Jungle Cubs

Jungle Cubs

Disney's Jungle Cubs title card from Season 1
Genre Adventure
Family
Comedy
Created by Mark S. Bernthal
Written by Sam Graham
Chris Hubbell
Tedd Anasti
Patsy Cameron
Lesa Kite
Roger Reitzel
Peter K. Hirsch
David Weimers
Scott Gray
Directed by Chris Bartleman
Joe Horne
Kenny Thompkins
Blair Peters
Mircea Mantta
Voices of Jim Cummings
Pamela Adlon
Jason Marsden
Elizabeth Daily
Stephen Furst
Rob Paulsen
Dee Bradley Baker
Michael McKean
Cree Summer
David L. Lander
Theme music composer Lou Rawls
Opening theme "The Bare Necessities"
Ending theme "The Bare Necessities" (instrumental)
Composer(s) Stephen James Taylor
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 21
Production
Executive producer(s) Tedd Anasti
Patsy Cameron
Producer(s) Chris Bartleman
Kenny Thompkins
Blair Peters
Mircea Mantta
Editor(s) Peter Lonsdale
Robert S. Birchard
Carol Lewis
John Royer
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) Walt Disney Television Animation
Distributor Buena Vista Television
Release
Original network ABC
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
Audio format Dolby Surround
Original release October 5, 1996 (1996-10-05) – January 10, 1998 (1998-01-10)

Jungle Cubs is an animated series produced by Disney for ABC in 1996. It was based on their 1967 feature film The Jungle Book, but set in the youth of the animal characters. The show was a hit, running for two seasons in syndication before moving its re-runs to the Disney Channel. The show was broadcast on Toon Disney, but was taken off the schedule in 2001. The show did air in the United Kingdom on Disney Cinemagic and in Latin America until it was removed. The show's theme song is a hip-hop version of the classic song, "The Bare Necessities" performed by Lou Rawls.

Premise

The animal stars of Disney's 1967 animated film The Jungle Book were regressed to cubs for this syndicated animated series. Jungle Cubs suggested that when they were younger, both the good and antagonistic animals lived together in relative peace.

Each of the characters were given distinct characteristics which reflected their future personalities as seen in The Jungle Book; this creative idea further tied the show in with its film predecessor. Uptight Bagheera, free-spirited Baloo, headstrong Shere Khan, wild Prince Louie, neurotic Hathi, and hypnotic Kaa all returned from the film, putting aside their differences to live and learn together. The show gave a female elephant named Winifred a prominent role; she was (Colonel) Hathi's wife in The Jungle Book.

The cubs brave a variety of jungle dangers, often matching wits with sneaky vultures Cecil and Arthur. Living up to new federal regulations for educational television, Jungle Cubs offer lessons on friendship, self-respect, and other healthy traits, crafted for an audience of young children.

In the second season of the show, all of the cubs become slightly older and more distanced from one another. (Many are also given different voice actors.) And, although they still remain good friends, they are getting more and more busy with their own lives and spending less time at their fort, the Cub House (Louie's future palace). Bagheera becomes more serious and uptight than before and Hathi begins spending more time with Winifred than with the other Cubs. The biggest change, however, is Shere Khan: he spends a lot of time hunting, as Bagheera and Kaa do, and as the series progresses, begins to become more annoyed with the other cubs than before. He even attempts to overthrow Louie at one point, using Kaa (who did not really get a choice in the matter) as a henchman. Kaa, as well as Baloo (with the exception of his friendship with Louie), does not really change much. He still remains sneaky and uses his hypnotism power.

Characters

The Jungle Cubs kids: Shere Khan, Kaa, Bagheera, Baloo, Hathi, and Louie.

Locations

Episodes

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 13 October 5, 1996 December 28, 1996
2 8 October 11, 1997 January 10, 1998

Season 1 (1996)

# Title Air date
1"A Night in the Wasteland"October 5, 1996 (1996-10-05)

Attempting to prove his courage after a joke by Louie and Baloo, Shere Khan vows to travel to Pinnacle Rock in the wasteland unaware that the ruthless baboon Mahra and her sons Ned, Jed, and Fred have returned and Mahra wants a new fur blanket.

Note: This episode features the song, "Take Your Sweet Sweet Time".
2"How The Panther Lost His Roar / The Humans Must Be Crazy"October 12, 1996 (1996-10-12)

"How The Panther Lost His Roar": Bagheera's feelings of inadequacy when compared to Khan are worsened when he loses his voice.


"The Humans Must Be Crazy": Bagheera becomes convinced that an old pocket-watch will make him a great hunter.
3"Hathi Meets His Match / Buffaloed"October 19, 1996 (1996-10-19)

"Hathi Meets His Match": A young female elephant named Winifred is separated from her family – owned by humans – after a fire in their village, and runs into Hathi.


"Buffaloed": Khan is tricked into fighting against a water buffalo by Cecil and Arthur. When he finds out, he gets help from Baloo to get even with the vultures.
4"Mondo Mungo / Bare Necessities"October 26, 1996 (1996-10-26)

"Mondo Mungo": Kaa befriends a young mongoose named "Mungo" and the pair strike up a friendship despite being natural enemies.


"Bare Necessities": The cubs' attempts to prepare for the monsoon season are hampered by Baloo's laziness, but he soon becomes their only hope when they are trapped in a cave as the monsoons begin.
5"Who Wants To Be A Baboon?"November 2, 1996 (1996-11-02)
After being the victim of one too many jokes, Louie leaves the Cubs and becomes Mahra's assistant.
6"Red Dogs"November 9, 1996 (1996-11-09)

Louie tricks Kaa into believing that Baloo's sleepwalking is the result of his attempts at hypnosis, sending Kaa out after Baloo just as the lethal red dogs return to The Jungle, with only Baloo to save the day.

Note: This episode was inspired by "Red Dog", a chapter from Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book.
7"The Great Kaadini"November 16, 1996 (1996-11-16)
Kaa accidentally hypnotizes the vultures, turning them into competent hunters totally obedient to his commands.
8"Hulla Baloo / Shere Bliss"November 23, 1996 (1996-11-23)

"Hulla Baloo": Louie becomes jealous when Baloo begins to spend more time with another bear after he saved his life.


"Shere Bliss": When Khan becomes a more fun-loving cat after a bump on the head, the Cubs find themselves trying to bring him back to normal.
9"Treasure Of The Middle Jungle"November 30, 1996 (1996-11-30)

When a shrew tells the animals about the long-lost 'Treasure of the Middle Jungle', the group - minus Bagheera and Hathi - set out to find it, only to come face-to-face with the massive cobra Whitehood.

Note: This episode was inspired by "The King's Ankus". a chapter from Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book. This episode features the song, "When We Find Our Treasure".
10"Feather Brains / Benny & Clyde"December 7, 1996 (1996-12-07)

"Feather Brains": Cecil falls in love with a female vulture named Clarice and kicks Arthur out of the nest. Arthur then, unsuccessfully, tries to bond with Khan.


"Benny & Clyde": Louie is forced to look after his younger cousins.
11"Splendor in the Mud"December 14, 1996 (1996-12-14)
When the boys play a few pranks, Winifred's uncle gets very upset and tells Hathi that he will never see her again. After her uncle gets hurt by a mother rhinoceros he feels very ill, and he wants to find the red clay in the wasteland for him to recover, the cubs become his only hope. Includes the song "Jungle Cub Love"
12"Trouble on the Waterfront / Fool Me Once..."December 21, 1996 (1996-12-21)

"Trouble on the Waterfront": The cubs break out into violent arguments when a drought destroys almost their entire water supply.

Note: This segment was inspired by "How Fear Came", a chapter from Rudyard Kipling's The Second Jungle Book, in which there is a drought in the jungle and a limited water supply.


"Fool Me Once...": After a particularly harsh prank by Baloo and Louie, a sad and depressed Bagheera fakes his death to get even.
13"The Coming of the Wolves"December 28, 1996 (1996-12-28)
The cubs find themselves caught between two runaway wolves: Akela, his pregnant mate Leah who hide at the temple to evade their pack led by villainous alpha wolf Cain.

Season 2 (1997–98)

# Title Air date
1"The Ape Who Would Be King"October 11, 1997 (1997-10-11)

The Cubs learn of a prophecy that states that Louie will some day be king of the jungle, but Khan wants the role for himself.

Note: Includes the song "Everything's Gonna Be Right with the World."
2"Trunks For The Memories / Kasaba Ball"October 18, 1997 (1997-10-18)

"Trunks for the Memories": Hathi's best friend Johar may have to part ways with him when the elephant herd breaks in two due to a food shortage.


"Kasaba Ball": The Cubs divide into teams- Louie, Bagheera and Baloo against Khan, a monkey, and the inappropriately-named rhinoceros 'Tiny'- in a game of 'Kasaba Ball' (the jungle's equivalent of football).
3"Hathi's Makeover / Curse Of The Magnificent Melon"October 25, 1997 (1997-10-25)

"Hathi's Makeover": Hathi tries to become a different kind of animal after he becomes ashamed of being an elephant.


"Curse Of The Magnificent Melon": After stealing Hathi's prized melon, Baloo finds himself apparently followed by a mass of frogs accusing him of the crime.
4"The Five Bananas / Birthday Snake"November 1, 1997 (1997-11-01)

"The Five Bananas": The cubs form a band for an upcoming talent show, but split before the show starts because each of them believes they are the most important instrument in the band.


"Birthday Snake": Kaa resorts to hypnosis when he thinks that the others have forgotten his birthday.
5"Old Green Teeth / The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No"November 8, 1997 (1997-11-08)

"Old Green Teeth": Louie suffers a crisis of confidence when the Five Bananas are invited to perform for an old idol of his.


"The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No": Hathi's inability to say 'no' during a game of shadow puppets with Winifred to anyone results in him being forced to take care of a basket full of crazy woodpeckers that was passed from a sloth to a bighorn sheep to a crane to a warthog and into Hathi's possession
6"Hair Ball / A Tail Of Two Tails"November 15, 1997 (1997-11-15)

"Hair Ball": Bagheera runs away from the jungle in embarrassment after coughing up a hair ball in front of the entire jungle, resulting in him joining the 'Embarrassment Club', consisting of various animals who unintentionally humiliated themselves in public.


"A Tail Of Two Tails": Kaa and Khan take advantage of Louie's kindness after they sustain "injuries" to their tails while saving him.
7"Waiting For Baloo / Tree For Two"November 22, 1997 (1997-11-22)

"Waiting for Baloo": Baloo is entrusted with delivering a bunch of bananas to the baboons and the buffaloes.


"Tree For Two": Bagheera and Louie have difficulty getting along when they are forced to live together after a storm destroys their old homes.
8"Nice Tiger / Sleepless In The Jungle"January 10, 1998 (1998-01-10)

"Nice Tiger": Khan tries to convince the other cubs that there's nothing nice about him, but they all think differently.


"Sleepless in the Jungle": Baloo has difficulty sleeping due to his concerns about the potential water shortage.

Note: This is the first and only episode to have "The Bare Necessities" sung, outside of the opening sequence.

VHS releases

US releases

Two VHS releases containing 6 episodes of the series were released in the United States.

VHS name Episode titles Release date
Cub House Fun "Hathi Meets His Match"
"A Night in the Wasteland"
"Mondo Mungo"
June 12, 1996
Crazy Congo Capers "The Great Kaadini"
"How the Panther Lost His Roar"
"Who Wants to be a Baboon?"
April 13, 1997

Australia and New Zealand releases

Three VHS releases containing 11 episodes of the series were released in Australia and New Zealand.

VHS Name Episode Titles Release Date
Jungle Cubs (Volume 1): Born to be Wild "A Night in the Wasteland"
"How the Panther Lost His Roar"
"Red Dogs"
August 15, 1997
Jungle Cubs (Volume 2): Once Upon a Vine "Who Wants to be a Baboon?"
"The Humans Must Be Crazy"
"Hathi Meets His Match"
"Mondo Mungo"
"The Treasure of the Middle Jungle"
February 27, 1998
Jungle Cubs (Volume 3): Monkey Business "The Great Kaadini"
"Benny & Clyde"
"The Coming of the Wolves"
May 15, 1998

DVD releases

On September 8, 2003, one DVD containing three episodes of the series was released in the United Kingdom.[1]

DVD Name Episode Titles Release Date
Born to Be Wild "A Night in the Wasteland"
"How the Panther Lost His Roar"
"Red Dogs"
September 8, 2003

Australian and New Zealand releases

On September 12, 2003, three DVDs containing eleven episodes of the series was released.

DVD Name Episode Titles Release Date
Born to be Wild "A Night in the Wasteland"
"How the Panther Lost His Roar"
"Red Dogs"
September 12, 2003
Once Upon a Vine "Who Wants to be a Baboon?"
"The Humans Must Be Crazy"
"Hathi Meets His Match"
"Mondo Mungo"
"The Treasure of the Middle Jungle"
September 12, 2003
Monkey Business "The Great Kaadini"
"Benny & Clyde"
"The Coming of the Wolves"
September 12, 2003

References

  1. "Jungle Cubs [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-14.

External links

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