Joy Riding Jokers

Tom and Jerry Tales

Tom and Jerry Tales is an animated television series which began production in 2005, and ended in 2008 on The CW's The CW4Kids block. As the title suggests, this series stars the well-known title characters from the classic Tom and Jerry shorts, and also is the first made for television iteration of the cartoons to emulate the theatrical shorts.

Joe Barbera also served as an executive producer before his death, as well as receiving story credit on some short cartoons, of the Tom and Jerry Tales show's first season, produced by Warner Brothers in 2005. The series had its international premiere on Boomerang in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2006, and premiered in the United States on Kids' WB on The CW on September 23, 2006 and later on Cartton Network in the Phillipines, India, Pakistan and Southeast Asia. Each episode consists of three short cartoons with approximately the same runtime as the original theatrical shorts. Also, each of the three shows that air in a 30 minute episode have some type of theme. The show is currently not on the 2008-09 season of the CW4kids and it does not air until midseason might end production. A move to Cartoon Network is also possible.

Voice cast

Don Brown as Tom Cat/ Droopy
Sam Vincent as Jerry Mouse
Michael Donovan as Spike
Colin Murdoch as Butch
Reece Thompson, Chantal Strand as Nibbles
Frank Welker as Tyke
Nicole Oliver as Mrs. Two-Shoes

Video games

In November 2006, a video game based on the show was released for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. You play as Jerry to get Tom in trouble. Many cameos from the show make appearances in the game such as the female robotic mouse from the short Hi, Robot.

DVD Releases

"Tom and Jerry Tales: Volume One" was released on October 3, 2006. The episodes include: Ho-Ho-Horrors / Dog-Gone Hill Hog / Northern Light Fish Fight, Way Off Broadway / Egg Beats / Cry Uncle, Joy Riding Jokers / Cat Got Your Luggage? / City Dump Chumps and Tiger Cat / Feeding Time / Polar Peril.

"Tom and Jerry Tales: Volume Two" was released on May 15, 2007. The episodes include: Octo Suave / Beach Bully Bingo / Treasure Map Scrap, Fire Breathing Tom Cat / Medieval Menace / The Itch, Digital Dilemma / Hi, Robot / Tomcat Jetpack, and Piranha Be Loved (by You) / Spook House Mouse / Abracadumb. That was then released later as Volume One in the UK!

"Tom and Jerry Tales: Volume Three" was released on December 4, 2007. The episodes include: Bats What I Like About the South / Fraidy Cat Scat / Tomb it May Concern, Cat Nebula / Martian Mice / Spaced Out Cat, Dino-Sores / Freaky Tiki / Prehisterics, Destruction Junction / Battle of the Power Tools / Jackhammered Cat, and Tin Cat of Tomorrow / Beefcake Tom / Tom Cat, Superstar.

"Tom and Jerry Tales: Volume Four" was released on March 11, 2008. The episodes include: Zent Out of Shape / I Dream of Meanie / Which Witch, More Powers to You / Catch Me Though You Can't / Power Tom, Don't Bring Your Pet to School Day / Cat Show Catastrophe / The Cat Whisperer, and Adventures in Penguin Sitting / Cat of Prey / Jungle Love.

"Tom and Jerry Tales: Volume Five" was released on August 12, 2008. The episodes include: Invasion of the Body Slammers / Monster Con / Over the River and Boo the Woods, Xtreme Trouble / A Life Less Guarded / Sasquashed, Summer Squashing / League of Cats / Little Big Mouse, and Bend It Like Thomas / Endless Bummer / Game, Set, Match.

"Tom and Jerry Tales: Volume Six" will be released on February 3, 2009. The episodes include: The Declaration of Independunce / Kitty Hawked / 24 Karat Kat, Hockey Schtick / Snow Brawl / The Abominable Snowmouse, DJ Jerry / Kitty Kat Blues / Flamenco Fiasco, You're Lion / Kangadoofus / Monkey Chow, and Game of Mouse and Cat / Babysitting Blues / Catfish Folly.

Notes

Tex Avery's character Droopy makes a cameo appearance as a doctor in Cat Nebula, and in Tomcat Jetpack. He is a main character in A Life Less Guarded and Endless Bummer.
Wolfie, a character from Tex Avery's Red Hot Riding Hood and Droopy cartoon shorts, appears as a ghost in Spook House Mouse.
In A Life Less Guarded, the man auditioning Tom and Droopy for a lifeguard job is a cariacature of Tex Avery, and one of the few human characters whose face is fully visible in the series. His assistant Miss Shapely is a comely blonde, referring to Avery's penchant for gorgeous women in his pictures.
The very first part of the opening sequence homages the short Designs on Jerry.
Jerry's Uncle Pecos, who appeared in the original Tom and Jerry short Pecos Pest, is in Cry Uncle.
So far, there are 41 shorts where Jerry triumphs, 3 where Tom wins, 23 where they both win, and 11 where they both lose. All together make approximately 78 shorts.
In Dog-Gone Hill Hog, Spike makes a reference to King of the Hill.
Nibbles makes an appearance in Cat Nebula as Jerry's space cadet sidekick, teams up with Jerry in Cat Show Catastrophe and Sasquashed, and makes cameo appearances in Cat of Prey and DJ Jerry.
Spike's son Tyke appears in Game, Set, Match.
Despite the frequent violence, the series is only rated TV-Y on Kid's WB.