Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera (/ˈhænə bɑːrˈbɛərə/ bar-BAIR-ə) was an American animation studio and production company that was active from 1957 to 2001, when it was absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to close its in-house cartoon studio, and was formerly headquartered on Cahuenga Boulevard from 1960 until 1998 and at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Sherman Oaks, both in Los Angeles, California.

The studio produced many successful television shows, including The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Flintstones, The Yogi Bear Show, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, Wacky Races, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and The Smurfs. Its productions won Hanna-Barbera a record-breaking eight Emmy Awards.

The profitability of Saturday-morning cartoons was eclipsed by weekday afternoon syndication after the studio's fortunes declined by the 1980s. Taft Broadcasting acquired Hanna-Barbera in 1966 and retained ownership until 1991 when Turner Broadcasting System acquired the studio, using the back catalog to establish Cartoon Network the following year.

Turner later merged in 1996 with Time Warner (currently Warner Bros. Discovery). After Hanna died in 2001, Hanna-Barbera as a standalone company was folded into Warner Bros. Animation. Since then, the Hanna-Barbera name has been used primarily for marketing and copyright purposes.