He's been everywhere
flying through the air
he is everyone's friend
He will always land
just to lend a hand
he's a friend to the end
Peter Potamus has a charm
he could never conceal
It's time to meet Peter Potamus
our ideal
"Look Out!"
"Watch It!"
Yes, it's time to meet Peter Potamus
our ideal!
Peter Potamus theme song
Peter Potamus is a large purple hippopotamus voiced by Daws Butler (many publications erroneously list Hal Smith as Peter's voice, which was modeled after comedian Joe E. Brown of Some Like It Hot fame.) Together he and his monkey pal So-So travel the world in their flying balloon, taking part in numerous adventures. With his fearsome Hippo Holler, Peter could clear a room when he needed to, but for the most part he was a mild-mannered dandy of a hippo in his dashing safari outfit.
Peter debuted on September 28, 1964 with his show "Peter Potamus & His Magic Flying Balloon." The show also featured stints from Breezly & Sneezly, a comic polar bear and seal, and Yippee, Yappee, and Yahooey, a comic Three Musketeers clone. All told, Peter filmed 21 episodes in syndication, which were rebroadcast on ABC in 1966 when they picked up the show.
More recently, Peter Potamus has had a revival on the Adult Swim absurdist comedy "Harvey Birdman, Attorney-at-Law", playing a nondescript businessman desperate to network with others at all costs.
Episode Guide
- Fe Fi Fo Fun
- Lion Around
- Cleo Trio
- No Rest for a Pest
- Wagon Train Strain
- Monotony on the Bounty
- The Good Hood
- Stars on Mars
- Kooky Spook
- The Island Fling
- Courtin Trouble
- Big Red Riding Hood
- Hurricane Hippo
- What a Knight
- Mask Task
- Pre-Hysterical Pete
- Trite Flite
- Marriage Peter Potamus Style
- Calaboose Caboose
- Eager Ogre