Ovide and the Gang
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| Ovide and the Gang | |
|---|---|
 L-R: Groaner, Saphron, Ovide and Polo |
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| Genre | Cartoon series |
| Created by | CinéGroupe |
| Directed by | Raymond Burlet Jean Sarault |
| Voices of | Fred Butter Arie Cupe Lucie de Lange Ruud Drupsteen Paul van Gorcum Tom Hartmann Ad Hoeymans Just Meyer Marianne Vloetgraven |
| Theme music composer | Carlos Leresche |
| Country of origin | Canada Belgium |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jacques Pettigrew Jacques Vercruyssen Violette Vercruyssen |
| Running time | 13 min. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original run | March 12, 1987 – November 20, 1988 |
La Bande à Ovide, a.k.a. Ovide and the Gang, is a 1980s animated TV show produced by the Canadian animation studio CinéGroupe (who also produced Sharky and George and The Little Flying Bears) in association with Belgium's Odec Kid Cartoons.[1] It ran from 1987 to 1988 and also goes by the names "Ovide Video" and "Ovide's Video Show".
The characters were created and designed by Bernard Godi in cooperation with Belgian comics artist and animator Nic Broca, who had previously designed the Snorks for SEPP.
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[edit] Synopsis
The show stars a blue platypus named Ovide who lives on a non-descript South Seas island, where he has adventures with his friends and thwarts Cy and Bobo, the show's villains.
[edit] Main characters
- Ovide — The main character of the show. A duck-billed platypus, he is the unofficial leader of the group, and is smart, responsible and kind hearted.
- Saphron — Saphron is Ovide's cousin, and also a platypus. He is a good cook and gardener.
- Polo — A red lizard who always carries around a broom. The island's janitor and the "tough guy" of the group, and he's always trying and failing to catch Woody, a destructive woodworm.
- Groaner — A white toucan, and one of Ovide's friends. His name comes from the fact that he's always telling weak jokes which make people groan.
- Doe, Rae & Mi — Protagonist koalas, always on twigs or the couch. Their names come from the first three solfège syllables, and they visually represent the three wise monkeys: Doe wears headphones hearing music (Hear no Evil), Rae wears sunglasses (See no Evil), and Mi almost always covers his mouth, and sometimes hiccups (Speak no Evil).
- Matilda — A female kangaroo. Not originally from the island, she mistook the others for cannibals and hid from them, but then warmed up to them. She is skilled with herbal remedies and with the boomerang. She is first seen in episode 18.
- Cy Sly — The primary antagonist of the show. He is a vain, scheming, megalomaniacal python. He is jealous of Ovide and wishes to eliminate him and gain absolute control of the island.
- Bobo — Cy's bumbling, Keel-billed toucan minion and only friend. Refers to Cy as "Boss". Despite his association with Cy, he has a good heart and wishes Ovide and his friends no ill-will.
- Woody - A mischievous woodworm who tunnels around the island. He is known to alter the state of bowling games and gnaw holes into the base of Ovide's home. He is in constant conflict with Polo.
[edit] Role of television in Ovide
Television plays an important role in this series. In every episode, Ovide and his friends are watching a program; Ovide carries a brown briefcase which contains a portable TV set; and there's a wandering TV on the island that approaches the characters at crucial moments and provides information important to the plot. Every time Cy sees the TV, he apparently becomes entranced by it.
[edit] Episodes
- Case of the Disappearing Hens/Cy and the Solo Sailor
- The Ghostly Galleon/The Prophet
- The Creature in the Cave/Treasure of the Endzones
- The Island Games/Cy the Sorcerer
- Spellbound/Great Slave Cake
- Come Adventures/Trouble in Paradise
- Will Cy take over paradise/Turned into Trouble
- All You Need Is Love/The Big Chil
- Comic Adventures in the South Seas/Let's Cold
- The Chicken Hens is Running/Cy's Evil Plan
