TaleSpin 

Baloo the Bear from the Jungle Book is cast as a 1930's Pacific Islands bush pilot.

Stars:

Ed Gilbert, R.J. Williams, Sally Struthers

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ed Gilbert	...	Baloo / ... 61 episodes, 1990-1991
Jim Cummings	...	Don Karnage / ... 46 episodes, 1990-1991
Sally Struthers	...	Rebecca Cunningham 42 episodes, 1990-1991
R.J. Williams	...	Kit Cloudkicker 39 episodes, 1990-1991
Pat Fraley	...	Wildcat / ... 26 episodes, 1990-1991

Storyline

This casts key characters from the Jungle Book into a 1930's pacific setting where Baloo is a bush pilot who finds himself as part of a struggling courier company.

---

Plot Keywords:

1930s | bear | bush pilot | pirate | half dressed cartoon animal | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

---

Certificate:

TV-Y

Details

Official Sites:

Toon Disney

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Super Baloo

Company Credits

Production Co:

Disney Television Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (65 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the series creators, TaleSpin was a rush project in order to fill a gap in Disney's afternoon schedule as well as keep people from being laid off in the television animation department. The concept for the series came in the summer of 1989 (The Jungle Book (1967) being the film it was based off of because, when inflation was considered, it was the fourth-highest grossing Disney movie of that time) with the series being more or less fully developed by August 19, 1989. Voice acting for completed screenplays began in October 1989. The first episode aired, "I Only Have Ice For You", was shown in May 1990 as a sneak preview on the Disney Channel, with the series beginning regular airing in September 1990.

---

Goofs

The dock setup for Higher for Hire changes almost every episode to accommodate the direction from which the Seaduck is heading.

---

Quotes

Don Karnage: This will be like taking candy from a little baby child!

---

Connections

Spin-off TaleSpin (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Spin It
Words and Music by Michael Silversher and Patty Silversher
Produced by Robert Kraft

User Reviews

This is hands down one of the best TV series Disney has ever produced - YES!!!

Those words came from another post/user. You're so right!!! Tale Spin was Disney's best animated series made for Television, as it attracted me intensely in the early 1990's - I cut college classes to watch TaleSpin (And, I still got my Bachelor's degree in '94!) I was so upset when then Disney-owned KCAL Ch. 9 (Which aired Tale Spin weekday afternoons at 4:00 in 1991-92) pre-empted Tale Spin Apr 29, 92 for the Rodney King LAPD court verdicts (Of course that led to a riot which I won't indulge into). I was a student going to a major local university between 1990-94 and I had to make sure I got either to the Student Union for the TV room or if in class, tape Tale Spin from home for viewing later. I was never into any other animated series before and since. I knew Ed Gilbert by luck (The voice of Baloo in the series) as we took yoga classes together in 1991 - We had met in N. Hollywood at a yoga instructor's house. He was a great person to talk too (I teased him once - called him "Yoga Bear" and he loved it, he called me just "Big Joe") and gave me a lot of Tale Spin secrets & info I could never put here on this post. We lost touch after 1993, and just recently heard of his death two years ago. I feel saddened, but I'm sure he (and Phil Harris...) are looking down on us singing a chord of "The Bare Necessities". (I'm bummed he's not in the new Jungle Book 2 movie -Gilbert would have been great as he reprises his voice of Baloo - He was natural, man... (Tony Jay reprises his voice role of Shere Khan in the new movie) Sally Struthers spells R E B E C C A and was perfect for the single mother - independent-minded entrupeneur of "Higher For Hire" and I loved Wildcat (Pat Fraley) the mechanic and Louie (Jim Cummings) the bartender and party monkey!! What wonderful memories, Ed signed my Tale Spin comic book one day after our workout with this inscription "To Joe, Keep Yer Tail Spinnin, And Don't Fall Outa The SKY!! Ed Gilbert "The Voice of Baloo" ** Miss you and see you in the sky.... Joe "The Bear" Goria - Los Angeles