Eek! The Cat
Encyclopedia
Eek! The Cat is an American and Canadian animated series, created by Savage Steve Holland
and Bill Kopp
and produced by Fox Kids
and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana
, that ran from September 11, 1992, to August 1, 1997.
The show featured slapstick
humor and pop culture
references. Shows vary from standard cartoon fare to movie spoofs
(Apocalypse Now
, A Clockwork Orange
) and musical episodes; the first Christmas episode was written almost entirely in rhyme
. The show featured many cameos
by celebrities, some of whom came back for several episodes.
from Eek! The Cat, but it aired as a weekly segment on Eek! Stravaganza.
Like Eek!, the segment was produced by Fox and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana. The segment chronicled the misadventures of a trio of dinosaur
mercenaries
released from incarceration
and charged with the task of eliminating two primitive human
beings. However, despite their superior size and firepower and the obliviousness of their targets, the mercenaries always fail with comedic results. When the Thunderlizards are not after the humans, they must protect Jurassic City from the Thuggosaurs.
Klutter ended in February 1996 with 8 segments. Unlike Eek! and Thunderlizards, the segment was created by David Silverman
and Holland along with being animated by Film Roman
. Some fans consider Klutter as a combination of Eek! and The Critic
(the crew from The Critic worked on Klutter after its demise in early 1995 on Fox
).
The show premiered on the now-defunct Fox Kids
block in 1992 as Eek! The Cat. Thirteen 20 minute episodes were produced for its first season. A recurring character named Mr. Iwanter was a caricature of then-Fox Kids executive Sid Iwanter.
For the second season
in 1993, the show's format was retooled (except It's A Very Merry Eek's Mas, which originally aired as a prime-time special). In each episode were two nine minute segments. One was Eek! the Cat. The other was often The Terrible Thunderlizards. The Thunderlizards segments were intended to air at the start of the season, but it began two months later because of production delays. When they started airing, the series title was changed to Eek! And The Terrible Thunderlizards. Also, the creators originally intended to include two one minute segments. The first would feature the Squishy Bearz, and the second one were to feature other characters from Eek!. However, because the show turned out to be too long, the one minute segments were scrapped. In January 1994, Fox aired four Thunderlizards segments as two Thunderlizards specials.
During the season, Kopp left the show (though he still did the voice of Eek and others) for his own show, The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show for Disney, which would later own Eek! as well.
For the third season in 1994, the name was changed once again to Eek! Stravaganza, keeping the same format that was used in the second season.
In the fall of 1995, another segment called Klutter was added, rotating with the Thunderlizards. This segment lasted a year. Kato Kaelin
was originally scheduled to be a guest voice in an episode, but the Fox network refused.
Fox canceled Eek! Stravaganza in November 1996, though they eventually aired the final episodes in the summer of 1997.
Most episodes of Eek! Stravaganza were then re-run from August 1998 to April 1999 on Fox Family
.
For years, all that was available commercially was a single VHS
tape with the episodes Catsanova and HawaiiEek 5-0 on it. It was released in 1995 . On July 23rd, 2001, Eek! and other properties of Saban Entertainment were sold to The Walt Disney Company
. As of 2011, no word from Disney has been spoken about releasing the series to DVD.
Several episodes of the series used to be available to watch on the ABC Family website and was also seen on the Jetix
and Jetix Play
channels in some parts of Europe.
writer Bob Cannon graded the show a C. The series currently has a 7.8/10 rating on imdb and a 8.4 rating on TV.com
.
s as themselves on the show, unless otherwise noted. (Also, Bill Kopp and Savage Steve Holland appeared as themselves in the show.)
Savage Steve Holland
Savage Steve Holland is an animator and film director who wrote and directed the cult films Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer , starring John Cusack. He also directed the film How I Got Into College , and animated the "Whammy" on the game show Press Your Luck. He later went on to create and...
and Bill Kopp
Bill Kopp
Bill Kopp is an American animator and film director who animated the Whammy on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck, and voiced the title character on Nelvana's Eek! The Cat and Kutter in The Terrible Thunderlizards, which he created with Savage Steve Holland...
and produced by Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
, that ran from September 11, 1992, to August 1, 1997.
Premise
Eek! the Cat is about a purple cat named Eek whose motto is "it never hurts to help". This attitude generally gets him into trouble, from which much of the humor of the show is derived. Other characters include Eek!'s human family, with whom he cannot communicate via spoken language; Sharky the Sharkdog (his worst nightmare), and Eek's girlfriend, Annabelle.The show featured slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
humor and pop culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
references. Shows vary from standard cartoon fare to movie spoofs
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
(Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
, A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
) and musical episodes; the first Christmas episode was written almost entirely in rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
. The show featured many cameos
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
by celebrities, some of whom came back for several episodes.
Characters
- Eek the Cat (voiced by Bill KoppBill KoppBill Kopp is an American animator and film director who animated the Whammy on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck, and voiced the title character on Nelvana's Eek! The Cat and Kutter in The Terrible Thunderlizards, which he created with Savage Steve Holland...
) – Eek always puts others' safety, needs, and comfort before his own. Eek can talk with all animals and most humans, but oddly enough cannot converse with his owners—Mom, Wendy Elizabeth and J.B. He commonly exclaims "KumbayaKumbaya"Kumbaya" or "Kumbayah" — is an African-American spiritual song from the 1930s. It enjoyed newfound popularity during the folk revival of the 1960s and became a standard campfire song in Scouting and nature-oriented organizations...
!" His motto is that "It never hurts to help!", although, with Eek this is frequently not the case. The major running gag within the show is that Eek's selfless nature usually gets him caught up in painful situations such as getting caught in mailMail sorterFirst used by postal services to expedite and automate mail processing, mail sorting systems are now also used by corporations and other mailers to presort mail prior to delivery in order to earn discounts on postage. In the United States, for example, presort discounts can reduce the cost of...
and baggageBaggage Handling SystemA baggage handling system is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes...
sorters (both of which appear designed to intentionally damage their contents) and screaming "Oh Gosh It Hurts!" while the show's guitar riff theme played. Despite Eek's misfortunes, episodes would usually end with Eek rewarded in some way for facing the adversity squarely and being selfless towards others. - Sharky the Sharkdog – Annabelle's pet guard dogGuard dogA guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
who defends Annabelle's house with the viciousness (and also the overall appearance) of a sharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
. Sharky does not speak, but more than makes up for it in growls (though other animal characters such as Eek can comprehend what he is saying, and subtitles are sometimes provided). Sharky typically terrorizes Eek for fun, although occasionally as a reaction to Eek!'s incessant trouble-causing helpfulness. There are moments where the two get along and partner in the plot line, but they happen to be rare. Sharky loves to bite things, mostly mail carriers. Sharky also has quite a bit of skill as a craftsman, he is constantly rebuilding his doghouse after Eek accidentally destroys it. Like Snoopy's doghouse, the interior of Sharky's doghouse resembles a cavernous mansion with several floors and a garage. Sharky has a curious affiliation with firearms and explosives, which often backfires on himself. In many cases Sharky and Eek's relationship follows a subtly satisfying pattern of karmaKarmaKarma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
. - Elmo the Elk (also known as Elmo: The Brown Nosed Reindeer, Incredible Elmo and voiced by Savage Steve HollandSavage Steve HollandSavage Steve Holland is an animator and film director who wrote and directed the cult films Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer , starring John Cusack. He also directed the film How I Got Into College , and animated the "Whammy" on the game show Press Your Luck. He later went on to create and...
) – Eek!'s extremely inept but loyal friend. Elmo typically maintains a courageous façade but is actually quite cowardly. He typically works as a stunt man or in some form of action career. He also believes that there are 31 days in the month of June. - Mom (voiced by Elinor Donahue) – The apparently single mother of the family that owns Eek!. Does a lot of house cleaning and is a student of foreign languageForeign languageA foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
s, especially "Spangalese". Once on a flight to England she listened to a tape of British-accented English, a language she found especially challenging. A running gagRunning gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
features her absent-minded listening to foreign language cassettes, reciting the nonsensical translations of English phrases while unknowingly causing mayhem. - Wendy Elizabeth and J.B. (voiced by Elizabeth DailyElizabeth DailyElizabeth Ann Guttman , better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician...
and Charlie Adler) – The children of the family that owns Eek!, normal kids and are whiny and spoiled. They watch a lot of television. Their favorite show is The Squishy Bearz Rainbow of Enchanted Fun Minute, a spoof of the Care BearsCare BearsThe Care Bears are characters created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. The original artwork for the cards was painted by artist Elena Kucharik. In 1983, Kenner turned the Care Bears into plush teddy bears...
. - Annabelle (voiced by Tawny KitaenTawny KitaenJulie "Tawny" Kitaen is an American actress and media personality. She became famous in the 1980s for appearing in several hard rock videos for the band Whitesnake, including the hit "Here I Go Again". Kitaen was married to Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale from 1989–1991...
in 1992-1996, Karen HaberKaren HaberKaren Haber is a science fiction and non-fiction author and editor, as well an art critic and historian. She is the author of nine novels including Star Trek Voyager: Bless the Beasts, and co-author of Science of the X-Men...
in 1994, 1995-1997) – A female cat and Eek's girlfriend who acts like a Southern belleSouthern belleA southern belle is an archetype for a young woman of the American Old South's upper class....
. She is also extremely fat, although Eek! does not seem aware of this (he responds, genuinely surprised, "Really?" whenever someone comments on Annabelle's weight), he just sees Annabelle as being very beautiful. He is attributed as saying about Annabelle: "The more of you there is, the more there is to love." Despite her weight, her arms and legs are very skinny. Eek! fell in love with Annabelle the first time he saw her, when he was hit by the arrow of a one-winged cupid. - Timmy – Elmo's brother. He constantly needs money for various absurd medical ailments which Elmo tries to raise with Eek!'s help. These usually consist of very dangerous stunts that only harm Eek! when he gets involved.
- Mittens (voiced by Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
in 1992-1993 then by John KassirJohn KassirJohn Kassir is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian who is best known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper in HBO's, Tales from the Crypt franchise...
in 1994-1997) – Eek!'s friend who is also a cat. His fur is blue, he always wears red mittens, he suffers from extreme paranoiaParanoiaParanoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and he always ends a sentence with the word "Man" (e.g. LOOK OUT, MAN!!). Mittens appears to have been based on Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
's unnamed photojournalist character from Apocalypse NowApocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
, even portraying the equivalent character in the episode Eekpocalypse Now! - The Squishy Bearz – Four colorful bears with their own children's TV program called The Squishy Bearz Rainbow of Enchanted Fun Minute; they're an obvious parody of the Care BearsCare BearsThe Care Bears are characters created by American Greetings in 1981 for use on greeting cards. The original artwork for the cards was painted by artist Elena Kucharik. In 1983, Kenner turned the Care Bears into plush teddy bears...
. Kozy (yellow), Puffy (blue) and Wuz Wuz (pink) all have happy and friendly attitudes. The fourth bear, Pierre (green), who speaks with a French accent and wears a beretBeretA beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
, is bitter and cynical. Kozy is voiced by Elizabeth DailyElizabeth DailyElizabeth Ann Guttman , better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician...
(except in "Bearz 'N The Hood" and "Catsanova" where he is voiced by Jaid BarrymoreJaid BarrymoreJaid Barrymore is a German-born Hungarian-American actress, best known as Drew Barrymore's mother.-Early life:She was born Ildikó Jaid Makó to a concert violinist mother and an artist father...
), Puffy and Wuz Wuz are voiced by Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
, and Pierre is voiced by Bill KoppBill KoppBill Kopp is an American animator and film director who animated the Whammy on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck, and voiced the title character on Nelvana's Eek! The Cat and Kutter in The Terrible Thunderlizards, which he created with Savage Steve Holland...
. - Steven – A squirrelSquirrelSquirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
who lives in a nearby tree with his wife and four children. Steven and his family are so incredibly boring that even Eek! can't stand being around them for long. - Piggy the Penguin (voiced by Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
)– First appearing in the episode "The Lord of the Fleas" (an obvious parody of Lord of the FliesLord of the FliesLord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
), Piggy is a small penguin with thick eyeglasses who can often be seen sporting a pig mask. He is often seen in the company of a larger and deeper-voiced penguin as they take part in the bizarre circumstances of the show. Often, in a running gag, Piggy will discover something strange and attempt to inform his larger companion, who then responds by saying "Shut up Piggy!" Piggy has a distinct British accent, another reference to The Lord of the Flies. Piggy returns several times in quick cameos and occasionally takes a larger role. - Hank and Jib (voiced by Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
and Bill KoppBill KoppBill Kopp is an American animator and film director who animated the Whammy on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck, and voiced the title character on Nelvana's Eek! The Cat and Kutter in The Terrible Thunderlizards, which he created with Savage Steve Holland...
) – A pair of government scientists who make recurring appearances, often clutching a cup of coffee each and conversing in dull tones, their words are usually punctuated with 'ums' and 'ers'. A running gag in the show involves the two at a ground station in the company of other scientists after finally getting the Hubble Telescope to work, only for it to be struck by a character or object from the show's main story, causing it to either malfunction or to point to somewhere on Earth. This often results in either some celebrity showing up on the monitor or the monitor simply going black, which the pair of scientists obliviously acknowledge as being the fruit of their research, followed by Hank inquiring, "Who wants lunch?" - Zoltar (voiced by Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
) - An evil alien bent on destroying Earth by capturing Annabelle and using her as a battery for their planet-destroying laser. His attempts are always being thwarted by Eek! and his friends.
The Terrible Thunderlizards
The Terrible Thunderlizards segment was introduced in the middle of the second season of Eek! The Cat. Like Eek!, this segment was also created by Holland and Kopp. It ran from November 20, 1993, to July 28, 1997. The show was originally intended to be a spin offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
from Eek! The Cat, but it aired as a weekly segment on Eek! Stravaganza.
Like Eek!, the segment was produced by Fox and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana. The segment chronicled the misadventures of a trio of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
released from incarceration
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
and charged with the task of eliminating two primitive human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
beings. However, despite their superior size and firepower and the obliviousness of their targets, the mercenaries always fail with comedic results. When the Thunderlizards are not after the humans, they must protect Jurassic City from the Thuggosaurs.
Klutter
The Klutter segment came in the fourth season of Eek! Stravaganza in 1995. It followed Ryan and Wade Heap and their pet Klutter, who they created from a pile of junk because they couldn't have a real dog due to their father's allergies. There are other characters in the show, like Sandee Heap, who was lonely at first, before Klutter came into their lives. They went on mysteries, a la Scooby Doo like to save animals and solve crimes.Klutter ended in February 1996 with 8 segments. Unlike Eek! and Thunderlizards, the segment was created by David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
and Holland along with being animated by Film Roman
Film Roman
Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for The Simpsons, King of the Hill for 20th Century Fox, as well as the Garfield and Peanuts animated TV specials....
. Some fans consider Klutter as a combination of Eek! and The Critic
The Critic
The Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz. It was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, both of whom had worked as writers on The Simpsons. The Critic had 23 episodes produced, first broadcast on ABC in 1994,...
(the crew from The Critic worked on Klutter after its demise in early 1995 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
).
Production
The original idea for the show came from Savage Steve Holland's experience as a cat owner. One of his cats was named Eek. In an early design, Eek was colored pink instead of purple. The series was originally titled "The Six and a Half Lives of Eek the Cat."The show premiered on the now-defunct Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
block in 1992 as Eek! The Cat. Thirteen 20 minute episodes were produced for its first season. A recurring character named Mr. Iwanter was a caricature of then-Fox Kids executive Sid Iwanter.
For the second season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
in 1993, the show's format was retooled (except It's A Very Merry Eek's Mas, which originally aired as a prime-time special). In each episode were two nine minute segments. One was Eek! the Cat. The other was often The Terrible Thunderlizards. The Thunderlizards segments were intended to air at the start of the season, but it began two months later because of production delays. When they started airing, the series title was changed to Eek! And The Terrible Thunderlizards. Also, the creators originally intended to include two one minute segments. The first would feature the Squishy Bearz, and the second one were to feature other characters from Eek!. However, because the show turned out to be too long, the one minute segments were scrapped. In January 1994, Fox aired four Thunderlizards segments as two Thunderlizards specials.
During the season, Kopp left the show (though he still did the voice of Eek and others) for his own show, The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show for Disney, which would later own Eek! as well.
For the third season in 1994, the name was changed once again to Eek! Stravaganza, keeping the same format that was used in the second season.
In the fall of 1995, another segment called Klutter was added, rotating with the Thunderlizards. This segment lasted a year. Kato Kaelin
Kato Kaelin
Brian Jerard "Kato" Kaelin is an American radio and television personality who gained fame as a witness during the 1994–95 murder trial of O. J. Simpson.-Personal life:...
was originally scheduled to be a guest voice in an episode, but the Fox network refused.
Fox canceled Eek! Stravaganza in November 1996, though they eventually aired the final episodes in the summer of 1997.
Most episodes of Eek! Stravaganza were then re-run from August 1998 to April 1999 on Fox Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
.
For years, all that was available commercially was a single VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape with the episodes Catsanova and HawaiiEek 5-0 on it. It was released in 1995 . On July 23rd, 2001, Eek! and other properties of Saban Entertainment were sold to The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
. As of 2011, no word from Disney has been spoken about releasing the series to DVD.
Several episodes of the series used to be available to watch on the ABC Family website and was also seen on the Jetix
Jetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
and Jetix Play
Jetix Play
Jetix Play was the sister channel of Disney XD owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was launched on January, 2003 and showing classic animated cartoons and animated television series. It was broadcast 17 hours in Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Kazakhstan &...
channels in some parts of Europe.
Reception
In his review of the pilot episode, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
writer Bob Cannon graded the show a C. The series currently has a 7.8/10 rating on imdb and a 8.4 rating on TV.com
TV.com
TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
.
Cast
- Bill KoppBill KoppBill Kopp is an American animator and film director who animated the Whammy on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck, and voiced the title character on Nelvana's Eek! The Cat and Kutter in The Terrible Thunderlizards, which he created with Savage Steve Holland...
.... Eek! The Cat, Jib, Additional Voices - Savage Steve HollandSavage Steve HollandSavage Steve Holland is an animator and film director who wrote and directed the cult films Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer , starring John Cusack. He also directed the film How I Got Into College , and animated the "Whammy" on the game show Press Your Luck. He later went on to create and...
.... Elmo The Elk, Additional Voices - E.G. Daily .... Wendy Elizabeth (1992-1995), Kozy (II, on Cape Fur until the end of the show), Additional Voices
- Charlie Adler ..... Granny (1992, 1995), Additional Voices
- Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
.... Puffy, Wuz Wuz, Piggy the Penguin, Additional Voices - Elinor Donahue .... Mom (1992-1995, 1997), Additional Voices
- Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
.... Mittens (1992-1994), Hank, Additional Voices (1992-1995) - Tawny KitaenTawny KitaenJulie "Tawny" Kitaen is an American actress and media personality. She became famous in the 1980s for appearing in several hard rock videos for the band Whitesnake, including the hit "Here I Go Again". Kitaen was married to Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale from 1989–1991...
.... Annabelle (I, 1992-1995) - Jaid BarrymoreJaid BarrymoreJaid Barrymore is a German-born Hungarian-American actress, best known as Drew Barrymore's mother.-Early life:She was born Ildikó Jaid Makó to a concert violinist mother and an artist father...
.... Kozy (I, the 2nd and 3rd episode), Additional Voices (1992-1995) - Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
.... Additional Voices - Gary OwensGary OwensGary Owens is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is...
.... Announcer, Additional Voices - Karen HaberKaren HaberKaren Haber is a science fiction and non-fiction author and editor, as well an art critic and historian. She is the author of nine novels including Star Trek Voyager: Bless the Beasts, and co-author of Science of the X-Men...
.... Annabelle (II, filled in for Tawny in 1994-1995, and permanently in 1997) - John KassirJohn KassirJohn Kassir is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian who is best known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper in HBO's, Tales from the Crypt franchise...
.... Mittens (1994-1997), Additional Voices
Cameo appearances
Celebrities made cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s as themselves on the show, unless otherwise noted. (Also, Bill Kopp and Savage Steve Holland appeared as themselves in the show.)
- William ShatnerWilliam ShatnerWilliam Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
.... Santa ClausSanta ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
/Commander Berzerk (1993, 1995) - David DuchovnyDavid DuchovnyDavid William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
.... Agent Fox MulderFox MulderFBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(1995) - Nia James .... Herself (1995)
- Gillian AndersonGillian AndersonGillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
.... Agent Dana ScullyDana ScullyFBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(1995) - John WalshJohn WalshJohn Edward Walsh is an American television personality, criminal investigator, human and victim rights advocate and formerly the host, as well as creator, of America's Most Wanted...
.... Himself (1997) - "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
.... Himself (1997) - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
.... Narrator of Season One's It's A Wonderful Nine Lives (1992) - John LandisJohn LandisJohn David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
.... Himself (1995) - Kurtwood SmithKurtwood SmithKurtwood Larson Smith is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop and stern parental characters , and for his appearances in the genre of science fiction...
.... The Brain (1992) - Dee SniderDee SniderDaniel "Dee" Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister...
.... Dee Snidersaur (1996) - FabioFabio LanzoniFabio Lanzoni ; born March 15, 1959), widely known simply as Fabio, is a famous international Italian fashion model, spokesperson and actor who appeared on the cover of hundreds of romance novels throughout the 1980s and 1990s....
.... Himself (1995-1996) - Don CorneliusDon CorneliusDonald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
.... Himself (1994) - Heather LocklearHeather LocklearHeather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
.... Alice (1994) - Julie StrainJulie StrainJulie Strain is an American actress and model who was Penthouse Pet of the Month in June 1991 and later chosen as the magazine's Pet of the Year in 1993.-Early life:...
.... Herself (1997) - Chuck Jagger .... Himself (1997)
- Phil HartmanPhil HartmanPhilip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
.... Psycho Bunny (1992) - Chris LearyChris LearyChris Leary is a national television and radio show personality, who has been hosting the Fox All Access syndicated radio show since 1994.-Radio and television career:...
.... (radio DJ and occasional Fox Kids announcer) (1997) - Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
.... RudolphRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
(1993) - Margaret LoeschMargaret LoeschMargaret Ann Loesch, is a veteran television executive, multi-award–winning producer, who is currently the President and CEO of Discovery Communications and Hasbro Inc's joint venture television network, The Hub.-Early life:...
.... President of Fox KidsFox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
(1994, 1997) - Shane and Sia BarbiShane and Sia BarbiShane Barbi and Sia Barbi , popularly known as The Barbi Twins, are vegan identical twins, models, physical fitness authors, and animal rights activists....
.... Themselves (1993-1994) - Cynthia RothrockCynthia RothrockCynthia Rothrock is an American martial artist and actress specializing in martial arts films. -Martial arts achievements:Rothrock is five-time World Karate Champion in forms and weapons between 1981 and 1985...
(Black Belt Hall of Fame/Stunt Woman/Actress) (1996) - Mr. TMr. TMr. T is an American actor known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team, as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and for his appearances as a professional wrestler. Mr. T is known for his trademark African Mandinka warrior hairstyle, his gold jewelry,...
.... Mr. T-Rex (in The Terrible Thunderlizards) (1994-1996) - Buck HenryBuck HenryHenry Zuckerman, better known as Buck Henry , is an American actor, writer, film director, and television director.-Early life:...
.... Cupid (1992)
Crew
- Savage Steve HollandSavage Steve HollandSavage Steve Holland is an animator and film director who wrote and directed the cult films Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer , starring John Cusack. He also directed the film How I Got Into College , and animated the "Whammy" on the game show Press Your Luck. He later went on to create and...
: Creator, Writer, Story Editor, Executive Producer - Bill KoppBill KoppBill Kopp is an American animator and film director who animated the Whammy on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck, and voiced the title character on Nelvana's Eek! The Cat and Kutter in The Terrible Thunderlizards, which he created with Savage Steve Holland...
: Creator, Writer, Supervising Producer (1992-1994) - Kati Rocky: Writer (1994)
- Pamela Wick: Writer (1994)
- Henry GilroyHenry GilroyHenry Gilroy is an American television screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-writing the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. From an early age, Gilroy loved comic books and animation. He studied film at several colleges in the greater Los Angeles area. His first job was...
: Writer (1994-1995) - Paul GermainPaul GermainPaul Germain is an American animation screenwriter and producer. Among the shows Germain has written and/or produced for are Rugrats, All Grown Up!, The Simpsons, Recess, Even Stevens, Lloyd in Space, The Tracey Ullman Show, and Beethoven: The Animated Series...
: Writer (1994) - Sandy Fries: Writer (1995)
- Frank SantopadreFrank SantopadreFrank Santopadre is an American comedy writer and producer for television and live events, currently working as a writer/producer on Headline News' "The Joy Behar Show".-Career:...
: Writer (1994-1995) - Patrick LoubertPatrick LoubertPatrick Loubert was one of the founders of the Canadian animation studio, Nelvana Limited, along with Clive A. Smith and Michael Hirsh. He has produced, and executive-produced, much of the company's most memorable fare....
: Producer - Michael HirshMichael HirshMichael Hirsh may refer to:*Michael Hirsh , founder of the animation studio Nelvana*Michael Hirsh , political reporter for Newsweek magazine...
: Producer - Clive A. SmithClive A. SmithClive A. Smith is a British expatriate director and animator who, with Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert, founded Canadian animation studio Nelvana in 1971...
: Producer - Stephen Hodgins: Supervising Producer (1992-1996)
- Patricia R. Burns: Co-ordinating Producer (1992-1996), Supervising Producer (1996-1997)
- Merle-Anne Ridley: Line Producer (1992)
- Jocelyn Hamilton: Line Producer (1993-1997)
- John Halfpenny: Director (1992-1995)
- Jamie Whitney: Assistant Director (1992), Storyboard Artist/Poser (1993-1994), Director (1995-1997)
External links
- "Eek The Cat" - Fox KidsFox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
(Archive)