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WordGirl

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Alien arceus (talk | contribs) at 18:55, 1 February 2013 (The Rise of Miss power aired in February of 2012, why it isn't classified as season 3 or 4 i'll never know.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the television series. For the fictional character, see List of WordGirl characters § WordGirl/Becky Botsford.
WordGirl
File:WordGirl title card.jpg
GenreChildren's television series
Created byDorothea Gillim
Developed byDorothea Gillim
Jack D. Ferraiolo
Directed byDavid SanAngelo
Voices ofDannah Phirman
Tom Kenny
Maria Bamford
Cree Summer
Ryan Raddatz
Patton Oswalt
Fred Stoller
Larry Murphy
Jack D.Ferraiolo
James Adomian
Grey DeLisle
Jeffrey Tambor
John C. McGinley
Narrated byChris Parnell
Rodger Parsons (Interstitials)
Theme music composerSteven D'Angelo
Terry Tompkins
Opening themeWord Up It's WordGirl
Ending themeWord Up It's WordGirl (Instrumental)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes104
Production
Executive producersDorothea Gillim (Season 1);
Deborah Forte (as of Season 2)
ProducersWill Shepard (Season 1);
Danielle Gillis (as of Season 2)
Running time30 minutes
Production companySoup2Nuts
Original release
NetworkPBS (PBS Kids Go!)
ReleaseSeptember 3, 2007 (2007-09-03) –
present
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WordGirl is an Emmy-award winning American children’s animated television series for children aged 6–12, produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The show began as a series of shorts that premiered on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel; the segment was then spun off into a new thirty-minute episodic series that premiered on September 3, 2007 on most Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member stations. This animated show is aimed at children six to twelve years old, but viewers older than this demographic have been reported as well. It is designed to teach about the expansive English language and its vocabulary. The all four seasons each have twenty-six episodes; on June 10, 2009 it was announced that a third season of twenty-six episodes had been ordered, and it began airing on many PBS stations August 23, 2010.[1] The show is also seen on some educational networks in Canada, including Knowledge in British Columbia and TVOntario, as well as Discovery Kids Latin America, which dropped the series in June 2012. The program is also syndicated internationally in places such as Australia and Italy. The Spanish version is called "Chica Supersabia" (Super-wise girl) and it is translated and dubbed in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Brazilian version is called "Garota Supersábia". There is a Catalan version called "La Súper Mots" and a Portuguese version called "Super Sabina". The show has received five Daytime Emmy nominations, winning twice for "Outstanding Writing in Animation" in 2008 and 2012.

Background

The show's creator, Dorothea Gillim, believes that children's shows often underestimate children's intelligence:

Part of my mission is to make kids' television smart and funny. I feel as though we’ve lost some ground there, in an effort to make it more accessible. WordGirl's focus is on great stories, characters, and animation. If all those elements are working, then you can hook a child who may come looking for laughs but leave a little smarter.[2][3]

Each eleven-minute segment in each episode (except for the first three episodes) begins with verbal instructions to listen for two words that will be used throughout the plot of that episode. The words (examples include “diversion,” “cumbersome,” and “idolize”) are chosen according to academic guidelines. The reasoning is that children can understand words like “cumbersome” when told that it means “big and heavy and awkward.”[2]

News anchor Jim Lehrer agreed to do a mock interview with WordGirl. Jack D. Ferraiolo, who developed the series with Gillim and served as the series' head writer in Season One, received an Emmy for his work on WordGirl.[4]

Synopsis

The series stars WordGirl, an alien with superpowers whose secret identity is Becky Botsford, a 10½ year old fifth grade student. WordGirl was born on the fictional planet Lexicon (also a term referring to the vocabulary of a language or to a dictionary) but was sent away after sneaking onto a spaceship and sleeping there. Captain Huggy Face, a monkey who was a pilot in the Lexicon Air Force, piloted the ship, but lost control when WordGirl awoke, and crash-landed on Earth (more specifically in Fair City), a planet that affords WordGirl her superpowers, including flight and super strength. WordGirl utilizes these powers to save her adoptive home, using her downed spacecraft as a secret base of operations. WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face fight crime together.

WordGirl was adopted and provided an alter ego by Tim and Sally Botsford, who gave her the name Becky. While in her alter ego, she has a younger brother, TJ, obsessed with WordGirl, but still unknowingly a typical sibling rival to Becky. The Botsford family keeps Captain Huggy Face as a pet, naming him Bob. Becky attends Woodview Elementary School, where she is close friends with Violet Heaslip and has a crush on school newspaper reporter Todd “Scoops” Ming.

WordGirl tries to balance her superhero activities with her "normal" life. Doing battle with a rather odd grouping of villains, such as the Butcher, who can call into existence most any type of meat; senior citizen Granny May, with her knitting needles and projectile yarn; her former friend Professor Steven Boxleitner, who became the evil Dr. Two Brains thanks to an albino mouse fusing his brain with the animal; ten-year-old genius and colossal robot builder Tobey McCalister; and The Whammer, who speaks by interjecting the word "wham" in the most inopportune sentences. At the same time, she must worry about maintaining her second life as Becky, keeping people from discovering the truth and living normal family situations.

Format

Often, short animated segments are shown in between and at the end of episodes. "What's Your Favorite Word?", ostensibly hosted by Todd "Scoops" Ming, is a series of vox populi interviews asking random children what their favorite words are and why. A short game show segment called "May I Have a Word?" airs following each eleven-minute segment. This segment features the game show host, Beau Handsome, asking three contestants the definition of a particular word. The segment was created by Kelly Miyahara, Barry Sonnenfeld, and Ryan Raddatz. Yet another segment features the interstitials announcer (Rodger Parsons) asking Captain Huggy Face for a visual demonstration of a certain word (such as "pensive" or "flummoxed"). When Captain Huggy Face correctly demonstrates the meaning of the word, a definition is given, followed by a victory dance by the chimp sidekick.

During the four-part episode, "The Rise of Miss Power", a five-segment "Pretty Princess Power Hour" sketch is shown between acts, filling in for the average two-segment "May I Have a Word?" sketch, presumably to fill the double-length (52 minutes) time slot.

Companion website

The companion site to WordGirl lives on PBS Kids, and was built by interactive firm Big Bad Tomato. It contains vocabulary-building games, a section where children can submit their favorite word, a video page with clips from the show, a "Heroes and Villains" section with character biographies and activities, and a PBS Parents section with episode guides, lessons, a site map, and more activities to play at home.

Characters and voice cast (2007 – present)

Main article: List of WordGirl characters
Cast
Dannah Phirman Becky Botsford/WordGirl, Clair McCalister, Edith von Hoosinghaus, Chuck's mom, Iris, Lily, Wordgirl Doll, Audience Member #1, Pretty Princess
Chris Parnell The Narrator, Exposition Guy, Police Officer, Cab Driver, Audience Member 1, Parent Gallery Member #1 additional voices
Tom Kenny Dr. Two-Brains, TJ Botsford, Two-Brains' Henchman #1, Warden Chalmers, Brent the Handsome Successful Everybody-Loves-Him Sandwich-Making Guy, Phil, Truck Driver, News Reporter, Shoe Salesman, additional voices
Cree Summer Granny May, Bingo Announcer, additional voices
Patton Oswalt Theodore "Tobey" McCalister III, robots, additional voices
Fred Stoller Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy
Jack D. Ferraiolo The Butcher, The General
Pamela Adlon Eileen, a.k.a. The Birthday Girl, additional voices
Maria Bamford Violet Heaslip, Sally Botsford, Leslie the Assistant, Bank Teller (second voice), additional voices
Ryan Raddatz Tim Botsford, Todd "Scoops" Ming, Beau Handsome, additional voices
Tim Conway Bampy Botsford
Mike O’Connell Bill the Grocery Store Manager, Big Left Hand Guy, additional voices
Elliott Gould The Masked Meat Marauder
Brian Posehn Glen Furlblam
James Adomian Captain Huggy Face/Bob (script readings), Robber, The Candlestick Maker, Security Guard, Curator, Raul Demiglasse, Hunter Throbheart, Robber #1
H. Jon Benjamin Reginald, InvisiBill, Jewelry Store Clerk (first voice), additional voices
Ron Lynch The Mayor, additional voices
Jeffrey Tambor Mr. Big, Old Woman, Old Man
Brian Doyle Murray Police Commissioner
Larry Murphy The Amazing Rope Guy, TV Reporter, Dave, Principal, Mr. Best, Used Car Salesman (second voice), Mailman, additional voices
John C. McGinley The Whammer
Amanda Plummer Beatrice Bixby / Lady Redundant Woman (first voice)
Grey DeLisle Beatrice Bixby/Lady Redundant Woman (second voice), Ms. Question, Mrs. Ripley, Host, additional voices
Rose Abdoo Great Granny May
Darran Norris Seymour Orlando Smooth, Nocan the Contrarian
Mike Phirman The Narrator's Brother
Peter Graves Mr. Callihan
James Mathis Tiny Big
Ed Asner Kid Potato, The Butcher's father
Jen Cohn Bank Teller (first voice), Rich Old Lady, Ms. Champlain
Stephanie Sheh additional voices
Robin Reed Ms. Libri, the bookstore owner
Judy Greer Ms Dewey, the librarian
Andy Dick Milt (Ms. Dewey's assistant)
Jim Gaffigan Mr. Dudley
Matt Besser Zachry Zany, Male News Anchorman, Lead Deriver, additional voices
Rodger Parsons Interstitials Announcer (uncredited)
Danielle Schneider Female News Anchorwoman, Crowd Member, News Caster, additional voices
William Mapother Guy Rich
Kristen Schaal Victoria Best, mrs. best, aditional voices
John Henson Captain Tangent
Amy Sedaris Ms. Davis, additional voices
Orlando Brown Tommy "His Dishonor"
Kelly Miyahara Emily
Kevin McDonald Vocab Bee, Jeremy, Police Chief, Judge, The Baker, Magic Pony
Wayne Knight Police Commissioner Watson (first voice)
Frank Welker Prof. Robert Tubing, The Energy Monster (uncredited), various animals
Jill Talley Babysitter
Elisabeth Abbot Dress Shop Owner
Chris Williams Judge
Sergio Cilli Royal Dandy, Lolipop Man
Jane Lynch Miss Power
Weird Al Yankovic The Learnerer
Jessica Cornish Louise Kramer

Episodes

Season 1 (September 3, 2007 – January 2, 2009)

Ep. Airdate Segment 1 Segment 2
1/101 9/3/2007 Tobey or Consequences High-Fat Robbery
2/102 9/14/2007 You Can’t Crush City Hall Two-Brain Highway
3/103 9/21/2007 Coupon Madness When Life Gives You Potatoes...
4/104 9/28/2007 Jerky Jerk Becky's Birthday
5/105 10/5/2007 Chuck! Down with Word Up!
6/106 10/19/2007 Book Ends Mr. Big
7/107 11/16/2007 Super-Grounded Mouse Army
8/108 12/21/2007 Tobey's Masterpiece Chuck the Nice Pencil-Selling Guy
9/109 12/28/2007 The Birthday Girl Granny-Sitter
10/110 2/22/2008 Mr. Big’s Big Plan Vocab Bee
11/111 2/15/2008 Shrinkin' in the Ray Department Store Tobey
12/112 4/11/2008 Chuck E. Sneeze Swap Meat
13/113 4/18/2008 Granny’s Goodtime All-Cure Spritzer Mecha-Mouse
14/114 4/25/2008 Princess Triana and The Ogre of Castlebum Heat Wave, Crime Wave
15/115 5/26/2008 Thorn in the Sidekick Crime Takes a Holiday
16/116 5/27/2008 Meat with a Side of Cute Mr. Big Words
17/117 6/13/2008 Two-Brains Forgets Banned on the Run
18/118 7/11/2008 Have You Seen the Remote? Sidekicked to the Curb
19/119 8/1/2008 Lady Redundant Woman A Game of Cat and Mouse
20/120 8/15/2008 The Masked Meat Marauder Sandwich World
21/121 9/12/2008 Violet Superhero Big Business
22/122 10/13/2008 The Handsome Panther The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker
23/123 11/3/2008 Mousezilla Villain School
24/124 11/28/2008* Return of the Reprise of Lady Redundant Woman A Simple Plan
25/125 1/1/2009* Granny Mayor Tobey Goes Good
26/126 1/2/2009* Bongo Rock Dr. Three Brains


* - These episodes are listed as Season One episodes although they premiered in Season Two

Season 2 (November 4, 2008 – July 20, 2010)

Ep. Airdate Segment 1 Segment 2
27/201 11/4/2008 A Vote for Becky Class Act
28/202 2/16/2009 The Two-Brains Boogie Field Day Fun with Robo-Tobey
29/203 2/17/2009 Slumber Party Pooper Line Lessons with Lady Redundant Woman
30/204 3/23/2009 Mr. Big's Dolls and Dollars Great Granny May
31/205 3/24/2009 Theme Park WHAMpage Chuck Makes a Buck
32/206 4/30/2009 Highway to Harvati Tiny Big
33/207 5/1/2009 I Think I'm a Clone Now Answer All My Questions and Win Stuff
34/208 5/4/2009 Bonkers for Bingo The Ballad of Steve McClean
35/209 10/23/2009 Tobey's Tricks and Treats Escape Wham
36/210 6/19/2009 Pretty Princess Premiere Where's Huggy?
37/211 7/13/2009 Robo-Camping The Stew, the Proud
38/212 7/14/2009 Who Wants Candy? Chuck's Brother
39/213 9/7/2009 Becky and the Bard Monkey-Robot Showdown
40/214 10/12/2009 The Wrong Side of the Law (2-part episode)
41/215 10/13/2009 Two-Brains' Quartet Big's Big Bounce
42/216 10/14/2009 The Young and the Meatless Mr. Big's Colossal Mini-Golf
43/217 10/15/2009 Nocan the Contrarian Meat My Dad
44/218 11/23/2009 Who is Ms. Question? Lunch Lady Chuck
45/219 12/10/2009 Oh, Holiday Cheese Ch-ch-ch-change Day
46/220 12/28/2009 WordGirl Makes a Mistake (2-part episode)
47/221 3/1/2010 Earth Day Girl A Hero, a Thief, a Store and Its Owner
48/222 2/15/2010 Opposite Day Granny's Book Club
49/223 5/3/2010 Wham Up! Seeds of Doubt
50/224 5/4/2010 Wishful Thinking Lady Redundant Woman Gets the Blues
51/225 7/19/2010 Win a Shiny New Car The People vs. Ms. Question
52/226 7/20/2010 Oh, What a Tangled Knot You Tie, Amazing Rope Guy Kids Action News


Season 3 (August 23, 2010 – August 3, 2011)

Ep. Airdate Segment 1 Segment 2
53/301 8/23/2010 Bummertime The Home Run King
54/302 9/13/2010 Granny and Clyde Too Loud Crew
55/303 9/14/2010 The Invisi-Bill Hand Birthday Town
56/304 9/15/2010 Pretty Princess and Mr. Big Power Hour Cleanup in Aisle Eleven
57/305 9/16/2010 When Chuck's Mom is Away... That's Entertainment
58/306 10/11/2010 Victoria Best Showdown at the Super Secret Spaceship Hideout
59/307 11/08/2010 Captain Tangent Chuck and Brent Ride Again
60/308 1/03/2011 Bend It Like Becky Questionable Behavior
61/309 4/01/2011 The Straw That Broke Two Brains' Back Nocan the Evil Ingredient Finding Guy
62/310 2/08/2011 Cherish Is the Word Granny's Intuition
63/311 1/17/2011 Bampy Battles Bots Truth, Revision, and the Lexicon Way
64/312 5/06/2011 Meat-Life Crisis Mobot Knows Best
65/313 8/03/11 A Better Mousetrap (2-part episode)

Season 4 (September 5, 2011 – June 11, 2012)

Ep. Airdate Segment 1 Segment 2
66/401 9/05/2011 Sonny Days with a Chance of Showers Seymour ... Right After This
67/402 10/10/2011 The Fill-In Word (Hicc)Up!
68/403 10/11/2011 Mouse Brain Take-Over Leslie Makes It Big
69/404 10/12/2011 Chuck with a Sidekick of Brent Yarn-4-Gold
70/405 10/13/2011 Whammer Anniversary Rat Trap
71/406 10/14/2011 WordGirl and Bobbleboy Crime in the Key of V
72/407 11/14/2011 Where Have All the Villains Gone? Captain Tangent Returns
73/408 1/16/2012 Have Snob, Will Travel Tobey's Playground Calamity
74/409 4/16/2012 The Birthday Girl's Monstrous Gift Hal the Haggler
75/410 3/23/2012 The Learnerer Mr. Big's Dinner and a Scam
76/411 5/21/2012 Wordbot Mount Rushhere
77/412 6/11/2012 Road Rage, Anger, and Fury By Jove, You've Wrecked My Robots
78/326 12/16/2011 A World Without Wordgirl (2-part episode)


Season 5 (September 10, 2012 – present)

Ep. Airdate Segment 1 Segment 2
79/501 9/10/2012 Seize the Cheese Ms. Question's Riddle Rampage
80/502 9/11/2012 The Meaty Dimension The Case of the Copied Mrs. Botsford
81/503 9/12/2012 The Good, the Bad, and the Chucky Granny's Pet Plan
82/504 9/13/2012 Hard-Learned Money Gift Pony
83/505 10/29/2012 Scary with a Side of Butter Talent Show Tobey
84/506 12/28/2012 Don't Mess with the Best Peanut Butter Battles
85/507 TBA Plain Old Mischief Makers House Arrest
86/508 TBA Father's Day Dance-a-thon Big is Botsford's Boss
87/509 TBA Monkey Business Say it Again, Eileen
88/510 12/31/2012 Hello New Year, Goodbye Moon Art in the Park
89/511 TBA Day at the Museum Best Fan Club Meeting Ever
90/512 TBA Who's Your Granny? Win a Day with WordGirl
91/513 TBA Dinner or Consequences (Two-part episode)

Season 6 (February 2012-TBA)

Ep. Airdate Segment 1 Segment 2
92/601 2/20/2012 The Rise of Miss Power Part 1 and 2
93/602 2/20/2012 The Rise of Miss Power Part 3 and 4
94/603 TBA Who Wants to Get Rid of WordGirl? The Talented Mr. Birg
95/604 TBA One Last Sandwich Caper or Plastic?
96/605 TBA Victoria is the Best WordGirl? Tell Her What She's Won!
97/606 TBA High-Five Sandwich The Robot Problem
98/607 TBA Of Two Minds Yes Monkey
99/608 TBA Big and Brent Silence of the Whams
100/609 TBA Dr. Two Brains, Mr. Cheese Kitty Cat Criminals
101/610 TBA A Questionable Pair All That Chazz
102/611 TBA Fortune Cookie Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime
103/612 TBA Go Gadget Go Emergency Plan #999
104/613 TBA Invasion of the Bunny Lovers (Two-part episode)

References

  1. ^ [http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/09/05/cluster_of_animation_studios_grows_up_around_watertown/?page=2>
  2. ^ a b Jensen, Elizabeth (2007-09-02). "A New Heroine's Fighting Words". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ Bynum, Aaron H. (2007-06-18). "'The Adventures of WordGirl' Animation Emerges on PBS Kids". Animation Insider. Retrieved 2008-06-25. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ Spero, Johannah (2008-06-18). "Local man lands Emmy for 'WordGirl'". Wicked Local Newburyport/The Newburyport Current. GateHouse Media, Inc. Retrieved 2008-06-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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