The Great Grape Ape Show
Encyclopedia
The Great Grape Ape Show is a Saturday morning cartoon
produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions
that was broadcast on ABC
from 1975
to 1978
.
(voiced by Bob Holt). His catch phrase is saying his name twice ("Grape Ape, Grape Ape") after anything anyone says, usually as a form of agreement or acknowledgement of what was said. He travels the countryside with his canine pal Beegle Beagle
(voiced by Marty Ingels
), whom he calls "Beegly Beagly". A hybrid of King Kong
and Casper the Friendly Ghost
, Grape Ape's immense size tends to initially shock and frighten those unfamiliar with him, and his presence alone has often terrified people and animals, causing them to run off screaming invariably: "YEOW! It's a gorill-ill-ill-ill-la!".
Grape Ape and his friend Beegle Beagle usually move in a small yellow van driven by Beegle Beagle with Grape Ape sitting on the roof. A recurring bit of business would be for him to 'rev up' the tiny vehicle like a child with a friction toy, then hop aboard as the van would start on its way.
Given his size, Grape Ape's sneezes were equivalent to a hurricane; and when he cried, which was sometimes when he was homesick for his family, his tears could cause flooding in areas.
*Telecast at Noon (EST), Thursday afternoon, November 27, 1975, a Thanksgiving, as part of ABC's Thanksgiving
Funshine Festival.
and Joseph Barbera
Director: Charles A. Nichols
Voices: Joan Gerber
, Virginia Gregg
, Bob Hastings
, Bob Holt, Marty Ingels
, Allan Melvin
, Don Messick
, Alan Oppenheimer
, Hal Smith
, John Stephenson
, Lurene Tuttle
, Lennie Weinrib
, Frank Welker
, Paul Winchell
and Scooby's All-Stars from 1977 to 1979. Grape Ape would often team up with Yakky Doodle
. In Britain, the BBC ran the Great Grape Ape with the cartoon series Bailey's Comets
during 1977/78. The Tom & Jerry show also appeared elsewhere in the BBC schedules, whereas the other part of the U.S. Saturday fare, "Mumbly", was shown by ITV.
In the 1980s, repeats of The Great Grape Ape Show were shown on USA Cartoon Express
; they were later restored and run on Cartoon Network
and can also be seen on Boomerang
, often as part of the Boomerang Zoo package (the full half-hour version has yet to be seen on the network).
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
that was broadcast on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from 1975
1975 in television
The year 1975 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1975.For the American TV schedule, see: 1975-76 United States network television schedule.-Events:...
to 1978
1978 in television
The year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
.
Summary
The title character is a 40-foot-tall purple gorillaGorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
(voiced by Bob Holt). His catch phrase is saying his name twice ("Grape Ape, Grape Ape") after anything anyone says, usually as a form of agreement or acknowledgement of what was said. He travels the countryside with his canine pal Beegle Beagle
Beegle Beagle
Beegle Beagle is a fictional anthropomorphic beagle that appears in The Great Grape Ape Show as best friend to Grape Ape. Beegle would drive a yellow van which Grape Ape would sit on top of. Grape Ape would refer to him as "Beegly Beagly". The character also appeared in The New Tom and Jerry Show,...
(voiced by Marty Ingels
Marty Ingels
Marty Ingels is an actor, comedian, theatrical agent, and, by many, best known as the voice of many cartoon characters and commercials. Born Martin Ingerman in Brooklyn, New York, he is the son of Jacob and Minnie Ingerman.His voice-overs and commercials include those for Paul Masson wines, with...
), whom he calls "Beegly Beagly". A hybrid of King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
and Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
, Grape Ape's immense size tends to initially shock and frighten those unfamiliar with him, and his presence alone has often terrified people and animals, causing them to run off screaming invariably: "YEOW! It's a gorill-ill-ill-ill-la!".
Grape Ape and his friend Beegle Beagle usually move in a small yellow van driven by Beegle Beagle with Grape Ape sitting on the roof. A recurring bit of business would be for him to 'rev up' the tiny vehicle like a child with a friction toy, then hop aboard as the van would start on its way.
Given his size, Grape Ape's sneezes were equivalent to a hurricane; and when he cried, which was sometimes when he was homesick for his family, his tears could cause flooding in areas.
Episodes
- 1. "That Was No Idol, That Was My Ape" (prod. #79-2)/"The All-American Ape" (prod. #79-1) (first aired 9/6/75)
- 2. "Movie Madness" (79-3)/"Trouble at Bad Rock" (79-4) (9/13/75)
- 3. "Flying Saucery" (79-5)/"Thar's No Feud Like an Old Feud" (79-6) (9/20/75)
- 4. "The Grape Race" (79-7)/"The Big Parade" (79-8) (9/27/75)
- 5 "A Knight to Remember" (79-9)/"S.P.L.A.T"* (79-10) (10/4/75)
- 6. "G.I. Ape" (79-11)/"The Purple Avenger" (79-12) (10/11/75)
- 7. "Grapefinger" (79-13)/"Return to Balaboomba" (79-21) (10/18/75)
- 8. "Amazon Ape" (79-15)/"Grape Marks the Spot" (79-16) (10/25/75)
- 9. "The Invisible Ape" (79-18)/"Public Grape No. 1" (79-19) (11/1/75)
- 10. "The Incredible Shrinking Grape" (79-17)/"What's a Nice Prince Like You Doin' in a Duck Like That?" (79-22) (11/8/75)
- 11. "Who's New at the Zoo" (79-14)/"The Indian Grape Call" (79-24) (11/15/75)
- 12. "A Grape is Born" (79-23)/"The First Grape in Space" (79-25) (11/22/75)
- 13. "S.P.L.A.T's Back" (Part 1) (79-20)/"S.P.L.A.T's Back" (Part 2) (79-26) (11/27/75**)
- 14. "To Sleep or Not to Sleep" (79-27)/"Olympic Grape" (79-28) (11/29/75)
- 15. "Ali Beagle and the 40 Grapes" (79-29)/"Grape Five-O" (79-31) (12/6/75)
- 16. "The Purple Avenger Strikes Again" (79-30)/"The Grape Connection" (79-32) (12/13/75)
*Telecast at Noon (EST), Thursday afternoon, November 27, 1975, a Thanksgiving, as part of ABC's Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
Funshine Festival.
Credits
Executive Producers: William HannaWilliam Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
and Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
Director: Charles A. Nichols
Voices: Joan Gerber
Joan Gerber
Joan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
, Virginia Gregg
Virginia Gregg
Virginia Gregg Burket was an American actress best known for her many roles in radio dramas.Born in Harrisburg, Illinois, Virginia Gregg was the daughter of musician Dewey Alphaleta and businessman Edward William Gregg.-Radio:Gregg was a prolific radio actor, heard on such programs as The...
, Bob Hastings
Bob Hastings
Robert "Bob" Hastings is an American film, radio, and television character actor. He has also provided voices for animated cartoons....
, Bob Holt, Marty Ingels
Marty Ingels
Marty Ingels is an actor, comedian, theatrical agent, and, by many, best known as the voice of many cartoon characters and commercials. Born Martin Ingerman in Brooklyn, New York, he is the son of Jacob and Minnie Ingerman.His voice-overs and commercials include those for Paul Masson wines, with...
, Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows, including the roles of Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show; Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch; and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's...
, Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
, Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer is an American character actor and voice actor. He has performed numerous roles on live-action television since the 1960s, and has had an active career doing voice work in cartoons since the 1970s.-Early life:...
, Hal Smith
Hal Smith (actor)
Harold John "Hal" Smith was an American character actor and voice actor. Smith is best known as Otis Campbell, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show, and was the voice of many characters on various animated cartoon shorts...
, John Stephenson
John Stephenson (actor)
John Stephenson is an American actor and voice actor. He has also been credited as John Stevenson...
, Lurene Tuttle
Lurene Tuttle
Lurene Tuttle was a character actress, who made transitions from vaudeville to radio, to films and television. Her most enduring impact was as one of network radio's most versatile actresses...
, Lennie Weinrib
Lennie Weinrib
Lennie Weinrib was an American actor, voice actor and writer. He is best known for playing the title role in the children's television show H.R...
, Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
, Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
Broadcast history
The show was originally broadcast as a segment of The New Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show during the 1975–76 season; for the 1976–77 season, the show became The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbly Show, and in 1977–78, The Great Grape Ape Show became its own half-hour show on Sunday mornings. Thirty-two 10-minute installments of Grape Ape were made; two were aired per 30-minute episode. Grape Ape also appeared as a member of "The Yogi Yahooeys" team on Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-LympicsScooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics
-DVD release:On January 19, 2010, Warner Home Video released Scooby's All-Star Laff-A Lympics - Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1. The single disc release features the first four episodes of the Laff-a-Lympics segment of the package. Target released an exclusive second volume with the next four episodes...
and Scooby's All-Stars from 1977 to 1979. Grape Ape would often team up with Yakky Doodle
Yakky Doodle
Yakky Doodle is a fictional character created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Yakky's name is an obvious takeoff of Yankee Doodle.-History:...
. In Britain, the BBC ran the Great Grape Ape with the cartoon series Bailey's Comets
Bailey's Comets
Bailey's Comets was an animated cartoon series that was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. The show was created by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng in association with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears-Plot:...
during 1977/78. The Tom & Jerry show also appeared elsewhere in the BBC schedules, whereas the other part of the U.S. Saturday fare, "Mumbly", was shown by ITV.
In the 1980s, repeats of The Great Grape Ape Show were shown on USA Cartoon Express
USA Cartoon Express
The USA Cartoon Express was a programming block of animated productions which aired on cable television's USA Network from late 1982 to September 15, 1996...
; they were later restored and run on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
and can also be seen on Boomerang
Boomerang (TV channel)
Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
, often as part of the Boomerang Zoo package (the full half-hour version has yet to be seen on the network).
Other appearances
- Grape Ape had his own short lived comic book series called The Great Grape Ape that ran 2 issues in 1976 published by Charlton ComicsCharlton ComicsCharlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
. He also appeared in Laff-A-Lympics #1-#11 and #13 as well as TV Stars #1. Both titles were published by Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 1978-79. He also appeared in Hanna Barbera Presents #6 published by Archie ComicsArchie ComicsArchie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
in 1996. Outside of these American comics, Grape Ape was featured in three annual comics published in England from 1978 through 1980. - Grape Ape appeared in the Laff-A-LympicsLaff-A-LympicsLaff-A-Lympics was the co-headlining segment, with Scooby-Doo, of the package Saturday morning cartoon series Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show was a spoof of the Olympics and the ABC television series Battle of the Network Stars, which debuted one...
on the Yogi Yahooies. His size varies on the show, sometimes being his normal 40 feet and other times about 6–10 feet. - In the Dexter's LaboratoryDexter's LaboratoryDexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and produced by Cartoon Network Studios . The show is about a boy named Dexter who has an enormous secret laboratory filled with an endless collection of his inventions...
episode "Chubby Cheese," Grape Ape (voiced by Jeff BennettJeff BennettJeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
) was among the animatronic Hanna-Barbera characters in the animatronic show as he closes out Chubby's song. - In the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "Giant Billy & Mandy All Out Attack", Cragera talks about a fight he had with Grape Ape, which ends with Grape Ape's head shoved into a volcano.
- Grape Ape and Beegle Beagle appeared in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is an American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. The series' pilot first aired in 2000, and later became a series in...
episode "Grape Juiced" with Grape Ape voiced by John Michael HigginsJohn Michael HigginsJohn Michael Higgins is an American actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim....
and Beegle Beagle voiced by Doug PreisDoug PreisDoug Preis is an American voice actor. He is best known for his roles in Doug, ThunderCats, and Silverhawks. He also voiced commercials including the Lucky Charms leprechaun and the Vlasic Pickles stork.-Filmography:...
. In that episode, Grape Ape is accused of using steroids at the recent Laff-A-Lympics. Later on in that episode, it was revealed that Grape Ape is the father of Gigi's child. - Grape Ape appeared in the Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode "I'm Trapped." After Grape Ape was killed, a police officer looks at his wallet and sees that his name is Grape Ape. He then asks if the other police officers heard the G in his name. - Grape Ape was mentioned on an episode of Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
where Peter writes "I love Grape Ape at the end of a letter.