| Meet the Raisins! | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover for the film. | |
| Created by | California Raisin Advisory Board |
| Based on | The California Raisins |
| Screenplay by | Arthur Sellers |
| Story by | Barry Bruce Mark Gustafson Craig Bartlett Arthur Sellers |
| Directed by | Barry Bruce |
| Starring | Karreem David Scully David Downing Ted Roisum Todd Tolces P.Q. Baer Tim Conner Randy Patterson Marly Stone |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Producer | Will Vinton |
| Editor | Kelley Baker |
| Running time | 27 minutes |
| Production company | Will Vinton Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | November 4, 1988 |
| Related | |
| The Raisins: Sold Out!: The California Raisins II (1990) | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Meet the Raisins! is a 1988 claymation television special directed by Barry Bruce, featuring the advertising characters The California Raisins. The show was broadcast November 4, 1988, on the U.S. television network CBS during primetime.[1] It was the Raisins' second appearance in a primetime special and their first dedicated feature. Meet the Raisins! was followed by a sequel in 1990, Raisins: Sold Out! This special premiered after one of the This Is America, Charlie Brown specials.
For the first time, the California Raisins were given individual names and characterizations: A.C. Arborman (vocals), his younger brother Beebop Arborman (drums), their cousin Red Raisin (guitar/piano), and their friend Stamford "Stretch" Thompson (bass).[2]
The 24-minute special shortly followed its similarly titled soundtrack album released on August 8, 1988 on Atlantic Records. Aired during the characters' peak in popularity, Meet the Raisins! is presented in a mockumentary style depicting the Raisins' musical career. It was nominated for the 1989 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 295. ISBN 0816038317. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-1476665993.