Willa's Wild Life

Willa's Wild Life
Company type	Television series
Industry	Animation, Children's television
Founded	2008
Headquarters	Canada, France
Area served	United States, Canada, France
Products	Animated television series
Parent	Nelvana Limited, Futurikon

Willa's Wild Life is an animated television series inspired by Dan Yaccarino's book An Octopus Followed Me Home. The show initially premiered on Qubo in the United States, aired on YTV in Canada, and was broadcast on TF1 and Piwi+ in France. Produced collaboratively by Nelvana Limited and Futurikon, the series utilizes Flash animation enhanced with Toon Boom Harmony technology. A total of 26 episodes were created.

Overview

The narrative centers on Willa, a young girl who secretly looks after an assortment of exotic creatures—including giraffes, camels, elephants, and an alligator—within her backyard. She possesses the unique ability to communicate with these animals, sparking various adventures and imparting meaningful life lessons.

Humans

Willa (voiced by Jordan Todosey) is the main character who operates a private zoo in her backyard. Her compassion and inquisitiveness often lead to challenging situations and important learning experiences.
Dooley (voiced by Samantha Reynolds) is Willa’s closest friend and neighbor, frequently accompanying her on escapades and assisting in her growth.
Willa's father (voiced by Peter Keleghan) is a single dad who feels uneasy about the animals but supports Willa’s dedication to their care. He plays an essential role in mentoring her.
Sara, Kara, and Lara are peers who often act as bullies toward Willa and Dooley. They belong to a dance troupe and each owns a poodle that matches their signature color.
- Sara (voiced by Lauren Collins) sports blonde hair and owns a red poodle named Susu.
- Kara (voiced by Sunday Muse) has red hair and a purple poodle called Kuku.
- Lara (voiced by Alyson Court) features brown hair alongside her green poodle named Lulu.
Evelyn (voiced by Lisa Norton) starts off grumpy but gradually learns to appreciate life thanks to Willa’s influence.
Mr. Tremble (voiced by Dwayne Hill) serves as the assistant principal who occasionally participates in Willa’s adventures.
Ms. Delilah Vanderwinkle (voiced by Jayne Lewis) is Willa’s neighbor who owns an orange cat named Tangerine and appears in selected episodes.
Other minor figures include the Mailman and Tiffy Tootle, a well-known girl featured in one episode.

Animals

Gus (voiced by Danny Wells) is an alligator who frequently attempts to catch the Bunnies but is always stopped by Willa or other animals. He sleeps beneath Willa's bed and is perpetually hungry.
Jenny (voiced by Yanna McIntosh) is a wise giraffe who acts as a maternal figure supporting Willa; due to her large size, she rests outside.
Inky (voiced by Dwayne Hill), Blinky (Jay T. Schramek), and Bob form a trio of penguins known for their limited intelligence. Bob communicates through gestures and trombone noises. They refer to Willa as "Gladys," excel at ice skating, reside in the freezer, and share a fondness for herrings.
Koko (voiced by Katie Bergin) is a feminine Australian kangaroo with a pouch containing items like makeup and scissors. She sleeps inside the living room.
Steve (Dennis Fitzgerald) and Edie (Jayne Lewis) are retired performing seals living with Willa; they put on backyard shows weekly and sleep in the bathtub.
Wallace (voiced by Dwayne Hill) is an elderly walrus who recounts tales of Arctic adventures; he shares the bathtub sleeping area with Steve and Edie.
Samuel (Dennis Fitzgerald) is an elegant camel who transports Willa to school daily and shares the living room sleeping space with Koko.
The Bunnies consist of numerous colorful rabbits that squeak and giggle but do not talk; they sleep around the house and mostly remain unnamed.
Bert (voiced by Dwayne Hill) is a Russian bear typically seen napping alongside Koko and Samuel in the living room.
Tiny (Darren Frost) and Lou (Dwayne Hill) are young elephants residing in the garage; Tiny speaks with a high-pitched voice while Lou’s voice is low-pitched. They seldom offer rides unless specifically asked by Willa.
Susu, Kuku, and Lulu are the pampered poodles owned by Sara, Kara, and Lara respectively, distinguished by their red, purple, and green colors.
Sparkle is Evelyn's orange-red pet spider featured exclusively in Spider Girl.
Tangerine is Ms. Vanderwinkle's orange cat appearing only in Over the Fence.

Episodes

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Awards

In 2010, Adrian Thatcher, the series' Art Director, received a Daytime Creative Emmy Award recognizing his Outstanding Individual Achievement for contributions to Willa's Wild Life.

External links