This week, we rewatch the 1985 Berenstain Bears episode pairing “The Neighborly Skunk” with “The Missing Pumpkin.” We talk Too-Tall’s first TV appearance (and why he looks nothing like the books), Frank Welker’s very Frank-Welkery skunk, and why “use animals to teach anti-prejudice” never quite works the way creators hope. Then it’s off to Farmer Ben’s for a pumpkin caper, Papa’s “slapstick” “detective work,” and Snuff stealing the show. Plus: a quick shout out to comedy writer Rowby Goren.
Tag: Berenstain Bears podcast
Episode 494 – The Berenstain Bears And The Giant Bat Cave/Wild Wild Honey!
This week, I’m checking out “The Giant Bat Cave” and “The Wild Wild Honey!” Get ready for political corruption, eco-terrorism, and a sexually aggressive bee queen! Sister Bear overthrows city planning, Papa Bear declares war on insects, and it gets sticky!
Episode 492 – The Berenstain Bears on CBS and the Premier Ep!
This nightmare of an episode is brough to you by my unfettered ADHD and a time crunch. Enjoy me rambling about Canadian child actors’ bit roles!
Episode 491 – The BABY Berenstain Bears’ Nap Time
It’s nap time, babies! This week on Deep in Bear Country, let’s wrestle with Mike Berenstain’s latest board book, The BABY Berenstain Bears’ Nap Time (2025). From Honey Bear’s refusal to rest, to pillow cuddles, to the eternal struggle of transitions, this one’s a full-on nap time confessional. Get ready to tune in, turn on, nod off.
Episode 489 – The Berenstain Bears: Get Outdoors
This week I’m talking about The Berenstain Bears Get Outdoors (2025), a simple Level 1 reader where the Cubs camp in the backyard, Papa Bear makes a mess of things, and—out of nowhere—Mr. Raccoon shows up. Along the way, I share a few of my own disastrous camping stories, look back at the old Ghost of the Forest tale, and explain how this very podcast somehow landed me in a 3M commercial.
Episode 485 – 10th Anniversary and “Parents Are Such A Lot Of Trouble!”
It’s the 10th anniversary of Deep in Bear Country, so let’s reunite with longtime friends Brad Mariska and Jeremy Gloff to mark a decade of Berenstain Bear-loving chaos! Brad and Jeremy reflect on the origins of the show, the evolution of their collecting journeys, and the joys and… other joys of the Berenstain Bears fandom.
And, we’re super jazzed about the exciting release of a long-lost boutique book from Stan and Jan Berenstain—Parents Are Such a Lot of Trouble—recently discovered in the Berenstain archives and published via print-on-demand. We dive into the book’s significance, emotional resonance, and raw artistic charm, and explore what makes it such a powerful find for fans and collectors alike.