Peter Potamus is a purple

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two exta ...

that first appeared in the 1964–1966

animated television series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...

''The Peter Potamus Show'', produced by

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...

and first broadcast on September 16, 1964. ''The Peter Potamus Show'' was divided into three segments: ''Peter Potamus and So-So'', ''

Breezly and Sneezly ''Breezly and Sneezly'' is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series first broadcast on September 16, 1964, as part of '' The Peter Potamus Show''. From 1964 to 1966, 23 episodes were produced, 14 of which were aired on ''Peter Potamus'' with the remaining ni ...

'' and ''

Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey ''Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey'' is a Hanna-Barbera animated television series that premiered September 16, 1964. It was presented as a segment of '' The Peter Potamus Show'', along with '' Breezly and Sneezly'' and ''Peter Potamus''. Plot Yippee, ...

''. ''Peter Potamus'' was a companion series to ''

The Magilla Gorilla Show ''The Magilla Gorilla Show'' is an American animated television series starring Magilla Gorilla. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Screen Gems, and was originally sponsored in syndication by Ideal Toys from 1964 through 1 ...

''. Both series premiered in

first-run syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States wher ...

before being picked up by ABC in January 1966. ''Peter Potamus'' ran on Sunday mornings and ''The Magilla Gorilla Show'' went to Saturday mornings before moving to Sundays the following year. At that time, the ''Breezly and Sneezly'' segment was swapped with ''

Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long ''Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long'' was a segment of Hanna-Barbera's 1964–1966 cartoon ''The Magilla Gorilla Show'', and later appeared on '' The Peter Potamus Show''. Background Taking place in a Wild West setting, Ricochet Rabbit (voiced by ...

'', a segment on ''The Magilla Gorilla Show''. After the ABC run ended in 1967, cartoons from ''Magilla Gorilla'' and ''Peter Potamus'' shows were syndicated together. The

Ideal Toy Company Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Bet ...

was the sponsor of the television series, and during the original run of the cartoon, the closing song ended with the phrase: "And there he goes Peter Potamus, our ideal". A similarly subtle sponsor reference appeared in the ''Magilla Gorilla'' theme song lyrics: "He's really ideal". Early promotional materials for the series carried the title ''Peter Potamus and His Magic Flying Balloon'', but that title never appeared on screen. The original ''Peter Potamus'' series was broadcast on the cable TV channel

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

, often as part of its anthology series ''Boomerang Zoo''.

Segments

Peter Potamus and So-So

The main segment featured Peter Potamus (voiced by

Daws Butler Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company where he originated the voices of many familiar characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry H ...

impersonating Joe E. Brown; Butler used an identical voice for Lippy the Lion) and his diminutive sidekick So-So the

monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...

(voiced by

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor. He was best known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered vocal creations include Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ...

). Peter is big, purple, and friendly, dressed in a safari jacket and hat. Episodes generally consisted of Peter and So-So exploring the world in his

hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries ...

, which was capable of time travel at the spin of a dial. When faced with a precarious situation, Peter uses his Hippo Hurricane Holler to blow away his opponents.

Breezly and Sneezly

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear spec ...

named Breezly Bruin (voiced by

Howard Morris Howard Jerome Morris (September 4, 1919 – May 21, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, and director. He was best known for his role in ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as Ernest T. Bass, and as "Uncle Goopy" in a celebrated comedy sketch on Sid Ca ...

) and his friend Sneezly the

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

(voiced by

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy r ...

) use various schemes to break into an army camp in the frozen north, while trying to stay one step ahead of the camp's leader Colonel Fuzzby (voiced by John Stephenson).

Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey

Three dogs named Yippee (voiced by Doug Young), Yappee (voiced by Hal Smith), and Yahooey (voiced by

impersonating

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

) aka The Goofy Guards, work for the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

(voiced by Hal Smith), a short, complaining ruler who is often on the receiving end of their antics. The trio's plumed hats and swords are reminiscent of

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

Episodes

Other appearances

* Peter Potamus and So-So appeared in ''

Yogi's Ark Lark ''Yogi's Ark Lark'' is a 1972 animated television special produced by Hanna-Barbera, intended to raise ecological awareness. It was broadcast on September 16, 1972, as part of '' The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie'' and served as the four-part episod ...

'' and its spin-off series '' Yogi's Gang''. * Peter Potamus guest starred in the episode "India and Israel" on ''

Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics ''Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics'' is a two-hour Saturday morning animated program block produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on ABC from September 10, 1977, until October 28, 1978. The block featured five Hanna-Barbera series ...

''. * Peter Potamus guest starred in some episodes of ''

Yogi's Treasure Hunt ''Yogi's Treasure Hunt'' (originally titled ''The Funtastic Treasure Hunt'') is an American animated television series and the fifth entry in the ''Yogi Bear'' franchise produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, featuring Yogi Bear and various other ...

''. *

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

published one issue of a ''Peter Potamus'' comic book in 1965. * Peter Potamus made a cameo appearance in '' The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound'' as a captain of a boat to

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...

. * Peter Potamus appeared in the early 1990s series '' Yo Yogi!'', where he was voiced by

Greg Burson Gregory Lewis Burson (June 29, 1949 – July 22, 2008) was an American voice actor. He was best known as a replacement for voice actors Daws Butler and Mel Blanc following their deaths in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Career Burson was trained b ...

. He and So-So were shown to own a plant store at Jellystone Mall called Peter Potamus' Plant Palace. In "Tricky Dickie's Dirty Trickies", he is shown to be allergic to goldenrods. He later appeared in "Mall or Nothing" as part of the Mall-a-thon. * Peter Potamus and So-So were seen as animatronics in the ''

Dexter's Laboratory ''Dexter's Laboratory'' is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It follows Dexter, a short, enthusiastic boy-genius with a hi ...

'' episode "Chubby Cheese" during Chubby's song sequence. * Potamus was also a recurring character on ''

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'' is an American adult animated television sitcom created by Michael Ouweleen and Erik Richter for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. A spin-off of ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', the ...

'', where he is voiced in a Brooklyn accent by

Joe Alaskey Joseph Francis Alaskey III (April 17, 1952 – February 3, 2016) was an American actor, voice actor, broadcaster, impressionist and stand-up comedian. Alaskey was one of Mel Blanc's successors at the Warner Bros. Animation studio until his de ...

and later voiced by

Chris Edgerly Chris Edgerly (born August 6, 1969) is an American voice actor, comedian and singer. Life and career Edgerly provided the voice of Peter Potamus on the Adult Swim animated series, '' Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'', in addition to several ...

. In it, he is a lecherous glutton and a lazy and sleazy (but inexplicably successful) lawyer in constant pursuit of women and

sandwiches A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

. He works at the Sebben & Sebben law firm with

Harvey Birdman Harvey Raymond Randall Birdman is a fictional superhero/attorney at law who first appeared on the Hanna-Barbera show ''Birdman and the Galaxy Trio'' (1967–1968) as Ray Randall, Birdman, voiced by Keith Andes. After returning as guest host i ...

. Peter has the trademark phrase "Did you get that thing I sent you?" Starting with the episode "Return of Birdgirl", Peter's hands were changed to hooves. * Peter Potamus appeared in

Velma Dinkley Velma Dinkley is a fictional character in the '' Scooby-Doo'' franchise. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange turtleneck sweater, a short pink pleated skirt (or in later episodes an A-line skirt, or sometimes shorts), knee socks, Mary Ja ...

's feverish dream in issue #10 'Velma - Warrior Queen of Monsterworld!" of ''

Scooby Apocalypse ''Scooby Apocalypse'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics, which began in May 2016. It re-imagines the characters from the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise, particularly the 1969 TV series ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', setting them in ...

''. * Peter Potamus and So-So appeared in

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

''Deathstroke/Yogi Bear Special'' #1 as captured animals alongside other Hanna-Barbera characters. * Peter Potamus made a brief cameo in the ''

Wacky Races Eccentricity (also called quirkiness) is an unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with no ...

'' episode "King Solomon's Races". * Peter Potamus and So-So also appeared in the 2021 feature film '' Space Jam: A New Legacy''. They are seen watching the basketball game between the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad from their balloon. * Peter Potamus and So-So appear in the series ''

Jellystone! ''Jellystone!'' is an American animated streaming television comedy series developed by C. H. Greenblatt for HBO Max. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and features reimagined versions of various characters by Hanna-Barbera. It pr ...

'' with Peter Potamus voiced by

C.H. Greenblatt Carl Harvey Greenblatt (born June 17, 1972) is an American animator, storyboard artist, voice actor, writer, producer and director. He has worked on Nickelodeon's ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and on Cartoon Network's '' The Grim Adventures of Bill ...

and So-So voiced by

George Takei George Takei (; ja, ジョージ・タケイ; born Hosato Takei (武井穂郷), April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS ''Enterprise'' in the televi ...

. Peter Potamus and So-So are portrayed as

Otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorat ...

s, Peter is also a martial arts specialist who considers his action figures to be his friends. Though has been shown trying to hang out with the other citizens. So-So was seen as Peter's fighting coach. Peter also works as a mail carrier by using his hot air balloon. So-So was silent until the season 2 episode "Balloon Kids". * Peter's balloon makes a cameo in the background of the "Space Jam Court" stage in the platform fighting game ''

MultiVersus ''MultiVersus'' is a 2022 free-to-play crossover fighting video game developed by Player First Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game is a platform fighter, featuring characters from Warner Bros. Discovery franc ...

''.

Home media

The episode ''Fe Fi Fo Fun'' is available on the DVD ''Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s Vol. 1''. The episode ''Wagon Train Strain'' is available on the ''Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960's Vol. 2'' set. The episode ''Cleo Trio'' is on the ''Hanna Barbera 25 Cartoon Collection'' DVD, part of ''The Best of Warner Bros.'' series. On November 1, 2016,

Warner Archive The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inten ...

released ''The Peter Potamus Show- The Complete Series'' on DVD in region 1 as part of their

Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ...

. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.

References

External links

* {{Hanna-Barbera 1964 American television series debuts 1965 American television series endings American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series English-language television shows Fictional hippopotamuses Animated television series about mammals 1960s American animated television series Hanna-Barbera characters Television series by Hanna-Barbera Television series by Screen Gems Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios American Broadcasting Company original programming First-run syndicated television programs in the United States