''Catscratch'' is an American animated television series created by

Doug TenNapel Douglas Richard TenNapel ( ; born July 10, 1966) is an American animator, writer, cartoonist, video game designer, and comic book artist whose work has encompassed animated television, video games, and comic books. He is best known for creating ...

(also known for creating the ''

Earthworm Jim ''Earthworm Jim'' is a series of platform games featuring an earthworm named Jim who wears a robotic suit and battles the forces of evil. The series is noted for its platforming and shooting gameplay, surreal humor, and edgy art style. Four game ...

'' series). It aired on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

from July 9, 2005, to February 10, 2007. It was a loose adaptation of TenNapel's comic book series, ''

Gear A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called ''cogs''), which mesh with another (compatible) toothed part to transmit (convert) torque and speed. The basic ...

'', which in the series is also the name of the cats'

monster truck A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock p ...

. The series features music composed by longtime TenNapel collaborator,

Terry Scott Taylor Terry Scott Taylor (born May 24, 1950) is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies (credited as Camarillo Eddy). Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternativ ...

Description

The series revolves around a trio of anthropomorphic feline brothers. After their wealthy owner Edna Cramdilly died, she left her riches to them, along with a menacing, oversized

named Gear and a dignified butler named Hovis. The program commonly chronicles their wealthy lifestyles and action-packed, sometimes paranormal experiences. Other characters include the sweet young neighbor girl, Kimberly, with whom Gordon is obsessed, and the cats' competitive rivals the Chumpy Chump Brothers.

Characters

Main

* Gordon Quid (voiced by Rob Paulsen) speaks with a Scottish accent, despite not being from Scotland, and claims to be a member of the Highland Quid Clan. He has a crush on "Human" Kimberly and loves to sing, which quite regularly angers Mr. Blik. He enjoys cooking Scottish recipes, which many people find disgusting. He is likely a

Manx cat The Manx cat (, in earlier times often spelled Manks) is a breed of domestic cat (''Felis catus'') originating on the Isle of Man, with a naturally occurring mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats ...

due to his small tail, and has an orange patch on his right eye. Gordon is the middle child of the three. * Waffle (voiced by

Kevin McDonald Kevin Hamilton McDonald (born May 16, 1961) is a Canadian actor, voice actor and comedian. He is a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of stage, television and film productions, most notably th ...

) is the youngest and tallest of the three. A dimwitted and happy-go-lucky with an affinity for his many pet

newt A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aqua ...

s, his catchphrases are "Spleee!" or "Woohoo!". He is easily fascinated by many simplistic, everyday items and likes doing flatulent sounds with his underarms. He is a gray

American Curl The American Curl is a breed of cat characterized by its unusual ears, which curl back from the face toward the center of the back of the skull. The breed originated in Lakewood, California, as the result of a spontaneous mutation. History The f ...

with long, floppy ears and a long tail with dark periwinkle stripes like his right ear. * Mr. Blik (voiced by

Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on '' Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on ''Toonsylvania'' (1998 ...

) is the oldest and the self-appointed leader of the group who is confident, pampered, surly, and vain. He often gets himself into major trouble and is prone to near-death injuries. Mr. Blik is proud of his newly inherited riches and spends his money on anything and everything that spells respect and power. He always insults his two brothers and his catchphrases are "Yeah!" and "Suckers!". He is a Bombay cat.

Supporting

* Hovis (voiced by

Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...

) is Mrs. Cramdilly's butler who looks after the cats and collects his measly paychecks (which Mr. Blik signs). Hovis is not exactly thrilled about his new situation but hails from a long line of butlers who have served in the house and honestly believes that he has nowhere else to go. Therefore, Hovis puts up with the fact that the former pets have become his masters. Mr. Blik barks out orders to him constantly, Gordon treats him as an equal, and Waffle hasn't quite figured out that he is not a pet anymore (though he still asks Hovis to be let out and scratched behind his ears). His birthday is April 14, 1982, as seen in the episode "Love Jackal". * Human Kimberly (voiced by

Liliana Mumy Liliana Berry Davis Mumy (; born April 16, 1994) is an American actress. Between 2002 and 2006, she appeared as Jessica Baker in the two ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' movies and as Lucy Miller in the second and third films of ''The Santa Clause'' tr ...

) is an 8-year-old girl who has a good-natured personality, a gap in her teeth, and an obsession with

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...

s. Kimberly is one of the few human friends the cats have. Kimberly doesn't think they are greedy and just accepts her feline neighbors for who they are and sees the good in their hearts. Kimberly is also completely unaware of the fact that Gordon has a complete infatuation with her. Kimberly has three human friends named Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, and Charlotte. Although she's not in many episodes, her most notable appearances are in the episodes "Unicorn Club", "Love Cats", and "Core-uption". * Randall (voiced by Frank Welker) is an antagonistic male brown grizzly bear who is on the hunt for the three cat brothers. Randall knows where the cats live and will sometimes be at their door to eat them up as soon as it is opened.

Production

''Catscratch'' went into production in early 2005. The series aired on Nickelodeon and premiered in the United States on July 9, 2005. The final episode entitled "Spindango Fundulation/Duck and Cover" aired on February 10, 2007, ending the series.

Episodes

Home media

Reception

Critical

Sarah Wenk of

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

gave the series 3 out of 5 stars; saying that, “''Catscratch'' is a generic cartoon show that involves oddly drawn characters who don't really look like anything, very loud voices, very bright colors, and many instances of people and creatures and things being bashed, broken, and bonked. The show is a by-the-book program, but that doesn't mean it's not sometimes funny or even touching. Many kids will get a kick out of it, although you may not be as tolerant. There's nothing terribly wrong with it, but nothing terribly right, either.”

Awards and nominations

Comics

Confirmed by an e-mail from Doug TenNapel, there were a few 2-page ''Catscratch'' comics in the works for

Nickelodeon Magazine ''Nickelodeon Magazine'' is a defunct American children's magazine inspired by the children's television network Nickelodeon. Its first incarnation appeared in 1990 and was distributed at participating Pizza Hut restaurants; the version of the ma ...

. The first one came out in the December/January 2005 issue. The second one came out in the March 2006 issue. The third and last one was in the February 2007 issue.

References

External links

*
''Catscratch'' at NickAnimationStudio.com
(archive) {{Rough Draft Studios Nicktoons 2000s American animated television series 2005 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings 2000s Nickelodeon original programming American children's animated comedy television series Animated television series about brothers Animated television series about cats Animated television series about teenagers English-language television shows Television shows set in Bakersfield, California Television series created by Doug TenNapel