This article is about the television series. For the House of Mouse episode, see "Timon and Pumbaa".
The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, commonly referred to as simply Timon & Pumbaa, is an American animated television series made by the Walt Disney Company, which ran from September 8, 1995 to September 24, 1999. It's a spin-off to the 1994 Disney animated feature film, The Lion King, centering on Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog, as they live their problem-free philosophy, Hakuna Matata. Compared to most Lion King media, the tone of the series is more slapstick-driven.
The show ran for three seasons, with the first two seasons debuting simultaneously on The Disney Afternoon and CBS in the United States and on BBS in Canada, and the third season debuting on Toon Disney on January 1, 1999.
Premise[]
The show stars Timon and Pumbaa, both characters from the film, The Lion King. Taking place after the events of the film, the characters venture beyond the Pride Lands in search for wacky adventures, continuing to live by their problem-free philosophy Hakuna Matata. Timon and Pumbaa are normally seen having (mis)adventures in the jungle and across the globe in various settings, seeking different types of grubs as well as encountering new allies and enemies throughout their journey. Many episodes also highlight their friendship.
While the show focuses primarily on Timon and Pumbaa, four episodes center respectively on Rafiki and Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed (under the names "Rafiki Fables" and "The Laughing Hyenas"), and two episodes center on Zazu. Simba also makes recurring appearances throughout the show. The series uses fast-paced slapstick comedy to convey life lessons to young viewers.
Background Information[]
The show notably has several different voice actors from the films. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella reprised their roles as the titular characters, respectively. 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. Jim Cummings and Robert Guillaume also reprised their roles as Ed and Rafiki respectively. However, Matthew Broderick, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin did not return for the show, and were all replaced by Cam Clarke, Michael Gough, Tress MacNeille, and Rob Paulsen.
During the final season (1998), there was a change in writers and a new director, which seems to have led to the show being 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 Jr. block on Disney Channel as well as the Disney Junior channel. As of 2014, reruns of the series were removed from 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 Jr.: Australia and New Zealand
- Disney Channel: Hungary, Israel, Netherlands, Flanders, and Portugal
- Disney Cinemagic: France
- Sky Movies Disney: United Kingdom
- Ketnet: Flemish Belgium
Characters[]
From the 1994 film[]
- Timon (voiced in early episodes by Nathan Lane, then by Kevin Schon and Quinton Flynn) - One of the show's main protagonists.
- Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella) - Another one of the show's main protagonists.
- 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 one of the show's antagonists. They have their own episodes called "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 episodes called "Rafiki Fables".
- Gopher (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A mole who is Zazu's assistant. He appears briefly in the movie and is expanded in the series.
Supporting characters[]
- 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 two philosophies: Makuta Hamaka, which means "Work real hard," and Safety First.
- Irwin (voiced by Charlie Adler) - An accident-prone penguin who causes pain to people around him.
- The Vulture Police (voiced by Townsend Coleman and Brian Cummings) - Two vulture cops that talk very fast.
- Piper (voiced by April Winchell) - A flying squirrel who dates a male flying squirrel.
- 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.
- Jumbo Jumbo (voiced by Patrick Fraley) - A stubborn elephant.
- 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.
- Stinky (voiced by Jess Harnell) - A stinkbug with a Beatles hairstyle who was part of a band.
- The Tigress (voiced by April Winchell) - A widowed tigress who has an inability to catch food.
- Mr. Buttons (voiced by Charlie Adler) - A lemur who makes Pumbaa marry a pink female warthog named Rosebud.
- 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.
- Genie (voiced by David Leisure) - A genie that grants Timon and Pumbaa three wishes.
- Dr. Exeter (voiced by Billy West) - A hedgehog college professor.
- 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.
- Savage Lion (voiced by Rodger Bumpass) - A big meat-eating lion who lives in Savage Rock.
- Cisco Pig (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A humanoid pig bandit from the Old West.
- Madame Credenza (voiced by April Winchell) - A gypsy moth who puts a curse on Timon which will not take effect until the next morning.
- Lester the Whale (voiced by Jim Cummings) - An enchanted three wish wishing whale.
- Nefu (voiced by Tahj Mowry (credited); Dana Hill (uncredited)) - Rafiki's nephew who wants to be just like his uncle.
- 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.
- Heimlich and Schnitzel (voiced by Jeff Bennett and Corey Burton, respectively) - Two circus lions who torment Timon and Pumbaa.
- Sigmund and Lloyd (voiced by Jeff Bennett and Corey Burton, respectively) - Two show trainers who are the owners of Heimlich and Schnitzel.
- Rita Book (voiced by Tress MacNeille) - A grumpy librarian who believes strongly in silence.
- 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.
Villains and antagonists[]
- Quint (voiced by Corey Burton) - One of the show's main antagonists. His role varies in each episode he appears in.
- The Native Chief (voiced by Jeff Bennet) - The leader of the three natives. He, along with his henchmen, is one of the show's main antagonists.
- The Three Natives (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - Three natives who are really university students.
- El Toro (voiced by Corey Burton) - A brave bull from Spain.
- 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.
- 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.
- Martin Partin (voiced by Rob Paulsen) - A television host who tries to film his show titled "Kingdom of the Creatures."
- Jackal - An animal who tries to eat Timon and Pumbaa after the two helped a widowed tigress.
- The Tarsier (voiced by Frank Welker) - A pessimistic tarsier who is revealed to be a carnivorous wild dog.
- Mel (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - A muscular gazelle who has a crush on Lara.
- Claudius (voiced by Frank Welker) - A lion who has never lost a fight.
- Bahuka (voiced by Eddie Deezen) - A stone tiki statue with a booming, annoying voice.
- Sal Mander (voiced by David Leisure) - A salamander host in the game show "You Bet Your Tuhkus."
- Teds (voiced by Charlie Adler) - A group of ground squirrels who take over Timon and Pumbaa's napping spot to make their club.
- 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.
- Tutan Pharaoh (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - An Egyptian king who imprisons Timon and Pumbaa in a pyramid for eating the Sacred Scarab Beetle.
- Captain Bloodbeard (voiced by William Morgan Sheppard) - A grumpy pirate who makes Timon and Pumbaa his slaves.
- 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.
- Dr. Cagliostro (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. Cagliostro's monster and assistant.
- Boy Beaver (voiced by Mark Schiff) - A mischievous young beaver who is Boss Beaver's son.
- Pimon and Tumbaa (voiced by Billy West and Kevin Michael Richardson, respectively) - 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 & Pumbaa episode list
Home video releases[]
- Main article: Timon & Pumbaa videography
Trivia[]
- Unlike the Lion King movies, which are already out on DVD, this TV show has only appeared on VHS, and has for a time faded from existence shortly afterwards in terms of official airings. However, as of 2019, the show has since been made available on the Disney+ streaming service.
- The Lion King serves as the backdoor pilot for this show.
- The series is the first and only instance in the Lion King franchise where humans make onscreen appearances, as the films and The Lion Guard do not depict or even mention humans, though they do have allusions to their existence.
- Nala would be the only character from The Lion King to not make an appearance in the series.
- Due to consistency issues, Timon had over three voice actors throughout the series.
External links[]
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