''Time Warp Trio'' is a children's

animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

based on the children's book series of the same name. Created by Jon Scieszka, the series was produced by WGBH Boston in association with

Soup2Nuts Soup2Nuts (sometimes referred to as Soup2Nuts Studios, and formerly part of Tom Snyder Productions) was an American animation studio founded by Tom Snyder (animator), Tom Snyder. The studio is known for its animated comedy series, its use of Squ ...

. The series aired from July 9, 2005, to July 15, 2006, on Discovery Kids' Saturday morning block on NBC.
second season
was planned, but never managed to materialize.

Plot

For his tenth birthday, Joe receives a mysterious blue book (known only as "The Book") from his magician uncle, Joe the Magnificent. By reading the book, Joe and his friends, Sam and Fred, are - often accidentally - transported to various times and places throughout history, such as

Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

and the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

. In the year 2105, the trio meets their own great-granddaughters, Jodie, Samantha, and Freddi. After each time warp, the group must find and use The Book in order to return to the present day. Later in the series, Joe's evil uncle, Mad Jack, makes several attempts to capture the children and The Book with crafty tricks, such as stranding them in Antarctica (since The Book does not work there).

Characters

Main

* Joseph "Joe" Arthur (voiced by Mark Rendall) is an up-and-coming magician and the present-day owner of The Book. He descends from India. His penchant for experimenting with The Book results in many of their adventures, and his talent for magical tricks helps them out of tough situations. At one point, Joe is awarded the title of Time

Page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young m ...

, and he is said to eventually become a Warp Wizard. According to Freddi and Jodie, Joe will fight his uncle, Mad Jack, in a great battle that will determine the fate of time itself. He lives in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

with his archaeologist father, his mother, and little sister Anna. * Samuel "Sam" Kikin (voiced by Darren Frost) is a friend of Joe and Fred who solves problems using intelligence and historical knowledge. He is of Russian descent. Depicted as being a stereotypical

nerd A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted, or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly t ...

, he wears glasses and has multiple

allergies Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, Food allergy, food al ...

. Sam is wary of

time travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...

, being convinced of their imminent doom every time they open The Book. An amateur scientist and inventor, he is told by Freddi that he will invent something very important in the future. * Frederick "Fred" McGrew (voiced by

Scott McCord Scott McCord is a Canadian actor. He has performed on film, television, animation and on stage. He is a member of ''The Actors Studio''. On television he has appeared in series regular, recurring and guest starring roles. Career He plays the m ...

) is a friend of Joe and Sam who wears a

baseball cap A baseball cap is a type of soft cap, hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill projecting in front. The front of the hat typically displays a design or a logo (historically, usually only a sports team, namely a baseball team, or names of releva ...

and is a sports fan and known for being fun-loving, teasing, and headstrong, often to the point of idiocy. Fred is the most interested in using The Book for material gains, whether hunting for treasure or patenting future technology - yet in "Dude, Where's My Karma?", he uses it to save Joe from being erased from existence. * Jodie Arthur (voiced by Sarah Gadon until episode 15; voiced by

Tajja Isen Tajja Isen is a Canadian writer, editor, and actress. Her first book, the essay collection Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service, was published in April 2022. As an actress, she is best known for voicing the title character '' Atomic Be ...

starting with episode 20) is Joe's great-granddaughter from the year 2105. She is an aspiring fashion designer who is known for being bossy, rude, condescending, and complaining a lot. Jodie is referred to as a "third-level warper" and demonstrates great mastery over The Book. She also dislikes cats as she is allergic to them. * Samantha Kikin (voiced by Laurie Elliott) is Sam's great-granddaughter from the year 2105. She, like Fred, is known for being teasing, funny, impulsive, and headstrong – the exact opposite of Sam (though like Sam, she can be sensitive at times). Samantha has a pet robot cat named Rivites and owns a time-traveling pocket watch that Sam had invented a long time ago. * Frederica "Freddi" McGrew (voiced by Sunday Muse) is Fred's great-granddaughter from the year 2105. She is very friendly and sweet-natured, but also shy, malleable, sensitive, and seems to be the exact opposite of Fred (though like Fred, she can be brave if the situation suits her).

Recurring

* Anna Arthur (voiced by Annick Obonsawin) is Joe's annoying younger sister, who seems to have greater knowledge of The Book than her brother. * Joe the Magnificent (voiced by Tony Daniels) is Joe's uncle and namesake, a would-be magician who fails at live performances. He sent his nephew Joe The Book, which he didn't know how to use, and instead traverses time and space with an enchanted pocket watch. He believes in the Tooth Fairy and

Easter Bunny The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit—sometimes dressed with clothes—bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" origi ...

. * Mad Jack (voiced by Tony Daniels) is the evil brother of Joe the Magnificent and Lila Arthur. He is intent on stealing The Book so that he can be the sole ruler of eternity. He shadows the trio in many of their travels, once facing off with his nephew Joe. Mad Jack travels through time and space using a scepter with an hourglass on top. * Lila Arthur (voiced by Susan Roman) is Joe and Anna's mother. She knows how to use The Book, being the one to originally give it to her brother. * Ronald Arthur (voiced by Tom Arnold) is Joe and Anna's father. He is a world-famous archeologist. *Mike McGrew (voiced by

Dan Petronijevic Daniel Petronijevic (born March 28, 1981), known professionally as Dan Petronijevic, is a Canadian actor who has appeared in various feature films, including the '' American Pie'' franchise, and in TV shows such as '' 19-2'', '' Playmakers'', '' ...

) is Fred's mean older brother who appears in "See You Later, Gladiator" and "Viking It and Liking It".

Historical characters

Blackbeard Edward Teach (or Thatch; – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he ma ...

(voiced by

Cal Dodd Cathal J. Dodd is an Irish-born voice actor based in Canada. He is best known for his portrayal of the Marvel Comics character Wolverine in '' X-Men: The Animated Series'', its revival ''X-Men '97'', and the '' Marvel vs. Capcom'' series of vide ...

) * Israel Hands (voiced by Bill Colgate) *

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

(child, voiced by

Daniel DeSanto Daniel DeSanto is a Canadian actor. Early life Raised in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, DeSanto made his acting debut at the age of 8 as the lead protagonist in ''Brown Bread Sandwiches'' (a.k.a. ''La famiglia Buonanotte''), a film about Ita ...

) *

Thutmose III Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, (1479–1425 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. He is regarded as one of the greatest warriors, military commanders, and milita ...

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

(voiced by Denis Akiyama) *

Emperor Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...

(voiced by

Ted Atherton Ted Atherton is a Canadian television and film actor, as well as an accomplished stage actor. His list of stage credits include major roles in Death of a Salesman and The Lion King at the Royal Alexandra, The Cryptogram at the Tarragon Theatre, H ...

) *

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

(voiced by Don Dickinson) * Sacagawea (voiced by

Stephanie Morgenstern Stephanie Morgenstern (born December 10, 1965) is a Canadian actress, filmmaker, and screenwriter for television and film. She has worked extensively on stage, film, and television in both English and French. Her most widely seen feature film ...

) *

Erik the Red Erik Thorvaldsson (), known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first European settlement in Greenland. Erik most likely earned the epithet "the Red" due to the color o ...

(voiced by Tony Daniels) *

Leif Erikson Leif Erikson, also known as Leif the Lucky (), was a Norsemen, Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental Americas, America, approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus. According ...

(voiced by Robert Norman Smith) *

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

(voiced by Michael Therriault) * Emily Warren Roebling * Black Kettle *

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

(voiced by Paul Essiembre) * Sophie Blanchard (voiced by Stephanie Martin) *

Nebuchadnezzar II Nebuchadnezzar II, also Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir", was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar ...

(voiced by

Juan Chioran Juan Chioran (born June 18, 1963) is a Canadian actor primarily associated with stage roles at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. He is based in Stratford, Ontario. Chioran is also known for his voice acting roles, such as Doji in ...

) * Queen Jinga (voiced by Alison Sealy Smith) *

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

Li Shimin Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder ...

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

* Alexander Kikin *

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

(voiced by Vickie Papavs) *

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

Robert Falcon Scott Captain Robert Falcon Scott (6 June 1868 – ) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–04 and the Terra Nova Expedition ...

(voiced by Michael Fletcher) *

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

* Selim II * William Montagu * Agnes Randolph (voiced by Corrine Koslo)

Episodes

Broadcast

''Time Warp Trio'' aired on Discovery Kids and premiered in the United States on July 9, 2005. The final episode aired on July 15, 2006. It also aired as part of a three-hour Discovery Kids block on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

until September 2, 2006. After the series ended, reruns aired on The Hub until June 27, 2011. It also aired on TVOKids in Canada,

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

in the United Kingdom and Ireland,

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

in Australia and New Zealand, and HBO Family &

in Southeast Asia. It also aired on

Jetix Jetix (stylized in all caps) was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action and adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated fr ...

(later

Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...

) in India. It was also dubbed into Hebrew under the title "מלכודת הזמן" and aired on Logi and

Arutz HaYeladim Arutz HaYeladim (, The Children's Channel; Formerly: Arutz Shesh (ערוץ 6) ''channel 6'') (no relation to the British The Children's Channel) is an Israeli children's cable television channel owned by RGE Group, through subsidiary NOGA Comm ...

, the series was also aired in South Korea on EBS under the name "시간 여행 삼총사" with Korean subtitles. It also aired in Portugal on

RTP2 RTP2 (''RTP dois'') is a Portuguese free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). It is the company's second television channel, and is known for broadcasting cultural ...

(formerly 2), where it was dubbed into Portuguese under the title "Trio no Tempo", it also aired in Italy on

DeA Kids DeA Kids, stylized as DᵉAkids until 2008; is an Italian children's television channel owned by De Agostini. The channel, was launched on October 1, 2008, on Sky Italia for children aged 4–14. A month later, a timeshift version of the channel, ...

. Even though it was produced by

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

station WGBH, ''Time Warp Trio'' was not broadcast on PBS in the United States. However, the show is distributed internationally through PBS International and airs on

PBS Kids PBS Kids (stylized as PBS KIDS) is the branding used for nationally distributed children's programming carried by the U.S. public television network PBS. The brand encompasses a daytime block of children's programming carried daily by most PBS ...

in Africa.

In other media

Comics

* Nightmare on Joe's Street * The Seven Blunders of the World * Plaid to the Bone * Meet you at Waterloo ("Able Was I, Ere I Saw Elba")

Chapter books

* You Can't, But Genghis Khan * Lewis and Clark...and Jodie, Freddi, and Samantha * Wushu Were Here

References

External links