We Bare Bears

We Bare Bears is an American animated series created by Daniel Chong for Cartoon Network. The show follows three bear siblings, Grizzly, Panda, and Ice Bear (respectively voiced by Eric Edelstein, Bobby Moynihan, and Demetri Martin), and their awkward attempts at integrating with the human world in the San Francisco Bay Area. The series was based on Chong's webcomic The Three Bare Bears, and the pilot episode made its world premiere at the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival, where it won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category. The series aired from July 27, 2015 to May 27, 2019.[1] </ref>Yu, Brandon (2020-05-21). "Bay Area creator of 'We Bare Bears' marks end of series with new movie>". Datebook. Retrieved 2020-06-26.</ref>title=Datebook: San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide|work=Datebook|accessdate=June 26, 2020}}</ref>

We Bare Bears
GenreComedy
Coming-of-age story
Created byDaniel Chong
Based onThe Three Bare Bears
by Daniel Chong
Directed by
  • Tony Puham (art)
  • Manny Hernandez (also supervising)
Creative director(s)Lauren Sassen
Voices of
Theme music composerIvan Barias
Opening theme"We'll Be There"
by Estelle
Composer(s)Brad Breeck
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes140 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
Running time
  • 11 minutes
  • 22 minutes (specials)
Production company(s)Cartoon Network Studios
DistributorWarner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Audio formatStereo
Original releaseJuly 27, 2015 (2015-07-27) 
May 27, 2019 (2019-05-27)

On May 30, 2019, Cartoon Network announced that We Bare Bears: The Movie will be released in mid-2020 and that an untitled spin-off series that focuses on the three bears as when they were cubs is in development.[2] On May 21, 2020, We Bare Bears: The Movie was announced to release digitally on June 30, 2020.[3] The movie serves as a finale to the series itself.[4]

Plot

We Bare Bears follows three adoptive brother bears: Grizzly (often called Grizz), Panda (often called Pan-Pan), and Ice Bear. The bears attempt to integrate with human society, such as by purchasing food, making human companions or trying to become famous on the Internet, although these attempts see the bears struggle to do so due to the civilized nature of humans and their own animal instincts.[5] However, in the end, they figure out that they have each other for support.[6] The Bears often form a "bear stack", which they use to get around the city. The stack has become perhaps the most recognizable image from the show,[5] although they do travel walking on their own. Occasionally, the bears share adventures with their friends, such as child prodigy Chloe Park, bigfoot Charlie, internet sensation Koala Nom Nom, park ranger Tabes, and produce saleswoman Lucy. Some flashback episodes chronicle the adventures of the bears as cubs trying to find a home.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
PilotNovember 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)
126July 27, 2015 (2015-07-27)February 11, 2016 (2016-02-11)
226February 25, 2016 (2016-02-25)April 11, 2017 (2017-04-11)
344April 3, 2017 (2017-04-03)February 16, 2018 (2018-02-16)
444July 30, 2018 (2018-07-30)May 27, 2019 (2019-05-27)
Shorts155July 6, 2015 (2015-07-06)December 1, 2015 (2015-12-01)
5June 30, 2016 (2016-06-30)
5April 27, 2017 (2017-04-27)

Production

(From top to bottom) Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear (pictured left) forming their "bear stack".[5]

The show was created by cartoonist Daniel Chong, who had previously worked as a story artist for Pixar and Illumination Entertainment. The show is based on his webcomic The Three Bare Bears, which also features the identifying characters. This webcomic was uploaded online from 2010 to 2011.[7] Billed as a comedy, the show is a production of Cartoon Network Studios, which developed the program with Chong as part of their shorts development program. It was announced during the network's 2014 upfront.[6]

Nom Nom and Charlie were initially voiced by Ken Jeong and Tom Arnold, respectively, before getting recast sometime before airing. The show's visual simplistic look was inspired by classic hand-drawn animation akin to Peanuts and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.[8]

Broadcast

The pilot episode made its world premiere as part of two separate venues of the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival at the EYE Film Institute Netherlands: the "Animated Shorts 5",[9] and the "Animated Shorts for Kids" ages 9 to 12.[10] The short was screened alongside the Dutch premiere of Clarence, the Steven Universe episodes "Mirror Gem" and "Ocean Gem", and a live interview with the creator of the latter series, Rebecca Sugar.

International

We Bare Bears promotional event at Victoria Square, Birmingham

We Bare Bears premiered on Cartoon Network in Canada on July 27, 2015[11] It also aired on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 7, 2015.[12][13] The series debuted on Cartoon Network channels in Australia and New Zealand and the Philippines on November 16, 2015 [14][15] It was premiered on Cartoon Network in India on November 29, 2015, and in Italy on December 8, 2015. It was also premiered in Pakistan on Cartoon Network on July 13, 2016 and airs on every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 pm, according to Pakistan Standard Time.[16] In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it airs on Cartoon Network (Pay-TV) and Disney Channel (Free-TV). In the Czech Republic it airs on Cartoon Network (Pay-TV) and ČT Déčko (Free-TV).

Another dubbed version in Filipino aired on October 19, 2016, on 5 alongside the 2016 reboot of The Powerpuff Girls. Both shows also premiered on CNN Philippines' weekend morning block starting September 1, 2018, except that it is broadcast in English and not dubbed in Filipino. In December 2018, Indonesia still aired this series on NET. with the name "NETOON" and dubbed version in Indonesia.

Home media

RegionTitleSeason(s)EpisodesRunning time
(minutes)
Release date
1Viral Video112 ("Our Stuff" – "Panda's Date" • "Burrito" • "Jean Jacket" • "Shush Ninjas" – "Charlie" • "Occupy Bears" • "The Road")132October 4, 2016[17]
2Volume 1112 ("Our Stuff" – "My Clique")132October 7, 2019[18]
4The Complete First Season126286June 9, 2017[19]
Complete Seasons 1-31-3951,056February 14, 2019[20]

Reception

Critical

We Bare Bears has received generally positive reviews from critics. The pilot was described by the EYE Film Institute Netherlands as "hilarious and endearing",[21] and it won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category.[22] The show has been praised by Mashable for tackling "modern millennial anxieties" and for representing racial minorities.[23]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result Refs
2016 Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Madeline Sharafian, Manny Hernandez, and Bert Youn (for "Burrito") Nominated
BAFTA Children's Awards International We Bare Bears Won
2017 17th Kidscreen Awards Best Animated Series We Bare Bears Won
Best Writing We Bare Bears Won
24th International Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart Best International Animation Series For Kids We Bare Bears Won [24]
Kids' Choice Awards Mexico Favorite Cartoon We Bare Bears Nominated [25]
2018 Annie Awards Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children "Episode: Panda's Art" Won
Prix Jeunesse International Festival and Competition Best Fictional Show for 11-to-15-year olds We Bare Bears Nominated [26]
70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Short Form Animated Program "Hurricane Hal" Nominated

In other media

Penguin Random House announced in 2014 that it would publish books based on various programs for Cartoon Network, including We Bare Bears. The books were produced out of the company's Cartoon Network Books imprint, a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group, and is based on a partnership with the network that started in 2013.[27]

References

  1. "CartoonNetworkPR on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  2. Hipes, Patrick; Hipes, Patrick (2019-05-30). "'We Bare Bears' Getting TV Movie Treatment, Potential Spinoff At Cartoon Network". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  3. Milligan, Mercedes (2020-05-21). "Cartoon Network's 'We Bare Bears The Movie' Stacks Up for Digital Debut". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  4. Yu, Brandon (2020-05-21). "Bay Area creator of 'We Bare Bears' marks end of series with new movie>". Datebook. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
  5. "Annecy: Daniel Chong on Cartoon Network's Big New Play, 'We Bare Bears' (EXCLUSIVE)".
  6. "Cartoon Network Unveils Upfront Slate For 2014–15". Deadline Hollywood. March 10, 2014. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  7. Chong, Daniel. The Three Bare Bears (Online comic). Blogger. Archived from the original on June 4, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  8. "We Bare Bears – Interview with Daniel Chong, the Show Creator". Cartoon Network Australia. November 9, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2017 via YouTube.
  9. "KLIK! Festival: Animated Shorts 5". EYE Film Institute Netherlands. 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014 via archive.today (subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries).
  10. "KLIK! Festival: Animated Shorts for Kids (9–12)". EYE Film Institute Netherlands. 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014 via archive.today (subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries).
  11. Cartoon Network Canada (July 27, 2015). "Don't miss the NEW series, WE BARE BEARS, premiering tonight at 7 pm et/pt!". Facebook.
  12. White, Grant (August 4, 2015). "UK Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito Announce September Highlights". Toonzone.
  13. "Cartoon Network UK September 2015 Highlights". RegularCapital.com. Turner Broadcasting System Europe (Press Release). Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  14. Turner Broadcasting System. "Cartoon Network Highlights November 2015". US Campaign Archive. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  15. "Catch the premiere of 'We Bare Bears' on November 16, only on Cartoon Network". Click the City. October 27, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  16. Bhatnagar, Richa (November 23, 2015). "Cartoon Network Launches We Bare Bears in India". Cinespeaks. Mumbai. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  17. "We Bare Bears DVD news: Box Art for Volume 1: Viral Video". TVShowsOnDVD.com. July 28, 2016. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  18. "WE BARE BEARS". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  19. "We Bare Bears: Season 1". Madman Entertainment. June 9, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  20. "We Bare Bears: Seasons 1-3". Madman Entertainment. February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  21. "KLIK! Festival: Cartoon Network: Next Generation". EYE Film Institute Netherlands. November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014 via archive.today (subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries).
  22. "We Bare Bears wint 'Young Amsterdam Audience Award 2014'" [We Bare Bears wins 'Young Amsterdam Audience Award 2014']. TV-Visie (in Dutch). Exsite. November 13, 2014. Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  23. Ng, Yi Shu. "'We Bare Bears' is a kids' show tackling modern millennial anxieties". Mashable. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  24. "We Bare Bears Wins Best International Animation Series For Kids at 24th International Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart – RegularCapital". May 11, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  25. "We Bare Bears Nomination Finalist Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Mexico 2017 – RegularCapital". August 6, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  26. "Finalists". prixjeunesse.de. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  27. Cartoon Network Partners with Penguin Young Readers Group on New Book Imprint. Children's Book Council. September 22, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
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