Hanna-Barbera Productions

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera had spent nearly two decades producing *Tom and Jerry* when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer shut down its animation department in 1957 and let them go. Instead of parting ways, the two decided to commit their careers to a medium that was replacing theatrical shorts: television. They chose limited animation, a cost-effective style that made producing cartoons financially viable for broadcast.

Their decision proved highly successful. Characters like Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear helped establish the studio, and in 1960, *The Flintstones* became the first animated series to air in American primetime, marking a significant cultural milestone. Other series such as *The Jetsons*, *Top Cat*, *Jonny Quest*, *Scooby-Doo*, and later the *Smurfs* followed, and for many years, Hanna-Barbera dominated Saturday-morning and syndicated television animation more than any studio before or after.

The studio changed hands early on. Taft Broadcasting acquired it in 1966, and it later moved to Great American Broadcasting before being purchased in 1991 by Ted Turner, who was primarily interested in the vast library to support his new Cartoon Network. Under Turner, the studio experienced a surprising creative resurgence, producing original series that would define the next era of Cartoon Network.

The studio's end came through corporate consolidation rather than decline. After Turner merged with Time Warner and following William Hanna's death in 2001, the operation was absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation, and the Hanna-Barbera name was retired as an active studio. However, its characters continued to be widely recognized, having become a lasting part of American pop culture.