View source for The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends

{{Short description|American animated television series}}
{{About|the original television series|3=The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Boris & Natasha|the movie by that name|Boris and Natasha: The Movie{{!}}''Boris and Natasha: The Movie''|Boris|Boris Badenov|Natasha|Natasha Fatale}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Rocky and Bullwinkle intro.jpg
| caption              = The show's modern title card, used on home video releases in the 21st century
| alt_name             = {{Plainlist|
* ''Rocky and His Friends'' {{small|(ABC)}}
* ''The Bullwinkle Show'' {{small|(NBC)}}
* ''The Rocky Show'' {{small|(Syndication)}}
* ''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show'' {{small|(Syndication/Cartoon Network)}}
* ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle'' {{small|(Syndication)}}
* ''The Adventures of Bullwinkle and Rocky'' {{small|(Syndication)}}
* ''Bullwinkle's Moose-O-Rama'' {{small|(Nickelodeon)}}
}}
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Surreal humor|Surreal comedy]]
* [[Satire]]
* [[Variety show|Variety]]
}}
| runtime              = 23 minutes
| creator              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jay Ward]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christon |first=Lawrence |date=November 13, 1988 |title=Tales of Jay Ward and the Bullwinkle Gang |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-13-ca-447-story.html |access-date=July 27, 2021 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004093817/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-11-13/entertainment/ca-447_1_jay-ward |archive-date=October 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Folkart |first=Burt |date=October 13, 1989 |title=Artist created TV's Rocky and Bullwinkle |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-13-mn-477-story.html |access-date=July 27, 2021 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306031151/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-13/news/mn-477_1_jay-ward |archive-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Alex Anderson (cartoonist)|Alex Anderson]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=McLellan |first=Dennis |date=October 26, 2010 |title=Artist created TV's Rocky and Bullwinkle |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-oct-26-la-me-alexander-anderson-20101026-story.html |access-date=July 27, 2021 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608211823/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/26/local/la-me-alexander-anderson-20101026 |archive-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Unsung Creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle Dies |url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2027264,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024151216/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2027264,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 24, 2010 |access-date=November 7, 2010 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>
* [[Bill Scott (voice actor)|Bill Scott]]
}}
| producer             = {{Plainlist|
* Jay Ward
* [[Bill Scott (voice actor)|Bill Scott]]
}}
| executive_producer   = [[Ponsonby Britt]], [[O.B.E.]]
| voices               = {{Plainlist|
* [[June Foray]]
* [[Bill Scott (voice actor)|Bill Scott]]
* [[Paul Frees]]
* [[Daws Butler]]
* [[Edward Everett Horton]]
* [[Walter Tetley]]
* [[Charlie Ruggles]]
* [[Hans Conried]]
* [[Hal Smith (actor)|Hal Smith]]
}}
| narrated             = {{Plainlist|
* [[William Conrad]]
* [[Paul Frees]]
* [[Edward Everett Horton]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Frank Comstock]] (Seasons 1–2)
* [[Fred Steiner]] (Seasons 3–5)
}}
| company              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jay Ward Productions]]
* Gamma Productions
* Producers Associates for Television
* Gerald Ray Studios (Seasons 1 and 2, 1959 - 1961)
* [[Format Films|Format Films Inc.]] (Seasons 2 - 3, 1960 - 1962)
}}
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| network              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Of Moose And Men |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-01-02/lifestyle/9612310366_1_bullwinkle-j-moose-peabody-s-improbable-history-bullwinkle-show |access-date=November 7, 2010 |website=Sun Sentinel |archive-date=May 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524102816/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-01-02/lifestyle/9612310366_1_bullwinkle-j-moose-peabody-s-improbable-history-bullwinkle-show |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|network2              = [[NBC]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=TV writer C. Hayward, of cartoon Bullwinkle |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2006-12-18/news/0612170108_1_mr-hayward-bullwinkle-dudley-do-right |access-date=November 7, 2010 |website=Sun Sentinel |archive-date=May 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524102835/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2006-12-18/news/0612170108_1_mr-hayward-bullwinkle-dudley-do-right |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1959|11|19}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1961|07|10}}
| first_aired2         = {{Start date|1961|09|24}}
| last_aired2          = {{End date|1964|06|27}}
| num_seasons          = 5
| num_episodes         = 163 (685 segments)
| list_episodes        = List of Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes
}}
'''''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends''''' (commonly referred to as simply '''''Rocky and Bullwinkle''''') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[NBC]] television networks. Produced by [[Jay Ward Productions]], the series is structured as a [[variety show]], with the main feature being the [[serial (radio and television)|serialized]] adventures of the two title characters, the [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] [[flying squirrel]] [[Rocky the Flying Squirrel|Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel]] and [[moose]] [[Bullwinkle J. Moose]]. The main [[antagonists]] in most of their adventures are the two [[Soviet Union|Russian]]-like spies [[Boris Badenov]] and [[Natasha Fatale]], both working for the [[Nazi]]-like [[dictator]] [[Fearless Leader]]. Supporting segments include "[[Dudley Do-Right]]" (a parody of old-time melodrama), "[[Mr. Peabody|Peabody's Improbable History]]" (a dog named Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman traveling through time), and "Fractured Fairy Tales" (classic [[fairy tale]]s retold in comic fashion), among others.<ref name=ward/> The current blanket title was imposed for home video releases more than 40 years after the series originally aired and was never used when the show was televised; television airings of the show were broadcast under the titles of '''''Rocky and His Friends''''' from 1959 to 1961 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on ABC (and again in Canada in 1963), '''''The Bullwinkle Show''''' from 1961 to 1964 on Sunday evening and then late Sunday afternoon on NBC, and '''''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show''''' (or '''''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle''''') as repeats from 1964-73 on Sunday mornings on ABC and in syndication following this.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends – The Complete First Season |work=DVD Talk |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/print.php?ID=7232 |access-date=November 7, 2010 |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013194340/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/print.php?ID=7232 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' is known for quality writing and wry humor. Mixing [[pun]]s, cultural and topical [[satire]], and [[self-referential humor]], it appealed to adults as well as children.<ref name="ward">{{Cite news |date=October 15, 1989 |title=Jay Ward: Masterful Humorist |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-15-op-128-story.html |access-date=November 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Holz |first=Jo |title=Kids' TV Grows Up: The Path from Howdy Doody to SpongeBob |publisher=McFarland |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-4766-6874-1 |location=Jefferson, NC |pages=68–69}}</ref> It was also one of the first cartoons whose animation was [[Outsourcing of animation|outsourced]]; storyboards were shipped to [[Gamma Productions]], a Mexican studio also employed by [[Total Television]]. The art has a choppy, unpolished look and [[Limited animation|the animation is extremely limited]] even by television animation standards at the time, yet the series has long been held in high esteem by those who have seen it; some critics described the series as a well-written radio program with pictures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 26, 2010 |title=Alex Anderson interview |url=http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/anderson/home.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026035438/http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/anderson/home.asp |archive-date=October 26, 2010 |website=Hogan's Alley}}</ref>
The show was shuffled around several times during its run, airing in afternoon, [[prime time]], and [[Saturday-morning cartoon]] timeslots, and was influential to other animated series from ''[[The Simpsons]]'' to ''[[Rocko's Modern Life]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Marsh |first1=Jeff |last2=Dan Abrams |year=1997 |title=Contributors |url=http://www.title14.com/rocko/contributors/interview.html |access-date=November 9, 2011 |publisher=The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ |quote=It was always our intent to create shows that would be entertaining on many levels. Rocky and Bullwinkle are still funny to me now, but on a new level. There were jokes that I didn't get as a child that I now understand the references to. They were able to create shows that were funny to both groups without sacrificing anything. That is a hard job to do and we always strove to emulate that quality}}</ref> Segments from the series were later recycled in the ''[[Hoppity Hooper]]'' show. There have been numerous feature film adaptations of the series' various segments, such as the 2000 film ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (film)|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'', which blended live-action and computer animation;<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle – Rotten Tomatoes |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/adventures_of_rocky_and_bullwinkle/ |access-date=November 10, 2011 |publisher=Flixster}}</ref> and the 1999 live-action film ''[[Dudley Do-Right (film)|Dudley Do-Right]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dudley Do-Right |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dudley_doright/ |access-date=March 18, 2014 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> Both films received poor reviews and were financially unsuccessful. By contrast, an animated feature film adaptation of the "Peabody's Improbable History" segment, ''[[Mr. Peabody & Sherman]]'', was released to positive reviews in 2014. A [[reboot (fiction)|rebooted]] animated series also based on "Peabody's Improbable History", ''[[The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show]]'', debuted on [[Netflix]] in October 2015.<ref name="TAGAnimationWork">{{Cite web |last=Hulett |first=Steve |date=August 14, 2014 |title=Animation Work In And Around Los Angeles |url=http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/animation-work-in-and-around-los-angeles.html |access-date=August 15, 2014 |publisher=The Animation Guild}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=August 6, 2015 |title=Netflix Reboots 'Mr. Peabody and Sherman' in Series from DreamWorks Animation (Exclusive) |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/mr-peabody-and-sherman-netflix-show-dreamworks-animation-1201557948/ |access-date=August 7, 2015}}</ref>
Another reboot animated series based on the main and final segments, ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (TV series)|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' premiered on [[Amazon Prime Video]] on May 11, 2018. In 2013, ''Rocky and His Friends'' and ''The Bullwinkle Show'' were ranked the sixth-greatest television cartoon of all time by ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2013 |title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Greatest Cartoons of All Time |url=http://www.tvguide.com/News/Greatest-Cartoons-TV-Guide-Magazine-1071203.aspx |website=tvguide.com}}</ref>
==Background==
The idea for the series came from [[Jay Ward]] and [[Alex Anderson (cartoonist)|Alex Anderson]], who previously collaborated on ''[[Crusader Rabbit]]'', based upon the original property ''The Frostbite Falls Revue''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Erickson |first=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |edition=2nd |pages=677–685}}</ref> This original show never got beyond the proposal stage. It featured a group of forest animals running a television station. The group included Rocket J. Squirrel (Rocky), Oski Bear, Canadian Moose (Bullwinkle), Sylvester Fox, Blackstone Crow, and Floral Fauna. The show in this form was created by Alex Anderson.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Farber |first=Jim |date=February 8, 1991 |title=Rock Lives |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1991/02/08/adventures-rocky-and-bullwinkle-video |access-date=November 7, 2010 |archive-date=January 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110122346/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,313261,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> (The bear and fox characters would later be retooled for Ward's next series, ''[[Hoppity Hooper]]''.) Bullwinkle's name came from the name of a car dealership in Berkeley, California, called Bullwinkel Motors. Anderson changed the order of the last two letters of the name and gave the name to his moose.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schudel |first=Matt |date=October 25, 2010 |title=Alex Anderson, creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle, dies at 90 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/24/AR2010102402638.html?full_summary=1 |via=washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
Ward wanted to produce the show in Los Angeles, but Anderson lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and did not want to relocate. As a result, Ward hired [[Bill Scott (voice actor)|Bill Scott]] as head writer and co-producer at Jay Ward Productions, and he wrote the ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' features. Ward was joined by writers [[Chris Hayward]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fox |first=Margalit |date=December 19, 2006 |title=Chris Hayward, 81, TV Writer And a Creator of 'Munsters' |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0C11F838550C7A8DDDAB0994DE404482 |access-date=November 7, 2010}}</ref> and [[Allan Burns]]; they eventually became known for creating ''[[The Munsters]]'' with Burns going to co-create ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''. In a 1982 interview, Scott said, "I got a call from Jay asking if I'd be interested in writing another series, an adventure script with a moose and a squirrel. I said, 'Sure.' I didn't know if I could write an adventure with a moose and a squirrel, but I never turned down a job."<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2, 2012 |title=Bullwinkle Speaks! An Interview With Bill Scott |url=http://cartoonician.com/bullwinkle-speaks-an-interview-with-bill-scott/ |website=cartoonician.com |access-date=January 28, 2013 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116053534/http://cartoonician.com/bullwinkle-speaks-an-interview-with-bill-scott/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Production===
The series began with the pilot ''Rocky the Flying Squirrel''. Production began in February 1958 with the hiring of [[voice actor]]s [[June Foray]], [[Paul Frees]], Bill Scott, and [[William Conrad]]. Eight months later, [[General Mills]] signed a deal to sponsor the cartoon program, under the condition that the show be run in a late-afternoon time slot, when it could be targeted toward children. Subsequently, Ward hired the rest of the production staff, including writers and designers. However, no animators were hired. Ad executives at [[Dancer Fitzgerald Sample|Dancer, Fitzgerald and Sample]], the advertising agency for General Mills, set up an animation studio in Mexico called [[Gamma Productions]] S.A. de C.V., originally known as Val-Mar Animation. This [[Outsourcing of animation|outsourcing]] of the animation for the series was considered financially attractive by primary sponsor General Mills, but caused endless production problems. In a 1982 interview by animation historian Jim Korkis, Bill Scott described some of the problems that arose during production of the series:
<blockquote>We found out very quickly that we could not depend on Mexican studios to produce anything of quality. They were turning out the work very quickly and there were all kinds of mistakes and flaws and boo-boos{{nbsp}}... They would never check{{nbsp}}... Mustaches popped on and off Boris, Bullwinkle's antlers would change, colors would change, costumes would disappear{{nbsp}}... By the time we finally saw it, it was on the air.<ref name="cataroo.com">{{Cite web |title=Rocky & Bullwinkle |url=http://www.cataroo.com/cst_ROCKY.html |access-date=2012-09-28 |publisher=Cataroo.com}}</ref></blockquote>
===Network television: 1959–1973===
{{See also|List of Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes}}
[[File:Rocky_And_His_Friends.png|thumb|left|The show was titled ''Rocky and His Friends'' while airing on ABC...]]
[[File:The_Bullwinkle_Show.png|thumb|left|...and was later re-titled ''The Bullwinkle Show'' after its move to NBC]]
The show was broadcast for the first time on November 19, 1959, on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television network, under the title ''Rocky and His Friends'', twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, following ''[[American Bandstand]]'' at 4:30&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]], where it was the highest-rated daytime network program.<ref>[[Keith Scott (voice actor)|Keith Scott]] (2000). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=qdwcbJxM-HsC The Moose that Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose]''. [[St. Martin's Press]]. {{ISBN|0-312-19922-8}}</ref> The show moved to the [[NBC]] network starting September 24, 1961, broadcast in color, and first appeared on Sundays at 7:00&nbsp;p.m., just before ''[[Walt Disney anthology television series|Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color]]''. ''Bullwinkle''{{'}}s ratings suffered as a result of airing opposite perennial favorite ''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]''. A potential move to [[CBS]]<ref name="cataroo.com" /> caused NBC to reschedule the show to late Sunday afternoons (5:30&nbsp;p.m.)<ref name="cataroo.com" /> and early Saturday afternoons in its final season. NBC canceled the show in the summer of 1964. It was shopped to ABC, but they were not interested. However, reruns of episodes were aired on ABC's Sunday morning schedule at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. until 1973, at which time the series went into syndication.
An abbreviated 15-minute version of the series ran in syndication in the 1960s under the title ''The Rocky Show''. This version was sometimes shown in conjunction with ''The King and Odie'', a 15-minute version of Total Television's ''[[King Leonardo and His Short Subjects]]''. ''The King and Odie'' was similar to ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' in that it was sponsored by General Mills and animated by Gamma Productions.
''The Bullwinkle Show'' returned to network television during the 1981-1982 season, when NBC aired it at 12:30&nbsp;p.m. ET Saturday afternoons. These were rebroadcasts of the original 35mm network prints as Jay Ward produced them, without the Total Television fillers added to the 16mm syndication prints.
===Syndication===
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2013}}
[[File:The Adventures of Bullwinkle and Rocky.png|thumb|right|Title card from the syndicated run under the title ''The Adventures of Bullwinkle and Rocky'']]
Reruns of the show aired on ABC from 1964 to 1973 and from 1981 to 1982.<ref>{{cite book | last=Booker | first=M.K. | title=Drawn to Television: Prime-Time Animation from The Flintstones to Family Guy | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | series=The Praeger Television Collection | year=2006 | isbn=978-0-313-07615-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbbOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA23 | access-date=December 24, 2023 | page=23}}</ref> On cable, the series had extended runs on [[Nickelodeon]] (1992–1996), [[Cartoon Network]] (1996–2003) and [[Boomerang (TV network)|Boomerang]] (mid 2000s). Since the late 2000s, The Program Exchange has typically only licensed the series for short-term runs; nationally, the series has seen limited airings on [[WGN America]] (2009), [[VH1 Classic]] (2012), and Boomerang (2013). Since The Program Exchange's demise, the series has resurfaced over-the-air on [[MeTV Toons]] as of 2024, airing under the title "'''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'''" for the first time on American television.
''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show'' remained in [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] [[rerun]]s and was still available for local television stations through [[The Program Exchange]] as late as 2016; [[WBBZ-TV]], for instance, aired the show in a [[strip programming|strip]] to [[Counterprogramming (television)|counterprogram]] [[Late-night news|10 PM newscasts]] in the [[Buffalo, New York]], market during the summer 2013 season.<ref>Pergament, Alan (May 31, 2013). [http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2013/05/eyewitness-news-staff-to-grow-buffalo-scores-in-nhl-ratings.html Eyewitness News staff to grow, Buffalo scores in NHL ratings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007215409/http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2013/05/eyewitness-news-staff-to-grow-buffalo-scores-in-nhl-ratings.html |date=October 7, 2013 }}. ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved May 31, 2013.</ref> The underlying rights are now owned by [[WildBrain]], who acquired the licensing, production, and distribution rights to Ward's library in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title="HOKEY SMOKES, BULLWINKLE!" – WILDBRAIN AND JAY WARD PRODUCTIONS JOIN FORCES ON LEGENDARY CLASSICS: GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN, DUDLEY DO-RIGHT, ROCKY & BULLWINKLE, SUPER CHICKEN AND MORE |url=https://www.wildbrain.com/newsreleases/hokey-smokes-bullwinkle-wildbrain-and-jay-ward-productions-join-forces-on-legendary-classics-george-of-the-jungle-mr-peabody-sherman-dudley-do-right-rocky-bullwi/ |access-date=March 16, 2022 |website=WildBrain |date=February 3, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> These rights were previously held by [[Universal Pictures]], which acquired the library of predecessor companies [[DreamWorks Animation]] and [[DreamWorks Classics|Classic Media]] in 2016 (coinciding with The Program Exchange's shutdown), and who in turn with copyright holder Ward Productions formed the joint venture Bullwinkle Studios, which managed the Rocky and Bullwinkle properties. Despite the move, Universal still owns the rights to the co-productions Ward produced with DreamWorks.
Sponsor [[General Mills]] retained all United States television rights to the series. Two packages, each containing different episodes, are available. The syndicated version of ''The Bullwinkle Show'' contains 98 half-hour shows (#801–898).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Program Exchange |url=http://www.programexchange.com/detail.aspx?c_id=1&p_id=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513174609/http://www.programexchange.com/detail.aspx?c_id=1&p_id=6 |archive-date=May 13, 2015 |access-date=June 23, 2014}}</ref> The first 78 comprise the Rocky and Bullwinkle story lines from the first two seasons of the original series (these segments originally aired under the ''Rocky and His Friends'' title). Other elements in the half-hour shows (''[[#Supporting features|Fractured Fairy Tales]]'', ''[[Mister Peabody|Peabody's Improbable History]]'', ''[[Dudley Do-Right]] of the Mounties'', ''[[#Supporting features|Aesop and Son]]'', and short cartoons including ''[[Bullwinkle's Corner]]'' and ''[[Mr. Know-It-All]]'') sometimes appear out of the original broadcast sequence. The final 20 syndicated ''Bullwinkle Show'' episodes feature later ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' story lines (from "Bumbling Bros. Circus" through the end of the series, minus "Moosylvania") along with ''Fractured Fairy Tales'', ''Bullwinkle's Corner'', and ''Mr. Know-It-All'' segments repeated from earlier in the syndicated episode cycle. Originally, many syndicated shows included segments of Total Television's ''The World of [[Commander McBragg]]'', but these cartoons were replaced with other segments when the shows were remastered in the early 1990s. A package, promoted under the ''Rocky and His Friends'' name but utilizing ''The Rocky Show'' titles, features story lines not included in the syndicated ''Bullwinkle Show'' series.<ref name="The Program Exchange">{{Cite web |title=The Program Exchange |url=http://www.programexchange.com/detail.aspx?c_id=1&p_id=12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513175125/http://www.programexchange.com/detail.aspx?c_id=1&p_id=12 |archive-date=May 13, 2015 |access-date=June 23, 2014}}</ref>
The most recently syndicated ''Rocky and His Friends'' package retains the 15-minute format, consisting of 156 individual episodes, but like ''The Bullwinkle Show'', the content differs from the versions syndicated in the 1960s.<ref name="The Program Exchange" /> The various supporting segments, including ''Fractured Fairy Tales'' (91), ''Peabody's Improbable History'' (91), and ''Aesop and Son'' (39) segments are syndicated as part of ''Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales'', and 38 of the 39 ''Dudley Do-Right'' cartoons are syndicated as part of ''Dudley Do Right ''(sic)'' and Friends''. Syndicated versions of the shows distributed outside of the United States and Canada combine the various segments under the package title ''Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends''; it is this version of the show that is represented on official [[DVD-Video|DVD]] releases through DreamWorks Classics and the official online version sold at websites such as [[Amazon Video]].
==Characters==
[[File:Rocky bullwinkle peachfuzz.jpg|thumb|From left to right: Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz]]
The lead characters and heroes of the series were [[Rocky the Flying Squirrel|Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel]], a [[flying squirrel]] (who anchored the perspective of the show's younger audience), and his best friend [[Bullwinkle J. Moose]], a dimwitted but good-natured [[moose]] (who carried a bulk of the adult humor with his spontaneous puns). Both characters lived in the fictional town of Frostbite Falls, [[Minnesota]], which was purportedly based on the real city of [[International Falls, Minnesota]].<ref>{{Cite web |title="Northern Exposure," University of Chicago Magazine, April 1997 |url=http://magazine.uchicago.edu/9704/9704West.html |website=magazine.uchicago.edu}}</ref> The scheming villains in most episodes were the fiendish spies [[Boris Badenov]] (a pun on [[Boris Godunov]]) and [[Natasha Fatale]] (a pun on [[femme fatale]]), forever attempting to "catch Moose and Squirrel". Other characters included [[Fearless Leader]], the dictator of the fictitious nation of [[Pottsylvania]] and Boris and Natasha's superior; [[Gidney & Cloyd]], little green men from the Moon who were armed with scrooch guns; Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz, the captain of the S.S. ''Andalusia''; various U.S. government bureaucrats and politicians (such as Senator Fussmussen, a recurring character who opposed admitting [[Alaska]] and [[Hawaii]] to the Union on the grounds of his own [[xenophobia]]); and the inevitable onlookers, Edgar and Chauncy.
==Structure==
When first shown on NBC, the cartoons were introduced by a Bullwinkle puppet, voiced by Bill Scott, who would often lampoon celebrities, current events, and especially [[Walt Disney]], whose program ''[[Walt Disney anthology television series|Wonderful World of Color]]'' was next on the schedule. Compared with the dim-witted and lovable moose that most fans of the series would grow up with, in this short-lived version Bullwinkle was portrayed as a sarcastic smart-aleck. On one occasion, "Bullwinkle" encouraged children to pull the tuning knobs off their television sets. ("It's loads of fun, and that way, you'll be sure to be with us next week!") The network received complaints from parents of an estimated 20,000 child viewers who actually did so. Bullwinkle told the children the following week to put the knobs back on with glue "and make it stick!" The puppet sequence was dropped altogether.<ref>Marc Robinson (2002) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=OLHd9Z6MrWkC Brought to You In Living Color: 75 Years of Great Moments in Television & Radio From NBC]''. John Wiley and Sons. p. 83 {{ISBN|0-471-46921-1}}</ref> Scott later re-used the puppet for a segment called "Dear Bullwinkle," where letters written for the show were read and answered humorously.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/U5RYoiylEH0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150710080222/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5RYoiylEH0 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web |title=Dear Bullwinkle Shorts |website = [[YouTube]]| date=July 30, 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5RYoiylEH0 |access-date=June 23, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Four episodes of "Dear Bullwinkle" are on the Season 1 DVD.
Each episode is composed of two ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' [[cliffhanger]] shorts that stylistically emulated early [[serial (radio and television)|radio and film serials]]. The plots of these shorts would combine into [[story arc]]s spanning numerous episodes. The first and longest story arc was ''Jet Fuel Formula'' consisting of 40 shorts (20 episodes). Stories ranged from seeking the missing ingredient for a rocket fuel formula, to tracking the monstrous whale ''Maybe Dick'', to an attempt to prevent mechanical metal-munching moon mice from devouring the nation's television antennas. Rocky and Bullwinkle frequently encounter the two Pottsylvanian nogoodniks, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale.
At the end of most episodes, the narrator, [[William Conrad]], would announce two humorous titles for the next episode that typically were puns of each other (and usually related more to the current predicament than to the plot of the next episode). For example, during an adventure taking place in a [[mountain range]], the narrator would state, "Be with us next time for '[[Avalanche]] Is Better Than None,' or 'Snow's Your Old Man.{{'"}} Such a 'This' or 'That' title announcement was borrowed from ''[[The Adventures of Sam Spade]]'' radio shows produced in 1946–1950. The narrator frequently spoke with the characters, thus breaking the [[fourth wall]].
Episodes were introduced with one of four opening sequences:
* Rocky flies about snow-covered mountains. Below him, hiking on a snowy trail, Bullwinkle is distracted by a billboard featuring his name, and walks off a ledge. He becomes a large snowball as he rolls downhill. Rocky flies to him and pushes against the snowball, slowing it to a halt at the edge of another cliff. Bullwinkle pops out of the snowball to catch the teetering squirrel at the cliff edge.
* In a circus, Rocky is preparing to jump from a high diving board into a tub of water tended by Bullwinkle. However, when Rocky jumps, he ends up flying around the circus tent, while Bullwinkle chases after him carrying the tub. As Rocky lands safely, Bullwinkle tumbles into the tub. This was the same intro used for the Buena Vista VHS series in the early 1990s.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/UJIJvvNL6nE Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150710085146/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJIJvvNL6nE Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web |title=Opening to The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle La Grande Moose (1991) VHS |website = [[YouTube]]| date=August 26, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJIJvvNL6nE |access-date=June 23, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
* Rocky is flying acrobatically about a city landscape. Bullwinkle is high atop a flagpole painting, and is knocked from his perch as the squirrel flies by. Rocky attempts to catch the plummeting moose with a butterfly net, but the moose falls through. Rocky then flies lower to find his friend suspended from a clothesline, having fallen into a pair of [[Long underwear|long johns]].
* Similar to the previous opening, Rocky is again flying about the city. Bullwinkle is suspended from a safety harness posting a sign on a large billboard. He loses his balance as the squirrel zooms past him and tumbles off the platform. The moose lands on a banner pole mounted on the side of a building, and the recoil springs him back into the air. He lands on a store awning, slides down, and drops a few feet to a bench on which Rocky is seated. The impact launches the squirrel off the bench, and Bullwinkle nonchalantly catches him in his left hand to end the sequence.
Episodes ended with a [[commercial bumper|bumper]] sequence in which a violent lightning storm destroys the landscape, appearing to engulf Rocky and Bullwinkle in the destruction and accompanied by dramatic piano music. The music would become more lighthearted, and the ground would scroll upward while the outlines of the heroes gradually appeared. We then see a smiling sun overlooking a barren field which rapidly fills with [[sunflower]]s until Rocky and Bullwinkle finally sprout from the ground.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ZNyB_URZLPQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20150723043511/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNyB_URZLPQ Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web |title=Rocky and Bullwinkle intermission |website = [[YouTube]]| date=January 18, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNyB_URZLPQ |access-date=June 24, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==Supporting features==
The ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' shorts serve as "bookends" for popular supporting features, including:
* "'''[[Dudley Do-Right|Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties]]'''", a parody of early-20th-century [[melodrama]] and [[serial film|silent film serials]] of the [[Northern (genre)|Northern genre]]. Dudley Do-Right is a [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police|Canadian Mountie]] in constant pursuit of his nemesis, [[Snidely Whiplash]], who sports the standard "villain" attire of black top hat, cape, and large [[handlebar moustache]]. This is one of the few Jay Ward cartoons to feature a background music track (by Dennis Farnon). As is standard in Ward's cartoons, jokes often have more than one meaning. A standard gag is to introduce characters in an irised close-up with the name of fictional actors displayed in a caption below, a convention seen in some early silent films. The names are usually silly names or subtle puns, e.g., Abraham Wilkes Booth as Dudley Do-Right, Sweetness N. Light as [[Nell Fenwick]], and Claud Hopper as Snidely Whiplash. On one occasion, Whiplash's role is credited to the then-incarcerated bank robber [[Willie Sutton]]. Occasionally, even the scenery is introduced in this manner, as when "Dead Man's Gulch" is identified as being portrayed by "Gorgeous Gorge," a reference to professional wrestler [[Gorgeous George]].
[[File:Waybackmachine3.png|thumb|Sherman (left) and [[Mister Peabody|Mr. Peabody]] (right) enter the Wayback machine ca. 1960 to witness another time and place in history.]]
* "'''[[Peabody's Improbable History]]'''" features a genius talking dog named [[Mr. Peabody]] who has a pet human boy named Sherman. Mr. Peabody is named after a dog belonging to Scott's son John; Sherman is named after UPA director Sherman Glas. Peabody and Sherman use Peabody's "[[Wayback Machine (Peabody's Improbable History)|WABAC machine]]" (pronounced "way-back", spelled WAYBAC in season 1, episode 4 ("[[Wyatt Earp]]"), and partially a play on words of the names of early computers such as [[UNIVAC]] and [[ENIAC]]) to go back in time to discover the ''real'' story behind historical events, and in many cases, intervene with uncooperative historical figures to ensure that events transpire as history has recorded.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Green |first=Heather |date=February 28, 2002 |title=A Library as Big as the World |url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2002/tc20020228_1080.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020601134105/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2002/tc20020228_1080.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 1, 2002 |magazine=[[BusinessWeek]] |access-date=July 29, 2007}}</ref> The term "Wayback Machine" is used to this day in Internet applications such as Wikipedia and the [[Internet Archive]] to refer to the ability to see or revert to older content. These segments are famous for including a terrible pun at the end. Perhaps the worst one appears in the "Mata Hari" episode, where Peabody explains that the entire population of Scotland was evacuated in a zeppelin: "one nation in dirigible."
* "'''Fractured Fairy Tales'''" presented familiar fairy tales and children's stories, but with altered, modernized storylines for humorous, [[Fairy tale parody|satirical effect]]. This segment was narrated by [[Edward Everett Horton]]; [[June Foray]], Bill Scott, Paul Frees, and [[Daws Butler]] supplied the voices.<ref name="Scott2014">{{Cite book |last=Keith Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2KvcAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT173 |title=The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose |date=April 8, 2014 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-1-4668-6743-7 |pages=173–}}</ref> A typical example was their spin on "[[Sleeping Beauty]]." In this version, the prince (a caricature of Walt Disney) ''doesn't'' wake up Sleeping Beauty; instead, he builds a theme-park around her ("Sleeping Beautyland"), and gets headlines in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine ("Doze Doll Duz Wiz Biz" and "Doze Doll Dull").
* "'''Aesop and Son'''" is similar to "Fractured Fairy Tales", complete with the same theme music, except it deals with [[fable]]s instead of fairy tales. The typical structure consists of [[Aesop]] attempting to teach a lesson to his son using a fable. After hearing the story, the son subverts the fable's moral with a pun. This structure was also suggested by the feature's opening titles, which showed Aesop painstakingly carving his name in marble using a mallet and chisel and then his son, with a jackhammer and raising a cloud of dust, appending "And Son." Aesop was voiced (uncredited) by actor [[Charlie Ruggles]]<ref>{{cite book | last=Scott | first=Keith | title=The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose | publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-4668-6743-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2KvcAgAAQBAJ | access-date=July 18, 2023 | page=153}}</ref> and the son, Junior, was voiced by Daws Butler.
* "'''Bullwinkle's Corner'''" features the dimwitted moose attempting to introduce culture into the proceedings by reciting (and acting out) poems and [[nursery rhyme]]s, inadvertently and humorously butchering them. Poems subjected to this treatment include several by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] ("My Shadow", "The Swing", and "Where Go the Boats"); [[William Wordsworth]]'s [[I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud|"Daffodils"]]; "[[Little Miss Muffet]]", "[[Little Jack Horner]]", and "[[Wee Willie Winkie]]"; [[John Greenleaf Whittier|J. G. Whittier]]'s "[[Barbara Frietchie]]"; and "The Queen of Hearts" by [[Charles Lamb (writer)|Charles Lamb]]. [[Simple Simon (nursery rhyme)|Simple Simon]] is performed with Boris as the pie man, but as a variation of the famous [[Abbott and Costello]] routine "[[Who's on First?]]".
* "'''Mr. Know-It-All'''" again features Bullwinkle posing as an authority on any topic. Disaster inevitably ensues. [[Boris Badenov]] plays a variety of roles as Bullwinkle's antagonist in most of the segments.<ref>Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed.
0786486414 Vincent Terrace - 2008 "Bullwinkle also appeared in filler segments called "Mr. Know-It-All" where he displayed his knowledge (his "bird's eye view with a brain")</ref>
* "'''The Bullwinkle and Rocky Fan Club'''", a series of abortive attempts by Rocky and Bullwinkle to conduct club business. The fan club consists only of Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris, Natasha, and Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz. These shorts portray the characters as somewhat out of character, with even more fourth-wall breaks than in the story arcs.
Some later syndication prints of ''The Bullwinkle Show'' include short segments of ''[[Commander McBragg|The World of Commander McBragg]]'': a tale-spinning windbag regaling a skeptical friend with exaggerated feats of heroism. These short features were never part of the Bullwinkle canon. They were actually prepared for ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales]]'' (and later shown on ''[[Underdog (TV series)|The Underdog Show]]''). Although the shorts were animated by the same company, Gamma Productions of Mexico, they were produced for Total Television, rather than Ward Productions. These segments were packaged with pre-1990 syndicated versions of ''The Bullwinkle Show'' and appear in syndicated episodes of ''The Underdog Show'', ''Dudley Do-Right and Friends'', and ''Uncle Waldo's Cartoon Show''. Since 1990, this feature has been deleted from the Bullwinkle library and has never been included in Bullwinkle home videos.
==Voice cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Actor
!Character(s) voiced
|-
|[[Bill Scott (voice actor)|Bill Scott]]
|Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Fearless Leader, Mr. Peabody, Gidney, Mr. Big, various others
|-
|[[June Foray]]
|Rocky, Natasha Fatale, Nell Fenwick, various witches and princesses in ''Fractured Fairy Tales'', and nearly every other female character in the show
|-
|[[Paul Frees]]
|Boris Badenov, Captain Peter "Wrongway" Peachfuzz, Cloyd, Inspector Fenwick, narrator for ''Dudley Do-Right'' (shared), various historical figures in ''Peabody's Improbable History''
|-
|[[Walter Tetley]]
|Sherman
|-
|[[Daws Butler]]
|Aesop Junior, various characters in ''Fractured Fairy Tales'' and ''Aesop and Son''
|-
|[[Charlie Ruggles]]
|Aesop
|-
|[[Hans Conried]]
|Snidely Whiplash
|-
|[[William Conrad]]
|narrator for ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'', narrator for ''Dudley Do-Right'' (shared)
|-
|[[Edward Everett Horton]]
|narrator for ''Fractured Fairy Tales''
|}
==Cultural impact==
* In 1962, as a publicity stunt, Ward leased a small island on a lake between Minnesota and Canada, which he named after "Moosylvania",<ref>{{Cite web |last=McLaughlin |first=Katie |date=November 26, 2009 |title=Happy 50th birthday, 'Rocky & Bullwinkle' |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/26/rocky.bullwinkle.anniversary/index.html |access-date=August 16, 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref> a small island shown in the later ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' cartoons. In a campaign to make the island into the 51st state, he and Scott drove a van across the country to about 50–60 cities collecting petition signatures. Arriving in Washington, D.C., they pulled up to the [[White House]] gate to see [[President Kennedy]], and were brusquely turned away. They had arrived during the height of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Moosylvania Page |url=http://flyingmoose.org/moose/moose.htm |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=Flyingmoose.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jay's Adventures "Moosylvania Statehood" |url=http://bullwinkle.toonzone.net/moosylvania.htm |website=Hokey Smoke! Rocky & Bullwinkle |access-date=February 1, 2015 |archive-date=February 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202012026/http://bullwinkle.toonzone.net/moosylvania.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Also in 1962, British Invasion band [[Herman's Hermits]] got its name because bandmates thought lead singer [[Peter Noone]] looked like Sherman of "Mr. Peabody" fame, and the name "Herman" was close enough to "Sherman" for them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herman's Hermits – Magazine Articles |url=http://www.hermanshermits.com/articles/misc/flashback10_p2.html |access-date=October 31, 2011 |publisher=Hermanshermits.com |archive-date=May 14, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514091742/http://www.hermanshermits.com/articles/misc/flashback10_p2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In the sci-fi movie ''[[Back to the Future]]'', Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to November 5, 1955, ending up on the Twin Pines Ranch, owned by "Old Man Peabody," who angrily shoots at the DeLorean, mistaking it as a spaceship, taken from his son Sherman, when Marty, who was also mistaken as an alien, accidentally killed a pine sapling. Director [[Robert Zemeckis]] named the landowner after Mr. Peabody, the time-traveling dog: the subtle joke being that Mr. Peabody apparently did ''not'' take kindly to competing time-travelers.
* [[TSR, Inc.]] released ''[[Bullwinkle and Rocky Role-Playing Party Game]]'' in 1988, a roleplaying game based on the world of Rocky and Bullwinkle. The game consisted of rules, mylar hand puppets, cards, and spinners.<ref name="history">{{Cite web |title=The History of TSR |url=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDArchives_History.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924195557/http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnDArchives_History.asp |archive-date=September 24, 2008 |access-date=August 20, 2005 |publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]}}</ref>
* [[Data East]] produced a [[Pinball|pinball machine]] titled ''Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (1993).
* In 1999, [[Mattel]] made Rocky and Bullwinkle-themed cars under its [[Hot Wheels]] line.<ref name=ragan>{{cite book | last=Ragan | first=M. | title=Hot Wheels Cars | publisher=MBI Publishing Company | series=Nostalgic treasures | year=2001 | isbn=978-0-7603-0839-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nxNITOLQBJUC&pg=PA119 | access-date=July 22, 2023 | page=119}}</ref>
* In 2002, ''Rocky and His Friends'' ranked #47 on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|''TV Guide''{{'}}s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]].<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/ ''TV Guide'' Names Top 50 Shows]. [[Associated Press]]/[[CBS News]]: April 26, 2002</ref>
* In 2002, ''[[TV Guide]]'' named Rocky and Bullwinkle as the joint third-greatest cartoon character of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-07-30 |title=CNN.com - TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time - July 30, 2002 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/30/cartoon.characters.list/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221170238/https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/30/cartoon.characters.list/ |archive-date=2022-02-21 |access-date= |website=www.cnn.com}}</ref>
* In January 2009, [[IGN]] named ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' as the 11th-best animated television series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video Games, Wikis, Cheats, Walkthroughs, Reviews, News & Videos – IGN |url=http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/11.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217233729/http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/11.html |archive-date=February 17, 2009 |website=IGN}}</ref>
* In 2012, Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the "''Peabody's Improbable History''" segment appeared in [[MetLife]]'s "Everyone" commercial during [[Super Bowl XLVI|the 2012 Superbowl]].<ref name="Lisanti 2012 r113">{{cite web | last=Lisanti | first=Mark | title=» Let's Hand Out Grantland's Super Bowl Commercial Awards! | website= » Sports and Pop Culture from our rotating cast of writers – Grantland | date=February 6, 2012 | url=https://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/lets-hand-out-grantlands-super-bowl-commercial-awards/ | access-date=March 25, 2024}}</ref>
* To date, ''Rocky and Friends'' has aired in 100 countries.{{citation needed|date = October 2013}}
==Revival attempts==
There were a few attempts to revive ''Rocky & Bullwinkle'' throughout the 1970s. A revival in 1981 parodied the [[Super Bowl]]. A script was written, storyboards were produced, the NBC network gave it a green light, but the project was canceled because of objections from the [[National Football League|NFL]] (actual team owners were parodied, the [[Super Bowl]] championship was lampooned as the "Stupor Bowl", and Boris was [[Match fixing|fixing]] the game).<ref name="cataroo.com" />
Another revival attempt took place at Disney in the mid-1980s, back when the company was distributing the show on VHS. Developed by [[Tad Stones]] and [[Michael Peraza|Michael Peraza Jr.]], the revival was named ''The Secret Adventures of Bullwinkle'' and would have been a modern take on the old Bullwinkle show, with the return of characters like Mr. Peabody and Sherman and Dudley Do-Right and would have featured new segments like "Fractured Scary Tales", a parody of horror films, and a new "Mr. Know It All" skit that, among other things, had Bullwinkle programming a VCR. Before the two presented their pitch, they discovered Disney did not own the ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' franchise, and the concept was abandoned.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peraza |first=Michael |date=August 14, 2010 |title=Bullwinkled |url=http://michaelperaza.blogspot.com/2010/08/bullwinkled.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821215708/http://michaelperaza.blogspot.com/2010/08/bullwinkled.html |archive-date=August 21, 2011 |access-date=August 21, 2016 |publisher=Blogspot}}</ref>
==Home media==
The program debuted on home video with two compilation [[Capacitance Electronic Disc|CED]] Videodiscs released by RCA during the format's rise in the early 1980s, featuring complete, uncut story arcs and accompanying alternating segments and bumpers. Volume 1 contained the complete story for ''Wossamotta U'', while volume 2 contained ''Goof Gas Attack'' and ''The Three Mooseketeers''.
[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment|Buena Vista Home Video]] released the show on VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc in the early 1990s, under the title ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle''. These are presented differently from when broadcast. Two "Rocky and Bullwinkle" chapters were sometimes edited together into one (removing the "titles" for the next chapters as well as part of the recap at the beginning of the next), usually showing the storyline in four or five chapters per video. For example, the 12-episode ''Wossamotta U'' adventure is reduced to five episodes, and runs about seven minutes shorter. The "Bullwinkle Show" closing was used on these.
The first eight videos were released under the "Classic Stuff" banner, with covers and titles being parodies of famous paintings or painters. Four more videos were released under the "Funny Stuff" banner but, unlike the first eight, these were not numbered, the video titles matched the title of the featured "Rocky and Bullwinkle" storyline, and the covers represented scenes from shows (such as Bullwinkle pulling a rhino out of a hat as the cover for "Painting Theft" (the change in the banner might have been due to a video magazine publishing a letter criticizing the editing).
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Volume # (LD #)
!VHS/Betamax name
!Episodes
!Additional segments
|-
|1. (1)
| "Mona Moose"
|"The Treasure of Monte Zoom"
|'''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Riding Hoods Anonymous, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' How to Be Happy (Though Miserable), '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Robinson Crusoe, '''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Get into the Movies Without Buying a Ticket, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' The Disloyal Canadians
|-
|2. (1)
|"Birth of Bullwinkle"
|"The Ruby Yacht"
|'''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' Little Miss Muffet, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Sleeping Beauty, '''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Catch a Bee and Make Your Honey Happy, '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Robin Hood, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Flicker Rock
|-
|3. (2)
|"Vincent van Moose"
|"Goof Gas Attack"
|'''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Be an Archaeologist and Dig Ancient History, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Rapunzel, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Finding Gold, '''Aesop and Son:''' The Dog and His Shadow
|-
|4. (2)
|"Blue Moose"
|"[[Rue Britannia]]"
|'''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Cleopatra, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' The Queen of Hearts, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Mountie Without a Horse, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' The Ugly Almond Duckling
|-
|5. (3)
|"La Grande Moose"
|"[[Box Top Robbery]]"
|'''Dudley Do-Right:''' Saw Mill, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' The Frog Prince, '''Aesop and Son:''' The Jackrabbits and the Mule
|-
|6. (3)
|"Canadian Gothic"
|Four "Dudley Do-Right" segments, instead of a "Rocky and Bullwinkle" storyline ("Marigolds", "Lure of the Footlights", "Trading Places", and "Snidely Arrested")
|'''Aesop and Son:''' The Hound and the Wolf, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' Simple Simon, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' The Frog Prince, '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' The Royal Mounted Police, '''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Do Stunts in the Movies Without Having the Usher Throw You Out
|-
|7. (4)
|"Whistler's Moose"
|"[[Moosylvania]]" and "Moosylvania Saved"
|'''Aesop and Son:''' The Mice in Council, '''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Direct Temperamental Movie Stars, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' Tom Tom the Piper's Son, '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Whistler's Mother, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Railroad Tracks, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Little Red Riding Hood
|-
|8. (4)
|"Norman Moosewell"
|"Wossamotta U"
|'''Bullwinkle's Fan Club:''' Enlarging the Membership, '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' William Shakespeare, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Son of Rumpelstiltskin, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Mother Love
|-
|9. (5)
|"Pottsylvania Creeper"
|"Pottsylvania Creeper"
|'''Dudley Do-Right:''' Recruiting Campaign, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' Mary Had a Little Lamb, '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Lawrence of Arabia, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Red White, '''Mr. Know-It-All:''' How to Sell Vacuum Cleaners and Clean Up, '''Aesop and Son:''' The Centipede and the Snail
|-
|10. (5)
|"Painting Theft"
|"Painting Theft"
|'''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess, '''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Be a Cowpuncher Without Getting Hit Back, '''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Mata Hari, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' Hickory Dickory Dock, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Coming-Out Party
|-
|11. (6)
|"The Weather Lady"
|"[[The Weather Lady]]"
|'''Peabody's Improbable History:''' William Tell, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' Wee Willie Winkie, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Mortgagin' the Mountie Post, '''Mr. Know-it-All:''' How to Escape from Devil's Island and Get Away From it All, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' Hansel and Gretel
|-
|12. (6)
|"Banana Formula"
|"Banana Formula"
|'''Peabody's Improbable History:''' Bonnie Prince Charlie, '''Mr. Know-It-All:''' How to Win Friends and Be Influential with People, '''Aesop and Son:''' The King of the Jungle, '''Bullwinkle's Corner:''' The Daffodils, '''Dudley Do-Right:''' Trap Bait, '''Fractured Fairy Tales:''' The Golden Goose
|}
===Gray market releases===
Years after the Buena Vista releases ended, another series of "Rocky and Bullwinkle" VHS tapes were released, both separately and as a boxed set. These videos included ''[[Upsidaisium (story arc)|Upsidaisium]]'', ''[[The Last Angry Moose]]'', ''[[Metal-Munching Mice]]'', ''Much Mud'', and ''[[Rue Britannia]]''. However, these were released through [[GoodTimes Entertainment|GoodTimes Home Video]] and were not authorized by Ward Productions. The copies used were from 16&nbsp;mm ''Bullwinkle Show'' prints. Some other companies also released unauthorized editions of ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'', including Nostalgia Family Video, which also released all 98 of ''The Bullwinkle Show'' package shows via 16&nbsp;mm ''Bullwinkle Show'' prints, and Bridgestone Multimedia, which released eight episodes as ''Rocky and his Friends'' using an old broadcast 16&nbsp;mm print.
The copyright status of these 98 episodes (along with some episodes of ''[[Hoppity Hooper]]'') is disputed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Question About Syndicated Rocky and Bullwinkle Episodes |url=http://www.toonzone.net/forums/threads/question-about-syndicated-rocky-and-bullwinkle-episodes.4390521/ |website=toonzone.net |access-date=May 24, 2016 |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011023058/http://www.toonzone.net/forums/threads/question-about-syndicated-rocky-and-bullwinkle-episodes.4390521/ |url-status=dead }}{{better source needed|date=January 2017}}</ref> As of 2017, the copyright is generally recognized as valid, and attempts to post the gray-market releases on video sites have historically been greeted with [[DMCA]] [[Notice and take down|take down notices]].
In 2002, Jay Ward Productions established a partnership with [[Classic Media]] called [[Bullwinkle Studios]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2013}} From 2003 to 2005, the partnership produced DVDs of the first three seasons of the series, which were renamed (for legal reasons) ''Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends''. Releases then stalled until 2010, when season 4 was released, in part to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bullwinkle Show DVD news: Announcement for The Bullwinkle Show – Season 4 |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bullwinkle-Season-4/13733 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013080954/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bullwinkle-Season-4/13733 |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}</ref> The complete series was released on January 4, 2011,<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends™ Complete Series Now Available on DVD – FROSTBITE FALLS, Minn., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rocky--bullwinkle--friends-complete-series-now-available-on-dvd-112892769.html |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=Prnewswire.com |location=Minnesota}}</ref> marking the debut of season 5 on DVD. A standalone release of season 5 was released on March 29, 2011.<ref name="tvshowsondvd.com">{{Cite web |date=May 25, 2007 |title=The Bullwinkle Show DVD news: Release Date for Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends&nbsp;— Complete Season 5 |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bullwinkle-Season-5/14898 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017125506/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Bullwinkle-Season-5/14898 |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}</ref> The DVDs for the first three seasons were distributed by [[Sony Wonder]], while seasons 4, 5, and Complete Series sets are currently distributed by [[Vivendi Entertainment]]. The complete series was re-released on DVD again on March 12, 2019, by [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]], to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary.<ref name="amazon.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Rocky-Bullwinkle-Friends-Complete/dp/B07MTJLX84/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FYSU8HTK2ZOL&keywords=the+adventures+of+rocky+and+bullwinkle+dvd&qid=1555474519&s=gateway&sprefix=the+adventures+of+rocky+a%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1 | title=The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends: The Complete Series | website=Amazon | date=March 12, 2019 }}</ref>
The DVD releases differ somewhat from the originals. The original opening bumpers as seen on the network run were restored, but the title of the show was replaced with the name "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends" (never used during the show's television run) and a modern logo with styling inconsistent with the rest of the animation (pictured) somewhat clumsily inserted into the original bumpers.<ref name="tvdvdreviews">{{Cite web |title=Prosperity Power™ software :-) |url=http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/rocky.html |website=www.tvdvdreviews.com |access-date=December 8, 2008 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216085836/http://www.tvdvdreviews.com/rocky.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> A [[William Conrad]] sound-alike ([[Keith Scott (voice actor)|Keith Scott]]) was used to announce the new title, which some viewers found jarring.<ref name="tvdvdreviews" /> In addition, a semi-transparent "R&B" logo appears for five seconds at the beginning of each segment in the lower right-hand corner. Some segments were moved from their position in the original episodes. Also, the season 5 shows on DVD recycle supporting features found on the DVDs for the first four seasons. Mathematically, this makes sense, since the total number of supporting features (assuming two used per show) exactly equals the number of shows created during the first four seasons. The first set, most of the second set, and the fifth season set use the second opening and closing used for the ''Rocky and His Friends'' broadcast, while the last two story arcs in the second set, as well as the third- and fourth-season sets, use the original opening and closing from the ''Rocky and His Friends'' broadcast. Frank Comstock's musical themes are replaced on the sets with Fred Steiner's music produced for ''The Bullwinkle Show''. In addition, the first four season sets include optional Spanish-language audio tracks.
In 2005, Classic Media released a series of "best of" DVD compilations of popular segments of the series: two volumes of ''The Best of Rocky and Bullwinkle'', plus the single-volume ''The Best of Boris and Natasha'', ''The Best of Mr. Peabody and Sherman'', ''The Best of Fractured Fairy Tales'', and ''The Best of Dudley Do-Right''. These compilations contain episodes from the entire run of the show.
On October 30, 2012, Classic Media released a DVD called ''The Complete Fractured Fairy Tales'', which includes all 91 ''Fractured Fairy Tales'' segments.
On May 14, 2019, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released a 2-disc DVD called ''Mr. Peabody & Sherman: The Complete Collection'', which includes all 91 ''Peabody's Improbable History'' segments.
During the time the show was available on [[Hulu]] (it was offered as a free series before it went to a subscription-only model), the DVD versions of the episodes were used instead of the syndication prints.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!DVD name
!Ep #
!Release date (Region 1)
!Discs
!Extras
|-
| Complete First Season<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 8, 2003 |title=The Bullwinkle Show – Complete Season 1 DVD Information |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-1/2682 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016173603/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-1/2682 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|26
| August 12, 2003
| 4
| Network promos; "Savings Stamp Club" episode; "Dear Bullwinkle" bumpers; "The Many Faces of Boris Badenov" (a montage of Boris scenes); two segments from Season Two's "Metal Munching Mice"
|-
| Complete Second Season<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 31, 2004 |title=The Bullwinkle Show – Complete Season 2 DVD Information |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-2/3603 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016173634/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-2/3603 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|52
| August 31, 2004
| 4 (double sided)
| Interview with June Foray; Three Cheerios commercials ([[storyboard]] and final versions); "Moosecalls: The Best of Bullwinkle Sings" (a parody of television ads for compilation records); a segment from Season Three's "Missouri Mish Mash"
|-
| Complete Third Season<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 9, 2005 |title=The Bullwinkle Show – Complete Season 3 DVD Information |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-3/5030 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016173728/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-3/5030 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|33
| September 6, 2005
| 4
| Bullwinkle puppet openings; "The Best of Bullwinkle Follies" (a [[vaudeville]]-themed montage of clips); the first segment of Season Four's "Painting Theft"
|-
| Complete Fourth Season<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2010 |title=The Bullwinkle Show – Complete Season 4 DVD Information |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-4/10174 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016173807/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Bullwinkle-Complete-Season-4/10174 |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|19
| August 17, 2010
| 2
| None
|-
| Complete Fifth Season<ref name="tvshowsondvd.com" />
| style="text-align:center;"|33
| March 29, 2011
| 4
| Audio [[outtake]] from "Goof Gas Attack"
|-
| Complete Series
| style="text-align:center;"|163
| January 4, 2011<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends™ Complete Series Now Available on DVD – FROSTBITE FALLS, Minn., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rocky--bullwinkle--friends-complete-series-now-available-on-dvd-112892769.html |access-date=September 28, 2012 |publisher=Prnewswire.com |location=Minnesota}}</ref><br />March 12, 2019 (re-release)<ref name="amazon.com" />
| 18
| In addition to previous extras, a 70-page "Frostbite Falls Field Guide" detailing the history of the show; "Exceptional Adequacy" award ribbon
|}
==Reboots==
{{main|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (TV series)}}
On April 12, 2018, it was announced that a reboot of the series from [[DreamWorks Animation]] would premiere on [[Amazon Prime Video]] on May 11, 2018. The series is executive produced by [[Scott Fellows]] and Tiffany Ward (the daughter of Jay). The cast includes [[Tara Strong]] as Rocky, Brad Norman as Bullwinkle, [[Ben Diskin]] as Boris, Rachel Butera as Natasha, Piotr Michael as Fearless Leader, and [[Daran Norris]] as the Narrator.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amidi |first=Amid |date=April 12, 2018 |title=TRAILER: New Dreamworks Version Of 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/internet-television/trailer-new-dreamworks-version-of-the-adventures-of-rocky-and-bullwinkle-157790.html |access-date=April 12, 2018 |website=Cartoon Brew}}</ref>
On February 3, 2022, it was announced by [[Variety (Magazine)|''Variety'']] that [[WildBrain]] signed a deal with [[Jay Ward Productions]] to do another reboot of the franchise. WildBrain CEO Eric Ellenbogen and [[Jay Ward]]'s daughter Tiffany Ward are teaming up. As of 2024 no news on the reboot has been announced yet.<ref>{{Cite web| date=February 3, 2022 |title=TRAILER: 'Rocky & Bullwinkle' Owner Jay Ward Productions Inks Deal With WildBrain (Exclusive)|url=https://www.variety.com/2020/film/global/jay-ward-productions-wildbrain-deal-1235171086.html|access-date=February 3, 2022 |website=Variety}}</ref>
==In other media==
===Advertising===
* In 1966, the duo appeared between show segments in ads for [[General Mills]]' Frosty O's cereal<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2010 |title=Frosty O's Cereal Commercial 1966 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNnIIqTxjZE | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529012025/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNnIIqTxjZE| archive-date=May 29, 2015 | url-status=dead|access-date=November 27, 2014 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> and Kendall "Curad Comic Strips" plastic bandages<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2010 |title=Bullwinkle Bandaids 1966 TV Commercial |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJHb_FjYqxc | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103144659/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJHb_FjYqxc| archive-date=January 3, 2016 | url-status=dead|access-date=November 27, 2014 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref>
* In the mid-1960s, the show promoted the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Saving Stamp Club" (at the time, the [[U.S. Post Office]] was directly under control of the federal government). [[Stamp album]]s of unused stamps could be exchanged for [[U.S. savings bonds]], which paid interest.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/dia8Qz7ASw0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160418001812/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dia8Qz7ASw0 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dia8Qz7ASw0| title = Rocky and Bullwinkle Stamp Club | website=[[YouTube]]| date = August 2, 2012 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> To date, Rocky and Bullwinkle have not appeared on any U.S. postage stamps.
* Rocky and Bullwinkle were in a 1986 television commercial for [[Hershey's Kisses]] snack pack (this was Bill Scott's final appearance as Bullwinkle before his death).<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{Cite news |last=Michaud |first=Anne |date=March 26, 1993 |title=Taco Bell Signs Up Rocky and Bullwinkle for Commercials |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-26-fi-15530-story.html |access-date=July 25, 2014}}</ref>
* In the 1990s, Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in some ads for [[Taco Bell]], wherein they ate real tacos by stopping Boris and Natasha from selling burgers.<ref name="Los Angeles Times" />
* In 1993, Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in an advertisement for their own [[vitamin]] [[soda pop]] which was in different colorful flavors including Bullwinkle’s favorite MooseBerry.
* In 1995, Boris and Natasha appeared in two [[Energizer]] batteries commercials, in which the spies are trying to stop the [[Energizer Bunny]]. Rocky and Bullwinkle also appeared in a commercial.
* In 1998, Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in a commercial for [[Target Corporation]] where Boris and Natasha captured them and the two spies go shopping for a Black Friday sale.
* [[Pacific Data Images|PDI]]/[[DreamWorks Animation|DreamWorks]] CGI versions of Rocky and Bullwinkle appeared in a 2014 [[GEICO advertising campaigns|advertisement]] for [[GEICO]], appearing with the [[GEICO Gecko]] in the [[Rocky Mountains]]. June Foray reprised her role as Rocky for the commercial, while [[Tom Kenny]] voiced Bullwinkle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amidi |first=Amid |date=June 6, 2014 |title=Rocky & Bullwinkle Meet the GEICO Gecko |url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/advertising/rocky-bullwinkle-meet-the-geico-gecko-100231.html |access-date=June 30, 2014 |publisher=[[Cartoon Brew]]}}</ref>
===Children's opera===
* In 1997, The [[Los Angeles Opera]] toured a children's production, named ''Les Moose: The Operatic Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle'', around various L.A. County Elementary Schools. The story followed Boris and Natasha as they tried to steal the formula for Mooseberry Rocket Fuel from Bullwinkle J. Moose.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 22, 1997 |title=Kids Tune In to Rocky, Bullwinkle—and Opera |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-22-me-56364-story.html |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Warrick |first=Pamela |date=March 9, 1999 |title=A 'Rocky' Road to Opera |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-09-cl-15305-story.html |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=L. Kaplan |first=Janice |date=January 14, 2000 |title=The Opera Ain't Over Till the Big Moose Sings |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/01/14/the-opera-aint-over-till-the-big-moose-sings/5d4ddb9e-711a-409e-83dc-f910f57b53e4/ |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref>
===Comics===
* A syndicated daily newspaper comic strip titled ''Bullwinkle'' began on July 23, 1962, with original stories drawn by [[Al Kilgore]]. It was syndicated by the [[Bell Syndicate]] and ended in 1965.<ref>"1962 Timeline: July 23. A Bullwinkle newspaper strip by Al Kilgore, based on the animated series, makes its debut." ''American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960–64'' by John Wells. TwoMorrows Publishing, 2012, p. 77.</ref>
* Rocky and Bullwinkle stories were published in [[Four Color]].
* Rocky and Bullwinkle comic books were published by [[Dell Comics]], [[Gold Key Comics]], [[Charlton Comics]] and [[Star Comics]] (an imprint of [[Marvel Comics]]). All were called ''Bullwinkle and Rocky''. The comics, although for children, did contain numerous references spoofing issues such as celebrity worship or the politics of the 1980s. In one Star Comics issue, Bullwinkle owns a small company, which makes him eligible to compete in a fun run in Washington, D.C., for presidents of small companies. When Bullwinkle says he is there for the race, it is mistaken that he is campaigning for President. The comic also spoofed U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]], and he personally thanks Bullwinkle for stopping Boris and Natasha by rewarding him with monogrammed [[jelly bean]]s. Another comic broke the fourth wall when the narrator is outraged at a plot of Boris', to which Boris claims he has control of everyone "by capturing the Marvel Comics building and tying up the editor". When the narrator comments on how this is morally wrong, Boris quiets him by saying, "You will agree or you will not find paycheck in mail this month!" The same issue made reference to the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympics]], which Boris had engineering in [[Fort Knox, Kentucky]], in an attempt to steal its gold by carving all the bars into gold medals, as well as furnishing false information to every country so Pottsylvania would win all the gold medals (and thus take all true gold) by virtue of default. After Boris is foiled, the narrator comments that the games will go on as planned in real time in [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]].
* From 2013 to 2014, [[IDW Publishing]] with [[DreamWorks Classics]] and Bullwinkle Studios released comics of ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'', ''Dudley Do-Right'' and ''Peabody and Sherman''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Guerrero |first=Tony |date=April 28, 2013 |title=C2E2 13: Rocky & Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody & Sherman and More Return to Comics |work=Comic Vine |url=http://www.comicvine.com/articles/c2e2-13-rocky-bullwinkle-mr-peabody-sherman-and-mo/1100-146469/ |access-date=May 7, 2013}}</ref>
* From 2017 to 2020, American Mythology Productions released comics of Rocky and Bullwinkle and it was written by [[Todd Livingston]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanmythology.net/product-page/rocky-bullwinkle-show-1-greenawalt-classic-cvr-pre-order|title = Rocky & Bullwinkle Show #1 Greenawalt Classic CVR}}</ref>
===Films===
* ''[[Boris and Natasha: The Movie]]'' (1992), is a live-action [[feature film]] starring the two villainous spies. Neither Rocky nor Bullwinkle appears in this film; however, the characters of Toots and Harve are identified as "Moose" and "Squirrel" at one point in the film. The film was originally intended for theatrical release, but was premiered on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]].
* ''[[Dudley Do-Right (film)|Dudley Do-Right]]'' (1999) is a theatrical live-action film loosely based on the character of the same name, starring [[Brendan Fraser]], [[Sarah Jessica Parker]], and [[Alfred Molina]].
* ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (film)|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' (2000) is a theatrical film starring Rocky and Bullwinkle. It was a mix of live-action with Rocky and Bullwinkle appearing as computer-animated cartoon characters created by [[Industrial Light & Magic]]. June Foray returned to voice Rocky, while Bullwinkle was voiced by [[Keith Scott (voice actor)|Keith Scott]]. [[Robert De Niro]], [[Jason Alexander]] and [[Rene Russo]] played the live-action versions of Fearless Leader, Boris and Natasha, respectively. This film takes place 35 years after the show's cancellation.
* ''[[Mr. Peabody & Sherman]]'' is a 2014 animated film produced by [[DreamWorks Animation]] based on the two characters of the same name from the original cartoon.<ref>[[Mr. Peabody & Sherman]]</ref>
* ''[[Rocky & Bullwinkle (2014 film)|Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' is a short animated film produced by [[DreamWorks Animation]], and directed by [[Gary Trousdale]]. It was originally planned to theatrically accompany the DreamWorks' feature film, ''Mr. Peabody & Sherman'',<ref name="TAGInterview3">{{Cite news |last=Hulett |first=Steve |date=October 26, 2012 |title=The Gary Trousdale Interview – Part III |work=The Animation Guild |url=http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-gary-trousdale-interview-part-iii.html |access-date=October 26, 2012}}</ref> but was instead released on the [[Blu-ray#Blu-ray 3D|Blu-ray 3D]] release of the film.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Truitt |first=Brian |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Go WABAC this fall with 'Mr. Peabody' on Blu-ray |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/06/19/mr-peabody-and-sherman-blu-ray-exclusive-clip/10830973/ |access-date=June 25, 2014 |quote=In addition, those who snag the 3-D Blu-ray version will enjoy a new animated adventure with Rocky and Bullwinkle.}}</ref> The short features Foray reprising Rocky<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolfe |first=Jennifer |date=December 6, 2012 |title=DreamWorks Animation Previews 2013 Slate |work=Animation World Network |url=http://www.awn.com/news/cg/dreamworks-animation-previews-2013-slate |access-date=October 20, 2013}}</ref> and [[Tom Kenny]] as Bullwinkle.
===Music recordings===
* Golden Records released a phonograph album of songs, ''Rocky the Flying Squirrel & His Friends'' (1961), using [[voice actor]]s from the series. Boris and Natasha, for example, sing: "We will double, single and triple cross our very closest friends!"
* A 78 rpm single (Golden 659) was released on yellow vinyl. This had Rocky singing "I Was Born To Be Airborne" on one side, backed with Bullwinkle singing "I'm Rocky's Pal". The single sold in grocery stores. Paul Parnes (who later wrote songs for ''[[Sesame Street]]'') is credited as composer. "Some nutty characters get together here for the benefit of the very young. Lots of laughs for the juvenile sense of humor."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=September 18, 1961 |title=Interview with composer Paul Parnes |page=78 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
* The pseudonymously named Boris Badenough released a record called "Hey Rocky!" on Trax Records in 1986. The record featured a house-music beat underneath clips from the series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boris Badenough – Hey Rocky! |url=https://www.discogs.com/Boris-Badenough-Hey-Rocky/release/31299 |website=Discogs|year=1986 }}</ref>
* In 2007, [[Blackstone Audio]] released the audio tracks of 15 of the ''Fractured Fairy Tales'' on CD.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ward, Jay |title=Fractured Fairy Tales |date=2007 |publisher=Blackstone Audio |isbn=978-1-4332-0162-2}}</ref>
===Toys===
* In 1999, [[Mattel]] released a numbered collector series under its [[Hot Wheels]] toy line, the "Car-Toon Friends" series.<ref name=ragan /> It contained four cars; the now-retired model "XT-3" for Rocky, "Double Vision" for Bullwinkle, "Saltflat Racer" for Natasha and "Lakestar" for Boris.<ref>{{cite book | last=Zarnock | first=M. | title=Hot Wheels Variations: The Ultimate Guide | publisher=Penguin Publishing Group | year=2010 | isbn=978-1-4402-1527-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vBFjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT393 | access-date=July 22, 2023 | page=393}}</ref> They are no longer produced with these paint jobs and, as of December 2012, are hard to find.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
===Video games===
* [[THQ]] released ''[[The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (video game)|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends]]'' for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Game Boy]], and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] in 1992. [[Absolute Entertainment]] also released a version for the [[Sega Genesis]], in 1993.
* A trivia game, titled ''Rocky & Bullwinkle's Know-It-All Quiz Game'', was released for Windows 95/98 and Mac (for PC), in 1998.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foran |first=Katherine |date=December 3, 1998 |title=Trivia Game Sadly Miscasts Ditsy Duo |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/12/03/trivia-game-sadly-miscasts-ditsy-duo/ |access-date=December 5, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Zen Studios]] released an [[Xbox Live Arcade]] video game titled ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle (video game)|Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' for download on April 16, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 16, 2007 |title=But That Trick Never Works: The Bullwinkle Show Coming This Holiday Season |url=http://www.xblarcade.com/node/1424 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214100608/http://www.xblarcade.com/node/1424 |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=November 16, 2007 |website=XBLArcade.com}}</ref>
* [[Data East]] released a pinball machine in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Internet Pinball Machine Database: Data East 'Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends' |url=https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=23 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=www.ipdb.org}}</ref> Brazilian video game magazine ''[[Ação Games]]'' gave the pinball a fun rating 4 out of 4.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/acao_games_50/acao_games_40/page/n35/mode/2up | title=Ação Games }}</ref>
===Parodies, cameos and references===
* The Season 9 episode of [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s ''[[The Simpsons]]'' titled "[[Simpson Tide]]", the opening couch gag is a recreation of the ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' animated bumper seen at the end of each ''Bullwinkle'' short. The music accompanying it is also adapted from the original music in the bumper.
* Rocky and Bullwinkle made a brief cameo in the [[Comedy Central]] animated show ''[[Drawn Together]]'' in the episode "Foxxy vs. the Board of Education" when the hospital's waiting room features cartoon cameos including Rocky getting stuck into Bullwinkle's anus.
* In the animated series ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'', the opening sequence of "Do You Believe in Magic?" parodies Bullwinkle attempting to pull a rabbit out of a magician's hat. Arthur pulls a [[lion]] out by mistake and says "Nothing up my sleeve...presto!" However, unlike Bullwinkle, Arthur ''does'' manage to pull a rabbit out of a hat: Buster, who claims "And now here's something we hope you really like!", just like Rocky would.
* The season 3 ''[[Rugrats]]'' episode "Sour Pickles" features a flashback to Stu and Drew as babies watching "Blocky and Oxwinkle" with June Foray providing the voices of Blocky and Svetlana.
* In an episode of [[Adult Swim]]'s ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', in the "Papercut to Aorta" segment "Of Moose and Squirrel", a [[Cutout animation|cutout]] animated ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' spoof of [[John Steinbeck]]'s ''[[Of Mice and Men]]'' has the duo playing George and Lennie, respectively, acting out some of the major moments of the story.
* A season 6 episode of ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'', called "I See a Funny Cartoon in Your Future", is a homage to ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'', lacking background music, the narrator talking constantly, pointing out the obvious and making puns, Madame Argentina (the antagonist of the episode) being voiced by [[June Foray]] and a cliffhanger with two different titles.
* Rocky and Bullwinkle made cameos in the background in the ''[[South Park]]'' trilogy "[[Imaginationland: The Movie|Imaginationland]]". Creators [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]] have mentioned ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' as one of their biggest influences for ''South Park'', primarily for its humor and satire.
* In the [[SpongeBob SquarePants season 5|season 5]] episode of ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' titled "Stanley S. SquarePants", a squirrel character who resembles Rocky made a cameo on a TV screen while [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob]]'s cousin Stanley changes the channels but accidentally destroys the TV.
* ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' has been referenced several times in ''[[Family Guy]]''.
** In the Season 3 episode "[[Family Guy season 3#ep1|The Thin White Line]]", [[Peter Griffin|Peter]] mistakes the [[Indoor tanning|tanning beds]] as time machines and accidentally pulls out a lion and Rocky (with June Foray reprising her role) shows up and says, "And now, here's something we hope you'll really like", a frequent segue in the show.
** In the Season 3 episode "[[Family Guy season 3#ep36|The Kiss Seen Around the World]]", a cutaway shows that Peter and [[Brian Griffin|Brian]] travel back in time to meet [[Christopher Columbus]] in 1492, which parodied the ''Peabody's Improbable History'' segments.
** In the Season 7 episode "[[Stew-Roids]]", after [[Stewie Griffin|Stewie's]] steroids injection wears off and leaves him with large arm-flaps of loose skin, he jumps out the bedroom window and flies like Rocky, landing on a mailbox with Rocky's quote, "And now here's something we hope you'll really like".<ref name="channelguide">{{Cite web |last=Sarah |date=April 27, 2009 |title=Channel Guide Magazine – Family Guy – Stew–Roids |url=http://www.channelguidemagblog.com/index.php/2009/04/27/family-guy-season-7-episode-13-recap-stew-roids |access-date=September 29, 2012 |publisher=Channel Guide}}</ref>
** In the Season 10 episode "[[Thanksgiving (Family Guy)|Thanksgiving]]", during Quahog's annual [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|Thanksgiving parade]], [[List of Family Guy characters#Tom Tucker|Tom Tucker]] mentions the Rocky and Bullwinkle float while a car alarm interrupts his news reporting.
* In ''[[True Lies]]'', Harry Tasker ([[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]) convinces Helen ([[Jamie Lee Curtis]]) that she was going to be a spy and her contact's name would be Boris. He went on to say that her name would be, and she interrupts to say "Natasha?" and is told, "No, Doris". For the rest of the film, they are called Boris and Doris... This refers to and spoofs Rocky and Bullwinkle's nemeses, Boris and Natasha.
* In the season 2 episode "The Great Muppet Cartoon Show" from [[Muppet Babies (1984 TV series)|the original 1984 ''Muppet Babies'']], [[Gonzo (Muppet)|Gonzo]] imitates Rocky during the song "We Love Cartoons" and sings "I'll be a flying squirrel".
* In [[The CW]] show ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'', lead characters [[Sam Winchester|Sam]] and [[Dean Winchester|Dean]] are often called "Moose" and "Squirrel" respectively by the demon [[Crowley (Supernatural)|Crowley]]. In season 14 episode 10 "Nihilism", Dean runs a bar called "Rocky's" in a dream sequence, referencing his nickname of "Squirrel".
==See also==
{{portal|Animation|Cartoon|Television|1950s|1960s}}
* [[Bullwinkle's Restaurant]]
* [[Dudley Do-Right Emporium]]
{{Clear}}
==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==References==
* ''[[The Simpsons]]: The Complete 9th Season'', [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]
==Further reading==
*{{cite book |title=The Art of Mr. Peabody & Sherman  |first1=Jerry  |last1=Beck |first2=Rob  |last2=Minkoff |isbn=9781608872589 |date=February 11, 2014 |type=Hardcover |publisher=[[Insight Editions]] |language=English  |first3=Tiffany |last3=Ward |first4=Ty |last4=Burrell}}
* Chunovic, Louis. (1996) ''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Book''. [[Bantam Books]]. {{ISBN|0553105035}}
*{{cite book |title=The Rocky and Bullwinkle Book  |first1=Louis  |last1=Chunovic |isbn=9780762853137 |date=December 2002 |type=Hardcover |publisher=[[Book Sales]] |language=English}}
*{{cite book |title=Rocky and Bullwinkle: Classic Adventures  |first1=Al  |last1=Kilgore  |first2=Jack  |last2=Mendelsohn |first3=Dave  |last3=Berg |year=2015 |isbn=9781631404900 |type=Paperback |publisher=[[Idea & Design Works, LLC]] |language=English |quote=Al Kilgore, Dave Berg, Fred Fredericks, Jerry Robinson, Illustrators}}
*{{cite book |title=The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qdwcbJxM-HsC&q=Jay+Ward+bullwinkle  |first1=Keith  |last1=Scott |isbn=9780312283834 |date=November 20, 2001|type=Paperback |publisher=[[St. Martin's Publishing Group]] |language=English}}
*{{cite book |title=The Art of Jay Ward Productions |first1=Darrell |last1=Van Citters · |isbn=9780578845241 |date=March 2021|type=Paperback |publisher=Darrell Van Citters |language=English  |last2=Foray  |first2=June}}
==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0052507|Rocky and His Friends}}
* {{IMDb title|0054524|The Bullwinkle Show}}
* {{TV Guide|204099|Rocky and His Friends}}
* {{TV Guide|100075|The Bullwinkle Show}}
* {{IMDb title|0063896|Dudley Do-Right}}
* [http://www.bambinomusical.com/Moosylvania Jay Ward's "Jazz from the Swamp: A tribute to Moosylvania" record]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118142446/http://www.bambinomusical.com/Moosylvania/ |date=January 18, 2008}}
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/rockbull.htm Rocky and Bullwinkle] (characters)<!--characters, not a series title--> at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20240525192057/https://www.webcitation.org/66ByAAmt3?url=http://toonopedia.com/rockbull.htm |date=May 25, 2024}}.
* [http://toonopedia.com/aesop.htm "Aesop and Son"] at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20240525192016/https://www.webcitation.org/66BxzHMt8?url=http://toonopedia.com/aesop.htm |date=May 25, 2024}}.
* {{cite web |last=Yossman |first=K.J. |url=https://www.variety.com/2022/film/global/jay-ward-productions-wildbrain-deal-1235171086/ |title='Rocky & Bullwinkle' Owner Jay Ward Productions Inks Deal With WildBrain (EXCLUSIVE) |date=February 3, 2022 |work=Variety}}
{{The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends}}
{{Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company in the 1960s}}
{{Children's programming on the American Broadcasting Company in the 1970s}}
{{Children's programming on NBC in the 1960s}}
{{Children's programming on NBC in the 1980s}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, The}}
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