''Horrible Histories'' is an

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

based on the

Terry Deary William Terence Deary (born 3 January 1946) is a British children's author of 351 books, selling over 38 million copies in over 45 languages, best known as the writer of the ''Horrible Histories'' series. Since 1994 he has been one of Britain's b ...

book series of the same name. The series ran for 26 episodes that aired between 19 December 2000 and 14 November 2001.

Synopsis

The series is based around the adventures of Stitch and Mo, two everyday kids who are transported to various historical eras with the help of a

time portal Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, and film. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularized in H. G. Wells' ...

. In each episode, their historical adventures help teach them a lesson or solve a problem in their everyday lives, often involving bully Darren Dongle. Animated sidebars explain the historical details, and clarify popular misconceptions.

Characters

*Stitch is one of the two main protagonists, he has black glasses and usually wears a huge dark-green T-shirt that has a rat on it and covers the rest of his body. He is shown to be lazy and loves food (especially

doughnuts A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franch ...

), and also considers himself quite a comedian. He is voiced by

Billy West William Richard Werstine (born 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, comedian, radio personality, impressionist and musician. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'', the title characte ...

. *Mo is one of the two main protagonists, she wears a white T-shirt with a flower on it and green camouflage jeans. She is the brains of the pair. Mo is also shown to love animals. She is voiced by

Cree Summer Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969) is an American-Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her extensive work in animation, voicing characters such as Elmyra Duff in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and related media, Susie Carmichael ...

in the original American version and Jo Young when the show was dubbed and shown in the UK. *Darren Dongle is the main antagonist, a nerd who knows a lot about history but is shown to enjoy taunting Stitch and Mo. He is over-confident and hates it when he's wrong. He is voiced by

Jess Harnell Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor. His roles include Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Captain Hero in '' Drawn Together'', Jerry in the first two seasons of '' Totally Spies!'', Ironhide in the first three ''Tr ...

. *The Narrator is shown to be a good joker and zaps Stitch and Mo back in time to solve their situations. In Amazing Aussies, his name is revealed to be "Frank Synopsis." He is voiced by Billy West in the original American version and was dubbed by

Stephen Rea Stephen Rea ( ; born October 31, 1946) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he began his career as a member of Dublin's Focus Theatre, and played many roles on the stage and on Irish television. He came to the attention of inte ...

when the show was dubbed and shown in the UK.

Production

''Horrible Histories'' is based on

's book series of the same name. Deary later said he had had a "terrible experience" with the show. The show is produced by California-based indie Mike Young Productions (LA), Telegael Galway, and Scholastic Entertainment (NY). It marked Young's and Telegael's first collaboration. It is directed by Andrew Young (executive producer Mike Young's son) and Gordon Langley. It is produced by Martha Atwater, Tamar Simon Hoffs, Michelle Conway, Paul Cummings, Deborah Forte, Mike Young, Mark Young, Beth Richman and Charlie Stickney, among others. It is animated by Glenn Jason Hanna. It is written by Martha Atwater, Terry Deary, Charlie Stickney, Andrew Young, Gordon Langley, William Forrest Cluverius. It has a running time of 25 minutes. On the British channel ITV, the show attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers each week. Stephen Rea did his voice recording work in Dublin. In 2006, ''The Mirror'' held a promotion where readers had to collect 12 coupons and send them in to receive a free copy of the Horrible Histories DVD collection.

Episodes

Historical inaccuracies: * "Rotten Romans" – Julius Caesar did not build the Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum). It was built by Vespasian. * "Revolting Revolution" – When the episode was dubbed in the UK, the narrator says at one point that George Washington died in 1793. However, the original version from the USA correctly said that George Washington died in 1799. * "Amazing Aussies" – Sheep are not native to Australia, Europeans brought them over.

DVD release

The show's episodes have been released as single episodes, as 3-in-1 packs, or as one whole series.Shopping, best shop, Price comparison, Product review at dooyoo.co.uk
/ref> The series was released as a 3-disc DVD box set in 2005.

References

External links