List of The Jetsons characters

The Jetsons family: (left to right, top row) Rosie (the robot maid), George, Jane, and Judy; (bottom row) Astro (the dog), Elroy.

The following is a list of major characters in The Jetsons. The Jetsons is an animated television comedy produced by Hanna-Barbera and first broadcast in prime-time on ABC as part of the 1962–63 United States network television schedule. Additional episodes were produced from 1985–1987, with the same cast of characters.

The Jetsons family

George Jetson

George J. Jetson^[1] is a fictional character and the 40-year-old father of the Jetson family. He is the husband of Jane Jetson and the father of teenage daughter Judy and elementary school aged son Elroy.^{[citation needed]}

George resides with his family in the Skypad Apartments^[2] in Orbit City, in a future with the trappings of science fantasy depictions of American life in the future, such as robot servants, flying saucer-like cars, and moving sidewalks. All the apartment buildings are set on giant poles, resembling Seattle's Space Needle; the ground is almost never seen,^{[citation needed]}though in Jetsons: The Movie, it is suggested that the earth is extremely polluted, thus everyone lives in the sky.

When George was a kid he had to fly through ten miles of asteroid storms to go to Orbit High School, where he was the star pitcher of its Spaceball team. George is now an employee at Spacely's Space Sprockets, a manufacturer of "sprockets" and other high tech equipment. His job title is "digital index operator."^[3] His boss is Cosmo G. Spacely, noted for being short in both height and temper; Spacely usually treats his employees (particularly George) in a rather tyrannical fashion. George's job primarily requires him to repeatedly push a single button (or on occasion a series of buttons) on a computer (named RUDI {Short for: Referential Universal Digital Indexer} in the 1980s series of Jetsons episodes). Once, George complained of his heavy work load- having to push a button for one hour, one day of the week! Often, Mr. Spacely will fire George in a fit of anger, only to hire him back by the end of the same episode.

Physically, George is a rather slim man of average height with short red hair and a cartoonishly large nose. His personality is that of a well-meaning, caring father, but he is often befuddled and stressed out by the problems of both his work and family lives. As The Jetsons was partially based on the comic strip Blondie, George himself was probably based on that strip's lead character, Dagwood Bumstead.^{[citation needed]} His wife Jane is voiced by Penny Singleton who played the movie version of Blondie in the 1930's to 1950's. ^[4]

George's most famous catchphrase is "Jane! Stop this crazy thing!" seen at the end credits of the 1960s Jetsons episodes, but is also known for frequently uttering the phrase "Hooba-dooba-dooba!" to express wonder or astonishment.

George O'Hanlon was the voice actor who did George's voice in both the sixties and eighties versions of the cartoon series. O'Hanlon last did the voice for George Jetson in Jetsons: The Movie, which was released posthumously.

The current voice of George Jetson is Jeff Bergman, who voiced George (and also Mr. Spacely) in some parts of the movie after O'Hanlon's death, and also voiced George in The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera as well as for the cameo in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Shaggy Busted" and Spümcø's two Jetsons cartoons: Father & Son Day and The Best Son.

In the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Back to the Present", George was voiced by Wally Wingert. In the episode, the Jetsons return to the past to sue the planet for causing global warming also in a cameo appearance on The Powerpuff Girls.

George Jetson also appears at the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and formerly Universal Studios Florida as a meetable character seen in 1996 video called "Kids for Character". He Also Appears On Kanye West's Music Video Heartless

Jane Jetson

Jane Jetson: age 35 (self-reported in the first episode), is George's wife, mother of their two children, and a homemaker. Jane is obsessed with fashion and new gadgetry. Her favorite store is Mooning Dales. She is also a dutiful wife who always tries to make life as pleasant as possible for her family. Outside of the home, she is a member of the Galaxy Women Historical Society and is a fan of Leonardo de Venus and Picasso Pia. (Voiced by Penny Singleton)

Jane appears, with Wilma Flintstone and Velma Dinkley, in a commercial for Dove shampoo. She Even Appears On A Music Video By Kanye West

Judy Jetson

Judy Jetson

Judith "Judy" Angela Jetson is a fictional character in the futuristic Hanna-Barbara cartoon series The Jetsons. She is the 16 year-old daughter of George and Jane Jetson who acts just like a normal teenage girl only with more futuristic tastes.

Despite Judy still keeping modern-day "teenage girl" likes and dislikes, such as seemingly never-ending conversations on the telephone and shopping for futuristic outfits, she does not live exactly like a modern teenager, obviously because of the time the show takes place, because she enjoys taking advantage of the many gadgets at her grasp because of the technology (like controllable zero-gravity switches made for accomplishing popular dance moves of the show's time or for other uses). She also gives a summary of how her day went including her problems to a floating robotic diary, appropriately named, "DiDi" (voiced by Brenda Vaccaro).

Judy is also very fond of a futuristic rock singer named "Jet Screamer", whom George at first despised until Judy won a date with the heartthrob singer in a contest in which girls who wanted to win a date with Jet Screamer were to write songs, and the writer of the winning song would win the date. Judy won because George replaced her original song with her younger brother Elroy's secret code, but it won anyway. George came along to try to stop the date but failed and wound up as the drummer for the song and soon took a liking for Jet Screamer and his music.

Judy is depicted wearing a deep pinkish-purple, futuristic outfit and, like a few other Hanna-Barbara cartoon characters (such as Bamm-Bamm Rubble from The Flintstones and some background characters in various cartoons) has white hair that is colored to resemble platinum blonde or bleached blonde hair, which she wears in a ponytail on top of her head.

Elroy Jetson

Elroy Jetson: age 6 and a half (self-reported in the first episode), is the younger of the two children in the Jetson family. He is highly intelligent and an expert in all space sciences. Elroy attends Little Dipper School where he studies space history, astrophysics and star geometry. He is a mild mannered and good child.

Jetson family household

Astro

Astro is a canine character on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, The Jetsons. He was designed by Iwao Takamoto, and originally voiced by Don Messick. In the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Back to the Present", Astro was voiced by Wally Wingert. Astro was more advanced than present-day dogs, in that he had a rudimentary grasp of the English language, albeit with r's in many places they shouldn't be, or replacing other letters. For example, "I love you, George" would be "I ruv roo, Reorge". This is similar to Scooby-Doo in the cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You?; which was also voiced by Messick.^[5]

History

Astro's Appearance as a galactic Police dog from Astro and the Space Mutts. (1981)

Astro was found by Elroy in the fourth Jetsons episode, "The Coming of Astro". When Jane, Judy, and Elroy proposed keeping him to George, he was against it claiming that an Apartment is no place for a dog. In an effort to make his family happy, he got an electronic dog named Electronimo. Electronimo was supposed to be the new hairless, non-eating, protect your house, way to go. When The Cat Burglar tried to rob the Jetsons, Electronimo attacked him (which he did to anyone wearing a mask). Elroy tried waking Astro to get him to stop the burglar as a way to prove himself, but Astro turned out to be more interested in hiding in fear. However, when trying to escape, The Cat Burglar put the mask on George. Electronimo then proceeded to chase after George. It was Astro who was trying to run from The Cat Burglar that inevitably caught the criminal by accident by crashing into him. This prompted George to decide that Electronimo was not the way to go. They gave Electronimo to the police and kept Astro as part of their family.

Notes

• In the fifteenth episode, "Millionaire Astro", Astro is discovered to be Tralfaz, the long lost dog of zillionaire J.P. Gottrockets and The Jetsons have to do the right thing and return Astro to his rightful owner. In the end Mr. Gottrockets realizes how unhappy Astro is and allows him to go back home with The Jetsons. Astro hated the name and always repeated it as "Tralfaz...Yuck," or in Astro-speak: "Ralfaz....Ruck!" (The words "Tralfaz Investment Corp." appear on a realtor's "For Sale" sign in the 1956 Warner Brothers cartoon The Slap-Hoppy Mouse With Sylvester Cat, Sylvester Junior and Hippety Hopper the kangaroo).

• Astro also appeared as the main star in Astro and the Space Mutts, a segment of Space Stars.

• Astro's signature expression was "Ruh-roh!" (or "Ruh-roh, Reorge!") , supposedly the canine variant of "Uh-oh!" (expression of dismay). Scooby Doo, who was also designed by Iwao Takamoto and voiced by Don Messick, had a similar signature expression: "Ruh Roh Raggy!" (Uh Oh Shaggy!)

• A running joke (literally) at the end of each episode in the 1960s run shows George Jetson walking Astro on an automatic dogwalker outside his apartment. Astro chases a cat causing the dogwalker to go fast; George loses hold of the dog leash; Astro and the cat jump to one side and both watch George forced to run for his life on the out of control dogwalker screaming for Jane to "stop this CRAZY THING!". George eventually falls and is carried by the treadmill's belt around its path, under the machine and back up again, while Astro and the cat look on in amusement.

• In A Jetson Christmas Carol, Astro swallowed a sprocket while chasing the robot cat he received for Christmas and nearly died, until Mr. Spacely and his personal veterinarian arrived with medical help on Christmas and saved Astro's life.

Rosey

Rosey the Robot Maid is a humanoid robot fictional character in The Jetsons animated television series of the 1960s.^[6] She is the title family's maid and housekeeper. Jean Vander Pyl provided the voice for Rosey. Rosey is depicted as wearing a frilly apron, and was often seen using a separate vacuum cleaner. Her torso is mounted atop a single leg and she rolls about on a set of caster wheels. She frequently calls George Jetson "Mr. J".

Rosey was an old demonstrator model hired by the Jetson family from U-RENT A MAID. In the episode "Rosey The Robot", her model number is revealed as XB-500.

In episode 12, Rosey compares her window spray to radioactive mist. It is the first time she makes reference to the future.

Rosey is modeled after Hazel from the TV show Hazel, a sitcom featuring Shirley Booth as a similar maid character. Just as Hazel called her boss, Mr. Baxter, "Mr. B", Rosey calls George Jetson "Mr. J".

In the episode "Rosey's Boyfriend," we learn that Rosey has a boyfriend, a helper for Henry Orbit, named Mac. When Rosey finds out Henry deactivated Mac, she goes crazy.

In 2006, Rosey appeared in an AT&T TV commercial, as part of a brief history of robots that dated back in 1939.

As of 2009, Rosey has been used in an Australian TV commercial; the commercial is for capes and other superhero clothing. Rosey appears as a super-robot wearing a bright red cape. She Also Appeared On A Kanye West Music Video

She was spoofed in the Futurama movie Benders Game, with a robot that looked like her saying "Everything must be clean. Very clean. That's why the dog had to die. He was a dirty dog. Also that boy Elroy. Dirty. Dirty."^[7]

Orbitty

Orbitty: age unknown, the 2nd pet of the Jetson family. Orbitty is an alien with spring-like legs. He has the ability to express his emotions by changing color. This character was introduced in the 1980s version of the series.

George Jetson's workplace

Mr. Spacely

Cosmo G. Spacely is a cartoon character in the animated series The Jetsons. and the main antagonist. In the original series he was voiced by the late Mel Blanc. Frank Welker voiced a teenage version of Mr. Spacely in the Jetsons Christmas Carol and Jeff Bergman voiced Spacely in some scenes in Jetsons: The Movie after Blanc's death, as Blanc died during the production of Jetsons: The Movie. This means the character has the distinction of being the last character to be voiced by legendary voice actor Blanc.

Spacely is president of 'Spacely Space Sprockets', where George Jetson works. Mr. Spacely is the stereotypical tough boss, constantly yelling at George for his perceived poor work performance. A typical videophone call from Spacely starts with him yelling "JETSON!!!" at the top of his lungs. Mr. Spacely's aggressive behavior is in contrast with his extremely short, rotund stature, the three hairs combed over his bald head, and his Adolf Hitler-like mustache. Not content with making George's worklife difficult, Mr. Spacely often found excuses to get involved in George's personal life, increasing his employee's already high stress level. His capricious habit of attempting to fire George for the slightest offense (his bombastic "YOU'RE FIRED!!" has since been copied by Vince McMahon and by Hank Azaria as Mr. Costington in The Simpsons) is another major irritant, Although, Spacely would give George his job back at the end of the episode or the beginning of the next episode. In the pilot episode, Rosie defends George and clobbers Spacely with a pineapple upside-down cake, thus resulting in one of the very few instances that Spacely has shown the least bit of humility. George and Spacely's relationship is more of a mutual dislike for one another than true animosity.

Mr. Spacely's wife is the snooty Mrs. Stella Spacely (voiced by the late Jean Vander Pyl), who henpecks her husband unmercifully. Her favorite catch phrase is when she yells her husband's name, "COSMO!!" His son is Arthur Spacely (voiced by Dick Beals) and his pet dog, Zero. His mother-in-law is Mrs. Meltdown (voiced by Lauri Johnson). Mr. Spacely's closest (and apparently only) competitor is Spencer Cogswell, the distributor of 'Cogswell Cogs', and the one person he actually hates. It was revealed Spacely and Cogswell have been competing with each other since back in the days when they attended the same business school together and competed to be the top student of their class. In the 1980s version, he tended to turn things into competition between his family and the Jetsons, which in many ways, incurred the wrath of George's wife, Jane.

During one episode where both families appeared on a show called Family Fallout (a spoof on the game show, Family Feud), Spacely used every dirty trick and tactic possible to humiliate the Jetsons, which angered Jane. When he attempted to cheat to win, with the aide of ROBO. Rosie, the Jetson's maid, rectified that situation, causing the Spacelys to become intoxicated. The Jetsons ended up winning a new Foodaracacycle; while the Spacelys received a lifetime supply of Cogswell's Cogs, much to Spacely's displeasure and total humiliation. Also, in A Jetsons Christmas Carol, it is revealed that he and George Jetson had known each other since they were young.

Spencer Cogswell

Spencer Cogswell (voiced by Daws Butler): early 50's, is Spacely's big competitor. He owns Cogswell's Cosmic Cogs company and causes a lot of trouble for Spacely and George. To a lesser extent Cogswell is another of the series' antagonists. He and Spacely are always finding ways to bring each other's businesses down. Cogswell has often tried to steal Spacely's ideas and make them his own to gain an advantage (only for it to backfire on both bosses). He's also not above firing his employees when any little thing goes wrong. Mr. Cogswell's first name of "Spencer" is revealed in the 1980s version of The Jetsons.

R.U.D.I.

R.U.D.I.: is George's work computer as well as his best friend. His name is an acronym for Referential Universal Digital Indexer. He has a human personality and is a member of the Society Preventing Cruelty to Humans.

References

1. ^ "Jetsons, The (1962) - TV Series - Season 1, Episode 2". Database of Movie Dialogs. BelaZebra. http://movie.subtitlr.com/subtitle/show/284054#line11. Retrieved 2010-11-14. "What's your name, speedy? George J. Jetson. George Jetson, eh? Well, Georgie, let's see what we got here." 
2. ^ "Jetsons, The (1962)". Database of Movie Dialogs. BelaZebra. http://movie.subtitlr.com/subtitle/show/284069#line391. Retrieved 2010-11-14. "Car 88 calling in. What's up, sarge? Investigate complaint of trouble over at the Skypad Apartments. Right, Sarge. I'm on my way." 
3. ^ Holt, Patrick D. (July 2009). The Information Society in Science Fiction (Master of Science in Library Science thesis). School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. p. 52. http://ils.unc.edu/MSpapers/3548.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-14. "Although George Jetson does commute to work as a “darn good digital index operator” (a job that apparently involves push the buttons that start and stop the procedure), the rest of the Dyson/Bel Geddes vision is complete – to no avail. Just about everything is automated, but no one seems aware that life is easier..." 
4. ^ {{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Singleton]]
5. ^ CD liner notes: Saturday Mornings: Cartoons’ Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records
6. ^ "JETSONS HOLD ONTO THEIR SPACE AS OUR FAVORITE FLYING FAMILY". Miami Herald. May 19, 1989. 
7. ^ http://theinfosphere.org/Rosie_the_Robot_Maid

Further reading

• Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, by Michael Mallory, 1998, published by Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, Inc., distributed by Publishers Group West. ISBN 0-88363-108-3

External links

• The Jetsons at Toonopedia
• Judy Jetson Wallpapers
• Elroy Jetson Wallpapers
• George Jetson Wallpapers
• Jane Jetson Wallpapers