Katie and Orbie

Katie and Orbie
Orbie (left) and Katie (right)
Genre	Children's television series
Created by	Ben Wicks and Susan Wicks
Written by	Mary Mackay-Smith
Directed by	Lee Williams
Voices of	Chris Wightman Amanda Tripp
Narrated by	Leslie Nielsen
Composer	Edmund Eagan
Country of origin	Canada
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Sheldon S. Wiseman
Producer	Mark Edwards
Original release
Network	Family Channel
Release	1994–2002

Katie and Orbie is a Canadian animated television series aimed at preschoolers, originally broadcast in Canada from 1994-2002 by Family Channel and later aired in the United States on PBS from 1996–1997 and on Disney Channel from 1997–2000. In Canada, the series aired uninterruptedly on Family and (beginning on 2007) Disney Junior (formerly called Playhouse Disney) until December 2012. The show has also aired in several countries around the world.

The animated series is based on a series of four environment-themed children's books titled Katie and Orbie Save the Planet, illustrated by Canadian cartoonist Ben Wicks and written by his daughter Susan Wicks, which were published in 1991. In 1993, Lacewood Productions adapted the characters into an animated series which was originally in production until 1996, being revived five years later by Amberwood Entertainment and then cancelled in 2002. Contrary to the original books, the series isn't strictly environment-themed, having stories that range from having a new pet or helping their friends, to address themes like children with divorced parents, Down's Syndrome and cerebral palsy. However, some stories are still focused on protection of the environment.

The TV show was narrated by actor Leslie Nielsen.

The theme song was written by Edmund Eagan and performed by his daughter, Mireille Eagan.

Mary Mackay-Smith wrote most episodes, with Ben and Susan Wicks serving as consultors during the first three seasons.

Unlike most TV shows, the animation on Katie and Orbie uses a dissolving effect similar to a slideshow, instead of coming to life, also, none of the characters actually speak, so a variety of sound effects are used during the stories. Pumper Pups, a TV series produced by Amberwood Entertainment in 2000, also used this style of animation, and it was also narrated by Leslie Nielsen.

International rights for the series were first owned by Entertainment Rights (which was also a producer company on seasons 4–6), which on 2009 was merged into Classic Media. On March 25, 2010, Canadian company E1 Entertainment signed a deal with Amberwood Entertainment on which E1 obtained the worldwide distribution rights to several of Amberwood Entertainment's TV shows, including all 78 episodes of Katie and Orbie.

Main characters

• Katie - girl of 5 years, (although it is implied at the beginning of the series that it was 4, as she celebrates his 5ta celebration of birthday in the episode the present of birthday of Andres), that is, essentially, the main character of the demonstration. It has blond hair, and uses a green and white t-shirt almost always lined on the blue covers. Katie imagines like imaginative girl, juguetona, and peculiar, and generally absolutely happy. She lives with her better Orbie friend and its parents in a suburb of Ottawa, (although the adjustment of the demonstration is not indicated, is implied due to some signals of Ottawa who appear in some episodes and characters that spills milk outside the purses, that are common in Ottawa). Some descriptions of the demonstration say that it is " vacillating on the verge of his first days school" but occasional with the exception of Charisse (who in a history invites to Katie to its school), practically no of the cabritos of the vicinity are considered to go to the school. Their sound effects include a characteristic laughter, as well as the occasional sigh, griterío and sounds of griterío. Those sound effects, as well as his " voice" during you you knew? the segments, are done by Amanda Tripp.

• Orbie - A foreigner small and pink, he has pink points of polca in his body (episodes demonstrate the early it that it has the capacity to change the color of his points, following how he feels), who is of a not known planet which is " distant towards outside beyond moon". The book Katie and Orbie takes sweepings, one of the books on which the series is based, it implies that they sent to him far from his homemade planet because was also contaminated to maintain life, and the destiny of its native family or her species is not known. Whereas he traveled in a small spaceship, he reached the Earth and finishes of happens to land in the back patio of Katie, and immediately he and Katie did better friendly, giving by result their being " adopted" by the parents of Katie. It is apparently the same age that Katie. He speaks in a unique series of squeaks and the squeaks (designated often blasts) that people appear to be able to understand in spite of that fact that he is not speaking any known language. With the exception of me I do not want to be different (the history passed of the first episode), people I seem to be forgetful to the fact that he is a foreigner, and treating it like a normal person (in that history who the group of cabritos in a glance of the restaurant surprised in Orbie, doing to him the disturbed sensation). He does not use the clothes nor appears to require it, although he uses the clothes and the shippers if it is raining, cold or snowing. He is natural acrobat, breaking often in jumps and pulls of steep joy and has cushions in his fingers and toes that allow to raise the walls him and to hang of the ceiling. He can also use these cushions to help to raise other things him, but they work better in flat surfaces. He to duer me in the closet of Katie, being hung upside-down of the bar like a wood. Their sound effects are done by Chris Wightman.

• Wayne - the father of Katie as well as the adoptive father of Orbie. They always refer it like papa, but its real name was mentioned in history the storm of thunders. He works in a building of offices, but its real work is confused. It is very thoughtful towards Katie, Orbie and its wife, Susan.

• Susan - the mother of Katie and the adoptive mother of Orbie. They always refer it like mother, despite its real name is mentioned in the episode the picture of Mrs. Parette. She does not seem to work they mainly see as it in the house of the family, although is possible she can work of home, because she has entered the city to assistir to meetings. Its name is probably a reference to the daughter of the felts of Susan of the felts of Horseradish tree, the cocreator of the characters, as well as writer during the first 3 stations of the demonstration.

Friends and other characters

• Mrs. Elane Parette - friend of the family, she is a woman greater than he has taste of children and he is generally cakes or cakes seen of the hornada one for them. It has a great willow in her garden that is used like guarida for Katie, Orbie and its friendly. It has a daughter at least, as well as at least two grandsons. They always simply refer it like Mrs. Parette, being one of the few characters who has a last name. Its name, Elane, were mentioned by Susan (the mother of Katie) in the episode the picture of Mrs. Parette, who was his first appearance.

• Occasion - the cat of the family, she has orange skin, with the exception of its left ear that has white skin.

First appearance: The occasion of the day found a new home, but first considered like bottom in the first Sleepover de Katie

• Andres - boy who resembles itself Katie, although their hair is paler. Their parents divorce and he lives with his mother and his padrastro named Harry. It is one of " three; regular" the friendly of the main characters, the other two that are Arthur and Yee whistle like a bullet. They consider the second best friend of Katie, after Orbie, and it seems to be near her, possibly indicating a future relation.

First appearance: The present of birthday of Andres

• Arthur - boy who was at the outset to tyrannize-like the boy, who obtains easily angry and can even strike somebody is inconveniencing that it (Katie in only one occasion). More ahead, its aspect was changed they represented and it like simple boy, although a harmful small piece, that plays normally with the other cabritos. It has red hair.

First appearance: The day Katie Smacked Arthur

• Whistle of bullet of Yee - girl of the Chinese origin, that is very friendly and it has even taught to Katie and to Orbie some Chinese traditions. After Orbie, it was the second friend of Katie presented/displayed in the series. They presented/displayed when it, its skin was brown clear, despite during the course of the series its skin gets to be white. It also had appendix.

First appearance: Whistle of bullet of Yee

• Kyra - small young person, with the same color of the hair that Andres, using generally a diadem exceeds she. It has asthma and, in a later aspect, also she uses glasses. The parents never see, has only appeared their grandmother. It appears mainly during stations 2 and 3. along with Dakota rarely see, it during the stations of Amberwood.

First appearance: All account, but introduced formally in Kyra, a later episode.

• Phoebe and Bryn - brother that are seen always together. Phoebe is youngest, by one or two years, and Bryn is oldest. Phoebe has blond hair, and Bryn has brown hair. Bryn has an allergy of the egg.

First appearance: It has eggs in her?

• Dakota - boy of the native American. Although a character common in the Lakewood ripens practically put, it in writing in the stations of Amberwood, it appears some times, and he is only " replaced" by the Latin character Miguel.

First appearance: The Pow-Wow

• Micah - old boy of eight years who has Down Syndrome. He lives in a farm with his appointed mother Altar. In the farm of its mother they are several animal, especially a named mare Spirit, and its new born colt, Sprite.

First appearance: The present of birthday of Andres, but introduced formally in small sticks, a later episode.

• Tom - adult young person who serves generally like the nin@era of Katie and Orbie. It seems to take care of the High secondary School or the university.

First appearance: The baby kangaroo

• Polly - the fianc2ee of Tom. Like Tom, she has taste of children and loves to play much with them. Orbie had once an accumulation in her. Their aspects are little. Its aspect changed between the episodes, first she had the red, curly hair and white skin, and she had the straight, black hair more ahead with a ponytail, and black skin.

First appearance: Love of small dog

• Belkis - girl who English nonspeech. It is not known from what country she came, although the well-known Belkis is of Hebrew origin.

First appearance: Belkis

• Charisse - a black girl who has cerebral paralysis and uses a armchair of wheels, she lives with its mother in an apartment. Their aspects are little. It is also the unique character of the cabrito that seems to go to the school.

First appearance: Charisse

• Miguel - Latin boy who assembles the series for the end of 4ta station like class of a replacement for Dakota, although their aspects are little.

First appearance: The party of swimming pool of Tom

• Charlie and Megan Cobbington - brother that are neighboring to Katie and Orbie, along with its parents. They put in writing to Charlie and the parents of the demonstration after station 2, but Megan still makes brief aspects station 3 before being put in writing also.

First appearance: The dress of history

• Greg, Jenny and Megan baby - a young pair and its baby that are neighboring of the family of Katie and Orbie. They only appear in some histories. Also they have a named dog Brushes.

First appearance: The new baby

• Kerry - a girl of the Caribbean who had been the best friend of Katie by a time without specifying, and in his only aspect (episode near my heart) she and their parents moved to another city because his father had a new work. Ironic, in spite of the consideration of the best friend of Katie never it appeared to him before and never it is seen or it is mentioned after history already mentioned.

Episodes

Main article: List of Katie and Orbie episodes

The TV series started production in 1993 by Lacewood Productions, which created thirteen half-hour episodes each consisting of three unrelated stories of seven minutes each, and two interstitial segments titled Did You Know? of thirty seconds each. The series debuted in 1994 on Family Channel and quickly became a success, prompting Lacewood to create two further seasons of the show in 1995 and 1996. Beginning with the third season in 1996, the series began to use digital ink and paint for coloring.

In 1997, after producing 39 episodes for the show, Lacewood Productions closed down and production of the series was suspended. In 2000, Lacewood was reformed under the name Amberwood Entertainment, which alongside Entertainment Rights began production of 26 more episodes for the show, which debuted on the Family Channel the next year. However, the revival of the series was short-lived, as in 2002 after the sixth season the series was cancelled.

A total of 234 individual stories were produced, three per each half-hour episode. Each episode also had two instertitial segments titled Did You Know? which tells viewers small pieces of information regarding several subjects, such as plants, flowers, animals, the body and arts. These segments are narrated off-screen by Katie (voiced by Amanda Tripp).

Each episode is structured by the opening theme, the first story, a Did You Know? interstitial segment, the second story, another Did You Know? interstitial segment, the third story and the closing credits.

Airing

• Canada: Family from its premiere in 1994 to December 2012.
• CTV aired the show from 2006 to 2008.
• Playhouse Disney (2007–May 6, 2011).
• Disney Junior (May 6, 2011 – December 31, 2012).

From 2007 until 2012, both Family and Disney Junior only showed the series during overnight hours. During that time, many children are asleep. Presumably, the show was still aired on those channels, in order to fulfill the Canadian content rules, being eventually replaced with newer Canadian series like Stella and Sam.

• United States: PBS (1996–1997); Playhouse Disney (1997–2000). The airing rights for the show were acquired by PBS during 1995, and it premiered in PBS stations on January 28, 1996, becoming the second animated show to air on PBS (The Magic School Bus was the first), however it was dropped off PBS in early 1997, at the time it was picked up by Disney Channel to be aired on its new Playhouse Disney block until September 2000. It has not been seen on any US channel since then, however it could be seen on CBeebies, as the channel is available inside the USA on the Spanish Mexico package of Dish Network, channel 848. Seasons 4–6 remain unseen in the US.

• Latin America: CBeebies (2008–2010) This Spanish version, dubbed in Mexico, is narrated by Mexican voice actor Alejandro Villeli, with voice actress Leyla Rangel singing the theme song and narrating the Did You Know? segments. The channel aired the episodes in order, Monday to Friday; on weekends, repeats of the episodes aired on Monday and Tuesday were shown. From June 2009 until its removal, the channel reran the episodes shown on Friday the following Monday. The full run of 78 episodes was shown four times (with the first 67 episodes airing a fifth time before its removal). The channel aired the show only in the evenings at 8:30 pm and later 9:30pm (although from August–December 2008, it also aired on weekend afternoons). The show was suddenly removed from CBeebies on April 12, 2010 and replaced by Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies. It has not been shown in the region since then. It is also the only version to have all 78 episodes dubbed.

• Malaysia: Astro Ria (early 2000s). Dubbed into Malay by Filem Karya Nusa.

• Australia: ABC Television (24 November 1995 – 5 June 2002). Despite the series being removed from the digital schedule after 5 June 2002, the program list on the channel's website still included the series until 2011. ABC lost the broadcasting rights to the series in 2006.

• United Kingdom: The series was seen on Nickelodeon UK as early as June 1994. Apparently, it also aired on Channel 4 and Disney Channel during the 1990s. It also was the first programme to air on the UK version of Nick Jr. from its launch on Wednesday, 1 September 1999 and was seen at 6:00 am every day until March 2000. It also aired as part of Tiny Living from 2000 to 2002.

• Spain: An Iberian Spanish dub of the show exists, it aired on 2000 on a digital channel called Club Super 3 which was part of a now-defunct platform called Via Digital. Presumably, only the first 39 episodes were dubbed, as they were made before 2000.

• A French version also exists, which aired at least on Quebec in the late 1990s on Vrak (at the time known as Canal Famille). A 5-disc DVD set has been released in France

• A Portuguese version of the series exists, titled O Hugo e a Catarina.

DVD releases

Seasons 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the show were available on DVD on the online store of the now-defunct Canadian retailer Express Media; however, seasons 2 and 3 were not.

Two DVDs were released in Australia in 2010 with season 6 episodes.

External links

• Katie and Orbie at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show