Toad Patrol
Encyclopedia
Toad Patrol is a Canadian television series which first aired in 1999 on Teletoon, currently airing on the Telefutura
Spanish-language network as Patrulla de Sapitos. It was created by George and his wife, Peggy Sarson. Although it is primarily aimed at young children, it has found popularity with pre-teens to young adults because despite the fairly young and lighthearted appearance of the show, it had some rather dark undertones beneath the surface. Its cult appreciation has also stemmed from the fact that Toad Patrol had so much time and effort put into it. This series has a very distinct beginning, middle, and end to each season it airs. The story was in the works since 1985 and was in the development stage as the creators started selling Mistle Toad chocolates to raise money. The show eventually managed to get animated overseas in both Korea, AKOM (First Season) and India, UTV Toons (Second Season). Although, a lot of the in-betweening and other works were done in America at Helix studios.
A show sponsor page has stated that 13 episodes of the series are currently in production. Several fans had assumed that with the passing of Long John Baldry, the series had been halted however, that is not the case. After discovering that Mistle Toad had two voice actors (Long John Baldry and Tatyana Loeffler-Vulpe), fans are now sure that if a third season were to appear then that voice actor would take his place. However, after more than five years without an original episode and no further news of any additional planned broadcasts, the possibility of additional episodes of the series remains doubtful at best.
The Ancients are quite powerful and knowledgeable in shamanistic like magic. According to legend; they had created Toad Hollow, left many symbols of their existence behind and had eventually disappeared. Now, due to unknown reasons, the Toads have to abandon the forest and migrate to Toad Hollow. Toad Hollow is basically a giant haven, home to many Toads. The only way to enter Toad Hollow is a gateway known as the Fairy Ring. Or at least, this is the only way that will prevent one from becoming a Toadstool after the ring closes. This portal of sorts opens and closes in random areas of the forest annually, and any who miss the Ring end up stranded or turn into a toadstool.
The main characters are late born Toadlets who missed the great migration. Unable to figure out what to do, they are greeted by a wandering Toad sage named Mistle Toad. He tells them about the Fairy Ring and how to find it. It's not known exactly where it is because the location changes every year. It is revealed shortly after that the youngest of the eight toadlets, Panther Cap, has the ability to hear what certain "Lightning Oaks" (called Thunder Trees by the toadlets) are saying, and can also home in on these trees telepathically with the use of an acorn.
Along their journey, every member of the group develops a special skill which they use to contribute to the group's survival. They also meet Earth Star, a young Toadlet musician who was part of a previous group of Toadlets who failed to find the Fairy Ring in time and all turned into Toadstools.
The series lasted two seasons, 13 episodes each. The first follows the Toadlets as they find the Fairy Ring. In the second season, when in Toad Hollow, Panther Cap hears Mistle Toad calling out for help. Eventually after telling the others, they set out to find and rescue him.
Some may notice that the series has many similarities in setting and atmosphere to Watership Down
(which was also produced by Funbag
) and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
(and its animated counterpart The Secret of NIMH
). Aside from the obvious toning down of the urgency of survival for the sake of a young viewing audience, the series shares the two stories' secret world of the animals style as well as its dark and foreboding natural setting. Many believe this to be the reason why, despite the series' rather childish appearance and tone, it has a great deal of appeal to older audiences as well with its subtle undertones.
It is rumored that an additional 13 episodes are in production currently, although this hasn't been officially confirmed Teletoon as of yet. However, a company that has licensing rights for the series has posted a page saying that there will be 13 new episodes, but it was impossible because of Long John Baldry's death. Nine episodes of the series are available on DVD. Toad Patrol is currently only available on the Telefutura
network every Sunday at 8/7 a.m. Central.
while the second season was produced by Toadbag Productions. Slippery Jack is voiced by Brady Moffatt in the first season and not the second season because he is uncredited. The first season was produced by AKOM while the second season was produced by RME LLC.
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
Spanish-language network as Patrulla de Sapitos. It was created by George and his wife, Peggy Sarson. Although it is primarily aimed at young children, it has found popularity with pre-teens to young adults because despite the fairly young and lighthearted appearance of the show, it had some rather dark undertones beneath the surface. Its cult appreciation has also stemmed from the fact that Toad Patrol had so much time and effort put into it. This series has a very distinct beginning, middle, and end to each season it airs. The story was in the works since 1985 and was in the development stage as the creators started selling Mistle Toad chocolates to raise money. The show eventually managed to get animated overseas in both Korea, AKOM (First Season) and India, UTV Toons (Second Season). Although, a lot of the in-betweening and other works were done in America at Helix studios.
A show sponsor page has stated that 13 episodes of the series are currently in production. Several fans had assumed that with the passing of Long John Baldry, the series had been halted however, that is not the case. After discovering that Mistle Toad had two voice actors (Long John Baldry and Tatyana Loeffler-Vulpe), fans are now sure that if a third season were to appear then that voice actor would take his place. However, after more than five years without an original episode and no further news of any additional planned broadcasts, the possibility of additional episodes of the series remains doubtful at best.
Story
The story is about a group of eight young "Toadlet" siblings and their struggle for survival in The Great Forest.The Ancients are quite powerful and knowledgeable in shamanistic like magic. According to legend; they had created Toad Hollow, left many symbols of their existence behind and had eventually disappeared. Now, due to unknown reasons, the Toads have to abandon the forest and migrate to Toad Hollow. Toad Hollow is basically a giant haven, home to many Toads. The only way to enter Toad Hollow is a gateway known as the Fairy Ring. Or at least, this is the only way that will prevent one from becoming a Toadstool after the ring closes. This portal of sorts opens and closes in random areas of the forest annually, and any who miss the Ring end up stranded or turn into a toadstool.
The main characters are late born Toadlets who missed the great migration. Unable to figure out what to do, they are greeted by a wandering Toad sage named Mistle Toad. He tells them about the Fairy Ring and how to find it. It's not known exactly where it is because the location changes every year. It is revealed shortly after that the youngest of the eight toadlets, Panther Cap, has the ability to hear what certain "Lightning Oaks" (called Thunder Trees by the toadlets) are saying, and can also home in on these trees telepathically with the use of an acorn.
Along their journey, every member of the group develops a special skill which they use to contribute to the group's survival. They also meet Earth Star, a young Toadlet musician who was part of a previous group of Toadlets who failed to find the Fairy Ring in time and all turned into Toadstools.
The series lasted two seasons, 13 episodes each. The first follows the Toadlets as they find the Fairy Ring. In the second season, when in Toad Hollow, Panther Cap hears Mistle Toad calling out for help. Eventually after telling the others, they set out to find and rescue him.
Production notes
This series was first realized by George and Peggy Sarson in 1985. He created the character of Mistle Toad back then, and penned a series of short stories about Toad Tunnels, tunnels dug in some areas of the world for groups of toads who migrate. The tunnels act as a way to give the Toads a safe passageway past freeways and roads, as this had been known to destroy whole groups of migrating toads before the invention of the tunnels. George found the perilous journey of the toads fascinating and created a story about it which eventually was noticed by Teletoon. It was eventually animated in a full animated series in 1999. It was moderately popular, and eventually even managed to finish itself neatly with a dramatic conclusion to the series in the second season. After this the series was moved to a rather poor timeslot and its ratings dropped, but ironically at this timeslot early in the morning the show gathered a quiet but dedicated cult following. Years later, after going off air, it continues to hold on to quite a few of its followers.Some may notice that the series has many similarities in setting and atmosphere to Watership Down
Watership Down (TV series)
Watership Down is an animated television series, adapted from the novel of the same name by Richard Adams. It was a co-production of Alltime Entertainment of the United Kingdom and Decode Entertainment of Canada, and produced by Martin Rosen, the director of the 1978 feature film...
(which was also produced by Funbag
Funbag Animation Studios
Funbag Animation Studios is a Canadian animation studio located in Ottawa, Ontario. It is known for Toad Patrol, Watership Down and King....
) and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a 1971 children's book by Robert C. O'Brien. Illustrated by Zena Bernstein, it won the 1972 Newbery Medal. A film adaptation, The Secret of NIMH, was released in 1982....
(and its animated counterpart The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH is a 1982 animated film directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut. It is an adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 children's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film was produced by Aurora Pictures and released by United Artists. While released to critical acclaim,...
). Aside from the obvious toning down of the urgency of survival for the sake of a young viewing audience, the series shares the two stories' secret world of the animals style as well as its dark and foreboding natural setting. Many believe this to be the reason why, despite the series' rather childish appearance and tone, it has a great deal of appeal to older audiences as well with its subtle undertones.
It is rumored that an additional 13 episodes are in production currently, although this hasn't been officially confirmed Teletoon as of yet. However, a company that has licensing rights for the series has posted a page saying that there will be 13 new episodes, but it was impossible because of Long John Baldry's death. Nine episodes of the series are available on DVD. Toad Patrol is currently only available on the Telefutura
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
network every Sunday at 8/7 a.m. Central.
Characters
Main Characters- Fur Foot
- Beauty Stem
- Elf Cup
- Shaggy Mane
- Puff Ball
- Oyster
- Slippery Jack
- Panther Cap
- Earth Star
- Mistle Toad
Chapters
Chapters- One for All
- The Giver of Names
- The Fire
- The Crystal Caverns
- Scooped
- The Stay Away Place
- Trojan Duck
- Night Fright
- Trapped
- Bird's Eye View
- The Cure
- The Temple of Bufonidae
- The Fairy Ring
- Cry for Help
- The Healer
- Winter Woes
- The Castle of the Ancients
- Castaway
- Lost and Found
- Choices
- Invasion
- The Lost Symphony
- Good Day
- The Sacrifice
- The Bridge
- Journey's End
DVD releases
The DVDs contains three episodes for each disc.| DVD cover | DVD Name | Release Date | Episodes | Contains |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
The World of Toad Patrol | April 26, 2005 | 1 - 3 | "One For All" "The Giver of Names" "The Fire" |
 |
Toad Patrol: The Crystal Caverns | July 26, 2005 | 4 - 6 | "The Crystal Caverns" "Scooped" "The Stay Away Place" |
 |
Toad Patrol: Toadlets to the Rescue | December 6, 2005 | 7 - 9 | "Trojan Duck" "Night Fright" "Trapped" |
Events
Even though the show is over, that doesn't mean events don't continue on. Yearly, there is an event that runs called Run For The Toad which raises money for various reasons. This takes place at Pinehurst Conservation Area and other than the running, they also run the Thunder Tree cinema. You can send your kids in to watch episodes of Toad Patrol.Differences
The first season was produced by Universal Animation StudiosUniversal Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios , is an American animation studio which is a division of Universal Studios....
while the second season was produced by Toadbag Productions. Slippery Jack is voiced by Brady Moffatt in the first season and not the second season because he is uncredited. The first season was produced by AKOM while the second season was produced by RME LLC.