Starring the voices of Romeo Muller, Russi Taylor, Julie McWhirter, and Joan Gerber, it was made by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson in the United States in partnership with Toei Animation in Japan.

Despite bypassing network television, it aired on March 28, 1980, having been syndicated across over ninety American cities, and was later released on 16mm film, VHS, Betamax, and DVD.

Her friends – Huckleberry Pie, Blueberry Muffin, Raspberry Tart, Plum Puddin' and toddler Apple Dumplin' – also live close by.

Strawberry's villain, the Peculiar Purple Pieman, lives atop the Pie Tin Palace on a desolate wasteland called Porcupine Peak.

Strawberry soon arrives at the venue to see her friends, who greet her with "Happy Birthday" and give her a present: the Pieman's watering can.

Produced[4] and sponsored[2] by the Kenner toy company,[4] The World of Strawberry Shortcake was the first of six television specials to star the title character.

[2] The franchise began in 1977, when American Greetings staff member Muriel Fahrion drew the first designs of Strawberry and her pet cat Custard.

[3] For the music, director Charles Swenson invited the duo Flo & Eddie, who were also involved with 200 Motels and who had an office near the Murakami-Wolf-Swenson headquarters.

The tracks were recorded by Flo & Eddie at Sun Swept Studios, with the only outside musician being the facility's owner, John Hoier.

[18][19] The first Strawberry Shortcake television special, which aired in 1980, revived a potent controversy that many people believed had been laid to rest.

But the regulatory mood in Washington had changed, and the Strawberry Shortcake special opened the way for what sometimes appears to be the transformation of children's television into a promotional arm of the toy industry.

[3] Some time after the title character's debut at the 1980 American International Toy Fair, major television networks in the U.S. were offered a chance to air the special.

[12] The track list featured the "Strawberry Shortcake Theme", along with "Smile a Sunny Morning", "Sunflower Market", "Monster Trees" and "Berry Talk".