Life's a Zoo is a Canadian stop-motion animation situation-comedy created by Adam Shaheen

Adam Shaheen

Adam Shaheen is a British animator, television producer and screenwriter. He is the founder and owner of Cuppa Coffee Studios where he develops and produces all original programming...

 and Andrew Horne II. It is directed by Alexander Gorelick. A co-production of Cuppa Coffee Studios and Teletoon, "Life's a Zoo.tv" was named Best Animated Program or Series at the 24th Annual Gemini Awards. It premiered on September 1, 2008 on Teletoon's

Télétoon (Canadian TV channel)

Télétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...

 late night programming block, "Teletoon At Night", where it currently airs.

Premise

The show is a parody of the reality TV series Big Brother

Big Brother (TV series)

Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...

, with a similar plot. The seven very different contestants share a mansion "Somewhere in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

..." where they compete in challenges to avoid extinction (the show's version of disqualification), supervised by the show's host, Claude the vulture

Vulture

Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...

 in the first season, Bobbie the seal

Pinniped

Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

 in the second. Despite being eliminated, characters always come back the next episode, as Life's a Zoo does not use continuity

Continuity (fiction)

In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...

, although this changes in the second season. Additionally, each episode features a specially edited music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 from a different artist. The show won Best Animated Series at the Canadian Gemini Awards in 2009.

Main characters

• Ray (Mike Rowland
  Mike Rowland
  Michael Evan "Mike" Rowland is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Rowland played for the San Francisco Giants in and .-External links:*...
  
  ) - A spastic orangutan
  Orangutan
  Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
  
   who often commits acts of random stupidity. He is fairly loud-mouthed, has bloodshot eyes and may be a bit insane. He is a stoner
  Stoner
  -People:* Stoner , bass guitarist* Alyson Stoner , American actress and dancer* Andrew Stoner , Australian politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, and the Leader of the New South Wales National Party...
  
  , evidenced by the fact he owns a bong
  Bong
  A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
  
  . He likes rock music. He claims that his parents went out partying a lot when he was a child, which made him very lonely. He also once ate an action figure, which never came up. He ate several more in an attempt to rescue it, and had to be hospitalized. The action figure eventually did come out after Ray was force-fed coffee. He was the fifth one eliminated in the second season. He bet on Jake after he was eliminated, and used the money he won to rebuild the mansion after Jake blew it up, thereby feeling entitled to own it too.

• Jake Oswalt (Kurt Firla) - A Canadian pig
  Pig
  A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
  
   who constantly attempts schemes, believing himself to be a genius when it comes to reality show strategy. He joined Life's A Zoo by accidentally walking into the audition trailer thinking it was a sperm bank. He is the shortest person in the mansion and appears to be nerdy. In the episode "Welcome to the Jungle", it is implied that he still lives with his mother. In the episode "Scared Shirtless", it was also implied that he was bullied severely as a child. He has been shown to be egotistical and devious. He lusts after Minou, and constantly spies on her when she is showering. He also believes that she lusts after him just as much, and that they will have sex before the season ends, despite her disgust with him. He was the first one to be eliminated in the first season. In the second season, he began to lust after Bobbie. He was the sixth one eliminated in the second season, but won the house when Chi-Chi forfeited it. Unfortunately, he had rigged the house to explode when she won and couldn't prevent it from happening. He now works as Ray's servant in the rebuilt mansion.

• Morreski (Stephen Kishewitsch) - An alcoholic Russian bear
  Bear
  Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
  
   who wears a fez. He is always holding or at least near a bottle of vodka
  Vodka
  Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
  
  . He is fairly old with a thick accent. He is heard talking about his homeland many times over the series, and mentioning his wife, who is presumably very manly for a woman. He is also very protective of his mother, as shown in two instances when he swears and beats up Dr. D for saying something about her. Though he is very laid back and drunk, he is wise and has strength. In the second season, he was the third one eliminated. He made a special appearance in the next episode to marry Jake and Ray and also appeared in the final episode. He escaped the mansion before it exploded, but what happened to him next is unknown.

• Dr. D (Joseph Motiki
  Joseph Motiki
  Joseph "Joe" Frederick Motiki is a Canadian television host and performer.Motiki was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and graduated in 1995 from the Radio & Television Arts program at Ryerson University. While an undergraduate at Ryerson, Motiki beat out 350 hopefuls to become the host of What,...
  
  ) - A rapping
  Rapping
  Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
  
   penguin
  Penguin
  Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
  
   who wears a lot of bling and has a no nonsense attitude. He usually gives his opinion without caring about the consequences. He also wears a cap and sunglasses. In the second season, it is revealed that his real name is Dewey Dewson, that he worked at a shoe store for seven years, being employee of the month several times. He was the second one eliminated in the second season. After being found out he went back to being Dewson, but tends to slip into his Doctor D persona when angry. What happened to him after he escaped the mansion explosion is unknown.

• Rico (Francisco Trujillo) - A homosexual crocodilian with a fake Latino
  Latino
  The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
  
   accent. He is a stereotype as shown by speech, mannerisms, and hobbies. It is revealed in the episode "Truth or Consequences" that the producers asked him to play up his gay lifestyle; they wanted him to be more camp
  Camp (style)
  Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
  
   and he began using a Latino accent. After a while it stuck. When he was young, his father tricked him into coming out
  Coming out
  Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
  
   and beat him. His father still seems quite disappointed in him, as revealed in the episode "Truth or Consequences". He once experimented with being married to women, though it obviously didn't work out. He was the fourth one eliminated in both the first and second season. What happened to him after he escaped the mansion explosion is unknown.

• Minou (Bridget Ogundipe)- A Jamaican model panther
  Panthera
  Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...
  
   with a different hairstyle every episode (revealed in the episode "Self Helpless" to actually be from a collection of wigs). She is greedy and snotty, believing everyone else is beneath her, but the men are attracted to her nonetheless. She appears to be bulimic, once commenting that it's a great way to keep her tummy flat, and that bulimia came from sex. In the episode "Ray Against The Machine", it is revealed that she would have won the mansion before the original episode script was destroyed, despite the fact that she was eliminated in the episode "Live and Let Diet". She was the first one eliminated in the second season: she jumped out of a plane without a parachute in the first episode of Season Two, thinking it was just a "bravery test" as in the first episode of Season One. It wasn't. She showed up later in the episode in a body cast only to be shoved out the front door. She appeared in the season finale, still in the body cast, and later escaped the mansion with the other characters. What happened to her after is unknown.

• Chi-Chi (Stephanie Jung) - An overweight, fifth grade teaching, panda
  Panda
  Panda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...
  
   from China
  China
  Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
  
  . She was sick frequently in the first episode, but is now merely gluttonous. She is goodhearted, but usually shunned. Since she was two years old, her mother made her play an erhu all the time, saying it was better for her than being out and making friends. Her mother is deceased. She was the second one eliminated in the first season, in the episode "It's Not Easy Being Chi", though she bought her way back in. It is implied she may love Dr. D. In season one, she has slept with all of the male cast except for Jake and Claude. In the second season, she made it all the way to the final episode before being drugged comatose and losing her memory. Bobbie made her watch the entirety of the first season to refresh her memory while the other disqualified characters voted on whether she or Jake should win the mansion. She won the house, but turned it down because she was ashamed and disgusted with what the show had made her into. What happened to her after the destruction of the mansion is unknown, but it is suggested she went back to her home in China to get in touch with the "real her".

• Claude (Michael Lamport) - A vulture who hosts the "show within the show". He often makes witty comments on the plot before and after every commercial break, as well as refereeing all the challenges. He seems bored and/or exasperated by his job and is usually reading, or commenting how he wants to get a better gig.

• Bobbie - The hostess of the second season, replacing Claude. Despite her sweet demeanour, she is much tougher than Claude, and far more determined to find a winner for the show. In the episode "Truth or Consequences" it is revealed that she is in her fifties, has had plastic surgery, has been married and divorced several times and is strongly hinted that she may have originally been male. She appears to have been in the mansion when it exploded. It is unknown if she escaped with the other characters or died.

Episodes

Title	Original air date	Synopsis
Welcome to the Jungle	September 1, 2008	The cast is introduced to their new home and get to know one another. Jake is immediately alienated by the group when he's locked out of the house and his attempts to break in create the primary plot. This episode's featured video is "Made of Stone" by Spiral Beach Spiral Beach Spiral Beach was a Canadian indie rock band, based in Toronto, Ontario, active from 2003 to 2009. The group consisted of vocalist and guitarist Airick Woodhead, vocalist and keyboardist Maddy Wilde, bassist Dorian Wolf and drummer Daniel Woodhead.-History:... .
You Snooze, You Lose It	September 5, 2008	After succeeding in an event to stay awake longer than his house mates, Jake is awarded a papaya Papaya The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...  as a prize. As a result of sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep; it can be either chronic or acute. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. It adversely affects the brain and cognitive function. Few studies have compared the... , Jake perceives the papaya as a trophy and locks himself in his room, leaving only to assert dominance over his opponents by playing pranks on them. Ray tricks Jake into thinking the papaya is alive by providing a voice for it and his obsession with it escalates to infatuation Limerence Limerence is a term coined c. 1977 by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated...  as a result. This episode's featured music video was "Young Leaves" by Attack in Black Attack in Black Attack in Black was a Canadian indie rock band from Welland, Ontario. They first signed to Skate Ahead Records for their self-titled album debut in 2005. In spring 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records... .
Rayland	September 8, 2008	Fed up with the social hierarchy of the house, Ray stages a coup and asserts himself as a dictatorial Dictatorship A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...  leader. This episode's music video was "Spinning in My Grave" by The Beautiful Unknown.
It's Not Easy Being Chi	September 19, 2008	Chi Chi becomes a flash in the pan celebrity after earning an immunity. Her house mates attempt to leech off of her fame. Ray and her make a pornographic film, Rico becomes her business manager, Dr. D becomes her bodyguard, Minou becomes her wardrobe advisor, and Jake sells items she has touched online. The episode's music video was "Mr. Therapy Man" by Justin Nozuka Justin Nozuka Justin Tokimitsu Nozuka is a American-Canadian singer-songwriter. His debut album Holly has been released in Europe, Canada, Japan and the United States... .
Live and Let Diet	September 26, 2008	Following a week of binge eating Binge eating Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is sometimes as a symptom of binge eating disorder. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food... , the cast is forced into a weight loss competition. Minou develops a binge Binge eating Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is sometimes as a symptom of binge eating disorder. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food...  eating disorder Eating disorder Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...  and Jake becomes hideously disfigured after having Ray and Morreski perform lipo suction on him. He wins the competition as a consequence, and Minou is extinguished for actually gaining weight. This episode's music video was "The Skinny" by The Tin Bangs.
Dr D Plays House	October 3, 2008	The cast engages in a musical competition. Dr. D thinks he has it locked up and turns down a lucrative offer from a record label outside the mansion, only to be smacked down in a rap battle by Chi Chi. This episode's music video: "Won More Time" by God Made Me Funky God Made Me Funky God Made Me Funky is a Toronto-based funk group. The group started in 1996 as an "instrumental funk fusion experiment" and developed a popular following in the Toronto music scene.-Awards and nominations:... .
Teddy Bear's Picnic	October 10, 2008	After Morreski earns a coupon Coupon In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...  for a free picnic Picnic In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,... , the cast's refrigerator becomes mysteriously sealed, forcing them to fight for Morreski's prize. The rightful owner of the coupon is finally decided with a To Tell the Truth To Tell the Truth To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...  style game show; "Morreski or No Morreski". This episode's music video is "Show Me" by Ripped.
Big Brother, Where Art Thou	October 17, 2008	After being discretely drugged, the cast members wake to find themselves isolated in a large, white maze Maze A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single... . As they attempt to find an exit, Chi Chi, who has been left in the mansion, assumes that her competitors have been extinguished and insinuates herself as the victor. This episode's music video is "Midnight Love" by Jason Kent.
Scared Shirtless	October 24, 2008	The cast members struggle to stay alive while being pursued by a psychopathic killer, as well as find his fortune somewhere in the house. This episode's music video is "First Date" by Danko Jones Danko Jones Danko Jones is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Danko Jones and JC... .
Self Helpless	October 31, 2008	The cast is abruptly deprived of their various addictive vice Vice Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption... s and forced to cope without, at the risk of being extinguished. Ray, deprived of video games, watches TV instead and converts to Christianity Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...  after obsessively watching a televangelist. Jake assumes ownership of his house-mates' addicting items (while still abstaining from his own) and eventually hospitalises himself (momentarily causing the other contestants to believe he was dead), as a result of overindulgence. This episode's music video is "How Did You Get This Way?" by Trophy Band.
Acts of Random Niceness	November 7, 2008	The entire cast attempts to refrain from directing anger at one another, with the winner being promised their weight in gold. Rico fattens himself up to warrant a larger prize (causing Morreski to come onto him, thinking that he is a woman after he starts to wear a mumu dress) and Jake takes advantage of the terms of the challenge by making repeated romantic passes on Minou, without the fear of any legitimate consequences. This episode's music video is "Roller Coaster" by Major Maker Major Maker Major Maker is a Canadian indie rock band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2006 by Bulgarian-born Todor Kobakov, and Icelandic singer-songwriter Lindy Vopnfjord. Their track "Rollercoaster" was used in a Maynards candy commercial, which led the company to be inundated with requests for the name of... .
2D or not 2D	November 14, 2008	Claude spends most of the show's budget on a flashy ad campaign, resulting in the show having to cut budgets, including redesigning it to a cheaper 2D format. Ray enjoys how he can hurt himself all he wants, Minou erases some of her torso to slim down, and Chi Chi gorges herself on living food. This episode's music video is "Sinners of St. Avenue" by SLAVE to the SQUAREwave.
Ray Against the Machine	November 21, 2008	After discovering a secret surveillance room in the mansion, Ray uncovers a collection of scripts and storyboards, suggesting that the show is, in fact, scripted. The cast then plans an elaborate retaliation plot.

External links

• Life's a Zoo.tv Official Website