Ovide and the Gang
Encyclopedia
La Bande à Ovide, a.k.a. Ovide and the Gang, is a 1980s animated TV show produced by the Canadian animation studio CinéGroupe
(who also produced Sharky and George and The Little Flying Bears
) in association with Belgium
's Odec Kid Cartoons. It ran from 1987 to 1988 and also goes by the names "Ovide Video" and "Ovide's Video Show".
The characters were created and designed by Bernard Godi in cooperation with Belgian comics artist and animator Nic Broca, who had previously designed the Snorks for SEPP.
named Ovide who lives on a non-descript South Seas island, where he has adventures with his friends and thwarts Cy and Bobo, the show's villains.
plays an important role in this series. In every episode, Ovide and his friends are watching a program; Ovide carries a brown briefcase
which contains a portable TV set; and there's a wandering TV on the island that approaches the characters at crucial moments and provides information important to the plot. Every time Cy sees the TV, he apparently becomes entranced by it.
CinéGroupe
CinéGroupe Corporation is a Canadian animation studio based in Montreal, Quebec. The company also has offices in nearby Toronto and in the U.S. city of Los Angeles...
(who also produced Sharky and George and The Little Flying Bears
The Little Flying Bears
The Little Flying Bears is an animated television series produced by Zagreb Film and CinéGroupe. It was a Croatian/Canadian co-production which originally aired in 1990.This cartoon helps children realize the importance of protecting the environment...
) in association with Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Odec Kid Cartoons. It ran from 1987 to 1988 and also goes by the names "Ovide Video" and "Ovide's Video Show".
The characters were created and designed by Bernard Godi in cooperation with Belgian comics artist and animator Nic Broca, who had previously designed the Snorks for SEPP.
Synopsis
The show stars a blue platypusPlatypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
named Ovide who lives on a non-descript South Seas island, where he has adventures with his friends and thwarts Cy and Bobo, the show's villains.
Main characters
- Ovide — The main character of the show. A duck-billed platypusPlatypusThe platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
, he is the unofficial leader of the group, and is smart, responsible and kind hearted. - Saphron — Saphron is Ovide's cousin, and also a platypus. He is a good cook and gardener.
- Polo — A red lizardLizardLizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
who always carries around a broom. The island's janitor and the "tough guy" of the group, and he's always trying and failing to catch Woody, a destructive woodwormWoodwormA woodworm is not a specific species. It is the larval stage of certain woodboring beetles including:*Ambrosia beetles *Bark borer beetle / Waney edge borer *Common furniture beetle...
. - Groaner — A white toucan, and one of Ovide's friends. His name comes from the fact that he's always telling weak jokes which make people groan.
- Doe, Rae & Mi — Protagonist koalas, always on twigs or the couch. Their names come from the first three solfègeSolfegeIn music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
syllables, and they visually represent the three wise monkeysThree wise monkeysThe Three Wise Monkeys , sometimes called the Three Mystic Apes, are a pictorial maxim. Together they embody the proverbial principle to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"...
: Doe wears headphonesHeadphonesHeadphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
hearing music (Hear no Evil), Rae wears sunglassesSunglassesSunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
(See no Evil), and Mi almost always covers his mouth, and sometimes hiccups (Speak no Evil). - Matilda — A female kangarooKangarooA kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
. Not originally from the island, she mistook the others for cannibals and hid from them, but then warmed up to them. She is skilled with herbal remedies and with the boomerang. She is first seen in episode 18. - Cy Sly — The primary antagonist of the show. He is a vain, scheming, megalomaniacal python. He is jealous of Ovide and wishes to eliminate him and gain absolute control of the island.
- Bobo — Cy's bumbling, Keel-billed toucanKeel-billed ToucanThe Keel-billed Toucan , also known as Sulfur-breasted Toucan or Rainbow-billed Toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize.- Description :...
minion and only friend. Refers to Cy as "Boss". Despite his association with Cy, he has a good heart and wishes Ovide and his friends no ill-will. - Woody - A mischievous woodworm who tunnels around the island. He is known to alter the state of bowling games and gnaw holes into the base of Ovide's home. He is in constant conflict with Polo.
Role of television in Ovide
TelevisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
plays an important role in this series. In every episode, Ovide and his friends are watching a program; Ovide carries a brown briefcase
Briefcase
A briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and other documents and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name...
which contains a portable TV set; and there's a wandering TV on the island that approaches the characters at crucial moments and provides information important to the plot. Every time Cy sees the TV, he apparently becomes entranced by it.
Episodes
- Case of the Disappearing Hens/Cy and the Solo Sailor
- The Ghostly Galleon/The Prophet
- The Creature in the Cave/Treasure of the Endzones
- The Island Games/Cy the Sorcerer
- Spellbound/Great Slave Cake
- Come Adventures/Trouble in Paradise
- Will Cy take over paradise/Turned into Trouble
- All You Need Is Love/The Big Chil
- Comic Adventures in the South Seas/Let's Cold
- The Chicken Hens is Running/Cy's Evil Plan