City of Friends ( no, Vennebyen) is an

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

children's television series from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. The TV show itself presents stories for young children about policemen, fire service personnel and medical service personnel.

Characters

* Max: Max is everyone's friend and the city's mischief-maker. He is also the only

monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...

in the world who is a police man, or at least a recruit. Although Max might appear to be a self-centered champ, he is helpful and kind. The children in the city think he is the coolest and the funniest in the whole city. A running gag in the series is that Max always loses Hayley's helicopter keys right when she is needed for an emergency. * Elphie: Elphie is an adventure-loving

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

. Her impressive trunk and its water-shooting abilities make her a natural fire-fighter, and she holds the proud position as the only elephant in the city's emergency services. * Ted: The caring young

teddy bear A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, ...

is starting his life in the ambulance service. He loves his job and is responsible for packing the medical supplies. He is very popular and offers great comfort to people in need, providing reassurance with his cuddly warmth. * Jumpi: Jumpi is a very active

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

and Mia and Martin's best friend. He has a tendency to land in situations which he is unable to get out of without the help of others. He is clumsy, naive, careless and inquisitive. His favorite food is carrots. During the daytime, Jumpi goes to school and is in the same class as Martin and Mia. * Petey: Petey is the city's

police car A police car (also called a police cruiser, police interceptor, patrol car, area car, cop car, prowl car, squad car, radio car, or radio motor patrol) is a ground vehicle used by police and law enforcement for transportation during patrols a ...

. He thinks that he is the coolest car in the whole city, and that absolutely nothing can compete with him when it comes to speed and looking good. Petey is driven by Tiffany and in the back, there is a cage for Timba, the police dog. Petey is an electric car, just like all the other vehicles in the City. * Frankie: Frankie is the city's lovely red

fire engine A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an i ...

, and he is the oldest and most experienced vehicle in the city. Tom is Frankie's driver, and Barney is his regular partner. Elphie the elephant sits in the basket that has been specially designed for her. As with the other city vehicles, Frankie runs on electricity. He has been a part of the Fire Service for at least 15 years, making him one of the older vehicle characters in the series. * Abby: Abby is the

ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...

in the City of Friends and if anyone is in need of help, she will be on her way in no time with her sirens blaring and the lights flashing. Abby is warm and caring and is never far away when something happens. She loves it whenever she gets a call-out with the rest of her team, Ted and Tina. As with all the vehicles in the city, Abby also runs on electricity. Abby is unique amongst the vast majority of the show's vehicle characters in that she has more than one episode focusing on her; most of the others with that distinction are only given one spotlight episode. * Hayley: Haley is the helicopter in the city. Hayley braves heights, dangers, and inclement weather to provide assistance. Hayley is not afraid of anything, but when she is not out flying, she is parked on the roof of the police station. Hayley's regular pilot is Max. A running gag in the series is that Max always loses Hayley's helicopter keys right when she is needed for an emergency. * Scoot: Scoot is Max's exercise wheel. He accompanies this energetic little monkey through thick and thin, including most call-outs. Scoot stands in his parking slot right next to the tree where Max has his tree house. If the alarm sounds, Max swings down the rope and lands on top of Scoot. Unlike most of the other emergency vehicle characters, Scoot cannot speak vocally, and instead makes honking sounds. * Barney: Barney is Bobby's twin brother and Ted's uncle. He is also the chief of the fire station in the City of Friends, and with his long experience from fighting fires he guides Elphie so that she also can be a fire-elephant-officer. * Bobby: Bobby is the Police Chief in the City of Friends. He is the twin brother of Barney, the fire chief. Bobby is Ted's father, and is a trusty

Bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

for the residents of the city and not least for all the others at the

police station A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...

. * Gi: Gi is one of the two

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

s in the City of Friends. Her long neck is very useful when she's on lookout duty in her tower at the police station. She keeps an eye out for thieves, fires, accidents or anything else that might be of interest to the city's emergency services. Her name and Raffe's are halves of the word "giraffe". * Raffe: Raffe is the second giraffe in the City of Friends. His long neck is very useful when he's on lookout duty in his tower at the fire station. He keeps an eye out for thieves, fires, accidents or anything else that might be of interest to the city's emergency services. His name and Gi's are halves of the word "giraffe". * Kimmy: Kimmy the

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

hops around the city delivering the post. In her pouch she carries letters and parcels intended for the city's residents. In addition to delivering the post she also has many stories to tell. That is probably why she is known as the city's biggest chatterbox – she talks incessantly. * Timba: Timba is a German shepherd

puppy A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorksh ...

and police dog in training. He is Tiffany's constant companion and partner. He is an inquisitive, enthusiastic puppy. Timba lives with Tiffany. * Tom: Tom has just started working for the fire service in the City of Friends. He is always happy and cheerful, and always ready with a quick response. Tom is Frankie's driver, and when they arrive at a fire it is his job to connect the fire hose to a water supply and to operate it. * Martin and Mia: Martin and Mia are active 10-year old twins. They love cycling, running and exploring the countryside and everything they can see around them. Their curiosity and high levels of activity are always getting them into situations that keep the city's emergency services and their recruits busy throughout the week. Their best friend Jumpi is always with them. Mia and Martin's mother and father run the café in the City of Friends. The two siblings are therefore often to be found hanging around the café, and they are good at helping. * Dad: Dad is the father of Martin and Mia, and together with mum he runs the city's café. The café has become a meeting place for the city's emergency services and it is famous for its wide range of excellent bread and cakes. * Mum: Mum is the mother of Martin and Mia, and together with dad she runs the city's café. The café has become a meeting place for the city's emergency services and it is famous for its wide range of excellent bread and cakes * Tina: Tina has been driving the city's ambulance for many years. The citizens know that if they become ill, injured or need some sort of related help then Tina will come and fix things. She is a healthy, lively girl who decided that she wanted help other people and looking after them to the best of her ability and training. * Tiffany: Tiffany is a police officer who is very strict with her troops at the police station. She lives with Timba, the puppy.

Episodes

* 1. Follow That Ball * 2. There's No Smoke * 3. Football Crazy * 4. One Good Turn * 5. Where's Scoot? * 6. Helmets Are Cool * 7. Lost In Friend Forest * 8. Ted Loses The Bandages * 9. Keep Alert, Raffe * 10. Litter Bug * 11. Sticky Buns * 12. Sorry, I'm Late * 13. The Mix-Up * 14. Congratulations, Frankie * 15. Gone Fishing * 16. Apples For Elphie * 17. Party Time * 18. Keep It A Secret * 19. Bobby And Barney's Band * 20. Jumpi's Giant * 21. Team Effort * 22. Extreme Biking * 23. Timba's Day Out * 24. Mountain Rescue * 25. The Chocolate Muffin Rescue * 26. Father And Son * 27. Max To The Max * 28. Silence Is Golden * 29. Elphie, Get Your Bun * 30. Down The Drain * 31. Spot The Bear * 32. Jumpi's Big Balloon * 33. Jumpi To The Rescue * 34. Flat Out * 35. Abby's Panic Attack * 36. Bobby's Sand Castle * 37. The Case Of The Missing Case * 38. Fluffy * 39. Clear The Line * 40. Runaway Jim * 41. Painting The Town * 42. Treasure Island * 43. Round And Round The Houses * 44. Tom's Alarm Call * 45. Gi And Raffe's Look Out Duty * 46. Beware Of The Yeti * 47. Winter Blunder Land * 48. Max's Mountain Walk * 49. Max's Mercy Walk * 50. Snow Trouble * 51. Duty Before Pleasure * 52. SOS Bonnie

References

{{Reflist Norwegian children's television series Norwegian animated television series 2010 Norwegian television series debuts