Lilo & Stitch: The Series

Lilo & Stitch: The Series (or simply known as Lilo & Stitch on its title card) is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It premiered on September 20, 2003 on ABC as part of ABC Kids,[1] with a delayed premiere on Disney Channel on October 12, 2003.[2][3] The series ended on July 29, 2006 after airing 65 episodes in two seasons.

Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Genre
Created by
Based onLilo & Stitch
by Chris Sanders
Dean DeBlois
Developed by
Directed by
  • Victor Cook
  • Don MacKinnon (season 1)
  • Rob LaDuca (season 2)
  • Tony Craig ("Spike" and "Shoe")
Voices of
Opening theme"Aloha, E Komo Mai", Music by Danny Jacob and Mark Hammond; lyrics by Danny Jacob and Ali B Olmo; performed by Jump5
Ending theme"Aloha, E Komo Mai" (instrumental)
Composer(s)Michael Tavera
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes65 (plus pilot and finale films) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Running time22 minutes
Production company(s)Walt Disney Television Animation
DistributorBuena Vista Television
Release
Original network
Audio formatDolby Digital 5.1
Original releaseSeptember 20, 2003 (2003-09-20) –
July 29, 2006 (2006-07-29)
Chronology
Preceded by
Followed by
Related shows

A sequel spin-off of the 2002 feature film of the same name, and the follow-up to the August 2003 direct-to-video pilot Stitch! The Movie, it was the first of three television series produced in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, and the only one to retain the same setting as the original film.[4] It was aired on Disney Channel worldwide, but has only been released on DVD in full in Japan, in four box sets. On March 11, 2018, the series returned on Disney XD for a few months. On November 12, 2019, the series was released on Disney+.

Plot

Continuing where Stitch! The Movie left off, Lilo and Stitch are given the task of collecting the rest of Jumba's missing experiments, changing them from bad to good, and finding the one place where they truly belong. Meanwhile, the former Captain Gantu and his reluctant partner, Experiment 625 (later named Reuben), try to capture the experiments for the imprisoned Dr. Hämsterviel.

Running for two seasons, it had a total of 65 episodes. The storyline of the series concluded with the Disney Channel broadcast of the television finale Leroy & Stitch on June 23, 2006.

Episodes
Main article: List of Lilo & Stitch: The Series episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
PilotAugust 26, 2003 (2003-08-26)Direct-to-video
139September 20, 2003 (2003-09-20)February 28, 2004 (2004-02-28)Disney Channel
ABC Kids
226November 5, 2004 (2004-11-05)July 29, 2006 (2006-07-29)
FinaleJune 23, 2006 (2006-06-23)Disney Channel

Crossover episodes

During its second season, Lilo & Stitch: The Series had crossovers with four other shows from Walt Disney Television Animation, three of which were airing during its run and one of which had already ended. According to executive producer Jess Winfield, these episodes were inspired by the four "Inter-Stitch-ial" teaser trailers that were made for the original Lilo & Stitch film, which featured Stitch invading scenes in various Disney Renaissance films.

The following episodes establish that Lilo & Stitch exist in the same universe as the same shows with which they crossed over.

Characters
Main article: List of Lilo & Stitch characters
  • Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) – One of the two lead characters, also known as Experiment 626. After finding out about his 625 other experiment "cousins", he and Lilo set out to find them, reform them to good, and have them join their ever-expanding ʻohana. He also learns more about life on Earth along the way.
  • Lilo Pelekai (voiced by Daveigh Chase) – The other lead character, she is Stitch's owner and best friend. She assists Stitch in finding his "cousins", naming them, and finding them a "one true place" where they can use their abilities for good.
  • Dr. Jumba Jookiba (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) – The creator of the many genetic experiments, which includes Stitch and Reuben, he lives with the Pelekai ʻohana after being exiled to Earth in the original film alongside Pleakley. He plays the role of Lilo and Nani's "uncle" in the ʻohana and wears a human disguise in public. He frequently assists Lilo and Stitch in capturing the experiments, usually by providing them with various tools he creates.
  • Pleakley (voiced by Kevin McDonald) – A former agent for the United Galactic Federation, he lives with the Pelekai ʻohana after being exiled to Earth in the original film alongside Jumba. He plays the role of Lilo and Nani's "aunt" in the ʻohana and frequently cross-dresses in the role. He also assists Lilo and Stitch in capturing the experiments, but to a lesser extent. He normally helps Nani out in maintaining the household. In the episode "Fibber", it was revealed that his first name is Wendy.
  • Nani Pelekai (voiced by Tia Carrere) – Lilo's older sister and legal guardian, and caretaker of the household that they live in. She is usually busy and stressed out, and frequently has to deal with Lilo and Stitch's antics.
  • Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel (voiced by Jeff Bennett) – He is Jumba's former lab partner who seeks to capture the genetic experiments he helped to create through financing, hiring Gantu for help. He works from his "prison cell" which he set up as a laboratory. His name is usually mispronounced much to his chagrin, usually as "Hamsterwheel" or "Hamsterveal".
  • Gantu (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) – Forcibly retired from his position as captain of the Galactic Armada at the end of the original film, he serves as Hämsterviel's henchman. He fights against Lilo and Stitch in capturing the experiments, but is usually defeated due to his arrogance, bad luck, and the abilities of Stitch.
  • X-625/Reuben (voiced by Rob Paulsen) – Gantu's sidekick in capturing experiments. He is a genetic experiment who has all the abilities of Stitch (plus a greater fluency in English). However, he is a lazy coward who prefers to make sandwiches rather than fight. Although he is now known as "Reuben", he was not given this name until Leroy & Stitch, and was referred to by his experiment number throughout The Series, although Lilo called him "Sandwich Boy" once in the episode "627".

Recurring
  • Mertle Edmonds (voiced by Liliana Mumy) – Lilo's classmate and rival. She appeared in many episodes of the series, usually causing conflicts for the title duo in the episodes she appeared in.
  • David Kawena (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) – Nani's boyfriend who is a local surfer and fire performer, and is aware of the existence of aliens. He appeared in "Richter", "Cannonball", "Yin-Yang", "Splodyhead", "Fibber", "Amnesio", "Poxy", "Hunkahunka", and "Wishy-Washy".
  • X-007/Gigi (voiced by Tress MacNeille) – Mertle's pet. Gigi is a Shih-Tzu like experiment and her "one true place" is with Mertle as her pet. She first appeared in "Yapper" (which focused on her and is named after the nickname Lilo gave her) and later appeared in "Amnesio" and "PJ".
  • X-624/Angel (voiced by Tara Strong) – Stitch's main love interest. Angel is a pink female experiment who was designed to turn the good experiments evil with a siren song. She was caught by Gantu at the end of her episode and was later rescued in "Snafu". She only appeared in those two episodes along with a cameo in "Remmy".
  • X-221/Sparky (voiced by Frank Welker) – The first of Stitch's cousins that Stitch met. Sparky is a yellow experiment designed to create electric energy. His place where he truly belongs is in the old lighthouse to utilize his electric skills to generate light. He appeared in "Elastico", "The Asteroid", "Angel", "Skip", "Checkers", "Ploot", "Remmy", and "Snafu".
  • Cobra Bubbles (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) – A mysterious government agent who is working as a social worker and the only known human aside from Lilo's family who is aware of the aliens and experiments. He appeared in "Amnesio", "The Asteroid", and "Shush", while the title experiment of the episode "Spooky" (Experiment 300) changed into Bubbles to trick and frighten Nani (Ving Rhames, who played Cobra in the original film and Stitch! The Movie, was also credited in this episode alongside Richardson).
  • Elena, Teresa and Yuki – Mertle's possé consists of Elena (voiced by Jillian Henry), Teresa (voiced by Kali Whitehurst) and Yuki (voiced by Lili Ishida). Classmates of Mertle and Lilo, they usually travel in a group and seldom say anything other than a sarcastic "Yeah!" in unison when agreeing with Mertle on something. They appeared in several episodes of The Series.
  • Mr. Wong (voiced by Clyde Kusatsu) – The owner of the rental hut on Lahui Beach and Nani's employer in early season one. He appears in "Richter" and "Holio", and is mentioned in "Cannonball".
  • Mrs. Edmonds (voiced by April Winchell) – Mertle's mother, who is kinder than her daughter. She appeared in "Clip", "Holio", "Houdini", "Finder", "Bonnie & Clyde", "Spike", "Belle", and "Shush".
  • Grand Councilwoman (voiced by Zoe Caldwell) – The leader of the United Galactic Federation, she is the one who banished Stitch in the first film. She later agrees to let Lilo and Stitch become official experiment hunters in order to retrieve all of the remaining experiments. She only appeared in "Finder".
  • Keoni Jameson (voiced by Shaun Fleming) – Keoni is a young, laid-back boy on whom Lilo has a crush. Lilo constantly tries to vie for his affections. He had a crush on Pleakley, whom he knows as Lilo's 'aunt', in the episode "Hunkahunka", but in "Nosy" he stated that he only had the crush for that one week. His father owns several businesses on Kauai. He has a friend who just happens to be a girl (not a girlfriend, though). He also appeared in "Kixx", "Melty", and "Morpholomew".
  • Mr. Jameson (voiced by Bryan Cranston) – Mr. Jameson is the father of Keoni and, on several occasions, Nani's employer. He owns several businesses around Kauai, including the Birds of Paradise Hotel. He appeared in "Cannonball", "Melty", "Nosy", "Babyfier", "Checkers", and "Link".
  • Moses Puloki (voiced by Kunewa Mook) – The hula teacher of Lilo's hālau hula, where he teaches Lilo, Victoria, Mertle, Yuki, Elena and Teresa how to hula. He is very patient with his students and tolerates their antics. Lilo and her friends often call Moses, "Kumu", Hawaiian for teacher. He appeared in several episodes of The Series.
  • Officer Kahiko – Officer Kahiko is a police officer who knows Lilo well and occasionally tries to keep her out of trouble when she isn't accompanied by Nani. He appeared in the episodes "Holio", "Bonnie & Clyde", "Snooty", and "Shush".
  • Victoria (voiced by Daveigh Chase and Alyson Stoner) – Lilo's new (human) best friend, whom she meets in the episode "Swapper". Throughout the episode, Lilo tries to prove to her she wasn't weird. However, Victoria reveals she likes weird stuff so she and Lilo become best friends. Victoria is also in Lilo's hula class and owns Snooty (Experiment 277) as a pet. She appeared in "Swapper", "Snooty", "Slick", "Remmy", and "Wishy-Washy".
  • Mrs. Lynne Hasagawa (voiced by Amy Hill) – A little old lady who owns Kokaua Town's fruit stand. As seen in the first segment of "Mrs. Hasagawa's Cats/Ace", several experiments live with her. She appeared in several episodes of The Series.
  • Ice Cream Man (voiced by Frank Welker) – This unnamed character is a running gag throughout the Lilo & Stitch franchise. Whenever he appears, he drops his ice cream (usually a mint-flavored ice cream, presumably from its color) from its cone before he can finish it. This character has no speaking parts in The Series except saying "Whoa!" when he tripped over a pod. He also cries after suffering from X-151 (Babyfier)'s effects. His real eyes can be seen in the episode "Swirly".
  • Various characters (voiced by Michael Yingling)

Home media

Only a few episodes of Lilo & Stitch: The Series were released on home media in the United States. The episodes "Clip" and "Mr. Stenchy" were bonus features for a DVD board game called Lilo & Stitch's Island of Adventures that was released on November 11, 2003.[5][6] Another two episodes, "Slushy" and "Poxy", were released on separate Game Boy Advance Video compilations of Disney Channel series. Finally, the final episode "Link" was a bonus feature on the Leroy & Stitch DVD that was released on June 27, 2006, a month before the episode aired on television.

Video on-demand

Lilo & Stitch: The Series was available on the DisneyLife streaming service in the United Kingdom.[7]

The first American digital streaming release for The Series was via the TV Everywhere service DisneyNow in 2018, while the show reran on Disney XD, although it was later removed from the service in August that year. It was later made digitally available in the United States again and in other countries on Disney+ when that service launched on November 12, 2019, alongside all four feature-length Lilo & Stitch films.[8]

Reception

In a review for finale film Leroy & Stitch, AllMovie's Skyler Miller called Lilo & Stitch: The Series a "high quality" television series, stating that it "was that a pleasant surprise to fans of the 2002 film, continuing its good-natured, offbeat spirit while introducing the ingenious plot device of having the titular duo capture and rehabilitate Stitch's 625 'cousins.'"[9]

Betsy Wallace of Common Sense Media gave the show's quality 3 out of 5 stars, applicable for ages 6 and above. Wallace noted that "Lilo frequently demonstrates compassion to creatures," but ultimately deemed the series's humor to be its "strong point", pointing out that the show "even makes fun of [its own] scant educational content."[10]

Awards and nominations
  • Daytime Emmy Awards
2005 – Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition – Michael Tavera (Nominated)
2004 – Best Sound Editing in Television Animation: Music – Jason Oliver & Steve Dierkens for episode "Sprout" (Nominated)
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See also
  • Stitch!, an anime series that serves as the second television series in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, taking place years after Lilo & Stitch: The Series
  • Stitch & Ai, a Chinese animated series that serves as the third television series in the franchise, which was partially worked on by some of the same production crew as Lilo & Stitch: The Series

References
  1. Baisley, Sarah (September 5, 2003). "ABC Kids Adds Two New Series This Fall". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  2. Verrier, Richard (November 10, 2003). "Disney's TV Cartoons Enter the Spotlight". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2017. The series has become one of the top-rated kids shows since it premiered Oct. 12...
  3. "Disney scores with Lilo series". Mediaweek. HighBeam Business. October 20, 2003. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2017. The Disney Channel scored big ratings with its Oct. 12 premiere of Lilo & Stitch: The Series.
  4. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 495–496. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  5. "Lilo & Stitch's Island Of Adventures | Disney Movies". Disney.com. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  6. Millheiser, Matthew (November 9, 2003). "Lilo & Stitch's Island of Adventures DVD Game: DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". DVD Talk. Retrieved March 27, 2019. It's a nice change of pace when the Game is the main part of the DVD, and the rest of the content are "extras." Anyway, as previously mentioned there are two episodes of the Lilo & Stitch television series included: 'Mr. Stenchy' and 'Clip'.
  7. "Lilo & Stitch: The Series". DisneyLife. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  8. Alexander, Julia (November 11, 2019). "Disney+ launch lineup: every movie and TV show available to stream in the US on day one". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  9. Miller, Skyler. "Leroy & Stitch (2006) Review". AllMovie. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  10. Wallace, Betsy. "Lilo & Stitch: The Series TV Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
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