TomandJerryisaseriesofanimatedtheatricalshortscreatedbyWilliamHannaandJosephBarberaforMetro-Goldwyn-Mayerthatcenteredonanever-endingrivalrybetweenahousecat(Tom)andamouse(Jerry)whosechasesandbattlesofteninvolvedcomicviolence.HannaandBarberaultimatelywroteanddirectedonehundredandfourteenTomandJerrycartoonsattheMGMcartoonstudioinHollywood,Californiabetween1940and1957,whentheanimationunitwasclosed.TheoriginalseriesisnotableforhavingwontheAcademyAwardsforBestShortSubject(Cartoons)seventimes,tyingitwithWaltDisney'sSillySymphoniesasthemost-awardedtheatricalanimatedseries.

　　Beginningin1960,inadditiontotheoriginalsMGMhadnewshortsproducedbyRembrandtFilms,ledbyGeneDeitchinEasternEurope.ProductionofTomandJerryshortsreturnedtoHollywoodunderChuckJones'sSib-Tower12Productionsin1963;thisserieslasteduntil1967,makingitatotalof161shorts.ThecatandmousestarslaterresurfacedintelevisioncartoonsproducedbyHanna-BarberaandFilmationStudiosduringthe1970s,1980s,and1990s,afeaturefilm,TomandJerry:TheMovie,in1992andreleaseddomesticallyin1993andin2000,theirfirstTVspecial,TomandJerryin:TheMansionCatforCartoonNetwork.

　　Today,TimeWarner(viaitsTurnerEntertainmentdivision)ownstherightstoTomandJerry,andalsoproducedtheseries,TomandJerryTalesforTheCW'sSaturdaymorning"TheCW4Kids"lineup,aswellastherecentTomandJerryshort,TheKarateGuard,in2005andastringofTomandJerrydirect-to-videofilms.