CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

(Cartoon Network UK, March 16-September 4, 2008)

Aardman Animations, DECODE Entertainment, Cartoon Network Europe

            Created and developed by Sergio Delfino, Chop Socky Chooks was a comedic love-letter to the kung fu films of yesteryear. The series was set in a city-sized shopping mall, Wasabi World, owned and ruled by Dr. Wasabi (Paul Kaye), a piranha in a water-filed suit. He enforced his will on the citizenry of the mall with the aid of his right-hand ape, Bubba (Rupert Degas), an army of ninja chimps, and a variety of robots. Opposing him and standing up for the citizens were the Chop Socky Chooks: three chickens who lived and worked in the mall under Wasabi’s nose. Chick P (based on Lucy Liu, voiced by Shelley Longworth) was the team leader, who spent her days working on the electrical system of Wasabi World when she wasn’t fighting with her razor fans. Wasabi destroyed her home to construct the mall, making her battles personal. K.O. Joe (based on Jim Kelly, voiced by Paterson Joseph) was the funky member of the team who often wore 70s-style clothing and used a grappling hook hair pick as a weapon. Rounding them out was Chuckie Chan (named after Jackie Chan, voiced by Rob Rackstraw), a proverb-spouting martial arts instructor who could weaponize his chi energy.

The Chooks: K.O. Joe, Chucki Chan and Chick P.

            Chop Socky Chooks (a combination of Asian slang for the martial arts film genre and Australian/New Zealand slang for chicken) originally aired on Cartoon Network UK from March 16 to September 4, 2008, before heading to Cartoon Network in the United States and Teletoon in Canada. The series’ theme was composed by The Eggplant Collective while the rest of the music was composed by Lou Pomanti. The series boasted the traditional Aardman design and stop-motion style, rendered in a combination of 2D and CGI with full 3D models rendered by C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures. The series ultimately ran only a single season of 26 episodes before it was cancelled and relegated to making the rounds on reruns on affiliated Cartoon Network stations.

SCOOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INCORPORATED

(Cartoon Network, April 5, 2010-April 5, 2013)

Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network UK

For background information on Scooby-Doo, check out the post here.

            The 11^th incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise and the first not to air on Saturday mornings where Scooby had lived since his 1969 debut (at least until it began airing in reruns). Developed by Mitch Watson, Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone, the series sought to do a few new things while also paying respect to what came before. It took a tongue-in-cheek approach to the classic Scooby formula by giving outlandish technology and backstories to the villains which utilized a character design reminiscent of the original Hanna-Barbera models with modern flourishes and several design tweaks. It was also done in a more semi-serious and darker tone, like the original entries in the concurrent direct-to-video movie series, with a serialized ongoing story arc (with elements recycled from an unproduced cartoon based on The Goonies). There was a greater focus placed on the characters’ personal relationships; including seeing Fred and Daphne and Shaggy and Velma ending up romantically involved.  

Sometimes you don't have to leave home for a good mystery.

Unlike the other Scooby shows, instead of traveling around the country/world, the Mystery, Inc. gang was mostly located in their hometown of Crystal Cove (replacing Coolsville as established in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo); the self-proclaimed “Most Hauntedest Place on Earth”. With that came the reintroduction of genuine supernatural elements to the television franchise for the first time since The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. Frank Welker, Grey Griffin and Mindy Cohn continued to voice Fred and Scooby, Daphne and Velma, respectively. However, this marked the animated debut of Matthew Lillard as Shaggy after having portrayed him in the first two live-action movies. Original Shaggy Casey Kasem, who had retired from voice acting in 2009, played Shaggy’s father in several episodes in what would be his final animation role before his death in 2014. The series aired on an inconsistent schedule on Cartoon Network; taking frequent hiatuses after airing blocks of episodes. The ultimate fate of the show was left in question until it was finally revealed that it would be ending after 2 seasons and 52 episodes.