Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot

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Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot
Care Bears Welcome to Care-a-Lot title card.png
Title card
Also known asWelcome to Care-a-Lot
Genre Adventure
Musical
Written by Amy Keating Rogers
Cindy Morrow
Chara Campanella
Mike Yank
Directed byJeff Gordon
Voices of David Lodge
Patty Mattson
Doug Erholtz
Stephanie Sheh
Nayo Wallace
Jenell Slack-Wilson
Michael Sinterniklaas
Michaela Dean
Opening theme"We'll Always be There!"
Ending theme"We'll Always be There!" (instrumental)
Composers Richard Evans
Chip Whitewood
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersNicolas Atlan
Jeffrey Conrad
Mike Young
ProducerPeter Anderson
Running time22 minutes
Production company American Greetings
Original release
Network The Hub
ReleaseJune 2 (2012-06-02) 
December 8, 2012 (2012-12-08)
Related

Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot is an American animated television series based on the Care Bears franchise for The Hub. Produced by American Greetings [1] and animated by MoonScoop Entertainment [lower-alpha 1] , the series centers on seven colorful teddy bear characters named "Care Bears" who go on adventures throughout the magical land of Care-a-Lot, as well as helping children who have issues they need to solve.

Contents

This was the first television series in the franchise to be computer-animated, although several films had previously been animated this way before the show's announcement. The show ran for a single season of twenty-six episodes, which aired on The Hub weekly from June 2 until December 8, 2012. [2]

The series was not renewed for a second season after The Hub rebranded into Discovery Family; however Netflix commissioned a continuation of the series titled Care Bears & Cousins , which ran for two six-episode seasons which released on November 6, 2015 and February 5, 2016. This series continues where Welcome to Care-a-Lot left off and reintroduces four of the Care Bear Cousins as central characters.

Synopsis

Set in Care-a-Lot, a magical land in the clouds, Tenderheart Bear, Cheer Bear, Grumpy Bear, Share Bear, Harmony Bear, Funshine Bear and new playful, curious cub Wonderheart Bear all go on adventures that emphasize messages of caring and sharing. Human children from Earth often visit Care-a-Lot and participate in new adventures and valuable lessons learned. The Care Bears' mischievous King Beastly often attempts to make trouble for the bears.

Characters

Main

Recurring

Bears who only appear in the merchandise

Other Care-a-Lot Residents

Care Kids

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byStoryboard byOriginal release dateProd.
code
1"Compassion – NOT"Jeff GordonEugene Son Jun Falkenstein, Dan Fausett and James FujiiJune 2, 2012 (2012-06-02)105
Grumpy is on a quest for forbidden honey, which ends up with him being trapped, while Funshine spends the day having fun with a girl named Penny, who Tenderheart invites to Care-a-Lot.
2"Show of Shyness"Jeff GordonEvan Gore and Heather LombardGloria Jenkins, John Dubiel and Phil MosnessJune 9, 2012 (2012-06-09)104
Harmony loses her voice before a concert, and a shy girl named Phobe must convince King Beastly not to disrupt the show.
3"Sleuth of Bears"Jeff GordonSteven ArangurenGloria Y. Jenkins, Kevin Frank and Joe HorneJune 16, 2012 (2012-06-16)108
A pumpkin carving slumber party is being held by the female Care Bears, but disaster strikes when Grumpy's Care-O-Van gets attacked and the Ghost of Benafare has been unleashed!
4"When the Bear's Away"Jeff GordonChara CampanellaDouglas McCarthy, Phil Mosness and Mary HanleyJune 23, 2012 (2012-06-23)107
Trouble strikes during Tenderheart's vacation when King Beastly invites a troublesome child.
5"Jealous Tea"Jeff GordonCindy MorrowJulia Briemle, Doris Umschaden and Douglas McCarthyJune 30, 2012 (2012-06-30)102
When Grumpy ends up making a successful baked goods business, Share gets jealous and ends up causing her Care Kid friend Hayden to do lots of work for her.
6"Shunshine"Jeff GordonCindy MorrowGloria Y. JenkinsJuly 7, 2012 (2012-07-07)110
When Funshine beats the other Bears (and a boy named Zack) in the Care Bearatlon, he lets his ego get the better of him.
7"Feeling Flu"Jeff GordonChara CampanellaJulia BriemleJuly 14, 2012 (2012-07-14)111
Grumpy, Share, Cheer, Funshine, Wonderheart, and King Beastly get an illness called the "Feeling Flu", which swaps their personalities with one another.
8"Untruths and Consequences"Jeff GordonMike YankPhil Mosness, Douglas McCarthy and Kevin FrankJuly 21, 2012 (2012-07-21)113
All the Bears think that the lies coming from a girl named Riley are true, but Wonderheart ends up being the only one who knows that she is lying.
9"Bearied Treasure"Jeff GordonAaron VattanoJohn Dubiel, Andrew Dickman and Joe HorneJuly 28, 2012 (2012-07-28)114
The Bears attempt to find a treasure chest, but greed ends up becoming their main motivation for finding it.
10"Cheeri No"Jeff GordonRoss BergerJulia Briemle and Doris UmschadenAugust 4, 2012 (2012-08-04)120
Cheer resorts to helping all the other Bears that she doesn't have time to manage her own job!
11"The Emerald Bridge"Jeff GordonAmy Keating Rogers
Elana Lesser
Cliff Ruby
Gloria Jenkins, Julia Briemie, John Dubiel, Norma Klingler
Silke Bachmann, Gary Hurst and Ken Laramay
August 11, 2012 (2012-08-11)101
The Care Bears and a girl named Olivia attempt to find Care-a-Lot's trademark bridge after it goes missing.
12"Holiday Hics"Jeff GordonCorey PowellJulia Briemle and Doris UmschadenAugust 18, 2012 (2012-08-18)116
King Beastly causes Tenderheart to get a curious case of hiccups that threaten to ruin the Great Giving Day.
13"Sad About You"Jeff GordonAmy Keating RogersJohn Dubiel, Kevin Frank and Gloria JenkinsSeptember 8, 2012 (2012-09-08)106
A girl named Joy visits Care-a-Lot, swearing off friendship when her old best friend moves away.
14"Lazy Susan"Jeff GordonMike YankDoris Umschaden, Julia Briemle and Gloria JenkinsSeptember 15, 2012 (2012-09-15)112
A girl named Susan would rather prefer to play a video game than help Share harvest rainbow leaves for a special tea.
15"Share Squared"Jeff GordonEvan Gore and Heather LombardKevin Frank, Scott Jeralds and Patrick GleesonSeptember 22, 2012 (2012-09-22)115
Share accidentally duplicates herself when sorting out something, while Hayden's twin Jayden is proving to be quite trouble for her. Can Share find a way to show them the error of their ways?
16"Bully Exposed"Jeff GordonCindy MorrowJulia Briemle and Doris UmschadenSeptember 29, 2012 (2012-09-29)124
Two girls are transported to Care-a-Lot and one of them turns out to be a bully.
17"Over Bearing"Jeff GordonCorey PowellMark Maxey and Joseph GarciaOctober 6, 2012 (2012-10-06)109
Funshine and Grumpy attempt to make a boy named Peter break the rules of Care-a-Lot, but they accidentally turn him into a crazy monster!
18"In a Flash"Jeff GordonMike YankKevin Frank and Scott JeraldsOctober 13, 2012 (2012-10-13)122
Wonderheart is tired of not knowing what her Belly Badge power can do, so Grams attempts to help her.
19"Welcome to Grump-a-Lot"Jeff GordonChara CampanellaJulia Briemle and Doris UmschadenOctober 20, 2012 (2012-10-20)125
Grumpy's grumpier mood accidentally makes a storm that reverses everybody’s personalities!
20"Cub Bouts"Jeff GordonCorey PowellGloria JenkinsOctober 27, 2012 (2012-10-27)121
Wonderheart wants to join Baby Hugs and Tugs' Cub Bouts but is upset because she cannot activate her Belly Badge yet, so she resorts to using Tenderheart's Care 'n' Share Charms to help her fake her powers, which ends up backfiring on her.
21"More Fun With Grumpy"Jeff GordonEvan Gore and Heather LombardGloria JenkinsNovember 3, 2012 (2012-11-03)126
When Funshine finds out that his playmate, a boy named Aiden, rides a wheelchair, he is certain that he won't be any fun at all.
22"Beaconing for Attention"Jeff GordonCindy MorrowMark Maxey, Joe Garcia and Phil MosnessNovember 10, 2012 (2012-11-10)123
Wonderheart uses her Belly Badge Beacon at the wrong time, but with a girl named Isabella, they learn the meaning of responsibility.
23"Night Bears"Jeff GordonEvan Gore and Heather LombardJohn Dubiel, Larry Scholl and Andrew DickmanNovember 17, 2012 (2012-11-17)103
When Sweet Dreams accidentally sends out bad dreams into Care-a-Lot and creates a plainbow, the other Bears must stop them from becoming reality.
24"Holi-Stage"Jeff GordonCorey PowellGloria JenkinsNovember 24, 2012 (2012-11-24)117
A showboy named Ethan almost ruins the Great Giving Holiday Pageant by attempting to take it over and making the show all about him.
25"Cheering You Grump"Jeff GordonMike YankKevin Frank, Phil Mosness and Gloria JenkinsDecember 1, 2012 (2012-12-01)119
During the Belly Badge Scavenger Hunt, Grumpy is resorted to teaming up with the delightful Cheer.
26"Care Campout"Jeff GordonChara CampanellaPhil Mosness, Joseph Garcia and John DubielDecember 8, 2012 (2012-12-08)118
The Care Bears help a girl named Hannah conquer her fear of sleeping away from home and getting her Camping Badge.

Movie

Care Bears: A Belly Badge for Wonderheart the Movie was released on home video formats on August 6, 2013. Though marketed as a direct-to-video feature-length film, the release consists of no newly produced material, but is rather a compilation of three previous installments of the television series featuring the character Wonderheart Bear, edited to run in sequence at feature length. [3]

Cast

Crew

Toyline

Partnering with American Greetings, Hasbro released a toy line based on the series in 2013. [4] The license transitioned to Just Play in 2015, and by quarter 2 the company produced a line of Care Bears plush (8" bean bag plush, 12" medium plush packaged with DVDs featuring episodes of "Welcome to Care-a-Lot," 16" jumbo plush, and Sing-along animatronic plush), action figures (5-packs exclusive to Toys R Us, a 14-pack at Target, as well 2-packs exclusively available in the UK), and as of Spring 2018, 6 series of small blind bag figurines based on Welcome to Care-a-Lot and Care Bears & Cousins' style guide and characters. In Summer of 2016 Just Play's merchandise transitioned to the Care Bears & Cousins branding.

Reception

The premiere of the series, along with Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters , saw The Hub earn its best performances amongst targeted demographics in six months. [5] [6] In an early review of the series, Blogfully.net stated that "If you've never seen a Care Bear's [ sic ] episode on the Hub, you're missing out." [7]

Cartoon Brew reported that "The Hub's earlier series, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , sparked an unlikely following among adult males, otherwise known as the Brony phenomenon, but one fandom isn't enough for the Hub. They think their Care Bears show needs an adult male fanbase, too, and they're shamelessly encouraging it themselves." [8] ComicsAlliance also said that "In case you're wondering, "Belly-Bros" is a term offered by the Hub as a potential name for the legions of male fans who'll enjoy this new Care Bears series as much as they do Friendship is Magic. If you're not feeling it, however, they're also suggesting "Care-Dudes," which sounds more like the way that William S. Preston would describe someone who works in an assisted living facility." [9] In a statement in response to these articles, The Hub's Crystal Williams said, "...I came across your story on Cartoon Brew titled "The Hub Hopes Men Will Start Calling Themselves "Belly Bros" and "Care Dudes." In response, I wanted to let you know that this was an unapproved and unsanctioned pitch by our PR agency...The Hub TV Network nor American Greetings Properties had any knowledge of the pitch angle. It is not our intention to compare Care Bears to My Little Pony and/or the Brony community." [10]

Related Research Articles

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Care Bears are multi-colored bears, painted in 1981 by artist Elena Kucharik to be used on greeting cards from American Greetings. They were turned into plush teddy bears and featured in The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings (1983) and The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine (1984) before headlining their own television series called Care Bears from 1985 to 1988. They also had multiple feature films including: The Care Bears Movie (1985), Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986), and The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland (1987).

<i>Care Bears</i> (TV series) American animated television series

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<i>The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland</i> 1987 film

The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland is a 1987 animated musical fantasy film and the third theatrically released film in the Care Bears franchise. It was released in the United States and Canada on August 7, 1987, by Cineplex Odeon Films, and is based on Lewis Carroll's Alice stories. The fourth feature film made at Toronto's Nelvana studio, it was directed by staff member Raymond Jafelice and produced by the firm's founders. It starred the voices of Keith Knight, Bob Dermer, Jim Henshaw, Tracey Moore and Elizabeth Hanna. In the film, the Care Bears must rescue the Princess of Wonderland from the Evil Wizard and his assistants, Dim and Dumb. After the White Rabbit shows them her photo, the Bears and Cousins search around the Earth for her before enlisting an unlikely replacement, an ordinary girl named Alice, to save her true look-alike. Venturing into Wonderland, the group encounters a host of strange characters, among them a rapping Cheshire Cat and the Jabberwocky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Sinterniklaas</span> French voice actor

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Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot is a 2004 animated musical adventure film, produced by Nelvana and released by Lions Gate Home Entertainment. It was the first Nelvana production featuring the Care Bears in the last 24 years, since the Care Bears Nutcracker Suite television film in 1988. Directed by Mike Fallows and written by Jeffrey Alan Schecter, this was the fourth film to star the Care Bears and their first in 17 years. This was also the first one in the franchise to be computer-animated.

<i>The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings</i> 1983 Canadian TV series or program

The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings is the first animated television special to feature the Care Bears characters. It was made by Ottawa's Atkinson Film-Arts studio, and premiered in syndication on April 22, 1983. The special features the ten original Bears, along with the Cloud-Keeper and the villain Professor Coldheart; they would return in 1984's The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine.

<i>The Care Bears Big Wish Movie</i> 2005 Canadian film

The Care Bears' Big Wish Movie is a 2005 direct-to-video animated musical fantasy film, produced by Nelvana Limited and released by Lions Gate Home Entertainment. Directed by Larry Jacobs and Ron Pitts, and written by Jeffrey Alan Schechter, the film is a follow-up to the Care Bears' previous efforts in 2004's Journey to Joke-a-lot. It was the fifth film to feature the Bears, and the second to be computer-animated. The Care Bears' voice actors reprise their roles from the previous film, including Sugar Lyn Beard as Wish Bear.

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<i>The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine</i> 1984 Canadian TV series or program

The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine is the second animated television special to feature the Care Bears characters. It was made by Ottawa's Atkinson Film-Arts studios, and premiered in syndication in April 1984. The special introduces three new Care Bears characters; Grams Bear, Hugs, and Tugs.

<i>Care Bears Nutcracker Suite</i> 1988 film

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite is an animated television film featuring the Care Bears characters. Produced by the Canadian animation studio Nelvana in 1988, it is loosely based on the 1892 Nutcracker ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The film was directed by Joseph Sherman and Laura Shepherd, and produced by Nelvana's founders: Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith. It serves as the series finale to the The Care Bears Family animated series.

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Care Bears & Cousins is an American animated adventure television series released on November 6, 2015, on Netflix. The series, a continuation of the previous series Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot, re-introduces four of the Care Bear cousins - Brave Heart Lion, Bright Heart Raccoon, Lotsa Heart Elephant and Cozy Heart Penguin.

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References

  1. "'Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot' Premieres June 2 on the HUB Network". Archived from the original on 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
  2. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 40. ISBN   9781476672939.
  3. "Care Bears: A Belly Badge for Wonderheart - the Movie". Amazon. 6 August 2013.
  4. "'Care Bears: Welcome To Care-a-Lot' Toyline Set For 2013 Release" . Retrieved 2012-05-01.
  5. "Premieres of Original Series 'Care Bears: Welcome to Care-A-Lot' and 'Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters' Power 'The Hub' To Best Performance in Six Months". Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  6. "The Hub TV Network Earns Best Quarterly and Monthly Audience Deliveries in History of Network". Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  7. "Care Bears: Welcome To Care-a-Lot (Viewing party)". Archived from the original on 2012-06-17. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  8. "The Hub Hopes Men Will Start Calling Themselves "Belly Bros" and "Care Dudes"". Archived from the original on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
  9. "'Care Bears' Getting a CG Animated Revival on The Hub This Summer". Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
  10. "The Hub No Longer Encourages "Belly Bros" and "Care Dudes"". Archived from the original on 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
  1. Animation outsourced to Xentrix Studios and Crest Animation Productions