The Disney Channel - Shaun the Sheep

This site has information about The Disney Channel Show Shaun the Sheep

About Shaun the Sheep

Shaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated children's television series produced by Aardman Animations, and commissioned by the BBC and the WDR. It first aired in the UK on CBBC in March 2007. The first series was deemed a success worldwide and a third batch of episodes (the second series production-wise) is currently being aired.

History

The character first appeared in the 1995 Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit short film A Close Shave. Sucked into Wallace's Knit-o-matic contraption, the sheep is accidentally shorn, so Wallace names him "Shaun" (a pun as "Shaun" sounds identical to "shorn" — unless spoken with a rhotic accent). Shaun later appeared in the 2002 series Cracking Contraptions episode, "Shopper 13", ostensibly to rescue a wayward wheel of cheese. The popularity of the character, as expressed in the success of Shaun the Sheep merchandise, led to the commissioning of an initial 40 seven-minute episodes by Michael Carrington at the BBC.

A second series of 40 episodes began on 23 November 2009 on BBC One and BBC HD. Some characters also appeared in two idents for the relaunched CBBC.

In 2008 Aardman Animation was awarded the International Emmy for Shaun the Sheep in the Children & Young People  

Synopsis

A premise of the series is that Shaun the sheep exhibits human intelligence, creativity, and behaviour in a farm setting, which usually provides a situational comedy conflict which Shaun must resolve before the end of each episode. Recurring themes include the characters evading the sheepdog Bitzer (though he is sometimes with the sheep in their escapades) and avoiding discovery by the Farmer. In the first episode, a stray cabbage bouncing into the field provokes an impromptu football game. In the second episode, a freezing cold sheep dip sends Shaun on a commando raid to get hot water from the Farmer’s bathtub.

Episodes are a combination of slapstick and classic silent comedy in Aardman’s recognisable animation style. There is no spoken dialogue, even by human characters. In this way it is reminiscent of silent comedy films and even Pingu and the animated version of Mr. Bean.

Based on the theme-song, a longer CD-version was released under the title "Life's A Treat", performed by Vic Reeves,

Characters

Major characters

* Shaun the Sheep has an inquisitive, mischievous nature which distinguishes him from the other sheep, and leads him into tricky situations from which he usually recovers. He is popular, and is a natural leader. He is also a moral character who will try to "make things right".

* Shauna is a Ewe who moves into the flock in the Season 2 episode Shauna the Sheep. She became Shaun's mate and now they work together

* Bitzer is the long-suffering sheepdog who watches the flock. His dim owner never notices the flock as anything but normal, and Bitzer tries to keep it that way. He tolerates antics, but steps in if things get out of hand. Bitzer acts as foreman, blowing his whistle, checking the sheep into and out of the field and lunching with a flask of tea and sandwiches. However, Bitzer never misses an opportunity to take it easy, which gives the animals opportunity for mischief. The relationship between Bitzer and the animals is essentially friendly, and he seems to be friends with Shaun, but not to the extent of abandoning his duties. Bitzer will do anything when he is offered a game of "fetch". He also enjoys listening to electronic music on his MP3 player. A character designed by a Blue Peter competition winner, XX2000 Robot Dog, almost replaced Bitzer in one episode. In series 2, Bitzer has more detailed fur.

* Shirley is so much bigger than the other sheep that she has to be pushed (or rolled—even carted away) from place to place and can eat just about anything that comes her way. She is useful as a trampoline, a battering ram and her capacious fleece provides a hiding place for unlikely items—even an ideal food store. Her weight made her an ideal clothes press and deadweight (for "heavy duty" purposes). In "Fleeced", her weight became a delaying tactic, enough for Shaun to destroy the shearing razor. She momentarily lost her weight in "Shape Up with Shaun" though she is back at her normal weight in the other episodes.

* Timmy is an adorable baby lamb who sucks a dummy and gets into dangerous situations. He loves his teddy bear and will cry if he is without him. He sometimes shares his pacifier with Shirley, as in "Things That Go Bump". He likes pizza, and only has one tooth. The character went on to star in spin-off series Timmy Time.He hates bathtime. He grew up in the last Season 2 episode.

* Timmy's Mother wears curlers in her hair, and is a bit careless about maternal duties (even turning Timmy once into some sort of a paint brush). But when her offspring goes astray, she is inconsolable until he is safely back in her care.She looks a bit as Shaun's mom.

* The Flock are typical sheep, content to spend the day chewing the cud until Shaun gets an idea into his head, when they will easily follow his lead. They are an enthusiastic audience for Shaun, but are clumsy, easily frightened and not bright, which undermines Shaun’s exploits.

* The Farmer is a solitary and plain figure, who tends to his smallholding farm with loyal Bitzer. He goes about his business expressing little emotion except the occasional burst of frustration when things go wrong, or an air of bemusement at the results of some of Shaun’s antics. He is enthusiastic about new technology. Like all the human characters in the series, the Farmer is seen from the animals’ point of view and his speech comes across as a series of grunts and mumbles. He is unaware that his farmyard charges are anything other than normal animals.

* The Naughty Pigs are housed in a sty next to the sheep field, and are the bane of the sheeps' life. Mocking, cantankerous, greedy and generally lazy, they still find time to cruelly waylay Shaun’s and the other sheep's schemes, but often ending in backfire or not to their advantage. They also have taste—they never eat their food until it is sprinkled with freshly-ground black pepper. They have a loathing for pork sausages.At many episodes, they are all the main antagonists. The pigs has different appearance in series 2.

* Chelsea is the "popular" animal on the farm.

Minor characters Animals

* The Rooster appears at the start of the opening credits. He also kicked out one of the sheep that intruded their coop in "Sheepwalking".

* The Mother Hen left her clutch of four eggs for a walk, only to find the nest empty (only eggshells are left). She then goes to look for them, posting "missing" signs everywhere, even erasing her fear as she asked The Bull for her chicks' whereabouts, and looked for them at night. She appears in "Who’s the Mummy?".She also appears in "In The Doghouse", with the flock having her party at the chicken coop, making him quit the flock and blow her cupcake.

* Baby Chicks are chicks that easily annoy Shaun. They always follow wherever Shaun goes (because Shaun was the first thing they saw upon hatching—something called imprinting), and in order to make them accept Mother Hen as their real mother, they turned Shaun's fleece into clothing for her (because they like Shaun's fleece). They appear in "Who's the Mummy".

* The Duck suffers collateral damage due to Shaun’s exploits in "Off the Baa!", "Tidy Up", and "Bath Time". He and his lady friends, though, are guests in "Saturday Night Shaun" and "Mower Mouth".In Series 2,his coat is very different to Season 1.

* The Bird is tweeting on the scope in "Off the Baa!" and beside Bitzer listening to the MP3 Player in "Fleeced".

* The Worm is under the grass in "The Kite".

* Mower Mouth the Goat is an unstoppable eating machine – while not an unfriendly character, all his considerable energy is focused on his next meal. He appears in an episode named after him, and also on "Saturday Night Shaun". He was also routinely causing trouble for Shaun and the flock in Shaun the Farmer.

* The Bull is belligerent, powerful, and easily provoked by Shaun’s antics and the colour red. He appears in "The Bull", "Saturday Night Shaun", "Who's the Mummy?" and "Heavy Metal Shaun". When Shaun orders a red bed sheet, he stops chasing the other sheep (painted red) around the farm. He was an unexpected guest at the barn-turned-disco in "Saturday Night Shaun".

* The Mole is a rude pest in "Mountains Out of Molehills". He is fearless when mocking Shaun, but not so brave when Mother Mole turns up.

* Mother Mole is the mother the mole and pulled his ears and took him away in the episode "Mountains Out of Molehills".

* The Bees got into trouble with Shaun when he whacked one of them. But they later turned their attention to Bitzer's strawberry jam sandwich, and cause trouble for him, the flock, and later, the Farmer. They were one of the few computer-generated things in the programme

* She-Bitzer is a female dog belonging to campers who pitch their tent by the sheep field in "Fetching". After a brief courtship, she and Bitzer are cruelly separated when her owners pack up and leave the field.

* Pidsley is the Farmer's lazy and selfish cat who can be remarkably quick and vicious, and dislikes it when the sheep sneak into the farmer's house. Appears in "Timmy in a Tizzy", "Saturday Night Shaun" and "Strictly No Dancing". In Series 2, Pidsley's coat is very different to Season 1.

* The Frog is found in the scarecrow's hat, then in the pocket of the coat which Shaun takes. He is bartered along with three buttons, a small comb and a kazoo in exchange for a number of pizzas. He seems unwilling to become the pizza delivery boy's pet.

* The Mouse is used by the Naughty Pigs for their prank on the flock in "Things That Go Bump".In Series 2,its coat is very different to Season 1.

* The Ladybird got squashed in "The Kite" when Timmy accidentally sat on him.

* The Birds make occasional appearances. One of them provided diversion (by providing his voice when answering the phone) while Shaun raided the Farmer's bathroom for his hot bath; the others were watching Bitzer court She-Bitzer with a Frisbee (and one of them stuck inside).

* The Bagpipe Heron came only in one episode of Season 2 and it was found at the dumpster and it was not a real heron.

* She-Shaun came in one episode of Season 2 and was getting courted by Shaun.At last they get cruelly separated from each other but Bitzer brings them back together and she becomes a part of the flock.

Humans

* Pizza Delivery Boy is a teenager who rides a moped and works in the local pizzeria. Also moonlights as a postman in "Saturday Night Shaun".

* The Farmer’s Niece is a sweet cherub whose over-enthusiastic love of animals spells trouble for Bitzer and the Flock, especially Shaun.

* The Ramblers are a liberal, nature-loving couple in "Shaun Shoots the Sheep". They ran away scared because the sheep formed a square and scares the couple.

* The Scarecrow is not a human character, but a handy prop which Shaun uses in "Take Away" and "Things That Go Bump".

* Fair Stall Man tries to cheat the sheep on his stall (the cans cannot be knocked down), but was flabbergasted when the sheep wins anyway, and the sheep choose a cuddly toy that they want.

* Bus Driver took the sheep to and from the fair in "Sheep on the Loose" and "Takeaway".

* The Granny is a short-tempered, short-sighted old lady, appears in "Takeaway" and "Save the Tree". She also appears in "Two's Company", holding a cart.

* The Camper is the main antagonist in the episode "Camping Chaos".He is a man who camps on the farmer's field. He leaves litter around the field. The flock enjoys messing with his things, which angers him.The gang tries to kick him away so the farmer will feel lawnhappy.

* The Art Collector is never seen but arrives in a stretched limo buying the sheep's much overpainted canvas for a large wad of notes, which the farmer receives with ecstasy.

* The Woman is only shown in Season 2 and is like a girlfriend of the farmer.

S.H.A.U.N. Heroes Cast

* S.H.A.U.N. is a kind Sheep in Major on "Sheep on the Loose" in the lost farm.

* The Robot Powers in a Robot Mecha to get lost on the first one in "Takeaway" in just one in series.

Aliens

* The Alien Family appears in "Shaun Encounters", consisting of 2 adults and 2 youngsters. They exhibit human-like behaviour and generally jovial personalities. They are green and have one large eye on the top of the head.The mother wears a granny dress while her husband wore a metal shirt.Their children are naughty,evil,spoiled brats.

* The Lone Alien appears in "The Visitor". He is similar to the members of the Alien Family but his shirt is similar to the bad children's father. He appears not to originate from Earth, as Shaun has to point out to him on a picture of the solar system, which planet he is currently on. He has a machine that can analyse the characteristics of an animal, including what it likes in life, and which can synthesise objects apparently from thin air.

* The Alien Scientists tried to read Pidsley's and Shaun's mind but made up a mess.They only came in Series 2's one episode.

* The Alien Versions of Sheep abduct Timmy in Alien Sheep. Shaun, Bitzer and Timmy Mother go to rescue him.

Comic Book

* Wall the Iyan is a Iyan Pet of Shaun's Comic Book.

* Alex the Hedgehog-Iyen is a Hedgehog-Iyan Pet of Shaun's Comic Book.

* Tim the Dog-Bull is a Dog-Bull Pet of Shaun's Comic Book.

* Fred the Cat is a Cat Pet of Shaun's Comic Book.

* Ixei-Nedderings the Owl-Awninbs is a Owl-Awninbs Pet of Shaun's Comic Book.

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