Jana of the Jungle

Last updated
Jana of the Jungle
GenreAdventure
Animation
Created by Doug Wildey
Directed by Ray Patterson
Carl Urbano
Voices of B.J. Ward
Michael Bell
Ted Cassidy
Theme music composer Hoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Producer Doug Wildey
Running time30 minutes
Production company Hanna-Barbera Productions
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseSeptember 9 (1978-09-09) 
December 2, 1978 (1978-12-02)
Related
The Godzilla Power Hour

Jana of the Jungle is an American animated television series created by comic strip artist Doug Wildey [1] and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which aired on NBC from September 9 to December 2, 1978. It was originally broadcast as a half-hour segment of The Godzilla Power Hour (1978) and its later expanded form The Godzilla Super 90 (1978–79). [2]

Contents

Overview

Jana (voiced by B.J. Ward) is essentially a female version of Tarzan who traveled to the rain forests of South America in search of her lost father. [3] Her father vanished in a boating accident when she was still a child, but the introduction shows that he survived. She is very beautiful, has long blonde hair, wears a dress made of animal skin and a necklace which doubles as a throwable weapon and makes a high-pitched resonating sound when thrown, given to her by her father before the boating accident. She also has a yell that is a slightly altered version of Tarzan’s which she uses to call many types of animals.

Besides her animal friends (Ghost, a sleek white jaguar and Tico, a pesky water opossum), Jana has two human friends: Dr. Ben Cooper (voiced by Michael Bell, who would also work with B.J. Ward on various other animated series in later years), a young wildlife biologist who maintained the preserve started by Jana's father and helped in her continuing search for her father; and Montaro (voiced by Ted Cassidy), a descendant of a lost warrior tribe armed with a supernatural weapon known as the Staff of Power that can cause earthquake shockwaves when it strikes the ground. Montaro rescued Jana from the boating accident in which her father disappeared.

These are some of the jungle animals Jana called to, many for help:

Episodes

Episode Title & SynopsisAirdate
1"The Golden Idol of the Gorgas"September 9, 1978 (1978-09-09)
Two people come to the jungle and ask Jana for help claiming their son is lost in dangerous territory.
2"Katuchi Danger"September 16, 1978 (1978-09-16)
A plane carrying medical supplies crashes in the "valley of the lost" where legend says live the Katuchi, a dangerous tribe of ape-men.
3"The Cordillera Volcano"September 23, 1978 (1978-09-23)
When a volcano erupts, Jana has to lead endangered miners to safety.
4"The Animal Snatchers"September 30, 1978 (1978-09-30)
A film crew arrives in the Amazon to make a movie about Jana and her friends, but they are actually poachers who want to capture her white jaguar, Ghost.
5"The Renegade"October 7, 1978 (1978-10-07)
Jana suspects there may be another white jaguar loose in the jungle when Ghost is accused of attacking people and animals for no reason.
6"Rogue Elephant"October 14, 1978 (1978-10-14)
A train wreck frees a zoo elephant into the jungle. Jana must protect the people of a local village from the frightened animal, and it from them.
7"The Prisoner"October 21, 1978 (1978-10-21)
Jana enters a native village, and meets a man who just might be her missing father.
8"The Invaders"October 28, 1978 (1978-10-28)
Two dam workers unknowingly start a war between wolves and pumas.
9"Dangerous Cargo"November 4, 1978 (1978-11-04)
When a fire breaks out at an oil rig, Mr. Stern tells Jana and Montaro that since there's no dynamite to extinguish the blaze, they'll have to transport nitroglycerin instead-a risky procedure.
10"The Sting of the Tarantula"November 11, 1978 (1978-11-11)
Montaro is stung by a tarantula and, delirious from his fever, he believes Jana and Ben are his enemies.
11"Countdown"November 18, 1978 (1978-11-18)
A military plane crashes in the jungle and its cargo, a powerful bomb, falls into the hands of an isolated tribe. Jana must deal with both the bomb, which is counting down, and an active volcano.
12"Suspicion"November 25, 1978 (1978-11-25)
Ben is wrongfully accused by a tribe of stealing a black pearl, but it was actually an inside job committed by a fellow tribesman.
13"Race for Life"December 2, 1978 (1978-12-02)
Ben is forcibly captured by the Amazoni, a tribe of giant female warriors.

Broadcast history

Jana of the Jungle was originally broadcast in these following formats on NBC:

A total of 13 original episodes of Jana of the Jungle were produced in 1978, with the first eight broadcast as part of the second half of The Godzilla Power Hour from September 9 to October 28. In November 1978, when The Godzilla Power Hour was expanded to 90 minutes (with the addition of Jonny Quest reruns) and re-titled The Godzilla Super 90, the five remaining episodes of Jana of the Jungle continued on this new format until December 2. The Jana character also made a cameo appearance piloting a rocket-car in an episode of Yogi's Space Race in 1978.

Jana of the Jungle officially resurfaced in January 1984 (preview on December 18, 1983) as part of USA Cartoon Express . [4] [5] [6] The show has not been aired on American television since at least 1994, when its five-year association with The Program Exchange came to an end. This is one of the very few Hanna-Barbera series that has yet to be seen on either Cartoon Network or Boomerang; however, one of the episodes, "The Cordillera Volcano", was available for a limited time on WB's Hanna-Barbera online stream.

Voices

Additional voices

Jana in comic books

In January 2007, Dynamite Entertainment launched a comic book, with plot by Frank Cho and script by Doug Murray, called Jungle Girl, featuring a blond female character called Jana. She is a Tarzan-esque heroine that lives in some kind of "Lost World", a jungle inhabited by strange creatures including dinosaurs and cavemen. While bearing the same name and taking place in a jungle setting, the Cho/Murray comic character is not connected with the TV series, and wears a skimpier outfit.

Related Research Articles

<i>Super Friends</i> American animated television series about a team of superheroes (1973–1985)

Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics. The title of the series varied from season to season, as did the superheroes on the team. Nine seasons, comprising a total of 93 episodes, were produced.

<i>The Ruff and Reddy Show</i> American animated television series

The Ruff and Reddy Show is an American animated television series produced by H-B Enterprises for NBC. It is one of the earliest Saturday-morning cartoons, and the first series made by Hanna-Barbera. The series follows the adventures of Ruff and Reddy. It was presented by Screen Gems, the television arm of Columbia Pictures. It premiered in December 1957 and ran for 156 episodes until April 1960, comprising three seasons total. It was repeated on NBC Saturday mornings from 1962 to 1963. In the late 1950s, it was sponsored by Post Consumer Brands.

<i>Dynomutt, Dog Wonder</i> 1976 American TV series or program

Dynomutt, Dog Wonder is an American animated television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1977. The show centers on a Batman-esque superhero, the Blue Falcon, and his assistant, Dynomutt, a bumbling, yet effective robotic dog who can produce a seemingly infinite number of mechanical devices from his body. As with many other animated superheroes of the era, no origins for the characters are ever provided.

<i>Clue Club</i> 1976 American TV series or program

Clue Club is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on CBS from August 14 to December 11, 1976.

<i>The Herculoids</i> Animated television series

The Herculoids is an American Saturday-morning animated-cartoon television series, created and designed by Alex Toth, that was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show debuted on September 9, 1967, on CBS. Hanna-Barbera produced one season for the original airing of the show, although the original 18 episodes were rerun during the 1968–69 television season, with The Herculoids ending its run on September 6, 1969. Eleven new episodes were produced in 1981 as part of the Space Stars show. The plotlines are rooted in science fiction and fantasy.

<i>The Roman Holidays</i> American animated TV series

The Roman Holidays is a half-hour Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 9 to December 2, 1972. Reruns were later shown on the USA Cartoon Express during the 1980s, Cartoon Network during the 1990s and Boomerang during the 2000s.

<i>The New Adventures of Batman</i> American animated television series

The New Adventures of Batman is an animated series that aired on CBS from February 12 to May 28, 1977, featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The series was a Filmation and DC Comics production in association with Warner Bros. Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USA Cartoon Express</span> American television programming block

The USA Cartoon Express was a programming block consisting of animated children's series which aired on the USA Network from September 20, 1982 to September 15, 1996. Cartoon Express was the first structured animation block on cable television, predating Nickelodeon's Nicktoons and Cartoon Network by a decade.

<i>Space Ghost</i> (TV series) American animated television series

Space Ghost is an American Saturday-morning superhero animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, first broadcast on CBS from September 10, 1966, to September 16, 1967, and continued reruns until September 7, 1968. The series was composed of two unrelated segments, Space Ghost and Dino Boy in the Lost Valley. The series was created by Alex Toth and produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Sometimes, it is alternatively called Space Ghost & Dino Boy to acknowledge the presence of both shows.

<i>Galaxy Goof-Ups</i> 1979 American animated television series

Galaxy Goof-Ups is a 30-minute American animated television series, a spin-off of Yogi's Space Race and the fourth incarnation of the Yogi Bear franchise. The show was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on NBC from September 9, 1978, to September 1, 1979.

<i>Godzilla</i> (1978 TV series) American animated monster television series

Godzilla is an American animated monster television series produced by Hanna-Barbera, in association with Henry G. Saperstein. The series aired on NBC on September 9, 1978 with the title The Godzilla Power Hour. The series continued to air until 1981, packaged with other series under various titles.

Tarzan and the Super 7 is a Saturday morning cartoon series, produced by Filmation and originally airing from 1978–1980 on CBS.

<i>The Fantastic Four</i> (1967 TV series) American animated television series

The Fantastic Four is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The program, featuring character designs by Alex Toth, originally aired on Saturday mornings on ABC from September 9, 1967, to September 21, 1968. It lasted for 20 episodes, with repeat episodes airing on ABC for three years until the network cancelled the program. It was also rerun as part of the continuing series Hanna–Barbera's World of Super Adventure.

<i>The New Fantastic Four</i> Television series

The New Fantastic Four is an animated series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation in 1978. It is the second animated series based on Marvel's comic book series Fantastic Four, following a 1967 series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions.

<i>Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle</i> Animated television series

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seasons.

<i>The All-New Super Friends Hour</i> 1977 American TV series or program

The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

<i>Hanna–Barberas World of Super Adventure</i> Television series

Hanna–Barbera's World of Super Adventure is a 30-minute animated anthology wheel series produced by Hanna-Barbera which was broadcast in first-run syndication from 1980 to 1984.

<i>The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i> Television series

The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an American live-action and animated fantasy television series that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1968, through February 23, 1969. Produced by Hanna-Barbera and based on the classic Mark Twain characters, the program starred its three live-action heroes, Huck Finn, Becky Thatcher, and Tom Sawyer, navigating weekly adventures within an animated world as they attempted to outrun a vengeful "Injun Joe". After the show's original run, the series continued to air in reruns as part of The Banana Splits and Friends Show syndication package.

Len Janson is an American writer and director whose career in animated cartoons and live-action motion pictures spanned several decades beginning in the 1960s. He began work as an in-betweener at the Walt Disney cartoon studio. By 1965 he had become a story man with his first screen credit in Rudy Larriva's Boulder Wham!. Soon after, he teamed with Chuck Menville to produce a series of live-action films which used the pixilation technique. An example is Stop Look and Listen. By the early 1970s, Janson and Menville had become major names in the animation industry and welcome storytellers at studios such as Filmation and Hanna-Barbera. Their partnership ended with Menville's death in 1992. Janson remained active for a few more years, mainly as story editor for Sonic the Hedgehog. He also wrote episodes of Baywatch Nights.

Darrell Tyrone "Big D" McNeil was an American animator, writer, editor, publisher, producer, and actor. He started at the age of eight performing as a background actor and bit player in various movies and television series. He entered the animation industry at the age of 18 with Hanna-Barbera Productions. He was most recently developing and producing a number of animated and live action projects through his own company, Gold Medal Productions.

References

  1. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 381. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  2. Sennett, Ted (1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. Studio. p. 185. ISBN   978-0670829781 . Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  3. Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part I: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. p. 124. ISBN   0-8108-1557-5 . Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  4. "Announcement that "Jana of the Jungle" will be part of "USA Cartoon Express"". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 21 June 1983. p. 45.
  5. ""Jana of the Jungle" part of December 1983 "USA Christmas Cartoon Express Special"". The Bismarck Tribune. 18 December 1983. p. 10.
  6. ""Jana of the Jungle" part of "USA Cartoon Express" in January 1984". Danville Register and Bee. 15 January 1984. p. 86.