[quote="BrianGriffinFan"]Does anyone have some background or behind the scenes info explaining the show?[/quote]
Thanks to my trusty HighBeam Research account (which I got free from Wikipedia), I found a couple of press releases about the series, but nothing concerning the production and behind-the-scenes stuff. I thought it would be interesting to share what I found, anyway. Last but least, I copied and pasted the text since outside of one month free trial, HighBeam requests a subscription fee with a registered account.
[quote="
HighBeam Research"]
HOLLYWOOD Disney will launch a half-hour weekly version of "The Lion King" on syndicated television this fall.
The animated series "Timon & Pumbaa," featuring the meerkat and the warthog from the hit film, will be part of "The Disney Afternoon" programming block on Mondays. It will air during the fourth half-hour slot of the two-hour children's programming bloc.
Released last June, "The Lion King" is approaching the $700 million mark worldwide, ranking it as 1994's biggest film and Disney's most successful movie yet.
Broadway actors Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella will reprise their film roles as the voices of Timon and Pumbaa, said Disney TV Animation president Gary Krisel.
Disney has ordered 13 episodes, each comprised of two 11-minute segments.[/quote]
[quote="
The Chicago Tribune"]Kings of the jungle: Coming to the television jungle this fall is "Timon & Pumbaa." The wise guy meerkat and smelly warthog from "The Lion King" are getting their own cartoon series on "The Disney Afternoon." But don't feel sorry for the rest of the "Lion King" gang. The movie is set for video release on March 3 for a limited time.[/quote]
[quote="
The Chicago Tribune"]The real Pumbaa: "Hakuna Matata!" shouts Ernie Sabella into our ear. As the voice of warthog Pumbaa from "The Lion King," he can answer the phone like that. We talked to Ernie about "Timon & Pumbaa," a new CBS Saturday morning cartoon coming this fall. To Ernie, Pumbaa is "a hero. He has the patience to put up with Timon and the rest of the world. He takes it out on probably overeating. I can understand that one!" And how much of Ernie is Pumbaa? "Quite a lot," he laughs. "Although on the screen, Pumbaa is thinner!"[/quote]