Unnatural History (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Unnatural History is a television series produced by Warner Horizon Television
for Cartoon Network
.
The series is the second scripted, live-action show on Cartoon Network after the short-lived Out of Jimmy's Head
. The first season consisted of thirteen hour-long episodes and premiered on Sunday, June 13, 2010. On July 13, the series was rescheduled to Tuesday nights.
It is only the second Cartoon Network
show outside of Adult Swim
and Toonami
to have the U.S. rating
of "TV-PG-V", and a parental-guidance warning after every commercial break and at the beginning of the show (the first being Star Wars: The Clone Wars
); its rating in Canada for most episodes is "G", or else "PG".
On November 19, 2010, It was announced that Cartoon Network will not renew the series for a second season.
praising it as "an appealing mix between The Hardy Boys
and Indiana Jones with National Treasure
thrown in for good measure". Los Angeles Times
writer Robert Lloyd found the show fun and lively, composed of "familiar, mashed-together" action-adventure themes. Variety
reviewer Brian Lowry was more critical, calling it "unexciting" and lacking "the requisite thrills a young audience weaned on big-budget movies is apt to demand."
, the premiere episode was watched by 1.39 million viewers, though the pilot episode did not place in the Top 25 cable programs for the week of June 7–13, 2010. Of that audience, the pilot episode earned 334,000 viewers among boys aged 6–11 earning a 2.7 in that demographic, with Cartoon Network claiming gains among kids 2-11, kids 9-14, and other kids demographics compared to the same time period the previous year.
revealed that he intended to have the show picked up by another network, but a deal could not be secured. Werb also revealed his plans if the show had been renewed for a second season:
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
for 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....
.
The series is the second scripted, live-action show on Cartoon Network after the short-lived Out of Jimmy's Head
Out of Jimmy's Head
Out of Jimmy's Head was Cartoon Network's second live-action/animated television series. It is based on the live-action/animated telefilm Re-Animated that aired on December 8, 2006...
. The first season consisted of thirteen hour-long episodes and premiered on Sunday, June 13, 2010. On July 13, the series was rescheduled to Tuesday nights.
It is only the second 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....
show outside of Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
and Toonami
Toonami
Toonami was a registered trademark of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997 and ended on September 20, 2008.The...
to have the U.S. rating
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines system was first proposed on December 19, 1996 by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission , and went into effect by January 1, 1997 on most major U.S...
of "TV-PG-V", and a parental-guidance warning after every commercial break and at the beginning of the show (the first being Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)
-Production:At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III, Lucas stated that "we are working on a 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." In July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve...
); its rating in Canada for most episodes is "G", or else "PG".
On November 19, 2010, It was announced that Cartoon Network will not renew the series for a second season.
Premise
This series is centered on Henry Griffin, a teenager with exceptional skills acquired through years of globe-trotting with his anthropologist parents. But Henry faces his biggest challenge of all when he moves back to America to attend Smithson High School in Washington D.C., a place stranger than any he's ever lived before. Together with his cousin Jasper and Jasper's friend Maggie, he uses the skills that he learned around the globe to solve the postmodern mysteries of high school.Main characters
- Henry Griffin (Kevin G. SchmidtKevin SchmidtKevin Gerard Schmidt , also credited as Kevin G. Schmidt and Kevin Schmidt, is an American actor and vlogger. He is best known for playing Noah Newman on The Young and the Restless and as Henry Griffin in Unnatural History...
) is a globe-trotting teenager who must adjust to life as regular high school student. With his knowledge of different cultures, he uses his skills to solve different crimes and mysteries of ancient history. He has lived all over the world with his anthropologist parents. He was forced at the beginning of the pilot episode to move in with cousin Jasper and uncle Bryan and go to high school in Washington, D.C. His family's constant re-locations include BhutanBhutanBhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, LiberiaLiberiaLiberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, TurkmenistanTurkmenistanTurkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
, JapanJapanJapan 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...
, PerúPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Through these countries he has learned many different skills ranging from reading dead languagesLanguage deathIn linguistics, language death is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased, eventually resulting in no native and/or fluent speakers of the variety...
, martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, even escape artistisms. He is also quite skilled at parkourParkourParkour is a method of movement focused on moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency. Originally developed in France, the main purpose of the discipline is to teach participants how to move through their environment by vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping...
now living in the urban jungle. He exhibits somewhat impaired social interaction, and is often not attentive to the conversations of Jasper and Maggie. He had a beloved, late godfather named Dante Mourneau, whose words of wisdom he still uses in times of uncertainty.
- Jameson Asper "Jasper" Bartlett (Jordan GavarisJordan GavarisJordan James Gavaris is a Canadian actor, best known for his co-starring role as Jasper Bartlett in the action/adventure series Unnatural History for Cartoon Network.-Career:...
) is Henry's cousin in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Unlike Henry, he does not like getting into trouble and prefers staying out of Henry's shenanigans but always gets involved anyway. He is very much into his schoolwork and dreams of attending Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He was also shown in the series to possess a good memory. It is hinted that he might like Maggie as he has known her since he was ten, and shows obvious signs of jealousy when he believes Henry likes her.
- Margaret "Maggie" Winnock (Italia RicciItalia RicciStephanie Italia Ricci is a Canadian actress. She is known for co-starring role as Maggie Winnock in the Cartoon Network live-action series Unnatural History and her recurring role as Sasha in the Comedy Central series Secret Girlfriend.-Career:Ricci made her major acting debut in 2007, in the...
) is best friends with Henry and Jasper. Like Jasper, she is a very dedicated student. She does not have much of a sense of humor and when she is not in school she works part-time at the school's National Museum Complex. She is a vegetarian, and has photographic memory, which is often used to help solve mysteries. It is hinted that Maggie may like Henry because he always protects her and she tells him everything first.
- Bryan Bartlett (Martin DonovanMartin DonovanMartin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
) is Henry's uncle and Jasper's dad. He is the dean of Smithson High School. He is always caught off guard by Henry's knowledge and troublesome ways, but welcomes them if they are done in good faith to better certain situations.
Recurring characters
- Hunter O'Herlihy (Wesley MorganWesley MorganWesley Francis Morgan is a Canadian actor and model, known for the role of Skander Hill on Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, the recurring role of Sam on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Prom King Josh in The Rocker.-Career:...
) is a stereotypical jock who plays for the football team of the school. He has very little intelligence and often displays abusive behavior to anyone around him, especially Jasper and Henry, often serving as an antagonist towards the group. However, he has shown some morals, as if someone helps him he will later repay the favor, stating he doesn't like to owe anybody.
- Julian Morneau (Matt Baram) is an OrnithologyOrnithologyOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
teacher as well as the estranged son to Dante. He is displayed as Henry's enemy in many episodes, which seems to stem from the fact that his father saw Henry as more of a son. He also appears to have his hands in shady places, such as helping in the illegal transport of an endangered species, as well as Henry is quick to suspect he might have a hand in some of the activities portraying to the events of the episode.
- Rosmary Griffin (née Bartlett) (Jack HouriganJack HouriganJack Hourigan is a playwright, actress, and co-host of the show How to Boil Water on the Food Network with Tyler Florence...
) is Henry's mother and little sister of Bryan who is actually skeptical of her son's recent activities and during the season finale, she and her husband at first views her son as the disgrace to the Griffin name after a humiliating incident, but after Henry saves the day once again, she and her husband realized what a great person her son is really is around the campus.
- Zafer Griffin (Scott YapheScott YapheScott Yaphe is a Canadian actor and comedian best known as a cast member of the YTV variety show It's Alive!. He moved over to the game show Uh Oh! after its cancellation in 1996...
) is Henry's father who was also skeptical of his son's recent activities, but later realized how a good person Henry really is.
- Micheal O'Molley (Robbie AmellRobbie AmellRobert Patrick "Robbie" Amell is a Canadian actor, who is best known for his role on the Nickelodeon series True Jackson, VP, Picture This, and Fred Jones in the television films Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster...
) is another antagonist of Henry and his friends. He generally expresses a rude attitude and works at juice bar located at the National Museum Complex.
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Critical reception
Unnatural History received mixed reviews by critics, with Barry Garron of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
praising it as "an appealing mix between The Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional teenage brothers and amateur detectives who appear in various mystery series for children and teens....
and Indiana Jones with National Treasure
National Treasure (franchise)
National Treasure is a series of theatrical action-adventure mystery films distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a treasure hunter who, with the help of his father, Patrick Henry Gates , his girlfriend, Abigail Chase...
thrown in for good measure". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Robert Lloyd found the show fun and lively, composed of "familiar, mashed-together" action-adventure themes. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reviewer Brian Lowry was more critical, calling it "unexciting" and lacking "the requisite thrills a young audience weaned on big-budget movies is apt to demand."
Viewer reception
According to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the premiere episode was watched by 1.39 million viewers, though the pilot episode did not place in the Top 25 cable programs for the week of June 7–13, 2010. Of that audience, the pilot episode earned 334,000 viewers among boys aged 6–11 earning a 2.7 in that demographic, with Cartoon Network claiming gains among kids 2-11, kids 9-14, and other kids demographics compared to the same time period the previous year.
Cancellation and intended season 2 plans
On November 19, 2010, it was announced that Cartoon Network would not renew the series for a second season. On December 29, 2010, Creator Mike WerbMike Werb
Mike Werb is an American screenwriter, whose writing credits include Face/Off, The Mask and the story for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.A Los Angeles native, Werb attended Stanford. He is a UCLA Film School graduate....
revealed that he intended to have the show picked up by another network, but a deal could not be secured. Werb also revealed his plans if the show had been renewed for a second season: