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Crusader Rabbit
Created by: Alexander Anderson and Jay Ward
Opening theme: "Rabbit Fanfare" ( adapted from "The Trail to Mexico" ) & "Main Title Rabbit" ( adapted from "Ten Little Indians" )
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes: 455; 195 (black and white) and 260 (color)
Running time: 4 minutes
First shown in: 1947-1948
Original release: August 1, 1950 December 1, 1959
Crusader Rabbit is the first animated series produced specifically for television. Its main characters were Crusader Rabbit and his sidekick Ragland T. Tiger, or "Rags". The stories were 4-minute-long satirical cliffhangers.
The concept was test marketed in 1948, while the initial serial Crusader vs. the State of Texas aired on KNBH (now KNBC) in Los Angeles beginning on August 1, 1950 (not August 1, 1949 as some sources erroneously state). The program was syndicated from 1950 to 1952 for 195 episodes, then was revived in 1959 for 260 color episodes. Jay Ward, who went on to create The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, was involved as business manager and producer.