Kissyfur

Kissyfur is an American animated children's television series which aired on NBC in the 1980s. It was produced by Jean Chalopin and Andy Heyward and created by Phil Mendez for DIC Animation City. The series was based on a half-hour NBC prime-time special called Kissyfur: Bear Roots and was followed by three more specials until its Saturday morning debut. The show ran for two seasons. It also aired on the BBC (as part of its But First This lineup), TCC and Nickelodeon in the UK, SABC1 and SABC2 in South Africa, TV3 in New Zealand, Sirasa TV in Sri Lanka, SBT in Brazil, MediaCorp Channel 5 in Singapore, Television Jamaica in Jamaica, Namibian Broadcasting Corporation in Namibia, GMA Network in the Philippines and Seven Network in Australia.

The show follows the adventures of Gus and Kissyfur, a father and son bear duo who had joined the circus. One day on a circus trip, the train they are riding in derails and the bears escape to a new life in the swamps of Paddlecab County. There, they protect the local swamp’s inhabitants from the local bumbling alligators Floyd and Jolene. Kissyfur and his father use the skills they have acquired from the human world to create a boat tour business transporting other animals and their products down the river.

Adults

 * Gus (voiced by Ed Gilbert) - Kissyfur’s father, who owns a Paddlecab company, taxis animals from one side of the swamp to the other. He can be a bit goofy at times, but is a very good father. He's the only one of all the swamp parents who can take on both alligators, Floyd and Jolene, and run them off.
 * Miss Emmie Lou (voiced by Russi Taylor) - A blue bear who wears a flower behind one ear. She’s the schoolteacher in the swamp and has a southern accent. She has a sister named Jimmie Lou and a cousin named Ernie. She’s also sweet on Gus.
 * Charles (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) — A warthog and Lenny’s father, Charles thinks he has everything figured out most of the time, but is usually more brawn than brains.
 * Howie — A mocking bird who can throw his voice and can mimic anything and everyone. This talent often gets him into trouble.
 * Uncle Shelby (voiced by Frank Welker) - A wise turtle who is the elder of the swamp
 * The Cackle Sisters — Two chicken sisters. One of them talks and is very prim and proper, while the other one just clucks, usually agreeing with whatever her sister says. She is referred to as Claudette.
 * Floyd (voiced by Stu Rosen) - An alligator who along with Jolene is always hatching a plan to try and capture the swamp cubs so they can eat them for dinner. He isn’t the brightest, often making dim-witted remarks.
 * Jolene (voiced by Terence McGovern and later Doug Parker) - An alligator who wears a red wig. She and Floyd are always trying to capture the swamp cubs so they can eat them for dinner. She would be considered the brains between the two, but not by much. She has a low tolerance for Floyd’s dim-wittedness, which usually results in her smacking him with her wig.
 * Flo (voiced by Marilyn Lightstone) - A smug buzzard.
 * Flo (voiced by Marilyn Lightstone) - A smug buzzard.

Swamp cubs

 * Kissyfur (voiced by R.J. Williams and later Max Meier) - Gus’s son and the title character of the series. He and his father used to work in a circus, along with Kissyfur's mother, who died in a performance accident. After the circus train they were in crashed, Kissyfur and his father ran into Paddlecab County and that's when they have been living since. He is an eight-year-old bear cub who loves to pretend and occasionally gets into trouble with the rest of the cubs.
 * Stuckey (voiced by Stu Rosen) - A purple porcupine who is very gloomy. He talks slowly and is the quiet one of the group.
 * Beehonie (voiced by Russi Taylor) - A white bunny who has a crush on Kissyfur, she is the only female swamp cub and tends to act as the voice of reason at times
 * Duane (voiced by Neil Ross) - A pig who loves to clean and freaks out if he gets dirty.
 * Toot (voiced by Russi Taylor) - A six-year-old beaver, Toot is the youngest of the swamp cubs. He looks up to and idolizes Kissyfur. His Nose changes from Pink to black in Season 2.
 * Lenny (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) - Charles's son, Lenny would technically be the bully of the group. He tries to act tough, though this sometimes fails if he’s really scared of something. Enjoys being bossy and pushing the other cubs around. Refers to Kissyfur as "Sissyface".
 * Ralph — A young packrat who has a bad habit of stealing things from the residents of Paddlecab County.
 * Donna (voice by Russi Taylor) - Miss Emmy Lou's niece.

Specials (1985-1986)
1. Bear Roots 2. The Birds and the Bears 3. The Lady is a Chump 4. We Are the Swamp
 * Kissyfur is a circus bear cub who recently lost his mother, who was tragically killed during a circus performance. After a particularly taxing night performing in the circus, Kissyfur and his father Gus escape captivity in order to live a better life in the forest. However, instead of living peacefully, the two soon discover that their new home (the swamp), while much more friendly than the circus, has its shares of dangers... namely the local alligators! Will Kissyfur and Gus be able to adjust to swamp life, or are they set to be a gator’s meal?
 * The arrival of a new, female swamp cub has the boys (except Toot) making a serious personality change! But, with the Gators on the loose again, what do you think will happen?
 * With Mother’s Day approaching, and seeing how depressed Kissyfur is, Gus hires a seemingly reputable nanny to care for him. Unbeknownst to all, the "nanny" is really Floyd in disguise, intent on turning Kissyfur and the rest of the cubs into the main course!
 * A massive drought has turned the swamp into a veritable wasteland, as the swamp cubs are intrigued with a buzzard’s tale of an oasis in the clouds.

Season 1 (1986)

 * 1) Here’s the Beef/Jam Wars - While looking to construct a treehouse outside the swamp, Brutus the Bull attacks. / While taking shelter from a flood, the denizens find a pantry full of jam jars, which Charles uses to his advantage.
 * 2) The Humans Must Be Crazy/To Tell the Tooth - Kissyfur befriends a robot. / Gus gets a horrible toothache.
 * 3) Whale of a Tail/Kissyfur P.I. - Kissyfur and the others help a whale. / A thief is stealing from the population. The question is, who?
 * 4) Home Sweat Home/Pooped Pop - exhausted with chores and more homework than they can handle, the cubs run away to live on an island. / Kissyfur and the others help Gus who can’t seem to stay awake.
 * 5) The Bear Who Cried Wolf/Egg McGuffin - Kissyfur and Howie’s pranks get them into trouble. / Kissyfur takes care of a newborn bird.
 * 6) Drop Me a Lion/The Wishing Box - an old friend of Gus, a Lion visits the swamp. / The cubs find a music box, which they think grants wishes.
 * 7) Gatoraid/Basket Case - Gus takes on a gargantuan Gator, but He’ll need the help of the Paddlecab County Citizens. / A baby is lost in  the swamp, so the cubs try to get it home.
 * 8) The Incredible Hunk/Double Dare Bear - Kissyfur tries to break up Emmy Lou and a new Bear, not realizing until it’s too late that the other Bear is Emmy Lou’s cousin, / To prove to Lennie that His circus heritage is not false, Kissyfur brings him and the cubs to a circus at the swamp’s edge.
 * 9) Bearly a Bodyguard/The Duck Who Came to Dinner - Kissyfur and the Cubs band together to teach the bullying Lennie a lesson. / A quirky duck takes advantage of Kissyfur’s kindness when his wing is broken. Or is it really?

Season 2 (1988)

 * 1) The Great Swamp Swami/The Shell Game
 * 2) Just in Time/Three’s a Crowd
 * 3) My Fair Lenny/G’Day Gator and G’Bye
 * 4) Fork-Tongued Frog/Like Father, Like Son
 * 5) Berried Alive/Toot’s Treasure
 * 6) Cub’s Club/You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog
 * 7) Stuck on Stuckey/Flipzilla
 * 8) The New Cub/Comrade Kissyfur
 * 9) See Ya Later, Annie Gator/Evilfur
 * 10) Swarm Outside/Halo & Goodbye
 * 11) The Ballad of Rebel Racoon/Somethin’ Cajun’s Cookin’
 * 12) Got Those Baby Blues/Home Sweet Swamp
 * 13) The Great Swamp Taxi Race/Weight Not Want Not

Reception
In 2014, Rob Bricken of io9 included Kissyfur in his list of "12 Cartoons From The 1980s No One Will Ever Have Nostalgia For"—which he described as a list of "dozen '80s cartoons that don't deserve to be remembered at all, let alone fondly."

Film adaptation
The director Robert Zemeckis will direct this Movie in a 2d Hand Drawn Animated style based on KissyFur’s first season to be Distributed by Universal Pictures and NBC Films.