Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. (simply known as
Hanna-Barbera and also referred to as
H-B Enterprises,
H-B Production Company and
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons) was an American animation studio that dominated American television animation for three decades in the mid-to-late 20th century. It was founded in 1957 by former
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation directors
William Hanna and
Joseph Barbera (creators of
Tom and Jerry) and live-action director
George Sidney in partnership with
Screen Gems, television arm of
Columbia Pictures. Sold to
Taft Broadcasting in late 1966, it spent the next two decades as its subsidiary. Hanna-Barbera was not only known for its variety of characters, but for building upon and popularizing the concepts and uses of
limited animation. For over thirty years, many successful cartoons were produced, including
The Flintstones,
Yogi Bear,
The Jetsons,
Scooby-Doo and
The Smurfs.