Uncle Grandpa
| Uncle Grandpa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Fantasy Comedy[1] |
| Created by | Peter Browngardt |
| Directed by |
|
| Creative director | Casey Alexander |
| Voices of |
|
| Composers | Mike Conte Tommy Meehan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 81 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Peter Browngardt |
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Production company | Cartoon Network Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | September 2, 2013 – present |
| Related | |
| Secret Mountain Fort Awesome | |
Uncle Grandpa is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt for Cartoon Network that premiered on the network on September 2, 2013. The series is based on Browngardt's animated short of the same name from The Cartoonstitute. Uncle Grandpa is also a spin-off of Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, which was in turn a spin-off of the Cartoonstitute short. It is produced by Cartoon Network Studios.[2]
The show is a surreal action-adventure comedy that relies extensively on visual gags and catchphrases. Creator Pete Browngardt has cited the work of cartoonists Don Martin, Gary Larson and Robert Crumb, as well as Golden Age-era animators such as Tex Avery when it came to developing the style of the show. Each 11-minute episode is presented in a unique format, consisting of a main seven- to nine-minute story, some short bumpers typically composed of a quick visual joke, and an original short that focuses on the show's side-characters.
History
The Uncle Grandpa pilot was created by former Chowder storyboard artist Peter Browngardt in 2008, but aired online in 2009 on Cartoon Network Video as part of The Cartoonstitute.[3] Akin to the Regular Show pilot, the Uncle Grandpa pilot was successful, but it had yet to have been green-lit into its own series.[3]
In 2011, the TV series Secret Mountain Fort Awesome (based on the creatures that appear in the original short) aired on Cartoon Network, but was not as well-received as Cartoon Network series, and was eventually put on hiatus in February 2012.[4] Despite the failure, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome went on to win several awards, including the coveted Crystal Award for "Best Television Production" at Annecy International Animated Film Festival, the first US-based production to do so.[4] This helped boost Browngardt's profile in getting Uncle Grandpa greenlit as a series.[4] Finally, another factor that has contributed to the launch of the show was the redesign of the character by John Kricfalusi, The Ren & Stimpy Show's creator.[5]
On July 27 and 28, 2013, Cartoon Network aired a sneak peek of the series as part of Big Fan Weekend, along with Clarence and Steven Universe.[6]
Plot
Uncle Grandpa, the babysitter who is the uncle-grandpa and brother-dad of every child and adult in the world, stops by children's houses every day to see how they are doing. The children he visits have a problem of their own and Uncle Grandpa tries to help them through a series of chaotic and surreal misadventures. He lives in a recreational vehicle (RV) and is accompanied by a red talking fanny pack named Belly Bag, an anthropomorphic dinosaur named Mr. Gus, a photo cutout of a tiger named Giant Realistic Flying Tiger, and a talking pizza slice named Pizza Steve.
Characters
Main
- Uncle Grandpa (voiced by Peter Browngardt, Pendleton Ward in "For Pete! Love, Pen"). Uncle Grandpa has a large rectangular shaped head, a brown horseshoe moustache, pink nose, a red fanny pack that talks, a propeller hat, and an outfit consisting of a white tanktop, lederhosen with rainbow suspenders, knee high tube socks, and black slippers. His outward appearance is adult like and sophisticated, and he is well-meaning, fun-loving, supporting, somewhat wise and surprisingly competent. In "Uncle Grandpa Sitter" he reveals that one of his abilities is to create a duplicate of himself, which he does in many episodes. His catchphrase is "Good morning!"
- Belly Bag (voiced by Eric Bauza) − Uncle Grandpa's talking red fanny pack and his closest friend, who carries all of his priceless valuables especially Uncle Grandpa's weapon of choice, his laser hammer. Belly Bag's insides contain many weird objects and dimensions, including a castle where Frankenstein's Monster lives. Despite being practically attached to Uncle Grandpa, Belly Bag has the ability to walk and can produce multiple hands from inside his body. He even has the ability to see despite having no visible eyes. In the second Uncle Grandpa short, "Secret Mountain Uncle Grandpa", he is referred to as "Fanny Pack" and is voiced by Paul Rugg. His catchphrase is "What's cookin', good-lookin'?"
- Pizza Steve (voiced by Adam DeVine, Pendleton Ward in 'For Pete! Love, Pen') − An anthropomorphic talking pepperoni pizza slice with sunglasses and a member of Uncle Grandpa's crew. Pizza Steve is depicted as extremely vain and often brags about how cool and awesome he is, which annoys his nemesis Mr. Gus. Despite this, he pretends to be very popular and a hit with women. He is a good friend of Uncle Grandpa. Pizza Steve is featured in his own cartoon shorts entitled "A Slice of Life with Pizza Steve", which usually involve Pizza Steve exaggerating his abilities. In "Tiger Trails", he claims to be a black belt in Italian Karate, but he wears the black belt over his eyes instead of around his waist. His catchphrase is "I'm like a modern-day Thomas Einstein except a brazillion times better!"
- Mr. Gus (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) − Mr. Gus is usually the voice of reason. He is a large, firebreathing green dinosaur who was Uncle Grandpa's rival in "Leg Wrestler", but eventually became his friend and bodyguard. He is unfazed by most of Uncle Grandpa's eccentricities and seems to have an even temper despite his roommates, but often loses his temper, especially where Pizza Steve's antics are concerned. One of Mr. Gus' favorite parts of the day is 9:00 pm, which is his designated bathroom time, and during that period he likes to take a bubble bath and read for an hour. His catchphrase is "You're just sayin' that to get under my skin."
- Giant Realistic Flying Tiger − A static photographic cutout of a tiger that Uncle Grandpa rides on to get around. Tiger is Uncle Grandpa's other best friend, and while she exhibits normal tiger traits such as only being able to communicate by roaring, she is able to fly and leaves a rainbow trail as she goes. The rainbow trail is also expelled from Tiger's rear end when she passes gas. Her personality is a cross between that of a stereotypical teenage girl, a house cat and a real-life tiger. In order for Tiger's emotions to be shown, only certain parts of her body (specifically her face) are animated; this is done in a stop motion style.
Shorts/recurring
- Beary Nice (voiced by Audie Harrison) – A teddy bear accompanied by Hot Dog Person, and who sees the world as being very nice, but doesn't notice Hot Dog Person when he is in danger, and he usually ends up with good experiences. His catchphrase is "That's me!".
- Hot Dog Person (voiced by Eric Bauza) – A hot dog accompanied by Beary Nice, and who sees the world and new things as being very dangerous, he usually ends up having bad experiences. His catchphrase is also "That's me", but in a sad, depressed voice.
- Tiny Miracle the Robot Boy (voiced by Tom Kenny) – A robot that can perform tiny miracles by just a series of unnecessary moves and then technically performing one only to lead up to another tiny miracle. He sounds like a 1980s microphone. According to Uncle Grandpa, he is his trusty robot helper buddy. He can be summoned by a person saying something that includes the words "tiny miracle" in it and then the task he/she is attempting. His catchphrase is "Did somebody say "tiny miracle"?"
- Charlie Burgers the Ball-Loving Dog Next Door (voiced by Brian Posehn) – A talking dog that befriends Uncle Grandpa and his friends. He can be well behaved and he enjoys going on adventures with Uncle Grandpa. His catchphrase is "I love my ball!"
- Frankenstein (voiced by Mark Hamill) – A tag-along with Uncle Grandpa in his adventures. Frankenstein appears randomly in the series, but rarely, if ever, has anything to do with the plot. Because of the condition, he is unable to talk, though he will occasionally roar. He is usually seated next to Uncle Grandpa in his chair.
- Xarna: She-Warrior of the Apocalypse (voiced by Eric Bauza) − An overly-muscular, masculine female warrior. She is on a mission to get some gas for the Mad Motorcycle. Her catchphrase is "I don't like your mouth."
- Evil Wizard (Voiced by Rob Schrab) − A wizard that goes around trying to make everyone's day horrible by humiliating them but he actually makes their lives better. His catchphrase is "Behold! I am Evil Wizard!"
Human children and adults
- Belly (voiced by Zachary Gordon) – A kid who has a big belly. He was first ashamed of it, but Uncle Grandpa taught him the best features of having a big belly. He appeared in "Belly Bros".
- Caleb (voiced by Jonathan Adams) – A boy that Uncle Grandpa takes out of a math test to go battle Evil Wizard in outer space. He appeared in "Tiger Trails".
- Melvin (voiced by Jarid Root) – Melvin is a bratty kid who likes to play Space Emperor, with him being the emperor. When Uncle Grandpa accidentally sent him into another dimension, he was sent to a planet where he's the emperor. He discovered what it's like being a servant, and learns his lesson after Emperor Krell bosses him around. He loves dinner sandwiches, and hates mayonnaise. He appeared in "Space Emperor".
- Melvin's Babysitter (voiced by Grey DeLisle-Griffin) – an attractive teenage girl with braces who babysits Melvin in the episode "Space Emperor".
- Eric (voiced by Eric Bauza) – Eric is a kid who doesn't have a nickname but Uncle Grandpa helps him. Uncle Grandpa helps him be legendary to get his nickname. In the process of becoming legendary he becomes tall and muscular. In the end he gets the nickname, "Cupcake", because he loves cupcakes. He appears in "Nickname".
- Mary (voiced by Pamela Adlon) – Mary is a nervous girl. She takes her driver's test, but fails. Uncle Grandpa takes her on a test and helps her pass. Uncle Grandpa gives her her own "Freedom and Independence USA" truck for passing her test. She appears in "Driver's Test".
- Dennis (voiced by Tom Kenny) – Dennis is a kid who wanted to finally pass his teacher's hard class and avoid going to summer school, until Uncle Grandpa comes and eats his homework and putting Dennis in danger of going to summer school. So Dennis and Uncle Grandpa go to Egypt to get a real pyramid to make sure Dennis gets an A+++++-+ on his project. Dennis appears in Uncle Grandpa Ate My Homework!".
- Mrs. Dumpty (voiced by Grey DeLisle-Griffin) – Dennis' teacher. She appears in "Uncle Grandpa Ate My Homework!" and "1992 Called"'.
- Guillermo (voiced by Eric Bauza) – Guillermo is a kid who had an awesome new bike, until the RV crushed it. So in Uncle Grandpa and Belly Bag's absence Mr. Gus and Pizza Steve help Guillermo by giving him a trashcan and saying it was a "Magical Uncle Grandpa Bike". Guillermo appears in "Uncle Grandpa for a Day".
- Susie (voiced by Tara Strong) – Susie is a little girl who was afraid of the dark, but learned how to combat her fears by imagining herself as a scary monster. She appears in "Afraid of the Dark".
- Adam (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) – Adam is a kid who couldn't become the master of a very hard video game, until Uncle Grandpa and Pizza Steve shrink to get inside his brain to become better at video games. He would always have his eyes barely open showing that he's been playing videogames too much, and his eyes are sore from playing too much. Adam appears in "Brain Game".
- Angry Man Johnson (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) – Angry Man Johnson is a grumpy old man who hates Charlie Burgers. Judging by his name, he is always angry at everyone, including Uncle Grandpa. Angry Man Johnson appears in "Charlie Burgers".
- Austin (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) – Austin is a kid who had a lot of imperfections so he asked Uncle Grandpa to turn him into a robot to become the most perfect kid, and to eliminate all imperfections. Austin appears in "Perfect Kid".
- Shaquille O'Neal (voiced by himself) – The former professional basketball player who is an old friend of Uncle Grandpa. In the past, Uncle Grandpa helped Shaq realize his dream of being a stand-up comedian. He appears in "Perfect Kid" after Uncle Grandpa is chased into a comedy club that Shaq was performing at where he helps Uncle Grandpa fight against Austin 2.0, by combining with the audience in a manner similar to a giant robot. Uncle Grandpa finds the jokes Shaq makes to be very funny. Shaq's appearance in Uncle Grandpa may be a reference to Shaquille O'Neal's other animated appearances as himself.
- Akira (voiced by Jessika Van) – Akira is a Japanese kid who wanted to make the best action packed monster movie of all time. Akira appears in "Big in Japan".
- Riley (voiced by Scott Menville) – Riley is a teenage boy who fails a test, his father grounds him and demands him to fold laundry all weekend instead of going to a party.
- Josie (voiced by Grey DeLisle-Griffin) – Josie is a girl who was trying to make duck lips for a site called "face hole" and tries to get a lot of followers and likes. Josie appears in "Duck Lips".
Pilot
- Ham Sandwich (voiced by Steven Blum) – A rotund nerdy teenager who started out hating Uncle Grandpa, but later grew to like him. In the Secret Mountain Fort Awesome episode "5 Disgustoids and a Baby", he appeared as less responsive, and more stingy while intensely playing a portable gaming system. He can be seen in the show's intro and has a very brief role in "Big Trouble for Tiny Miracle".
- Little Judy Jones (voiced by Grey DeLisle-Griffin) – Ham Sandwich's fat mother.
- Remo (voiced by Tom Kenny) – A destructive popular kid, who similarly started off hating Uncle Grandpa, but ends up warming up to his antics. He appears in Secret Mountain Fort Awesome episode "Secret Mountain Uncle Grandpa".
- Remo's Friends (voiced by Steve Little and Tom Kenny) – The cool-dude friends of Remo.
- Remo's Dad (voiced by Paul Rugg, Kevin Michael Richardson) – A man who wears framed glasses, who is the somewhat "uncool" father of his son Remo. He reappears as a driving instructor in Uncle Grandpa's 7th episode, "Driver's Test", and claims to be the father of a crazy baby from another universe.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| Pilot | 3 | 2008 | March 15, 2012 | |
| 1 | 52 | September 2, 2013 | February 26, 2015 | |
| 2 | 26 | March 5, 2015 | December 15, 2015 | |
| Crossover | April 2, 2015 | |||
| Shorts | 14 | July 9, 2015 | July 21, 2017 | |
| 3 | 26 | December 16, 2015 | July 1, 2016 | |
| 4 | 26 | July 1, 2016 | December 15, 2016 | |
| 5 | 23 | December 16, 2016 | June 30, 2017 | |
Crossover
On February 19, 2015, Cartoon Network announced that it would air a special crossover episode with Steven Universe entitled "Say Uncle", which premiered on April 2, 2015.[7]
Broadcast
In Canada, it premiered on September 2, 2013 on Cartoon Network.[8] It also premiered on Cartoon Network channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 14, 2014[9] and in Australia on May 5, 2014.[10]
Related media
Comic books
On April 30, 2014, Kaboom! announced that Uncle Grandpa comics were in the works. Issue 1 was released on October 15, 2014.[11]
Home media
DVD releases
| DVD title | Season(s) | Aspect ratio | Episode count | Total running time | Release dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Trails | 1 | 16:9 | 12 | 132 minutes | December 16, 2014 |
| Good Mornin'[12] | 1 | 16:9 | 12 | 132 minutes | April 7, 2015 |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short-format Animated Program[13] | Peter Browngardt, Janet Dimon, Robert Alvarez, Rob Renzetti, Craig McCracken, Brian A. Miller, Jennifer Pelphrey, and Rob Sorcher (for the "Uncle Grandpa" pilot from The Cartoonstitute) | Nominated |
| 2014 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Individual in Animation[13] | Nick Edwards (for episode "Afraid of the Dark") | Won |
| 2015 | Annecy International Animated Film Festival | TV series | Max Winston and Peter Browngardt (for "Total Reality" from Guest Directed Shorts)[14] | Nominated |
| 2016 | Annie Awards | Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Kevin Michael Richardson (as Mr. Gus, for episode "Uncle Grandpa at the Movies")[15] | Nominated |
See also
References
- ^ "Amazon.com: Uncle Grandpa Season 1: Amazon Video". Retrieved March 31, 2015.
- ^ McLean, Thomas (September 11, 2012). "CN Greenlights 'Steven Universe,' 'Uncle Grandpa' Series". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- ^ a b Amidi, Amid (June 15, 2010). "Uncle Grandpa by Peter Browngardt". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ a b c Amidi, Amid (October 3, 2011). ""Secret Mountain Fort Awesome" Talkback". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ "John K. Draws Uncle Grandpa – Cartoon Brew". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (July 12, 2011). "Cartoon Network's Series Panels and Events Lineup for Comic-Con International in San Diego". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ "Cartoon Network Approaches Upfront with Unmatched Growth Across All Screens". Turner Press Site. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (August 15, 2013). "TELETOON Announces Fall Lineup". Animation World Network. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ Munn, Patrick (March 10, 2014). "Turner UK Unveils 2014 Programming Slate: 4 New Shows For Cartoon Network, New 'Tom & Jerry' Series & More". TV Wise. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ Higgins, D. (May 5, 2014). "New this week: Continuum, Secret Meat Business, House of Cards finale & Powerpuff Girls 15th anniversary". The Green Room. Foxtel. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Preview: Uncle Grandpa #1 - Comic Book Resources". comicbookresources.com. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- ^ http://amazon.com/Cartoon-Network-Uncle-Grandpa-Mornin/dp/B00SJFV746/ref=pd_bxgy_74_text_y
- ^ a b "Uncle Grandpa: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Emmy". Emmys.com. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- ^ © CITIA. "Annecy > Programme > Index".
- ^ http://annieawards.org/nominees/#25
External links
Categories:
- 2010s American animated television series
- Fantasy television series
- Cartoon Network original programs
- 2013 American television series debuts
- Television series with live action and animation
- English-language television programming
- Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters
- Television spin-offs
- Surreal comedy
- Metafictional works
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- Programs acquired by GMA Network
- Fictional characters introduced in 2008