June Foray - Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, others
Bill Scott - Bullwinkle J. Moose, Mr. Peabody, Fearless Leader, others
Paul Frees - Boris Badenov, narrator (Jet Fuel Formula only)
William Conrad - Narrator
Hans Conried - Snidely Whiplash
Walter Teatley - Sherman
The Rocky & Bullwinkle show is arguably Jay Ward's most well-known cartoon, and it's pretty easy to see why. The show follows the adventures of Rocky the Flying Squirrel (an all-American boy in the form of a squirrel), and his extremely dimwitted sidekick Bullwinkle J. Moose, who were constantly spied on by Pottsylvanian spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. The moose-and-squirrel duo would also be accompanied by a variety of other shorts in their program (my favorite of which is Peabody's Improbable History). The show was the first to be animated by Mexican studio Gamma Productions; initially, the animation (as well as the artstyle) was shockingly cheap, even for 1959 standards - animation errors were rampant and characters would sometimes be off-model. It got to a point where Jay Ward Productions regulary sent animators overseas to supervise the episodes in an effort to prevent future mistakes. Here's some examples of the show's limited animation:
Before the idea of the current show was created though, the characters of Rocky & Bullwinkle themselves were created as part of an unproduced animated series called "The Frostbite Falls Revue"; however, that idea was scrapped and the two characters were given their own show. In fact, Bullwinkle wasn't even known as Bullwinkle until the show was under development - he was originally known as "Canadian Moose" before his name was changed to Bullwinkle. During the development stages, Rocky & Bullwinkle were given archrivals to better balance out the series - Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale (whos appearances were inspired by both Gomez and Morticia Adams respectively). Boris and Natasha were Pottsylvanian spies who were sent out by Fearless leader to either kill / steal somthing from Rocky and Bullwinkle. Of course, due to them being villains, none of their plans worked and most of the story arcs always ended with Boris telling Natasha to "SHADDAP YOUR MOUTH!".
Boris, Natasha, and Fearless Leader.
The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show debuted on ABC on November 19, 1959 (nearly 65 years to the day as I'm writing this! :D) after American Bandstand, and became an instant hit. When initially broadcast, the show was sponsored by Tootsie Rolls / General Mills and aired under the umbrella title Rocky & His Friends (did I mention that the show also had a laugh track in the first 4 half-hour episodes?). Each episode of the show followed a story arc that would sometimes drag on for weeks on end - to make up for it, the show featured a variety of suppourting segments, which include, but not limited to: a segment that featured abridged fairy tales (Fractured Fairy Tales / Aesop and Son), Peabody's Improbable History, and Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties; the Dudley Do-Right segements were so popular that they were used as part of a syndicated package known as Dudley Do-Right and Friends, which included cartoons that were created and produced by rival studio Total Television Productions (but those are other stories).
Rocky and His Friends aired on ABC from Novembr 1959 to February of 1961 - it was moved to NBC in 1961 and was renamed to The Bullwinkle Show due to the charcter's intense popularity. The Bullwinkle Show featured live-action wraparound segments featuring a Bullwinkle hand puppet that was performed on-screen by Bill Scott. It also featured a new opening and end credits - these would be used once Rocky & Bullwinkle went into syndication. It was also during this time that Bullwinkle J. Moose recieved a long-lasting balloon in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade starting in November 1961 - the original balloon last appeared in the 1983 procession. During the show's time on NBC, it was constantly rescheduled; at first, the Bullwinkle Show aired on Sunday evenings shortly before Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color aired on the network. Jay Ward used this to his advantage by having the puppet take frequent snipes at both Walt Disney and NBC. The show was later rescheduled to Sunday afternoons before being re-rescheduled to Saturday mornings where it aired its last episode on June 19th, 1964, exactly 4 years and 7 months after the show premiered on ABC.
After the show's cancellation, Rocky & Bullwinkle moved back to ABC, where it stayed until 1973, when it saw new life in the form of syndication. In 1992, Boris and Natasha recieved a made-for-tv-movie (which did not do good in the ratings), as did Dudley Do Right (although that one was released in theatres in 1999); it wouldn't be until the 21st century that Rocky and Bullwinkle (and Mr. Peabody) got revived in the form of movies and animated cartoons. Whilst both shows aren't as widely known as they used to be anymore, my point still stands: The Rocky & Bullwinkle show is the greatest show I've ever seen, the greatest show you've never seen (go watch it now), and the greatest television show ever made.
