''Ned's Newt'' is an

animated television series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...

created by

Andy Knight Andrew James Knight (November 23, 1961 – April 11, 2008) was a Canadian animator, film and television director, voice actor, and creator of ''Ned's Newt'', '' Pig City'' and ''Get Ed''. Life and career Andy Knight was born in Pembroke, Ontario ...

and Mike Burgess and is co-produced by

Nelvana Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...

and German company TMO Film GmbH (later renamed as "TMO-Loonland Film GmbH" in seasons 2-3) in conjunction with Studio B Productions. It aired on

Teletoon Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and "cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts an ...

from October 17, 1997 to December 31, 1999. In the United States, the series aired on

Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a jo ...

starting on February 7, 1998 on Saturday mornings, but later changed to weekday mornings on October 5, 1998 to January 1, 1999. However, only the first season aired on Fox Kids in the U.S. while the series was never rebroadcast for many years. The series also aired on the now-defunct

Qubo Qubo ( ; stylized as qubo) was an American television network for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Owned by Ion Media, it consisted of a 24-hour free-to-air television network often mentioned as the "Qubo channel" (available as a digital ...

(with seasons 2-3) from March 28, 2016 to July 27, 2018, and again starting from March 30, 2020 to July 24, 2020.

Teletoon Retro Teletoon Retro was a Canadian specialty channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment that was based on the Teletoon programming block. The service was dedicated to broadcasting classic animated television programs as well as some live-action s ...

aired reruns of all 39 half-hour episodes on September 5, 2011 until it pulled off the air in early 2012.

Synopsis

The series begins with 9-year-old Ned Flemkin finally scraping up enough money to buy a pet. However, upon reaching the pet store, the only thing he can afford is a

newt A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aqua ...

. Ned names his new pet Newton, but quickly tires it since Newton lies on the rock in his bowl. Complaining to the pet store owner that his new pet is not very active, the owner gives Ned a can of Zippo for Newt pet food but warns Ned not to give his pet too much. Ned feeds Newton a little, but Newton does nothing. Ned leaves the can beside Newton's bowl and goes to bed. That night, Newton crawls from his bowl and gulps down several mouthfuls of Zippo. Thus, the eats too much warning comes true, Newton grows 6 feet tall, can talk (voiced by Harland Williams), and has the power to shapeshift. After Ned realizes this, he and Newton become the best of friends, but unfortunately, the effects of Zippo do not last forever. Newton often gets Ned into trouble, at which point the Zippo dissolves off. Newton shifts back to his small form, leaving Ned alone to convey the wrath of his parents. The series recounts the misadventures of Ned attempting to live life normally while trying to keep Newton from being discovered.

Plot and themes

Each episode makes a habit of creating outrageous plots out of mundane tasks and settings. For example, after a fun weekend of playing, Ned exclaims he cannot wait for the next, but Newton suggests that they can build a time machine to relive the weekend. The idea soon leads to them accidentally being sent to the age of dinosaurs and altering the future. In another episode, to raise money for charity, Ned's friend Doogle digs a hole and stumbles across a race of subterranean trolls secretly planning domination of the world's metropolises-es. Ned takes Newton everywhere and makes sure to keep some Zippo food with him at all times, just in case Newton turns back into a normal newt. Newton's powers almost always make things worse (mostly due to his poor understanding of society). Thus, when Ned explains that he's made a terrible mistake (such as giving 3.5 million dollars to some passersby), Newton and Ned must work together to put things right. And although they usually succeed in doing so, Newton invariably changes back to newt form just in time to avoid being seen and Ned to get into trouble. The series made extensive references to famous faces and popular culture at the time, relying heavily on Harland Williams' experience as a comedian and

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

. Newton shifts into newt versions of many celebrities in each episode, such as

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

for comic effect. Newton also frequently breaks the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...

, especially in season 3, even going so far as to comment upon how poorly drawn his belly-button was at one point or whether newts should have belly-buttons at all. For the final four episodes of season 3, Harland Williams was replaced by Ron Pardo as the voice of Newton. In the third season episode ("Rear Bus Window"), Newton proclaims his exact species name vittercensis, which is not a catalogued member of the genus.

Cast

* Harland Williams as Newton (episodes 1–35) * Ron Pardo as Newton (episodes 36–39) * Tracey Moore as Ned Flemkin * Carolyn Scott as Sharon "Mom" Flemkin/Miss Bunn *

Peter Keleghan Peter Keleghan is a Canadian actor and writer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Bellow in the comedy series '' 18 to Life'', Clark Claxton Sr. in the comedy series '' Billable Hours'' and Ranger Gord in '' The Red Green Show''. Currently ha ...

as Eric "Dad" Flemkin * Jonathan Wilson as Rusty McCabe * Tracy Ryan as Linda Bliss *

Colin O'Meara Colin O'Meara (born August 30, 1963) is a Canadian voice actor who provided the voice of the character Tintin from '' The Adventures of Tintin'' television series. Other roles include '' Sailor Moon'', ''Rupert'', ''Road to Avonlea'', one episode ...

as Doogle Pluck * Jim Milington as The Usual Guy (Pet Shop Owner)/Anklo

Selected credits

* Created by: Mike Burgess, Andy Knight * Executive Producers: *Clive A. Smith *Patrick Loubert *Michael Hirsh *Andy Knight *Andrew Nicholls *Darrell Vickers *Peter Völkle * Supervising Producers: Stephen Hodgins, Pamela Slavin * Produced by: Vince Commisso, Patricia R. Burns, Blair Peters * Directed by: Rick Marshall * Voice Director: Debra Toffan * Casting: Karen Goora * Art Directors: Mike Ksunyoska, Trevor Bentley * Design Supervisor: Steve Daye * Music by: Pure West * Produced with the Canadian Film & Video Production Tax Credit * (C) 1997/1998/1999 Nelvana Limited/TMO (Loonland) Film GmbH. All Rights Reserved.

Broadcast and home media

The series aired on

from October 17, 1997 to December 31, 1999 with reruns until the early 2000s. In the United States, the series aired on

(with seasons 2-3) from March 28, 2016 to July 27, 2018, and again starting from March 30, 2020 to July 24, 2020.

aired reruns of all 39 half-hour episodes on September 5, 2011 until it pulled off the air in early 2012. Each VHS tape had two pairs of episodes. The first three VHS tapes, entitled "Home Alone with Newt", "Jurassic Joyride" and "Saturday Night Fervor" were released in the United States by Paramount Home Entertainment on March 23, 1999. The videos were duplicated in EP/SLP mode originally, so Paramount, the distributor of all three VHS tapes, changed the speed on future pressings of the first three tapes to SP mode. In Canada, the series was also released on VHS by Telegenic Entertainment.https://www.worldcat.org/title/jurassic-joyride/oclc/632004172&referer=brief_results As of 2022, the series is currently streaming on

Tubi Tubi is an American over-the-top content platform and ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In January 2021, Tubi reached 33 million monthly ...

Critical response

Mainstream reviews of ''Ned's Newt'' ranged from mixed to mostly positive. Author and cartoonist

Edward Gorey Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000) was an American writer, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist, noted for his own illustrated books as well as cover art and illustration for books by other writers. Hi ...

was a fan of the show, identifying ''Ned's Newt'' as the "greatest" animated show in a 1998 Newsday interview.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Fox Kids 1997 Canadian television series debuts 1999 Canadian television series endings 1997 German television series debuts 1999 German television series endings 1990s Canadian animated television series 1990s German animated television series Canadian children's animated fantasy television series German children's animated fantasy television series English-language television shows Television series about shapeshifting Animated television series about children Fox Kids Qubo Teletoon original programming Television series by Nelvana Animated television series about reptiles and amphibians