Kipper is a British preschool animated children's television series based on the characters from Mick Inkpen's Kipper the Dog picture book series.[1] Seventy-eight episodes were produced.[2] The videos have won awards including a BAFTA award for best children's animation. The show was produced by HIT Entertainment with animation production by Grand Slamm Children's Films, and ran for five seasons on ITV from September 1997 until December 2000. Out of these, thirteen episodes - twelve of the first series, and the last of the third series, were written by Mick Inkpen himself.
| Kipper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Children's television show Slice of life Education Comedy |
| Created by | Mick Inkpen |
| Based on | Kipper the Dog by Mick Inkpen |
| Directed by | Mike Stuart |
| Voices of | Martin Clunes Chris Lang Julia Sawalha |
| Music by | Bob Heatlie |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 78 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Ginger Gibbons |
| Running time | 10 minutes (approx.) |
| Production company | HIT Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV (CITV) |
| Release | 5 September 1997 – 21 December 2000 |
Premise
editThe series follows Kipper the Dog as he embarks on various adventures to an assortment of destinations throughout the English countryside. He is joined by friends, Tiger, Pig, Arnold, and Jake.
Characters
edit- Kipper (voiced by Martin Clunes) is a fun-loving, caring and warm-hearted dog with a soft voice who is the titular character of the series. He embodies the true essence of what it means to carpe diem. He is also very selfless, even though he hoards lots of small belongings like books and toys. Kipper is a Jack Russell terrier who has many exciting encounters with his friends.
- Tiger (voiced by Chris Lang) is Kipper's best friend. He is more realistic, practical, and wise than Kipper with a tendency to think long term. Sometimes Tiger can be very smug and haughty, even though he really is a kind dog at heart. Tiger is a Scottish terrier.
- Pig (voiced by Chris Lang) is Kipper's second best friend. Pig is very outgoing, but loves normalcy and gets easily irritated by anything strange or mysterious. He likes to eat chocolate cake and biscuits.
- Arnold (voiced by Chris Lang) is Pig's live-in toddler cousin and Kipper's third best friend. Even though Arnold cannot talk, he is actually more curious, observant, and intelligent than Pig. He can still say easy words like "duck", "kitten", and "igloo".
- Jake (voiced by Chris Lang) is a friendly Old English sheepdog who is Kipper's fourth best friend. He is a minor character in the first series who makes more regular appearances after joining the main characters in the second series where he, Kipper, and Tiger have had many adventures together.
- Mr. Frog (voiced by Chris Lang) is a magic frog who occasionally runs into Kipper.
- The Bleeper People (voiced by Chris Lang) are two space aliens who live on the moon.
- Mouse (voiced by Julia Sawalha, credited as Julie Sawalha in later appearances) is a young female mouse who lives with Kipper at his house. She speaks with an English accent and is the only female character who appears in the series.
Episodes
edit| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 13 | 5 September 1997 | 28 November 1997 | |
| 2 | 13 | 24 September 1998 | 17 December 1998 | |
| 3 | 13 | 21 January 1999 | 15 April 1999 | |
| 4 | 13 | 23 September 1999 | 16 December 1999 | |
| 5 | 13 | 20 January 2000 | 13 April 2000 | |
| 6 | 13 | 28 September 2000 | 21 December 2000 | |
Broadcast
editThe series aired on CITV in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it aired on Nick Jr. and PBS Kids Sprout. It also aired in Canada on YTV around the late 1990s as a part of its YTV Jr. lineup.
Home media
editUK releases
editIn the United Kingdom, HIT Video and HIT Entertainment PLC both released various VHS tapes and DVD releases of the television series.
| Release name | Format | Release year | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Visitor and Other Stories | VHS | 1998 |
|
| Pig's Present and Other Stories | VHS | 1998 |
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| The Little Ghost and Other Stories | VHS | 1998 |
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| Snowy Day and Other Stories | VHS | 1999 |
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| Kipper's Circus and Other Stories | VHS | 1999 |
|
| The Treasure Hunt and Other Stories | VHS | 1999 |
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| Christmas Eve and Other Stories | VHS | 1999 |
|
| Looking after Arnold and Other Stories | VHS | 2000 |
|
| The Big Freeze and Other Stories | VHS | 2000 |
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| Crazy Golf and Other Stories | VHS | 2000 |
|
| Hide and Seek and Other Stories | VHS | 2001 |
|
| The Flying Machine and Other Stories | VHS | 2001 |
|
| The Robot and Other Stories | VHS | 2001 |
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| The Magic Carpet and Other Stories | VHS | 2002 |
|
| Classic Collection | VHS/DVD | 2004 |
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| Treasured Tales | DVD | 2009 |
|
US releases
editIn the United States, VHS tapes of the show were originally released by Hallmark Home Entertainment through Family Home Entertainment, Artisan Entertainment, and briefly Lyrick Studios, and later on, VHS tapes and DVDs were released by HIT themselves.
| Video name | Format | Release date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Visitor and Other Stories | VHS | July 14, 1999 |
|
| Pig's Present and Other Stories | VHS | February 1, 2000 |
|
| Snowy Day and Other Stories | VHS | August 15, 2000 |
|
| Pools, Parks and Picnics | VHS/DVD | June 5, 2001 |
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| Tiger Tales | VHS/DVD | June 5, 2001 |
|
| Playtime in the Park (Blockbuster Exclusive) | VHS | June 5, 2001 |
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| Imagine That | VHS/DVD | January 15, 2002 |
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| Cuddly Critters | VHS/DVD | March 5, 2002 |
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| Amazing Discoveries | VHS/DVD | June 4, 2002 |
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| Let It Snow | VHS/DVD | October 22, 2002 |
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| Playtime | VHS/DVD | January 28, 2003 |
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| Fun in the Sun | VHS/DVD | June 3, 2003 |
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| Friendship Tails | VHS/DVD | January 27, 2004 |
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| Water Play | VHS/DVD | March 23, 2004 |
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| Kipper Helps Out | VHS/DVD | August 10, 2004 |
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| Puppy Love | VHS/DVD | January 25, 2005 |
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Digital download releases
editThis list is for videos that were never released on physical media and are only available on digital download in the US. There are currently only two. One is called "Tales of Adventure" featuring episodes already on other releases. The other is an alternate version of "The Visitor & Other Stories" in which the episodes are in reverse order as to how they are on the US VHS release.
| Release name | Release year | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Tales of Adventure | 2013 |
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| The Visitor & Other Stories | 2013 |
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Reception
editCommon Sense Media gives Kipper four out of five stars, and it says the show's characters are positive role models, except Tiger, "but he always learns his lessons"; all the characters "do lots of exploring and learn lessons about friendship, kindness, and the difference between right and wrong".[3] A list published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute names Kipper as the top television show for two- and three-year-old children because of its focus on "developing social and emotional intelligence" through interactions among its characters.[4]
References
edit- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 482. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 54. ISBN 9781476672939.
- ^ Shapiro, Audrey (28 September 2006). "Kipper". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
- ^ Tatz, P. (11 March 2013). "The 10 best television shows for young children". Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved 16 February 2019.