In the United States, the show premiered on Nickelodeon as part of the Nick Jr. block on November 6, 1995, until the final episode aired on June 1, 2001.

Little Bear follows the titular character as he goes on exciting adventures in the forest and learns new things with his friends, including Emily, Duck, Hen, Cat, and Owl.

The series has been re-aired on various foreign channels, including ABC and ABC2 (Australia), RTÉ (Ireland), TV2 (New Zealand), and CBBC and CBeebies (United Kingdom).

On December 15, 2014, Nelvana Limited released all seasons of the show, as well as the movie, free to watch on the Official Little Bear YouTube channel.

A separate opening theme consisting of a woodwind ensemble, by composer Arnold Black, was used in the American broadcast of the series.

In 1999, The Learning Company developed two "edutainment" games based on the Little Bear franchise, "Rainy Day Activities"[15] and "Preschool Thinking Adventures".