Yogi's Treasure Hunt and its Grand Adventures

Premiering in U.S. syndication on September 6, 1985 and running through March 25, 1988, Yogi's Treasure Hunt re-teamed classic Hanna-Barbera stars for 27 fast-paced, globe-trotting capers within The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. This remarkable series marked the final television appearance where legendary voice actor Daws Butler brought Yogi Bear and his repertoire of beloved characters to life before his passing in 1988.

The Premise and the Magnificent Ships

Each thrilling episode begins with Top Cat—speaking in his smooth, street-smart Manhattan accent reminiscent of Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko—assigning the gang a riddle-laden mission from his sophisticated communications center. T.C. delivers these briefings with characteristic wheeler-dealer confidence tempered by genuine concern for his crew, his voice carrying that distinctive Brooklyn-bred sophistication mixed with surprisingly paternal warmth. He rolls his R's slightly when excited, drops his G's when speaking quickly ("We're gettin' somewhere now, gang!"), yet unlike his usual con-artist persona, he genuinely wants his treasure hunters to succeed. "Listen up, fellas—and I mean this from the heart—this treasure's gonna help a lotta people, so let's do it right, capisce?" His personality combines cunning intelligence with fast-talking charm, but in this series, his Heart of Gold side dominates—he'll still crack wise ("What am I, yesterday's tuna?") but follows up with sincere encouragement: "But seriously, you guys are the best team a cat could ask for".

The intrepid crew travels aboard the S.S. Jelly Roger—an engineering marvel that serves as their all-purpose headquarters and vehicle. This remarkable vessel undergoes constant reconfigurations: transforming seamlessly from airboat to steamboat, morphing into an aircraft for aerial pursuits, and even converting into a rocket ship when their treasure hunts venture into the cosmos. In "The Great American Treasure," President Ronald Reagan himself—portrayed with genial, grandfatherly demeanor and speaking in measured, diplomatic tones with his characteristic head-tilt and warm chuckle—personally gifts this extraordinary vessel to Yogi's crew.

Meanwhile, the villainous Dick Dastardly and his snickering sidekick Muttley pursue identical prizes aboard their own craft, the S.S. Dirty Tricks—a technologically advanced submarine bristling with spy gadgets and equipped to traverse land, sea, and air with equal facility.