Yakkity Yak was an animated television series created by Mark Gravas for Nickelodeon. It was produced by Studio B Productions and Kapow Pictures. It aired on Teletoon (now Cartoon Network) in Canada and on the American version of Nickelodeon in the United States from 9 November 2002 until 12 December 2003. 26 episodes were produced.
The copyright to the show is shared between WildBrain, which bought Studio B Productions in 2007, and Kapow Pictures.
Contents
Premise
The story focuses around an anthropomorphic yak named Yakkity who aspires to become a well-known comedian and his friends, Keo (an anthropomorphic pineapple) and Lemony (a young human girl) in the fictitious Australian town Onion Falls (based on Lithgow, New South Wales).
Theme song
A modified version of the 1958 song Yakety Yak by The Coasters (in which children and some cast members sing some portions) is used as the show's theme song.
Characters
Yakkity Yak (Lee Tockar): A preteen yak student in Onion Falls High School and the school's mascot who wishes to be a comedian. Yakkity works as the school mascot since his grandfather also served as mascot when the (rugby) football team won the state championship in 1925. The football team, instead of the mascot, got all the glory (despite not winning a match in 77 years), much to Yakkity's distaste. Yakkity lives with his Granny and her boarder Professor Crazyhair. He wears a coat over his bare body. His best friends are Keo (who lives next door) and Lemony. Over the course of the series, his parents have never been seen or mentioned.
Keo (Brian Drummond): A human with a pineapple for a head. He has a crush on Lemony, but she is oblivious to it. He is very intelligent, but is camera-shy and has stage fright. He has a rivalry with his father, who is only a pineapple, but deep down, he loves him.
Lemony (Andrea Libman): A pretty blonde-haired human girl and Keo's love interest who has a vivid imagination.
Reginald Highpants (Ian James Corlett): The town's leading vendor of candy and all things sugar. He also runs many small businesses.
Trilo (Jason Schombing): Yakkity's trilobite agent and retired circus performer who owns his own Entertainment Agency, does children's parties for the characters, and is always looking for money. His clients are Yakkity, Fairy Wanda and Chuck Damage, who he uses for parties.
Granny Yak (Pam Hyatt): Yakkity's grandmother. While she is a good sounding board in a parental way, she also has some of Yakkity's impulsive genes.
Professor Crazyhair (Scott McNeil): A scientist and teacher at Onion Falls High whose hair changes colour like a mood ring, hence his name. He lives in Yakkity's basement, where he built a laboratory. His egg salad recipe is very sought after by evil geniuses who wish to use it to take over the world.
Penelope (Tabitha St. Germain): A robot who is Lemony's best friend and works as Professor Crazyhair's assistant but lacks any social skills or confidence. Whenever she's embarrassed, her face turns red and she squirts out fire fighting foams from her arms transforming into fire hoses, squirting everything around her.
Telecast
Yakkity Yak first premiered on Teletoon in Canada on 4 January 2003, with the final episode's airing on 28 January 2004. It also aired on BBC Kids. In the United Kingdom, it aired on Nickelodeon. In Italy, it previously aired on Nickelodeon and Canale 21. In Australia, it aired on Nickelodeon and Network 10, and would later air on ABC. In the US, it briefly aired on Nickelodeon, from 9 November 2003 to 4 September 2004. It was later run on the Nicktoons channel starting from 22 May 2004 until 23 September 2007. The show also aired on Nickelodeon in Latin America and Europe.
Episodes
The episode list is listed by production code, not by airdate.
Awards
The show was nominated for a Leo Award for "Best Musical Score" in 2004.