The Hoober-Bloob Highway
The Hoober-Bloob Highway is an animated musical special written by Theodor Geisel (the real name of Dr. Seuss) and produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. The special first aired February 19, 1975 on CBS, and was the last Dr. Seuss special produced for that network.[1] Geisel also composed the song lyrics, which were set to music by Dean Elliott.[2]
The Hoober-Bloob Highway
United States
English
24 mins.
February 19, 1975
Mr. Hoober-Bloob, a dispatcher of newborn children from some location in space, is preparing to send a new child down his highway to Earth, but first, he gives the child a chance to decide for himself whether he wants the life of a human. Mr. Hoober-Bloob shows him the realistic problems and pleasures that people face in life. The story suggests that while things may be pretty bad, there is always something to be thankful for.
Reception and presentation[edit]
The Hoober-Bloob Highway was nominated for a Primetime Emmy, but it lost out to Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus. It, along with Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?, is one of the least acknowledged Dr. Seuss animated specials, due to having not been a book adaptation. It was also broadcast on ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas on December 1, 2008.
Home media[edit]
The Hoober-Bloob Highway was first released on VHS by Playhouse Video in 1985, in a double feature with The Lorax). Playhouse Video also distributed it individually on VHS in 1989. A sing-along version was distributed on VHS by CBS/Fox Video in 1994, as part of a four-tape package called "Dr. Seuss Sing-Along Classics". It was also included as a bonus special on the 1998 VHS reprint of The Cat in the Hat, both the 2003 VHS and DVD releases of The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, and the 2012 Deluxe Edition Blu-ray release of The Cat in the Hat (the latter on which it was included along with Daisy-Head Mayzie). In all cases, the special was remastered from its original broadcast (in low audiovisual quality), and was not yet genuinely remastered until its inclusion as an extra on streaming releases of The Cat in the Hat in 2021, on which it is again paired along with Daisy-Head Mayzie. Both extras were remastered in high definition exclusively for this release.
The Hoober-Bloob Highway features a number of songs, centered on the decisions the newborn must make about his future life. All the lyrics are written by Dr. Seuss, all music by Dean Elliott.
The soundtrack was referenced by rapper Danny! through a track titled "This Is Your Life (In West Watch-A-Ka-Tella) (instrumental)" off of his album Where Is Danny? The Japanese version of this record, released via Interscope Records, replaces the aforementioned track with another instrumental titled "...And That's the Way It Is, Bub", also in reference to the soundtrack.