Ned's Newt
Encyclopedia
Ned's Newt is a Canadian
/German
cartoon
series produced by Nelvana
and TMO Film GmbH. The program aired from 1993 to 1996 in Germany, and on Teletoon
from 1997 to 1998 in Canada. In the United States
, the program aired on Fox Kids
from 1998 to 1999, and was later rerun on Fox Family Channel
. Teletoon Retro
started airing reruns of all 39 half-hour episodes on September 5, 2011.
. Dubbing his new pet "Newton", Ned quickly tires of it, since Newton just 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 "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. In fact, Newton often gets Ned into trouble, at which point the Zippo wears off and Newton shifts back to his smaller form, leaving Ned alone to bear the wrath of his elders.
The series recounts the misadventures of Ned attempting to live a normal life while trying to keep Newton from being discovered. Recurring plots involve Ned and Newton working to fix situations which Newton has helped go awry, Ned's hopeless crush on his neighbor, Linda Bliss (who reduces Ned to speaking in gibberish) and his rivalry with snob
bish Rusty McCabe for Linda's affections.
and travel back to Friday, and relive the weekend. After they build the time machine
out of a bunch of household objects, they accidentally travel back to the age of the dinosaurs, and end up changing the future. In another episode, in an effort 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 with him everywhere, and makes sure to keep some Zippo food with him at all times, just in case he needs Newton's help. Newton's powers almost always make things worse, mostly due to the fact he has a poor understanding of society. Thus, when Ned explains to him that Newton has 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 just in time for Ned to get into trouble.
The series made extensive references to famous faces and popular culture at the time, relying heavily on Harland Williams
's experience as a stand-up comedian and impressionist
. Newton morphs into "newt-versions" of many famous personalities in each episode, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger
, Humphrey Bogart
and Clark Gable
for comic effect. Several running gags also span the episodes of all three seasons, such as Mrs. Flemkin finding a crow hiding in the kitchen, Newton's solution to various problems involving a rubber duck and bicycle pump (which he never gets to use), or the appearance of quahog
s (usually in a barrel) which begin to sing M-O-T-H-E-R by Howard Johnson
. Newton also frequently broke the fourth wall
, especially in season three, even going so far as to comment upon how poorly his bellybutton was drawn, or whether newts should have bellybuttons at all.
For the final four episodes of season three, Harland Williams was replaced by Ron Pardo
as the voice of Newton.
In Season 3, episode 8 ("Rear Bus Window") Newton proclaims that he is a member of the genus Triturus
, which are crested or marbled newts native to Europe
. Newton also mentions the species name vittercensis, which is not a catalogued member of the genus.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
/German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
series produced by Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
and TMO Film GmbH. The program aired from 1993 to 1996 in Germany, and on Teletoon
Télétoon (Canadian TV channel)
Télétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
from 1997 to 1998 in Canada. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the program aired on Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
from 1998 to 1999, and was later rerun on Fox Family Channel
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
. Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel based on the Teletoon programming block Teletoon Retro. The service consists of animation series from Canada and around the world, all of which commenced production at least 10 years prior to their exhibition...
started airing reruns of all 39 half-hour episodes on September 5, 2011.
Synopsis
The series begins with Ned finally scraping up enough money to buy a pet. However, upon reaching the pet store, the only thing he can actually afford is a newtNewt
A newt is an aquatic amphibian of the family Salamandridae, although not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts. Newts are classified in the subfamily Pleurodelinae of the family Salamandridae, and are found in North America, Europe and Asia...
. Dubbing his new pet "Newton", Ned quickly tires of it, since Newton just 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 "too much" warning comes true: Newton grows 6 feet tall, can talk (voiced by Harland Williams
Harland Williams
Harland Williams is a Canadian actor, comedian, author, artist, musician and radio personality.-Personal life:Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine , a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, who worked as a member of the Ontario Provincial...
), 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. In fact, Newton often gets Ned into trouble, at which point the Zippo wears off and Newton shifts back to his smaller form, leaving Ned alone to bear the wrath of his elders.
The series recounts the misadventures of Ned attempting to live a normal life while trying to keep Newton from being discovered. Recurring plots involve Ned and Newton working to fix situations which Newton has helped go awry, Ned's hopeless crush on his neighbor, Linda Bliss (who reduces Ned to speaking in gibberish) and his rivalry with snob
Snob
A snob is someone who believes that some people are inherently inferior to him or her for any one of a variety of reasons, including real or supposed intellect, wealth, education, ancestry, taste, beauty, nationality, et cetera. Often, the form of snobbery reflects the snob's personal attributes...
bish Rusty McCabe for Linda's affections.
Plot and themes
Each show made a habit of creating outrageous plots out of mundane tasks and settings. For example, after a joyful weekend of playing, Ned exclaims he cannot wait for the next one. Newton then comes up with the idea that, rather than wait for next weekend, they can build a time machineTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
and travel back to Friday, and relive the weekend. After they build the time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
out of a bunch of household objects, they accidentally travel back to the age of the dinosaurs, and end up changing the future. In another episode, in an effort 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 with him everywhere, and makes sure to keep some Zippo food with him at all times, just in case he needs Newton's help. Newton's powers almost always make things worse, mostly due to the fact he has a poor understanding of society. Thus, when Ned explains to him that Newton has 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 just in time for Ned to get into trouble.
The series made extensive references to famous faces and popular culture at the time, relying heavily on Harland Williams
Harland Williams
Harland Williams is a Canadian actor, comedian, author, artist, musician and radio personality.-Personal life:Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine , a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, who worked as a member of the Ontario Provincial...
's experience as a stand-up comedian and impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
. Newton morphs into "newt-versions" of many famous personalities in each episode, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
and Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
for comic effect. Several running gags also span the episodes of all three seasons, such as Mrs. Flemkin finding a crow hiding in the kitchen, Newton's solution to various problems involving a rubber duck and bicycle pump (which he never gets to use), or the appearance of quahog
Hard clam
The hard clam , also known as a quahog , round clam, or hard-shell clam, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk which is native to the eastern shores of North America, from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatán Peninsula...
s (usually in a barrel) which begin to sing M-O-T-H-E-R by Howard Johnson
Howard Johnson (lyricist)
Howard Johnson was a song lyricist. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Songwriter , author and lyricist, Johnson was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and died in New York, New York. He was educated in high school and in private music study...
. Newton also frequently broke the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, especially in season three, even going so far as to comment upon how poorly his bellybutton was drawn, or whether newts should have bellybuttons at all.
For the final four episodes of season three, Harland Williams was replaced by Ron Pardo
Ron Pardo
Ron Pardo is a Canadian actor, voice artist and impressionist, known for playing a wide variety of characters on the television show History Bites.-Life and Career:...
as the voice of Newton.
In Season 3, episode 8 ("Rear Bus Window") Newton proclaims that he is a member of the genus Triturus
Triturus
Triturus is a genus of newt, commonly known as the crested or marbled newts, depending on the species. They are found across most of Europe, parts of Russia and the Middle East...
, which are crested or marbled newts native to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Newton also mentions the species name vittercensis, which is not a catalogued member of the genus.
Season 1
| Ep# | Title |
|---|
Season 2
| Ep# | Title |
|---|
Season 3
| Ep# | Title |
|---|
Voice talent
- Harland WilliamsHarland WilliamsHarland Williams is a Canadian actor, comedian, author, artist, musician and radio personality.-Personal life:Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine , a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, who worked as a member of the Ontario Provincial...
as Newton (seasons 1-2 and season 3, episodes 1-9) - Ron PardoRon PardoRon Pardo is a Canadian actor, voice artist and impressionist, known for playing a wide variety of characters on the television show History Bites.-Life and Career:...
as Newton (season 3, episodes 10-13) - Tracey MooreTracey MooreTracey Ann Moore in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian animated voice actress. She was the voice of Princess Toadstool in the two North American cartoon television series, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World...
as Ned Flemkin - Carolyn Scott as Sharon "Mom" Flemkin
- Peter KeleghanPeter KeleghanPeter Keleghan is a Canadian television actor, who has played roles in several popular Canadian comedy series.Keleghan's best-known roles have been film industry CEO Alan Roy on Made in Canada, low-IQ news anchor Jim Walcott on The Newsroom, and Ranger Gord on The Red Green Show...
as Eric "Dad" Flemkin - Tracy RyanTracy RyanTracy Ryan is an Australian poet and novelist. She has also worked as an editor, publisher, translator, and academic.-Life:Tracy Ryan was born in Western Australia, where she grew up as part of a large family...
as Linda Bliss - Colin O'MearaColin O'MearaColin O'Meara is a voice actor who provided the voice of the Tintin character from The Adventures of Tintin television series. Other roles include Sailor Moon, Little Bear, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and one episode of Police Academy as well as voicing Wrench in the animated TV show Cadillacs and...
as Doogal / Mr. Bliss - Jim Milington as The Usual Guy / Pet Shop Owner
Selected credits
- Created by: Michael Burgess, Andy Knight
- Executive Producers:
- Clive A. Smith
- Patrick Loubert
- Michael Hirsch
- Andy Knight
- Andrew Nicholls
- Darrell Vickers
- Peter Völkle
- Produced by: Vince Commisso
- Directed by: Rick Marshall
- Voice Director: Debra Toffan
- Casting: Karen Goora
- Art Director: Mike Ksunyoska
- Music by: John Tucker
- Produced with the Canada Film = Tax Credit
External links
- Ned's Newt at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...