The Harveytoons Show

History

The show brought together characters from the Noveltoons library, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audrey, Tommy Tortoise and Moe Hare, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Baby Huey, Herman and Katnip, Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost, Buzzy the Crow, Inchy the Worm, Finny the Goldfish, Goodie the Gremlin, Kozmo the Space Kid, Professor Schmaltz, Timothy Turkey, Jeepers and Creepers, and more. Its final season added The New Casper Cartoon Show and the Film Roman version of Richie Rich. Every episode had three full cartoons plus a shortened one called a "ToonTake." Jerry Beck acted as the show’s consultant.

Episodes

The Harveytoons Show packaged 223 theatrical cartoons from Famous Studios, released between 1950 and 1962. After Harvey took over from Famous, the original theatrical titles were changed. Of these cartoons, 165 were shown in their complete form. The other 58 were either cut into pieces or left out entirely.

According to Jerry Beck, the trimming was done to make each episode fit a half-hour time slot, while some cartoons were omitted by accident or because their content was seen as not politically correct. The only original TV-produced shorts on the show came from later Casper cartoons and the Film Roman version of Richie Rich, and these mostly aired during the final season. Every episode contained three full cartoons and one segment called a "ToonTake."

For example, Episode 1 featured Boo Moon, Dizzy Dishes, Out of This Whirl, and Invention Convention. Episode 2 had Mouse Trapeze, Casper Comes to Clown, Jolly the Clown, and Clown on the Farm. Episode 3 included Scout Fellow, Boo Scout, Scouting for Trouble, and Northwest Mousie. Episode 4 offered Cat Tamale, Bull Fright, Pedro and Lorenzo, and Fiesta Time.

Episode 5 presented Once Upon a Rhyme, Little Audrey Riding Hood, Dante Dreamer, and Winner by a Hare. Episode 6 showed Mousetro Herman, Boo Bop, Animal Fair, and Vegetable Vaudeville. Episode 7 featured Huey's Ducky Daddy, The Seapreme Court, Feast and Furious, and Casper's Spree Under the Sea.

Home releases

The first DVD release for the show, a UK-only disc called "Hooky Spooky," came out in January 2005 from Right Entertainment and Universal Pictures Video, featuring just three episodes from the Casper and Friends version. A year later, Classic Media put out a four-disc set, Harvey Toons – The Complete Collection, which included 52 of the 78 total episodes. Animation fans gave it mixed reviews, and consultant Jerry Beck noted that Classic Media never asked for his input; he disagreed with how the cartoons were formatted but complimented the sharp picture quality and affordable price given the large number of shorts.

In 2011, Vivendi Entertainment and Classic Media gathered every Herman and Katnip cartoon onto a single disc called Herman and Katnip: The Complete Collection. Also in 2011, Shout! Factory released Casper the Friendly Ghost: The Complete Collection, a three-disc set containing 61 of the 78 Casper cartoons from the series. Finally, in 2021, Universal Home Entertainment issued The Best of the Harveytoons Show, a DVD with 30 episodes.