Care Bears: Adventur, The Care Bears, Care Bears & Cousins, The Care Bears Battle the, Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitt
Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot, or simply known as Welcome to Care-a-Lot, is an American/Canadian CGI adventure musical animated TV series which is based on the "Care Bears" franchise in honor of their 30th anniversary. It is produced by American Greetings Properties. Unlike its previous predecessor "Care Bears" shows, this is AG's first CGI animated "Care Bears" TV series, though several films in the franchise had been released in the format. The series premiered on June 2, 2012 on the Hub Network in the United States. Previews of each new episode were released weekly on an official channel on YouTube, along with occasional music video or other promotional releases.
The series lasted one extended 26-episode season before its network underwent a rebranding. Following the rebranding of The Hub as Discovery Family in the Fall of 2014, Netflix commissioned a continuation of Welcome to Care-a-Lot titled "Care Bears & Cousins," which premiered November 6, 2015. The new series continues the story of the cast of Welcome to Care-a-Lot and introduces four new series regulars, the titular cousins Brave Heart Lion, Bright Heart Raccoon, Lotsa Heart Elephant and Cozy Heart Penguin. Care Bears & Cousins is currently in its second season on Netflix. As of 2016, Care Bears merchandise features Welcome to Care-a-Lot characters, as well as Care Bears & Cousins branding, as featured in Just Play's range of toys and plush.
Synopsis
Set in Care-a-Lot, a magical land in the clouds, Tenderheart Bear, Cheer Bear, Grumpy Bear, Share Bear, Harmony Bear, Funshine Bear and new playful, curious cub Wonderheart Bear all go on adventures that emphasize messages of caring and sharing. Human children from Earth often visit Care-a-Lot and participate in new adventures and valuable lessons learned. The Care Bears' mischievous frenemy King Beastly often attempts to make trouble for the bears.
Main Care Bears
Tenderheart Bear (voiced by David Lodge) - Tenderheart is the eldest and wisest of the Care Bears. Whether it's advice or understanding, a hug or a nudge, he knows just what kids need to help them share their feelings. His belly badge is perfect for the job: a redheart. The de facto leader of the Care Bears, he was granted the power of teleportation by the Great Giving Bear during the Great Giving Festival. He is Wonderheart Bear's uncle.
Cheer Bear (voiced by Patty Mattson) - Cheer is the happiest bear in Care-a-Lot. The resident cheerleader, she often displays a go-for-it attitude, makes up encouraging cheers right on the spot, and spreads joy among all who know her. When not helping her friends, she can often be found tending her garden. Her belly badge is a rainbow. She was once a member of the team, "Bear Power".
Funshine Bear (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) - Having fun is Funshine's number one thing. He is active, athletic and competitive when it comes to sports, cycling, skating, surfing, hiking and hang gliding. Nothing makes him happier than hanging out with friends or going on wild adventures. He makes the brightest of his days with sunny optimism and a flair for being fearless. His belly badge reflects this spirit: a smiling, shining sun. He was a member of the team, "Bear Power," and also won the Care Bearathon once.
Grumpy Bear (voiced by Doug Erholtz) - His sardonic and often sarcastic attitude usually gives way to his caring nature and heart, not unlike the rain cloud and heart shaped raindrops that make up his belly badge. Grumpy likes to remind kids who are having a bad day that they're always loved. He is a master builder and mechanic. He was once a member of the team, "Bear Power," is a sports fan who enjoys watching the "Honey Bowl," and is a big eater.
Harmony Bear (voiced by Nayo Wallace) - Harmony sings, acts, and plays every instrument. Behind her sassy, sometimes diva-like exterior is a natural leader who is all about encouraging others to do their best, especially through music. Her belly badge depicts a single flower with different colored petals. It has the power to magically fix broken instruments and can also alert her of someone in trouble from a distance. She was once a member of the team "Bear Power".
Share Bear (voiced by Stephanie Sheh) - If Share has it, she'll share it with anyone. Carefree and loving, Share is happiest whenever she's with her friends, serving tea or baking. Her belly badge depicts two crossed heart-shaped lollipops. She has a penchant for baking treats. She lives in a tree house in the Forest of Feelings.
Wonderheart Bear (voiced by Michaela Dean) - Although the youngest of the Care Bears, Wonderheart always want to take part in "big bear" adventures. She's playfully curious and never short on questions. Her belly badge features a heart within hearts motif, though she doesn't initially know its full power. She is often seen carrying a stuffed bunny named Floppy Bunny and is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Little Wonder." Wonderheart was the first all-new character created for Welcome to Care-a-Lot.
Other Care Bears
Amigo Bear (voiced by Mark Mercado) - A bear with orange fur who speaks in Spanglish and runs his own chili shack. His belly badge features an Aztec sun.
Baby Hugs Bear & Baby Tugs Bear (voiced by Olivia Hack and Stephanie Sheh) - Two cubs who are younger than Wonderheart and obtain their belly badge powers before her. Hugs is magenta, and Tugs is light blue. They are members of the Cub Bouts, the junior division of the Belly Badge Bouts. Unlike earlier incarnations of the franchise, Tugs' belly badge now features a red heart inside a yellow star, while Hugs' has a yellow star inside a pink heart.
Bashful Heart Bear - The shyest of all Care Bears, he is sometimes seen in the background of episodes. He has sea green fur and a belly badge with a heart peeking out from behind a cloud with a rainbow extending outward.
Bedtime Bear (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) - A bear who is active at night, but sleepy during the day. He appeared for the first time in a full speaking role in "Over Bearing". He visits Wonderheart Bear at night to help her sleep and performs a duet about sleep with Harmony Bear.
Best Friend Bear (voiced by Olivia Hack) - A purple bear whose belly badge features a rainbow linking a star to a heart. She is part of a Belly Badge Bouts team in competition with Cheer, Funshine, Grumpy, Harmony and Share.
Birthday Bear (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) - A bear who likes to celebrate birthdays, his belly badge depicts a cupcake with a candle on top.
Champ Bear (voiced by Doug Erholtz) - An athletic bear who excels at every sport. Similar to, and often in friendly competition with Funshine Bear, he competes in the annual competition in "Shunshine." A real sports star, his belly badge is a trophy adorned with a star.
Friend Bear - An orange bear with two crossed sunflowers on her belly badge.
Good Luck Bear (voiced by Peter Anderson, one of the show's producers) - A Care Bear that has an Irish accent. He is green and has a four leaf clover belly badge. His belly badge gives him the power to provide good luck to others, if only they can capture his attention. He is part of a Belly Badge Bouts team in competition with Cheer, Funshine, Grumpy, Harmony and Share. He was once a member of the team, "Bear-a-Lots".
Grams Bear (voiced by Jennifer Darling) - A grandmother Care Bear first seen in the original Care Bears series, she is now turquoise rather than her traditional lavender-gray. She speaks with a stereotypical southern U.S. regional dialect and accent. Her belly badge, a rose tied with a yellow ribbon, has the power to restore other belly badges that are temporarily out of commission. Grams wears small glasses on the end of her nose, a pink shawl with yellow hearts around her shoulders and walks with a cane. She once helped Tenderheart Bear and is instrumental in finally unlocking Wonderheart's belly badge power.
Great Giving Bear (voiced by David Lodge) - A Care Bear who is the Care-a-Lot equivalent of Santa Claus; he gives gifts to anyone in Care-a-Lot who cares. His belly badge features a gift box with a heart inside. He has the ability to teleport and teaches it to Tenderheart.
Hopeful Heart Bear - A pink bear with a pink heart encircled by multicolored rays of light on her belly badge.
Laugh-a-Lot Bear (voiced by Stephanie Sheh) - A bear who enjoys laughter and making others laugh, her belly badge depicts a giggling star. She has been seen only in a brief speaking role to date. She was once a member of the team, "Bear-a-Lots".
Love-a-Lot Bear (voiced by Nayo Wallace) - A pink bear who enjoys sharing love, her belly badge is two overlapping hearts - one red and one pink. She is part of a Belly Badge Bouts team in competition with Cheer, Funshine, Grumpy, Harmony and Share. Once a member of the team, "Bear-a-Lots".
Secret Bear (voiced by Stephanie Sheh) - A care bear who's known for keeping secrets. She usually whispers when she speaks. She is magenta colored, and has a heart-shaped lock belly badge.
Shiver Me Timbear (voiced by David Lodge) - A legendary pirate captain who is one of Tenderheart's Care Bear ancestors - he even looks like Tenderheart. His belly badge features a heart and crossbones.
Surprise Bear (voiced by Melissa Mable) - An amethyst violet bear with a belly badge depicting a star popping out of a heart-stamped jack-in-the-box, she is mentioned briefly by Grumpy Bear before making a background cameo.
Sweet Dreams Bear (voiced by Olivia Hack) - A bear with a Southern American accent and deep purple fur, about the same hue as Harmony Bear's in the series (though her fur was temporarily depicted as pale purple in merchandise during 2015). She has the power to send down sweet dreams one by one to each Care Bear using her belly badge - a pink crescent moon nestled inside a cloud with a heart on it, which takes the form of a rainbow ray attached to a crescent moon. Her power can be drained by a naturally occurring phenomenon known as the "plainbow," but can be restored using other Care Bears's belly badge powers. Despite her special gift, she believes that all dreams, good or bad, are a natural part of the dreamscape. Her character was introduced in the previous series, Adventures in Care-a-Lot.
Sweet Sakura Bear - A merchandise exclusive character since 2009, Sweet Sakura Bear appears again, now in CGI Welcome to Care-a-Lot style, in a 2016 Care Bears action figure set by Just Play featuring other characters from Welcome to Care-a-Lot/Care Bears & Cousins. She is shy and modest, teaching others to savor the splendor of every passing moment. By helping us all appreciate "the little things," she reminds everyone that each season has its own beauty to treasure. Thus her heart-shaped cherry blossom belly badge is the perfect symbol of fleeting moments that become cherished memories. She is a franchise icon in Japan.
Thanks-a-Lot Bear (voiced by Melissa Mable) - A care bear who is thankful for anything. Her catchphrase is "Thanks a lot!" and is sometimes said sarcastically. She is ocean blue, and has a belly badge with a star riding on a rainbow.
True Heart Bear - One of the original founders of Care-a-Lot, she appears in the Welcome to Care-a-Lot sequel series, Care Bears & Cousins. She has multicolored, tie-dye-like pastel fur and a belly badge featuring a heart inside a star with 5 colored points.
Wish Bear (voiced by Melissa Mable) - A bear who enjoys making and granting wishes, her belly badge is a smiling, shooting starbuddy. She is part of a Belly Badge Bouts team in competition with Cheer, Funshine, Grumpy, Harmony and Share. She was once a member of the team, "Bear-a-Lots".
Work of Heart Bear - A merchandise exclusive character since 2006, Work of Heart Bear appears as the rare chase figure in Series 3 of Just Play's Care Bears blind bag figurines in 2016 alongside other Welcome to Care-a-Lot/Care Bears & Cousins characters. Too creative and imaginative to be pinned down to just one color, her fur is a multicolored hodgepodge (pink right ear, yellow left ear, blue right leg, etc.), and her belly badge features a heart shaped artist's palette.
Care Bear Cousins
Brave Heart Lion (voiced by Braeden Fox) - He is the leader of the Cousins. Appears in Welcome to Care-a-Lot sequel series, Care Bears & Cousins.
Bright Heart Raccoon (voiced by Ryan Wiesbrock) - He is a master inventor. Appears in Welcome to Care-a-Lot sequel series, Care Bears & Cousins.
Cozy Heart Penguin (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) - Her voice trills when she speaks. Appears in Welcome to Care-a-Lot sequel series, Care Bears & Cousins.
Lotsa Heart Elephant (voiced by Olivia Hack) - Her catch phrase is, "...and that's the truth!" Appears in Welcome to Care-a-Lot sequel series, Care Bears & Cousins.
Other Care-a-Lot Residents
King Beastly (voiced by Doug Erholtz) - A mischievous and arrogant beast who wears a crown, he likes to cause trouble in Care-a-Lot, but has natural talent if allowed to shine.
Beasties (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas and Doug Erholtz) - Beastly's two minions.
Care Kids
Penny (voiced by Katherine Shepler) - A girl who loves high speed.
Phoebe (voiced by Isabella Briscoe) - A shy girl with a talent for singing.
Clem (voiced by Sean-Ryan Petersen) - A boy with anger issues, summoned to Care-a-Lot by Beastly.
Hayden (voiced by Elle Labadie) - A young girl with an interest in baking. Loyal to Share Bear, she will keep quiet even if it means taking the blame for a friend's bad behavior. It is later revealed that she has a twin who is identical in appearance, though hardly identical in personality.
Jayden (voiced by Katherine Shepler) - A twin of Hayden, she seems to be somewhat more sporty and is at times competitive with Hayden.
Zack (voiced by Mason Malina) - A boy who is into extreme sports; he visits Care-a-Lot to compete in an annual competition.
Riley (voiced by Katherine Shepler) - A girl who made things up.
Olivia (voiced by Zoe Miner) - A girl who sometimes has trouble finding her courage.
Joy (voiced by Rachel Albrecht) - A girl who is sad when her best friend moves away; she swears off friendship, but the Care Bears help her by empathizing with her feelings.
Susan (voiced by Sami Staitman) - A girl with blonde hair who enjoys playing video games, but finds that work can be satisfying when she actually puts forth the effort.
Kaylee (voiced by Olivia Hack) - A girl who moved to a new school from Hawaii. She plays the ukulele, but is being bullied by a girl named Madison.
Madison (voiced by Chiara Zanni) - A girl who plays the guitar. When Kaylee joined her class in her school, she started bullying her because she felt jealous and felt that she had stolen her spotlight by playing the ukulele. Madison's voice actress, Chiara Zanni, was Wish Bear in the previous Care Bears series, Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot
Peter (voiced by Sam Adler) - A boy who is known to always follow rules and who lives by the guidelines of a written rule book. When he arrives in Care-a-Lot, Funshine Bear and Grumpy Bear encourage him to cut loose and he becomes a rebellious spirit with the declared intent of breaking all of Care-a-Lot's rules. After getting into a troubling situation, he learns an important lesson.
Aiden (voiced by Colin Depaula) - A boy who uses a wheelchair because his legs haven't worked since birth. He enjoys a variety of sporting activities and loves trying out new ones. He prefers for anyone who might have questions about him or his wheelchair to simply ask, rather than avoid him or keep silent.
Isabella (voiced by Katherine Shepler) - A young girl who has issues with responsibility, and only learns about its importance by helping Wonderheart.
Ethan (voiced by Sean-Ryan Petersen) - A Show child who arrives with the intent of helping with the Great Giving day pageant, but ends up causing rebellion and turning it into a one person show about himself.
Hannah (voiced by Sami Staitman) - A girl who knows a lot about camping, but is scared of actually doing it herself, for a number of reasons. She eventually earns an honorary Care Camping stamp.
Episodes
The series premiered on June 2, 2012 on The Hub in the United States. A 30-second preview was posted on YouTube on May 2, 2012.
Movie
Care Bears: A Belly Badge for Wonderheart the Movie was released on home video formats on August 6, 2013. Though marketed as a direct-to-video feature-length film, the release consists of no newly produced material, but is rather a compilation of three previous installments of the television series featuring the character Wonderheart Bear, edited to run in sequence at feature length.
Cast
Michaela Dean as Wonderheart Bear
Doug Erholtz as Grumpy Bear, Champ Bear, Beastly, Beastie 2
David Lodge as Tenderheart Bear, Great Giving Bear, Shiver Me Timbear
Partnering with American Greetings, Hasbro released a toy line based on the series in 2013. The license transitioned to Just Play in 2015, and by quarter 2 the company produced a line of Care Bears plush (8" bean bag plush, 12" medium plush packaged with DVDs featuring episodes of "Welcome to Care-a-Lot," 16" jumbo plush, and Sing-along animatronic plush), action figures (5-packs exclusive to Toys R Us, a 14-pack at Target, as well 2-packs exclusively available in the UK), and as of Fall 2016, 4 series of small blind bag figurines based on Welcome to Care-a-Lot and Care Bears & Cousins' style guide and characters. In Summer of 2016 Just Play's merchandise transitioned to the Care Bears & Cousins branding.
Reception
The premiere of the series, along with Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, saw The Hub earn its best performances amongst targeted demographics in six months. In an early review of the series, Blogfully.net stated that "If you’ve never seen a Care Bear’s [sic] episode on the Hub, you’re missing out."
Cartoon Brew reported that "The Hub's earlier series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, sparked an unlikely following among adult males, otherwise known as the Brony phenomenon, but one fandom isn’t enough for the Hub. They think their Care Bears show needs an adult male fanbase, too, and they’re shamelessly encouraging it themselves." Comics Alliance also said that "In case you're wondering, "Belly-Bros" is a term offered by the Hub as a potential name for the legions of male fans who'll enjoy this new Care Bears series as much as they do Friendship is Magic. If you're not feeling it, however, they're also suggesting "Care-Dudes," which sounds more like the way that William S. Preston would describe someone who works in an assisted living facility." In a statement in response to these articles, The Hub's Crystal Williams said, "...I came across your story on Cartoon Brew titled “The Hub Hopes Men Will Start Calling Themselves “Belly Bros” and “Care Dudes.” In response, I wanted to let you know that this was an unapproved and unsanctioned pitch by our PR agency...The Hub TV Network nor American Greetings Properties had any knowledge of the pitch angle. It is not our intention to compare Care Bears to My Little Pony and/or the Brony community."
