Abbott and Costello cartoon series streams on Tubi

The 1967 Abbott and Costello cartoon series, which has not been seen for decades, will begin streaming on TUBI beginning March 1, 2026.

The series is noteworthy because Bud Abbott voiced his character and it was his last professional work. Stan Irwin, former entertainment director of the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, impersonated Lou.

A joint effort between RKO, Jomar Productions and Hanna-Barbera, the show began production early in 1967. A total of 156 cartoons were packaged into 39 episodes that started airing in syndication that fall. (There’s no word if Tubi will carry all 39 episodes or individual cartoons, or if the cartoons have been restored and remastered.)

The idea for an Abbott and Costello animated series dated back to late 1965. It was likely inspired by a Laurel and Hardy animated series that was jointly produced by Hanna-Barbera, David L. Wolper and Larry Harmon, and The New Three Stooges cartoons, also produced by Jomar. (Jomar was headed by Lee Orgel, a pioneer of early children’s TV who had produced Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol [1962]).

The deal included advance royalties for Bud and the Costello estate, royalties per segment and a percentage of the ownership. Abbott was also paid a salary.

While some early publicity stated that the cartoons would include a few of the boys’ classic routines, none were performed. Bud had had a stroke in 1964 and struggled with certain words. After the other voice actors had finished for the day, Bud would stay behind and do pick-ups.

NBC distributed the show internationally. It was dubbed into several languages, including Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese. A series of comic books was also issued.

Other characters were voiced by such staples as Mel Blanc, Dale Messick, Janet Waldo, John Stephenson and Hal Smith.