[[quoteright:316:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/951367-humphrey-039-s-real-debt-revealed_5633.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:316:The strong, silent type.]]

Humphrey B. Bear (originally called [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment "Bear Bear"]] until [[OfficialFanSubmittedContent an on-air competition]] resulted in his renaming) is a [[TrademarkFavoriteFood honey-loving]] and sometimes very [[TheKlutz clumsy]] star of the long-running Australian series ''Here's Humphrey'', which debuted on Adelaide's NWS-9 station in 1965 before being picked up by its interstate counterparts a little while later. Humphrey has been an influence on other popular Australian programmes such as ''Fat Cat & Friends'' and the original ''Series/BananasInPyjamas'' due to the appeal of the [[PuppetShows suitmation]] concept. Moreover, Humphrey has won many awards and commendations including a "Citizen of the Year" award at the Australia Day celebrations in 1994.

Humphrey was initially an {{expy}} of Fredd Bear, star of ''Fredd Bear's Breakfast A-Go-Go'' (1964) and the ever popular Network Ten programme ''The Magic Circle Club'' (1965), but soon Humphrey gained unique characteristics such as a straw boater, tartan waist-coat and over-sized yellow bowtie. The show was well-loved by generations of Australian children and spawned much [[TheMerch merchandising]], including dolls, lunchboxes and later VHS tapes and [=DVDs=].

However, even an insitution such as ''Here's Humphrey'' was not immune to backlash. Predating the Series/{{Teletubbies}}' similar criticisms by about 20 years, many "experts" and parents feared the fact that Humphrey was a [[TheVoiceless mute]] would have a harmful effect on their children in developing their communication skills. Humphrey, like his one-time [[TheRival rival]] Fat Cat, has also come under fire for [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal not wearing any pants]]. Needless to say, criticism of this convention was not taken as seriously as the former. Today however, most of the criticism are not targeted at Humphrey himself, but at his ''co-hosts'', specifically for [[ViewersAreMorons talking down to the viewers]].

The series went into [[SeriesHiatus hiatus]] in 2003 (the next few years' worth of programming was entirely sustained by {{rerun}}s), but in 2007 Banksia Productions and the Nine Network recorded a new season's worth of shows to be transmitted that year. However, the series went into hiatus yet again the next year after it was found that Banksia Productions had not paid off all its debts. Humphrey was finally rescued once again by media tycoon Shane Yeend in February 2012, who bought the rights to Humphrey and is now planning a comeback.

In no relation to Creator/{{Disney}}'s WesternAnimation/HumphreyTheBear.
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!!Tropes:
* AnAesop: Most episodes teach life lessons revolving around song, dance, stories and the like.
* BearyFriendly: The titular character is supposed to be a FriendToAllChildren and FriendToAllLivingThings.
* CaptainErsatz:
** For twenty whole years, Fat Cat was this. Like Humphrey, Fat Cat is an oversized [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal half-dressed animal]] (in this case, a cat) who [[TheVoiceless never speaks]] and always has the help of [[LovelyAssistant young women]] to explain concepts to the pre-school audience. Eventually, ''Fat Cat'' was cancelled in 1992 in order for the Seven Network to make way for a new show, ''The Book Place''.
** Humphrey himself was a CaptainErsatz of Fredd Bear in the mid-1960s. But really, [[AdaptationDisplacement who remembers him?]]
%%* EdutainmentShow
* EnchantedForest: Humphrey has his own tree house in the neighbouring "magic forest" and regularly goes on his adventures there.
%%* FourthWallGreeting: At the beginning of every episode.
%%* FriendToAllChildren: As evidenced by the show's later version of the ThemeSong:%%Quotes aren't context.
%%-->''Look over there, it's Humphrey bear,''\\
%%''He has best friends everywhere,''\\
%%''Children, trees, animals too,''\\
%%''He loves them all, especially you!''
* FriendToAllLivingThings: According to the theme song, Humphrey loves animals and trees.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: Humphrey does not wear pants.
* TheKiddieRide: A single-seater car and a two-seater car, by Kiddie Rides Australia.
%%* TheKlutz
* LongRunners: He's been around for a total of ''over fifty'' years.
* LovelyAssistant: In his show, Humphrey is aided by a young attractive woman (or sometimes a man) who make Humphrey's actions comprehensible to his young audience.
%%* NoFourthWall
%%* ThatRemindsMeOfASong
* RepetitiveName: Humphrey's full name is Humphrey Bear Bear.
* ViewersAreMorons: The host may be an attractive young woman, but she talks down to the viewers. It doesn't go down well with certain groups of people.
%%* TheVoiceless: A particularly famous example.
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