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Bee and PuppyCat

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Bee and PuppyCat
File:Bee and PuppyCat logo.jpg
Season 1 logo
Genre
Created byNatasha Allegri
Written byNatasha Allegri
Directed byLarry Leichliter
Voices ofAllyn Rachel
ComposerWill Weisenfeld
Country of origin
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 + pilot (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerFred Seibert
Producers
  • Eric Homan
  • Kevin Kolde
EditorRay Valenzuela
Running time5–10 minutes (Season 1)
Production company
Original release
Network
ReleaseJuly 11, 2013 (2013-07-11) –
present

Bee and PuppyCat is an American animated web series created and written by Natasha Allegri and directed by Larry Leichliter.[1][2] The series revolves around Bee (voiced by Allyn Rachel), an unemployed woman in her early twenties, who encounters a mysterious creature named PuppyCat (voiced by the Vocaloid program Oliver). She adopts this apparent cat-dog hybrid, and together they go on a series of temporary jobs to pay off her monthly rent. These bizarre jobs take the duo across strange worlds out in space. The show is produced by Frederator Studios and is animated by Dong Woo Animation in South Korea and OLM, Inc. in Japan.[3]

The series originated with a web pilot in 2013, followed by a Kickstarter supported first season which was released from 2014-16. It will continue with a second season titled Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space. The first Season 2 episode made its debut at the Ottawa International Animation Festival on September 26, 2019.[4] KaBoom! Studios published a comic book adaptation from 2014-16.

In October 2020, it was announced that the show's second season, which had been leaked on-line in its entirety in January of that year, is scheduled for a release sometime in 2022 on Netflix.[5]

Plot

Bee is a cheerful young woman in her early twenties who is habitually fired from menial, low-paying jobs. On her way home from a failed job opportunity, PuppyCat, a strange, mysterious creature, falls from the sky. She takes him in and, when he sees that she is broke and unemployed, PuppyCat teleports himself and Bee to an alternate dimension where they are given a job by TempBot, a gigantic, intelligent television screen. Despite the dangers that this line of temporary jobs would pose, Bee finds that she has a talent for the work and that it pays well enough for her to disregard the dangers.

An ongoing plot element of the series is PuppyCat's past, which is shrouded in mystery. There are hints that he may be a space outlaw who was transformed by the Space King, who was angry over the pirate's romance with his daughter. However, due to his anger, the magic meant to capture him instead turned him into a monster and he escaped. Another ongoing plot element is Bee's romantic feelings for her friend Deckard, a talented chef who seems to harbor a crush on Bee but finds that this complicates his decision to pursue a cooking career.

In the episode "Donut" it's revealed that Bee is a cyborg, a revelation that stuns Deckard. At the end of the episode he chooses to leave home to attend culinary school, still conflicted over the revelation and his feelings for Bee.

Characters

A screenshot from the first pilot episode of Bee and PuppyCat. PuppyCat is falling from the sky and is about to land on Bee.
  • Bee (Voiced by: Allyn Rachel): Bee is a 22-year-old woman who, while walking home in the rain after being fired for sleeping on the job, is hit on the head by PuppyCat, who mysteriously appears out of the sky and lands on her. After being transported to Fishbowl Space with PuppyCat, she gains clothing reassignment from TempBot, who changes every mission and gives her various equipment like a sword or pockets full of glitter. Bee is also seen to have a strong dislike of water, as in the episode "Beach" where she refuses to walk into the ocean, and in the following episode, "Cats", where she refuses to take a bath when she gets dirty. During the episode "Donut" Bee is revealed to be a cyborg, something that surprises both Deckard and PuppyCat.
  • PuppyCat (Voiced by: Oliver): The mysterious creature that is both a dog and a cat, and is the companion to the main character, Bee. Not much is known about PuppyCat except that he can "talk" and be used as an energy cannon, as demonstrated in the battle with Wallace.
  • TempBot: Also referred to as AssignBot, is a robot that acts as a temporary employment agent for PuppyCat. This character is voiced by a different actor in each episode. In the pilot episode the character was voiced by Marina Sirtis, Hannah Hart for "Farmer", Roz Ryan for "Cats", Ellen McLain for "Game" and Joan Koplan for "Wedding".
  • Deckard (Voiced by: Kent Osborne): Bee's friend, neighbor, and former coworker. Deckard works as a prep cook at the cat café from which Bee was fired. He harbors romantic feelings towards Bee. Deckard has heterochromia.[6] At the end of episode 10 he leaves home in order to attend culinary school despite initial reluctance to leave Bee and home.
  • Cass (Voiced by: Ashly Burch): Deckard's sister and roommate. Though she formerly worked alongside Bee and her brother at the cat café, Cass now works as a freelance computer programmer. Like her brother, Cass is also named after a wizard; her full name is Castaspella.
  • Cardamon (Voiced by: Alexander James Rodriguez): Cardamon is a young boy who is Bee's landlord. He is business-like and mature for his age, in stark contrast to his appearance as an elementary schoolboy. He takes care of his comatose mother, whom he regards as a "princess."
  • Toast (Voiced by: Terri Hawkes): Toast is the 11th ranked wrestler from Cass' former wrestling team and holds a grudge against Cass' departure, as it leaves her to be the lowest-ranking member on the team.

Production

The series began as a two-part episode, which was uploaded to Frederator Studios' YouTube channel Cartoon Hangover as two 5-minute shorts as part of Too Cool! Cartoons, a project Frederator referred to as an "big idea cartoon incubator".[7] Part one went online on July 11, 2013, while part two and a video with both parts together went online on August 6, 2013.

After gaining popularity online, Cartoon Hangover started its first Kickstarter project in order to fund additional episodes. The Kickstarter started on October 15, 2013, and achieved its US$600,000 goal with 6 days left; by the end, it had raised $872,133, funding ten 6-minute episodes, the first of which would air in the summer of 2014.[8] At that time, Bee and PuppyCat became the most successful animation Kickstarter in history, #4 in the film/video category (behind only three Hollywood-based projects), and the #1 Kickstarter based on a YouTube video.[9] Bee and PuppyCat: The Series premiered November 6, 2014 with a second two-part episode.[10] While a few episodes were released early to Kickstarter backers in 2015, the majority of the season was released through 2016, with production concluding in March that year.[11] The second half of the season was planned for a YouTube release in late Spring/early Summer 2016 but were released November 11, 2016 on VRV instead.[12][13] The complete first series was eventually uploaded in full to the Cartoon Hangover YouTube channel on December 1, 2018.[14]

In March 2017, Frederator announced that new episodes of Bee and PuppyCat were being written.[15] In June 2018, the trailer for the continuation was released under the title Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space, which would have aired sometime in 2019 but this was delayed.[16] The first episode was released in September 2019 at the Ottawa International Animation Festival,[4] and the full season was leaked onto Fred Seibert's Vimeo channel in early 2020.[17][18] The episodes were later removed from the platform, but not before several streaming websites managed to obtain copies. Seibert stepped down from his position as CEO of Frederator in August, though the company indicated that he would remain executive producer for current projects, including Bee & PuppyCat.[19][20] In October, it was announced that Netflix would be distributing the season in 2022.[5]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
Pilot1 (in 2 parts)July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11)August 7, 2013 (2013-08-07)YouTube
The Series10November 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)November 28, 2016 (2016-11-28)
Lazy in Space132022 (2022)Netflix

Pilot (2013)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleWritten and storyboards byOriginal release date
11"Pilot"Natasha AllegriJuly 11, 2013 (2013-07-11)
August 7, 2013 (2013-08-07)
Part 1: After getting fired from her job, Bee finds PuppyCat and takes him in. With no luck in finding a new job, PuppyCat offers Bee some temp work if they report to Fishbowl Space. The pair then disappear from Bee's apartment.
Part 2: Bee and PuppyCat are assigned to babysit Wallace in Fishbowl Space. After PuppyCat sings him a lullaby about a cursed Space Outlaw, Wallace transforms into a monster. Bee and PuppyCat defeat him and return home.

Season 1 (2014–16)

  • Note: The entire first season was directed by Larry Leichliter. It was billed simply as "The Series".[21]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleWritten and storyboards byOriginal release date
21"Food"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Natasha Allegri		November 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)
Bee invites Deckard to spend the day together and cook from a recipe. PuppyCat is infuriated at being called cute and sabotages their cooking, only to be interrupted by Cass. When Deckard admits that they are missing an ingredient, Bee and PuppyCat turn to TempBot to assign them a new job to afford them enough money to buy it.
32"Farmer"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Natasha Allegri		November 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)
Bee and PuppyCat are assigned to retrieve a cherry for a farmer on Jelly Cube Planet for his animals. They discover that the cherry is created from souls from people fed to it. In horror, Bee spits her gum into the cherry and gives the rest to the farmer, leaving him and his animals to devour each other. Bee brings the missing ingredient home without being paid for the job, discovering in the process that Deckard has been accepted into culinary school.
43"Beach"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Natasha Allegri		December 4, 2014 (2014-12-04)
Bee and PuppyCat are forced out of their apartment while their landlord, Cardamon, fixes their toilet. At the beach, the two try to find a television to watch Pretty Patrick Lunchtime and decide on going to TempBot to use her as a television screen.
54"Cats"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Luke Weber and Natasha Allegri		December 18, 2014 (2014-12-18)
TempBot sends Bee and PuppyCat to Cat-Head Planet, an onsen filled with cats. While PuppyCat is shunned, Bee is favored by the cats and is doted upon. However, when the cats try to bathe Bee, PuppyCat rescues her by disgusting them with his appearance. They return home to find that Cardamon has taped and unknowingly spoiled the episode for them.
65"Birthday"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Lamar Abrams and Natasha Allegri		August 27, 2015 (2015-08-27) (Kickstarter backers)
November 11, 2016 (2016-11-11) (general release)
Bee celebrates her birthday with her "Dad Box", a creation by her father to help her feel less lonely. PuppyCat offers to spend time with her, and she takes him to an abandoned arcade with games constructed by her father. After playing games, PuppyCat offers her to take a job from TempBot.
76"Game"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Lamar Abrams and Natasha Allegri		August 27, 2015 (2015-08-27) (Kickstarter backers)
November 11, 2016 (2016-11-11) (general release)
TempBot sends Bee and PuppyCat to Cloud World, where they are tasked with destroying an evil eye looming over the kingdom. Reluctant, Bee accepts side quests instead. After a while, PuppyCat uses an old save file to allow them enough experience and weaponry to defeat the evil eye. They return home and spend the rest of Bee's birthday together.
87"Toast"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Lamar Abrams and Natasha Allegri		November 28, 2016 (2016-11-28)
Deckard remains conflicted about attending culinary school, while Cass is challenged by Toast, a member from her former wrestling team.
98"Dogs"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores and Frank Gibson
Storyboards by: Lamar Abrams and Natasha Allegri		November 28, 2016 (2016-11-28)
A sick Cardamon takes care of his comatose mother and recalls a fairytale from her about jellyfish. Once Bee and Deckard deliver their rent money, Cardamon asks for PuppyCat to spend time with him to stage a wedding with his dog, Sticky.
109"Wedding"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores, Frank Gibson, Vera Brosgol, and Efrain Farias
Storyboards by: Vera Brosgol, Natasha Allegri, and Efrain Farias		November 28, 2016 (2016-11-28)

Bee finds Deckard's school acceptance letter and feels guilty over him not enrolling. Meanwhile, PuppyCat is forced to play along with Cardamon's wedding, which Cardamon hopes will help wake his mother. While trying to escape, he becomes stuck in a window. Bee tries to free him by activating TempBot's letter, but she is transported along with Deckard instead.

Note: "Wedding" was Joan Koplan's final acting role as she died on March 31, 2016 which was seven months before the episode was released on VRV.[citation needed]
1110"Donut"Written by: Natasha Allegri, Madeleine Flores, Frank Gibson, Vera Brosgol, and Efrain Farias
Storyboards by: Vera Brosgol, Natasha Allegri, and Efrain Farias		November 28, 2016 (2016-11-28)
TempBot assigns Bee and Deckard to help a doughboy bake donuts embedded with wish-granting baking crystals and deliver them through the Black Hole while his boss (Tommy Wiseau[22]) is away. The Black Hole drags the doughboy in, revealing Bee's robotic nature in the process. Bee manages to rescue the bakery and Deckard, overcoming the Black Hole. Afterwards, Deckard leaves for culinary school. Cardamon feeds a wish-granting donut left by Bee to his mother but fails to awaken her. PuppyCat returns home to find Bee repairing her arm with her Dad Box. The two take their time to get to know each other better.

Season 2: Lazy in Space (2022)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byStoryboarded byOriginal release date
121"Little Fingers"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Syuntaro TozawaEtta Devine, Gabriel DianiJoji Shimura2022 (2022)

Bee and PuppyCat must take on a new temporary job after PuppyCat overspends on a mobile app game.

The premiere episode of Lazy in Space was first screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival on September 26, 2019.[4]
132"Gentle Touch"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Hideaki ObaNatasha Allegri, Pendleton WardJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
143"Snow and Violets"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Hideaki ObaJack PendarvisJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
154"Day Off Work"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Takahiro OtsukaNatasha AllegriJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
165"My Favorite"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Yuuichirou AokiNatasha AllegriJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
176"Did You Remember"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Yoh MiuraEtta Devine, Gabriel DianiJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
187"Bird Friend"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Yoshitaka MakinoJack PendarvisYo Miura2022 (2022)
198"Two Clown Noses"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Hisaya TakabayashiJack PendarvisJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
209"Funny Lying"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Hideaki ObaHans Tseng, Efrain Farias, Natasha Allegri, Pendleton WardHans Tseng, Efrain Farias, Natasha Allegri, Kouyuu, Joji Shimura2022 (2022)
2110"Golden Eyes"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Yoh MiuraEtta Devine, Gabriel DianiYoh Miura2022 (2022)
2211"Why Don't You Help Me"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Kenichi NishidaEtta Devine, Gabriel DianiYoh Miura2022 (2022)
2312"Now I'm Really Alone"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Yoh MiuraJack Pendarvis, Natasha AllegriJoji Shimura2022 (2022)
2413"I Won't Leave You Alone"Efrain Farias, Hans Tseng, Joji ShimuraNatasha AllegriJoji Shimura2022 (2022)

Comics

Boom! Studios published a tie-in comic book through its KaBOOM! imprint. The comic was canceled after #11 in 2016 despite issues #12–16 having already been solicited.[23] Preview catalogues that year listed issues #12-#16, along with cover art and synopses.[24]

Issue Release Date Story Art Collection ISBN
#1 May 14, 2014 Natasha Allegri
Garrett Jackson 		Natasha Allegri Bee and Puppycat – Volume One 9781608864874
#2 June 11, 2014 Natasha Allegri
Frank Gibson
Garrett Jackson 		Becky Dreistadt
#3 August 27, 2014 Natasha Allegri
Anissa Espinoza
Madeline Flores
Tait Howard
Ian McGinty 		Anissa Espinoza
Madeline Flores
Tait Howard
Ian McGinty
Fred C. Stresing
#4 September 24, 2014 Natasha Allegri
Coleman Engle
Anissa Espinoza
Aimee Fleck
Pranas Naujokaitis
Mad Rupert
Theresa Zysk 		Coleman Engle
Anissa Espinoza
Aimee Fleck
Pranas Naujokaitis
Mad Rupert
Theresa Zysk
#5 October 22, 2014 Chrystin Garland
Meredith McClaren
Flynn Nicholls
Theresa Zysk 		Bee and Puppycat – Volume Two 9781608867769
#6 November 26, 2014 Natasha Allegri
Joy Ang
Andrew Lorenzi
Meredith McClaren
Carey Pietsch 		Joy Ang
Andrew Lorenzi
Meredith McClaren
Carey Pietsch
#7 December 24, 2014 Natasha Allegri
Megan Brennan
Andrew Lorenzi
Zachary Sterling 		Megan Brennan
Andrew Lorenzi
Zachary Sterling
#8 April 8, 2015 David Calderon
Coleman Engle
Liz Fleming
Reimena Yee
Theresa Zysk 		Natasha Allegri
David Calderon
Coleman Engle
Liz Fleming
Reimena Yee
Theresa Zysk
#9 August 26, 2015 Natasha Allegri
Patrick Seery 		Ji in Kim Bee and Puppycat – Volume Three 9781608869114
#10 February 17, 2016 Natasha Allegri
Patrick Seery
Ko Takeuchi 		Ji in Kim
Ko Takeuchi
#11 April 20, 2016 Natasha Allegri
Patrick Seery 		Ji in Kim

Reception

Critical reception for the series has been positive, though some fans have criticized the art and tone changes between the pilot and the Kickstarter backed full series.[25][26] In December 2014, critic Robert Lloyd of The L.A. Times listed it as one of the best TV shows of the year.[27] The A.V. Club favorably rated the episode "Food Farmer", which they felt did a good job expanding Bee's character.[28] The first episode of Lazy in Space won best animated series at Ottawa International Animation Festival in 2019.[29]

References

  1. ^ Riesman, Abraham. "Talking to the Top Female Filmmaker on Kickstarter, Bee and PuppyCat's Natasha Allegri". Vulture. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  2. ^ Smith, Zack. "NATASHA ALLEGRI Gives the Buzz on BEE AND PUPPYCAT". Newsarama. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  3. ^ BUSTILLOS, MARIA. "What's New, PuppyCat?". The California Sunday Magazine. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "BEE AND PUPPYCAT: LAZY IN SPACE 'LITTLE FINGERS'". Ottawa International Animation Festival. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
  5. ^ a b Radulovic, Petrana (October 6, 2020). "Cult-favorite cartoon Bee and Puppycat finds a home at Netflix for season 2". Polygon. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  6. ^ Deckard's eye colors YouTube
  7. ^ Snider, Mike. "Cutting the Cord: Return of a real cool cartoon cat". USA Today. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  8. ^ Cartoon Hangover staff (October 15, 2013). "Bee and PuppyCat: The Series". Kickstarter. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  9. ^ Sam Gutelle (November 14, 2013). "'Bee And Puppycat' Raises $872,133, Breaks Kickstarter Record". Tubefilter.
  10. ^ Cartoon Hangover staff (September 13, 2014). "Release Date Announcement! - Bee and PuppyCat: The Series". Cartoon Hangover. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  11. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XblN7e-pSsE
  12. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja-oPED0Am8
  13. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki-iKmiDigg
  14. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dop4MTlf_zc
  15. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=912&v=9ZxKS4eMEMo
  16. ^ "Cartoon Hangover". Cartoon Hangover.
  17. ^ "Bee and PuppyCat: LAZY IN SPACE". vimeo.com. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  18. ^ https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/10/6/21504068/bee-and-puppycat-season-2-netflix-release
  19. ^ https://kidscreen.com/2020/08/28/exec-moves-at-wow-as-company-reports-q2-revenue-tumble/
  20. ^ https://frederator-studios.frederator.com/post/627640231370309632/today-is-my-last-day-at-frederator-its-a-good
  21. ^ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frederator/bee-and-puppycat-the-series
  22. ^ https://twitter.com/frederators/status/936320938106281985?lang=en
  23. ^ Johnson, Rich. "Boom! Cancels Bee And Puppycat Comic – #11 Was Its Last". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  24. ^ Goeliner, Caleb (3 February 2014). "Allegri, Jackson And Seery Launching 'Bee And PuppyCat' #1 At Boom! In May Read More: 'Bee And PuppyCat' #1 Launching From Boom! Studios In May". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  25. ^ OHANESIAN, LIZ. "BEE & PUPPYCAT, THE RARE CARTOON ABOUT AN ADULT WOMAN". LA Weekly. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  26. ^ Wellen, Brianna. "Bee and PuppyCat is as adorable and bizarre as ever". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  27. ^ Lloyd, Robert (19 December 2014). "Year in Review Robert Lloyd's best TV shows of 2014". L.A. Times. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  28. ^ Deabn, Rob. "Bee And PuppyCat makes its full series debut on YouTube". AV Club. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  29. ^ https://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/our-sound-dont-know-what-top-2019-ottawa-intl-animation-festival-180192.html
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