The Care Bears Family
Canadian successor to the American Care Bears animated series.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Care Bears Family is a Canadian children's animated television series produced by Nelvana and C.B.I.S. Productions, based on the American franchise of the same name. It served as the successor series to the American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment, and originally aired from September 13, 1986 to November 25, 1988 on the Global Television Network in Canada.
- field
- Children's animated television
- nationality
- Canadian
- known_for
- Successor to DIC's Care Bears series; aired on Global in Canada and ABC/syndication in the U.S.
- original_run
- September 13, 1986 – November 25, 1988
- episodes_produced
- 49
- production_companies
- Nelvana, C.B.I.S. Productions
Lore & Background
The Care Bears Family was produced by Nelvana and C.B.I.S. Productions as a Canadian successor to the earlier American Care Bears series by DIC Entertainment. It aired on the Global Television Network in Canada from September 13, 1986 to November 25, 1988, with 49 episodes produced. The first two seasons were exported to the United States via ABC, but ABC declined to air the third season; network officials stated they 'got killed' in the second season because the people meter was too difficult for preschoolers to operate. ABC ran a number of preschool-oriented cartoons that season, all of which suffered in the ratings. Season 3 instead aired in syndication in the U.S.
Reader's Guide
The Care Bears Family is significant as the first Canadian-produced animated series based on the Care Bears franchise, following the American DIC series. Its broadcast history illustrates the challenges of children's television ratings in the late 1980s, particularly the impact of the people meter on preschool programming. The series featured a large voice cast, including Jim Henshaw as Tenderheart Bear, Bob Dermer as Grumpy Bear, and Chris Wiggins as the villain No Heart. The show's premise involved the Care Bears living in Care-a-Lot in the Kingdom of Caring and thwarting the evil plans of Lord No Heart with the help of the Cousins and Buddies. Home media releases included VHS in the late 1980s by Kideo Video and Fries Home Video, and later DVD collections by Lionsgate Home Entertainment from 2004 to 2012. In Region 4, Magna Entertainment released all 52 episodes on DVD in Australia in 2004.
Did You Know?
- The series was produced by Nelvana and C.B.I.S. Productions, not by DIC Entertainment.
- ABC declined to air the third season because the people meter was too difficult for preschoolers to operate.
- 49 episodes were produced for the series.
- The series originally aired on the Global Television Network in Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Care Bears Family?
The Care Bears Family is a Canadian animated children's series produced by Nelvana and C.B.I.S. Productions that followed a group of magical bears helping their community through empathy and moral lessons. It served as the direct successor to the earlier DIC Entertainment adaptation of the same franchise.
What powers do the Care Bears have in The Care Bears Family?
Each bear bears a unique belly badge symbolizing a specific emotional or moral theme, such as sharing, caring, or honesty. Rather than casting traditional spells, they channel their abilities as gentle, empathetic guidance to help friends work through everyday interpersonal challenges.
How does The Care Bears Family end?
The series wrapped up after 49 episodes with its final broadcast on November 25, 1988, on Canada's Global Television Network. It concluded its run by simply completing its planned slate of stories about friendship and emotional growth rather than featuring a single dramatic finale.
Why is The Care Bears Family significant in animation history?
It was one of the first major American toy-based franchises to be reimagined as a Canadian-produced animated series, highlighting Nelvana's expanding role in children's television. The show also cemented the emotional-intelligence storytelling approach that would define later iterations of the Care Bears brand.
Where and when did The Care Bears Family air?
The series premiered on September 13, 1986, on the Global Television Network in Canada and ran through November 25, 1988. In the United States, episodes were carried by ABC and later distributed through local syndication.
More in Animated television series about magic 1-19
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record