.gif)
Sitting Ducks (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Sitting Ducks is a children's animated television series based on an iconic lithograph
and the 1998 children's book, Sitting Ducks, created by Michael Bedard
. Voice direction was done by Andrea Romano
, "arguably the best known casting/dialogue director on the animation scene today".
Sitting Ducks first appeared in 2001 in Europe
, later debuting in North America
on the Cartoon Network
, Australia
on ABC
, in Canada
on YTV, in United Kingdom
and United States
on January 12, 2012 Nickelodeon
and CITV
, Disney XD
and in the Japanese
version of Cartoon Network
. The show lasted for two seasons each comprising 13 episodes, with the last episode shown on July 5, 2003. It is currently airing on Qubo
as part of its Qubo Night Owl
block. Episodes are also currently available for viewing on Hulu.
named Bill and his best friend Aldo, an Alligator
from the neighboring town of Swampwood. As ducks are a favorite snack of the alligators, Bill and Aldo's friendship is rather unusual. The pair usually end up in varied situations and adventures, getting around on Bill's scooter
.
Print
The cartoon itself also spawned a couple of books. Quacking Up is a joke book written by Rick Walton featuring the characters from the TV show and Plucked Duck a children's picture book by Danielle Mentzer and Annmarie Harris. Both books were released in 2004, roughly a year after the show had ended.
to create games for Sitting Ducks. Then in 2004 Sitting Ducks was released for Microsoft Windows
, Game Boy Advance
and PlayStation 2
. An Xbox
version was also planned, but was quietly cancelled.
Sitting Ducks
Sitting Ducks is a lithograph created by Michael Bedard in the late 1970s. It depicts a literal interpretation of the idiom "sitting duck". Three ducks are relaxing in the sun on white chairs by the poolside, one looks up and notices two bullet holes in the wall.Bedard then went on to create an...
and the 1998 children's book, Sitting Ducks, created by Michael Bedard
Michael Bedard
Michael Bedard is a Canadian novelist. He was born and raised in Ontario, Canada . He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1971 with a BA in philosophy and English. He began writing when his former high school teacher showed him works of Emily Dickinson and T.S Eliot and became a fan of...
. Voice direction was done by Andrea Romano
Andrea Romano
Andrea Romano is an American casting director, voice director, and voice actor, whose work includes casting, and voice directing Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures, "Animaniacs", "Pinky and the Brain", Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and multiple Warner Bros...
, "arguably the best known casting/dialogue director on the animation scene today".
Sitting Ducks first appeared in 2001 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, later debuting in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on ABC
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on YTV, in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on January 12, 2012 Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
and CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
, Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
and in the Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
version of Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (Japan)
Cartoon Network is a Japanese cable and satellite television channel that mostly airs children's animated television series. Cartoon Network in Japan broadcasts original series from Cartoon Network in the U.S., as well as several Japanese animated media and other non-Japanese programs...
. The show lasted for two seasons each comprising 13 episodes, with the last episode shown on July 5, 2003. It is currently airing on Qubo
Qubo
Qubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media...
as part of its Qubo Night Owl
Qubo Night Owl
Qubo Night Owl is a late night programming block on the American digital subchannel network Qubo, consisting of animated children's programming from the mid-1980s produced by defunct animation studio Filmation, via Qubo's programming deal with Classic Media, which purchased the rights to the...
block. Episodes are also currently available for viewing on Hulu.
Background
The show takes place in a town called Ducktown and focuses on a DuckMallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
named Bill and his best friend Aldo, an Alligator
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
from the neighboring town of Swampwood. As ducks are a favorite snack of the alligators, Bill and Aldo's friendship is rather unusual. The pair usually end up in varied situations and adventures, getting around on Bill's scooter
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
.
Characters
- Bill (Ian James CorlettIan James CorlettIan James Corlett is a Canadian animation voice artist, writer, and musician. He is the creator of Studio B Productions' animated series Being Ian and Yvon of the Yukon....
) - A diminutive duckMallardThe Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
who waddles to a different beat. A very kind-hearted, good-natured fellow who is always there when needed. One of his dreams is to fly. With the help of his friend Dr. Cecil, he tries again and again to fly, and eventually is told that the reason he can't is because ducks became too terrestrial. Bill's main appearance difference, apart from his smallness, is his bow tie which he changes every year at the Ducktown Picnic. Bill lives in an apartment with his pet parrotBlue-and-yellow MacawThe Blue-and-Yellow Macaw , also known as the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay...
, Jerry. He's been called a "gator lover" for his rare efforts to turn alligators into allies of Ducktown. - Aldo (Dave Ward) - A lumbering alligatorAmerican AlligatorThe American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
from the town of Swampwood. He's Bill's best friend, though he often receives grief from his fellow gators on being a "duck lover". Has a blind Uncle Artie and a baby cousin Andy. Once was the cook at the bowling ball factory, he transferred to the assembly line after he befriended Bill, as he didn't want to cook any more ducks. - Bev (Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
) - Owner of the Decoy Cafe, where many ducks go to eat. She's a sweet duck who also has an alias, Madam Bevousky, as whom she offers fortune telling services to the residents of Ducktown. She is also the focus of Bill's romantic interests. - Ed, Oly and Waddle (Louis ChirilloLouis ChirilloLouis Chirillo is an American-Canadian actor and voice actor.He was born in Seattle, Washington. He is famous for voicing Keefe in Zoids: Fuzors. He has also voiced Shaman in Pucca...
, Phil HayesPhil HayesPhillip Lee Hayes is an English cricketer. Hayes is a left-handed batsman who bowls leg break. He was born in Bolton, Greater Manchester and educated at Bury College....
and Jay BrazeauJay BrazeauJay Brazeau is a notable Canadian actor and voice actor. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.-Career:His credits include voicing Richard Condie's Oscar-nominated animated short La Salla. He also appeared in two of the first season episodes of Highlander: The Series in 1992...
) - Three brothers who live next door to Bill. These three goofy freeloaders tend to scheme their way into things and are usually the ones behind some prank or plot, from which they always try to distance themselves when things go awry. Ed wears a tropical shirt and speaks with a New York accent. Oly wears a green beret and speaks with a "beatnik" accent. Waddle is the shortest and fattest and has a more child-like voice. - Cecil (Ian James CorlettIan James CorlettIan James Corlett is a Canadian animation voice artist, writer, and musician. He is the creator of Studio B Productions' animated series Being Ian and Yvon of the Yukon....
) - Ducktown's only dentistDentistA dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, Cecil speaks with a British accent and is always there to offer advice to Bill or the others. Naturally, Aldo is typically his only customer, being the only person in town who actually has teeth. He also provides beak adjustments for the ducks. - Fred (Phil HayesPhil HayesPhillip Lee Hayes is an English cricketer. Hayes is a left-handed batsman who bowls leg break. He was born in Bolton, Greater Manchester and educated at Bury College....
) - a melancholy, but sometimes nervously hyper PenguinAdelie PenguinThe Adélie Penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, is a species of penguin common along the entire Antarctic coast. They are among the most southerly distributed of all seabirds, as are the Emperor Penguin, the South Polar Skua, the Wilson's Storm Petrel, the Snow Petrel, and the Antarctic Petrel...
, who migrated from Antarctica to Ducktown, in which he has a citizenship. He's somewhat of a loner most of the time, always seen surrounding himself with bags of ice or air-conditioning to remain comfortable in the intolerable (to him) heat. Has a duck girlfriend, Dot Cable, and a cousin, Gelata. - Raoul (Michael BenyaerMichael BenyaerMichael Benyaer is a Canadian actor and cartoon and video game voice actor.Benyaer was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He enjoyed playing Hadji in The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, stating, "[he] is one of the few roles for an ethnic actor that is not a bad guy...
) - A HispanicHispanicHispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
crowCrowCrows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
who tends to be the freeloading troublemaker in Ducktown, and likes trading insults with Bill. He especially enjoys mocking Bill's attempts to fly. - Drill Sargeant Duck (Cathy WeseluckCathy WeseluckCathy Weseluck is a Canadian voice actress who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is known with providing the voice for characters in various anime series such as Mirai Yashima , Dorothy Catalonia and Catherine Bloom , Near , Shampoo , Kagome's mother , Misa...
) - A tough duck who makes it hard for Aldo to come into Ducktown, as she also is the leader of the Duck Defense League, an anti-gator organization. - Other characters that have appeared in the show have been voiced by Dale Wilson, Brian DobsonBrian DobsonBrian Dobson is the third of three brothers, the others being Paul and Michael, who are well known for their talent as voice actors.- Anime Roles :*.hack//Roots - AI Harald...
, Sylvia ZaradicSylvia ZaradicSylvia Zaradic is a Canadian voice actor. She has worked primarily with the Ocean Group in Vancouver.-Anime roles:*Brain Powered - Midori Isami*Escaflowne The Movie - Sora*Galaxy Angel A - Major Mary*Galaxy Angel S - Major Mary...
, Chantal StrandChantal StrandChantal Strand is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for the voice role of Bijou in Hamtaro, Cassie in Dragon Tales and did the voice of Secret Bear in the Care Bears 2000's merchandise as a talking toy.-Biography:She has a twin sister Michelle Strand...
, Chiara ZanniChiara ZanniChiara Zanni is a Canadian actress & voice actress, performing in movies such as BIONICLE: Mask of Light as Hahli, playing the role of Hamtaro in the TV anime cartoon series. Young Joe in Cyborg 009, Hamtaro, Jubilee in X-Men: Evolution, Bon Bon in My Little Pony Tales and Nori, the mermaid in...
, Pauline NewstonePauline NewstonePauline Newstone is a voice actress.- Voice credits :*Beast Wars - Airazor *Dragon Ball Z - Frieza *Class of the Titans - Medusa*Hamtaro - Kaitlin Endo*Inuyasha - Mistress Centipede...
, Paul Dobson, Lee TockarLee TockarLee William Tockar is a Canadian voice actor and visual artist who works for several studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is also a writer of children's literature, a musician, sculptor, illustrator and collected painter...
, Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
.
Merchandise
Sitting Ducks proved to be a big hit with the European children's show market, and as a result toys, clothing and other merchandise were created. The entire series is also available on Hulu.com, a free video streaming serviceVHS releases
| Title | Release Date | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting Ducks 1: Duck Cravings | February 10, 2004 | Also later released on DVD format. Episodes: Running Ducks, Peeking Duck, Great White Hype, Hic Hic Hooray, Midnight Snack, All in a days Work, Ducks on Ice |
| Sitting Ducks 2: Ducktown Adventures | February 10, 2004 | Also available on DVD format. Episodes: Mind Over Mallard, Duck Naked, Denture Adventure, Got Milk, Hey, Bill's On The News, Waddles Bud Squad, Bill Hatches An Egg Includes a bonus episode "The Fly Who Loved Me" |
| Sitting Ducks 3: Bill & Friends | February 10, 2004 | |
DVD releases
| Title | Release Date | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting Ducks - Season 1 Quack Pack | February 10, 2004 | Consists of the pilot episode and complete second season. Features two interactive games and character profiles. |
Video games
In 2003 LSP Games and Asobo Studios picked up the rights from Universal StudiosUniversal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
to create games for Sitting Ducks. Then in 2004 Sitting Ducks was released for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. An Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
version was also planned, but was quietly cancelled.