Jellabies

Jellabies is a 1998-2000 children's animated television series that aired on the Australian television network ABC Kids. It was also shown in Germany, (Super RTL), US (Fox Family Channel), The Netherlands (Kindernet), France (TF! Jeunesse), and the UK (GMTV) in the following years. Its target audience is children in the age of 2 to 6 years old.

It was one of the first fully CGI-animated series in the world.

Format

The program was created using computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation. The show was narrated by Rik Mayall.[1] The Jellikins are jelly-made people that live in the Jelly Land, (made of jelly) which is the magical land at the end of the rainbow, where their main job is to make rainbows. (for which they have a machine called the Jelliscope, a computer/teleporter/rainbow generator which is constantly monitoring weather conditions around the world) Although each Jellikin has its own vehicle to drive around in, their main use of travelling long distances around Jelly Land is on the "Jelly Train", a train that only consists of a cab (no actual locomotive) and one passenger car. The show debuted in 1998 and ended in 2003.

Jellabies is also known as Jellikins in parts of the world, including the United Kingdom. This official version is exactly the same as the Jellabies in every way, except the characters' heads were changed to look like gummy bears. However, Duffy the dragon remained the same. It aired on GMTV in the UK until 2004, and on Fox Family Channel in the United States of America, but has not aired since the end of 1999.

History

Jonny Lewis of Malvern, UK designed and created the world using 3D Studio Max software. It was loosely based on Jelly Babies sweets. Originating from humble beginnings in a dusty basement in Malvern and made on a home PC, it was signed up by a small editing house, Optical Image nr Birmingham, UK, commissioned by GMTV and then in many other countries around the world. It was the first British fully 3D computer animated series to make it on to television.

With Optical Image sealing sponsorship from a confectionery company, Jonny Lewis directed a group of animators to make the series. Other animators who made considerable input were Meena Kamurai Pai, Andrew Lindsay, Richard, Andy Day, Ian Friend, Harjit Birdi, making each episode between them in a matter of days to meet a tight schedule. Editing was done by Ralph Tittley (also a director), Paul Perrins and Jason Bills. During the production of the many episodes, Jonny Lewis (the original designer and director of animation) left due to conflicting aims between him and the management. The company finished the production, but did not then go on to successfully produce another show that made it to TV, in spite of several more attempts. Songs written and composed by Vo Fletcher were written.

Characters and voice cast

Each of the six jellikins represent the colours of the rainbow.

Main

• Strum (played by Simon Shelton) lives at the train station, is purple, is the first Jellikin, and is the musical Jellikin who plays the saxophone.

• Bouncey (played by Nicky Smedley) is the second Jellikin who lives in a bumper car, and is yellow, the same colour as lemons and the Sun.

• Denny (played by Dave Thompson) is the third Jellikin who lives in a boat on the jelly-lake, and is blue, the same colour as the sky and the world's oceans.

• Pepper (played by Chris Jarvis) is the fourth Jellikin who lives in a tree house and is red the same colour as ripe strawberries and apples.

• Amber and Coral, (Amber played by Diana Rigg, Coral played by Pui Fan Lee) are the last two Jellikins who are orange and pink, respectively. Amber lives in a hot air balloon and Coral lives in a house made out of building blocks and toys which she can use to modify her house as she pleases.

Supporting

• Duffy the green Dragon (vocal effects performed by Jane Horrocks) the only non-Jellikin character in the entire show, is a dragon who lives in the Jelly Caves.

Episodes

Season 1

1. Caterpillar (18 May 1998)

2. Circus (25 May 1998)

3. Pepper's Den (1 June 1998)

4. Hide and Seek (8 June 1998)

5. Apple (15 June 1998)

6. Seeds (22 June 1998)

7. Burst Balloon (29 June 1998)

8. Snow (6 July 1998)

9. Music (13 July 1998)

10. Drum (20 July 1998)

11. Drumsticks (27 July 1998)

12. The Jolly Jelly World Fair (3 August 1998)

13. Waiting (10 August 1998)

14. Birthday (17 August 1998)

15. Echoes (24 August 1998)

16. Sky (31 August 1998)

17. Egg (7 September 1998)

18. Monster (14 September 1998)

19. Sheep (21 September 1998)

20. Train Trouble (28 September 1998)

21. Balloon (5 October 1998)

22. Jack in the Box (12 October 1998)

23. Lost Voice (19 October 1998)

24. Sneezes (26 October 1998)

25. Invisible (2 November 1998)

26. Runaway Train (9 November 1998)

27. Rescue (16 November 1998)

28. Seal (23 November 1998)

29. Super Jelly (30 November 1998)

30. Bridge (7 December 1998)

31. Race (14 December 1998)

32. Jellybeard (21 December 1998)

33. Shadow (28 December 1998)

34. Sun (4 January 1999)

35. Jelly Day (11 January 1999)

36. Animals (18 January 1999)

37. Jelly Lake (25 January 1999)

38. Jellyphone (1 February 1999)

39. Strum's Concert (8 February 1999)

40. Shipwreck (15 February 1999)

41. Cave In! (22 February 1999)

42. Bouncy Ball (1 March 1999)

43. Camping (8 March 1999)

44. Tobbogan (15 March 1999)

45. Jelly Dance (22 March 1999)

46. Fancy Dress (29 March 1999)

47. Obstacles (5 April 1999)

48. Football (12 April 1999)

49. Sounds (19 April 1999)

50. Caves (26 April 1999)

51. House (3 May 1999)

52. Twins (10 May 1999)

53. Night (17 May 1999)

54. Poor Denny (24 May 1999)

55. Bouncing (31 May 1999)

56. Cloud (7 June 1999)

57. Butterfly (14 June 1999)

58. Parrot (21 June 1999)

59. Spring (28 June 1999)

60. Magic (5 July 1999)

61. Where's Pepper? (12 July 1999)

62. Hot (19 July 1999)

63. Robot (26 July 1999)

64. Wheels (2 August 1999)

65. Chums (9 August 1999)

66. Baa! (16 August 1999)

67. Found (23 August 1999)

68. Autumn (30 August 1999)

69. Nature (6 September 1999)

70. Zebra (13 September 1999)

71. BIG (20 September 1999)

72. Rubbish (27 September 1999)

73. Silly Sax (4 October 1999)

74. Small (11 October 1999)

75. High (18 October 1999)

76. Tower (25 October 1999)

77. Footprints (1 November 1999)

78. Yuk (8 November 1999)

79. Jelly Disco (15 November 1999)

80. Mountain (22 November 1999)

81. Party (29 November 1999)

82. Christmas (6 December 1999)

83. Paint (13 December 1999)

84. Feelings Rhyme (20 December 1999)

Season 2

1. Safari (3 January 2000)

2. Beach (10 January 2000)

3. Rainy Day (17 January 2000)

4. Spider Webs (24 January 2000)

5. Flying (31 January 2000)

6. Castle (7 February 2000)

7. Jellyvision (14 February 2000)

8. Dinosaurs (21 February 2000)

9. The Joly Jelly Band (28 February 2000)

10. Jungle (6 March 2000)

11. Kangaroo (13 March 2000)

12. Coral's Pet (20 March 2000)

13. Rabbit (27 March 2000)

Theme song

The theme song Jellytastic written by David Lowe and Vo Fletcher was performed by Rik Mayall (who is also the narrator of the show) and Sherrie Ashton with children from The Wyche C.E. Primary School, Malvern.[2]

Music releases

In 1999, a CD was released that was called Jellikins: Songs from the TV series which featured songs performed by Mayall.

Ride(s)

Since 2000, there has been a Jellikins roller coaster at UK theme park, Fantasy Island. Amutec has got the rights to make a Jellikins coin-operated ride featuring Bouncey in his bumper car in 2001.

International Broadcast

• Canada
  • Treehouse TV
• Australia
  • ABC For Kids
• South Korea
  • Seoul Broadcasting System
• Taiwan
  • EBC Yoyo
• The Netherlands
  • Kindernet
  • Nickelodeon

References

1. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 444. ISBN 978-1476665993.
2. Children' Favourite TV themes 'All Together Now' (2001) at umtv CD sleeve notes