The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Screen Gems, and was originally sponsored in syndication by Ideal Toys from 1964 through 1967.

[1] The show had other recurring characters, including Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long and Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse.

[2] Like many of Hanna-Barbera's animal characters, Magilla Gorilla was dressed in human accessories, sporting a bow tie, shorts held up by suspenders, and an undersized derby hat.

Magilla Gorilla (voiced by Allan Melvin[3]) is an anthropomorphic western lowland gorilla who spent his time languishing in the front display window of a pet shop run by Melvin Peebles (voiced by Howard Morris in 1964–1965, and Don Messick in 1966-1967), eating bananas and being a drain on the businessman's finances.

Magilla's only friend was an adorable, admiring little red headed girl named Ogee (voiced by Jean Vander Pyl), who asked, "How much is that Gorilla in the window?"

In addition to his super-speed, Ricochet Rabbit uses an arsenal of trick bullets (for example, one with a skull bashing mallet that pops out of the shell) to help him take down criminals.

For its original run until 1965 in syndication, some of the major markets in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Dallas aired The Magilla Gorilla Show on independent stations, such as WPIX, KCOP, KTVU, WGN, WTTV, and KTVT.

Warner Home Video released the Classic Collection of the Magilla Gorilla Show consisting of 31 episodes of Magilla Gorilla, together with the 23 Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-Long and 23 Punkin' Puss & Mushmouse shorts in a boxed DVD collection on August 15, 2006.

[6] The DVD set does not include the original Magilla Gorilla Show main/end title sequences and the cartoons are not restored, drawing heavy criticism from fans.

On February 6, 2025, Warner Archive announced that they would be releasing a complete series blu-ray box set of the show on March 25, 2025.