Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears

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Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Format Animated series
Created by Jymn Magon
Art Vitello
Starring (See Character lists below)
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of episodes 65
Production
Running time 22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel NBC 1985-1989

ABC 1989-1991

Original run September 14, 1985December 8, 1990
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears is an American animated television series that aired in the United States in the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. The show was created by The Walt Disney Company and premiered on NBC on September 14, 1985, and continued to air on ABC. The final episode of the series was aired on December 8, 1990. Episodes were later rebroadcast on the syndicated Disney Afternoon block. Reruns on the Disney Afternoon and on Saturday mornings on ABC continued through the summer of 1991. It was later archived into the Disney Channel and Toon Disney. It was loosely inspired by the gummi bear candies in a personal experience with Disney CEO Michael Eisner, whose son had one day requested some gummi bear candies, which gave Eisner an idea for another animated show.[1] There was also a line of toys based on the show. There are 95 episodes in 65 shows (30 shows consisted of two separate 12 minute episodes).

The main characters were seven anthropomorphic bears, although some human characters also featured. The series is set in medieval times in the once populous Gummi Glen; the main Gummies' neighborhood is inhabited only by seven gummies. The world has other gummies, though: the Great Gummies are refugees elsewhere awaiting a signal to return; other gummies find refuge in Ursalia. Allies of the gummies include the people of Dunwyn (Princess Calla and Cavin), other kind humans, and other Gummi Bears. Their main nemesis is Duke Igthorn, who aims, with the aid of ogres, to rule Dunwyn. The theme song, "Bouncing here and there and everywhere", was written by Michael and Patty Silversher.

The Gummi Bears gain their temporary ability to bounce by drinking Gummiberry Juice. If the juice was consumed by humans (or ogres) they would gain temporary superhuman strength, although on the effect would only work once a day and tended to wear off after about a minute, and it is possible to overdose on the liquid (as Toadwart found out). It also serves as fuel for various Gummi devices, especially flying machines. For these reasons the bears kept the recipe secret with only the juicemakers (Grammi and Sunni of the Gummi Glen Gummies) taught it. A fruit juice drink called Gummiberry juice was for a short while retailed in the United Kingdom, Germany, and possibly other places.

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears was one of only three shows in the Disney Afternoon generation of TV animation that had a series finale (the other two being DuckTales and Gargoyles). All the other shows such as Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop, Timon and Pumbaa, Bonkers, and TaleSpin lacked a "last episode", and were for the most part ended on open notes.

The Gummi Bears were last seen on Toon Disney on December 28, 2001. A DVD release of Seasons 1 - 3 came in November 14, 2006. [1] As of November 2007, Disney says that "we do not have a DVD release date" for Seasons 4 -6 .

Contents

The seven gummies who live in Gummi Glen are:

  • Gruffi Gummi (Bill Scott (Season 1) Corey Burton) - the no-nonsense, perfectionist and conservative every-job-Gummi. He is the technician of the group, and has a running feud with Grammi; their banter suggests that he is very conscious about his height. Gruffi also can be viewed as the de facto leader of the Gummi Bears, but his stubbornness, conservatism and use of pure muscle often bring himself and the others more trouble than they put right. However, Gruffi is respected as a source of stability with his practical mentality, such as convincing Zummi he could defeat an evil wizard without magic, or rebuilding an old mechanical knight to help Princess Calla save her father.
  • Zummi Gummi (Paul Winchell (Seasons 1–5) Jim Cummings) - The colony's "keeper of Gummi wisdom" turned magician with unreliable skill. Frequently forgets important things, including spells, at the worst possible moment and does spoonerisms when stressed. He is also very helpless when he loses his glasses and suffers from acute acrophobia (fear of heights), which troubled the Gummi Bears frequently. Zummi is one of the oldest Gummies of the group. The other being Grammi.
  • Grammi Gummi (June Foray) - The matriarch of the Gummi clan, she cooks and cleans and prepares the gummiberry juice. Her cookings - which sometimes are purely experimental - are not always appreciated by the others. In her arguments with Gruffi she takes the maternal, moderating role.
  • Tummi Gummi (Lorenzo Music) - the gluttonous teenaged Gummi who is seemingly slow in thinking and action, but is as courageous as the rest. He has a sweet tooth, is a talented planter and loves building model boats. Tummi also has excellent skills at seamanship when he is on a real boat. Unlike other members of the Gummi clan, he wears sandals as regular footwear (also: see Sunni - green boots).
  • Sunni Gummi (Katie Leigh) - "token preteen" of the bunch (and the only Gummi who doesn't wear a hat) who often rebels against the clan but learns her lessons eventually. It is implied on several occasions during the series that she is considered attractive for a Gummi Bear. Sunni is quite fond of rather 'radical' fashions, and her dream is to one day be a princess. Sunni is Calla's best friend. She has a crush on Gusto, but in his zealousness for art he doesn't take much notice of her.
  • Cubbi Gummi (Noelle North) - the youngest Gummi. An aspiring knight, he is always looking for adventure and often finds it. Because of his youth, he is often not taken seriously by the others, which is just as frequently a huge mistake. When fighting crime at Dunwyn, he uses the masked identity of the Crimson Avenger, which he assumed soon after Calla dubbed him "the unseen defender of Dunwyn" for saving her from Igthorn.
  • Augustus (Gusto) Gummi (Rob Paulsen) - (introduced in Season 3 premier episode) the artistic Gummi and an individualist, he lives away from Gummi Glen with his toucan friend, Artie Deco (originally voiced by series story editor, Jymn Magon), in an atelier cave hidden behind a waterfall. Gusto is an artist who is very creative with mercurial moods depending on how well his work is going or being appreciated. He sometimes goes to Gummi Glen to visit the rest of the Gummis, and with his out-going personality he is a polar opposite to Gruffi, whom he constantly tries to loosen up (with moderate success). Being a later addition, he appears less often on the show, although he is a fan favorite. Also, like Tummi, he wears sandals.

  • Cavin (Christian Jacobs, Brett Johnson, Billy West, John DiMaggio, David Faustino, Jason Marsden, R.J. Williams) - Cavin is the squire of Sir Tuxford, the highest knight in King Gregor's court. Cavin befriends the Gummi Bears in the first episode and shares the same ambition as Cubbi - to become a knight. Cavin also had the medallion, given to him by his grandfather, that opened The Great Book of Gummi, the source of all Gummi Bear wisdom. The young squire also has a secret crush on Princess Calla.
  • Princess Calla (Noelle North) - Princess Calla is the daughter of King Gregor, ruler of Dunwyn. She is an adventurous character and she often drags the dumbstruck Cavin (who she is overly fond of) into story situations. Calla also befriended the Gummi Bears and is close friends with Sunni. She hates the pomp and circumstance that comes with being royalty while wishing to be more involved in the governance and defense of the realm. Consequently, she tends to be somewhat rebellious at times, often spurning her father's admonishment that "a princess must set an example for her people." That does not, however, prevent her from exerting her authority as a princess whenever it suits her purpose.
While it is not known what ever became of Calla's mother, as there is never any mention of her mother in any of the episodes, it is often assumed by fans that Calla's mother died before the series timeline. In one episode, King Gregor nearly remarries. Calla is also voiced by the same person who voiced Cubbi, which explains some common tones the two characters exhibit in the program, especially when either one is expressing excitement. Calla was named after the daughter of the late NBC president Brandon Tartikoff, according to the Internet Movie Database.
  • Sir Gawain (Michael Rye) - Cavin's grandfather, who also originally found the Gummi Medallion which Cavin had been wearing until he gave it to the Gummi Bears. He is highly idealistic and loves to tell tall tales of the Gummi Bears on every suitable occasion. He has met the Bears of Gummi Glen, but he is unaware that Cavin knows them as well. Most likely named for the knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend, though it is possible that he is meant to be the same character. (See Gawain)
  • Marie (Katherine Soucie) - the daughter of King Jean-Claude (Hamilton Camp), the ruler of an allied kingdom of Dunwyn. Originally spoiled and bratty, she considered Calla a rival and picked a fight with her on every occasion. After both their lives were saved by the Gummi Bears, however, she has mellowed considerably and is now one of Calla's best friends.
  • Prince Yen-Moon - A prince from the Far East who travels to Dunwyn in search of help from the Gummies in defending his kingdom from a lethal dragon. Using an ancient Gummi Buddha-like statue, the Gummies are able to defeat the dragon by using it as a teleporting device.
  • Trina - A blind peasant woman who lives in the Dunwyn region and befriends Tummi after he hides in her cottage when on the run from the ogres. She shares a common bond with Tummi in that both are chubby due to their love of food and she wishes to cook for Tummi, who is more than happy to accept. She sets traps to throw Duke Igthorn off the track, teaching Tummi that "disabled does not mean unable". She invites Tummi to come visit her whenever he wishes, but not to sneak in.

  • King Gregor (Michael Rye) - King Gregor is the ruler of Dunwyn. He is a brave figure and protects his people from villains like Duke Igthorn with the help of Sir Tuxford and his knights. On occasion he has personally commanded knights in combat when leading a charge against ogres. Gregor is unaware of the Gummi Bears' existence or involvement in saving his kingdom many times. His pride and joy is his daughter, Calla, which later included considerable respect of her previously hidden fighting prowess.
  • Sir Tuxford and knights (Bill Scott, Roger C. Carmel, Brian Cummings) - Sir Tuxford is the highest ranking knight in King Gregor's court. He is an older, jolly character, always ready for a fight but perhaps past his prime. Sir Tuxford leads the knights of Castle Dunwyn and is the main force that keeps Duke Igthorn and his ogres away. His catchphrase is often "I'm sure I don't know, Sire" when questioned by King Gregor of the present situations. Despite his age and his appearance, Sir Tuxford has apprended many troublemakers in Dunwyn, and done battle with Igthorn and his ogres.
  • Sir Victor Igthorn (William Callaway) - He is Duke Igthorn's brother and a famous paladin in the realm of Dunwyn. Ashamed of his family's betrayal (which had remained a dark secret for a major part of his life), he has taken the path of justice to atone for their sins. He has become Cavin's idol and friend, but he is unaware of the Gummi Bears' existence. He can take any insult to himself, but NOT to his steed Destiny, and has the ability to make ladies (including Calla) swoon when he kisses their hands.

  • Sir Thornberry (Walker Edmiston) - an old Gummi Bear knight, and the last inhabitant and self-appointed keeper of the Gummi Bear city Ursalia. Somewhat absent-minded but brave, and has a very good nose which he uses to track scents like a dog.
  • The Barbics - a group of rugged Gummi Bears who had been driven out of their home by humans and found refuge in Ursalia. Notable characters are:
    • Ursa (Pat Musick), their hot-blooded female leader who often comes to verbal blows with her counter-part Gruffi
    • Gritty (Peter Cullen), Ursa's one-eyed right hand
    • Buddy (Dana Hill), their youngster, who becomes friendly with his age-mates Sunni and Cavin.
  • The Gummies of Gummadoon - the inhabitants of a Gummi Bear city who used magic to vanish it and themselves from hostile humans. They reappear every 100 years, for one day only. Notable characters are Counselors Wooddale (June Foray) and Berrybowum (Alan Oppenheimer), and the knights Sir Plucky, Sir Blastus and Sir Gumlittle. The name 'Gummadoon' is likely inspired by the musical play and movie 'Brigadoon' about a Scottish village that also appears only one day every 100 years.
  • Chummi Gummi (Jim Cummings) - A Gummi bear who was in search of Gummi Glen as a rest stop prior to arriving at at New Gumbrea where the Great Gummies were situated. However, Igthorn and his ogres popped his blimp, landing near Gummi Glen. Cavin and Cubbi discovered him unconscious. After awakening, he inspired the Glen Gummies to follow him aboard his blimp so that they could live with the Great Gummies. All, except for Cubbi who would later have a change of heart, had decided to remain at Gummi Glen. Cubbi and Chummi were on there way to their distination until Igthorn stowed away on the blimp and took control of it and kidnapped Calla afterward. After Cubbi's and Cavin's heroics, Cubbi and Chummi continued their quest toward their destination until Cubbi realized that he couldn't leave his family. Chummi continued the voyage on his own.

Recurring characters

  • Duke Sigmund Igthorn (voiced by Michael Rye) - a former knight of Dunwyn, he was exiled after conspiring against King Gregor. He found refuge in Castle Drekmore and formed an army of local ogres. He is a bad-tempered and scheming villain, who constantly seeks the conquest of Dunwyn. After having encountered the Gummi Bears, he has employed their secrets time and again to fulfill his plans, but he always meets only short-lived success at best. Eventually, he later became responsible for the fall of Gummi Glen. He has a big - and alas unrequited - crush on Lady Bane. We also discover that he has a brother named Sir Victor, who fights wrongdoing as the antithesis of Sigmund Igthorn.
  • Toadwart (Toadie) (Bill Scott, season 1 / Corey Burton) - The smallest ogre on Drekmore, and Igthorn's lackey and second-in-command. As his name suggests, he is a fawning and enduring character who - mostly - bears any bullying and punishment brought upon him by the Duke and his fellow ogres. He is also (by some small margin) the smartest of his kin. He has a cousin named Tadpole, who is just as diminutive, but more intelligent and bossier. Although Toadwart is largely an enemy, there are rare occasions where he learns the values the Gummis stand for, such as one time when he decides to impersonate the Crimson Avenger and gets taught a serious lesson about personal honor and the means of service to others.
  • Lady Bane (Tress MacNeille) - The evil witch of the series. She is in possession of a Gummi Medallion much like Zummi's, and craves any power she can get her hands on (including the Gummi Bears') for her bid for power. She is served by her jackal-like Troggles and on occasion by Duke Igthorn, whose crush on her she finds VERY annoying. In one episode it was discovered that she is extremely old, and uses her magic to "de-age" herself into an attractive dark-haired sorceress.
  • Ogres - Duke Igthorn's shock troops. Big and strong, but very, very stupid; they constantly call their master "Dookie" (much to his annoyance). Only three have ever been mentioned by name: Zook (with green skin and orange hair) and Gad (purple skin and metal helmet), who are a sort of Igthorn's bodyguards (their names are taken from Gadzook!). The only other Orgre named is Umma. This was originally Cavin in disguise, but in a later episode Cubbi was captured by an ogre who also has that name.
  • The Trolls - A band of green-skinned and diminutive thieves trying to do their best to better their positions at the expense of other people. They are very skilled in kitbashing and operating mechanical devices (mostly traps and weapons, like a walnut submachine gun). They are eventually captured by King Gregor's knights and remanded to the dungeon in Dunwyn Castle.
  • Carpies - a race of vulture-like creatures living on the spire-like Carpy Mountain. They capture Sunni twice - first for her singing talent, then to become their King (or rather, Queen). Their bullying King has been succeeded by Bobo the Dodo.
  • Unwin (Will Ryan) - a knight squire at Dunwyn. A big bully, loud-mouth, and in reality a coward, who constantly picks on Cavin.

Other villains

  • Zorlok (Lennie Weinrib) - Creator of the Doomsday Clock, he is an evil sorcerer who was imprisoned underground by the Great Gummies, who used a locking spell on him. When Zummi opens a section of the Great Book dealing in advanced magic, Zorlok senses that it is his chance to be freed. Zorlok's goal is to get his revenge on the Great Gummies; then destroy the world. He appeared in "For Whom the Spell Holds."
  • The Spinster - A gigantic spider who was locked up for centuries by the Great Gummies. When Sir Thornberry accidentily derailed a Quickcar and subsequently crashed into a wall, she was able to escape and captured the Glen Gummies so that she could eat them. Cavin and Sir Thornberry, thanks to the latter's instincts, were able to save the bears and lock her away once again. She appeared in "Thornberry to the Rescue."
  • Arials - A group of elves trapped in an island in the sky by the ancient Gummies for 500 years. Cubbi and Artie Deco discovered the island during one of Cubbi's flying lessons. The Arials eventually capture and held the Glen Gummies hostage, until Cubbi comes to the rescue as Top Gum. They appeared in "Top Gum."
  • Marzipan (Tress MacNeille), a witch who can turn herself into a beautiful woman (her disguise can be shattered, however, when she comes into contact with sugar) who seduces Gregor and nearly marries him. When Sunni and Calla discover this, they pursue her. The wedding is called off when Gregor discovers that Marzipan is indeed a witch after Sunni pushes her into a large cake inside the royal kitchen. She appeared in "Eye of the Beholder."
  • Lord Willoughby - a lunatic who despises Sir Gawain and maliciously attempts to get him into trouble. He also steals the Gummi Medallion, and at the wrong time because the Gummi's need the medallion to prevent Tummi from turning into a tree. Zummi and Gawain work together to stop Willoughby and Tummi is saved.
  • Flint Shrubwood - A bounty hunter hired by Igthorn to hunt down the Gummies. Based on real-life celebrity Clint Eastwood, most particularly his role as the Man with No Name.
  • The Poacher - a crook who has been hunting wild animals in King Gregor's forests (Gregor passed laws banning the hunting of certain animals), until he was confronted by Gruffi, Cubbi and Cubbi's then-pet Loopy, a wolf cub he had raised. He is then apprehended by Sir Tuxford and remanded to the Dunwyn dungeon. He later makes a cameo appearance as an inmate in The Crimson Avenger, where he does his worst in 'cheering' Cavin up about what fate would befall those who are in the dungeon.

  • Gummi Glen - A vast underground warren that was once the home of hundreds of Gummies, but now houses only Gruffi, Grammi, Sunni, Tummi, Zummi, and Cubbi. It was the home for the gummies until it was destroyed by Duke Igthorn when he used the super-termite, Bigtooth, on it to prevent the Gummies from stopping him in his quest to conquer Dunwyn.
  • Castle Dunwyn - The kingdom that the Gummies defend from Igthorn. Among the people who live there are their friends Cavin and Princess Calla.
  • Castle Drekmore - Duke Igthorn's lair. A very unclean castle that also holds Igthorn's ogres. It was shot off like a rocket when an ogre fell into the Gummiberry juice machine.
  • Ursalia - The ancient Gummi Capitol, which housed the Great Gummi Library. When it was found by Gruffi and Cubbi, only Sir Thornberry was living there. In addition, Lady Bane had taken over the city's palace, but Gruffi, Cubbi, and Sir Thornberry succeeded in ejecting her. The library had contained all of the Gummi Bears' accumulated knowledge, but the books had all deteriorated to dust due to centuries of neglect. The Barbics moved in later to seek shelter because humans destroyed their homes in their native Barbic Woods. They planned to use the "ultimate weapon" to seek revenge and wipe out all humans, much to the concern of Sir Thornberry and the Glen Gummies. The weapon happened to be a gigantic, deafening, wind-blowing bullhorn which Sunni and Buddy found to warn the others about Igthorn's invasion of Ursalia. Ursa eventually used the horn to blow Igthorn and his ogres out of the city. The Gummi Glen Gummies also relocated there after their warren was destroyed. A Gummiscope can also be found in the city.
  • Quick Tunnels - Wooden roller coasters on stone tracks used by the Gummies as a means of transportation. These fictional roller coasters look very similar to what engineers from Disneyland and other Disney Theme parks would later create when they built the Splash Mountain rides.
  • Berryborne, Great Bearton, New Gumbria - Kingdoms where the Gummi Bears sailed to in their exodus when the Gummi-Man alliance was destroyed. It is unknown whether Berryborne or Great Bearton were successfully colonized; however, initial contact determined that there were Gummis living in New Gumbria.
  • Fangwood Forest - An ancient Gummi village where the Gummies specialized in agriculture, unlike Gummi Glen which specialized in education. Tummi and Gusto traveled there to look for a gummiberry bush after Beevilweevels temporarily destroyed their gummiberry bushes at the Glen. A warren left in ruins which looks identical to Gummi Glen can be found there as well as some old trees which can talk.
  • Drekmore - A dangerous land filled with all sorts of monsters, like the Ogres themselves. After Igthorn was banished from Dunwyn, he made his way here and became the ogres' leader. He plotted his revenge on King Gregor ever since.

Episodes came in two formats:

  1. A single story taking the time of the entire time slot
  2. 2 short episodes, one of moderate length cut by a commercial break, and one shorter episode between 2 commercial breaks.

In 1989, the series was packaged together with The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

With seasons 1-3, the 2 shorts episodes are listed together separated by a backslash.

Season One 1985-1986
  1. A New Beginning
  2. The Sinister Sculptor / Zummi Makes It Hot
  3. Someday My Prints Will Come / Can I Keep Him?
  4. A Gummi In A Gilded Cage
  5. The Oracle / When You Wish Upon A Stone
  6. A Gummi By Any Other Name
  7. Loopy, Go Home / A Hunting We Will Go
  8. The Fence Sitter / Night Of The Gargoyle
  9. The Secret Of The Juice
  10. Sweet And Sour Gruffi / Duel Of The Wizards
Season Two 1986-1987
  1. What You See Is Me / Toadie's Wild Ride
  2. Bubble Trouble / Gummi In A Strange Land
  3. Light Makes Right
  4. Up, Up And Away
  5. Faster Than A Speeding Tummi / For A Few Sovereigns More
  6. Over The River And Through The Trolls / You Snooze, You Lose
  7. The Crimson Avenger
  8. A Hard Dazed Knight / Do Unto Ogres
  9. For Whom The Spell Holds
  10. Little Bears Lost / Guess Who's Gumming To Dinner
Season Three 1987-1988
  1. My Gummi Lies Over The Ocean
  2. Too Many Cooks / Just A Tad Smarter
  3. If I Were You / Eye Of The Beholder
  4. Presto Gummo / A Tree Grows In Dunwyn
  5. Day Of The Beevilweevils
  6. Water Way To Go / Close Encounters Of The Gummi Kind
  7. Snows Your Old Man / Boggling The Bears
  8. The Knights Of Gummadoon
  9. Mirthy Me / Gummi Dearest
Season Four 1988-1989
  1. The Magnificent Seven Gummies
  2. Music Hath Charms/Dress For Success
  3. A Knight to Remember/Gummies just want to have fun
  4. Color me Gummi/The Crimson Avenger Strikes Again
  5. There's no Place Like Home/Tummi's Last Stand
  6. He Who Laughs Last
  7. Ogre Baby Boom/The White Knight
  8. Girls Knight Out/Good Neighbor Gummi
  9. Top Gum
  10. Gummies at Sea
Season Five 1989-1990
  1. The Road to Ursalia
  2. Let Sleeping Giants Lie/A Gummi a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
  3. Life of the Party/Bridge on the River Gummi
  4. My Kingdom for a Pie/The World According to Gusto
  5. Ogre for a Day
  6. A Gummi is a Gummi's Best Friend/Princess Problems
  7. Beg, Burrow and Steal
  8. Return to Ursalia
Season Six 1990-1991
  1. A Gummi's Work is Never Done
  2. Friar Tum/Never Give a Gummi an Even Break
  3. Tuxford's Turnaround
  4. Toadie the Conqueror
  5. Zummi in Slumberland/A Recipe for Trouble
  6. Patchwork Gummi
  7. Thornberry to the Rescue
  8. Once More, The Crimson Avenger
  9. Queen of the Carpies
  10. True Gritty
  11. Tummi Trouble
  12. Rocking Chair Bear
  13. Trading Faces
  14. May the Best Princess Win
  15. Wings over Dunwyn
  16. The Rite Stuff
  17. King Igthorn Part 1
  18. King Igthorn Part 2

The last two episodes marked the only time a single storyline followed a miniseries format.

Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears was Disney's first major serialized television animation (it was released back to back with another show, The Wuzzles, which lasted only 13 episodes). Many felt that Gummi Bears exceeded the quality of much Japanese anime made for TV at the time. Gummi Bears is often credited by animators and animation historians as having helped jump start the massive boom of television animation in the late 1980s all through the 1990s.

Occasionally the Disney animators would insert references to more adult ideas or characters. In the episode "For a Few Sovereigns More", the entire episode seems to spoof Clint Eastwood right down the title and a bounty hunter named "Flint Shrubwood". An announcer in the town square in "The Crimson Avenger" caritcures Walter Cronkite with his voice and ending the announcement with "...and that is the way it is."

The longevity of the Gummi Bears could be attributed to the extremely rich Universe it portrays - one which is clearly anchored in a Medieval Europe similar to Earth history, but whose pre-history is underlied not by men, but by the Ancient Gummis.

The Gummis mix fairytale magic (Zummi and Cavin's Medallion as key to The Great Book of Gummi), modern technology as anachronism (The Quick Cars), biotechnology (Gummiberry Juice) - and mystery - the fate of the Great Gummis - which is never truly answered. Occasional encounters with exotic pieces of older Ancient Gummi technology, for example the Gummiscope (a solar powered messaging device that could also be a powerful energy cannon) and the complex waterworks reveal that the gummies of the present must rediscover the achievements of the Giants in their past.

Gummi history after their Empire's fall parallels that of men - the Glen Gummis appear to be retiring peasants, Sir Thornberry guards the fallen citadel of Ursalia, Belisarius to the Ancient Gummi's Ravenna/Byzantium, the Gummi Knights have become medieval aesthetes while those of the Barbic woods have become medieval toughs ! Gusto's mysterious appearance is a question of conjecture - granted his appearance on the island is of a boat ride gone disastrously wrong - but whence did he set sail ? The many level of mysteries and unfinished tales within the Gummi Bear's Universe gives it an immortality which transcends that of more mundane fare, and has allowed their production to be one of the longest lasting of any Disney Cartoon.

Gummi Bears also became the forerunner for Disney's famous Disney Afternoon timeslot, which gave way to classics such as DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, and Gargoyles. Although shows created in its wake such as the above mentioned exceeded Gummi Bear's budget and length, it is often credited as the sort of prototype to all of the subsequent animation which followed it, while DuckTales really jump started the trend. Nevertheless, it was a gamble which paid off tremendously in the long run.

It should also be noted that this show has the most number of seasons of any Disney animated series. Even though it did not have the most total episodes, this shows that Gummi Bears was approved for 6 straight seasons, something no comparable show has done before or since. Even some of the big non-Disney animated series such as Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men, or Spider-Man cannot match this claim. Some shows like DuckTales have more episodes but fewer number of seasons. The significance of this is that there were new episodes contracted and made from 1985 to 1990.

The show was so successful in the United Kingdom that the episodes A New Beginning and Faster than a Speeding Tummi were released as theatrical featurettes there in 1986 and 1987.


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