The Wild Thornberrys
| The Wild Thornberrys | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
Comedy Adventure Animation |
| Created by |
Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó Steve Pepoon David Silverman Stephen Sustarsic |
| Developed by | Mark Palmer Jeff Astrof Mike Sikowitz |
| Directed by |
Peter Avanzino Anthony Bell Becky Bristow Sylvia Keulen Cathy Malkasian Jeff McGrath Carol Millican Steve Ressel Mark Risley |
| Starring |
Lacey Chabert Tom Kane Flea Danielle Harris Jodi Carlisle Tim Curry |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 91 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Klasky Csupo Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
| Distributor | Viacom International |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nickelodeon |
| Original release | September 1, 1998 – June 11, 2004 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon. It was rerun in the United States on Nickelodeon and occasionally Nicktoons until 2007. The show returned to The '90s Are All That for one night, and aired on March 21, 2013. The show aired on Nicktoonsters in the United Kingdom. Following Shout! Factory's acquisition of the title in February 2011, all 5 seasons have been released on DVD.
The series focuses around a nomadic family of documentary filmmakers known as the Thornberrys, famous for their televised wildlife studies. It primarily centers on the family's younger daughter Eliza, and her secret gift of being able to communicate with animals, which was bestowed upon her after having rescued a shaman masquerading as a trapped warthog.
The gift enabled her to talk to the Thornberrys' pet chimpanzee Darwin. Together, the pair frequently venture through the wilderness, befriending many species of wild animals along the way or realizing moral truths and lessons through either their experiences or a particular animal species's lifestyle, or simply assisting the creatures, by which they become acquainted, in their difficulties.
The Wild Thornberrys was produced by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon. It premiered in September 1998, and was the first Nicktoon to exclusively use 22-minute stories (episodes of other Nicktoons usually featured two 10 – 11-minute stories, using 22-minute stories only on occasion).
The series was designed to have a focus on parents after focus groups run by Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo uncovered that children were talking about the real struggles of the parent-child relationship; this was opposed to Nickelodeon's view of only featuring kids in children's programming. Characters were designed to appeal to various demographics: the sarcastic teen for older girls and the jungle boy for younger boys. Meanwhile the main character, Eliza, was designed to appeal to the young girl demographic; Nickelodeon vice president Cyma Zarghami said: "She's not strikingly beautiful, but she is adventurous; she's independent; she's smart; she's funny."
Common Sense Media gave the series a rating of 5 stars, praising it for its ability to encourage young viewers to be empathetic toward animals", want to find out about other cultures and ways of life, and understanding the vastness and diversity of the world. Chicago Sun-Times noted the series was at the forefront of a new trend that saw parents being at the forefront of children's TV shows.Multichannel News thought the series was one of the best for children on TV. Knight Ridder called the series "sympathetic". The Native Voice complimented the series on its commitment to fun, adventure, detail, accuracy, and honesty.
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