The California Raisin Show is an animated television series based on the claymation advertising characters The California Raisins

The California Raisins

The California Raisins were a fictional rhythm and blues musical group as well as advertising and merchandising characters composed of anthropomorphized raisins based on black caricatures. Lead vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles...

. The show is based on an Emmy Award

Emmy Award

An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...

-winning claymation special, Meet the Raisins!, which originally aired on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 in 1988. After the show's run, which lasted a mere 13 episodes, a sequel to the original special, Raisins: Sold Out!: The California Raisins II, aired in 1990.

While the characters are traditionally depicted in claymation, the TV show was cel animated by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. It did, however, maintain Will Vinton

Will Vinton

Will Vinton is an American director and producer of animated films. He was born in McMinnville, Oregon, near Portland. He has won an Oscar for his work, and several Emmy Awards and Clio Awards for the work of his studio.- Education :...

 as creative director and executive producer. It takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphic

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...

 fruits and vegetables and focuses on the main characters, the California Raisins: A.C. (vocals), Beebop (drums), Stretch (bass), and Red (guitar/piano). Each episode has one or more musical numbers.

Cast

• Cam Clarke
  Cam Clarke
  Cameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
  
   as Beebop
• Brian Cummings
  Brian Cummings
  Brian Cummings is an American voice actor.-Biography:He is known for his work in radio and television commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on The All-New Let's Make a Deal from 1984 to 1985...
  
   as Lick Broccol
• Jim Cummings
  Jim Cummings
  James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
  
   as Rudy Bagaman
• Rebecca Gilchrist as Shirelle
• Dorian Harewood
  Dorian Harewood
  W. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
  
   as A.C.
• Lulu Arborman as Ma (as Gaille Heidemann)
• Michele Mariana as Dixie

DVD release

On November 15, 2011, Hen's Tooth Video will release The California Raisins Collection on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. The 2-disc set will feature all 13 episodes of the series as well as the two original claymation specials Meet the Raisins!

Meet the Raisins!

Meet the Raisins! is a 1988 animated television special directed by Will Vinton, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. The show was broadcast November 4, 1988, on the U.S. television network CBS during primetime. It was the Raisins' second appearance in a primetime special...

 and Raisins: Sold Out!: The California Raisins II along with 4 original TV ads.

External links