''The Lionhearts'' is an American animated television series from

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

that aired on Saturday and Sunday mornings in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

from September 19 to December 12, 1998. The series aired on syndication in the United States and was also seen in Australia and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

(translated into Spanish as ''Los Corazón de León''). The show was last seen on Teletoon in Canada in the early 2000s. ''The Lionhearts'' was one of the last series produced by Claster Television Incorporated and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation.

Plot

''The Lionhearts'' focuses on the behind the scenes life of

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

, Leo Lionheart, and his family. The series shows The Lionhearts living in a normal house and living a normal life just like non-celebrity families. Most of the members of the family are named after famous MGM movie stars. The characters first appeared on a series of Sing-Along children's videos released by MGM in 1997. The original character designs (especially those of Spencer and Kate) were greatly modified for the TV series. Ashley Tisdale provided the voice of Kate in the Sing-Along videos, while

Charles Rocket Charles Adams Claverie (August 28, 1949 – October 7, 2005), known by stage names Charlie Hamburger, Charlie Kennedy and Charles Rocket, was an American actor, comedian, musician, and television news reporter. He was a cast member on ''Saturda ...

was the voice of Leo, Lana was voiced by

Debra Jo Rupp Debra Jo Rupp (born February 24, 1951) is an American actress best known for her roles as Kitty Forman on the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'' and its sequel series ''That '90s Show'', and Alice Knight-Buffay on the third through fifth seasons o ...

and

Chris Marquette Chris Marquette (born October 3, 1984) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in such films as '' The Tic Code'', ''Freddy vs. Jason'', '' The Girl Next Door'', ''Just Friends'', ''Alpha Dog'' and '' Fanboys''. He is also known for his ...

did the voice of Spence

Characters

Lionheart Family

*Leo Lionheart Jr. (voiced by: William H. Macy in the TV series,

in the "MGM Sing-Along" videos): Leo is the father, husband and provider of the family. He works as the mascot for MGM's movies, a role which was passed onto him by father Leo Sr. One of Leo's favorite things to do when gets the chance is to nap. In the "MGM Sing-Alongs" videos, he was typically naked, but sometimes wore a grey shirt, a black trenchcoat and hat when going to or leaving work. *Lana Lionheart (voiced by:

Peri Gilpin Peri Gilpin (born Peri Kay Oldham; May 27, 1961) is an American actress. She portrayed Roz Doyle in the television series ''Frasier'' and Kim Keeler in the ABC Family television drama ''Make It or Break It''. She is due to reprise the role of R ...

in the TV series,

in the "MGM Sing-Along" videos): Lana is the mother and wife of the family, she is also the glue that keeps the family from falling apart. She used to work as an acrobat in the circus. She was named after

Lana Turner Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized pe ...

. In the "MGM Sing-Alongs" videos, she wore a purple dress that varied between long-sleeved, short-sleeved and sleeveless. *Kate Lionheart (voiced by: Natasha Slayton in the TV Series, Ashley Tisdale in the "MGM Sing-Along" videos): Kate is the oldest of the three children Leo and Lana have, she's 10 years old. She likes to

e-mail Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic (digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" meant ...

, talk to her friends, ride horses and go to school. Kate is very tolerant of her siblings, and a very polite girl overall. Kate is named after Katharine Hepburn. In the "MGM Sing-Alongs" videos, she was much younger, had glasses and short hair, wore a blue dress with white polka dots and was barefoot. *Spencer Lionheart (voiced by:

Cameron Finley Joseph Cameron Finley (born August 30, 1987) is an American former child actor and molecular biologist. While receiving accolades for his work in ''Hope Floats'', ''Baywatch'', ''David Hasselhoff#Television work, One True Love'', and ''Perfect G ...

in the TV series,

in the "MGM Sing-Along" videos): Spencer is the middle of the three children, he's 8 years old. His dreams are to one day be a big-time rock n' roll star. One of his major flaws at times is he doesn't finish what he starts. He takes his name from

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

. In the "MGM Sing-Alongs", he was much younger, had shirtless, wore red shorts and his shoes were green and white. *Judy Lionheart (voiced by: Nicolette Little in the TV series, Kylie Erica Mar in the "MGM Sing-Along" videos): Judy is the youngest of the children, she's 5 years old. She is very curious and loves to play. She also looks up to her sister Kate as her heroine. Judy is named after

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

. In the "MGM Sing-Alongs" videos, she was more of a toddler and wore a pink shirt. *Leo Lionheart Sr. (voiced by Harve Presnell): The grandfather of Kate, Spencer, and Judy who is also Leo Lionheart's father. He has relations to the

titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bisho ...

characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

of the ''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...

'' series.

Other characters

*Director (voiced by

Joe Pantoliano Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American character actor who has appeared in over 150 films, television and stage productions. After his early roles in the television series '' M*A*S*H'' and the 1983 comedy '' Risky Bu ...

): A director who works with Leo at MGM Studios. *Dorothy (voiced by

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of Golden Age of Television, early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work i ...

): Leo's makeup artist who can't see very well. *Freddy (voiced by

Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...

): Leo's talent agent. *Hank (voiced by

Jeffrey Tambor Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...

): MGM's president. *Jennings (voiced by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

): Grandpa Leo's chauffeur who drives the limo. Guest stars included

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in '' ...

Carlos Alazraqui Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on '' Reno 911!'' and for his voice acting roles. His extensive ...

, Justin Shenkarow,

Edie McClurg Edith Marie McClurg (born July 23, 1945) is an American actress and comedian. She has played supporting roles in the films ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), and ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'' (1988), and bit parts in ' ...

Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...

, Tom Arnold,

Karl Malden Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was an American actor. He was primarily a character actor, who according to Robert Berkvist, "for more than 60 years brought an intelligent intensity and a homespun aut ...

, Ben Stein, Craig Ferguson and

Kathy Ireland Kathleen Marie Ireland (born March 20, 1963) is an American author, entrepreneur, fashion designer, philanthropist, and former fashion model. Ireland was a supermodel in the 1980s and 1990s, initially known for appearing in 13 consecutive ''Spo ...

Production

The series was announced in 1997, the brainchild of John Symes, then president of MGM Worldwide TV Group. MGM Animation signed actors William H. Macy, Peri Gilpin, Jeffrey Tambor and Betty White, among others, to provide voices producing 13 half-hour episodes of “The Lionhearts,” set for a September 1998 bow in syndication. MGM Animation tapped sitcom scribe Ruth Bennett as exec producer and head writer for the series.

Episodes

References

External links

MGM's Official site for ''The Lionhearts''
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lionhearts, The 1998 American television series debuts 1998 American television series endings 1990s American animated television series American children's animated comedy television series Animated television series about children Animated television series about families Animated television series about lions English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television series by MGM Television Television series by Claster Television Television series by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation