The first episode aired in 1969. Nu, pogodi! was not intended to become a long-running series, but the cartoon reached immense popularity and Soyuzmultfilm received many letters from viewers asking for more adventures of Wolf and Hare. Therefore, production of new shorts continued.
The female Fox singer in Episode 15 is based upon Alla Pugachyova. The Hare's subsequent performance in the drag is a parody of one of her songs popular at the time.
Originally it was Vladimir Vysotskiy who had to perform for Wolf. But he wasn't approved by Soviet cinema authorities because of his personality (Vysotsky was popular among the "grassroot" but not among the Communist party elite). As a result, Vysotsky was replaced by Anatoliy Papanov. However, a small part of Vysotsky's well-known "Song about a Friend" ("Pesnya o druge" in Russian) can be heard at the beginning of the 1st episode (when Wolf climbs up with the help of a rope) and in the 10th episode (the replay of the same moment, but Wolf and Hare trade places).
When writer Feliks Kamov emigrated to Israel, the film was shelved in USSR until couple of years later, when a statesman asked why no new episodes were received and heard about the problem, said that they should continue for everyone loves the cartoon - both the statesmen and their children and grandchildren.
The series was named the first among 'People's favorite animated series' at All-Russian National Poll in 2014.
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