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American-British animated children's cartoon series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oswald is a preschool educational children's animated television series created by Dan Yaccarino and developed by Lisa Eve Huberman. The show was co-produced by HIT Entertainment and Nickelodeon.[4][5] The main character is a thoughtful blue octopus named Oswald who lives in an apartment complex.
Oswald | |
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Genre | Animation Preschool education Children's animation |
Created by | Dan Yaccarino |
Developed by | Lisa Eve Huberman Dan Yaccarino |
Directed by | Debbie Bonzon Henry Lenardin-Madden |
Voices of | Fred Savage Debi Derryberry David Lander Crystal Scales Laraine Newman Daran Norris J. Grant Albrecht Mel Winkler Dan Yaccarino |
Country of origin | United States United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1[1][2][3] |
No. of episodes | 26 (52 segments)[3] |
Production | |
Producer | Dan Yaccarino |
Running time | 22–24 minutes |
Production companies | HIT Entertainment Nickelodeon Animation Studio (credited as Nick Jr. Productions) |
Original release | |
Network | Nickelodeon |
Release | 20 August 2001 – 19 September 2003 |
Overall 26 episodes were produced. In the United States, the series premiered on Nickelodeon (as part of its Nick Jr. block) on 20 August 2001.[6] Reruns were also broadcast on CBS (during the Nick Jr. on CBS block) and on Noggin.[7] When the Noggin brand was relaunched as a streaming service in 2015, all 26 episodes of Oswald were made available for streaming.[8]
Prior to release, Brown Johnson, senior vice president of Nick Jr. had this to say, "Dan Yaccarino has created an octopus who could be a pre-schooler's best friend".[4]
The series is set in Big City, a colorful world populated by anthropomorphic animals, mythological creatures and humanoid beings. Each episode follows the daily experiences of an anthropomorphic blue octopus named Oswald (voiced by Fred Savage), accompanied by his beloved hot dog-shaped dog, Weenie, and their life in the cheerful and whimsically-designed community of Big City. Commonly, the program concentrates on Oswald's experiences with friends, acquaintances and neighbors, including Henry, a penguin, and Daisy, a flower, among others and his patient methods of coping with or tolerating different situations and dilemmas, along with his thoroughly optimistic outlook on life.
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboard by | Original air date [3] | |
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1 | "Chasing the Ice-Cream Truck" "The Camping Trip" | Nelson Recinos Henry Lenardin-Madden | Annie Evans Suzanne Collins | Jim Schumann Kelly James | 20 August 2001 | |
Oswald and Weenie chase after Johnny's ice cream truck. / Oswald, Weenie, Henry and Daisy go camping in Big City Park, but it begins to rain, so they rush back to Oswald's apartment building and camp there instead. | ||||||
2 | "The Polka Dot Umbrella" "One More Marshmallow" | Nelson Recinos George Chialtas and Henry Madden | Gary Apple | Diane Kredensor Mike J. Smith | 21 August 2001 | |
Oswald finds a polka dot umbrella and though he tries many times to get rid of it, it keeps finding him. But in the end, it really comes in handy. / Oswald hosts a tea party for Henry and Daisy but when Weenie eats one of the marshmallows for Henry's hot cocoa, Oswald goes to a confectionery and encounters many obstacles in trying to make his way back to the tea party. | ||||||
3 | "Daisy Plays an Instrument" "The Ball of Yarn" | George Chialtas Henry Lenardin-Madden | Annie Evans J-P Chanda | Jim Schumann Mike Smith | 22 August 2001 | |
After listening to Oswald playing his grand piano, Daisy wishes she could play an instrument of her own, so Oswald takes her to the Big City music store where she tries out different instruments. / A ball of red yarn is Weenie's favorite toy to play with. When it begins to bounce, Oswald accidentally grabs a string of the yarn, making it unravel out of his apartment all the way out through the city. So Oswald and Weenie chase after it as it entangles several of their friends along the way. | ||||||
4 | "Down in the Dump" "The Birdhouse" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Christine Kolosov | Gary Apple Suzanne Collins | Kelly James Jim Schumann | 23 August 2001 | |
Oswald has to clean his apartment, but it doesn't turn out good. So when he decides to put the things he no longer needs in a wagon to take to the Big City dump, several citizens find uses for them. / Oswald builds a birdhouse, adds some color, and some flowers. But a rain advisory washes away the color, flowers, and bells making the birdhouse look plain, in which the birds like. | ||||||
5 | "Henry Needs a Haircut" "Flippy the Fish" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Nelson Recinos and Ken Kessel | Fred Stroppel Annie Evans | Mike Smith Karen Heathwood | 24 August 2001 | |
Henry has a feather sticking out on top of his head, but his feather will not stay down and he is scared to go to the barber's because he keeps thinking the barber is too scary. / Oswald buys a pet fish and names her Flippy because of the flip that she does, jumping out of her fishbowl and splashing back in it. Unfortunately, Flippy keeps overeating and growing bigger and bigger. So Oswald and Weenie take her to the Big City public aquarium, where she becomes a big star at a seal show the next day. | ||||||
6 | "Rollerskating" "I Guess You Never Know" | Henry Madden | Frederick Stroppel Gary Apple | Kelly James Mike Smith | 27 August 2001 | |
Oswald learns how to roller skate. / It is Henry's birthday, and Oswald tries to teach Henry to try new things on this special day. | ||||||
7 | "Sleepover" "Big Banana" | Henry Madden Nelson Recinos | Jeff Kindley Dan Yaccarino | Diane Kredensor | 28 August 2001 | |
Oswald and Weenie have a sleepover at Henry's apartment, and it's Weenie's very first sleepover ever. / Oswald plants a banana seed, and the next morning, he finds that it has grown into a colossal banana overnight. It is so big that he decides to have a "Big Banana Day" and share it with everyone, resulting in a new holiday with a festival in the park. | ||||||
8 | "Leaky Faucet" "Catrina's Birthday Cake" | George Chialtas Nelson Recinos | Rick Groel Annie Evans | Jim Schumann Diane Kredensor | 29 August 2001 | |
Oswald's kitchen sink springs a leak, causing the entire Big City to flood all over and he and Weenie to get separated. / Oswald bakes a huge birthday cake for Catrina's birthday party, but he crashes into Eggbert and Leo, causing the entire pastry to fall in a lake. | ||||||
9 | "Cloud Collecting" "Pongo the Friendly Dragon" | George Chialtas Henry Lenardin-Madden | Dan Yaccarino Fredrick Stroppel | Diane Kredensor Jim Schumann | 10 September 2001 | |
Daisy collects leaves and Henry collects spoons, so Oswald wants to collect something too, so he tries to collect clouds. / Oswald meets a friendly dragon named Pongo, who wants to help, only to makes things worse. | ||||||
10 | "A Nice Quiet Picnic" "The Big Parade" | Ken Kessel | Suzanne Collins Kate Long | Kelly James Mike Smith | 17 September 2001 | |
Oswald, Henry, and Weenie set out to have a picnic and are soon joined by many of their friends. / Oswald hears parade music and thinks that a big parade is headed his way, so he convinces Henry and Daisy to go with him to watch the parade, and end up inventing their own. | ||||||
11 | "The Go-Kart Race" "Autumn Leaves" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Ken Kessel | Annie Evans Frederick Stroppel | Karen Heathwood Diane Kredensor | 24 September 2001 | |
Oswald and his friends compete in a go-kart race and they all tie. / Henry tries to rake some fallen leaves, but Oswald and Weenie keep jumping on them which makes him frustrated. | ||||||
12 | "A Day at the Beach" "The Sand Sculpture Contest" | Henry Lenardin-Madden | Frederick Stroppel Geoff Stevenson | Karen Heathwood Kelly James | 15 February 2002 | |
Oswald and the gang go to the beach, but Henry does not like swimming. Luckily, as Daisy gets stranded on an island, it's Henry to the rescue! / Oswald is the judge of the Annual Big City Beach Sand Sculpture Contest. | ||||||
13 | "Fixing the Piano" "Henry Wants to Fly" | Ken Kessel Henry Lenardin-Madden | Justin Chanda Fredrick Stroppel | Jim Schumann Kelly James | 8 March 2002 | |
Oswald's piano is broken, so he takes it to Maestro Bingo to get it fixed, only to discover a ladybug inside. / Henry believes that he can fly, so he tries everything from his friends, but nothing works until a bubble traps him. | ||||||
14 | "Daisy and the Duckling" "The Double Date" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Ken Kessel | Alana Burgi Sanko Susan Kim | Mike Smith Karen Heathwood | 15 March 2002 | |
Oswald and Daisy find a duckling who becomes separated from her mother. / Henry is having a "Penguin Patrol" watch party and Daisy is having a backyard pool day, so Oswald schedules the two events at the same time. | ||||||
15 | "The Sniffles" "The Broken Vase" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Ken Kessel | Justin Chanda Suzanne Collins | Diane Kredensor Kelly James | 21 March 2002 | |
Oswald goes out into Big City to get some cocoa and a newspaper for Henry, who has an unsettling case of the Arctic Sniffles. But when a rain cloud chases Oswald and Weenie, Oswald catches them as well. / When Daisy accidentally breaks Henry's special vase, she, Oswald, and Weenie try to fix it in time before Henry gets back from his fly catching trip. | ||||||
16 | "The Big Balloon Rescue" "Snow to Go" | Robert Shellhorn Christine Kolosov | Susan Kim | Mike Smith Jim Schumann | 22 July 2002 | |
Catrina flies away on a balloon and Oswald must save her. / During a heat wave advisory, Oswald, Weenie, Henry and Daisy go on a trip to find the sweetest snow. | ||||||
17 | "Odd One Out" "Goodbye Best Friend" | Henry Lenardin-Madden | Dan Yaccarino | Mike Smith Jim Schumann | 16 September 2002 | |
Oswald is excited to meet Henry's cousin, Louie. But the duo have a great time all by themselves and Oswald is left out. Luckily, as Henry and Louie catch up on old times, they seek Oswald out. / Oswald is sad as Henry decides to move back to the Frozen North with Louie, so the others have a going-away party for him. In the end, Henry decides to stay in Big City after saving them from being blown away, as Catrina goes too far with his balloons. | ||||||
18 | "The Tomato Garden" "Bird Watching" | Ken Kessel and Robert Shellhorn Henry Lenardin-Madden | Alana Burghi Sanko Kate Long | Karen Heathwood Kelly James | 17 September 2002 | |
As Oswald eats his last tomato for breakfast, he decides to get more by planting tomatoes in the garden, but he is surprisingly upset when he sees one of the tomatoes have been half eaten. It turns out the tomatoes are eaten by an entire group of unwanted snails, so Oswald ends up making a restaurant for the snails. / Oswald and Daisy go birdwatching, but Daisy is too loud, she scares the birds away. As Oswald finds a giant bird, she carries him in midair, so it's Daisy to the rescue, or bust! | ||||||
19 | "Friends Indeed" "Sammy Starfish Live" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Robert Shellhorn | Suzanne Collins Dan Yaccarino | Mike Smith Jim Schumann | 23 September 2002 | |
Oswald finds himself stuck in the middle of a confrontation between an enraged Henry and Daisy. / As Oswald and Weenie see the news about their favorite singer, Sammy Starfish, performing live, all tickets have been sold out and Oswald must find another way to see the show. | ||||||
20 | "The Pet Show" "Going Fishing" | Robert Shellhorn Henry Lenardin-Madden | Annie Evans | Diane Kredensor Mike Smith | 24 September 2002 | |
It's the Big City Grand Pet Show, but as Weenie is behaving peculiarly of Steve's woodpecker, Woodrow, pecking down the tent, she wins 1st prize anyway. / Oswald, Weenie, Henry and Daisy go fishing but Henry whom is not catching a fish. | ||||||
21 | "The Naughty Cat" "The Giant Egg" | Robert Shellhorn Debbie Bonzon | Suzanne Collins Geoff Stevenson | Karen Heathwood Diane Kredensor | 25 September 2002 | |
Oswald pet-sits for Roderick Robot's pet cat, Tinsel, but Tinsel runs away, makes things worse and a frustrated Oswald must save the day. / Oswald tries to find an egg's owner. | ||||||
22 | "A Sticky Situation" "Tutti-Frutti Pie" | Robert Shellhorn Henry Lenardin-Madden | Susan Kim Suzanne Collins | Kelly James Jim Schumann | 26 September 2002 | |
Oswald and Daisy try to make her Aunt Marigold's famous honey buns, but Daisy adds too much sticky honey, and they get stuck to each other, along with other friends. Luckily it starts to rain and everyone gets unstuck. / Oswald takes Catrina to pluck some tutti-frutti berries, only to get carried away with trying to eat them when her mother, Madame Butterfly, tells her no, causing problems. | ||||||
23 | "Job for a Day" "Perfect Match" | Robert Shellhorn Debbie Bonzon | Alana Burghi Sanko Frederick Stroppel | Mike Smith Diane Kredensor | 27 September 2002 | |
Johnny is sick, so Oswald and Weenie go to make a special ice cream delivery. / Pongo wants to become friends with Laverne the elephant. | ||||||
24 | "Catrina's First Snow" "The Snow Festival" | Nelson Recinos Christine Kolosov | JP Chanda Susan Kim | Diane Kredensor Karen Heathwood | 17 September 2003 | |
Oswald babysits Catrina on a snowy day, but every time Oswald shows Catrina all the fun things he is doing, Catrina is sad. / Oswald hopes for snow to fall on the day of Big City's snow festival. | ||||||
25 | "The Biggest Wish" "The Stopped Clock" | Henry Lenardin-Madden | S : Jason Edward, T : Frederick Stroppel Frederick Stroppel | Diane Kredensor Karen Heathwood | 18 September 2003 | |
Oswald finds a firefly. / As Big City's clock somehow is not working and all residents are still asleep, it is up to Oswald, Weenie, Henry and Daisy to figure out what is causing this stroking catastrophe to make the clock work again, and to wake up Big City. | ||||||
26 | "Weenie Needs a Bath" "Hide and Seek" | Henry Lenardin-Madden Robert Shellhorn | Suzanne Collins Alana Burghi Sanko | Diane Kredensor Kelly James | 19 September 2003 | |
Weenie gets dirty before having her picture taken, so Oswald take Weenie for a bath, but she hates baths. / Weenie disappears during a game of hide and seek, only to hitch a ride in Johnny's ice cream truck. |
In the United States, Oswald first aired on the Nick Jr. television block on Nickelodeon on 20 August 2001.[3] It was removed from the block on 10 October 2003, and the network on 24 May 2005. On 7 April 2003, Oswald started airing on Noggin[9] during its daytime preschool block. Reruns also aired on the 24-hour Nick Jr. Channel upon its launch in 2009, but they were removed on 11 December 2014.[10] The show aired briefly on Nick on CBS for one year from 22 September 2001, to 7 September 2002.[11]
When the Noggin brand was relaunched as a streaming service in 2015, all 26 episodes of Oswald were made available for streaming.[8] The series was added to Paramount+ (at the time CBS All Access) in January 2021.[12]
Paramount Home Entertainment is the VHS and DVD distributor for the series in the United States while HIT Entertainment is the VHS and DVD distributor for the series internationally.[citation needed]
Release Date | Name | Number of Episodes | Episode Titles |
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2 September 2003[13] | Best Buddies | 4 |
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Outdoors with Oswald | 4 |
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Welcome to Big City! | 8 |
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27 January 2004 | On-the-Go Oswald | 8 |
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Release Date | Name | Number of Episodes | Episode Titles |
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24 May 2005 | Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 1 | 2 |
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26 September 2006 | Nick Jr. Favorites Holiday | 2 |
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The series received four out of five stars on Common Sense Media.[14]