.


===VHS===
'''Lucy''' - Lucy is a female doll who belongs to Emily. She has short blond hair and wears a red dress and bonnet with brown shoes. In one episode, Lucy fell from a tree and her porcelain arm was broken. Little Bear fixed it with tape. Another time, Duck sat on Lucy mistakenly and they had a funeral, where she was proved to be "alive" in the end. Emily is the only one who can "understand" and "talk" to Lucy.
====United States====
] / Paramount Home Entertainment:


NOTE: * = Also available in Canada
===Little Bear's friends===
'''Owl''' (voiced by Amos Crawley) is a male ], who is sometimes pompous, but he is very wise. He lives in a treehouse, and can be quite serious at times. Although Owl enjoys fun games, he'll only participate if the gameplay is sensible. It is also shown that reading is his hobby.
'''Cat''' (voiced by ]) is a laid back, slothful male ] who enjoys prowling at night, playing tricks on passersby, and eating. When he and his friends must get to a certain place in the woods, Cat often leads them through one of his shortcuts. However, in one episode Hen and Owl think the shortcuts are helpless.


* Meet Little Bear (May 13, 1997)
'''Duck''' (voiced by Tracy Ryan) is a female ] with yellow feathers, an orange beak and a long neck. Slow and smart at the same time, Duck is one who gets herself into comical situations. She lives in a nest, although in one episode, she expressed longing for a house and tried to live in a house boat. It floated downriver filled with frogs and Duck lived happily in her nest. She loves playing "princess" and pretend. She was hatched in a nest of chicks, because "some eggs got mixed up", and Little Bear taught her to fly when she was a duckling. She never has any ducklings of her own, but she is sometimes seen babysitting a group of them, the youngest named Little Peep. The mother of the group is never seen or heard, but she is probably like most domestic ducks.
* Family Tales (May 13, 1997)
* Winter Tales (October 7, 1997)
* Parties & Picnics (April 7, 1998)
* Goodnight Little Bear (September 8, 1998)
* Friends (January 12, 1999)
* Summertime Tales (June 8, 1999)
* Little Goblin Bear (August 24, 1999)
* A Kiss for Little Bear (January 11, 2000)
* Little Bear's Band (March 7, 2000)
* Rainy Day Tales (June 6, 2000)
* Little Sherlock Bear (February 6, 2001)
* The Little Bear Movie (August 7, 2001)*
* Let's Play a Game (November 6, 2001)
* Little Artist Bear (January 29, 2002)
* Campfire Tales (May 7, 2002)
* Snacktime Tales (August 27, 2002)
* Feel Better, Little Bear (October 7, 2003)


]:
'''Hen''' (voiced by ]) is a fussy, feisty ] who lives in a large chicken coop. She is classy and sophisticated and enjoys cleanliness, though her several nieces and nephews often mess up her spotless house. However, she never turns down the opportunity for fun. Hen has also been shown to be fond of opera, but it seems that she isn't good at it.


* Favorite Tales (1998)
'''No Feet''' (voiced by ]) is a friendly, gentle and green male ] (hence the name) that lives in Mother Bear's garden. Little Bear gets along with him very well. But in contrast, Hen isn't fond of him.
* More Favorite Tales (1999)
* Favorite Tales, Volume 3 (2000)
* Favorite Tales, Volume 4 (2002)


Reader's Digest Young Families:
'''Mitzi''' (voiced by ]) is a mischievous, sometimes rather unthoughtful tomboyish ] who lives in a tree house in the forest around Little Bear's home. She feels bad after slighting somebody's feelings or misleading them (as when she played for keeps by declaring "keepsies" too fast to be understood, and won all of Little Bear's marbles). She sometimes has green or white eyes. Mitzi is the last to join the supporting cast, not appearing until the end of season two.


* Fishing Adventures (2002)
===Other characters===
* Friendship Tales (2002)
'''Otters''' - Four silly ] siblings that sporadically appear, reside in the local river. They are frequent in episodes focusing on water activities.
* Pretend Time (2002)
* Imagination Time (2002)
* Sleepy Time Tales (2003)
* Birthday Celebrations (2003)
* Stories to Grow On (2004)
* Lost and Found (2004)
* Camping Adventures (2004)
* All in the Family (2004)
* Special Days (2004)
* Let's Celebrate (2004)
* Seasonal Tales (2004)
* Outdoor Discoveries (2004)
* Not-So-Scary Stories (2004)
* Show Time (2004)
* Just Me Stories (2004)
* Game Time (2004)
* Make-Believe Adventures (2005)
* Weather Tales (2005)
* Indoor Time (2005)


====Canada====
'''Mermaid''' - Mermaid is a ] who Little Bear occasionally meets when he goes to the lake, she is friendly and takes Little Bear to see places underwater.
]:


* The World of Little Bear (1997)
'''Frog''' - Frog is a male ] that dispenses ]-like wisdom between his meditations. He resides at Little Bear's favorite swimming spot, 'Hop-Frog pond'. He is also very wise, and good friend to Little Bear.
* Grandmother's House (1997)
* Seasons (1998)
* New Friends (1998)
* Meet Mitzi (1999)
* Parties and Picnics (1999)
* Tales for Rainy Days (2000)
* Exploring and Other Adventures (2000)
* Mother and Father Bear (2001)
* Mysterious Moments (2001)
* Dreams and Make Believe (2001)
* Hooray for Little Bear (2002)
* Outdoor Fun (2002)
* At Home (2003)


===DVD===
'''Moose''' (voiced by ]) is a male ], who sometimes helps Little Bear and his friends when they're in need.
====United States====
Paramount Home Entertainment:


* The Little Bear Movie (June 17, 2003)
'''Little Ick''' - Little Ick is a baby ] and only appears in an episode where his mother went to visit his grandmother and dropped him off with Mother Bear. Little Bear and Little Ick form a bit of a sibling relationship together like Little Bear feeling left out because Mother Bear seems to be paying more attention to Little Ick. Little Ick is the baby raccoon's nickname from Little Bear because "Ick" is the only thing the baby can say.
* Feel Better, Little Bear (October 7, 2003)
* Rainy Day Tales (June 7, 2005)
* Little Bear's Band (June 7, 2005)
* Halloween Stories (August 22, 2006)


====Canada====
'''Marshmallow''' - Marshmallow is a baby ] ]. She is found by Owl and Little Bear in an episode and plays with Duck, Little Bear, Owl, and Cat in the episode "Little Footprints".
Alliance Atlantis:


* Outdoor Fun (2002)
'''Mighty''' is a male ] who is an old friend of Father Bear's. He only appears in two episodes, where Father Bear tells Little Bear the story of when he helped Mighty when he was beached and when Little Bear met him, he was trying to catch a fish for stew. Mighty appears at the end, with his son, Little Whale and they both help Father Bear and Little Bear back to shore when a storm comes. Although he only appeared in two episodes, Mighty appears in the opening credits of each episode.
* Mysterious Moments (2002)
* Hooray for Little Bear (2002)
* At Home (2003)
* Dreams and Make Believe (2006)
* Mother and Father Bear (2006)
* Exploring and Other Adventures (2006)
* Seasons (2005)
* New Friends (2005)
* Parties and Picnics (2005)
* Grandmother's House (2005)
* Tales for Rainy Days (2009)
* Meet Mitzi (2009)


]:
==Episodes==
{{main|List of Little Bear Episodes}}


* Seaside Adventures (2011)
==Movie==
* Father's Day (2012)
In 2001, the show was adapted into a ] film by ] and ] titled ]. In the movie, Little Bear and his family go camping and Little Bear meets a bear named Cub and his friend Little Moose.
* Winter Games (2012)
* Mother Bear's Special Day (2012)
* Summer Sandcastles (2012)
* Follow the Leader (2012)
* Search for Spring (2013)
* Dress Up Time (2013)


==Availability== ==Film==
In 2001, the show was adapted into a ] film, again co-produced by ], called '']''. It was distributed by ] in the U.S. The film's featured song, "Great Big World", was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2001 Video Premiere Awards.<!--This award may have later become the DVD Exclusive Awards--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2001/digital/features/more-than-awards-for-vid-nods-1117852993/|title=More than awards for vid nods|author=Scott Hettrick|work=Variety|date=September 24, 2001|accessdate=February 27, 2015}}</ref>
===DVD===
*Rainy Day Tales
*Feel Better, Little Bear
*Little Bear's Band
*At Home
*Halloween Stories
*Hooray for Little Bear
*Outdoor Fun
*Meet Mitzi
*Dreams and Make Believe
*Seasons
*Grandmother's House
*Mother and Father Bear
*New Friends
*Exploring and Other Adventures
*Parties and Picnics
*Mysterious Moments


==Music==
==Canadian Live and New York Musical Theatrical Version==
Austrian composer ]'s Allegro vivace from his Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major is used as the theme tune to ''Little Bear'' (used in the Canadian broadcast of the series). A separate opening theme consisting of a woodwind ensemble, by composer ], was used in the American broadcast of the series. The music score in the series is composed by ].
In Canada, Little Bear has been turned into a live theatrical show, "Little Bear: Winter Tales" which originally toured across Canada in 2007. The show toured Canada again in late 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koba-entertainment.com/tour-dates.php?prop_id=5 |title=now touring &#124; little bear &#124; live on stage &#124; family theatrical |publisher=Koba entertainment |date= |accessdate=2011-12-18}}</ref>


==Other media==
Both tours are presented by Paquin Entertainment, and were produced by Koba Entertainment.
===Live show===
In Canada, ''Little Bear'' was adapted into a live theatrical show, ''Little Bear: Winter Tales''. It originally toured across Canada in 2007 and returned in late 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koba-entertainment.com/tour-dates.php?prop_id=5 |title=now touring &#124; little bear &#124; live on stage &#124; family theatrical |publisher=Koba entertainment |access-date=December 18, 2011}}</ref> Both tours were presented by Paquin Entertainment, and were produced by ].

===Video games===
In 1999, ] developed two "]" games based on the ''Little Bear'' franchise, "Rainy Day Activities"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/22/66/109.10817|title=109.10817: Maurice Sendak's Little Bear Rainy Day Activities – video game – Educational Software – Video Games – Online Collections – The Strong|work=museumofplay.org}}</ref> and "Preschool Thinking Adventures".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/22/66/109.9435|title=109.9435: Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Preschool Thinking Adventures – video game – Educational Software – Video Games – Online Collections – The Strong|work=museumofplay.org}}</ref> In 2000, the company developed another game, this time for a younger audience, titled "Toddler Discovery Adventures".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/22/66/109.9433|title=109.9433: Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Toddler Discovery Adventures, Ages 18 months to 3 years – video game – Educational Software – Video Games – Online Collections – The Strong|work=museumofplay.org}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
*{{IMDb title|245637|Little Bear}} * {{IMDb title|id=0245637}}


{{Little Bear}} {{Little Bear}}
{{Former Nickelodeon original series}}
{{Nick Jr.}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 2000s}}{{Teddy bears}}


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Latest revision as of 11:54, 20 January 2025

Children's animated television series

Little Bear
Genre
Based onThe series of books
by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak
Voices of
Theme music composer
ComposerLesley Barber
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes65 (195 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Michael Hirsh
  • Patrick Loubert
  • Clive A. Smith
Running time24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBC Television
ReleaseOctober 7, 1995 (1995-10-07) –
June 1, 2001 (2001-06-01)

Little Bear, also known as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear, is a Canadian children's animated television series co-produced by Nelvana Limited, produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is based on the Little Bear series of books, which were written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. In the United States, the show premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. block on November 6, 1995, until the final episode aired on June 1, 2001. The show also aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from September 16, 2000, until September 15, 2001.

Every half-hour episode of Little Bear is divided into three seven-minute segments. Most segments are new stories, but some are retellings of Else Holmelund Minarik's books (both she and Sendak were "closely involved in the creative process" when developing the new stories).

A direct-to-video feature film titled The Little Bear Movie was released in 2001.

Premise

Little Bear follows the titular character as he goes on exciting adventures in the forest and learns new things with his friends, including Emily, Duck, Hen, Cat, and Owl. His parents are Mother Bear, who is always there when he needs her, and Father Bear, a fisherman who is often at sea.

Episodes

Main article: List of Little Bear episodes
SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
13913November 6, 1995 (1995-11-06)February 12, 1996 (1996-02-12)
23913September 9, 1996 (1996-09-09)December 23, 1996 (1996-12-23)
33913May 6, 1997 (1997-05-06)November 17, 1997 (1997-11-17)
43913January 4, 1999 (1999-01-04)February 12, 1999 (1999-02-12)
53913February 21, 2000 (2000-02-21)June 1, 2001 (2001-06-01)

Characters

Main

The main characters
  • Little Bear (voiced by Kristin Fairlie) is a six-year-old small, friendly, smart, curious, and imaginative grizzly bear cub who lives in the forest with his family and friends. Throughout the series, he has grown somewhat, as his voice is slightly deeper, and he rarely takes naps. He is the only character whose parents are shown other than Duck's mother in one episode, who is a chicken, as well as Emily's parents briefly in the episode where they met. Little Bear lives in a stucco, wood, cabined, plaster and brick house. He is always kind and loves to play and explore with his friends. His catchphrase is "Hmmmm... Interesting!"
  • Owl (voiced by Amos Crawley) is a male owl who is sometimes pompous, yet very sensible. He lives in a treehouse, and can be quite serious at times. Although Owl enjoys fun games, he will only participate if the gameplay is logical and rational; reading is his main hobby.
  • Duck (voiced by Tracy Ryan) is a female duck with yellow feathers, an orange beak, and a long neck. Slow and smart at the same time, Duck is one who gets herself into comical situations. She lives in a nest, although in one episode, she expressed longing for a house and tried to live in a houseboat. It floated downriver filled with frogs and Duck lived happily in her nest. She loves playing "princess" and pretend. She was hatched in a nest of chicks, because "some eggs got mixed up", and Little Bear taught her to fly when she was a duckling. Although Duck never has any ducklings of her own, she is sometimes seen babysitting a group of them.
  • Cat (voiced by Andrew Sabiston) is a laidback, slothful tuxedo cat who enjoys prowling at night, playing tricks on passersby, and eating. When he and his friends must get to a certain place in the woods, Cat often leads them through one of his shortcuts. His catchphrase is "Boo!"
  • Hen (voiced by Elizabeth Hanna) is a fussy, feisty hen who lives in a large chicken coop. She is classy and sophisticated, and enjoys cleanliness, though her several nieces and nephews often mess up her spotless house. However, she never turns down the opportunity for fun. Hen has also been shown to be fond of opera, but she seems to be not good at singing it.
  • Emily (voiced by Jennifer Martini) is a seven-year-old human girl who is Little Bear's best friend. She carries around a doll named Lucy everywhere she goes and is very attached to her. In the summer, Emily vacations with her parents by the river near Little Bear's home. Emily eventually moves to the forest permanently and lives there with her grandmother.
  • Mother Bear (voiced by Janet-Laine Green) is Little Bear's mother. She enjoys cooking and is always there to help Little Bear if he needs it. She also seems to be very tidy and does not like it when the house becomes messy. She normally wears a pink shirt and a blue skirt with a white apron.
  • Father Bear (voiced by Dan Hennessey) is Little Bear's father and Mother Bear's husband. He is a fisherman and sometimes takes Little Bear out fishing. He has been to many places and likes to keep things that are old, even if they have to be thrown away. He usually wears a blue suit with a purple tie and brown shoes.

Recurring

  • No Feet (voiced by Rick Jones) is a friendly green garter snake that lives in Mother Bear's garden. Little Bear gets along with him very well.
  • Grandmother Bear (voiced by Diane D'Aquila) is Little Bear's maternal grandmother and Mother Bear's mother. She likes to cook and tell stories.
  • Grandfather Bear (voiced by Sean McCann) is Little Bear's maternal grandfather and Mother Bear's father. He once worked at a circus with his wife and sister. He wears a green suit coat, but with khaki slacks and a dark red tie with brown shoes.
  • Rusty Bear (voiced by Dan Lett) is Father Bear's younger brother and Little Bear's uncle. He mentions that he lives in the woods and that he would prefer to live there because it is quiet and peaceful. He is a very large bear, slightly taller and huskier than Father Bear. He has a deep voice, wears overalls, and has a red handkerchief around his neck. He is only seen in a few of the Little Bear episodes. Little Bear is fascinated with Rusty's outdoor ethic, and whenever he shows up, Little Bear is tempted to emulate his rustic character.
  • Granny (voiced by Kay Hawtrey) is Emily's grandmother, with whom she and her parents live with in the summer and then permanently, has traveled the world, and has many odd pieces of furniture. She is the owner of Tutu.
  • Tutu (vocal effects provided by Tara Charendoff) is Emily and Granny's Chihuahua. She acts very hyper and she can understand humans. According to Granny, she only speaks French, yet she understands English.
  • Mitzi (voiced by Ashley Taylor) is a mischievous, sometimes rather unthoughtful, tomboyish monkey, who lives in a treehouse in the forest around Little Bear's home. She feels bad after slighting somebody's feelings or misleading them. She sometimes has green or white eyes. Mitzi is the last to join the supporting cast, not appearing until the end of season two.
  • Moose (voiced by Ray Landry) is a moose who sometimes helps Little Bear and his friends when they are in need.
  • Mermaid is a mermaid whom Little Bear occasionally meets when he goes to the lake. She is friendly and takes Little Bear to see places underwater. Owl and Emily have also met Mermaid.

Others

  • Four otter siblings sporadically appear; they reside in the local river and are balloon heads. They are frequent in episodes focusing on water activities.
  • A frog that dispenses wisdom between his meditations resides at Little Bear's favorite swimming spot, Hop Frog Pond. He is very wise, and a good friend to Little Bear.
  • Little Ick is a baby raccoon who only appears in an episode where his mother went to visit his grandmother and dropped him off with Mother Bear. Little Bear and Little Ick form a bit of a sibling relationship together, such as Little Bear feeling left out because Mother Bear seems to be paying more attention to Little Ick. Little Ick is the baby raccoon's nickname from Little Bear because "Ick" is the only thing the baby can say.
  • Marshmallow is a baby skunk who is found by Owl and Little Bear in an episode, and she plays with Duck, Little Bear, Owl, and Cat in the episode "Little Footprints". In the episode "The Wedding", she is the flower girl in Mr. and Mrs. Skunk's wedding.
  • Mighty is a humpback whale who is an old friend of Father Bear's. He first appears in the episode "Whale of a Tale" where Father Bear takes Little Bear fishing. He tells Little Bear the story of how he met Mighty when he accidentally caught him in his fishing net. A storm appears and Mighty and his son, Little Whale, help pull Father Bear and Little Bear back to shore. Mighty also appears in Little Bear's dream in the episode "Fisherman Bear's Big Catch". Although he only appears in two episodes, Mighty is in the opening credits of the show.
  • Mr. Wind (voiced by Chris Wiggins) is a cloud. He is the cold, angry wind that blows down from the north.
  • Cub (voiced by Kyle Fairlie) is a wild bear that lives in the woods and much tougher than Little Bear. He was raised by Poppy and Pete after his parents got separated from him. His only appearance was in The Little Bear Movie.
  • Poppy (voiced by Cole Caplan) and Pete (voiced by Ada Perlman) are two foxes who raised Cub after Cub was separated from his parents. Their only appearance was in The Little Bear Movie.

Telecast and home media

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In Canada, Little Bear premiered on CBC Television on October 7, 1995, at 8 in the morning. Episodes continued to air on Saturdays at 8 a.m. as well as on weekday mornings during the preschool programming block CBC Playground until 2007. Corus-owned Treehouse TV aired the show from 1998 to 2010.

In the United States, the show premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. block on November 6, 1995, at noon. The last new episode premiered on Nickelodeon on June 1, 2001, and the last rerun aired on December 25, 2002. The show was also aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from September 16, 2000, until September 15, 2001. Noggin aired repeats (as part of the "Nick Jr. on Noggin" block) from 2001 to 2009. Its replacement, the Nick Jr. Channel, aired repeats from 2009 until 2018.

The series has been re-aired on various foreign channels, including ABC and ABC2 (Australia), RTÉ (Ireland), TV2 (New Zealand), and CBBC and CBeebies (United Kingdom).

Streaming

On December 15, 2014, Nelvana Limited released all seasons of the show, as well as the movie, free to watch on the Official Little Bear YouTube channel.

In 2015, Little Bear was added to the Noggin app, which streams shows from the classic Noggin channel.

The show was added to Paramount+ (which was called CBS All Access at the time) in January 2021.

VHS

United States

Paramount Home Video / Paramount Home Entertainment:

NOTE: * = Also available in Canada

  • Meet Little Bear (May 13, 1997)
  • Family Tales (May 13, 1997)
  • Winter Tales (October 7, 1997)
  • Parties & Picnics (April 7, 1998)
  • Goodnight Little Bear (September 8, 1998)
  • Friends (January 12, 1999)
  • Summertime Tales (June 8, 1999)
  • Little Goblin Bear (August 24, 1999)
  • A Kiss for Little Bear (January 11, 2000)
  • Little Bear's Band (March 7, 2000)
  • Rainy Day Tales (June 6, 2000)
  • Little Sherlock Bear (February 6, 2001)
  • The Little Bear Movie (August 7, 2001)*
  • Let's Play a Game (November 6, 2001)
  • Little Artist Bear (January 29, 2002)
  • Campfire Tales (May 7, 2002)
  • Snacktime Tales (August 27, 2002)
  • Feel Better, Little Bear (October 7, 2003)

Blockbuster:

  • Favorite Tales (1998)
  • More Favorite Tales (1999)
  • Favorite Tales, Volume 3 (2000)
  • Favorite Tales, Volume 4 (2002)

Reader's Digest Young Families:

  • Fishing Adventures (2002)
  • Friendship Tales (2002)
  • Pretend Time (2002)
  • Imagination Time (2002)
  • Sleepy Time Tales (2003)
  • Birthday Celebrations (2003)
  • Stories to Grow On (2004)
  • Lost and Found (2004)
  • Camping Adventures (2004)
  • All in the Family (2004)
  • Special Days (2004)
  • Let's Celebrate (2004)
  • Seasonal Tales (2004)
  • Outdoor Discoveries (2004)
  • Not-So-Scary Stories (2004)
  • Show Time (2004)
  • Just Me Stories (2004)
  • Game Time (2004)
  • Make-Believe Adventures (2005)
  • Weather Tales (2005)
  • Indoor Time (2005)

Canada

Alliance Atlantis:

  • The World of Little Bear (1997)
  • Grandmother's House (1997)
  • Seasons (1998)
  • New Friends (1998)
  • Meet Mitzi (1999)
  • Parties and Picnics (1999)
  • Tales for Rainy Days (2000)
  • Exploring and Other Adventures (2000)
  • Mother and Father Bear (2001)
  • Mysterious Moments (2001)
  • Dreams and Make Believe (2001)
  • Hooray for Little Bear (2002)
  • Outdoor Fun (2002)
  • At Home (2003)

DVD

United States

Paramount Home Entertainment:

  • The Little Bear Movie (June 17, 2003)
  • Feel Better, Little Bear (October 7, 2003)
  • Rainy Day Tales (June 7, 2005)
  • Little Bear's Band (June 7, 2005)
  • Halloween Stories (August 22, 2006)

Canada

Alliance Atlantis:

  • Outdoor Fun (2002)
  • Mysterious Moments (2002)
  • Hooray for Little Bear (2002)
  • At Home (2003)
  • Dreams and Make Believe (2006)
  • Mother and Father Bear (2006)
  • Exploring and Other Adventures (2006)
  • Seasons (2005)
  • New Friends (2005)
  • Parties and Picnics (2005)
  • Grandmother's House (2005)
  • Tales for Rainy Days (2009)
  • Meet Mitzi (2009)

Treehouse TV:

  • Seaside Adventures (2011)
  • Father's Day (2012)
  • Winter Games (2012)
  • Mother Bear's Special Day (2012)
  • Summer Sandcastles (2012)
  • Follow the Leader (2012)
  • Search for Spring (2013)
  • Dress Up Time (2013)

Film

In 2001, the show was adapted into a direct-to-video film, again co-produced by Nelvana Limited, called The Little Bear Movie. It was distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment in the U.S. The film's featured song, "Great Big World", was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2001 Video Premiere Awards.

Music

Austrian composer Franz Schubert's Allegro vivace from his Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major is used as the theme tune to Little Bear (used in the Canadian broadcast of the series). A separate opening theme consisting of a woodwind ensemble, by composer Arnold Black, was used in the American broadcast of the series. The music score in the series is composed by Lesley Barber.

Other media

Live show

In Canada, Little Bear was adapted into a live theatrical show, Little Bear: Winter Tales. It originally toured across Canada in 2007 and returned in late 2009. Both tours were presented by Paquin Entertainment, and were produced by Koba Entertainment.

Video games

In 1999, The Learning Company developed two "edutainment" games based on the Little Bear franchise, "Rainy Day Activities" and "Preschool Thinking Adventures". In 2000, the company developed another game, this time for a younger audience, titled "Toddler Discovery Adventures".

References

  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman and Littlefield. pp. 362–363.
  2. "A Firm From the Great White North Takes Off". Los Angeles Times. June 16, 2000.
  3. ^ Brown, Louise (October 7, 1995). "Welcome, Little Bear Pre-schoolers Will Appreciate the Simple, Heart-warming Adventures of Beloved Storybook Pal, Little Bear". The Toronto Star.
  4. ^ "Maurice Sendak's Little Bear". Paramount+. September 10, 2001. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  5. "Little Bear end credits". YouTube. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 504–505. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  7. Lechner, Ernesto (May 26, 2000). "'Bear's' Cozy World Draws in Toddlers". Los Angeles Times.
  8. https://www.tmz.com/2024/11/19/cartoon-voice-actor-dan-hennessey-dead/
  9. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 362. ISBN 9781538103746.
  10. "N O G G I N: Shows: Nick Jr. On Noggin". Archived from the original on June 22, 2003.
  11. "Little Bear – Official". YouTube. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  12. Steinberg, Brian (February 25, 2015). "Nickelodeon To Launch Noggin Subscription-Video Service in March". Variety. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  13. Scott Hettrick (September 24, 2001). "More than awards for vid nods". Variety. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  14. "now touring | little bear | live on stage | family theatrical". Koba entertainment. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  15. "109.10817: Maurice Sendak's Little Bear Rainy Day Activities – video game – Educational Software – Video Games – Online Collections – The Strong". museumofplay.org.
  16. "109.9435: Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Preschool Thinking Adventures – video game – Educational Software – Video Games – Online Collections – The Strong". museumofplay.org.
  17. "109.9433: Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Toddler Discovery Adventures, Ages 18 months to 3 years – video game – Educational Software – Video Games – Online Collections – The Strong". museumofplay.org.

External links

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