The Animal Crackers is a 1997 television series produced by Cinar

Çinar

Çınar is a district of Diyarbakır Province of Turkey and also the name of downtown of Denizli city of Denizli Province of Turkey....

, and association with Alphanim

Alphanim

Alphanim was a French independent animation production and distribution company, founded in 1997, with a catalogue ranging from pre-school through teens and family properties...

, about a group of animals that live in a fictional jungle called Freeborn. It is based on the comic strip Animal Crackers. The show aired in the United States on Fox Family

Fox Family

Fox Family may refer to:* The Fox Family, a 2006 South Korean film* Fox Family, a former name of American television cable network ABC Family...

 in 1998 and the Cookie Jar Toons

Cookie Jar Toons

Cookie Jar Toons is a daily children's programming block on the This TV digital broadcast network. The block is programmed by Toronto based Cookie Jar Entertainment...

 block on This TV

This TV

This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....

 from November 2008 to August 2009.

Major characters

• Lyle Lion: Passive, insecure, and a momma's boy, Lyle is not what one might call "King of the Jungle". He's more intent on talking philosophy and ordering a pizza (preferably vegetarian) than be the dominant predator. His number one goal in life is to date Lana, being very persistent about it despite the multiple failed attempts; outside of that, his other goal is to be an astronomer. From the show, it is believed that he is left-handed
  Left-handed
  Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
  
  .
• Dodo: He is the last remaining dodo alive, and is Lyle's best friend. Rash, impatient, and slightly self-centred, he is extremely hot-headed and refuses to believe that he lacks the ability to fly. This leads to multiple failed attempts to take flight, sometimes using some very innovative yet unusual techniques (all of which fail).
• Eugene: Despite his size and nature, this pachyderm is really an "over-grown baby" who craves for attention. He is rather arrogant and obnoxious and is not afraid to bully others with his size and strength to get what he wants (including the entire watering hole all to himself). Some of his secret pleasures include inhaling loads of peanut butter and stomping petunias, but the sight of a tiny mouse will usually freak him out.
• Gnu: For a "supposed" leader of a herd, Gnu lacks any leadership qualities; rather, his traits show the exact opposite of a leader: lazy, timid, no sense of direction. Despite his nature, Gnu does mean well and is very dedicated to his herd, even though his presence there will hinder rather than help. He is also a caring parent, as he is a single father who has one son that he loves very much.
• Lana: She is smart, attractive, strong minded, and the object of Lyle's affection. Lana is quite caring towards her fellow inhabitants of Freeborn, and will put the group ahead of herself. She is also an avid book lover, often found with her nose in a novel. Despite showing little to no interest in Lyle's pursuits, it has been hinted that perhaps she does have a crush on him; but only Lana knows the answer to that question, and her lips are sealed.

Supporting characters

• Tito the chameleon.
• Lance: Another lion who competes with Lyle for Lana's attention
• Louie: Lyle's nephew.
• Bud and Edna: Two recurring human tourists.
• Gnu's son and herd
• Elmo the Crocodile
• Lamont the Hippopotamus
• Boa the Snake
• Roxanne the Ostrich
• Grandpa Tortoise and his grandchildren
• Sergeant Rhino

Season one

No.	Cartoon 1	Cartoon 2	Airdate
1	High Gnu'n	Eu-genial	7 September 1997
2	Dino-Sore-As-Heck	Wilderness Training 101	14 September 1997
3	Treasure Of The Preserva Freeborna	Call Waiting	21 September 1997
4	For Goodness Snakes	Meat The Folks	28 September 1997
5	If You Can't Be'em, Join'em	Spring Fever	3 October 1997
6	Pachyderm Epidemic	Herd Mentality	10 October 1997
7	Going Quackers	Blockbusted	17 October 1997
8	Pachy My Bag	Mommy Dearest	24 October 1997
9	Sherlock Dodo	Poultrygeist	7 November 1997
10	Lyle's Psychic Alliance	Snowed Inn	14 November 1997
11	Svelte Veldt	All The Preserve's A Stage	21 November 1997
12	It's A Date	Woolly For Bully	28 November 1997
13	Lights, Camera, Lyle!	Bud And Edna's Excellent Adventure!	3 December 1997

Season two

No.	Cartoon 1	Cartoon 2	Airdate
14	Sleepover	Classified Casanova	5 February 1998
15	Eight Hooves Out	My Brother's Keeper	6 February 1998
16	Lyle's Ark	How To Be A Millionaire	7 February 1998
17	Lyle Files	The Butler Did It	8 February 1998
18	Lyle In The Fast Lane	A Wing and A Prayer	9 February 1998
19	Schooldays	Call Of The Wild	9 February 1998
20	The Cold Scholder	The Last Dodo Egg	10 February 1998
21	Lana Tuner Overdrive	Trust Me	11 February 1998
22	Birthday Palooza	Tito In Love	12 February 1998
23	Downsizing	Gnus In Canoes	13 February 1998
24	Beauty and Eugene	Freeborn For Rent	14 February 1998
25	Horrorscope	Prose and Cons	15 February 1998
26	The Looney Bin	That's What Friends Are For	16 February 1998

Season three

No.	Cartoon 1	Cartoon 2	Airdate
27	Look Who's Not Talking	Paris, Freeborn	17 February 1998
28	Eugenius	Citizen Eugene	18 February 1998
29	Dial-A-Phobia	Time Flies But Dodo Doesn't	19 February 1998
30	Rumor Of Her Own	Prime Time Crime	20 February 1998
31	Dustbusters	Freeborn Online	21 February 1998
32	Stop In The Name Of Lana	Starstruck	5 September 1998
33	Volcano Madness	Love Is Blind	6 September 1998
34	Wishing Well	Eu've Got Mail	7 September 1998
35	Message In A Bottle	Fame, Fortune, Madness	8 September 1998
36	Storyteller	Animal Court	9 September 1998
37	Boo	Fountain Of Youth	10 September 1998
38	Brand New Gnu	Boyz Night Out	11 September 1998
39	Fool's Gold	Near Myths	12 September 1998

Allusions

Animal Crackers is known to spoof many famous things, people, or events, sometimes having the characters actually act out certain sequences.

• Once, Gnu's leadership of his herd was challenged, and the challenger demanded for a head-butting contest at High Noon
  High Noon
  High Noon is a 1952 American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. The film tells in real time the story of a town marshal forced to face a gang of killers by himself...
  
  .
• Lyle, Dodo, and Tito once went treasure hunting, and Lyle was nearly ran over by a boulder similar to Indiana Jones
  Indiana Jones
  Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
  
  .
• After hitting his head, Dodo believes he can woo Lana. The costume he wears and the way he behaves at this time is similar to The Phantom of the Opera
  The Phantom of the Opera
  Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
  
  .
• Gnu's leadership skills were questioned again from within, as two teenage gnus sought to replace him as leader. One candidate they interviewed was an ice carver making the Pietà
  Pietà
  The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
  
   statue, except the two characters in the statue were two gnus.
• Throughout the entire series, Sergeant Rhino dresses and behaves like Douglas MacArthur
  Douglas MacArthur
  General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
  
  .
• Lamont the hippopotamus was experiencing an attack from gnats, causing him to itch unbearably. In his attempts to find comfort, he jumps and rolls all over the place, in which Gnu observed: "This must be one of your new Hippo-Hop things". This is a reference to Hip hop
  Hip hop
  Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
  
   music and dances in general.
• Lyle was missing from Freeborn and Dodo went to great lengths to find out what happened to him. The costume he wears and the way he behaves at this time is similar to Sherlock Holmes
  Sherlock Holmes
  Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
  
  . It turns out that Lyle only went out for pizza without telling anyone!
• A mysterious being appeared into Freeborn and began stealing things, causing everyone to declare a Poltergeist
  Poltergeist (film series)
  The Poltergeist movies are a trilogy of American horror films distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the 1980s. The films revolve around the members of the Freeling family, who are stalked and terrorized by a group of ancient ghosts that are attracted to the youngest daughter, Carol Anne. The...
  
   is at hand. When they were on the "witch hunt" to find out who the poltergeist was, their actions and behaviour were similar to the characters from The Crucible
  The Crucible
  The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
  
  .
• For Freeborn's anniversary, Lana proposes to do Romeo and Juliet
  Romeo and Juliet
  Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
  
   in celebration with Lyle to play Romeo. Lana was Juliet until she encountered larynghitis, and Eugene was asked to take her place instead!
• Both Lyle and Gnu have auditioned in Hollywood movies before. Some scenes they auditioned for include the "flying scene" from Titanic
  Titanic (1997 film)
  Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
  
  , the "White House destruction" scene from Independence Day
  Independence Day (film)
  Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
  
  , and the "stomped by a T Rex" scene from The Lost World: Jurassic Park
  The Lost World: Jurassic Park
  The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a 1997 science fiction thriller film, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film was produced by Bonnie Curtis, Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen and Colin Wilson...
  
  .
• Bud and Edna, the human toursists, were stranded in Freeborn and everyone secretly tried to help them leave. Fittingly, that episode is name Bud and Edna's Excellent Adventure, after Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
• Lyle tried to save everyone from a monsoon by building an ark, similar to Noah's Ark
  Noah's Ark
  Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
  
  .
• A firefly crossing the lens of Lyle's telescope caused a widespread panic that Freebron was invaded by aliens. Lyle and Lana dressed up as Mulder and Scully from The X Files to investigate. Meanwhile, Tito found an actual alien baby and sought to bring it back to its parents. He borrowed Dodo's new invention, a flying bicycle and pedalled across the sky with his silhouette across the moon to chase down the flying saucer, a homage to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
  
  . Independence Day
  Independence Day (film)
  Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
  
   is spoofed again as after the baby was returned, the flying saucer shot out a beam of laser and cooked Tito to a crisp.
• A female chameleon moved to Freeborn and Tito wanted to impress her. One of the dates they went on was to a dance, and Tito danced to Saturday Night Fever
  Saturday Night Fever
  Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
  
  .
• Eugene's girlfriend from Hollywood, Ella, once came to visit him. When she was to leave for Hollywood again, Eugene cried at the train station shouting "Ella! Ella!" like Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire
  A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
  A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
  
  .
• Louie, Lyle's nephew, wisecracks and comments on the actions of the adults in a way similar to Mikey from Look Who's Talking
  Look Who's Talking
  Look Who's Talking is a 1989 romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling and stars John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The film features George Segal as Albert, the illegitimate father of Mikey.-Plot:Mollie Jensen is an accountant...
  
  . Lyle's relationship to Louie is also similar to Uncle Buck
  Uncle Buck
  Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
  
  's relationship to his nephew and nieces, an uncle who is generally not ready to tackle more "parental-like" duties.
• Eugene was struck by lightning and turned into a genius. However, it also made Eugene magnetic, causing everyone's metal goods to stick onto him. When the gang used a kite with a metal key to attract another lightning bolt to strike Eugene to turn him back to normal, he was attempting to figure out the meaning of life
  Meaning of life
  The meaning of life constitutes a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general. This concept can be expressed through a variety of related questions, such as "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?", and "What is the meaning of it all?" It has...
  
  . Also, the key tied to a kite technique is an experiment that Benjamin Franklin
  Benjamin Franklin
  Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
  
   once tried to study electricity and lightning.
• Dodo was the one who started the internet shopping craze in Freeborn, mirroring the popularity of E-Bay in real life. Likewise, Eugene was the first in Freeborn to receive a chain email.
• One episode features the threat of a nearby volcano erupting, causing widespread panic and strange plans by Freeborn's inhabitants to prevent the eruption. This is similar to the situation in the movie Dante's Peak
  Dante's Peak
  Dante's Peak is a 1997 disaster film directed by Roger Donaldson, written by Leslie Bohem, and starring Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton and Charles Hallahan. The film portrays the effect of a volcano erupting near a small town in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The film is loosely...
  
  .
• Once, Lyle was reading Louie a bedtime story, in which he ended up falling asleep and turning into that story's protagonist, Robin Hood
  Robin Hood
  Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
  
  .
• When Lyle dropped Louie off at Dodo's place once, Dodo was doing some welding, with a flamed torch and a mask on, resembling Darth Vader
  Darth Vader
  Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
  
  . Dodo even said to Louie the now famous line in a low, machine-like voice: "Louie, I am your father!"
• Two incidents involving Gnu being knocked out became spoofs of famous pop culture icons. The first time had Gnu waking up thinking he is Super Gnu, his son's favourte comic hero. This is a reference to most comic book superheroes, such as those from Marvel Comics
  Marvel Comics
  Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
  
   or DC Comics
  DC Comics
  DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
  
  . Another time had Gnu being hypnotized by Lyle to try and figure out what Gnu saw before fainting. Lyle told Gnu to think way back, in which Gnu replied: "Frankly my dear, I don't give a hoot!" When Gnu snapped out of hypnosis and asked Lyle what he found out, Lyle said: "You were Clark Gable
  Clark Gable
  William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
  
   in a former life."

Cast

• Mark Camacho
  Mark Camacho
  Mark Camacho is a Canadian actor who has starred in many films, and more notably, some voice acting roles, such as Oliver Frensky in Arthur, Lyle in Animal Crackers, Dad in Rotten Ralph, Harry and Dragon in Potatoes and Dragons, Spritz T...
  
   - Lyle / Additional Voices
• Teddy Lee Dillon - Dodo
• Terrence Scammell
  Terrence Scammell
  Terrence Scammell is a Canadian actor and voice actor who commonly playes multiple characters in cartoon series. He is a member of the ACTRA and Canadian Actors' Equity Association unions.-TV series:* 3 Gold Coins...
  
   - Eugene
• Mark Montgomery - Gnu
• Kate Hutchinson - Lana
• Thor Bishopric - Additional Voices
• Eramelinda Boquer - Additional Voices
• Terence Bowman - Additional Voices
• Richard R. Dagenais - Additional Voices
• Ellen David
  Ellen David
  Ellen David is a Canadian actress. She was co-nominated for a 2007 Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Program or Series in The Business episode Check Please and nominated for a 2005 Prix Gemeaux for Meilleur rôle de soutien féminin : comédie...
  
   - Additional Voices
• Richard Dumont
  Richard Dumont
  Richard M. Dumont is a voice actor and director who has worked in both Canada and the United States. He voices Menator, the aging leader of the Olmecs in The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Grognard in Night Hood and Scarecrow in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
  
   - Additional Voices
• Dawn Ford - Additional Voices
• Craig Francis - Additional Voices
• A.J. Henderson
  A.J. Henderson
  A.J. Henderson is a Canadian voice actor, born in Montreal, Quebec.- Biography :He is very prolific, having done voices for numerous anime, cartoons, and video games...
  
   - Additional Voices
• Rick Jones
  Rick Jones (voice actor)
  Rick Jones is an animation writer, director, content developer, and voice actor. Since 1983, he’s worked with Fox, Disney, Universal, Hanna-Barbera, Alphanim, Cinar and Nelvana...
  
   - Additional Voices
• Roc LaFortune - Additional Voices
• Bronwen Mantel
  Bronwen Mantel
  Bronwen Mantel is a Canadian actress who has appeared in several movies including Secret Window and Gothika, and as a voice actress in the TV series Mega Babies, Adventures of the Little Koala, Arthur, Bobobobs, Tripping the Rift, Sharky and George, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Papa Beaver's...
  
   - Additional Voices
• George Morris - Additional Voices
• James O'Regan - Additional Voices
• Simon Peacock - Additional Voices
• Jim Pidgeon - Additional Voices
• Michael Rudder
  Michael Rudder
  Michael Rudder is a Canadian film, television, theatre and voice actor, who was injured in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.-Acting work:...
  
   - Additional Voices
• Mark Trafford - Additional Voices
• Terry Simpson - Additional Voices
• Rob Wreford - Additional Voices

Crew

• 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

Writing Credits

• Roger Bollen - Comic strip
• Joseph Mallozzi - 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

• Animal Crackers at Cookie Jar Entertainment
• Alphanim Site