<P> Tom and Jerry is an American animated series of short films created in 1940, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera . It centers on a rivalry between its two title characters, Tom and Jerry, and many recurring characters, based around slapstick comedy . </P> <P> In its original run, Hanna and Barbera produced 114 Tom and Jerry shorts for Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer from 1940 to 1958 . During this time, they won seven Academy Awards for Animated Short Film, tying for first place with Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies with the most awards in the category . After the MGM cartoon studio closed in 1958, MGM revived the series with Gene Deitch directing an additional 13 Tom and Jerry shorts for Rembrandt Films from 1961 to 1962 . Tom and Jerry then became the highest - grossing animated short film series of that time, overtaking Looney Tunes . Chuck Jones then produced another 34 shorts with Sib - Tower 12 Productions between 1963 and 1967 . Three more shorts were produced, The Mansion Cat in 2001, The Karate Guard in 2005, and "A Fundraising Adventure" in 2014, making a total of 164 shorts . Various shorts have been released for home media since the 1990s . </P> <P> A number of spin - offs have been made, including the television series The Tom and Jerry Show (1975), The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show (1980--82), Tom and Jerry Kids (1990--93), Tom and Jerry Tales (2006--08), and The Tom and Jerry Show (2014--present). The first feature - length film based on the series, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, was released in 1992, and 12 direct - to - video films have been produced since 2002 . </P> <P> The series features comic fights between an iconic set of adversaries, a house cat (Tom) and a mouse (Jerry). The plots of each short usually center on Tom's numerous attempts to capture Jerry and the mayhem and destruction that follows . Tom rarely succeeds in catching Jerry, mainly because of Jerry's cleverness, cunning abilities, and luck . However, there are also several instances within the cartoons where they display genuine friendship and concern for each other's well - being . At other times, the pair set aside their rivalry in order to pursue a common goal, such as when a baby escaped the watch of a negligent babysitter, causing Tom and Jerry to pursue the baby and keep it away from danger . </P>

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