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What's with Andy?

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What's with Andy?
Also known asSacré Andy ![3]
GenreCringe comedy
Physical comedy
Surreal humour
Slapstick
Based onJust!
by Andy Griffiths
Directed by
  • Tim Deacon and Jon Minnis (season 1)
  • Richard Paré and Gilles Dayez (season 2)
  • Nick Vallinakis (season 3)
Creative directorJon Minnis (season 2)
Voices ofIan James Corlett
Composers
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • United States (season 1)
  • France (season 2)
Original languagesEnglish, French
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Jacques Pettigrew
  • Michel Lemire (seasons 1–2)
  • Andrew Makarewicz and Joe Purdy (season 1)
  • Marie-Claude Beauchamp, Jacqueline Tordjman, and Olivier Dumont (season 2)
  • Oliver Schablitzki (season 3)
Producers
  • Danièle Joubert (seasons 1–2)
  • Michel Lemire (seasons 1, 3)
  • Bruno Bianchi (season 2)
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseJune 30, 2001 (2001-06-30)[1][2] –
March 4, 2007 (2007-03-04)[2]

What's with Andy? (French: Sacré Andy!)[3] is an animated children's television series loosely based on the semi-autobiographical Just! book series by Australian author Andy Griffiths.[6][7] The series is produced by CinéGroupe and aired on Teletoon, with various Disney-affiliated foreign studios and networks involved throughout the production of the series.

The main character is Andy Larkin, a mischievous teen and the self-proclaimed "world's greatest prankster". The show follows him as he tries to perform elaborate practical jokes, or pranks, on people in the fictional town of East Gackle, as his best friend, Danny Pickett, helps him out with almost every prank; his antagonists include: his older sister, Jen Larkin; and the bullies Peter Lik and Andrew Leech. He has a crush on a girl named Lori Mackney, whom he usually tries to impress.

The first season features an American cast of voice actors (with the exception of Canadian-born Ian James Corlett) and takes place in the United States. However, starting with the second season, all voice actors and screenwriters are Canadians and the show is set in the Canadian Prairies. Throughout the series, Andy often breaks the fourth wall to address the audience, with the screen freezing in black and white in the first season – a distinctive feature of the show referred to as "Doodle Vision".[8]

Characters

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Andrew "Andy" Larkin

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Andy is a teenager who loves to prank and joke people as well as annoy his friends and family (especially his sister), but often gets into trouble. His best friend is Danny and he has a crush on Lori. His catchphrase is "Cheque, please!" His name comes from Andy Griffiths, whom he is based on.

Daniel "Danny" Tadeus Pickett

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Andy's best friend and right-hand man, helping him out with countless pranks and jokes. His last name has always been Pickett. The name "Danny Pickett is taken directly from the Just books. It's revealed in The Unfortunate One, that Danny is an Aries.[citation needed]

Lori Mackney

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Andy's crush but she is dismayed by his childishness due to his pranking. It is hinted that she returns Andy's feelings and dislikes Jen because she thinks that Jen abuses Andy. She wears a cropped green tank top, blue skirt and slide sandals. She is known as "Lisa" in the books.

The Larkin family

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  • Mr. Al Larkin: Andy and Jen's father and Freida's husband who also used to be a prankster, known as "The Mystery Prankster and Jester", aka "The Mystery Prankster and Jester of East Gackle" (he hides this fact from his family). However, he was cured of pranking and joking by school counselor, Mrs. Murphy.
  • Mrs. Freida Larkin: Andy and Jen's mother and Al's wife. She knows nothing about her husband's past as a prankster and jester.
  • Jennifer "Jen" Larkin: Andy's older sister who is always cranky and irritable. She blames her younger brother Andy for almost everything and finds his pranks jokes childish and unfunny. She is unaware of her father's past as a prankster and jester.
  • Spank Larkin: Andy's fat and lazy dog. Spank frequently yawns, especially after going for a walk. He also appears to have flatulence problems.
  • Norman Larkin: Andy's grandfather and Al's father who is also a prankster and jester, implying that the male side of the Larkin family comes from a long line of pranksters and jesters (apparently with the exception of Al, but in the episode "Mind Games" it was revealed that he also used to be a prankster and jester, possibly even greater than his son or father).

Recurring/minor characters

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  • Teri: Jen's best friend.
  • Jervis Coltrane: A Canadian French snob who has a crush on Lori Mackney and dreams of being the Prime Minister of Canada.
  • Peter Lik and Andrew Leech: Peter and Andrew are Andy's and Danny's nemeses. They are usually referred to as Lik and Leech.
  • Craig Bennett: Jen's crush and one of the best athletes of East Gackle.
  • Martin Bonwick: He is a stereotypically nervous nerd who very often gets bullied.
  • Victor "Vic" Muskowitz (Mush): The pizza delivery man of East Gackle who is a good friend of Andy and Danny and he sometimes helps them with pranks.
  • Steve Rowgee Jr.: A dumb police officer who is the incompetent son of Steve Rowgee Sr.
  • Steve Rowgee Sr.: A police officer who is an old man, who always commands Steve Rowgee Jr. (his son) and is nicknamed the Iron Fisted Maniac.
  • Principal DeRosa: He is the bad-tempered principal of the school in East Gackle and the main antagonist who is obsessed with punishing Andy.
  • Mr. Hutchins: One of the many teachers at East Gackle school, Andy likes to prank and joke him more than the other teachers.
  • Mayor Henry K. Roth: The mayor of East Gackle.
  • Mayor Simms: Mayor of West Gackle and Mayor Henry K. Roth's rival.
  • Clyde: The janitor of the school.
  • Hazel Strinner: She has a crush on Andy and Lori's protecting friend.
  • Louella Berman: Frieda's best friend.
  • Mrs. Wibbles: Principal DeRosa's secretary.

Voice actors

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Name Season 1 VA Season 2 VA Season 3 VA
Andy Larkin Ian James Corlett
Danny Pickett Bumper Robinson Daniel Brochu
Lori Mackney Colleen O'Shaughnessey Jaclyn Linetsky Eleanor Noble
Jen Larkin Jenna von Oÿ Jessica Kardos
Al Larkin Dee Bradley Baker Arthur Holden
Freida Larkin Cathy Cavadini Susan Glover
Teri Holly Gauthier-Frankel
Jervis Coltrane Dee Bradley Baker Bruce Dinsmore
Peter Lik Danny Cooksey Mark Hauser
Andrew Leech Scott Parkin Craig Francis
Craig Bennett Carlos Alazraqui Matt Holland
Martin Bonwick Dee Bradley Baker Michael Yarmush
Mush Mushond Lee Mathew Mackay
Steve Rowgee Sr. Dee Bradley Baker Terrence Scammell
Steve Rowgee Jr. Tom Kenny Craig Francis
Mr. Hutchins Dee Bradley Baker Bruce Dinsmore
Principal DeRosa Terrence Scammell
Mayor Roth Tom Kenny Rick Jones

Additional voices (first season only)

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Episodes

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Main article: List of What's with Andy? episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
126CanadaJune 30, 2001 (2001-06-30)April 7, 2002 (2002-04-07)
U.S.September 22, 2001July 21, 2002
226September 3, 2003 (2003-09-03)April 11, 2004 (2004-04-11)
326September 3, 2006 (2006-09-03)March 4, 2007 (2007-03-04)

Production

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The show is based on Andy Griffiths' children's series of Just! books (which were illustrated by Terry Denton), although many episodes are not directly based on the books. Changes from the books to the TV series include Andy's last name, which was originally that of his creator, and other minor name changes, such as Lori's name being Lisa in the books. The book series was based on the early life of Andy Griffiths.[6]

It was originally an interactive Flash movie with completely different voice actors and a promotion for Fox Kids.[citation needed] A TV adaptation was announced by CinéGroupe on March 23, 2001 for broadcast on Teletoon and Fox Family later on in the year.[9] Saban Entertainment participated in production[4][5] and held distribution rights (Saban International).[5]

The main production of the series moved to Canada in season 2, which was co-produced with the French studio SIP Animation (itself split from Saban Entertainment) and in association with German channel Super RTL. All the voice cast had to be replaced with this move with the exception of Andy Larkin's voice actor Ian James Corlett, as he was Canadian himself. As Saban Entertainment had by then been acquired by Disney, distribution of this season was handled by Disney subsidiary Buena Vista International Television.

In September 2003, the voice of Lori in Season 2, Jaclyn Linetsky, who also played the title character on Caillou, Meg in Mega Babies, and Megan O’ Connor in 15/Love, died in a traffic collision during production. She had managed to finish all of Season 2 prior to her death, but for the following season she was replaced by Eleanor Noble. The episode "Nurse Jen" was dedicated in her memory.

Season 3 was a collaboration between CinéGroupe and Super RTL, and distributed by the production company directly. The whole series was later added to CinéGroupe distribution partner HG Distribution's catalogue.[10]

Release

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Broadcast

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What's with Andy? originally aired on Teletoon in Canada.[9] In Australia, where the books originated, it was broadcast on Fox Kids.[11]

United States

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In the United States, the series was first shown on September 22, 2001[12][13] on Fox Family Channel,[14] later ABC Family.[15] On January 17, 2005, it premiered on Toon Disney,[16] which also had rights to the second but not the third season.[17]

Europe

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In Europe, the series was licensed to Fox Kids Europe, with television distribution serviced by Buena Vista International Television. The show aired on Fox Kids networks in the UK, France and Greece,[18] with Super RTL in Germany[19] and TF1 in France[20] having free-TV rights at the time. By June 2003, plans for the series to air on Fox Kids in Central and Eastern Europe were announced, along with plans for a free-TV expansion for the series, with plans to pre-sell the series to Fox Kids in the Netherlands, Mediatrade in Italy, Antena 3 in Spain, SIC in Portugal and RTE in Ireland.[19]

The show continued to air on the network after the rebranding as Jetix.[21]

Home media

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VHS

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On April 8, 2003, CinéGroupe Star released a set of three VHS tapes called "Double Trouble"/"Sacré Délire", which featured an episode each from this show and The Kids from Room 402, alongside a music video from the Pig City tie-in album "Reggie and the Rashers".[22] Volume 1 featured the episode "It Came from East Gackle", Volume 2 featured the episode "Just Stuffing", and Volume 3 featured the episode "Rhyme Time". The releases were sold in separate English[23][24][25] and French versions,[26][27][28] respectively.

DVD

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All 26 episodes from season 1, as well as the first 7 episodes of season 2, were released on 10 DVD volumes with English audio in the Czech Republic in 2010.[29][30]

The show was also released on DVD in other European countries, but only in the respective languages (i.e. without the original English audio). All of season 2 (and most of season 1) was released on DVD in Germany,[31] and the entirety of season 1 was released on 5 DVD volumes in Russia.[32]

Streaming

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Season 3 was available on the Canadian YouTube channel Encore+ in both English[33] and French[34] until its shutdown in November 2022. This season was previously available in German on Kividoo.[35]

Music

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The three German-language theme songs for each season were released on Toggo music CDs volumes 4,[19][36] 7,[37] and 17[38] respectively by Sony Music, with the first and third-season songs being extended versions. The original English-language theme was also released on volume 2.[39]

The soundtrack (including themes) from the first two seasons is distributed as production music by Red Brick Songs (formerly Casablanca Media Publishing) in Canada.[4]

Reception

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What's with Andy? received very high ratings in a number of countries.

On Teletoon in Canada, it was reported to be the second highest-rated original production as of October 2007.[40] It also had about 40% market share in France (Fox Kids/TF1) and Germany as of 2003.[19] The show won a fall 2002 Super RTL cartoon election poll with 60% of the vote,[19] and obtained the second-highest ratings on the channel in July 2006.[41]

References

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  1. ^ "The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 29, 2001 · 85". Newspapers.com. 2001-06-29. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  2. ^ a b "Television Program Logs". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. 2016-03-02.[dead link‍] Alt URL
  3. ^ a b "www.teletoon.com". Archived from the original on 2001-11-20.
  4. ^ a b c d "Casablanca Media Publishing - Search Results". Archived from the original on 2018-07-16.
  5. ^ a b c "TELETOON: New Shows: Braceface". August 14, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-08-14.
  6. ^ a b "FAQ". 8 August 2015.
  7. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 900. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  8. ^ "New Cinegroupe Series Coming To Teletoon And Fox Family Channel". Animation World Network.
  9. ^ a b "Cinegroupe shoots What's With Andy?".
  10. ^ "What's With Andy?". HG Distribution. August 6, 2015.
  11. ^ "Welcome To Foxkids.com.au". February 5, 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-02-05.
  12. ^ Margulies, Lee (18 September 2001). "Pop/rock" – via LA Times.
  13. ^ Maynard, John (September 22, 2001). "SATURDAY". The Washington Post.
  14. ^ Bernstein, Paula (29 March 2001). "Fox in a family way".
  15. ^ "Holiday helping: The season burns bright with television specials". old.post-gazette.com.
  16. ^ "The Cable Forum - Toon Disney January Highlights". cabletvt.powerrangermail.net. 23 June 2023.
  17. ^ Canadian Claimants Written Direct Statements (PDF). Distribution of the 2000 - 2003 Cable Royalty Funds (Report). Copyright Royalty Board. June 15, 2010. pp. 58, 145. 2008-2 CRB CD 2000-2003. What's with Andy - season 1 and /or 2
  18. ^ "It's all Greek to Fox Kids". 2001-10-03.
  19. ^ a b c d e "What's With Andy? at Licensing 2003". www.toymania.com.
  20. ^ "Whats with Andy licensing". Jetix Europe. 2003-06-09. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  21. ^ "Jetix localises in Bulgaria".
  22. ^ "Sacré Délire - Volume 1". 6 May 2003. Archived from the original on 6 May 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  23. ^ "Double Trouble: What's with Andy? / The kids from room 40". Retrieved 24 August 2018 – via Amazon.
  24. ^ "Double Trouble: What's with Andy? / The kids from room 40 - vol :2". Retrieved 24 August 2018 – via Amazon.
  25. ^ "Double Trouble: What's with Andy? / The kids from room 40 - vol :3". Retrieved 24 August 2018 – via Amazon.
  26. ^ "Sacré Délire - Volume 1". 6 May 2003. Archived from the original on 6 May 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  27. ^ "Sacré Délire - Volume 2". 6 May 2003. Archived from the original on 6 May 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  28. ^ "Sacré Délire - Volume 2". 8 May 2003. Archived from the original on 8 May 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  29. ^ Tvorbawww.cz. "Co je Andy? 01 (DVD)". Filmarena.cz. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  30. ^ Tvorbawww.cz. "Co je Andy? 10 (DVD)". Filmarena.cz. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  31. ^ "Typisch Andy! | Zeichentrickserien auf DVD". Zeichentrickserien.de. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  32. ^ "Что с Энди? Правила маскарада (DVD) - купить мультфильм /What's with Andy?/ на DVD с доставкой. GoldDisk - Интернет-магазин Лицензионных DVD" (in Russian). Golddisk.ru. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  33. ^ "What's with Andy? - YouTube". YouTube.
  34. ^ "Sacré Andy - YouTube". YouTube.
  35. ^ https://www.kividoo.de/serien/typisch-andy [permanent dead link‍]
  36. ^ "Toggo-die 4te" – via Amazon.
  37. ^ "Toggo-die 7te". Amazon Germany.
  38. ^ "Toggo Music 17" – via Amazon.
  39. ^ "Toggo - Die 2te" – via Amazon.
  40. ^ "Tops with Teletoon". Playback. Toronto: Brunico Communications. October 29, 2007.
  41. ^ "Euro airwave toppers" (PDF). KidScreen. Vol. 11, no. 7. Toronto: Brunico Communications. September 2006. p. 32.
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