Timon & Pumbaa (TV series)

Timon & Pumbaa
	; Title Card for the show.
Format:	Animated Series
Created by:	Walt Disney Television Animation
Opening theme:	Hakuna Matata
No. of seasons:	3
No. of episodes:	85
Original channel:	Disney Channel; Toon Disney; Disney Junior
First aired:	September 8, 1995
Last aired:	September 24, 1999
Status:	Ended

Timon & Pumbaa, also known as The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, is an American animated television series made by the Walt Disney Company. It centers on Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog from the Disney film franchise The Lion King, without most of the other characters in the franchise. The show ran for three seasons on CBS in the United States, and BBS in Canada from September 1, 1995 to November 1, 1998.

Premise

The show stars Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog, both characters from the Disney animated film The Lion King and its sequels. The characters are normally seen having misadventures in the jungle, but sometimes find themselves across the globe in various settings.

Production

Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella reprised their roles as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, in The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and The Lion King 1½. Both actors were featured early in the television show; however, Lane is not the only voice actor who played his respective role. The role was also played by Quinton Flynn, in some episodes, and Kevin Schon, in most episodes. However, Matthew Broderick, Rowan Atkinson, and Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin did not return for the show, and were all replaced by Cam Clarke, Michael Gough, and Tress MacNeille and Rob Paulsen. Jim Cummings also reprised his role as Ed.

Music underscore by Stephen James Taylor featuring frequent use of a microtonal xylophone and pan pipes based on an African tribal tuning.

During the final season (1998), there was also a change in writers, and a new director meant the show became aimed more towards children than the whole family. As a result of this, ratings declined and the show was cancelled by Disney in 1998 (Disney's purchase of ABC in 1996 may have also been a factor in the cancellation).

In 2012, the show began airing on the Disney Junior block on Disney Channel as well as the Disney Junior channel. As of 2014, reruns of the series were removed from the Disney Junior block on Disney Channel on September 30, 2013 although the show is still currently airing on the Disney Junior channel. However, only several select episodes are shown, and some episodes are also abruptly edited.

This show currently airs on:

Disney XD: Italy and Turkey

Disney Junior: Australia, New Zeland, and United States

Disney Channel: Hungary, Israel, Netherlands, Flanders, Portugal, and Russia (although temporarily not airing currently)

Disney Cinemagic: France

Characters

The following are the original characters from the movie returning in the series.

Timon (voiced in early episodes by Nathan Lane, then by Kevin Schon and Quinton Flynn) - The show's main protagonist.
Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella) - The show's deuteragonist.
Simba (voiced by Cam Clarke) - Friend of Timon and Pumbaa, King of the Pride Lands, and the tritagonist of the show.
Zazu (voiced by Michael Gough) - An arrogant hornbill who works for Simba.
Shenzi, Banzai and Ed (voiced by Tress MacNeille, Rob Paulsen, and Jim Cummings) - Three clumsy hyenas who pick on Timon and Pumbaa. They used to work for Scar and serve as the show's antagonists. In their own episodes, they are known as "The Laughing Hyenas".
Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume) - A wise baboon who gives good advice and is occasionally the butt of jokes. He has his own episode called "Rafiki Fables".
Gopher (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A mole who is Zazu's assistant. He appears briefly in the movie and is a recurring character in the series.

Recurring characters

The following are characters who appear in more than one episode of the series.

Quint (voiced by Corey Burton) - The show's most recurring villain. He has different identities.
Jumbo Jumbo (voiced by Patrick Fraley) - A stubborn elephant, also a bully.
Speedy The Snail (voiced by Corey Burton) - A talking and singing snail that Timon and Pumbaa will never eat.
Fred (voiced by S. Scott Bullock) - Timon's old meerkat friend who likes to pull practical jokes.
Boss Beaver (voiced by Brad Garrett) - A loudmouth beaver who likes to make people work. He has his own philosophy: Makuta Hamaka, which means "Work real hard."
El Toro (voiced by Corey Burton) - A brave bull from Spain.
Irwin (voiced by Charlie Adler) - An accident-prone penguin who causes pain to people around him.
Toucan Dan (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - A dishonest toucan who would do anything to get people in trouble.
Rabbit (voiced by Charlie Adler) - An obnoxious and tiring pink bunny.
The Vulture Police (voiced by Townsend Coleman and Brian Cummings) - Two vulture cops that talk very fast.
Cheetato and Cheetata (voiced by Rob Paulsen and Jim Cummings) - Two sophisticated cheetahs who look for a meal.
Smolder the Bear (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A grizzly bear who would hurt anyone who annoys him.
Little Jimmy (voiced by Joe Alaskey) - A cute, yet dangerous bluebird.
Ned the Elephant (voiced by Frank Welker) - A high and mighty elephant who thinks he's wonderful at everything.
Rita Book (voiced by Tress MacNeille) - A grumpy librarian who believes strongly in silence.
The Three Natives (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - Three natives who are really university students.
The Native Chief (voiced by Jeff Bennet) - The leader of the three natives.
Dr. Happy (voiced by Steve Mackall) - A kid genius who likes to help endangered animals.
Leslie Lambeau (voiced by Grey DeLisle) - A supermodel who Timon, Pumbaa, and Smolder the Bear have a crush for.

One-Shot characters

The following are some of the characters who only appear in one episode of the series.

Monti (voiced by Quinton Flynn) - A meerkat who Pumbaa befriends. He is Timon's polar opposite.
Baampu (voiced by Ernie Sabella) - A warthog who Timon befriends. He is Pumbaa's polar opposite.
Nobi (voiced by Jim Cummings) - An unfortunate mouse who gets bullied by elephants.
The Meerkat Angel (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - An angel who lives in Meerkat Heaven.
Bruce (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A blue crab who lives in the Australian Outback.
Stink (voiced by Jess Harnell) - A stinkbug with a Beatles hairstyle who was part of a band.
Herman (voiced by Richard Karron) - A wildebeest who is in love with a gazelle named Lara.
Lara (voiced by Kath Soucie) - A gazelle who is in love with a wildebeest named Herman.
Claudius (voiced by Frank Welker) - A lion who has never lost a fight.
Uncle Boaris (voiced by Jim Cummings) - Pumbaa's uncle who lives in Russia.
Uncle Ernie (voiced by Frank Welker) - Pumbaa's deceased uncle.
Duke Meerkat (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - The ruler of the meerkat colony.
Tatiana (voiced by Tress MacNeille) - The Duke Meerkat's daughter and the princess of the meerkat colony.
Sharla (voiced by Billy West) - The leader of Pumbaa's sounders.
Mother Eagle (voiced by Joycee Katz) - A loudmouth eagle who asks Timon and Pumbaa to babysit her son.
Baby Earl (voiced by Brad Garrett) - Mother Eagle's son.
Pumbaa Jr. (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) - An alligator who hatches in an egg Pumbaa believes he laid and who Timon believes is an ugly chicken.
Bartholomew (voiced by Frank Welker) - A scientific monstrous experiment created by Dr. Happy who eventually escaped into the jungle.
Teds (voiced by Charlie Adler) - A group of ground squirrels who take over Timon and Pumbaa's napping spot to make their club.
Savage Lion (voiced by Rodger Bumpass) - A big meat-eating lion who lives in Savage Rock.
Ralph and Eddie (voiced by Rob Paulsen and Richard Karron) - Two snakes who build an all-you-can-eat bug buffet to trap Timon and Pumbaa.
The Cobra - A large snake who kidnaps Tatiana from the meerkat colony.
Captain Bloodbeard (voiced by William Morgan Sheppard) - A grumpy pirate who makes Timon and Pumbaa his slaves.
Cisco Pig (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A bandit warthog from the Old West.
Cisco Pig's Gang (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A trio of bandits who work for Cisco Pig.
Mr. Pig (voiced by Keith David) - A grumpy, self-absorbed pig who claims to be the real "Mr. Pig."
Wolverine (voiced by Pat Fraley) - A carnivore who enrolls Timon and Pumbaa to his Survival of the Fittest training camp.
Madame Credenza (voiced by April Winchell) - A gypsy moth who puts a curse on Timon which will not take effect until the next morning.
Dr. Caliostro (voiced by Billy West) - A mad scientist who wants to make Timon and Pumbaa beautiful.
Torgo (voiced by Maurice LaMarche and Grey DeLisle (as a woman)) - Dr. Caliostro's monster and assistant.
Lester the Whale (voiced by Jim Cummings) - An enchanted three wish wishing whale.
Jackal - An animal who tries to eat Timon and Pumbaa after the two helped a widowed tigress.
Nefu (voiced by Tahj Mowry) - Rafiki's nephew who wants to be just like his uncle.
Boy Beaver (voiced by Mark Schiff) - A mischievous young beaver who is Boss Beaver's son.
King Leopold (voiced by Frank Welker) - The king of the leopards and the father of Princess Claudia.
Princess Claudia (voiced by Tara Strong) - The princess of the leopards and the daughter of King Leopold.
Pimon and Tumbaa (voiced by Billy West and Kevin Michael Richardson) - A buff meerkat and warthog who steal Timon and Pumbaa's bag of bugs.
Mad Dog McGraw, Billy the Goat, and Three-fingered Jackelope (Mad Dog voiced by Rob Paulsen) - Three outlaws who try to take over the Old West.

Episodes

Main article: Timon and Pumbaa episode list

Home video releases

Main article: Timon and Pumbaa videography

The Lion King

Video games: The Lion King | Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games | The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventures | Kingdom Hearts II

Attractions: Fantasmic! | Festival of the Lion King | World of Color | Disney Dreams! | Celebrate the Magic

Midquel Characters: Ma | Uncle Max | Iron Joe | Meerkat Colony

Other: The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Broadway Musical | Rhythm of the Pride Lands | List of Species seen in The Lion King Franchise

See also: The Disney Afternoon

Timon & Pumbaa
Title Card for the show.
Format:	Animated Series
Created by:	Walt Disney Television Animation
Opening theme:	Hakuna Matata
No. of seasons:	3
No. of episodes:	85
Original channel:	Disney Channel Toon Disney Disney Junior
First aired:	September 8, 1995
Last aired:	September 24, 1999
Status:	Ended