Animal Crackers (TV series)
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Entertainment |
| Predecessor | Animal Crackers (comic strip) |
| Founded | September 7, 1997 |
| Defunct | September 16, 2000 |
Area served | Canada, United States, France, Malaysia |
Key people | Micheline Charest (executive producer), Ronald A. Weinberg (executive producer), Christian Davin (co-executive producer), Cassandra Schafhausen (producer) |
| Products | Animated television series |
Animal Crackers is an animated television series created through a collaboration between CINAR and Alphanim. The show draws inspiration from the comic strip Animal Crackers by American cartoonist Roger Bollen. It debuted on September 7, 1997, and wrapped up on September 16, 2000, delivering three seasons with a total of 39 episodes.
Plot
The narrative centers on a collection of anthropomorphic animals residing in the imaginary African jungle called Freeborn.
Telecast and home media
Initially airing in Canada on Teletoon as part of its 1997 launch lineup, the series later reached U.S. audiences through Fox Family (currently Freeform) between 1998 and 2000. Subsequently, it was featured in the Cookie Jar Toons programming block on This TV from 2008 to 2009. Globally, it was also shown on France's France 5, as well as Malaysia's TV9 and Astro Ceria. As of 2022, Animal Crackers can be streamed on Tubi.
Major characters
- Lyle Lion (voiced by Mark Camacho): Rather than reigning as a dominant king, Lyle is a hesitant and modest "prince" of the jungle who prefers studying philosophy and enjoying vegetarian pizza. His primary goals include winning Lana’s affection and pursuing astronomy.
- Dodo (voiced by Teddy Lee Dillon): The sole surviving dodo bird and Lyle’s closest companion, Dodo is impulsive, impatient, and self-absorbed. Despite his persistent attempts to fly, he consistently fails.
- Eugene the Elephant (voiced by Terrence Scammell): A boastful bull elephant who uses his large stature to intimidate others but paradoxically fears mice.
- Gnu the Wildebeest (voiced by Marc Montgomery): A timid and indolent leader of his herd who lacks clear direction but remains a devoted single father showing genuine care for his son.
- Lana the Lioness (voiced by Kate Hutchinson): Lana is intelligent and determined, serving as Lyle’s romantic interest. She values her community deeply and is often seen reading, subtly indicating a mutual fondness for Lyle.
Supporting characters
- Tito: A quiet chameleon whose small size and silence often lead others to mistake him for an inanimate object. Despite this, Tito matches Lana’s intellect and occasionally resolves challenges others cannot.
- Lance: A rival lion competing with Lyle for Lana’s attention.
- Louie: Lyle’s infant nephew who wears a diaper and communicates solely through internal monologues audible only to viewers. Unlike most characters, Louie admires Lyle despite his imperfections and demonstrates heightened self-awareness.
- Bud and Edna: Recurring human tourists portrayed as a stereotypical clumsy couple who remain oblivious to the true nature of the Preserve, frequently unsettling its inhabitants.
- Junior and herd: Junior, Gnu’s son, exhibits more intelligence and common sense than his father while respecting Gnu’s leadership. The herd members are notably lethargic and often ignore Gnu’s calls to action; ironically, this inertia helps maintain Gnu’s leadership since any replacement would enforce stricter discipline. Notable herd individuals include a surfer-style gnu wearing a backward cap, a nerdy gnu with an ear tag, and a smaller gnu resembling the latter.
- Elmo the Crocodile: A generally passive crocodile who is frequently subjected to slapstick humor. Though mostly docile, he sometimes tries unsuccessfully to hunt smaller animals.
- Roland the African buffalo
- Lamont the Hippopotamus
- Roxanne the Ostrich (voiced by Dawn Ford)
- Grandpa Tortoise along with his grandsons
- Sergeant Rhino
- Snake
- Frog and Toad
Season 1 (1997)
| Episode | First Segment | Second Segment | Screenwriter | Director | Date of Original Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Gnu'n | Eu-genial | Joseph Mallozzi | Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
7 September 1997 |
| 2 | Dino-Sore-As-Heck | Wilderness Training 101 | Michael Leo Donovan Joseph Mallozzi |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
14 September 1997 |
| 3 | Treasure of the Preserva Freeborna | Call Waiting | Joseph Mallozzi Michael Leo Donovan |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
21 September 1997 |
| 4 | For Goodness Snakes | Meat the Folks | Thomas LaPierre Ian Boothby |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
28 September 1997 |
| 5 | If You Can't Be'em, Join'em | Spring Fever | Paul Mullie Michael Leo Donovan |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
3 October 1997 |
| 6 | Pachyderm Pandemonium | Herd Mentality | C. Northey and Michael Palmeter Anne-Marie Perrotta and Tean Schultz |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
10 October 1997 |
| 7 | Going Quakers | Blockbusted | Rick Jones and John Handforth Patrick Granleese and Hugh Neilson |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
17 October 1997 |
| 8 | Pachy My Bags | Mommy Dearest | Ken Ross (Segment 1), Kim Segal (Segment 2), Joseph Mallozzi (story editor) |
Louis Piché and Greg Bailey (supervising director) |
24 October 1997 |
| 9 | Sherlock Dodo | Poultrygeist | Barry Julian Joseph Mallozzi |
Louis Piché | 7 November 1997 |
| 10 | Lyle's Psychic Alliance | Snowed Inn | Paul Mullie Michael Leo Donovan |
Louis Piché | 14 November 1997 |
| 11 | Svelte Veldt | All the Preserve's a Stage | 21 November 1997 | ||
| 12 | It's a Date | Bully for Woolly | Wayne Millett | 28 November 1997 | |
| 13 | Lights, Camera, Lyle! | Bud and Edna's Excellent Adventure! | 3 December 1997 |
Season 2 (1998)
| Episode | First Segment | Second Segment | Writer(s) | Storyboard Director(s) | Original Broadcast Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 'Sleepover' | 'Classified Casanova' | Patrick Granleese and Hugh Nielson (segment two) | Eric Bergeron (segment two) | 5 February 1998 |
| 2 | 'Eight Hooves Out' | 'My Brother's Keeper' | Barry Julian (segment one) Jacques Bouchard (segment two) |
Gerry Capelle (segment one) Eric Bergeron (segment two) |
'6 February 1998' |
| '3' | 'Lyle's Ark' | 'How to Be a Millionaire' | 'Rowby Goren (segment one) Anne-Marie Perrotta and Tean Schultz (segment two)' |
'Julian Harris (segment one) Gerry Capelle (segment two)' |
'7 February 1998' |
| '4' | 'Lyle Files' | 'The Butler Did It' | 'Todd Swift and Thor Bishopric (segment one) Ken Ross (segment two)' |
'Jean Sarô (segment one) Eric Bergeron (segment two)' |
'8 February 1998' |
| '5' | 'Lyle in the Fast Lane' | 'A Wing and a Prayer' | 'Rick Jones (segment two)' | 'Julian Harris (segment two)' | '9 February 1998' |
| '6' | 'Schooldaze' | 'Call of the Wild' | 'Michael Leo Donovan (segment one) Thomas Lapierre and Joseph Mallozi (segment two)' |
'Eric Bergeron (segment one) Gerry Capelle (segment two)' |
'9 February 1998' |
| '7' | 'The Cold Scholder' | 'The Last Dodo Egg' | '10 February 1998' | ||
| '8' | 'Lana Tuner Overdrive' | 'Trust Me' | '11 February 1998' | ||
| '9' | 'Birthday Palooza' | 'Tito in Love' | '12 February 1998' | ||
| '10' | 'Downsizing' | 'Gnus in Canoes' | '13 February 1998' | ||
| '11' | 'Beauty and Eugene' | 'Freeborn for Rent' | '14 February 1998' | ||
| '12' | 'Horrorscope' | 'Lights! Camera! Gnu!' | '15 February 1998' | ||
| '13' | 'Loony Bin' | 'That's What Friends Are For' | '16 February 1998' |
Season 3 (1999)
| Episode | First Segment | Second Segment | Screenwriter | Director | Initial Broadcast Date | Teletoon Premiere Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Look Who's Not Talking | Paris, Freeborn | 17 February 1999 | 28 August 2000 | ||
| 2 | Eugenius | Citizen Eugene | 18 February 1999 | 28 August 2000 | ||
| 3 | Dial-a-Phobia | Time Flies But Dodo Doesn't | 19 February 1999 | 29 August 2000 | ||
| 4 | A Rumor of Her Own | Prime Time Crime | 20 February 1999 | 29 August 2000 | ||
| 5 | Dustbusters | Freeborn Online | Jacques Daviault & Wayne Millett (Segment 2) | 21 February 1999 | 30 August 2000 | |
| 6 | Stop in the Name of Lana | Starstruck | 5 September 1999 | 30 August 2000 | ||
| 7 | Volcano Madness | Love Is Blind | 6 September 1999 | 31 August 2000 | ||
| 8 | Wishing Well | Eu've Got Mail | 7 September 1999 | 31 August 2000 | ||
| 9 | Message in a Bottle | Fame, Fortune, Madness | 8 September 1999 | 1 September 2000 | ||
| 10 | Storyteller | Animal Court | 9 September 1999 | 1 September 2000 | ||
| 11 | Boo | Fountain of Youth | 10 September 1999 | 14 September 2000 | ||
| 12 | Brand New Gnu | Boyz Night Out | 11 September 1999 | 15 September 2000 | ||
| 13 | Fool's Gold | Near Myths | 12 September 1999 | 16 September 2000 |
Production Team
- Micheline Charest – executive producer
- Ronald A. Weinberg – executive producer
- Christian Davin – co-executive producer
- Cassandra Schafhausen – producer
- Nadja Cozic – director
- Louis Piche – director
- Pascal Pinon – director
- Katell Lardeux – line producer
- Justine Hyun Van Phong – line producer
- Lesley Taylor – line producer
- Natalie Dumoulin – associate producer
- Jan Van Rijsselberge – animation supervisor
- Heidi Blomkvist – timing director
- Sebastian Grunsta – timing director
- Alan Jeffery – timing director
- Jean Pilotte – timing director
- Pascal Pinon – co-director
- Greg Bailey – supervising director
- Andrew Gryn – talent coordinator
- Eric Theriault – background design
- Wayne Millett – background design supervisor
Screenwriting Contributions
- Roger Bollen – comic strip creator
- Joseph Mallozzi – writer
- Ian Boothby – writer
- Wayne Millett – writer
- Jennifer Kierans – writer
- Pierre Colin-Tiebert – writer
- Thomas LaPierre – writer
- Jacques Bouchard – writer
- Jacques Daviault – writer
- Patrick Granleese – writer
- Hugh Neilson – writer
- Maureen Neilson – writer
- Michael Palmeter – writer
- Gerard Lewis – writer
- John Handforth – writer
- Ken Ross – writer
- Amy Jo Cooper – writer
- Greg Van Riel – writer
- Kim Segal – writer
- Rick Jones – writer
- Natalie Dumoulin – writer
- Heidi Foss – writer
- Lynn Mason – writer
- Brian Cameron Fuld – writer
- Rowby Goren – writer
- David Acer – writer
- Michael Leo Donovan – writer
- Bryan Michael Stoller – writer
- Anne-Marie Perrotta – writer
- Daniel Baldassi – writer
- Michael F. Hamill – writer
- Barry Julian – writer
- Tean Schultz – writer
- Thor Bishopric – writer
- Todd Swift – writer
- Vigeland Rubin – writer
External links
Categories:
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- 2000 Canadian television series conclusions
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