Sheep in the Big City | |
---|---|
Genre |
Alternative comedy Variety Slapstick |
Created by | Mo Willems |
Written by | Mo Willems David Wain Joey Mazzarino |
Directed by | Karen Villarreal Maurice Joyce Sue Perrotto Tom Warburton |
Voices of |
Kevin Seal James Godwin Ken Schatz Stephanie D'Abruzzo Mo Willems Christine Walters Ruth Buzzi Bradley Glenn Fran Brill Joey Mazzarino Jerry Nelson |
Narrated by | Ken Schatz |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 26 (and 1 pilot) (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Mo Willems, Steve Oakes, Susan Holden, David Starr and Richard Winkler (for Curious Pictures) Linda Simensky, Jay Bastian and Khaki Jones (for Cartoon Network) |
Producer(s) | Kris Greengrove |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production company(s) | Curious Pictures |
Release | |
Original network | Cartoon Network (2000-2002) |
Original release | November 17, 2000 | – April 7, 2002
Chronology | |
Related shows | The Off-Beats |
Sheep in the Big City is an American animated television series created by Mo Willems for Cartoon Network, and the 9th of the network's Cartoon Cartoons. The series' pilot first premiered as part of Cartoon Network's "Cartoon Cartoon Summer" on August 18, 2000.
Created by Mo Willems, who previously created The Off-Beats for Nickelodeon's KaBlam!, the bulk of the show follows a runaway sheep, Sheep, in his new life in "the Big City". It also features several unrelated sketches and shorts, similar to The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show and The Fugitive. With an emphasis on more "sophisticated" (in particular, literal) humor, using multiple forms of rhetoric from the characters to the plots, it was more popular with older audiences. It was also unusual in featuring many comic references to film-making and television broadcasting.
At the time, the premiere of Sheep in the Big City was the highest-rated premiere for a Cartoon Network original series.
Sheep lives happily on a farm with his friends. Unfortunately, a Secret Military Organization, led by General Specific, needs Sheep for its Sheep-Powered Ray Gun (with a sheep-shaped hole in it).
General Specific will get Sheep at any cost, and, knowing that the farm is at stake, Sheep is forced to leave for the big city. Now Sheep is on the run from General Specific, who is assisted by his henchmen, Private Public, the Angry Scientist (who in the show is often wrongly referred to as "Mad Scientist"), a bunch of other military types, and the Plot Device.
In addition, Sheep has to come to grips with the Big City and trying to romance his love, Swanky the Poodle. All the while, he has to avoid the attentions of a host of unwelcome characters — Lisa Rental and Swanky's owner, the sheep-hating Lady Richington, wielding a stainless-steel wig.