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"The Berenstain Bears Easter Surprise" is a 1981 Easter television special based on the Berenstain Bears series of children's books, and the eighteenth animated production based on the franchise. It was adapted as a storybook a year after its original airing.

Synopsis[]

The special opens on a nice spring day where the Bear Family decided to go out for a picnic, until the shot of them walking freezes and then rewinds back to the beginning with Sister Bear disappearing and the time goes back to a time when Brother Bear was the only cub in the Bear Family and before Sister was born and before the treehouse was so grand (reference to The Berenstain Bears' New Baby). When Brother was a curious cub who liked to play with his friends and bombard Papa Bear with all sorts of questions about everything. Papa had no idea how to answer half the questions but played along. As summer gave way to fall and fall to winter, this pattern continued.

However the Winter didn't seem to want to end, and no one seemed to have any explanation for it. Papa and Mama were especially anxious for Easter and the starting of Spring, to arrive, as they had a special Easter surprise planned. Brother asked about Easter and Papa talked excitedly about Easter candy and the Easter bunny, while Mama sang about how Easter is the transition from Winter to Spring, flowers, new life, rainbows, and miracles. But the real surprise was something neither Papa nor Mama cared to disclose, (Although Brother did notice that Mama had a noticeably smaller lap than usual, which his parents preferred not to explain). 

The Bear Family decided to go pay Mr. Boss Bunny, who was responsible for bringing Easter and Spring about, a visit. However, to their horror, they learn that Boss Bunny had resigned, and was no one to bring about the transition. Papa decided to play Easter Bunny himself, to Brother's excitement, but Mama's doubt. However his attempt to turn their chicken coop into a working Easter egg factor ended in disaster.

Eventually Brother took matters into his own hands and went in search of Boss Bunny. He met up with his friend Bill Bunny and learned that he was actually the son of Boss Bunny. The two went to Boss Bunny's factory to find it abandoned and in cobwebs. Then found Boss Bunny asleep in a nearby room and tried to convince him to reconsider his resignation. However Boss Bunny announced that he was too old and weary to carry out his duties anymore and nothing anybody said would change his mind. However, just as Brother was about to give up, the Easter Rainbow shone into the factory and revived Boss Bunny's energy and will, and within seconds Boss Bunny had the Easter factory up and running, and the transition from Winter to Spring finally occurred.

On Easter morning, Brother was delighted to find his Easter candy waiting for him, but Mama then announced the real surprise, a baby Sister. Brother was surprised, but he realized Easter is about new life and miracles, and he realized that his mother had gotten her lap back.

Cast[]

  • Ron McLarty - Papa Bear and Narrator
  • Pat Lysinger - Mama Bear
  • Bob McFadden - Boss Bunny
  • Knowl Johnson - Brother Bear
  • Zachary Danziger - Bill Bunny

Trivia[]

  • This is Boss Bunny's only appearance.

Errors[]

  • One scene shows Papa with a red shirt that is Brother's.
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