The Baskervilles

The Baskervilles

Company type	Animated television series
Industry	Animation, Children's entertainment
Founded	2000
Headquarters	Canada / France / United Kingdom
Area served	Canada, France, United Kingdom
Products	Animated television series
Parent	CINAR, Alphanim, France 2, Carlton Television, Blue Nose Productions, Teletoon

The Baskervilles is an animated series for children centered on a British family residing within a sinister theme park. Developed by co-director Nick Martinelli and co-writer Alastair Swinnerton, this production was a collaborative effort between CINAR, Alphanim, and France 2, alongside Carlton Television, Blue Nose Productions, and Teletoon. The series consists of 26 episodes in total.

Premise

A wealthy entrepreneur, who amassed his wealth through promoting immoral activities, established Underworld: the Theme Park, an attraction themed around hell. Under the guise of "the Boss," he invites the Baskervilles—a wholesome family—to inhabit the park with the intention of tormenting them. However, his skeletal aide Kevin may have underestimated the difficulty involved.

The series flips the premise of The Munsters, portraying a human family adjusting to a demonic setting where social norms are reversed.

The Baskervilles

Originating from Nice Town, this reserved family represents an idealized polite household—except for one daughter who finds their excessive kindness irritating. After spotting an advertisement for Underworld on television, they decide to visit the park, unaware of the true motives of its owner.

• Brian Baskerville — Embodying the stereotypical 1950s TV dad, he is overly courteous to the point of being irritating and is known for telling long-winded stories that exasperate Underworld’s inhabitants. Voiced by Rob Brydon.
• Janet Baskerville — The model mother who understands Underworld’s customs better than Brian but persistently chooses kindness over adopting local behaviors. Voiced by Rachel Preece.
• Darren Baskerville — The polite yet somewhat naive teenage son who harbors a crush on Fangora Dracula. Voiced by Gary Martin.
• April Baskerville — The sharp-witted daughter who sharply contrasts with her family’s niceness; she alone perceives the Boss’s plots and takes pleasure in thwarting them. Fond of Underworld, she may be even more ruthless than the Boss himself. April is attracted to charming males like Young Frank but has only attracted unwanted attention from Vlad Jr. Voiced by Suzy Aitchison.
• Spot — The Baskervilles’ robotic three-headed dog, each head exhibiting a unique personality: Cool Spot, April’s sunglasses-wearing companion; Bad Spot, a destructive beast; and Dumb Spot, arguably the park’s least intelligent creature.
• Colin — The talking house that covertly attempts to harm the Baskervilles while maintaining a facade of politeness. Voiced by Gary Martin.

The Lucifers

A demonic family characterized by purple skin, horns, and red eyes; the Boss governs Underworld with severity but is the only truly malicious member.

• Nicolas Lucifer III ("the Boss") — Proprietor of Underworld and self-declared devil, fixated on intensifying the park’s frightfulness and tormenting the Baskervilles, who generally treat his efforts as mere games. Only April perceives his genuine madness. Voiced by Gary Martin.
• Nicolas Lucifer II ("the Old Man") — In contrast to his son, he is generally kindhearted and undermines the Boss’s harshness by resolving issues and spreading goodwill, including dressing up as Santa Claus. Voiced by Rob Brydon.
• Nicole Lucifer — The Boss’s teenage daughter who left home due to his cruelty; creator of "Itsy Bitsy Wabbit" and Kevin’s former girlfriend. She speaks with a French accent that influences her name’s pronunciation.

The Draculas

Adjacent to the Baskervilles live the Draculas, a vampire family characterized by their pale blue complexion, dark hair, crimson eyes, and distinctive thick Irish accents—except for Vera, who stands out with black eyes and an Eastern European accent.

• Vlad Dracula — A reserved and short-statured figure who favors fishing over intimidating other Underworld inhabitants. A recurring joke centers on his face being heavily bandaged from shaving mishaps, as he is unable to see his own reflection.
• Vera Dracula — Known as the most curvaceous individual in Underworld, second only to the Boss' former spouse (who appears solely in a photograph), which raises curiosity about how Vlad managed to wed her.
• Fangora Dracula — Their teenage daughter, who describes herself as a rebel; within Underworld standards, this means she is an exemplary student who shuns wild social events. She shares a complex relationship with Darren, drawn to his Nice Town charisma yet irritated by his efforts to assimilate.
• Vlad Dracula Jr. — Roughly April's age, he persistently pursues and bothers her with unwanted attention and invasions of privacy, often played for comedic effect.

The Frankensteins

The Frankensteins are reanimated creatures with green skin and Scottish accents, renowned for their immense strength but limited intellect.

• Frank Frankenstein — Serves as foreman at the Misery Factory, managing production of Underworld’s most unpleasant goods; outside work, he displays unexpected politeness despite occasional bouts of destructive behavior.
• Fran Frankenstein — Distinguished by her voluminous hair and striking figure.
• Young Frank Frankenstein — Approximately the same age as April and the recipient of her affection, though he remains unaware of it.
• Little Monster Annie — The tiniest and youngest member of the group, yet she is considered the most perilous.

Other

• Kevin — A winged skeleton acting as the Boss' chief aide, speaking with an Australian accent; married to a gorgon and father to a skeletal daughter named Noline. Unlike others in Underworld, Kevin is actually a robot.
• The Police Chief — An overweight sheriff with a Southern drawl and redneck demeanor; commands a force composed of muscular deputies and heavily armored SWAT units equipped with sirens embedded in their helmets. He reports directly to Nicolas Lucifer III.
• Mr. Mad Scientist — Working under the Boss, he is responsible for much of Underworld’s technological development. Always confined in a straitjacket with mechanical arms extending from an opening on his head. His inventions have frequently caused turmoil, including:
  • Chuck Steele and Chuck Steele Jr. — Cloned adult and teenage versions of Brian’s high school adversary, created to disrupt the Baskervilles.
  • The Pesky Bats — A trio of mischievous female bats known for their pranks.
  • The Scarlet Pimple — A clone of an old antagonist notorious for abducting Underworld residents to Nice Town.
• Itsy Bitsy Wabbit — A cartoon character co-created by Nicole and Kevin, inspired by the Rodent Revenger III robot initially given to Nicole by the Boss but renamed to enhance its appeal.

Episodes

Original Teletoon air dates provided in parentheses:

1. No Place Like Home ()
2. Displeasure Dome ()
3. High Maintenance ()
4. Moral Minority ()
5. Doc April & Mr. Dad ()
6. Hounds of the Baskervilles ()
7. Bringing the House Down ()
8. Here's Looking at You Kevin ()
9. Food of the Slobs ()
10. Road to Ruin ()
11. Summer School Daze ()
12. Nice World ()
13. Faust Times at Underworld High ()
14. The Not So Great Escape ()
15. Welcome to the Underworld ()
16. Sizzling Ribaldry ()
17. Right Trousers, Wrong Brian ()
18. Ghouls on Film ()
19. Don't Mind the Baby ()
20. Old Saint Nick ()
21. Ghouls Scout ()
22. Crumble in the Jungle ()
23. Sulfur Surfer ()
24. Doomsday Tuesday ()
25. Scarlet Pimple ()
26. Beauty and the Bunny ()