The Cat in the Hat (TV special) After MGM stopped animation production and closed down its animation department for good in 1970, production was moved to DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (marking the company's first Dr. Seuss television special), which was run by Jones' fellow Warner Bros. Cartoons alumnus Friz Freleng and WB's last original production executive David DePatie. Although Chuck Jones and his staff were retained by DePatie–Freleng in the production of the special, Jones left the studio and did not work on any other Seuss projects after "The Cat in the Hat". Other staff members that have worked with Jones such as Dean Elliott and Maurice Noble eventually
The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat died a few months before this special had aired. Boris Karloff, the original voice of the Grinch, had died in 1969), while Mason Adams took over voicing the Cat in the Hat from the late Allan Sherman, who died in 1973. Since Friz Freleng was absent from production on "The Pink Panther" special "" due to his departure from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises to return to Warner Bros. Animation, this was the only other fully animated DFE production to be made by Marvel Productions and one of the last DFE cartoons Freleng was involved in. The special was first released on VHS