''Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends'', sometimes shortened to ''Sunny Patch'', is a CGI-animated

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early eveni ...

produced by

Nelvana Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Found ...

in association with AbsoluteDigital Pictures and Callaway Arts & Entertainment as a follow-up to '' Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids''. It was based on the children's books by David Kirk. In Canada, the series aired on

Teletoon Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and " cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts ...

. 44 episodes were produced.

Premise

The series is set in "Sunny Patch" (a tiny town made of common forest items), populated by

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

bugs, and primarily centers around the Spider family. The episodes follow the children's adventures playing in Sunny Patch and learning life lessons, such as being kind to others, being imaginative, having responsibility, and being curious about the world around them.

Episodes

Characters

Main

* Like three of her children, Miss Spider (voiced by

Kristin Davis Kristin Landen Davis (also listed as Kristin Lee Davis; born February 23, 1965) is an American actress and producer. She is known for playing Charlotte York Goldenblatt in the HBO romantic comedy series '' Sex and the City'' (1998–2004). ...

in the US version and

Maria Darling Maria Darling is a British voice actress who has provided many character voices for children's television programmes in the United Kingdom and the United States. Television and film * Dr Otter - Some of the Rabbit Children, Mrs. Canny Body and ...

in the UK version) is an adoptee, adopted by Betty Beetle when her biological mother was not found. Miss Spider tries to be a kind and caring mom and give equal time to all of her many children. She strongly believes that "We have to be good to bugs; ''all'' bugs." * Squirt (voiced by Scott Beaudin in the US version and Joanna Ruiz in the UK version) is a curious and adventurous green 6-year-old

spider Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species d ...

. Squirt is considered to be the leader of the children and as such, more stories center around him than any other. He enjoys surfing the air on his webs, dreams of flying like Shimmer or Dragon, and is often ready to take the lead in an adventure. Because of his impulsive and curious personality, he often needs the advice of his parents to help him with situations. * Shimmer (voiced by Rebecca Brenner in the US version and Maria Darling in the UK version) is a pink 8-year-old

jewel beetle Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some ...

with an interest in sports and games. Shimmer is different from the rest of the family as she has abilities the others do not (such as heat sensors). She is one of Miss Spider and Holley's adoptive children. * Dragon (voiced by Mitchell Eisner in the US version and Maria Darling in the UK version) is a purple 9-year-old

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

who is one of Miss Spider and Holley's adoptive children. He is the eldest of the Spider children and often antagonistic towards others, especially Squirt. In several episodes, Dragon serves as an example of peer pressure. For example, in "Cry Buggie", Dragon pokes fun at Squirt when he explains his feelings. * Bounce (voiced by

Julie Lemieux Julie Lemieux (born December 4, 1962) is a Canadian voice actress. Career Lemieux has provided the voice for characters such as Sammy Tsukino in '' Sailor Moon'', young Darien Shields in '' Sailor Moon R: The Movie'', and Peruru in '' Sailor Moo ...

in the US version and Joanna Ruiz in the UK version) is a blue 7-year-old bedbug who is one of Miss Spider and Holley's adoptive children. He is a two-legged, high-energy bug and the only bug character in the series to have teeth. He and Dragon have been "best bug buddies" ever since they met because of their similar experiences regarding their original families.

Supporting

* Holley (voiced by

Robert Smith Robert Smith or Bob Smith, or similar, may refer to: Business * Robert MacKay Smith (1802–1888), Scottish businessman, meteorologist and philanthropist who founded Glasgow University's Mackay Smith Prizes * Robert Barr Smith (1824–1915), ...

in the US version and David Holt in the UK version) is Miss Spider's husband who wears eyeglasses. Holley is a

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who w ...

who loves to play the guitar. He has a special thinking stone where he makes decisions. * Spinner (voiced by Austin Di Iulio in Seasons 1-2,

Cameron Ansell Cameron Ansell (born November 28, 1992) is a Canadian voice and television actor, best known for voicing Arthur in the television series of the same name, Cheng in ''Skyland'', and Prince Lumen in ''Spider Riders''. He was born in Picton, Ontari ...

in Season 3 in the US version and Lynn Cleckner in the UK version) is a yellow 6-year-old spider sporting very large eyeglasses. He looks almost exactly like his father, Holley. He is a smart and wise bug often looked to for advice. While Spinner is not great at physical activities, he has a wonderful talent for the "bugpipes". * Pansy (voiced by Aaryn Doyle in the US version and Maria Darling in the UK version) and Snowdrop (voiced by Alexandra Lai in the US version and Lynn Cleckner in the UK version) are orange 6-year-old spiders who are identical twins. Their only distinguishing features are different colored bows on their head; Pansy wears a pink bow, while Snowdrop wears a green bow. Pansy sings well, but not as naturally as Snowdrop. * Wiggle (voiced by Marc McMulkin in the US version and Lynn Cleckner in the UK version) is a blue 6-year-old spider who tends to be the worrier of the group, and is quite emotional. * Spiderus Reeves (voiced by Tony Jay in the US version and Andy Turvy in the UK version) is a whiny, conniving, and cowardly white spider. He lives with his mate Spindella in a crack at the bottom of the Hollow Tree. * Ned (voiced by Jonathan Wilson) and Ted (voiced by Philip Williams) are twin red ant brothers. Ned speaks with an Australian accent and has a tuft of hair between his antenna and Ted speaks with a

New York accent The sound system of New York City English is popularly known as a New York accent. The New York metropolitan accent is one of the most recognizable accents of the United States, largely due to its popular stereotypes and portrayal in radio ...

. The both of them are scheming and deceptive and have only two main interests: food and getting more of it. A common running gag is that when Ted is mistaken for Ned or vice versa, they would say "I'm Ted. He's Ned." or vice versa. * Stinky (voiced by Scott McCord in the US version and David Holt in the UK version) is a green stinkbug who takes up detective work in his free time. He speaks with a New York accent and he is also talented at playing the xylophone. * Felix (voiced by Richard Binsley) is a

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

who was introduced in the three-part special "A Froggy Day in Sunny Patch." Felix longed to be a bug himself and refuses to eat bugs, as he does not find them tasty. Instead, he eats only berries.

Recurring

* Betty Beetle (voiced by

Patricia Gage Patricia "Pat" Gage (3 March 1940 – 31 January 2010)In Memoriam � ...

in the US version and Maria Darling in the UK version) is Miss Spider's adoptive mother, the kids' maternal grandmother, and Holley's mother-in-law. It's revealed that when Miss Spider couldn't find her real mom, Betty decided to adopt her. * Uncle Asparagus "Gus" (voiced by Peter Oldring in the US version and David Holt in the UK version) is a red and green

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

who is Miss Spider's adoptive brother, Betty's son, Holley's brother-in-law, and the kids' maternal uncle. He loves to stargaze with his nephews and nieces. * Shelley (voiced by Cole Caplan) is a

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class G ...

who is friends with the Spider family. He is also part of the Sunny Patch Bug Scouts. * Spindella (voiced by Kristina Nicoll in the US version and Lynn Cleckner in the UK version) is Spiderus' wife who he met in the Snakey Woods near the farm. * Mandrake (voiced by Samson Weiss-Willis) is Spiderus and Spindella's son. * Bella (voiced by Emma Pustil) and Ivy (voiced by Nissae Isen) are Spiderus and Spindella's twin daughters. * Grub (voiced by

Rob Tinkler Robert Tinkler is a Canadian voice actor who provides voices for a number of cartoons and anime shows. He voiced Max in '' The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police'', Delete in the children's animated series '' Cyberchase'', Pelswick Eggert ...

) is a white grub that has told Squirt about the Snakey Woods. * Whiffy (voiced by Judy Marshak) is a light green stinkbug who is Stinky's sister. * Grace (voiced by Hanna Endicott-Douglas) is an orphaned

ladybug Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as the ...

who was adopted by Stinky and Spiffy. * Lily (voiced by Stephanie Morgenstern) is a grown-up ladybug. * Snack (voiced by Amanda Soha) is a juvenile ladybug. * Eunice Earwig (voiced by

Cara Pifko Cara Pifko (born March 15, 1976) is a Canadian actress known primarily for her work on television shows produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Life and career Pifko was born in Toronto, Ontario. A graduate of the National Theatre Sch ...

) is one of the Spider family's neighbors and the mother of Eddie and Little Sis. ** Eddy Earwig (voiced by Ezra Perlman in the US version and Maria Darling in the UK version) is Eunice Earwig's son and eldest child. He is good friends with Squirt. ** Little Sis (voiced by

Tajja Isen Tajja Isen (born June 29, 1991) is a Canadian writer, editor, and voice actress. Her first book, the essay collection Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service, was published in April 2022. As an actor, she is best known for voicing the tit ...

) is Eunice's youngest child and Eddie's younger sister. * Mr. Mantis (voiced by

Wayne Robson Wayne Robson (April 29, 1946 – April 4, 2011) was a Canadian television, stage, voice and film actor known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom ''The Red Green Show'' from 1993 to 2006, as ...

in the US version and Tom Eastwood in the UK version) is the

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

of the kids' class. * Beetrice (voiced by Catherine Gallant) is a

queen bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female ( gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are develope ...

in a hive part of the Hollow Tree.

Production and broadcast

The series was first announced on December 17, 2003, as part of a Callaway Arts & Entertainment press release. On March 19 of the same year, it was reported that the show was slated to premiere in January 2004 and that Ontario-based studio

was animating it. The series premiered in September 7, 2004 on

in Canada and on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

's Nick Jr. block in the United States. On June 20, 2005, a second season with 25 episodes was announced. The second season premiered on March 13, 2006, with the episode "Captain Sunny Patch." A third season followed and Teletoon aired the show's last episode in June 2007. The series' final episodes did not air in the United States until 2008 when several episodes which had yet to be broadcast in the country were aired on Noggin. The show aired reruns on Nick Jr. from September 28, 2009 until December 12, 2014.

Qubo Qubo ( ; stylized as qubo) was an American television network for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Owned by Ion Media, it consisted of a 24-hour free-to-air television network often mentioned as the "Qubo channel" (available as a digital ...

aired reruns of the show from October 1, 2018 until the channel's discontinuation for three years later on February 26, 2021. In 2020, the show also began to re-run on

ZooMoo ZooMoo is an international multilanguage pay television channel owned by Rock Entertainment Holdings that was first launched in Brazil in September 2013 in high definition (HD). On 4 April 2014, ZooMoo was launched in Singapore via Starhub. The ...

internationally.

References

External links

* {{Children's programming on CBS in the 2000s 2000s American animated television series 2004 American television series debuts 2008 American television series endings 2000s British animated television series 2004 British television series debuts 2008 British television series endings 2000s Canadian animated television series 2004 Canadian television series debuts 2008 Canadian television series endings 2000s preschool education television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated fantasy television series American television shows based on children's books American computer-animated television series American preschool education television series British children's animated adventure television series British children's animated fantasy television series British television shows based on children's books British computer-animated television series British preschool education television series Canadian children's animated adventure television series Canadian children's animated fantasy television series Canadian television shows based on children's books Canadian computer-animated television series Canadian preschool education television series Animated preschool education television series Animated television series about insects English-language television shows Television series by MGM Television Teletoon original programming Nick Jr. original programming Channel 5 (British TV channel) original programming