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Amazing Animals

Amazing Animals
Also known asHenry's Amazing Animals
StarringEric Meyers, Tom Clarke-Hill
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes52
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseApril 16, 1996 (1996-04-16) –
July 6, 1999 (1999-07-06)

Amazing Animals (sometimes marketed as Henry's Amazing Animals for home video) is an educational children's animated TV show series nature program produced by Dorling Kindersley Vision and Partridge Films in association with the Disney Channel.[1] It was originally broadcast on the service in 1996. It also aired on Family Channel in Canada. It is also available on VHS.

The show centers on the interactions of Henry the Lizard, a green CGI anthropomorphic lizard with purple spots, and an unseen narrator. Each episode centers on a theme relating to the episode's subject matter, such as Henry traveling through prehistory in a time machine in an episode about prehistoric animals. Henry is usually faced with some kind of predicament or work, always relating to the episode's theme, which he resolves by the end of the episode, often learning a lesson of some sort in the process.

Plot

Each episode is made up of sections in which Henry is featured, video sequences of animals narrated by the off-screen narrator with replies by Henry, and cartoons featuring recurring unnamed cartoon animals. There are also two recurring segments: "Henry's Report" and "The Golden Gecko Awards". Early episodes depicted Henry's Report as a school report, though later episodes changed it to a news report. In either case, the report is comical and almost always wildly inaccurate. The correct information is given by The Narrator after the report.

In Henry's Amazing Golden Gecko Awards, Henry picks three animals relating to the subject of the episode and presents them with awards. Unlike the report, the Golden Gecko Awards are typically more genuine. Henry does most of the narration and often gets annoyed at the Narrator for interrupting him. Henry's Report occurred in every episode; the only episode that did not have the Golden Gecko Awards was "Underground Animals", probably because of timing issues.

Cast and major characters

  • Henry (voiced by Eric Meyers) is the show's main protagonist. He is a small green lizard with purple spots and yellow eyes. Henry is portrayed as being enthusiastic, albeit foolish and immature. He is generally depicted as ignorant of the episode's subject matter and typically fails in the endeavours he attempts to undertake. Sometimes, he can prove himself to be quite smart, he is also an inventor. He often identifies lizards seen in the video sequences as his cousins(example Monty the Monitor Lizard). His favorite food is pizza.
  • The Narrator (voiced by Tony Clarke-Hill in the US version and Nigel Greaves in the UK version) is Henry's co-star, but he is never seen and almost never named. He is depicted as being wise and knowledgeable. In addition to teaching Henry about animals and correcting his special reports, the Narrator acts as a comedic foil to Henry: the show's "straight man", who cuts Henry down for his immaturity and lack of knowledge with some combination of a mature seriousness and a dry sarcasm.
  • Crab Tuesday: Henry met Crab Tuesday (vocal effects provided by Fred Newman) during a visit to the seashore, and the crab has been Henry's best friend and assistant ever since. Henry names him Tuesday after Robinson Crusoe's "man Friday". Henry can often tell what Tuesday is saying, although he has no voice at all and communicates by snapping his claws. However, in Amazing Animal Hunters, he is heard mumbling "I don't know" to Henry. Crab Tuesday vocal effects was provided by Fred Newman.

Episodes

Season 1 (1996)

Episode Number Title Title Card Animal Date first aired Plotline Golden Gecko Award Winners
1 Tropical Birds Scarlet macaw April 16, 1996 Henry lands in a tropical rainforest and learns about tropical birds – including, but not limited to, parrots.
2 Animal Disguises Chameleon April 23, 1996 Henry learns about camouflaged animals after looking for his own disguise.
3 Nighttime Animals Springhare April 30, 1996 After a long day with cousin Rex, Henry can't get to sleep, and learns about animals which stay up during the night.
4 Animal Appetites King penguin May 7, 1996 Henry opens a café for animals, but learns that different animals eat different things.
5 Animal Survivors Wolf May 14, 1996 After avoiding the dangerous animals on the desert island he is on, Henry learns about strategies that help animals to survive.
6 Animal Senses Siamese cat May 21, 1996 After knocking over some sense blocks, Henry learns about how animals explore the world around them using their senses.
7 Animal Weapons Goat May 28, 1996 Guarding his toy castle from an attack, Henry learns about animals that can fight other animals using body weapons.
8 Animal Builders Beaver June 4, 1996 Henry is building a house, to learn that he is not the only animal that builds a home.
9 Armored Animals Tortoise June 11, 1996 Henry learns that there are different animals with protective armor.
10 Mini Beasts Tarantula June 18, 1996 Henry learns that there are many very small animals that inhabit the wild.
11 Animal Babies Kitten, Puppy, Duckling June 25, 1996 An egg belonging to Henry's cousin hatches in its pram, and Henry has to babysit it. He gets advice from how animals babysit their young.
12 Poisonous Animals Gila monster July 2, 1996 Thinking of eating the contents of a nearby cauldron, the narrator warns Henry that the contents may be poisonous, and he shouldn't eat them. He also learns about animals which can be poisonous to protect themselves.
13 Animal Journeys Camel July 9, 1996 Globetrotting (literally walking across the surface of a globe), Henry learns that animals also move long distances too.

Season 2 (1997)

Episode Number Title Title Card Animal Date first aired Plotline
14 Birds of Prey Black vulture April 15, 1997
15 Desert Animals Dromedary camel April 22, 1997
16 Scary Animals Tarantula April 29, 1997
17 Animal Records Tortoise, rabbit May 6, 1997
18 Animal Colors Golden pheasant May 13, 1997
19 Animal Mothers Lioness May 20, 1997 Henry learns to appreciate his mother.
20 Animal Pets Puli May 27, 1997
21 Seashore Animals Pelican June 3, 1997
22 Animal Families Ducks June 10, 1997
23 Endangered Animals Bengal tiger June 17, 1997
24 An Animal Year Red squirrel June 24, 1997
25 Prehistoric Animals Crocodile July 7, 1997
26 Monkeys and Apes Mandrill June 8, 1997

Season 3 (1998)

Episode Number Title Title Card Animal Date first aired Plotline
27 Animal Hunters Golden eagle April 14, 1998
28 Animal Talk Dog April 21, 1998
29 Slimy Animals Apple snail April 28, 1998
30 Rainforest Animals Scarlet macaw May 5, 1998
31 Animal Acrobats Chimpanzee, Sea lion, Wallaby May 12, 1998
32 Underwater Animals Fish May 19, 1998
33 Animal Neighbors Rabbit May 26, 1998
34 Giant Animals Great Dane June 2, 1998
35 Creepy Crawly Animals Grasshopper June 9, 1998
36 Farm Animals Cow, Sheep June 16, 1998
37 Animal Changes Lion cub, Lioness June 23, 1998
38 Extinct Animals Footprints June 30, 1998
39 Animal Eggs Egg July 7, 1998

Season 4 (1999)

Episode Number Title Title Card Animal Date first aired Plotline
40 Animals Around the World Red kangaroo, Monarch butterfly, Chimpanzee, Fish April 13, 1999
41 Polar Animals Siberian Husky April 20, 1999
42 Clever Animals American crow April 27, 1999
43 Underground Animals Rabbit May 4, 1999 Note: The only episode to not feature the Golden Gecko Awards.
44 Animal Helpers Collie May 11, 1999
45 Woodland Animals Squirrel May 18, 1999
46 Mountain Animals St. Bernard May 25, 1999
47 Backyard Animals Mockingbird June 1, 1999
48 Tiny Animals Mice June 8, 1999
49 Animal Partners Mule June 15, 1999
50 Scaly Animals Crocodile, Fish June 22, 1999 Note: The only episode where Henry reads the title and the Narrator does the report.
51 River Animals Beaver, Neon tetra June 29, 1999
52 Animal Flight Ladybug July 6, 1999

Merchandise

Some merchandise was also released during the activity of the series. An educational computer game was also released with the television show.[2][3] A board game known as The Really Amazing Animal Game was also sold but was shortly discontinued.

References

  1. ^ Davey, Tim (5 January 1996). "Nature screen scoop". Evening Post. Bristol, England. p. 13. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  2. ^ Boxer, Steve (27 May 1997). "Amazing Animals". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. p. 54. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  3. ^ Glover, Anne (6 September 1997). "Amazing Animals". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia. p. 193. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
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