''Ned's Newt'' is an
animated television series
An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
created by
Andy Knight and Mike Burgess and co-produced by
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...
and German company
TMO Film GmbH (later renamed as "TMO-Loonland Film GmbH" in seasons 2–3) in conjunction with
Studio B Productions. It aired on Teletoon in Canada from October 17, 1997, to December 31, 1999. In the United States, the series aired on
Fox Kids
Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized in all caps) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a j ...
starting on February 7, 1998, on Saturday mornings, but later changed to weekday mornings on October 5, 1998, to December 31, 1998. However, only the first season aired on Fox Kids in the U.S. while the series was never rebroadcast for many years. The show features celebrity
Harland Williams as the voice of Newton.
The series also aired on the now-defunct
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 ...
(with seasons 2-3) from March 28, 2016, to July 27, 2018, and again starting from March 30, 2020, to July 24, 2020.
Teletoon Retro aired reruns of all 39 half-hour episodes on September 5, 2011, until it was pulled off the air in early 2012.
Synopsis
The series begins with 9-year-old Ned Flemkin finally scraping up enough money to buy a pet. However, upon reaching the pet store, the only thing he can afford is a
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 ...
. Ned names his new pet Newton, but is quickly tired of it since Newton constantly lies on the rock in his bowl. Complaining to the pet store owner that his new pet is not very active, the owner gives Ned a can of Zippo for Newt pet food, but warns Ned not to give his pet too much. Ned feeds Newton a little, but Newton does nothing. Ned leaves the can beside Newton's bowl and goes to bed.
That night, Newton crawls from his bowl and gulps down several mouthfuls of Zippo. Thus, the eats too much warning comes true, Newton grows tall, can talk (voiced by
Harland Williams), and has the power to
shape-shift. After Ned realizes this, he and Newton become the best of friends, but unfortunately, the effects of Zippo do not last forever. Newton often gets Ned into trouble, at which point the Zippo dissolves off. Newton shifts back to his small form, leaving Ned alone to convey the wrath of his parents.
The series recounts the misadventures of Ned attempting to live life normally while trying to keep Newton from being discovered.
Episodes
Plot and themes
Each episode makes a habit of creating outrageous plots out of mundane tasks and settings. For example, after a fun weekend of playing, Ned exclaims he cannot wait for the next, but Newton suggests that they can build a
time machine to relive the weekend. The idea soon leads to them accidentally being sent to the age of dinosaurs and altering the future. In another episode, to raise money for charity, Ned's friend Doogle digs a hole and stumbles across a race of subterranean trolls secretly planning domination of the world's metropolises-es.
Ned takes Newton everywhere and makes sure to keep some Zippo food with him at all times, just in case Newton turns back into a normal newt. Newton's powers almost always make things worse, mostly due to his poor understanding of society. Thus, when Ned explains that he's made a terrible mistake such as giving 3 and a half million dollars to some passersby, Newton and Ned must work together to put things right. And although they usually succeed in doing so, Newton invariably changes back to newt form just in time to avoid being seen and Ned to get into trouble.
The series made extensive references to famous faces and popular culture at the time, relying heavily on
Harland Williams' experience as a comedian and
impressionist
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
. Newton shifts into newt versions of many celebrities in each episode, such as
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
,
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
,
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...
, etc. for comic effect, similar to
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
' portrayal of the
Genie
GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange) was an online service provider, online service created by a General Electric business, GEIS (now GXS Inc., GXS), that ran from 1985 through the end of 1999. In 1994, GEnie claimed around ...
from Disney's ''
Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...
''. Newton also frequently breaks the
fourth wall
The fourth wall is a performance dramatic convention, convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. ...
, especially in season 3, even going so far as to comment upon how poorly drawn his belly-button was at one point or whether newts should have belly-buttons at all.
For the final four episodes of season 3, Harland Williams was replaced by
Ron Pardo as the voice of Newton.
In the third season episode ("Rear Bus Window"), Newton proclaims his exact species name vittercensis, which is not a cataloged member of the genus.
Voice cast
*
Harland Williams/
Ron Pardo (episodes 36–39 only) as Newton
*
Tracey Moore as Ned Flemkin
* Carolyn Scott as Sharon "Mom" Flemkin/Miss Bunn
*
Peter Keleghan as Eric "Dad" Flemkin
*
Jonathan Wilson as Rusty McCabe
*
Tracy Ryan as Linda Bliss
*
Colin O'Meara as Doogle Pluck/Renfrew
* Jim Milington as The Usual Guy
Broadcast and home media
The series aired on Teletoon from its launch day to December 31, 1999, with reruns until the early 2000s. In the United States, the series aired on
Fox Kids
Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized in all caps) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a j ...
starting on February 7, 1998, on Saturday mornings, but later changed to weekday mornings on October 5, 1998, to January 1, 1999. However, only the first season aired on Fox Kids in the U.S. while the series was never rebroadcast for many years. Reruns of episodes dubbed in Spanish language were also broadcast on the
Cartoon Network Latin America channel from 2000 until 2004.
The series also aired on the now-defunct
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 ...
(with seasons 2-3) from March 28, 2016, to July 27, 2018, and again starting from March 30, 2020, to July 24, 2020.
Teletoon Retro aired reruns of all 39 half-hour episodes on September 5, 2011, until it pulled off the air in early 2012.
Each VHS tape had two pairs of episodes. The first three VHS tapes, entitled "Home Alone with Newt", "Jurassic Joyride" and "Saturday Night Fervor" were released in the United States by
Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, originally Paramount Home Video, and operating as the namesake film studio since 2022) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures.
The division oversees Para ...
on March 23, 1999. The videos were duplicated in EP/SLP mode. In Canada, the series was also released on VHS by
Telegenic Entertainment.
As of 2023, the series is currently streaming on
Tubi
Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...
and
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...
. It is also still aired on
Publik Khatulistiwa TV (PKTV), a local TV channel at
Bontang, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, as part of the ''4U Cartoon'' programming block.
Reception
Mainstream reviews of ''Ned's Newt'' were mostly positive. Author and cartoonist
Edward Gorey
Edward St. John Gorey (February 22, 1925 – April 15, 2000) was an Americans, American writer, Tony Awards, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist, noted for his own illustrated books as well as cover art and illustration for book ...
was a fan of the show, identifying ''Ned's Newt'' as the "greatest" animated show in a 1998 Newsday interview.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Fox Kids
1997 Canadian television series debuts
1999 Canadian television series endings
1997 German television series debuts
1999 German television series endings
1990s Canadian animated television series
1990s Canadian children's television series
1990s German animated television series
Canadian children's animated comedy television series
Canadian children's animated fantasy television series
German children's animated comedy television series
German children's animated fantasy television series
Canadian English-language television shows
Animated television series about children
Animated television series about reptiles and amphibians
Animated television series about shapeshifting
Teletoon original programming
Television series by Nelvana