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Wonder Pets!

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Wonder Pets!
Genre Children's television series
Created by Josh Selig
Starring

Sofie Zamchick, Teala Dunn and Danica Lee

Country of origin United States
Language American English
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 62
Production
Running time 23 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel Nickelodeon (2006-2011) Nick Jr. (2006-2018)
Original run March 3, 2006 - October 17, 2016

Wonder Pets! is an American animated musical children's television series created by Josh Selig, who had previously created Oobi for Nickelodeon and Noggin. The series was based on a set of short pilot episodes that Selig wrote and animated between production cycles of Oobi in 2003.

The first episode of Wonder Pets! debuted on March 3, 2006, on the Nick Jr. block of the Nickelodeon cable television network and Noggin (now Nick Jr.) on August 31, 2006. It won an Emmy Award in 2008 for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.

A reboot series, Wonder Pets: In The City, was released on Apple TV+ on December 13, 2024. The series centers on a new team of Wonder Pets and takes place in New York City. Selig and Little Airplane are not involved in the revival due to the latter being shut down by parent company Studio 100 in 2023, and was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

Summary[]

Stars of the Wonder Pets! Linny the Guinea Pig, Turtle Tuck, and Ming-Ming Duckling are classroom pets who, after the last child has left for the day, answer a tin-can call from a baby animal in distress somewhere in the world. They instantly hop, fly, or crawl into action by flying off to the rescue in their Flyboat (which is made from scattered playroom toys). The main characters communicate via song, using real children's voices. Award-winning composers have developed musical accompaniments that match the ups and downs of each adventure and the culture of the area explored.

Cast[]

Episode List[]

Season 1 (2006-2008)[]

  1. Save the Dolphin! / Save the Chimp! (March 3, 2006)
  2. Save the Unicorn! / Save the Penguin! (March 3, 2006)
  3. Save the Sea Lions! / Save the Kangaroo! (March 6, 2006)
  4. Save the Caterpillar! / Save the Crane! (March 7, 2006)
  5. Save the Duckling! / Save the Kitten! (March 8, 2006)
  6. Save the Pigeon! / Save the Dinosaur! (March 9, 2006)
  7. Save the Cow! / Save the Skunk! (March 10, 2006)
  8. Save the Swan! / Save the Puppy! (March 13, 2006)
  9. Save the Tree! / Save the Elephant! (March 14, 2006)
  10. Save the Panda! / Save the Mouse! (March 15, 2006)
  11. Save the Camel! / Save the Ants! (September 11, 2006)
  12. Save the Hedgehog! / Save the Crocodile! (September 12, 2006)
  13. Save the Bullfrog! / Save the Poodle! (September 13, 2006)
  14. Save the Sheep! / Save the Hermit Crab! (September 14, 2006)
  15. Save the Black Kitten! / Save the Yak, the Pig, and the Dancing Bear! (October 26, 2006)
  16. Save the Reindeer! (December 8, 2006)
  17. Save the Three Little Pigs! / Save the Owl! (February 19, 2007)
  18. Save the Wonder Pets! (April 23, 2007)
  19. Save the Goldfish! / Save the Baby Birds! (June 28, 2007/May 23, 2008)
  20. Save the Egg! / Save the Flamingo! (October 22, 2007)

Season 2[]

  1. Save the Bee! / Save the Squirrel!
  2. Save the Chameleon! / Save the Platypus!
  3. Save the Beetles! / Three Wonder Pets and a Baby!
  4. Save the Dragon! / Save the Beaver!
  5. Save Little Red Riding Hood! / Save the Turtle!
  6. Off to School! / Save the Pirate Parrot!
  7. Save the Ladybug! / Save the Sea Turtle!
  8. Save the Goslings! / Ollie to the Rescue!
  9. Save the Pangaroo! / Save the Cricket!
  10. Kalamazoo! / Help the Cow Jump Over the Moon!
  11. Save the Bengal Tiger!
  12. Save the Armadillo! / Save the Itsy-Bitsy Spider!
  13. Save the Gecko! / Save the What?
  14. Join the Circus!
  15. Save the Nutcracker!
  16. Save the Old White Mouse! / The Adventures of Bee and Slug!
  17. Save the Griffin! / Save the Rooster!
  18. Save the Rat Pack! / Save the Fiddler Crab on the Roof!
  19. Save the Hound Dog! / Save the Glowworm!
  20. Here's Ollie! / Save the Visitor!

Season 3[]

  1. Save the Raccoon! / Save the Loch Ness Monster!
  2. Save the Cool Cat and the Hip Hippo! / Tuck and Buck!
  3. Save the Mermaid! / Save the Pony Express!
  4. Save the Honey Bears! / Save the Stinkbug!
  5. The Amazing Ollie! / Help the Monster!
  6. A Job Well Done! / Save the Rhino!
  7. Save the Bat! / Save the Acting Donkey!
  8. Save the Lovebugs! / Save the Skunk Rocker!
  9. Help the Easter Bunny! / Save the Visitor's Birthday Party!
  10. How It All Began!
  11. Happy Mother's Day! / Save the Sun Bear!
  12. Save the Vixen! / Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!
  13. Save Humpty Dumpty! / Save the Meerkats!
  14. Save the Rock Lobster! / Help the Houseguest!
  15. Adventures in Wonderland!
  16. Save the Moose in the Caboose! / Climb Everest!
  17. Save the Dancing Duck! / Save the Dalmatian!
  18. Help the Groundhog! / Help the Lion Cub!
  19. In the Land of Oz!
  20. Back to Kalamazoo! / Bee and Slug Underground!
  21. The Bigger the Better! / Help Little Bo Peep!
  22. Save the Genie!

Format[]

The series follows a trio of classroom pets—Linny the Guinea Pig, Turtle Tuck, and Ming-Ming Duckling—who use teamwork to help animals in need. Most of the characters' dialogue is sung in the style of a sung-through musical. Each episode is set to original music by a 10-member live orchestra.

Characters[]

Linny[]

Linny the guinea pig is a five-year-old girl and the leader of the Wonder Pets. As a superhero, she wears an orange-yellow cap and a blue cape. Linny appears to be the most educated of the group, often providing different zoological and geographical information to the others. She is usually the one to remind the group about teamwork or other values and offer praise. She leads Ming-Ming and Tuck in most of the show's primary songs and usually has the responsibility of starting the "Flyboat". Linny's catch phrase is "This calls for some celery!", usually declared at the conclusion of each adventure. Before Wonder Pets, Linny starred in a few three-minute shorts on Nick Jr. titled Linny the Guinea Pig, where Linny would explore different environments such as the ocean and outer space.

Tuck[]

Tuck, a turtle, is a four-year-old Red Eared Slider terrapin boy. He is described as sensitive with an emotional connection to living things and the heart of the group. As a superhero, he wears a white French sailor's cap, blue Aquasocks, and a red cape. Tuck is empathetic, often desiring to give the rescued animals a hug or keeping them company while Linny and Ming-Ming put their rescue plan into action. He also has keen observational skills, spotting things from a distance, which often garners him the compliment, "Good eye, Tuck!".

Ming-Ming[]

At age three, Ming-Ming is an overconfident young duckling. As a superhero girl, she wears a leather pilot's helmet, goggles, and a green cape. Unlike the other Wonder Pets, she has the ability to fly. She can also speak "bird", allowing her to talk to other birds that the Wonder Pets encounter. Ming-Ming also believes that her great-grandfather was an eagle. Ming-Ming sometimes tries to take on big problems by herself and in one episode ("Save the Duckling") she even becomes the animal that needed rescuing. Ming-Ming often provides comic relief in the show. Ming-Ming is voiced by Danica Lee. When Lee auditioned for the role, she pronounced her "R" sounds as "W" sounds (as in "This is Se-wious!"). The producers said that her speech impediment had an endearing quality and that young children commonly mispronounce certain sounds. Some people have criticized Ming-Ming's speech pattern, but consultants for the show point out that many characters in children's programs have childlike speech patterns. Danica Lee has been nominated twice, in 2007 and 2008, for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program. Ming-Ming sometimes refers to herself as "Ming-Ming Duck".

Recurring characters[]

Ollie the Bunny[]

Ollie is a male rabbit who is four years old. He first guest stars in the series in the episode, "Save The Skunk!" He boasts and brags a bit. Ollie was the first animal that the pets ever saved.

Little Bee[]

Little Bee first guest stars in the episode "Save the Bee!". She is friends with a cricket, Slug, and a glowworm named Lucy. Her last appearance was in "Bee and Slug Underground!".

Modes of transportation[]

In each episode, the pets create something out of toys to get them to the animal in trouble.

Flyboat[]

The Flyboat is the most common vehicle that the pets assemble. The main base is a red Frisbee with four blue and yellow wheels, three lights, green, orange, and purple, and a clear plastic bottom where five gears that are possibly part of the engine. Then the rocket boosters are two dry erase marker caps that are controlled by a green Popsicle stick that, when lifted up makes them point down, which allows the Flyboat to hover in the air. Lastly, the Flyboat has a mast made out of blue erector pieces with a marble on top and a sail (the color/design/print varies) with the Wonder Pets logo on it. Usually, Linny drives the Flyboat, but there are episodes where Ming-Ming or Tuck drive instead. Most other modes of transportation are a variation of the Flyboat and primarily use the same components.

For more information about the Flyboat, click here.

Episode structure[]

Each episode follows a similar structure, with some variation, in terms of the storyline and the musical form.

As each episode begins, viewers hear the school children, off-screen, leaving school at the end of the day. They say goodbye to the classroom pets. Once the classroom is vacant, a pencil holder rattles to create the ringing of a telephone. Often, the classroom will be decorated with student artwork or other items related to the storyline, particular animal or geographic location of that episode.

One by one, the classroom pets wordlessly notice the ringing phone. Up to this point in the episode, they have acted like normal animals and not said a single word. But as the phone rings, the Wonder Pets get dressed and make their way towards the phone while singing their opening verses.

The Wonder Pets answer the phone and find that an animal is in trouble somewhere. Linny explains the situation to the other two. They all jump into a box filled with fabric scraps and jump back out, wearing various different outfits, often alluding to the area of the world they will be visiting. They make a quick joke then jump back into the box and emerge in their Wonder Pets capes.

Once dressed, they assemble a flying boat called "The Flyboat" from classroom objects: a Frisbee for a body, magic marker caps as rocket exhausts, a marble, wheels, the mast, and a sheet of paper for the sail. Usually, the Wonder Pets encounter some sort of obstacle before, during, or after leaving the classroom. The solution is invariably similar to the action they will need to take to save the animal in trouble.

When saving the animal, the Wonder Pets often fail on the first few attempts. Then the danger escalates, prompting Ming-Ming to once again sing, "This is se-wious!" Suddenly, the Wonder Pets remember how they solved the problem in the classroom and realize that the rescue has the same solution. Then they have to work together to achieve the rescue.

Once the animal is saved, a parent or other relative often comes out of nowhere to give grateful thanks to the Wonder Pets for saving its baby. The Wonder Pets celebrate with a celery snack, which the rescued animal's parent sometimes adds to with a bit of regional food, or they insist on a regional preparation. Then they fly back to the classroom. They wordlessly return to their cages until the next episode. The Flying boat smoothly disassembles by itself. Linny is always the last one to get back in her cage, and her cape and cap come off. The music style that has to do with the saving that day is played, as Linny takes a bite out of the celery in her cage and winks towards the camera as the closing credits begin.

History[]

Josh Selig and Jennifer Oxley developed the idea for Wonder Pets! while working on their previous show, Oobi. The series started out with two animated shorts called "Linny the Guinea Pig", which acted as pilot episodes. To animate them, Oxley created a style of animation called "photo-puppetry" that uses photos of real objects and moves them using Adobe After Effects. The shorts featured Linny going on adventures set to classical music. In 2003, Little Airplane screened the shorts at the wrap party for Oobi's second season. The shorts caught the attention of Nickelodeon, who picked up the shorts to air in between shows on the Nick Jr. block.

The two original shorts were aired throughout 2003 and 2004. For the full-length series, the characters of Tuck and Ming-Ming were added to form a team of hero pets. Tuck was created using photos of Jennifer Oxley's own pet turtle (a red-eared slider). The first long-form episode debuted on March 3, 2006, as part of the Nick Jr. block on Nickelodeon. On that same day, the series started airing on Noggin as well. It ran for three seasons and 62 episodes. The final episode aired on October 17, 2016. The first two seasons and the majority of season 3 aired on Nickelodeon, while the last 9 episodes only aired on the separate Nick Jr. Channel.

Toys and merchandising[]

Fisher Price began distributing a line of official Wonder Pets toys & playsets in the U.S. in March 2008. Toys include: Flyboat, figurine playsets and plush animals. These figurine playsets have each Wonder Pet saving a different baby animal. These include Linny saving a baby penguin, Tuck saving a baby bluebird and Ming-Ming rescuing a kitten. In addition there is a whale playset for the tub. Nickelodeon Universe, a theme park inside Minnesota's Mall of America, also has a children's ride dedicated to the Flyboat.

Broadcast and release[]

Wonder Pets! premiered on Nickelodeon, airing on March 3, 2006, as well as Noggin on the same day.

DVD compilations[]

Name Release Date Episodes
Save the Wonder Pets! April 24, 2007 "Save the Wonder Pets!", "Save the Sea Lions!", "Save the Kangaroo!", "Save the Caterpillar!", "Save the Crane!", "Save the Hedgehog!" and "Save the Crocodile!"
Save the Unicorn! September 11, 2007 "Save the Unicorn!", "Save the Penguin!", "Save the Three Little Pigs!", "Save the Owl!", "Save the Swan!", "Save the Puppy!", "Save the Bullfrog!" and "Save the Poodle!"
Save the Reindeer! October 2, 2007 "Save the Reindeer!", "Save the Camel!", "Save the Ants!", "Save the Goldfish!", "Save the Baby Birds!", "Save the Egg!" and "Save the Flamingo!"
Save the Dinosaur! February 12, 2008 "Save the Dinosaur!", "Save the Pigeon!", "Save the Dragon!", "Save the Beaver!", "Save the Bee!", "Save the Squirrel!", "Save the Dolphin!" and "Save the Chimp!"
Save the Beetles! April 22, 2008 "Save the Beetles!", "Three Wonder Pets and a Baby!", "Save the Chameleon!", "Save the Platypus!", "Save the Duckling!", "Save the Kitten!", "Save the Sheep!" and "Save the Hermit Crab!"
Save the Nursery Rhyme! June 3, 2008 "Help the Cow Jump Over the Moon!", "Save the Itsy Bitsy Spider!", "Save Little Red Riding Hood!", "Save the Turtle!", "Save the Griffin!", "Save the Rooster!", "Save the Panda!" and "Save the Mouse!"
Save the Bengal Tiger! September 9, 2008 "Save the Bengal Tiger!", "Save the Gecko!", "Save the What?", "Save the Ladybug!", "Save the Sea Turtle!", "Save the Goslings!" and "Ollie to the Rescue!"
Save the Nutcracker! October 7, 2008 "Save the Nutcracker!" "Save the Pangaroo!", "Save the Cricket!", "Save the Old White Mouse!", "The Adventures of Bee and Slug!","Save the Cow!", and "Save the Skunk!"
Join the Circus! February 24, 2009 "Join the Circus!", "Save the Rat Pack!", "Fiddler Crab on the Roof!", "Save the Armadillo!", "Save the Visitor!", "Save the Tree!" and "Save the Elephant!"
Ollie's Slumber Party! June 9, 2009 "Here's Ollie!", "Save the Hound Dog", "The Amazing Ollie!", "Help the Monster!", "Save the Cool Cat and the Hip Hippo!", "Tuck and Buck!", "Save the Dancing Duck!", and "Save the Dalmatian!"
The First Rescue April 5, 2010 "How It All Began!", "Happy Mother's Day!", "Save the Sun Bear!", "Save the Mermaid!", "Save the Visitor's Birthday Party!", "A Job Well Done!", and "Save the Rhino!"
Season 1 October 26, 2015 "Save the Dolphin!", "Save the Chimp!", "Save the Unicorn!", "Save the Penguin!", "Save the Sea Lions!", "Save the Kangaroo!", "Save the Caterpillar!", "Save the Crane!", "Save the Duckling!", "Save the Kitten!", "Save the Pigeon!", "Save the Dinosaur!", "Save the Cow!", "Save the Skunk!", "Save the Swan!", "Save the Puppy!", "Save the Tree!", "Save the Elephant!", "Save the Panda!", and "Save the Mouse!"

Soundtrack[]

In addition to the DVDs and books, the show's self-titled track, Wonder Pets!, was released on April 10, 2007. The soundtrack features songs from the show itself, including the main self-titled theme song.

  1. "The Wonder Pets!"
  2. "Poor Baby Squirrel"
  3. "The Caterpillar's Song"
  4. "Oh, Sheep-eee-hooo!"
  5. "Tickle the Whale"
  6. "To Be Free!"
  7. "Hold On, Pigeon!"
  8. "Fruit Salad"
  9. "City Garden Rap"
  10. "Hug a Hedgy"
  11. "The Oasis"
  12. "Hola, Hermit Crab!"
  13. "Wee-Wee, Pee-Pee, Tinkle!"
  14. "Brown Cow Down"
  15. "Wonder Pets, We Love You!"
  16. "The Wonder Pets! Theme" (Instrumental)

Trivia[]

  • Season 1 began production in 2005 and wrapped in the same year. It is the only season to be produced in a year.
  • At first, the show was called The Super Singing Power Pets!, but it was later renamed Wonder Pets! because the former name was too long.
  • Shown on this website, it is revealed that in 2004, the show was going to be called "Power Pets."
    • Also, Tuck was planned to be a baby turtle.
  • How it all Began! was originally the series finale, but Nickelodeon ordered two new specials for Little Airplane Productions.
  • Save the Penguin! and Save the Panda! are the first episodes ever produced. According to this site, those episodes were produced in early 2004. Although in airing order, Save the Dolphin! and Save the Chimp! are the first episodes.
  • Save the Penguin became one of the most famous episodes in Nick Jr. history and became a very popular meme on social media such as YouTube, TikTok, etc, because of the line "A baby penguin, caught on an iceberg".
  • A lot of viewers were confused by Linny's gender and species, some even believing she was a porcupine (porcupines wouldn’t make good school pets, due to their quills).
    • Also, a lot of viewers confused her name for Lenny or Winny (who is her grandmother).
  • Tuck was created using photos of Jennifer Oxley's own pet turtle.
  • Ming-Ming speaks with a prominent rhotacism, which is a difficulty in producing r sounds in her speech, causing them to sound like w. Case in point, she'd say "This is SE-WIOUS!" whenever there’s trouble.

Gallery[]

External links[]

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