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The Wild Thornberrys

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The Wild Thornberrys
The Wild Thornberrys cast, left to right, Nigel, Marianne (with camera), Eliza (with glasses) and Darwin (the ape) on a vine, Donnie (with Nickelodeon Hair), and Debbie (sitting down)
Country of originUSA
No. of episodes91
Production
Running time30 Minutes
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon
ReleaseSeptember 1 1997 –
June 11 2004

The Wild Thornberrys was an American animated television series produced at Klasky-Csupo for Nickelodeon, which follows the adventures of a fictional wildlife-documentary-making family, the Thornberrys, and particularly of Eliza Thornberry, who can talk to animals. It premiered in September 1997, and was the first Nicktoon to exclusively use 30 minute stories (previously, other Nicktoons used the two-fifteen-minute-stories format for most episodes, using 30-minute eps on occasion).

Nigel and Marianne Thornberry (voiced by Tim Curry and Jodi Carlisle) travel around the world with their family making wildlife documentaries, with Nigel as narrator and Marianne as the camerawoman. They have three children:

  • their older daughter Deborah, or Debbie (Danielle Harris), a "typical teenager" who longs for a normal suburban life
  • their younger daughter Elizabeth, or Eliza (Lacey Chabert), a girl who (unbeknownst to her family) gained the ability to speak with animals after an encounter with an African shaman (as shown the episode Gift of Gab, also dealing with why it's such a secret; this fact would be played on in the first film). Often portrayed as a geek, or a "supergeek"
  • their adopted son Donnie (Flea), a feral boy who (as would be made known in their 2001 4-part telefilm, Origin of Donnie) was raised by orangutans before the Thornberrys adopted him, and who talks very wildly and incoherently and has Nickelodeon Hair

Also travelling along is Darwin (Tom Kane), a chimpanzee that travels with the family, who "belongs" to Eliza. He has a craving for cheese crunchies, especially newly discovered "Swiss" cheese crunchies. He was found by Eliza, and was the first animal she ever talked to.

Other family members who have appeared in the series include:

  • Tyler Tucker (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), Eliza's cousin, who travelled with them in five episodes
  • Sophie and Frank Hunter (Betty White and Edward Asner), Marianne's parents. Grandpa Frank only appeared in the episode "The Anniversary"
  • Radcliffe and Cordelia Thornberry (Tim Curry and Lynn Redgrave), Nigel's parents
The Wild Thornberrys promo shot
The Wild Thornberrys promo shot

Episodes

Season 1: 1997-1999

  1. Flood Warning (9/1/1997)
  2. Dinner With Darwin (9/3/1997)
  3. Bad Company (9/8/1997)
  4. Gold Fever (9/10/1997)
  5. Matadi or Bust (9/15/1997)
  6. Temple of Eliza (9/17/1997)
  7. Vacant Lot (9/22/1997)
  8. Only Child (10/1/1998)
  9. Iron Curtain (10/6/1998)
  10. Valley Girls (10/13/1998)
  11. Naimina Enkiyio 10/22/1998
  12. Blood Sisters (10/27/1998)
  13. Eliza-cology (11/5/1998)
  14. Flight of the Donnie (11/17/1998)
  15. Lost and Foundation (3/16/1999)
  16. Nigel Knows Best (3/18/1999)
  17. The Great Bangaboo (3/23/1999
  18. Rumble in the Jungle 3/25/1999)
  19. The Dragon and the Professor (3/30/1999)
  20. Born to Be Wild (4/1/1999)

Season 2: 1999-2000

  1. Rebel Without a Trunk (8/16/1999)
  2. Pal Joey (8/17/1999)
  3. Rain Dance (8/18/1999)
  4. Darwin Plays the Palace (8/19/1999)
  5. Stick Your Neck Out (8/23/1999)
  6. No Laughing Matter (8/24/1999)
  7. Chimp Off the Old Block (8/25/1999)
  8. Koality and Kuantity (8/26/1999)
  9. Chew if by Sea (8/30/1999)
  10. Clash of the Teutons (8/31/1999)
  11. You Ain't Seen Nothin', Yeti (9/1/1999)
  12. On the Right Track (9/2/1999)
  13. Polar Opposites (9/6/1999)
  14. Two's Company (9/7/1999)
  15. Show Me the Bunny (9/13/1999)
  16. Reef Grief (9/14/1999)
  17. Thornberry Island (9/15/1999)
  18. Dances With Dingoes (9/16/1999)
  19. Tamper-Proof Seal (10/19/1999)
  20. You Otter Know (10/20/1999)
  21. Have Yourself A Thornberry Little Christmas (11/29/1999)
  22. Luck Be an Aye-Aye (2/15/2000)
  23. The Kung and I (2/16/2000)
  24. Dear Diary (2/17/2000)
  25. Black and White and Mom All Over (2/21/2000)
  26. Tiger by the Tail (2/22/2000)
  27. Forget Me Not (2/24/2000)
  28. Song for Eliza (2/25/2000)
  29. Gift of Gab (2/26/2000)
  30. Bogged Down (3/6/2000)
  31. Monkey See, Monkey Don't (3/6/2000)
  32. A Shaky Foundation (3/13/2000)
  33. Where the Gauchos Roam (3/13/2000)
  34. Cheetahs Never Prosper (3/20/2000)
  35. Gobi Yourself (3/20/2000)
  36. Every Little Bit Alps (3/27/2000)

Season 3: 2000-2001

  1. Dragon Me Along (9/12/2000)
  2. Time Flies (9/19/2000)
  3. Horse Sense 9/26/2000
  4. Tyler Tucker, I Presume (10/2/2000)
  5. Critical Masai (10/3/2000)
  6. Queen of Denial (10/4/2000)
  7. Island Trade (10/5/2000)
  8. Birthday Quake (10/6/2000)
  9. The Legend of Ha Long Bay (10/10/2000)
  10. Spirited Away (10/28/2000)
  11. Family Tradition (11/22/2000)
  12. Happy Old Year (12/27/2000)
  13. Happy Campers (12/30/2000)
  14. All Work and No Play (1/12/2001)
  15. New Territory (1/12/2001)
  16. Operation Valentine (2/14/2001)
  17. Hello, Dolphin! (2/19/2001)
  18. April Fool's Day (4/1/2001)
  19. Gem of a Mom (5/10/2001)
  20. The Anniversary (5/14/2001)

Season 4: 2001-2004

  1. The Origin of Donnie (1)1 (8/18/2001)
  2. The Origin of Donnie (2)1 (8/18/2001)
  3. The Origin of Donnie (3)1 (8/18/2001)
  4. The Origin of Donnie (4)1 (8/18/2001)
  5. The Trouble With Darwin (10/31/2001)
  6. Hot Air (6/1/2002)
  7. The Wild Snob-Berry (2/3/2003)
  8. Ice Follies (2/4/2003)
  9. Fool's Gold (2/5/2003)
  10. Clash and Learn (2/6/2003)
  11. Sir Nigel (1) (3/30/2003)
  12. Sir Nigel (2) (3/30/2003)
  13. Look Who's Squawking (4/4/2003)
  14. Eliza Unplugged (6/11/2004) 2

1 -- In the US, "The Origin of Donnie" was seen as a TV movie on Nickelodeon. However, the film only runs for 66 minutes (without commercials), while all 4 parts of the episode runs 88 minutes total (again, without ads). The 4-part version was never seen in the US, but was seen overseas.

2 -- See below.


Creative Producers

Jeff McGrath, [[Mark Risley ]]

Series Directors

Mark Risley, Michael Daedalus Kenny, Joeseph Scott, Dean Criswell


Feature Films

Trivia

  • Wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall appeared as herself in the episode titled The Trouble With Darwin.
  • This is a very rare role for Tim Curry in which he is not a villain; few of his roles are neutral.
  • In early February 2003, Nickelodeon devoted a week to the five episodes that take place after the movie (the last episodes produced), which have the Thornberrys in Alaska with a pop guitarist staying over with them (Shane G, voiced by Christopher Masterson). After the fourth of the five episodes aired, Nick then aired a promo for the fifth episode Eliza Unplugged to air on Saturday, February 8. However, they ended up airing The Fairly OddParents instead; that episode wouldn't air for another 16 months (June 11, 2004).
  • Despite being nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2001, the show has its share of detractors, mostly those bothered by main character Eliza's look (pigtails, glasses, freckles, and braces on her big teeth), and the fact that she constantly endangers herself while talking to wild animals.[citation needed]

Animals and Humans Talking

Show Airings

  • The Wild Thornberrys will be re-running on Nickelodeon weekdays at 1:00 p.m, starting Sept. 5th, 2006, as well as re-running every Sunday at 1:00pm. Also, NickToons Network has recently started re-runs of The Wild Thornberrys every weekday from 7-8 a.m.

External links

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