The Busy World of Richard Scarry is an animated children's television series, produced by CINAR Animation and France Animation in association with Paramount Television, which aired from 1994 to 1997,[2] first on Showtime, later on Nickelodeon, and ran for 65 episodes.[3] The television series was based on the books drawn and written by Richard Scarry.[4] Reruns of the show formerly aired in syndication as part of the Cookie Jar Kids Network block, but the show now continues to air on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV until October 26, 2013. Reruns of the show aired on Qubo from May 13, 2013, to September 25, 2016. However, it returned to Qubo on March 28, 2017, as part of the network's Night Owl block until May 26, 2018, and has also aired on Light TV, but has since left the network.
The Busy World of Richard Scarry | |
---|---|
Genre | Animated series |
Written by | Various |
Directed by |
|
Voices of |
|
Theme music composer | Milan Kymlicka |
Composer | Laurent Petitgirard |
Country of origin |
|
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 65 (195 segments) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Micheline Charest |
Producer | Ronald A. Weinberg |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network |
|
Release | March 9, 1994[1] – 1997 |
Cast
- Sonja Ball as Huckle Cat, additional voices
- Keith Knight as Lowly Worm, Snozzle, Able Baker Charlie, additional voices
- Judy Marshak as Fiona Cat, additional voices
- Philip Williams as Sergeant Murphy, Bruno Bear, additional voices
- Stephen Ouimette as Doctor Lion, Mr. Raccoon, additional voices
- Len Carlson as Mr. Frumble, Mr. Gronkle, Mayor Fox, additional voices
- Tara Meyer as Sally Cat, additional voices
- Cathy Gallant as Hilda Hippo, P.S. Pig, Thump, Deputy Flo, additional voices
- John Stocker as John Cat, Mr. Humperdink, Scotty Dog, Pedro, Wolfgang Wolf, additional voices
- Rino Romano as Billy Dog, additional voices
- David Berni as Bananas Gorilla, additional voices
- Peter Wildman as Mr. Fixit, Sniff, Pickles, additional voices
- Hadley Kay as Sprout Goat, Dennis Elephant, additional voices
- Stuart Stone as Kenny Bear (seasons 1-3), Pig Will (seasons 1-3), Pig Won't, Manuel
- Linda Feige as Miss Honey (early episodes)
- Susan Roman as Cucumber, Professor Dog, April Rhino, Squirty, additional voices
- Tara Strong as Lynnie Raccoon (season 5), additional voices
- Michael Caloz as Kenny Bear (later season 3), Vanderbuilt Gronkle, Robby Lion, Pig Will (season 5)
- Julie Lemieux as Russ
- Lisa Yamanaka as Bridget Murphy
Overview
The series takes place in the fictional city of Busytown and mainly stars Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and many of the other residents of Busytown. Every "human" in the series is an anthropomorphic animal, most commonly pigs, foxes, breeds of dogs, mice, rabbits, goats, and cats. Each episode always features a conflict (which is eventually resolved in the end). However, episodes featuring other anthropomorphic animals, like Couscous catching Pépé le Gangstaire and his dirty rats, Sam and Dudley, Sneef and Sniff, Cucumber and Pickles, etc. have taken place outside of Busytown in other places around the world.
Episode list
Season 1: 1994
Nº | Segments | Air date | Synopsis |
---|---|---|---|
1 | The Talking Bread / Couscous, the North African Detective / The Three Fishermen | March 13, 1994 | A bread in Able Baker Charlie's bakery repeatedly says "Mama". Couscous catches Peppy the Gangster and his Dirty Rats who intend to steal the Jewel-of-Jewel. |
2 | The Best Birthday Present Ever / Patrick Pig Learns to Talk / Grouchy Mr. Gronkle | March 9, 1994 (special prime-time airing) |
Mother Cat gets a birthday present in the form of a cuckoo clock. The mute Patrick Pig's talkative Irish forefathers try to teach him how to speak for the first time. |
3 | The Busiest Firefighters Ever / Manuel of Mexico / The Biggest Catch Ever | March 20, 1994 | Huckle and Lowly join Smoky and his Firefighters for one day, and accidentally ruin someone's barbecue. Manuel breaks his mom's pot. |
4 | Mr. Raccoon's Different Day / Mario, the Venetian Gondolier / The Best Babysitter Ever | March 27, 1994 | Mr. Raccoon tries to have a different day. Mario is introduced and his career as operating gondoliers in Venice. |
5 | The Best Mistake Ever / Sneef, the Best Detective in Europe / Camping Out | April 3, 1994 | Huckle forgets a shopping list. Sneef and Sniff succeed in catching the Royal Jewels. |
6 | Mr. Frumble's New Cars / Ernst and Heidi in the Alps / Billy Dog's Bad Day | April 10, 1994 | When Mr. Frumble crashes his car, he steals the bulldozer from Roger Rhino, a taxi and the airplane from Rudolph Von Flugel. Ernst tries to join Heidi on the rescue patrol but is a bad climber. |
7 | The Snowstorm / Professor Dig and His Egyptian Mummy / The Treasure Hunt | April 17, 1994 | Hilda believes her strength only causes trouble on the playground, but when a big snowstorm causes havoc in Busytown, her strength helps them out. Professor Dig discovers an Egyptian mummy. |
8 | The Missing Bananas / Good Luck in Rome / The Accident | April 24, 1994 | Bananas Gorilla steals a batch of bananas. Maria and Frederico want to throw a coin into the lucky Trevi fountain. |
9 | A Trip to the Moon / Pip Pip Goes to London / Floating Bananas | May 1, 1994 | Wolfgang, Benny, Harry and Lowly try to fly to the moon. Pip Pip goes to London to find the Queen's ring, and experiences many problems. |
10 | Hat Pie / Hans, the Dutch Plumber / Hilda's Romantic Tea Party | May 8, 1994 | Lowly's hat goes missing. Hans, a plumber working at the Dutch Windmills experiences a leak in a dyke. |
11 | A Big Operation / Cucumber, the African Photographer / Summer Picnic | May 15, 1994 | Huckle gets his tonsils removed in a big operation, but pulls through on the promise of getting ice cream as a reward. Cucumber is really nervous about photographing lions. |
12 | Sergeant Murphy's Day Off / Schmudge, the German Chimney Sweep / The Sleeping Car Adventure | May 22, 1994 | Sergeant Murphy gets his first day off. Schmudge, a chimney Sweeper in Germany has no luck. |
13 | Busytown Regatta / Schtoompah, the Funny Austrian / Busytown Soap Box Derby | May 29, 1994 | Busytown celebrates a regatta race. Schtoompah wreaks havoc when he blows his tuba too hard. |
Season 2: 1995
Nº | Segments | Air date | Synopsis |
---|---|---|---|
14 | The Big Story / Couscous in Gibraltar / The Firefighter's Ball | Spring 1995 | Huckle and Lowly become news reporters. Couscous captures Peppy and his Dirty Rats in Gibraltar. |
15 | The Field Trip / The Great Pie Robbery / Clean Garage | Spring 1995 | The Scouts go on a field trip. Madame Dog's pies get stolen. |
16 | Captain Willy and the Pirates / Flying Noodles / Roughing It | Spring 1995 | Captain Willy is put ashore by pirates and attempts to get his boat back, as well as catch them. Cucumber takes pictures of a Japanese noodle chef Sato. |
17 | Young Vikings / Sneef Saves the Queen / Hilda the Director | Spring 1995 | Huckle and Lowly go sailing on a raft that they built. Sneef captures the culprit who stole the Queen of England's crown. |
18 | High Flyers / Steamboat Mystery / The Best Waiters Ever | Spring 1995 | Rudolph Von Flugel takes Huck and Lowly up in his plane. A mystery involving a steamboat takes place. |
19 | The Big Move / Sneef in Russia / Mr. Frumble Gets a Job | Spring 1995 | Billy Dog is moving away. Sneef and Sniff save a Russian mystery. |
20 | Ambulance Cake / The Supermarket Mystery / Big Trouble for Bananas Gorilla | Spring 1995 | The hospital hosts a bake sale. Groceries are stolen from the supermarket. |
21 | Sergeant Murphy's Deputy / Couscous in the Sahara / New Friend on the Block | Spring 1995 | Overworked Sergeant Murphy gets help from Deputy Flo. Couscous catches Pepe and his Dirty Rats by trapping them in an Egyptian pyramid that they are searching for treasure in. |
22 | The Biggest Storm Ever / Cucumber in Rockies / Sally's First Day at School | Spring 1995 | A big storm occurs and Sergeant Murphy evacuates all of Busytown to a shelter, but Mr. Gronkle is left behind. Cucumber manages to stop a runaway boxcar that is carrying a wedding cake in the Canadian rockies. |
23 | No Time for Bananas / Sneef in India / Sally Cat's First Trip | Spring 1995 | Bananas Gorilla gets a crush. Sneef and Sniff take on a jewel thief. |
24 | Grand Hotel / Couscous on the Nile / Cat Family Ski Trip | Spring 1995 | Father Cat reviews the Busytown Grand Hotel. Couscous succeed another mystery taking place on a boat on the Nile River. |
25 | Lowly Breaks His Leg / Cucumber in Machuu Pichuu / The Plight of Penelope Parakeet | Spring 1995 | Lowly breaks his one leg and has to survive with being unable to use it. Cucumber saves a Machuu Pichuu mystery where all the costumes for a parade are stolen. |
26 | A Newspaper Mom / Cucumber in Rio / Donut Raffle | Spring 1995 | Mother cat gets a job for newspaper delivering. Cucumber captures a carnival in Rio. |
Season 3: 1995–96
Nº | Segments | Air date | Synopsis |
---|---|---|---|
27 | The Knights of Busytown / Cave Pigs / Bucketman in Busytown | Fall 1995 | A game of The Knights of Busytown ends when Sally doesn't want to be the maiden in distress. The life of cave pigs is featured. |
28 | Billy Dog Gets Glasses / Cordelia's Debut / Lowly Joins the Circus | Fall 1995 | Billy Dog gets his first pair of glasses. In the Shakespearean era, Cordelia dreams of becoming an actress. |
29 | The Big Dare / Oliver's Sandwich / Pig Will Won't | Fall 1995 | Billy Dog claims he's not scared of ghosts. Oliver is a clumsy butler. |
30 | The Best Birthday Party Ever / Martha's First Book / Locked Out | Fall 1995 | Two simultaneous birthday parties take place in Busytown. In an era where books are printed by hand, Martha reads her first book while witnessing the invention of the printing press. |
31 | Dad's Neat Job / The Discovery of America / Mr. Gronkle's Friends | Fall 1995 | Father Cat does a new job. The story of America being discovered by Admiral Columoose is featured. |
32 | Denys at Camp / Peasant Pig's Gifts / Little Fixit | 1996 | Denys go to camp. Piggy Origami's granddaughter wants a wedding with origami. |
33 | The School Dance / The First Olympics / Hilda for President | 1996 | Hilda plans a school dance. The story of the Greek Olympics is featured. |
34 | Mr. Frumble's Brother / Viking Pigs / The Perfect Wedding | 1996 | Mr. Frumble's twin brother goes searching for him. Pig Pigson's crew is unenthusiastic. |
35 | A Tough Test / The First Pyramid / The Big Date | 1996 | Mr. Tough substitutes for the class. Imhotep builds the first pyramid but neglects his son. |
36 | Inventor of the Year / Macaroni Polo / Lone Wolf at the Lighthouse | 1996 | Huckle is inspired to become an inventor. Macaroni Polo goes to China. |
37 | Fun-Time Riddle Race / The First Balloon / Billy Dog's Space Rock | 1996 | A big riddle race takes place in Busytown starting at the Fire station (with the riddle "When things get really hot, we'll bring you some water") and ending at the Observatory (with the riddle "When it gets dark, look up and watch the show"). The story of the first balloon (a.k.a. Montgolfier) is featured. |
38 | The Best Amusement Park Ever / The First Bridge / Say Cheese, Please! | 1996 | Wolfgang, Benny and Harry open a big amusement park, but have trouble in the process. The cave pigs create the first bridge. |
39 | Has Anyone Seen My Book? / P.J. Pig's Brave Day / Vanderbuilt's New Shoes | 1996 | Sally's book goes missing. P.J. Pig tries to be a knight. |
Season 4: 1996
Nº | Segments | Air date | Synopsis |
---|---|---|---|
40 | The Perfect Gentleman / The Best Painter Ever / The Best Day for Dennis | 1996 | Hilda's friend Rita comes to babysit. Michael Antelope paints the Sistine Chapel. |
41 | A Trip Back in Time / Home Sweet Home / P.S. Pig's Special Friend | 1996 | Mr. Fixit builds a time machine. Cavemen search for a cave for their friend. |
42 | Mr. Fixit's Magnet Machine / Sneef and Sniff at the Opera / Mr. Gronkle Won't Mind | 1996 | Mr. Fixit causes havoc with his new magnet machine that gets out of control and attracts anything made of metal. Sniff and Sneef solve a voice problem at a European Opera. |
43 | Peter's Visit / The First Skis Ever / Stage Fright | 1996 | Sally has an imaginary friend Peter. Bernard is too little to help his big brother. |
44 | End of the Rainbow / A Signal for Peng / Mr. Frumble's Birthday Party | 1996 | The class loves a story about a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Peng's wife has a baby when he gets a job at the Great Wall of China. |
45 | Bananas the Magician / The First Horseless Carriage / Princess Hilda | 1996 | Bananas Gorilla acts as a magician. The story of the first horseless carriage is featured. |
46 | Daylight Savings Time [sic] / Eager Beaver's Clever Game / The Pickle Car Wash | 1996 | A clock tower gets stuck during Daylight Saving Time. Eager Beaver makes a clever game. |
47 | Triple A Deliveries / Stanley's Amazing Photo / Lost in the Swamp | 1996 | Several deliveries take place. Stanley does some of the best photographing. |
48 | Mr. Fixit's Super Submarine / Cahuchu's Magic Tree / Mr. Bean's Restaurant | 1996 | Mr. Fixit invents a submarine and Lowly and Huckle give it a test ride. Little Cahuchu discovers a tree with magical bouncing sap. |
49 | The Best Christmas Present Ever / Abe and Babe's Christmas Lesson / Sally Cat's Christmas Dream | 1996 | The Cat family expects a baby on Christmas. Abe and Babe have been bad, so they get coal for Christmas. |
50 | The Best Car Trip Ever / Earnest's Dish You Can Eat / Cousin Ross | 1996 | The Cat family goes on a big car trip to the beach. Earnest enters the best new dish contest. |
51 | Fill'er Up Scotty / Niagara Falls Mystery / Helper's Helper | 1996 | Scotty's tanker truck breaks down. Cucumber succeeds a mystery when Niagara Falls stops flowing and it is blocked by Beaver Sweet Tooth's gang. |
52 | Who's Afraid of the Big Eclipse / Hold Your Breath! / Pumpkin Heads | 1996 | When there is a misprint in The Bugle, the townspeople think that the sun will disappear for 360 years. Toula and her father catch a gold necklace in their net. |
Season 5: 1997
Nº | Segments | Air date | Synopsis |
---|---|---|---|
53 | The Mole Machine / The Royal Game of Dennis / Now That's Progress | 1997 | Mr. Fixit invents a mole machine. Abbott Thomas's monk Dennis is unhappy. |
54 | Superstitious Bananas / Pépé le Gangstaire / Drive-Through Movie | 1997 | Bananas Gorilla thinks he's doomed to bad luck. Couscous is shocked that the dirty rats are being let out of jail. |
55 | King and Queen for a Day / The Piggy Express / Practice Makes Prefect | 1997 | Huckle and Hilda become king and queen. Piggy delivers mail through stormy weather. |
56 | The Winners / No More Games, Manuel! / We Won't Go to the Doctor! | 1997 | Busytown holds a race. Manuel plays jungle explorer. |
57 | Never Too Small / Albert, the Belgian Barge Captain / Rainy Day | 1997 | Sally and Robbie are too small for basketball. There's a festival of giants in Belgium. |
58 | Mr. Gronkle Comes to Stay / Leo-pardo's Smile / Blooming Busytown | 1997 | Mr. Gronkle stays with the Cat family during winter, but freezes in the ice. Leo-pardo is an inventor genius but discovers his greatest innovation. |
59 | Match-Makers / Forget-bur Never Forgets / Toof Trouble | 1997 | Huckle plays matchmaker for Mr. Frumble. In Mesopotamia before writing was invented, royal architect Forget-bur tries to build a Ziggurat for the king but keeps forgetting his plans. |
60 | The New Neighbors / The First Halloween Ever / Now I Know My One, Two, Threes! | 1997 | A new neighbor moves into Busytown's spooky house. The story of the first Halloween is told. |
61 | Mr. Gronkle Moves Away / Counting Chickens / The Spelling Bee | 1997 | Mr. Gronkle moves to the quiet countryside. Before numbers were invented, a scribe must take inventory of an estate. |
62 | Huckle's Feathery Friends / The First Valentine Ever / The Sleepover | 1997 | Huckle knocks out a bird's nest. The first valentine is created. |
63 | Count on Us! / The First Easter Egg Ever / Be My Valentine | 1997 | The story of the first easter egg is featured, the Easter Bunny comes to Busytown and Huckle gets some bird friends. |
64 | The Mystery of the Stone Circle / The Big Apple Christmas Caper / Who's too Scared to Masquerade? / | 1997 | A substitute teacher takes the class to the Stone Circle. On Christmas someone tries to rob New York. |
65 | A Message in a Bottle / Santa Needs Help / There Really is an Easter Bunny | 1997 | Series finale. While playing pirate, Huckle discovers a message in a bottle with an SOS message. Hilda writes a Christmas story. |
Home releases
On July 27, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment released The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Every Day There's Something New on DVD in Region 1 (US only). This 3-disc set features the first 30 episodes of the series.[5] On July 19, 2011, Mill Creek released The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Fun in Busytown!, a 4-disc set that features the remaining 35 episodes of the series.[6]
On August 4, 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released The Busy World of Richard Scarry- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 which includes bonus episodes of Busytown Mysteries, Wimzie's House and Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings.[7]
Music
Most of the music was written by two composers. The theme song was written by Sara Zahn and composed by Milan Kymlicka, while the underscore was composed and conducted by Laurent Petitgirard and Steve Wener. Several other composers contributed to several educational shorts in the series.
References
- ^ Erickson, Hal (30 July 2005). Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 166. ISBN 0786422556. OCLC 57349103.
The Busy World of Richard Scarry series preached ... Showtime: debuted March 9, 1994
- ^ Erickson, Hal (30 July 2005). Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 166. ISBN 0786422556. OCLC 57349103.
The Busy World of Richard Scarry series preached ... Showtime: debuted March 9, 1994
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 100. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. pp. 36–37. ISBN 9781476672939.
- ^ "The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Every Day There's Something New". 27 July 2010 – via Amazon.
- ^ "Busy World of Richard Scarry - Fun in Busytown!". 19 July 2011 – via Amazon.
- ^ Mill Creek's 'Complete Series' 6-DVD Set...Soon! Archived 2015-07-26 at the Wayback Machine