Shaun the Sheep

Shaun the Sheep
File:Shaun the Sheep.PNG
Genre	Animated children's television series
Created by	Nick Park
Developed by	Richard Goleszowski Alison Snowden David Fine
Voices of	Justin Fletcher Kate Harbour John Sparkes Richard Webber
Theme music composer	Mark Thomas
Opening theme	Sung by Vic Reeves
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	Not language specific.
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	40 scheduled, 20 produced. (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Miles Bullough Peter Lord Nick Park
Producer	Aardman Animations
Running time	7 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC One, CBBC
Release	March 5,2007 – present

Shaun the Sheep is a British fictional stop-motion animated children's television series produced by Aardman Animations. The show is aired in the UK, on BBC One weekdays at 3:45 p.m., and on the CBBC Channel Sundays at 6 p.m. starting 5 March 2007.

The series will be released on DVD in the UK on 7 September, 2007.

History

The character first appeared in the 1995 Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit short film A Close Shave. Sucked into Wallace's Knit-o-matic contraption, the sheep is accidentally shorn, so Wallace names him "Shaun" (a pun). Shaun later appeared in the 2002 Cracking Contraptions series, episode 1, Shopper 13, ostensibly to rescue a wayward wheel of cheese.

The popularity of the character, as expressed in the success of Shaun the Sheep merchandise, led to this spinoff series of 40 7-minute episodes.

Synopsis

A premise of the series is that Shaun the sheep exhibits human intelligence, creativity, and behaviour in a barnyard, which usually provides a situational comedy conflict which Shaun must resolve before the end of each episode. Recurring themes include the characters evading the sheepdog Bitzer and avoiding discovery by the Farmer. In the first episode, a stray cabbage bouncing into the field provokes an impromptu football game. In the second episode, a freezing cold sheep dip sends Shaun on a commando raid to get hot water from the Farmer’s bathtub.

Episodes are a combination of slapstick and classic silent comedy in Aardman’s recognisable animation style. There is no spoken dialogue, even by human characters. In this way it is reminiscent of early silent comedy films and even Pingu.

International broadcasters

The series has been aired on Danish television, and is scheduled for broadcast in 72 countries in total.

Episodes

Main article: List of Shaun the Sheep episodes

Reception

Reviews of the series were consistently positive. Harry Venning of "The Stage" found "characterisation charming and the animation superb. All this before even a mention of how funny and splendidly slapstick the script is." The Guardian noted that the series "hits the four-to-seven-year-old age group smack in the eye." Charles Arthur wrote "classic Aardman style that leaves me laughing out loud." On many forums, the show has received rave reviews, with Shaun becoming a fans favourite among adults as well as children.

Major characters

Template:Spoiler Shaun the Sheep has an inquisitive, mischievous nature which distinguishes him from the other sheep, and leads him into tricky situations from which he usually recovers. He is popular, and is a natural leader. He is also a moral character who will try to "make things right".

Bitzer is the long-suffering sheepdog who watches the flock. He tolerates antics, but steps in if things get out of hand. Bitzer acts as foreman, checking the sheep into and out of the field and lunching with a flask of tea and sandwiches. He listens to drum and bass on a portable media player and does crossword puzzles, which gives the animals opportunity for mischief. The relationship between Bitzer and the animals is essentially friendly.

A character designed by a Blue Peter competition winner, XX2000 Robot Dog, will replace Bitzer in one episode.

The Farmer is a solitary and plain figure, who tends to his smallholding farm with loyal Bitzer. He goes about his business expressing little emotion except the occasional burst of frustration when things go wrong, or an air of bemusement at the results of some of Shaun’s antics. He is enthusiastic about new technology.

Like all the human characters in the series, we see him from the animals’ point of view and his speech comes across as a series of grunts and mumbles. He is unaware that his farmyard charges are anything other than normal animals.

The Flock are typical sheep, content to spend the day chewing the cud until Shaun gets an idea into his head, when they will easily follow his lead. They are an enthusiastic audience for Shaun, but are clumsy, easily frightened and not bright, which undermines Shaun’s exploits. While the flock mainly acts as a unified entity, some characters stand out within the group:

Shirley is so much bigger than the other sheep that she has to be pushed from place to place and can eat just about anything that comes her way. She is useful as a trampoline, a battering ram and her capacious fleece provides a hiding place for unlikely items.

Timmy is an adorable baby lamb who sucks a dummy and gets into dangerous situations. He loves teddy bears and will cry if he is without them. He likes pizza, and has only has one tooth.

Timmy's Mother wears curlers in her hair, and is a bit careless about maternal duties. But when her offspring goes astray, she is inconsolable until he is safely back in her care.

The Naughty Pigs are housed in a yard next to the field, and are the bane of the sheep's life. Mocking, cantankerous, greedy and generally lazy, they still find time to disrupt Shaun’s schemes.

Minor characters

Animals

The Cockerel appears at the start of the opening credits.

The Mother Hen and her annoying, chirpy Chicks appear in Who’s The Mummy?.

The Duck suffers collateral damage due to Shaun’s exploits in Off The Baa and Bath Time.

Mower Mouth the Goat is an unstoppable eating machine – while not an unfriendly character, all his considerable energy is focused on his next meal. He appears in Mower Mouth and Saturday Night Shaun.

The Bull is belligerent, powerful, and easily provoked by Shaun’s antics and the colour red. He appears in The Bull, Saturday Night Shaun and Who's The Mummy?. When Shaun orders a red bed sheet, he stops chasing the other sheep (painted red) around the farm.

The Mole is a rude pest in Mountains Out Of Molehills. He is fearless when mocking Shaun, but not so brave when Mother Mole turns up.

She-Bitzer is a female dog belonging to campers who pitch their tent by the sheep field in Fetching. After a brief courtship, she and Bitzer are cruelly separated.

Pidsley is the Farmer's lazy and selfish cat who can be remarkably quick and vicious, and dislikes it when the sheep sneak into the farmer's house. Appears in Timmy In A Tizzy and Saturday Night Shaun.

The Frog is found in the scarecrow's hat, then in the pocket of the coat which Shaun takes. He is given as currency along with three buttons, a small comb and a kazoo in exchange for a number of pizzas. He seems unwilling to become the pizza delivery boy's pet.

The Mouse is found using by the Naughty Pigs as a prank on the flock in Things That Go Bump.

Humans

Pizza Delivery Boy is a teenager who rides a moped and works in the local pizzeria. Also moonlights as a postman in Saturday Night Shaun.

The Farmer’s Niece is a sweet cherub whose over-enthusiastic love of animals spells trouble for Shaun.

The Ramblers are a liberal, nature-loving couple in Shaun Shoots The Sheep.

The Scarecrow is not a human character, but a handy prop which Shaun uses in Take Away and Things That Go Bump.

Trivia

In every episode, there is at least one allusion to a classic movie scene from such films as in Star Wars, E.T., The Matrix, Rocky and Pulp Fiction. At the end of Saturday Night Shaun, Shirley opens her mouth and music plays, as in Lilo and Stitch when Stitch opens his mouth and music comes on. The painting style in the episode Still Life is the same as in The Aristocats.

External links

• Official website
• Aardman Animation official website
• BBC Press release (animation series)