The Care Bears (TV series)

The Care Bears is an animated television series based on the Care Bears franchise, which aired between 1985 and 1988 in syndication; on the ABC network, The CBN Family Channel from 1988 to 1990, The Family Channel from 1990 to 1997 (DIC episodes only) and from 1990 to 1998 (Nelvana episodes only) in the United States. The 1985 episodes were produced by DiC Audiovisuel and LBS Communications; the ABC episodes were made by Nelvana under the name The Care Bears Family. This is the only Care Bears series produced by Nelvana; in 2007, Sabella Dern Entertainment produced a revival, Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot.

Synopsis
The Care Bears live in a faraway place up in the clouds called Care-a-Lot, which constitutes a part of the Kingdom of Caring. With the help of the Cousins and their Buddies, they go all around the world on Missions in Caring whilst Evil villains such as Professor Coldheart (DIC episodes), and Lord No Heart (Nelvana episodes), try to thwart their plans.

DIC version

 * Billie Mae Richards – Tenderheart Bear, Keith, Matthew Miller, Kara's Mother
 * Jayne Eastwood – Birthday Bear, Tommy, Willis Carter
 * Janet Laine-Green – Wish Bear, Mrs. Miller (Matthew Miller's Mother), Mary, Tricia
 * Luba Goy – Gentle Heart Lamb, Lotsa Heart Elephant
 * Eva Almos – Friend Bear, Swift Heart Rabbit, Kathy, Sanford, Millie Jacobs' Mother, Jimmy, Cathy, Lisa, Mary, Elaine
 * Linda Sorenson – Love-a-Lot Bear, Mrs. Peal (Patti Johnson's Teacher), Lisa's Mother, Paula Schaefer, Sandra, Wendy, Mary's Mother, Joey and Elaine's Mother, Amy
 * Melleny Brown – Cheer Bear, Marion Marshall, Missy, Millie Jacobs
 * Len Carlson – Grumpy Bear, Professor Coldheart, Strato Nefarious
 * Louise Vallance – Proud Heart Cat, Eddie, Linda
 * Dan Hennessey – Good Luck Bear, Brave Heart Lion, Loyal Heart Dog, Captain McDougal, Cloud Worm, Mr. Miller (Matthew Miller's Father), Counselor Bob, Mayor of Abbotsville, Jim
 * Pauline Rennie – Cozy Heart Penguin, Treat Heart Pig, Timmy, Benny
 * Patrice Black – Funshine Bear, Share Bear
 * Laurie Waller Benson – Murphy, Susie, Jill
 * Theresa Sears – Champ Bear, Bedtime Bear, Joey, Fred, Millie Jacob's Teacher, Joshua, Amy
 * Bob Dermer – Carl, Charlie, David, Ken, Eddie
 * Joyce Gordon – Auntie Freeze

Uncredited

 * Walker Boone – Bright Heart Raccoon, Jeff, Mr. Johnson (Patti Johnson's Father), Mr. Bland (Mayor of Drab City), Amy's husband, Joey and Elaine's Father
 * Barbara Goodson – Kara
 * Marla Lukofsky – Playful Heart Monkey, Patti Johnson
 * Tony Pope – Frostbite
 * Will Ryan – Frostbite, Mr. Poole
 * Sunny Besen Thrasher – Joey

Nelvana version
Season 1
 * Jim Henshaw – Tenderheart Bear
 * Bob Dermer – Grumpy Bear
 * Dan Hennessey – Brave Heart Lion
 * Chris Wiggins – No Heart
 * John Stocker – Beastly
 * Eva Almos – Friend Bear
 * Patrice Black – Share Bear
 * Melleny Brown – Cheer Bear, Baby Tugs Bear
 * Jayne Eastwood – Birthday Bear
 * Anni Evans – Champ Bear
 * Paulina Gillis – Swift Heart Rabbit
 * Luba Goy – Gentle Heart Lamb, Lotsa Heart Elephant
 * Janet Laine-Green – Wish Bear
 * Nonnie Griffin – Funshine Bear
 * Terri Hawkes – Baby Hugs Bear
 * Ellen Ray Hennessey – Proud Heart Cat, Bedtime Bear
 * Marla Lukofsky – Good Luck Bear, Playful Heart Monkey
 * Eric Peterson – Noble Heart Horse
 * Pauline Rennie – Cozy Heart Penguin, Grams Bear
 * Billie Mae Richards – Bright Heart Raccoon
 * Carolyn Scott – True Heart Bear
 * Laurie Waller Benson – Polite Panda
 * Alyson Court
 * Victor Erdos
 * Michael Fantini
 * Cree Summer Francks
 * Sunny Besen Thrasher
 * Don Francks – Dr. Fright
 * Ray Jafelice
 * Keram Malicki-Sanchez
 * Don McManus – Sour Sam
 * Barbara Redpath
 * Eric Richards
 * Greg Swanson – Perfect Panda
 * Tina Teggart
 * Jason Whitebread
 * Lee-Max Walton
 * Noam Zylberman

Season 2
 * Dan Hennessey – Brave Heart Lion
 * John Stocker – Beastly
 * Eva Almos – Champ Bear
 * Billie Mae Richards – Bright Heart Raccoon
 * Luba Goy – Treat Heart Pig
 * Tracey Moore – Cheer Bear
 * Bob Dermer – Grumpy Bear
 * Pauline Rennie – Grams Bear
 * Chris Wiggins – No Heart
 * Terri Hawkes – Baby Hugs Bear, Shreeky
 * Melleny Brown – Baby Tugs Bear

Season 3
 * Melleny Brown – Cheer Bear, Baby Tugs Bear
 * Bob Dermer – Grumpy Bear, Songfellow Strum
 * Luba Goy – Lotsa Heart Elephant, Treat Heart Pig
 * Dan Hennessey – Brave Heart Lion, Announcer
 * Tracey Moore – Baby Hugs Bear, Shreeky
 * Pauline Rennie – Grams Bear
 * Billie Mae Richards – Bright Heart Raccoon
 * Susan Roman – Champ Bear
 * John Stocker – Beastly
 * Chris Wiggins – No Heart
 * Eva Almos – Champ Bear's humming and some of his laughs and lines
 * Tara Charendoff – Swift Heart Rabbit
 * Jayne Eastwood – Bedtime Bear
 * Terri Hawkes – Some of Baby Hugs' laughs and some of Shreeky's shrieks, laughs and lines
 * Jim Henshaw – Tenderheart Bear
 * Adam Simpson
 * Sunny Besen Thrasher
 * Noam Zylberman

Uncredited

 * Catherine Disher – Buttercup

Airing history
United States
 * First-run syndication (1985–1990)
 * ABC (1986–1988)
 * CBN Family Channel (1988–1990)
 * Family Channel (1990–1997, DIC episodes only and 1990–1998, 1998-2002, Nelvana episodes only)
 * The Disney Channel (October 1, 1990 – 1998, October 1998 - August 2002)
 * Toon Disney (1998–2002)
 * Playhouse Disney (2008-present/United States Of North America)

United Kingdom
 * The Children's Channel (1980s)
 * TV-am (1980s)
 * ITV (1987–1995)
 * Channel 4 (1990s)
 * Sky One (1990s)
 * Nickelodeon (1994–2001)
 * Tiny Pop (2004–2007)

Canada
 * ATV
 * ASN
 * SRC
 * RDTV
 * CITV-DT
 * Global Television Network (1986–present)
 * NTV
 * YTV (2004–2010)
 * Teletoon (2009-2011)
 * Teletoon Retro (2012-present)
 * Top Kids (2016-2018)

Germany
 * RTL
 * Super RTL
 * NICK (2005–2006)
 * Armed Forces Network (English version; Nelvana episodes only)
 * Euro TV (1985–1986)
 * Odeon TV (1988–1991)
 * Canale 5 (1993)

Poland
 * TVP1 (1993–1995; Nelvana episodes only)
 * TVN (1998–1999; Nelvana episodes only)
 * MiniMini+ (2005–2006; Nelvana episodes only)
 * Top Kids (2016–2018; Nelvana episodes only)

Singapore
 * Channel 5 (1987–1995)
 * Central (2003–2006)

Netherlands
 * Sky Channel
 * VARA (Verenidge Arbeiders Radio Amateurs)

Spain
 * Club Super 3

Ireland
 * Network 2
 * RTÉ One (1994)

Australia
 * Network Ten (1986–1998; DiC episodes air on Andrew Daddo's Cartoon Show and Kids' Stuff, while Nelvana episodes air on Cheez TV)
 * The Disney Channel

New Zealand
 * TV2 (as Channel 2)
 * TV3

Latin America
 * Boomerang

Brazil
 * SBT

Namibia
 * SWABC (1988; Nelvana episodes only)
 * NBC (1990–1991; Nelvana episodes only)

United Arab Emirates
 * Dubai 33
 * Spacetoon English

Malaysia
 * TV3 (Nelvana episodes only)
 * TV2

South Africa
 * M-Net (as part of K-T.V.)
 * Bop TV
 * SABC2 (Nelvana episodes)
 * E.tv (DiC episodes)

Botswana
 * Botswana TV

Kuwait
 * KTV2

Armeni
 * Armenia 1

Ouyana
 * R.B.S. Channel 13
 * DTV Channel 8

Philippines
 * IBC

Zimbabwe
 * ZBC (Nelvana episodes)

Chile
 * Fun Channel (Nelvana episodes only)

Bangladesh
 * BTV

Brunei
 * RTB

Greece
 * Alter Channel

Ghana
 * GTV

France
 * TF1
 * FR3
 * Disney Channel

Kenya
 * KTN
 * KBC

Iceland
 * Stöð 2

Hong Kong
 * TVB (Nelvana episodes only)
 * ATV (Nelvana episodes only)

Nigeria
 * NTA

DiC series
All episodes from the DiC series were originally released on DVD in Region 1 between 2004 and 2006 by Sterling Entertainment. They released all 22 episodes in 7 volume collections entitled Celebration, Dreamland, Forever Friends, Land of Enchantment, Starry Skies, Tenderheart Tales and Fun in the Sun.

In the United Kingdom, Maximum Entertainment released the whole DiC series on 4 DVD sets and 2 VHS releases under license from Jetix Europe (who at the time, owned the pre-1990 DiC library). Volume 1, released in August 2004 contained the first 2 episodes (1 on the VHS) alongside the Freeze Machine and Land without Feelings specials. Volume 2, released in October 2004 contained 5 episodes, and The Magic Shop (released in February 2005) and The Girl who Cried Wolf (released in August 2005) each contained 3 episodes, with the Freeze Machine special appearing on the latter again for an unknown reason, likely as filler. Both sets were released in 2 compilations titled "Volumes 1 and 2" (released in January 2005) and "Wedding Bells" (Released in May 2005), each containing 2 discs with their respective volumes. The separate volumes were re-released again in 2007, with the former 2 volumes being released simply as Care Bears. Another compilation titled Happy Birthday, Care Bears was released by Maximum in February 2008, containing 12 episodes set within 2 discs. Lace DVD re-issued the DVDs again in 2011 as well was releasing the entire series in a 4-disc boxset. These versions are identical to Maximum's releases.

In 2007, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment acquired the rights to the original DiC series and re-released all the DiC-produced episodes on DVD in 5 volume collections entitled Care-A-Lot Adventures, Forest of Feelings, Magical Moments, * Carousel of Dreams and Sharing in the Sunshine.

On August 26, 2008, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection on DVD in Region 1. The 2-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series (with its original opening and closing titles).

In 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series and subsequently released three volume collections which contain 6 episodes each, on September 10, 2013.

On October 6, 2015, Mill Creek released The Care Bears – The Complete Original Series on DVD in Region 1. The 2-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series.

Nelvana series
In Region 1, Lions Gate Entertainment has released many episodes on DVD in various single disc collections from 2004 to 2008. In total, 12 collections have been released, each featuring random episodes from the series.

On October 9, 2012, Lionsgate released Care Bears: The Original Series Collection on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. The 6-disc set features the majority of episodes from the series (from the previously released discs excluding King of the Moon and Give Thanks) as well as the bonus feature Care Bears Nutcracker Suite.

In Region 4, Magna Entertainment released all 52 episodes (in chronological order) on DVD in Australia in 2004 in 12 separate volumes.