HALLOWEEN COMMERCIAL BREAK: McDONALD'S

While watching on a spooky October Saturday morning, you probably saw these...

HALLOWEEN COMMERCIAL BREAK: PEPSI

While watching on a spooky October Saturday morning, you probably saw these...

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES

(FOX, September 8, 1990-November 23, 1991)

Marvel Productions, Fox Children’s Productions, Four Square Productions

MAIN CAST:

Christian Guzek – Chad Finletter

Kath Soucie – Tara Boumdeay, Mary Jo Nagaminiashy

John Astin – Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen

Thom Bray – Wilbur Finletter, Floyd Bridgework

S. Scott Bullock – F.T., The Censor Lady, Sam Smith

Cam Clarke – Igor Smith, Mayor Leonard Earwax, Tomacho (season 2)

Maurice LaMarche – Zoltan, Tomato Guy, Ketchuck (season 2), various

Neil Ross – Whitley White

Susan Silo – Fang (season 2)

Rob Paulsen – Mummato (season 2)

Chuck McCann - Beefsteak (season 2)

You picked a bad time to be a vegetarian.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was a low-budget horror film co-written, produced, directed, edited and scored by John De Bello that served as a spoof of B-movies. The film dealt with tomatoes suddenly gaining sentience and revolting against humankind. It was only by luring the tomatoes to a stadium and playing the new hit song “Puberty Love” that the townspeople could trample and defeat the red menace. The $100,000 film was released by Four Square Productions on October 20, 1978 and pulled in a box office of $567,000. Although it wasn’t a critical success, it has since become a cult classic over the years.

Fozzie saves the world from tomatoes.

The Tomatoes story could have ended there, if not for another spoof from an unlikely source. During the 1986 Muppet Babies episode “The Weirdo Zone”, Baby Fozzie (Greg Berg) related a story about how he dealt with an “Attack of the Silly Tomatoes.” The segment featured clips from the movie and generated some of the highest ratings of the season. Inspired, New World Pictures, owner of Babies producer Marvel Productions, approached Four Square about making a sequel with a proposed budget of $2 million. De Bello, along with co-writers and producers Costa Dillon and J. Stephen Peace, accepted the offer and went to work on a script.

Return of the Killer Tomatoes was released on April 22, 1988 by New World. The film was set ten years after the “Great Tomato War” in a world where tomatoes were now outlawed. One of the first film’s main characters, Wilbur Finletter (Peace), opened a tomato-less pizzeria and his nephew, Chad (Anthony Starke), was a delivery boy. The film revealed that the tomato uprising was the cause of mad scientist Professor Mortimer Gangreen (John Astin). Learning from his mistakes, Gangreen used music to create mutated tomatoes that resembled normal humans. Different kinds of music produced different results, such as rock music that created soldiers Gangreen intended to use in his plot to take over the world. Gangreen’s plans went awry when his attractive mutated assistant, Tara Boumdeay (Karen Mistal), grew tired of his mistreatment of the fuzzy failed mutation she dubbed F.T. (for Fuzzy Tomato) and defected to the humans. There, she became involved with Chad and passed F.T. off as an ugly dog.

Tara, F.T. and Chad.

Return was a surprise success, and not only did New World greenlight another sequel, but also sought to attract a younger audience with an animated series produced by Marvel. Developed by Richard Mueller, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes essentially combined elements from both movies, but was an expansion of the plot of Return. The series was set five years after The Great Tomato War in the town of San Zucchini. Gangreen was renamed Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen (Astin, reprising his role) to add more of a pun to his name. Tara (Kath Soucie) was given an aversion to condiments as salt would change her from human back into a tomato, while pepper would cause her to sneeze back into her human form. Tara and Chad’s (Christian Guzek) relationship was reduced to their being good friends, although an attraction on Tara’s end was evident. Chad was also slightly younger than his movie counterpart. F.T. (S. Scott Bullock) maintained his secret identity as the world’s ugliest dog, but his ownership kept switching between Tara and Chad in various episodes. Wilbur (Thom Bray) was depicted as slightly delusional from the war and spent most of his time trying out new tomatoless pizza recipes (which often failed), and usually ran around in his flight suit while dragging his deployed parachute behind him. Generally, adults on the show were depicted as dimwitted (with Wilbur being somewhat of an exception), often leaving Chad, Tara and F.T. to foil Gangreen’s plots.

Gangreen and Igor.

Igor Smith (Cam Clarke), Gangreen’s air-headed assistant who had ambitions of being made a reporter once the tomatoes ruled, was also featured from the film. Meanwhile, Whitley White (named Charles in Return, voiced by Neil Ross) was the town’s only reporter who had a habit of appearing during or after the story’s action and simultaneously presenting from the scene and the studio. 

Five of the six: Zoltan, Mummato, Beefsteak, Ketchuck and Fang.

The primary villains of the series were Gangreen’s six tomato soldiers, which Igor accidentally programmed with old movies rather than training videos rendering them lazy and prone to imitating old movie characters. Zoltan (Maurice LaMarche) was the head of this tomato crew, and initially the only tomato who could talk. When they were further mutated in the second season, that gang came to include the calm and cowardly Tomacho (Cam Clarke, impersonating John Travolta); short-tempered and bull horned Beefsteak (Chuck McCann); snake-like Fang (Susan Silo), who had fangs filled with venom; the always-hungry and drooling Ketchuck (LaMarche); and Mummato (Rob Paulsen, impersonating Marlon Brando) who was wrapped in bandages like a mummy. Zoltan himself gained an eyepatch and stitching across his face. Gangreen also attempted to fix his mistakes with Tara by creating another minion inspired by his love of rockabilly music, resulting in Johnny Tomato (LaMarche) who resembled a young Elvis Presley. However, he developed feelings for Tara that once again foiled Gangreen’s plans.

The KTTF: Mary Jo, Wilbur, Sam and Floyd.

On the human side was the Killer Tomato Task Force (KTTF): the specialized unit formed with the sole intent of keeping tomato attacks at bay and destroying them. While Wilbur, Chad and Tara were often affiliated with the KTTF, their primary members were Sam Smith (Bullock), a master of disguise whose most recognizable outfit was that of the Lone Ranger; Floyd Bridgework (Bray), based on the film character Greg Colburn (Steve Cates in Attack, Ian Hutton in Return), an underwater expert who always wore his scuba gear no matter where he was or what kind of disguise he was wearing; and Mary Jo Nagamininashy (Soucie), based on the character Gretta Attenbaum (Benita Barton), a German athlete who was so into exercise that she did so while battling tomatoes. Mayor Leonard Earwax (Clarke) was the ineptest human character of all, somehow lucking into the job but was in no way an effective leader as he could sleep through his town being conquered by tomatoes. 

Whitley White.

The Censor Lady (Bullock) was the show’s dig at standards and practices as she would pop up at random times to stop characters from doing any kind of imitable behavior (behavior networks felt a child could potentially copy and hurt themselves doing). It was revealed in the episode “Streets of Ketchup” that there may be more to The Censor Lady than appeared, as salt water turned her into a prune much like Tara’s transformations. One character who was in every episode was the Tomato Guy (LaMarche, impersonating Woody Allen), who would shout “Tomato!” and send everyone into a panic; in part due to a traumatic childhood incident involving tomato soup. When he wasn’t, he would serve as a speaking extra. Tomato Guy was likely inspired by Dillon’s roles in the films, as he started a panicked stampede by shouting “Tomato!” in the first and filled numerous roles in the second.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes debuted on September 8, 1990, becoming one of the first programs to be aired on the fledgling FOX network’s Fox Kids programming block. De Bello and Peace served as producers, along with Boyd Kirkland. The show attempted to maintain the comedic nature of the films by spoofing other movies and pop culture in every episode, right down to the episode titles. The series’ theme was based on the one from the movie by Dillon, De Bello, Peace, Paul Sundfor and Gordon Goodwin, with Haim Saban and Shuki Levy supplying the rest of the series’ music. Mueller served as the story editor and one of the series’ writers, alongside Flint Dille, Jack Enyart, Gordon Kent and Ted Pedersen.

The Tomato Guy in a supporting role as a mailman.

The series was a hit for FOX and was quickly renewed for a second season. However, some changes occurred both on screen and behind the camera. Mueller was replaced by Dille, although he still supplied scripts, and Kirkland was replaced by Richard Trueblood. Levy was also the sole composer for the season. Under Dille, the episodic format was jettisoned in favor of an ongoing storyline that saw Gangreen further mutate his six tomato soldiers into giants and use them to conquer the world. However, feeling Gangreen was no longer necessary, Zoltan led a revolt against him and each of the tomatoes took over one of the continents for themselves. Gangreen was forced to work with the KTTF to take the world back (and then promptly betray them). 

Changes were made to the story and characters that directly contradicted the first season, such as Tara’s being a tomato was a publicly known fact, her being able to turn into a tomato at will, and her now having mobility and speech in that form. The further mutation of Zoltan and his crew was done to remove their comedic elements to make them more serious threats. Wilbur was elevated to rebel leader status in the wake of the world’s conquering, which fit the character as he was the more competent adult on the show (which isn’t saying much). The second season intro was also altered to have shots of various kids singing the theme amongst clips of the show, while a colorful tomato bounced on the words on the bottom of the screen. Allusions to the show’s cinematic origins were also made, as parts of the intro took place inside a theater.

Gangreen regurgitated by a mutant kumquat.

The biggest change was also the most expensive. It was decided to move animation duties from AKOM Productions over to American Film Technologies; a San Diego firm that specialized in the colorization of black and white films. AFT used computers to animate the second season, making it the first fully computer-generated cartoon show. As a result, the backgrounds, animation and character designs had subtle, but noticeable, differences between seasons; particularly in the character movements which were comparable to an early animated PC game. FOX Kids head Margaret Loesch touted the move as a way to keep animation jobs with domestic artists and away from foreign companies. 

Unfortunately, these changes proved unpopular with the viewing audience. Coupled with the fact that the episodes were initially aired out of order and missed several weeks, the series was quickly cancelled at the end of the eight-episode season. The show did remain on the network well into 1992, and returned in reruns for part of 1996 before moving over to the now-defunct FOX Family Channel in 1998.

The Gangreen figure pack.

During the second season, Mattel produced a line of two-pack action figures that featured one of the human characters facing off against a giant tomato. The pairings included Wilbur vs. Beefsteak, Gangreen vs. Ketchuck, Igor vs. Fang (named Fangmato), Chad vs. Tomacho, Ranger Woody vs. Zoltan, Fireman Hoser vs. Mummato, and Ultimato (a super tomato Gangreen created to aid the KTTF when he was allied with them) vs. Officer Bookum. To round out the set, Tara and Whitley were paired with two tomatoes that were actually good: Missing Link Tomato and Phantomato. Link (LaMarche) was believed to be the missing link between normal tomatoes and the killer variety and lived in a lavishly furnished lair. Phantomato (also LaMarche), a parody of The Phantom of the Opera, was a deformed tomato in a mask that took to the sewers after the tomatoes conquered Earth and aided Tara—once he finished playing his organ, that is.

That same year, Imagineering released Attack of the Killer Tomatoes through THQ for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was a platformer which had Chad facing off alone against the legions of mutated tomatoes as the rest of the citizenry was too afraid to help. The six main tomatoes were all bosses in the game, as was Phantomato who was once again depicted as a villain. A similar game featuring Wilbur was released on Game Boy in 1992 in North America and the following year in Japan as Killer Tomato by Altron. Simplicity produced a costume pattern for adults and kids, and Thermos released a lunch box.

Double feature DVD.

Although the show was never allowed a true conclusion, the machinations of Gangreen and Igor (Steve Lundquist) continued in film as Return’s success spawned two direct-to-video sequels. 1990’s Killer Tomatoes Strike Back was the first time the tomatoes were featured with faces on-screen, despite having them in all the promotional materials for the other movies and in the cartoon. It was the last movie to feature Wilbur. The final film, 1991’s Killer Tomatoes Eat France!, featured Gangreen attempting to use an old prophecy to his advantage with the help of Igor. France! was the first film to feature the tomatoes speaking fluent English rather than their own language, and other fruits and vegetables gained sentience outside of Gangreen’s experimentation. Gangreen’s tomato minions from the cartoon also appeared. In 2008, a remake of the film was announced but has yet to make any progress or see fruition, which means that the tomato threat is finally over. For now.

Say, how’s that salad of yours there?

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Give a Little Whistle” (9/8/90) – Gangreen invents a whistle that causes tomatoes to attack, while Igor and Zoltan kidnap Whitley so that Igor can fill in for him.

“Attack of the Killer…Pimentoes?” (9/15/90) – Gangreen’s new tiny cherry tomato grows bigger the more it eats, and soon giant tomatoes invade San Zucchini.

“Tomato from the Black Lagoon” (9/22/90) – Gangreen and Igor set out to capture and examine the Tomato Link, who has already captured Tara.

“Streets of Ketchup” (9/29/90) – Gangreen creates Johnny Tomato for his latest schemes, but those get derailed when he meets Tara.

“Tomato Invasion from Mars” (10/13/90) – Aliens come to Earth seeking mutated seeds from Gangreen.

“War of the Weirds” (10/20/90) – When Igor is bullied it reminds Gangreen of his own rival, starting a war between his tomatoes and his rival’s kumquats.

“Invasion of the Tomato Snatchers” (10/27/90) – Gangreen plots to replace the citizens of San Zucchini with versions that he grows and can control.

“Terminator Tomato from Tomorrow” (11/10/90) – An android tomato from the future comes back in time and helps Gangreen remove the entire Tomato Task Force.

“Camp Casserole: So Vine” (11/17/90) – While Chad, Tara and FT head to camp, Gangreen creates a giant tomato that accidentally awakens early.

“Spatula, Prnze of Dorkness” (11/24/90) – Zoltan is transformed into a vampire and proceeded to kiss humans and vampires to change them as well.

“Frankenstem Tomato” (12/1/90) – Wilbur, Chad, Tara and FT take shelter in the Frankenstem Castle where Gangreen seeks to capture Tara and put her brain in the Frankenstem monster.

“The Gang That Couldn’t Squirt Straight” (12/15/90) – Wilbur, Chad and Tara investigate a group of tomato gangsters attacking and destroying various businesses.

“Beach Blanket Tomato” (12/29/90) – Gangreen unleashes a group of tomato sharks on San Zucchini’s harbor.

Season 2:

“The Ripening Disaster” (9/7/91) – Gangreen decides to turn his tomato minions into giants, which allows him to finally conquer the world.

“A Rotten Reversal” (9/14/91) – No longer needing Gangreen, his minions betray him and assert their dominance over the continents for themselves.

“Phantomato of the Opera” (9/21/91) – Wilbur, Chad, Tara and Igor go searching for Gangreen when he leaves a message that he’s heading to the opera.

“Stemming the Tide” (10/5/91) – The KTTF sets out to rescue Gangreen and Igor from Gangreen’s lab while the tomatoes set out to conquer the Heart of Africa.

“The Tomato Worms Turn” (10/19/91) – Gangreen, Igor, Chad, Tara and FT head to the Bleching Congo to retrieve tomato worms.

“Ultra-Tomato III” (11/2/91) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

“Tomatotransformation” (11/9/91) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE.

“The Great Tomato Wars” (11/23/91) – When Zoltan is kicked out of the group, he goes back to Gangreen for a new army of tomatoes made from moon dust.


Originally posted in 2017. Updated in 2018.

HALLOWEEN MONTH...EXHUMED

It’s October, which means it’s time for another selection of Halloween-themed favorites. We’ll be bringing you some more grisly, terrifying television shows and a large helping of zombified advertisements that will transport your mind to the netherworld of your childhood.

Enter, if you dare!

REVIEW: MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE

Director: Jayson Thiessen

Writers: Meghan McCarthy, Rita Hsiao, Michael Vogel

Starring: Tara Strong, Tabitha St. Germain, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Cathy Weseluck, Emily Blunt, Michael Pena, Liev Schreiber, Taye Diggs, Zoe Saldana, Kristin Chenoweth, Uzo Aduba, Sia

            My Little Pony: The Movie comes at an interesting time in the franchise. When Lauren Faust was tasked with brining the 80s toy franchise to the fledgling The Hub network, neither she nor the people involved realized the phenomenon they were creating. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was not only a hit with both boys and girls, but it found an unexpected fanbase amongst adult men, now known as Bronies.

The Mane 6 (Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy) and Spike.

            Friendship is Magic followed magic student Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) and her pet dragon, Spike (Cathy Weseluck), as they were sent to the small town of Ponyville in Equestria by her mentor, Princess Celestia (Nicole Oliver). There, she was tasked to learn about friendship and did so by becoming friends with fashionista Rarity (Tabitha St. Germain), apple farmer Applejack (Ashleigh Ball), extreme flyer Rainbow Dash (also Ball), high-energy party planner Pinkie Pie (Andrea Libman), and animal lover Fluttershy (also Libman). Their friendship was the key to saving Equestria numerous times, eventually leading to Twilight becoming a princess herself. The show is in the middle of its seventh season, and some of the bloom has fallen off the rose as is expected with an aging franchise. Friendship is still popular, but not as much as it once was.

You know it's big budget because there's shading and light effects.

            The Movie was announced back in 2014 and became the second feature to be produced through Hasbro’s AllSpark Pictures (after the abysmal Jem and the Holograms) alongside DHX Media, with Lionsgate releasing. Series director Jayson Thiessen left the show to focus on directing the film, and showrunner Meghan McCarthy wrote the screenplay with Rita Hsiao and Michael Vogel. The forces of the Storm King (Liev Schreiber) invade Canterlot during Twilight’s first Friendship Festival, sending the Mane 6 and Spike to new parts of Equestria to find help and rescue Princesses Celestia, Luna (St. Germain) and Cadence (Britt McKillip) from capture. Series composer Daniel Ingram also provided the music. Although other Friendship-related productions have seen theatrical releases before airing on TV, this is the first to be made exclusively for theaters.

An image depicting a new undersea kingdom.

            The production took great pains to ensure that the movie wasn’t just viewed as an extended episode of the show (something that sunk the box office of many other show-to-film efforts, particularly from DiC Entertainment). As such, the movie features slightly tweaked character and set models to add a sense of roundness and weight. At times, they almost resemble a cross between the models from the show and the artwork of Jay Fogsit, one of the contributing artists to IDW Publications’ ongoing My Little Pony comics. For longtime fans of the show, this adjustment could be a bit jarring, but as the movie goes on you become more accustomed to the new look. That’s helped by the overall familiarity of the production which left it feeling close enough to the show, from everything that transpired on screen to the opening notes of Ingram’s enjoyable score. And there’s plenty of eye candy as many residents and visitors to Ponyville make cameos throughout the opening sequence.

The Storm King and Tempest.

            The movie continues the ongoing themes of season seven of introducing new locations and characters. Unfortunately, this is where it stumbles a bit. Not much screen time is given to these new characters to adequately develop them or their relationships. The most developed is Tempest (Emily Blunt), who receives a flashback to explain her lack of a horn and why she’s helping Storm King conquer the ponies. The Storm King himself, however, only appears twice and is far less imposing a threat than any that have come before him on the show.

New friends, including a con artist, pirates and an undersea pony.

The ponies’ quest has them encountering and befriending a variety of new species and characters, but these friendships all form awfully fast and get no time to develop organically. We get a brief glimpse into their world and a little backstory through exposition, but not much else. Even the instances of allegiance changing can’t be explained adequately beyond “because the script said so”. Perhaps there were just too many to juggle in the movie’s short running time, or maybe they dedicated too much time to ensure there was a song number in every new scene. These characters do get a bit of fleshing out, but that’s only assuming you’ve read the IDW prequel comics. Some of that material would have been beneficial here.

Celebrity cameo: Sia as Songbird Serenade.

            Overall, the movie felt like an extension of the show, which was thanks to a lot of the same people working behind and “in front” of the camera. Fans of Friendship is Magic will enjoy the movie on that basis alone. There were also quite a few jokes and sight gags that will get a laugh (oh that Pinkie Pie…). The story was fine, even though it wasn’t anything remarkably new or wildly different, and the music was varied and fun. The new characters were really shortchanged in the long run. They served little purpose beyond advancing the Mane 6 to the next part of their journey and weren’t thoroughly developed. Friendship is Magic has done many instances of friendship building and credible threats to Equestria that far surpass what was presented in the movie. These things just weren’t given enough time to gestate on screen so that they’d feel real.

RATING: 3 out of 5 hooves. A nice, if flawed, addition to the My Little Pony canon. Fans of the show and kids will most likely like it, although newcomers and general audiences may fail to find what made the show so magical in the first place.

LITTLEST PET SHOP (2012)

LITTLEST PET SHOP (2012)

(The Hub/Hub Network/Discovery Family, November 10, 2012-June 4, 2016)

Hasbro Studios, DXH Media/Vancouver

MAIN CAST:

Ashleigh Ball – Blythe Baxter, Shea Butter, Lemonface, Hubble, Baa Baa Lou, Mitzi, Fluffy Lightning, Cindeanna Mellon, Alice

Samuel Vincent – Russell Ferguson, Esteban Banderas, Sam U.L., Sunil’s Dad, Steve, Sweet Cheeks, Canine Cop, Captain Cuddles, Panda Elder, Old Bananas, Speedy Shellberg, Weasel Whiskers, Fisher Biskit, Morgan Payne, Josh Sharp, Mr. Bromidic, various

Tabitha St. Germain – Pepper Clark, Gail Trent, Sunil’s Mom, Cairo, Mushroom, Delilah Barnsley, Parker, Nutmeg Dash, Philippa, McKenna Nicole, Finola Frum, Mona Autumn, Stephanie Hart, Tess McSavage, Clarissa Trent, various

Peter New – Sunil Nevla, Mary Frances, 3DGB, Digby, Joey Featherton, Whiskers, Dodger, Weber, Basil, Big Al, Harold Winston, Ivan, Vlad, Pete, Otto von Fuzzlebutt, Tenzing Norgert, Francois LeGrande, Christopher Lyedecker, Riley Robinson, Littlest Pat, John Trent, various

Kira Tozer – Minka Mark, Olive Shellstein, Christie Song, Sue Patterson, Tanya Twitchel, Ginny Hues

Kyle Rideout – Vinnie Terrio

Nicole Oliver – Zoe Trent, Genghis, Tiger, Cashmere Biskit, Velvet Biskit, Scarletta Redd, Clover Fields, various

Jocelyne Loewen – Penny Ling, Meow-Meow

Kathleen Barr – Anna Twombly, Madame Pom, Poppy Pawsley, Scout Kerry, Sunshine Sweetness, Dolores, Fleur le Moose, Jasper Jones, Henrietta Twombly, Vi Tannabruzzo, various

Shannon Chan-Kent – Whittany Biskit, Brittany Biskit, Youngmee Song, Madison, Brittman Biskit, Whittman Biskit, Phoebe

Michael Kopsa – Roger Baxter, Chef Henri

Kylee Epp – Zoe Trent (singing)

Laura Hastings – Penny Ling (singing)

Littlest Pet Shop was the product of two toylines coming together.

Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) was introduced in 1992 by Kenner as a line of tiny collectible caricatures of animals. The pets came with accessories, like carriers and pet supplies, and individual gimmicks, such as motion or color changing with different temperatures. Shortly before the original line ended in 1996, Sunbow Entertainment, Créativité & Developpement and AB Productions adapted the toys into a syndicated animated series. It ran from October 16-December 8, 1995 over 40 episodes.

Hasbro, who had taken over Kenner in 1991, folded the company into its main operations in 2000. In 2005, they decided to revive the LPS line with new designs that made the animals look more cartoony, but kept a realistic color style. The pets came with symbols in their eyes that meant different things. They also gained a new caretaker: Blythe.

The various Blythe dolls available in 1972.

The Blythe doll was created in 1972 by designer Allison Katzman for Marvin Glass and Associates based on Betty Boop and the “Big Eyes” paintings of Margaret Keane. Kenner had purchased the rights and produced the doll in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan. The big head and large eyes were deemed too scary for children, and the doll was pulled from shelves within the year. 

Gina Garan and some of her Blythe dolls.

In 1997, video producer and doll collector Gina Garan was made aware of a doll that resembled her and was given her first Blythe doll from a friend. Becoming obsessed with the doll, she began to take hundreds of photos of her in various places. In 2000, after acquiring permission from Hasbro, she published her photos in the book This is Blythe and reintroduced the doll to the world. She also introduced it to her Japan-based agent Junko Wong, who decided to use it in an ad campaign they were working on for department store chain Parco. When demand for the doll rose in Japan, Hasbro granted the license to CWC Group and their Transformers partner, Takara, to produce new versions of it. As it was successful in Japan, Hasbro granted Ashton-Drake Galleries the license in 2004 to resurrect the doll in the US. 

In 2010, Hasbro brought Blythe back in house by combining her with the LPS line and renaming it Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop. Another animated series was commissioned in 2010 to incorporate this change called Littlest Pet Shop Presents. It was comprised of seven Flash animated shorts by Cosmic Toast Studios that Hasbro released exclusively online. In the show, Blythe would be involved with something fashion or pet-related while the variety of animals in her care, resembling the current toys, would have conversations she couldn’t understand and adventures in their imagination. Although “pet shop” was in the name, the show took place anywhere but. 

A new look and a new logo. Promo image for Littlest Pet Shop.

Margaret Loesch, then-CEO of The Hub, the television network jointly owned by Hasbro and Discovery Communications, commissioned the development of a new LPS series. Julie McNally-Cahill and Tim Cahill were put in charge of developing the show, which used the Cosmic Toast short as a springboard. Blythe was renamed Blythe Baxter, and instead of just having an interest in fashion she was made an aspiring fashion designer. She was also given the ability to communicate with animals, much like Dr. Dolittle. Blythe retained the scooter she had in the web series as her primary mode of transportation.

Blythe with the pets: (from top) Sunil, Minka, Pepper, Vinnie, Zoe, Penny Ling and Russell.

The setting of the show was a pastiche of New York called Downtown City, where Blythe (Ashleigh Ball) moved with her father, Roger (Michael Kopsa), after he was promoted in his work as an airline pilot. They ended up living in the building above Littlest Pet Shop, where an old dumbwaiter connected Blythe’s room to the daycare in the store. She befriended the shop’s regular campers: Russell Ferguson (Samuel Vincent), a hedgehog who took it upon himself to try and keep things orderly and organized; Minka Mark (Kira Tozer), a hyperactive spider monkey who loved to paint; Pepper Clark (Tabitha St. Germain), a skunk with ambitions of being a comedian; Sunil Nevla (Peter New), a mongoose with a passion for magic; Vinnie Terrio (Kyle Rideout), a gecko that loved to dance and Sunil’s best friend; Penny Ling (Jocelyne Loewen), a sensitive panda interested in rhythmic gymnastics; and Zoe Trent (Nicole Oliver), a diva show dog that could sing.

Mrs. Twombly always generates strange looks in those that know her.

The owner of LPS was Anna Twombly (Kathleen Barr), a kind and off-beat woman with a passion for doorknobs and who invented the martial art/sewing style of Kung-Fu Quilting. Blythe’s arrival was fortuitous as LPS found itself in dire straits due to the competition from Largest Ever Pet Shop, owned by ruthless businessman Fisher Biskit (Vincent). Blythe helped to save the store by marketing her pet fashions, known as Blythe Style (taken from the title of one of Garan’s books), in the store. Blythe also stayed on as a part-time employee in the store.

LPS welcomes literally animals of all kinds. Even those that shouldn't really be pets...or in the city...

Initially, Hasbro was reluctant to have the series set an actual pet store; feeling that audiences would find it disconcerting that the animal characters would change over frequently as they were sold. The Cahills reassured them that modern pet stores didn’t just sell pets, but also catered to them with grooming and day care services (in fact, Twombly’s phone greeting was “We don’t sell pets, we cater to them.”). That allowed for a wide variety of animals to cross paths with the main crew, including Buttercream Sundae (Cathy Weseluck), a hyperactive rabbit from the Sweet Delights candy store next door; Sugar Sprinkles (Kelly Metzger), a cat with sprinkles all over her that played the ukulele; Goldy (Brian Drummond), an adventurous goldfish forced to live a dull life in a bowl; Madame Pom (Barr impersonating Eva Gabor), a snobby Pomeranian show dog that was Zoe’s frenemy; Mr. Otto Von Fuzzlebutt (New), an energetic raccoon that was prone to intense, deep power naps, and countless others.

Blythe with Youngmee, Sue and Jasper.

Blythe and the main animals were determined by Hasbro for inclusion in the show, but the Cahills wanted to also expand the human roster including Twombly and the various pet parents. They gave Blythe a life away from the pet shop, showing her in school, fashion camp and other places. Blythe’s best friend was Youngmee Song (Shannon Chan-Kent), an intelligent (though spacey) girl whose Aunt Christie (Tozer) owned the Sweet Delights shop. Blythe’s other friends were Sue Patterson (Tozer), an athlete who was often envious about Blythe’s sense of fashion and creativity, and Jasper Jones (Barr), a humoristic and outgoing boy that was the first to greet Blythe at school. Then there was Josh Sharp (Vincent), Blythe’s crush that often left her tongue-tied in his presence. Blythe’s main enemies were the Biskit twins, Whittany and Brittany (both Chan-Kent). The daughters of Fisher Biskit, they were spoiled rotten and weren’t afraid to show it; constantly scheming on how to ruin Blythe’s efforts in anything she did and make themselves look good (which wasn’t helped by the fact that they weren’t all that intelligent). The characters were designed by Kora Kosicka and Amy He.

The Biskits and their chinchillas.

Littlest Pet Shop debuted on The Hub on November 10, 2012 with two episodes. Daniel Ingram and Steffan Andrews were the series composers, and Ingram also composed the series’ theme with Dan Kuby similar to the web series’ one with different lyrics performed by Ball. In keeping with the fashion theme, Blythe was depicted in at least two different outfits and hairstyles per episode; a rarity in cartoons, and a complication that added some time to the episode rendering. Each episode took about a year to complete, with four episodes being worked on simultaneously in Flash. The Cahills, who had a penchant for quirky comedy, were allowed by Hasbro to incorporate a lot of slapstick into the episodes. Much like The Hub’s earlier, successful My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, they sought to take what was largely considered a girls’ property and make it accessible to boys and adults as well. The show was also notable for sharing several cast members from Friendship is Magic and the 1990s LPS series.

Blythe with her crush, Josh.

The show ran for four seasons, along with two mini-seasons of animated shorts that aired online prior to the third and fourth season debuts. The shorts were written by the Cahills, as was the main seasons along with Roger Eschbacher, Mitch Larson, Evan Gore, Heather Lombard, Corey Powell, Cindy Morrow, Merriwether Williams, Adam Beechen, Tom Minton, Guy Toubes, F.M. DeMarco, David Shayne, Nick Confalone, and Eric Rogers. Dallas Parker served as the supervising director through season three, where he was succeeded by Joel Dickie after stepping down. Steven Garcia served as a director for the last two seasons, while Mike Myhre came on for the final. It was nominated for a Daytime Arts Emmy Award for the song “If You’re a Guy” in 2013. Oliver and New were both nominated for ACTRA and the Union of British Columbia Performers awards for their characters’ portrayals, which Oliver won. Ingram and Andrews were both nominated for Leo Awards for their work on “Lights, Camera, Mongoose!” Hasbro ultimately decided to end production on the show as it failed to achieve its primary objective: sell the toys. The LPS line was increasingly struggling through the show’s run, although the show itself did remarkably well.

Eliza Biskit returns!

The third season went on a four-month hiatus while the network was in the process of changing its ownership and name to Discovery Family. The Biskits’ antagonistic roles gradually began to be reduced, and Blythe and the pets spent more time having separate adventures. The fourth season had two ongoing subplots: Blythe was learning about her mother through a journal found in the possession of her mother’s childhood pet, an old tortoise named Speedy Shellberg (Vincent), and Twombly seeking to expand her business across the whole neighborhood as Littlest Pet Street. Throughout the course of the show, Blythe kept her abilities largely a secret due to her fear of how she would be treated once word got out. She was eventually forced to reveal her abilities to Youngmee, which helped Youngmee to understand a lot of the strange happenings the pair had been through, and to her father in the series finale, who had suspected as much as her mother also had that ability. The fourth season also saw the introduction of the Biskits’ mother, Eliza (Chan-Kent), who was the opposite of the others: cheerful, bubbly and constantly breaking into song. Her absence was explained by her having a bad headache and staying in another wing of their mansion the whole time.

A page from the LPS comics.

While the show was in production, the LPS toys were modified to closer resemble the featured characters beginning in 2013. Gameloft developed a mobile game based on the show, which saw players having to collect 150 pets and take care of them. In 2014, IDW Publishing published a five-issue mini-series written by Georgia Ball and Matt Anderson with art by Nicanor Pena and Antonio Campo. Hasbro wanted the comic to entertain readers and not really push a moral message. They also gave the creators free reign to incorporate things that may not necessarily have been established on the show. A one-shot, Spring Cleaning! was released in 2015 and the various parts of the books were collected into digest-sized hardcovers.

LPS DVD cover.

The entire series has yet to be released to home media. Between 2013 and 2015, Shout! Factory released 45 episodes from the first three seasons across 9 DVD collections in North America. Primal Screen released 11 episodes across 2 DVD collections in the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Beyond Home Entertainment released 30 episodes across 6 DVDs in Australia. The complete series has been made available on streaming services, such as Amazon Video.

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Blythe’s Big Adventure Part 1” (11/10/12) – Blythe and her father move to Downtown City where she discovers she can communicate with animals.

“Blythe’s Big Adventure Part 2” (11/10/12) – The pets in the shop below Blythe convince her to help save the shop from going out of business.

“Bad Hair Day” (11/17/12) – As Blythe gives Zoe a bad haircut, Minka is pressured into becoming a famous artist.

“Gailbreak!” (11/24/12) – Zoe and her friends go to bust her sister Gail out of Largest Ever Pet Shop.

“Penny For Your Laughs” (12/1/12) – Pepper takes to insult comedy while the Biskits become Blythe’s friends after she defends them from a bully.

“Mean Isn’t Your Color” (12/8/12) – Blythe has a hard time with her father having a date while Penny Ling struggles with the desire to tell Blythe she doesn’t like her new outfit.

“Russell Up Some Fun” (12/15/12) – Being pestered to loosen up has Russell create the alter ego “Fun Russell” while Sue begins dressing and acting like Blythe.

“Blythe’s Crush” (12/22/12) – Sunil uses his “psychic abilities” to try and locate Josh Sharp so that Blythe can return the keys he dropped.

“Dumb Dumbwaiter” (12/29/12) – Penny Ling leads the rescue when Blythe, Zoe, Pepper and Minka end up stuck in the dumbwaiter.

“Eve of Destruction” (1/5/13) – Mrs. Twombly searches for her favorite cleaning supply while Blythe referees Zoe and her rival, Madame Pom.

“Books and Covers” (1/12/13) – Blythe puts the Biskits on her Mathlete team in order to compete while the pets think a new visitor is a spy from Largest Ever Pet Shop.

“So You Skink You Can Dance” (1/19/13) – When Blythe and Vinnie go to Hollywood, camera-shy Blythe is mistaken for a dancer on the program Shake-A-Leg.

“Lights, Camera, Mongoose!” (1/26/13) – Sunil and famous mongoose Shahrukh trade lives.

“Topped with Buttercream” (2/9/13) – The pets end up stuck in Sweet Delights with Buttercream and enjoy too many treats.

“Trading Places” (2/2/13) – Zoe asks Penny Ling to tell a new dog camper that she likes him while Russell goes to Blythe’s school and gets lost.

“Sweet (Truck) Ride” (2/16/13) – When the pets accidentally send the Sweet Truck careening down the street, Blythe gets the blame.

“Helicopter Dad” (2/23/13) – Roger surprises Blythe at school so theyc an hang out and Minka makes a new friend.

“What’s in the Batter?” (3/2/13) – While helping Youngmee, Blythe loses her necklace in cupcake batter.

“What Did You Say?” (3/9/13) – Blythe loses her ability to understand the pets just as Vinnie accidentally ends up in the city dump.

“Bakers and Fakers” (3/16/13) – The pets learn the Biskits plan to cheat to win the baking competition.

“Terriers and Tiaras” (3/23/13) – Blythe undergoes a bad transformation when she agrees to be on a reality pet pageant show.

“Lotsa Luck” (3/30/13) – Blythe discovers Mrs. Twombly invented a unique martial art while Pepper tries to make her hero, Old Bananas, laugh.

“Door-Jammed” (4/6/13) – Sunil and Vinnie suspect their friends became werewolves while Mrs. Twombly seeks to reclaim a valuable doorknob from Fisher Biskit.

“Frenemies” (4/13/13) – Zoe and Pepper become competitive in planning a party for Penny Ling, and Vinnie learns he can dance better without his tail.

“Blythe’s Pet Project” (4/20/13) – Items go missing around the day camp, including Mrs. Twombly’s glasses.

“Summertime Blues” (4/27/13) – Blythe gets anxiety over leaving after she’s accepted into a junior program at a fashion school.

Season 2:

“Missing Blythe” (11/2/13) – The pets plan to visit Blythe at her summer camp.

“The Nest Hats Craze!” (11/2/13) – A baby chick ends up in Blythe’s nest hat.

“Eight Arms to Hold You” (11/9/13) – Russell’s slumber party is about to be crashed by several uninvited guests.

“Heart of Parkness” (11/16/13) – Sunil rescues the racoons in City Park and has to decide between being their king or returning to the pet shop.

“Pawlm Reading” (11/23/13) – A phony psychic tricks Mrs. Twombly into a specific brand of pet food while the pets try to conform themselves to her readings.

“The Treasure of Henrietta Twombly” (11/30/13) – A reality TV show reveals a treasure is buried under the shop.

“What, Meme Worry?” (12/7/13) – Zoe becomes jealous when Sunil’s picture goes viral.

“The Big, Feathered Parade” (12/14/13) – Blythe’s designs for the Big Feathered Parade end up stolen and used by another designer named Ramon.

“A Day at the Museum” (12/21/13) – The pets get lost in a museum and Blythe must find them before security does.

“Alligators and Handbags” (12/28/13) – The pets deal with a bully while Blythe battles with self-confidence after a fashion icon gives her designs a harsh critique.

“Blythe’s Big Idea” (1/4/14) – Blythe trades in her scooter for a sales kiosk and Roger’s airline begins a Pet Jet service.

“Commercial Success” (1/11/14) – When business gets slow Mrs. Twombly agrees to let Blythe shoot a commercial.

“So Interesting” (1/18/14) – The pets share interesting stories with each other, which Penny Ling uses an opportunity to craft a wonderful fantasy.

“To Paris with Zoe” (1/25/14) – Blythe takes Zoe to Paris for a dog show where Blythe falls for the city and Zoe falls for a miming street dog named Phillippe.

“Super Sunil” (2/1/14) – Penny Ling convinces Sunil he has powers to give him confidence, while Blythe helps out with the Sweet Delights truck.

“Sweet Pepper” (2/8/14) – Blythe babysits Buttercream while trying to finish a new book, and Pepper isn’t sure how to profess her feelings for a new camper.

“Shanghai Hi-Jinks” (2/15/14) – Blythe and the pets travel to Shanghai where Mrs. Twombly receives and honor for inventing Kung Fu Quilting and Penny Ling meets her family.

“Grounded” (2/22/14) – When Roger is laid off, he takes a job as the Biskits’ personal assistant and chauffeur.

“Inside Job” (3/1/14) – Blythe runs for class president against the Biskits while the pets try to locate the source of an annoying noise.

“Plane it on Rio!” (3/8/14) – Ramon reappears and tries to spoil Blythe’s chances of competing in the Carnival parade.

“Littlest Bigfoot” (3/15/14) – Roger takes Blythe and the pets camping to find Bigfoot where Penny Ling finds a friend and Blythe finds the Biskits destroying the woods.

“Sunil’s Sick Day” (3/22/14) – Russell tries to help patch up Vinnie and Sunil’s friendship.

“The Hedgehog in the Plastic Bubble” (3/29/14) – Russell and Blythe find themselves alone.

“Standup Stinker” (4/5/14) – Blythe advises Pepper on her stand-up while the pets try to convince Minka she’s the first monkey on Mars.

“The Expo Factor, Part 1” (4/12/14) – The stress over the International Pet Fashion Expo increases when Blythe is asked to do a photoshoot for the top fashion magazine.

“The Expo Factor, Part 2” (4/12/14) – The Biskits sabotage Blythe, making all her fears about things going wrong seemingly come true.

Shorts Season 1:

“Tail-Rave-lum” (5/30/14) – L-Zard and his crew visit Vinnie for some dancing.

“The Ladies of LPS” (6/13/14) – Blythe and the girl pets share some quality time.

“Littlest Pet Peeves” (6/27/14) – Russell, Zoe and Sunil can’t seem to stop annoying each other.

“Eau de Pepper” (7/11/14) – Pepper and Penny Ling try to capture her happiest scent.

“Where’d the Escargot?” (8/1/14) – Vinnie and Penny Ling try to keep snails from becoming food.

“Life of Cake” (8/8/14) – Sunil fights Steve for a piece of cake.

“The Fire Hydrant Song” (8/22/14) – Zoe sings to make herself feel fabulous.

“Naptime’s a Ball” (9/19/14) – Russell wants a nap, but ends up on an adventure instead.

“Just Not Into It” (10/3/14) – Russell, Vinnie and Sunil try on clothes.

“Monkey Chase” (10/17/14) – Minka’s imagination runs wild as she paints.

Season 3:

“Sleeper” (5/31/14) – Russell challenges Vinnie and Sunil to entertain the new boarder, which they seemingly fail when he falls into a deep sleep.

“War of the Weirds” (6/7/14) – Blythe investigates a UFO the pets saw while Twombly tries to figure out how to get more business.

“Some Assistance Required” (6/14/14) – Blythe becomes Mona Autum’s assistant while Zoe and Russell deal with a pet model trying to sabotage Russell’s photoshoot.

“Secret Cupet” (6/21/14) – Russell becomes the latest target of a mysterious pet cupid.

“Hamster Hoods” (6/28/14) – Pepper and Vinnie investigate the appearance of Largest Ever Pet Shop merchandise in the dumbwaiter.

“Tongue Tied” (7/5/14) – City pets flock from all over for help when they learn of Blythe’s abilities, but she can’t seem to communicate with one ferret.

“What’s So Scary About the Jungle? Everything!” (7/12/14) – Penny Ling is disappointed when the host of her favorite nature show has developed a phobia of pandas.

“Two Pets for Two Pests” (7/19/14) – Blythe tries to pair the Biskits up with twin chinchillas while Vinnie proves he can paint to Minka.

“Feud for Thought” (7/26/14) – Whittany becomes jealous after Brittany scores higher than her on a test, and arguing koalas cause chaos at the shop.

“Fish Out of Water” (8/2/14) – Blythe, Zoe and Minka try to rescue Josh from working for the Biskits while the others work with an alligator to save a goldfish in the sewer.

“If the Shoe Fits” (8/9/14) – The pets follow Blythe and Youngmee to the Biskits’ party disguised as a tall man.

“The Very Littlest Pet Shop” (8/16/14) – A jungle curse shrinks the pet shop and pets, and a little girl believes they are toys.

“The Secret Recipe” (8/23/14) – Blythe has to reveal her secret to Youngmee to save their friendship.

“Winter Wonder Wha…?” (12/13/14) – Blythe and Zoe go to the Biskits’ winter chateau and the others work on cheering up a penguin.

“Snow Stormin’” (12/20/14) – A massive snowstorm traps Blythe and the pets in the shop.

“Back Window” (12/27/14) – An injured Russell swears he sees Josh stealing Blythe’s designs from the garbage.

“Room Enough” (1/3/15) – A visiting kitten wants to know why Blythe can understand them as Blythe considers redecorating her room.

“Why Can’t We Be Friends?” (1/10/15) – Blythe makes a new friend at the thrift shop and Vinnie has to hide his new spider friend from Sunil.

“Pet Sounds” (1/17/15) – Minka’s cousin believes his scientist owner invented a helmet that lets him talk to pets.

“The Sister Story” (1/24/15) – Blythe’s competitive aunt comes for a visit and she and Roger compete non-stop, while Vinnie and Sunil compete to see who can predict the future best.

“A Night at the Pawza” (1/31/15) – Blythe and Twombly help a friend’s hotel become a success to keep it out of Fisher’s hands.

“Proud as a…Peacock?” (2/7/15) – The pets try to help a shy peacock gain confidence.

“Sue Syndrome” (2/21/15) – Sue is nervous about receiving an award in front of the whole school while Pepper is jealous over a sweet-smelling visiting skunk.

“In the Loop” (2/28/15) – Russell seems to be living the same day over and over when a groundhog visits.

“It’s the Pet Fest! Part 1” (3/7/15) – Blythe scrambles to make her Pet Fest happen.

“It’s the Pet Fest! Part 2” (3/7/15) – When the venue falls through, Blythe must find a new one for the Pet Fest.

Shorts Season 2:

“The Biggity-Big Dog Show” (10/4/15) – Zoe gets a rash on the day of a big dog show.

“Sour Puss” (10/4/15) – Blythe and the girl pets sing about having girl time.

“So Like Bored” (10/4/15) – The Biskits think of ways to entertain themselves.

“OmmmMG” (10/4/15) – Sunil tries to get Vinnie and Minka to sit still.

“What’s Next?” (11/5/15) – Blythe ponders what to do next in her life.

Season 4:

“The Tortoise and the Heir” (11/7/15) – Blythe meets a tortoise who ends up being her mother’s former pet, and keeper of her journal.

“Pitch Purrfect” (11/7/15) – Zoe forms her own singing group after being rejected from an all-cat one, and Twombly sells her doorknobs so that she can buy the street.

“Ivan the Terrific” (11/14/15) – The pets deal with a lost circus bear while Blythe helps Youngmee find her perfect pet.

“Senior Day” (11/21/15) – Russell’s father comes to stay with him when his owner’s senior center says he can no longer stay.

“Littlest Pet Shop of Horrors” (11/28/15) – It’s Halloween, and the pets and Blythe tell spooky stories.

“Game of Groans” (12/5/15) – Blythe, Russell, Vinnie and Sunil head to the Renaissance Fair.

“The Tiniest Animal Store” (12/12/15) – The shop becomes the basis for a new sitcom, but Blythe worries it could reveal her secret.

“Spendthrifty” (12/19/15) – Blythe becomes a sales clerk but is unable to resist the bargains, while the pets distrust Blythe’s new doll Roger brought her from Japan.

“Un-vetted” (12/26/15) – Blythe and Russell go camping while Zoe develops a crush on her vet’s new dog.

“Pump Up the Panda” (1/2/16) – Blythe and the pets go to the beach where Penny Ling gets a lobster personal trainer and Vinnie and Sunil have a sandcastle building contest.

“Snipmates” (1/9/16) – Sugar Sprinkles is uncharacteristically grouchy while Blythe competes against her former camp roommate in a fashion show.

“Guilt Tripping” (1/16/16) – Blythe accidentally gets the Biskits suspended from school while Pepper waits for Vinnie’s punishment after breaking his lucky rock.

“Petnapped!” (1/23/16) – A departed millionaire’s dog must determine her new owner, while the pets try to reenact an episode of Russell’s favorite show.

“Steamed” (3/26/16) – Blythe helps Twombly set up her new coffee shop and Sugar Sprinkle’s song causes Pepper to unleash a coffee smell that attracts customers.

“Two Peas in a Podcast” (3/26/16) – The Biskits try to create their own vlog to compete with Blythe’s and the pets are devastated to learn Penny Ling is moving away.

“Go Figure!” (4/2/16) – Minka wants to learn Zen from a grasshopper more interest in Russell, and Vinnie accidentally gets sold as a toy when lost at a sci-fi convention.

“A Doggie Biskit” (4/9/16) – Eliza’s dog Poppy Pawsley doesn’t want to participate in a dog show.

“It’s a Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy World” (4/16/16) – Josh tries to help Blythe find her mother’s journal while a quokka encourages Sunil to find happiness in the city.

“Race Team: Buttercream” (4/23/16) – The starting bell in underground bunny races turns Buttercream into a competitive brute, betting on whom costs Sunil and Vinnie Blythe’s phone.

“On the Same Page” (4/30/16) – An entry in the journal has Blythe worried she’ll lose her ability while the boys and girls have a falling out in the daycare over the girls’ amount of stuff.

“Paint a Picture, it Lasts Longer” (5/7/16) – Blythe takes the credit for a painting Minka’s embarrassed to have done.

“Bake it ‘til You Make It” (5/14/16) – Sunil pretends to be a doctor for his visiting parents and Blythe has her famous cousin help around Sweet Delights.

“LPS: The Moosical” (5/21/16) – A visiting moose nervously sings, which bothers everyone except the part-Canadian Blythe.

“Seeing Red” (5/28/16) – Penny Ling becomes curious about a visiting panda while Blythe writes a story about her parents as teenagers.

“Littlest Pet Street Part 1” (6/4/16) – Picking up a viral video star for the street’s grand opening leads the Pet Jet to crash on an abandoned island.

“Littlest Pet Street Part 2” (6/4/16) – Blythe, Roger and the pets try to figure a way off the island while Twombly desperately tries to get everything ready for the grand opening.