1. He was also based on The Honeymooners.

 

Hanna-Barbera got a lot of mileage out of aping The Honeymooners. The Flintstones was famously inspired by the pioneering '50s sitcom — but Yogi was doing it first. Yogi's voice and personality were based on Ed Norton, as played by Art Carney. They even wore similar hats.

Image: The Everett Collection

2. He made a cameo on The Flintstones.

 

Speaking of The Flintstones, Yogi and Boo Boo briefly popped up in Bedrock in the episode "Swedish Visitors." Yogi and his young underling sit high in a tree. "I'm smarter than the average Fred Flintstone," the bear quips. Keep a lookout for it on MeTV!

3. He made his debut on The Huckleberry Hound Show.

 

Premiering in 1958, The Huckleberry Hound Show was just the second series produced by Hanna-Barbera, following the lesser-known The Ruff and Reddy Show. Yogi, similarly attired to the blue coonhound, appeared in segments of The Huckleberry Hound Show. He quickly proved to be more popular. In early 1961, months after The Flintstones debuted, The Yogi Bear Show kicked off, sponsored by Kellogg's.

Image: The Everett Collection

4. Did Yogi Berra really sue over the name?

 

Yankees legend Yogi Berra was one of the great quote machines of the 20th century. He was far wittier than your average catcher. Several sources claim that Berra sued Hanna-Barbera over the name "Yogi Bear," which is undoubtedly eerily similar to the sports icon. However, according to Warner Bros., as investigated by The Hollywood Reporter, no lawsuit ever happened. "I've often been asked if Yogi Bear was a deliberate reference to the irrepressible Yogi Berra," Joseph Barbera said. "My answer is that no deliberate reference was intended… but, undoubtedly, the sound of the name was awash in our collective unconscious at a time when Yogi Berra was a very popular figure."

Image: AP Photo

5. He had the same voice as Elroy Jetson.

 

Alongside Mel Blanc, Daws Butler is one of those names on the Mount Rushmore of animation voice work. He voiced loads of your favorite Hanna-Barbera characters, from Snagglepuss to Elroy Jetson. Yes, he was also Yogi Bear (not to mention Quick Draw McGraw and Hokey Wolf). Butler voiced Yogi through 1988, his final work being in Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears.

Image: The Everett Collection

6. James Darren was the singing voice of Yogi Bear.

 

In 1964, Yogi Bear hit the big screen with the musical adventure Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! Daws Butler naturally voiced Yogi as per usual, but when it came time to belt out "Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a," a more professional crooner was needed. Enter James Darren, teel idol and former star of Gidget (1959). Darren had recently scored big pop hits with "Goodbye Cruel World" and "Her Royal Majesty." Perhaps you recognize him from The Time Tunnel?

7. A novelty pop song called ''Yogi'' hit the Top 10 in 1960.

 

Speaking of music, let's back up a bit. We mentioned that Yogi was the breakout star of The Huckleberry Hound Show. As evidence, consider the song "Yogi," a goofy novelty tune by The Ivy Three that featured clean-cut harmonies in the style of Yogi's voice. The song reached No. 8 on the Billboard charts in 1960 — before The Yogi Bear Show began. Take a listen.

Image: Discogs