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Wonder Pets!

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Wonder Pets!
GenreAnimated series
Created byJosh Selig
Voices of(United States)
Sofie Zamchick
Teala Dunn
Danica Lee
(UK)[1]
Isabella Moylan
Callum Hanks
Khloe Fry
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes42
Production
Running time30 min.
Original release
NetworkNick Jr (2006-2009)
Noggin (2006-present)
Nickelodeon (2009-present)
ReleaseMarch 3, 2006 –
present

Wonder Pets is an American animated children's television series. It debuted on March 3, 2006, on the Nick Jr. block of the Nickelodeon cable television network and Noggin on August 31, 2006. It won an Emmy Award in 2008 for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.

History and Format

The Wonder Pets television series was created by Josh Selig for Little Airplane Productions. The show was first seen as a short Nick Jr.'s film series called The New Adventures of Linny the Guinea Pig, in which a guinea pig named Linny traveled into space and under the ocean. Ming-Ming Duckling and Turtle Tuck were created when the show was expanded and called The Super Singing Power Pets!. The title was later shortened to Wonder Pets. The show's main characters are three elementary school classroom pets — Linny the Guinea Pig, Turtle Tuck, and Ming-Ming Duckling. They are presented as a trio of heroes who rescue baby animals as they demonstrate the benefits of teamwork.

The animation style used to create Wonder Pets! is called "photo-puppetry", and was created for the series to allow animators to manipulate photographs of real animals. It also uses drawn objects (not characters), so the total presentation could be considered animated mixed-media.

A good deal of the dialog is sung, so the show has been likened to operetta or singspiel. A 10-member live orchestra performs each episode, sometimes including other instrumentalists skilled in music from the region to which the pets are traveling during the episode.[2] Completing each episode takes 33 weeks from script to final delivery.[3]

Preceding each show is a disclaimer indicating the show develops vocabulary and the concept of teamwork in pre-schoolers.

Characters and voice cast

Main characters

Wonder Pets

Linny the Guinea Pig
Linny the Guinea Pig
''The Wonder Pets!'' character
First appearance"Linny and The Giant Pickle" (pilots)
"Save the Dolphin" (series)
Created byJosh Selig
Portrayed bySofie Zamchick
In-universe information
GenderFemale

At age 5,[4] is the leader of the Wonder Pets. Linny is voiced by Sofie Zamchick in the United States version and Meisha Kelly in the UK version. As a superhero, she wears an orange-yellow cap and a blue cape. Linny appears to be the most educated of the group, often providing different zoological and geographical information to the others. She is usually the one to remind the group about teamwork or other values and offer praise such as "Good eye, Tuck". She leads Ming-Ming and Tuck in most of the show's primary songs and usually has the responsibility of starting the "Flyboat". Linny's catch phrase is "This calls for some celery!", usually declared at the conclusion of each adventure. Before Wonder Pets, Linny starred in a few three-minute shorts on Nick, Jr. titled Linny the Guinea Pig, where Linny would explore different environments such as the ocean and outer space.

Tuck the Turtle
Tuck the Turtle
''The Wonder Pets!'' character
First appearance"Rack, Shack, and Tuck" (pilots)
"Save the Dolphin" (series)
Created byJosh Selig
Portrayed byTeala Dunn
In-universe information
GenderMale

(actually a terrapin, and more specifically, a Red Eared Slider) At age 4, Tuck is a sensitive young turtle, definitely the heart of the group, who has an emotional connection to living things. As a superhero, he wears a white French sailor's cap, blue Aquasocks, and a red cape. Tuck is voiced by Teala Dunn in the United States version (Catherine Holden in the UK Version). Tuck is arguably the most empathetic of the trio, often desiring to give the rescued animals a hug or keeping them company while Linny and Ming-Ming put their rescue plan into action. He also has keen observational skills, spotting things from a distance, which often garners him the compliment, "Good eye, Tuck!".

Ming-Ming the Duckling
Ming-Ming the Duckling
''The Wonder Pets!'' character
First appearance"Ming-Ming and The Pie War" (pilots)
"Save the Dolphin" (series)
Created byJosh Selig
Portrayed byDanica Lee
In-universe information
GenderFemale

At age 3,[4] is an overconfident young duckling. As a superhero, she wears a leather pilot's helmet, goggles, and a green cape. Unlike the other Wonder Pets, she has the ability to fly. She can also speak "bird", allowing her to talk to other birds that the Wonder Pets encounter. Ming-Ming also believes that her great-grandfather was an eagle. Ming-Ming sometimes tries to take on big problems by herself and in one episode ("Save the Duckling") she even becomes the animal that needed rescuing. Ming-Ming often provides comic relief in the show. In the episode, "Save the Mouse!", Tuck and Ming-Ming bump into a cuckoo clock, resulting in the cuckoo popping out. Ming-Ming then asks the cuckoo, "No, excuse me. Do you have a cousin named Pablo?", referring to Pablo the penguin in The Backyardigans. Ming-Ming is voiced by Danica Lee in the United States version (Kaya Alexander in the UK Version). When Lee auditioned for the role, she pronounced "R" sounds as "W" sounds (as in "This is Se-wious!"). The producers said that Lee's speech impediment had an endearing quality and that young children commonly mispronounce certain sounds.[citation needed] Some parents have criticized Ming-Ming's speech pattern, but consultants for the show point out that many characters in children's programs have childlike speech patterns. [5] Danica Lee has been nominated twice, in 2007 and 2008, for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program. [6]

Recurring characters

Ollie the Bunny

Ollie the Bunny
''The Wonder Pets!'' character
First appearance"Ollie and The Bad Apple" (pilots)
"Save the Skunk" (series)
Created byJosh Selig
Portrayed byT.J. Stanton (2006-2008)
Cooper Corrao (2008-present)
In-universe information
GenderMale

He first guest stars in the pilot, "Ollie and The Bad Apple", and first appears in the series at the episode, "Save The Skunk!" Ollie is revealed as a visiting bunny by a child when his mother inquires, "Who's Ollie?" Ollie begs to go with the Wonder Pets when a baby skunk is stuck under a rosebush. The Wonder Pets tunnel into Ollie's cage to get him out. He boasts and brags a bit. For instance, at the line, "To help a baby (animal) and save the day..." Ollie interrupts after "To help a baby skunk..." and says, "And I'll save the day!" Then, when Tuck usually says, "And we're not too tough," Ollie changes it himself into, "And I'm really tough!" At first, Ollie wants to save the skunk himself, without using teamwork, but ends up scaring the skunk and getting sprayed. His digging skills are eventually determined by the Wonder Pets to be necessary in freeing the skunk. When the Wonder Pets return home, Ollie goes into the sink to wash off the skunk spray.

Ollie is voiced by Cooper Corrao in the United States version ("The Amazing Ollie").[7] The first three Ollie appearances ("Save The Skunk!", "Ollie to the Rescue", "Here's Ollie!") were voiced by T.J. Stanton, however the role was recast due to TJ's changing voice.[citation needed]

One-time characters

Ollie's Family

  • Omie the Bunny, She made her debut in the Here's Ollie episode. Ollie was playing tag with her. Omie tags Ollie, then Linny meets her and asks her what she is building (London Bridge). She is even the same age as Ming-Ming.
  • Ollie's Mother, She first appears in "Here's Ollie". She was about to call the pets in the classroom sandbox (which is where the Bunny family lives).
  • Olio the Bunny, He first appears in the episode "Here's Ollie". His mother and Ollie count sheep to help him fall asleep.

Episode structure

Each episode follows a similar structure, with some variation, in terms of the storyline and the musical form.

As each episode begins, viewers hear the school children, off-screen, leaving school at the end of the day. They say goodbye to the classroom pets. Once the classroom is vacant, a pencil holder rattles to create the ringing of a tin can telephone. Often, the classroom will be decorated with student artwork or other items related to the storyline, particular animal or geographic location of that episode. One by one, the classroom pets wordlessly notice the ringing phone. Up to this point in the episode, they have acted like normal animals and not said a single word. But as the phone rings, the Wonder Pets get dressed (Linny in an orange-yellow cap, Ming-Ming in a leather pilot's helmet, Tuck in a white French sailor's cap and blue water shoes on his back feet) and make their way towards the phone (Linny dropping through a hole hidden under her food bowl and landing on a toy horse, Ming-Ming opening a hidden door in the wiring of her cage and then flying out, Tuck diving into the water in his tank and emerging in the classroom sink) while singing their opening verses:

Linny: The phone, the phone is ringing!
Ming-Ming: The phone, we'll be wight there!
Tuck: The phone, the phone is ringing!
Linny: There's an animal in trouble...
Ming-Ming: There's an animal in twouble...
Tuck: There's an animal in trouble somewhere!

The Wonder Pets answer the phone and find that an animal is in trouble somewhere. Linny explains the situation to the other two. When the situation is clear, they sing:

Tuck: A baby [animal]
[In the specific peril.]
Ming-Ming: This is se-wious!
Tuck: We have to help him/her
Linny: Let's save the [animal]!
Tuck and Ming-Ming or All then All: Let's save the [animal]!

They all jump into a box filled with fabric scraps and jump back out, wearing various different outfits, often alluding to the area of the world they will be visiting. They make a quick joke then jump back into the box and emerge in their Wonder Pets capes.

Linny: Linny,
Tuck: Tuck,
Ming-Ming: And Ming-Ming, too!
All: We're Wonder Pets and we'll help you!

They assemble a flying toy sailboat called "The Flyboat" from classroom objects: a frisbee for a body, magic marker caps as rocket exhausts, a marble, wheels, the mast, and a sheet of paper for the sail. As they work, they sing:

Linny: What's gonna work?
Tuck and Ming-Ming or All: Teamwork!
Linny: What's gonna work?
Tuck and Ming-Ming or All: Teamwork!

Usually, the Wonder Pets encounter some sort of obstacle before leaving the classroom. The solution is invariably similar to the action they will need to take to save the animal in trouble. Then they rush off to the rescue, singing:

All: Wonder Pets! Wonder Pets! We're on our way
To help a baby [animal] and save the day!
Ming-Ming: We're not too big,
Tuck: And we're not too tough,
All: But when we work together we've got the right stuff!
Go, Wonder Pets! Yay!

When saving the animal, the Wonder Pets often fail on the first few attempts. Then the danger escalates, prompting Ming-Ming to once again sing, "This is se-wious!" Suddenly, the Wonder Pets remember how they solved the problem in the classroom and realize that the rescue has the same solution. Then they have to work together to achieve the rescue. They reprise their earlier song:

Linny: Linny,
Tuck: Tuck,
Ming-Ming: And Ming-Ming, too.
All: We're Wonder Pets and we'll help you!
Linny: What's gonna work?
Tuck and Ming-Ming or All: Teamwork!
Linny: What's gonna work?
Tuck and Ming-Ming or All: Teamwork!

Once the animal is saved, a parent or other relation often comes out of nowhere to give grateful thanks to the Wonder Pets for saving its baby. The Wonder Pets celebrate with a celery snack, which the rescued animal's parent sometimes adds to with a bit of regional food, or they insist on a regional preparation. Then they fly back to the classroom, singing:

All: Wonder Pets! Wonder Pets! We found a way
To help the baby [animal] and save the day!
Ming-Ming: We're not too big,
Tuck: And we're not too tough,
All: But when we work together we've got the right stuff!
Go, Wonder Pets! Yay!

They wordlessly return to their cages until the next episode. The Flyboat smoothly disassembles by itself. Linny is always the last one to get back in her cage, and her cape and cap come off. The music style that has to do with the saving that day is played, as Linny takes a bite out of the celery in her cage and winks towards the camera as the closing credits begin, THE END.

Episode list

Main article: List of Wonder Pets episodes

Pilot episode list

  1. Linny and The Giant Pickle (Thanksgiving 1993)
  2. Ming-Ming and The Pie War (Christmas 1993)
  3. Rack, Shack, and Tuck (Christmas 1993)
  4. Ollie and The Bad Apple (Thanksgiving 1993)
  5. Linnideon - Tuba Warrior (Christmas 1993)
  6. Kings, Slushees, Drop Pianos, Easter Eggs, Wells of Doom! (Thanksgiving 1993)
  7. Hops, Drives, Cheers, Blinks, Cheese, Rockets, Trucks, Town, Cowboys! (Christmas 1993)

Toys and merchandising

Fisher Price began distributing a line of official Wonder Pets toys in the U.S. in March 2008.[8] Toys include the Flyboat, figurine playsets and plush animals. These figurine playsets have each Wonder Pet saving a different baby animal. These include Linny saving a baby penguin, Tuck saving a baby bluebird and Ming-Ming rescuing a kitten. In addition there is a whale playset for the tub. Nickelodeon Universe, a theme park inside Minnesota's Mall of America, also has a children's ride dedicated to the Flyboat.[9]

Media

Broadcast history

United States

  • Nick Jr. (pilots: 1993/series: March 3, 2006-February 2, 2009)
  • Nickelodeon (February 2, 2009-present)
  • Noggin (March 3, 2006, August 31, 2006-present)

United Kingdom

Canada

Malaysia

  • TV9 (2008-present)
  • TV3 (late 2008-present)
  • Nickelodeon (Nick Jr. time slot, 2007-present)

Colombia

Philippines

  • TV5 (2009-present)

DVD compilations

  • Save the Wonder Pets! (a.k.a. Save the Blowfish) DVD, released April 24 2007. Includes: "Save the Wonder Pets! (aka Save the Blowfish)", "Save the Caterpillar!", "Save the Crane!", "Save the Sea Lions!", "Save the Kangaroo!", "Save the Hedgehog!", and "Save the Crocodile!" [10]
  • Save The Unicorn! DVD, released September 11, 2007. Includes: "Save the Unicorn!", "Save the Penguin!", "Save the Swan!", "Save the Puppy!", "Save the Three Little Pigs!", "Save the Owl!", "Save the Bullfrog!", and "Save the Poodle!" [11]
  • Save the Reindeer! DVD, released October 2, 2007. Includes: "Save the Reindeer!", "Save the Goldfish!", "Save the Baby Birds!", "Save the Camel!", "Save the Ants!", "Save the Egg!", and "Save the Flamingo!" [12]
  • Save the Dinosaur! DVD, release February 12, 2008. Includes: "Save the Dinosaur!", "Save the Pigeon!", "Save the Dragon!", "Save the Beaver!", "Save the Bee!", "Save the Squirrel!", "Save the Dolphin!", and "Save the Chimp!" [13]
  • Save the Beetles! DVD, released April 22, 2008. Includes: "Save the Beetles!", "Three Wonder Pets and a Baby!", "Save the Duckling!", "Save the Kitten!", "Save the Chameleon!", "Save the Platypus!", "Save the Sheep!", and "Save the Hermit Crab!"[14]
  • Save the Nursery Rhyme! DVD, release June 3, 2008. Includes: "Help the Cow Jump over the moon!", "Save the Itsy Bitsy Spider!", "Save the Griffin!", "Save the Rooster!", "Save Little Red Riding Hood!", "Save the Turtle!", "Save the Panda!", and "Save the Mouse!" [15]
  • Save the Bengal Tiger! DVD released September 9, 2008. Includes: "Save the Bengal Tiger!", "Save the Ladybug!", "Save the Sea Turtle!", "Save the Gecko!", "Save the What?", "Save the Goslings!", and "Ollie to the Rescue!" [16]
  • Save the Nutcracker! DVD released October 7, 2008. Includes: "Save the Nutcracker!", "Save the Old White Mouse", "The Adventures of Bee and Slug!", "Save the Pangaroo", "Save the Cricket", "Save the Cow", and "Save the Skunk" [17]
  • Join the Circus! DVD released February 24, 2009. Includes: "Join the Circus", "Save the Rat Pack", "Fiddler Crab on the Roof", "Save the Armadillo", "Save the Visitor", "Save the Tree", and "Save the Elephant" [18]

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Meet The Wonder Pets! wonder-pets.littletoons.co.uk, retrieved 2008-10-24
  2. ^ Lynne Heffley, "Unchained melodies; In scoring the kids' show 'The Wonder Pets!,' top-notch composers get a warm and fuzzy feeling," Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Mar 3, 2006. pg. E.29.
  3. ^ Jennifer Oxley, "Meet the Creators of Wonder Pets!"
  4. ^ a b Robert Lloyd, "'Wonder Pets!' to the rescue", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Mar 3, 2006. pg. E.29.
  5. ^ Want to write for Wonder Pets? Here’s a tip: Stay away from moths., Laura Brown Interview, Smart Television Alliance, September 9, 2008
  6. ^ Edward Wyatt, "Nickelodeon's 'Wonder Pets' Offers Operetta for Preschoolers", New York Times, March 28, 2006. pg. E.1.
  7. ^ Morton, Rebecca, Youngster, 7, racks up acting, modeling credits , Great Media News, gmnews.som, August 20 2008
  8. ^ Video, Toys R Us television commercial
  9. ^ "New attraction spotlight: Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America", March 11, 2008
  10. ^ Freisen, Eric, DVD Review:Save the Wonder Pets!, BlogCritics Magazine, April 21, 2007
  11. ^ Save the Unicorn Wonder Pets DVD, Amazon.com
  12. ^ Save the Reindeer!, Wonder Pets, Amazon.com DVD
  13. ^ Save the Dinoasaur!, Wonder Pets DVD, Amazon.com
  14. ^ Save the Beetles Wonder Pets DVD, Amazon.com
  15. ^ Save the Nursery Rhyme, Wonder Pets DVD, Amazon.com
  16. ^ Save the Bengal Tiger, Wonder Pets DVD, Amazon.com
  17. ^ "Wonder Pets! Save the Nutcracker!": Saving A Nutcracker Is Sewious, Review, Toon Zone, October 10, 2008
  18. ^ Wonder Pets Join the Circus, Wonder Pets DVD, Amazon.com
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