Ponsonby Britt

Ponsonby Britt was the credited&mdash;but fictional&mdash;executive producer of the television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Fractured Flickers, Hoppity Hooper, and George of the Jungle.

In 1959, TV-network executives insisted that its producers under contract must submit official biographies citing their past awards and accomplishments. Animation producers Jay Ward and Bill Scott saw themselves as ordinary businessmen with families, with their resumés lacking the color and achievements required by the network. "We had no executive producer," recalled Scott, "so we felt we should make one up." They invented the name "Ponsonby Britt, Limited" as the new title of their corporation. "Ponsonby Britt" received screen credit as executive producer of Jay Ward's cartoons; the billing was updated in 1967 to "Ponsonby Britt OBE" (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). Britt's "official" biography was used in press releases.