The Secret World of Benjamin Bear
Encyclopedia
The Secret World of Benjamin Bear was an animated television series produced from 2003 to 2009 by PorchLight Entertainment
and Amberwood Entertainment. It is still being aired in Canada on both Family and Disney Junior specialty TV channels and in the USA on KidMango and Christian Television Network
.
The title character is a stuffed toy bear that, together with other stuffed bears, is "alive" and have adventures of their own. They are very careful to try to appear inanimate when in sight of humans (referred to as 'Going Teddy'). The teddy bears of brother Max (Benjamin Bear) and sister Eliza (Howie Bear) are often seen together, even though Max is sometimes mean to his sister.
Benjamin Bear was voiced by Jonathan Crombie, who is also known for playing Gilbert Blythe on "Anne of Green Gables" during the 1980s and 1990s. Leslie Nielsen
was the consultant of the TV series.
The bears' main duty is to their child (the bears refer to them as 'their kids', or 'kiddies'). They keep them happy, act as a friend to talk to when in need, and secretly keep them out of harm's way and on the right path to success.
) - The main protagonist of the series. His kid is Max Tanner. His best friend is Howie and his crush is ruby, and he is also Howie's teacher. Of all the teddies, Benjamin is one of the most trustworthy and often called on to help the others, especially the new teddies. He is extremely allergic to lavender. When he gets mad, he crosses his arms and taps his foot (though he denies this is true).In one episode on "Take it away Ben" he gets nervous of being on stage and Sebastian makes it worse. At the end a Froth Moth comes in the cafe and all the teddies hide.
Howie Bear (voiced by Nika Futterman
was voiced by James Watts) - Ben's friend. Howie is young and inexperienced, but eager to learn. His child is Eliza Tanner.
Edgar of Old (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
) - A two-hundred year old bear and the first teddy ever made, he was the stuffed bear originally given to Theodore Roosevelt
, which is where the term 'Teddy Bear' originated. He is the leader of the teddy community. Due to his extensive age he tends to walk slowly and isn't as agile as the others, but doesn't otherwise show his age. His 'child' is Miss Abby Periwinkle, and she is the only human who knows teddy bears are alive. He appears to be grooming Benjamin to take over when he finally retires.
Ruby Red (voiced by Amanda Tripp) - A friend of Ben's who he has a crush on. She is owned by a toy store owner named MacLaren. She is a sweet bear, and gets along well with Ben and Howie. She is always willing to lend a helping hand. Her full name is Ruby Red, but she's almost always called Ruby.Sebastian had a crush on her and hopes to win over her.ln the last episode of season 4, ruby and ben tells each other how much they have in common and eventually tells how much they love each other.
Holly Bear (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen
) - A panda teddy bear and very close friend of Howie.They are always seen playing chess together although holly always win. Her kid is Lindsay.
Sebastian Biggleboar (voiced by Thomas Sangster
) - A pompous bear who considers himself better than everyone else. He enjoys causing trouble for Benjamin and Howie or embarrassing them. However, sometimes, he does get his just deserts. Bobbie Tanner is his kid.sebastian has a crush on Trixie Belle , and he considers her the perfect girl, and one of the few things other than himself that he loves.
Raymond (voiced by Cory Morrison) A 6-foot purple teddy bear who was a carnival prize before being dumped on the street. After wandering around the woods nearby, he was found by Ben and Howie, and taken to Maclaren's toy store, and put on a rocking chair next to the entrance.
Toot Sweet (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker
) - A polar teddy bear who run's Toot's, a diner where bears like to congregate. He is famous for honey shakes. When his kid went to college, he tried to stop him, but stopped when his kid promised he would return.
The Clean-up Crew (voiced by Owen Wilson
, Richard Petty
and John Ratzenberger
) - Three small teddy bears who belong to three energetic children. They're usually seen in black suits and sunglasses (although, unlike other teddies, they only wear clothes when they're 'on duty'), and riding around in a toy gyrocopter with a bucket on a string hanging from it. It's their job to deal with big problems that arise in the teddy world.
Wally -
Frankie -
Dr Tiffany Tuff -
Gonzo -
Winifred - she works in the teddy council and was once in the "teddy marching band"
Bernie -
Trixie Belle - A recent Teddy Tech graduate who is in many ways a female Sebastian.
Mrs. Crackers - A female teddy bear who runs the library.
Woowly -
Felix - Felix was Laura's old teddy and now he lives in Italy with his new kid a girl named Antonia.
General - a militaristic teddy bear with an English accent. He is very strict about order due to his militaristic nature.
Mr. Lister - The teddy bear in charge of the Teddy Relocation Center.
Mrs Poppy -
Samantha -
Louie -
Albert -
Buzz - Buzz little one teddy, when Ben tried to find his child in episode Close the Door Ben.
Enrico – Enrico is Ruby Red's old friend, Ben was jealous of him for Ruby’s affection, he lives in Italy.
Lily - A new young teddy bear. She has problems with going teddy (she will do so whenever she's excited in the slightest bit). She is part of the general's marching band.
Tatayoshi -
Angus -
Freddy' -
) But was first voiced by Kenia Pena for Seasons 1 and 2. - Benjamin's kid. Max was given Benjamin by his father, Ben's previous kid.
Eliza Tanner (voiced by Ashley Tisdale
) - Howie's kid. She is Max's sister.
Simon Tanner (voiced by Dan Povenmire
) - Max's father, and Benjamin's previous kid. He is a very creative man, and enjoys tinkering. Unfortunately, most of his inventions don't work properly, but this hasn't stopped him yet. He owns a Bulldog
named Slurp, who helps out Benjamin and Howie whenever possible.
Bobbie (voiced by Caroline Rhea
) - The daughter of the Tanner's neighbours. She considers herself superior to Max and Eliza like Sebastian does to Ben and Howie. Her father dotes on her and she has a Doberman Pinscher named Chomper, who absolutely loves Sebastian.
Miss Abby Periwinkle (voiced by Ariel Winter
) - Edgar's kid. She is the only human who knows that teddy bears can walk and talk like humans. When she was a child, she tried to pilot a sailboat by herself but was knocked unconscious by the sail's boom
when she steered it. Edgar steered the boat back to the dock in order to save her, but she regained consciousness and saw him. She told her friends her bear was alive but nobody believed her, and they began treating her like she was weird. Edgar saw how much this hurt her and admitted to her that teddies were alive, but it was a secret only she could know. She has kept this secret ever since, and her house is the only ones teddies can come and go as they please without having to hide or go teddy.
Mr. Maclarean (voiced by Bobby Gaylor
) - Ruby's kid. A Scottish man who owns a large toy store called "Maclarean's", and behaves like a child himself. He has also taken several trips around the world, and has plenty of stories to tell. He has a sister who wishes he acted his age.
Lindsay (voiced by Kōichi Yamadera
) - Holly's kid. She's friends with Eliza.
Toot Sweet's Garden Cafe- This is Toot Sweet's cafe where he is known for making yummy honey shakes. Howie loves stopping by the cafe to drink shakes.
Abby Periwinkle's House- This is the home of Miss Periwinkle. She lives there with her bear Edgar. There are different teddy hiding places in the house. Miss Periwinkle's garden is used for special occasions like Greeting Ceremonies.
Tanner House - This is where the Tanner family lives ( consisting of Max and Eliza Tanner). This is also where Ben and Howie live. There are different teddy tunnels so Ben and Howie can get from "room to room" and "place to place" easily.
Bobbie's House This is where Bobbie's family lives. This is also where Sebastian lives. It is the neighboring home to the Tanner House. Chomper acts as a watch dog to the house at night.
Teddy Hospital- The Teddy Hospital is in a real hospital. This is where the teddies go if they have teddy health problems, like new stuffing or stitching.
Chomper - Chomper is Bobbie's dog. He only likes Sebastian, and dislikes Ben and Howie. Sebastian enjoys seeing Chomper chase Ben and Howie around.
Marigold- Marigold is Lindsay's dog. She is very energetic and loves to disturb the teddies. She is a very perky puppy.
Froth Moth- A Froth Moth is a fictional species of moth that feeds on teddy bear stuffing. As a result, Froth Moths are the most feared creature in the teddy world. They don't like lavendar, which teddy bears use to fend them off.
PorchLight Entertainment
PorchLight Entertainment, Inc. is an American production company founded in 1995 by Bruce D. Johnson and William T. Baumann. It dedicates in television production and animation...
and Amberwood Entertainment. It is still being aired in Canada on both Family and Disney Junior specialty TV channels and in the USA on KidMango and Christian Television Network
Christian Television Network
Christian Television Network is a non-profit broadcast television network of small owned-and-operated stations that broadcasts religious programming. It is based in Largo, Florida , and the flagship station is WCLF channel 22, which signed on the air in the Tampa Bay Florida region in 1979...
.
The title character is a stuffed toy bear that, together with other stuffed bears, is "alive" and have adventures of their own. They are very careful to try to appear inanimate when in sight of humans (referred to as 'Going Teddy'). The teddy bears of brother Max (Benjamin Bear) and sister Eliza (Howie Bear) are often seen together, even though Max is sometimes mean to his sister.
Benjamin Bear was voiced by Jonathan Crombie, who is also known for playing Gilbert Blythe on "Anne of Green Gables" during the 1980s and 1990s. Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
was the consultant of the TV series.
The bears' main duty is to their child (the bears refer to them as 'their kids', or 'kiddies'). They keep them happy, act as a friend to talk to when in need, and secretly keep them out of harm's way and on the right path to success.
Teddy Bears
Benjamin Bear (voiced by Jonathan CrombieJonathan Crombie
Jonathan Crombie is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Gilbert Blythe in CBC Television's 1985 telefilm Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels. He was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his role in the Canadian Stage Company's 1997 production of Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia...
) - The main protagonist of the series. His kid is Max Tanner. His best friend is Howie and his crush is ruby, and he is also Howie's teacher. Of all the teddies, Benjamin is one of the most trustworthy and often called on to help the others, especially the new teddies. He is extremely allergic to lavender. When he gets mad, he crosses his arms and taps his foot (though he denies this is true).In one episode on "Take it away Ben" he gets nervous of being on stage and Sebastian makes it worse. At the end a Froth Moth comes in the cafe and all the teddies hide.
Howie Bear (voiced by Nika Futterman
Nika Futterman
Nika Futterman is an American actress, singer, voice artist, and comedienne.She did the vocals "Give it to me, baby" in The Offspring hit single "Pretty Fly ."-Animated Series:...
was voiced by James Watts) - Ben's friend. Howie is young and inexperienced, but eager to learn. His child is Eliza Tanner.
Edgar of Old (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
) - A two-hundred year old bear and the first teddy ever made, he was the stuffed bear originally given to Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, which is where the term 'Teddy Bear' originated. He is the leader of the teddy community. Due to his extensive age he tends to walk slowly and isn't as agile as the others, but doesn't otherwise show his age. His 'child' is Miss Abby Periwinkle, and she is the only human who knows teddy bears are alive. He appears to be grooming Benjamin to take over when he finally retires.
Ruby Red (voiced by Amanda Tripp) - A friend of Ben's who he has a crush on. She is owned by a toy store owner named MacLaren. She is a sweet bear, and gets along well with Ben and Howie. She is always willing to lend a helping hand. Her full name is Ruby Red, but she's almost always called Ruby.Sebastian had a crush on her and hopes to win over her.ln the last episode of season 4, ruby and ben tells each other how much they have in common and eventually tells how much they love each other.
Holly Bear (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen
Zach Tyler Eisen
Zachary Tyler "Zach" Eisen is an American actor and voice actor. His roles include Aang in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lucas Nickle in The Ant Bully , Andrew in Nick Jr.'s Little Bill, and Pablo the Penguin in Nick Jr.'s The Backyardigans...
) - A panda teddy bear and very close friend of Howie.They are always seen playing chess together although holly always win. Her kid is Lindsay.
Sebastian Biggleboar (voiced by Thomas Sangster
Thomas Sangster
Thomas Brodie Sangster is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles in Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, The Last Legion, and voice of Ferb Fletcher in Phineas and Ferb.-Personal life:...
) - A pompous bear who considers himself better than everyone else. He enjoys causing trouble for Benjamin and Howie or embarrassing them. However, sometimes, he does get his just deserts. Bobbie Tanner is his kid.sebastian has a crush on Trixie Belle , and he considers her the perfect girl, and one of the few things other than himself that he loves.
Raymond (voiced by Cory Morrison) A 6-foot purple teddy bear who was a carnival prize before being dumped on the street. After wandering around the woods nearby, he was found by Ben and Howie, and taken to Maclaren's toy store, and put on a rocking chair next to the entrance.
Toot Sweet (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
) - A polar teddy bear who run's Toot's, a diner where bears like to congregate. He is famous for honey shakes. When his kid went to college, he tried to stop him, but stopped when his kid promised he would return.
The Clean-up Crew (voiced by Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
, Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
and John Ratzenberger
John Ratzenberger
John Deszo Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his role as Cliff Clavin in Cheers.-Early life:...
) - Three small teddy bears who belong to three energetic children. They're usually seen in black suits and sunglasses (although, unlike other teddies, they only wear clothes when they're 'on duty'), and riding around in a toy gyrocopter with a bucket on a string hanging from it. It's their job to deal with big problems that arise in the teddy world.
Wally -
Frankie -
Dr Tiffany Tuff -
Gonzo -
Winifred - she works in the teddy council and was once in the "teddy marching band"
Bernie -
Trixie Belle - A recent Teddy Tech graduate who is in many ways a female Sebastian.
Mrs. Crackers - A female teddy bear who runs the library.
Woowly -
Felix - Felix was Laura's old teddy and now he lives in Italy with his new kid a girl named Antonia.
General - a militaristic teddy bear with an English accent. He is very strict about order due to his militaristic nature.
Mr. Lister - The teddy bear in charge of the Teddy Relocation Center.
Mrs Poppy -
Samantha -
Louie -
Albert -
Buzz - Buzz little one teddy, when Ben tried to find his child in episode Close the Door Ben.
Enrico – Enrico is Ruby Red's old friend, Ben was jealous of him for Ruby’s affection, he lives in Italy.
Lily - A new young teddy bear. She has problems with going teddy (she will do so whenever she's excited in the slightest bit). She is part of the general's marching band.
Tatayoshi -
Angus -
Freddy' -
Humans
Max Tanner (voiced by Dee Bradley BakerDee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
) But was first voiced by Kenia Pena for Seasons 1 and 2. - Benjamin's kid. Max was given Benjamin by his father, Ben's previous kid.
Eliza Tanner (voiced by Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
) - Howie's kid. She is Max's sister.
Simon Tanner (voiced by Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
) - Max's father, and Benjamin's previous kid. He is a very creative man, and enjoys tinkering. Unfortunately, most of his inventions don't work properly, but this hasn't stopped him yet. He owns a Bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
named Slurp, who helps out Benjamin and Howie whenever possible.
Bobbie (voiced by Caroline Rhea
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actress who was the original host of the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC until she was replaced by Alison Sweeney after the end of the third season...
) - The daughter of the Tanner's neighbours. She considers herself superior to Max and Eliza like Sebastian does to Ben and Howie. Her father dotes on her and she has a Doberman Pinscher named Chomper, who absolutely loves Sebastian.
Miss Abby Periwinkle (voiced by Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter Workman , known in television shows and films as Ariel Winter, is an American teen actress and singer. Winter is best known for her current role as Alex Dunphy in the TV series Modern Family, for which she has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series, along...
) - Edgar's kid. She is the only human who knows that teddy bears can walk and talk like humans. When she was a child, she tried to pilot a sailboat by herself but was knocked unconscious by the sail's boom
Boom (sailing)
In sailing, a boom is a spar , along the foot of a fore and aft rigged sail, that greatly improves control of the angle and shape of the sail. The primary action of the boom is to keep the foot of the sail flatter when the sail angle is away from the centerline of the boat. The boom also serves...
when she steered it. Edgar steered the boat back to the dock in order to save her, but she regained consciousness and saw him. She told her friends her bear was alive but nobody believed her, and they began treating her like she was weird. Edgar saw how much this hurt her and admitted to her that teddies were alive, but it was a secret only she could know. She has kept this secret ever since, and her house is the only ones teddies can come and go as they please without having to hide or go teddy.
Mr. Maclarean (voiced by Bobby Gaylor
Bobby Gaylor
Robert "Bobby" Gaylor is a writer, actor, voice actor, producer, director, spoken word artist & former stand-up comic. He was raised in Boston and moved to L.A.to write for Roseanne Barr's television show "Roseanne"...
) - Ruby's kid. A Scottish man who owns a large toy store called "Maclarean's", and behaves like a child himself. He has also taken several trips around the world, and has plenty of stories to tell. He has a sister who wishes he acted his age.
Lindsay (voiced by Kōichi Yamadera
Koichi Yamadera
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...
) - Holly's kid. She's friends with Eliza.
Locations
Maclarean's Toy Store - This is Mr. Maclearean's toy store. There is a teddy library, a place where the teddy council meets, and other secret teddy hiding places.Toot Sweet's Garden Cafe- This is Toot Sweet's cafe where he is known for making yummy honey shakes. Howie loves stopping by the cafe to drink shakes.
Abby Periwinkle's House- This is the home of Miss Periwinkle. She lives there with her bear Edgar. There are different teddy hiding places in the house. Miss Periwinkle's garden is used for special occasions like Greeting Ceremonies.
Tanner House - This is where the Tanner family lives ( consisting of Max and Eliza Tanner). This is also where Ben and Howie live. There are different teddy tunnels so Ben and Howie can get from "room to room" and "place to place" easily.
Bobbie's House This is where Bobbie's family lives. This is also where Sebastian lives. It is the neighboring home to the Tanner House. Chomper acts as a watch dog to the house at night.
Teddy Hospital- The Teddy Hospital is in a real hospital. This is where the teddies go if they have teddy health problems, like new stuffing or stitching.
Animals
Slurp - Slurp is the Tanner's family dog. He is very playful and friendly, with humans and teddy bears alike. He is called Slurp because of his slobbery dog kisses.Chomper - Chomper is Bobbie's dog. He only likes Sebastian, and dislikes Ben and Howie. Sebastian enjoys seeing Chomper chase Ben and Howie around.
Marigold- Marigold is Lindsay's dog. She is very energetic and loves to disturb the teddies. She is a very perky puppy.
Froth Moth- A Froth Moth is a fictional species of moth that feeds on teddy bear stuffing. As a result, Froth Moths are the most feared creature in the teddy world. They don't like lavendar, which teddy bears use to fend them off.
External links
- [IMDB entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898768/]
- Amberwood Entertainment's The Secret World of Benjamin Bear Page
- Full-length episodes