KIDD VIDEO

 

KIDD VIDEO

(NBC, September 8, 1984-December 7, 1985)

 

Saban Productions, DiC Enterprises

 
 
MAIN CAST:
Bryan Scott – Kidd Video
Gabriele Bennett-Rozzi – Carla
Robbie Rist – Whiz
Steve Alterman – Ash
Cathy Cavadini – Glitter
Peter Renaday – The Master Blaster
Robert Towers – Cool Kitty
Marshall Efron – Fat Cat
Susan Silo – She-Lion
Hal Rayle – Toolbot (season 2)
 
 
            When MTV launched in 1981 it ignited a revolution in the music industry. Their ever-growing viewership offered greater exposure for artists and their music. As a result, more and more money was being put into the production of the music videos the station was supplied with to the point where many became mini movies. Not ones to let a popular trend pass, DiC Enterprises teamed up with Saban Productions to produce a Saturday morning show catered to the MTV generation: Kidd Video.

Kidd Video live and animated. Bottom picture from left: Ash, Whiz, Kidd, Glitter and Carla.

            Kidd Video, created by Jean Chalopin, Andy Heyward, Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, was named for the band who was named for their frontman (how’s that for some inception?). Kidd (Bryan Scott) was the lead singer, guitarist and keyboard player for the band. While being a generally good friend who cared about his bandmates, there were times his ego could inflate out of control and he’d need to be brought back to Earth. Carla (Gabriele Bennett) was the band’s drummer and a bit of a party girl, always looking for a good time and into keeping fit. She often served as the voice of reason and frequently injected Spanish words when she spoke. Ash (Steve Alterman) alternated between keyboards (particularly a small, collapsible one called the Groove Machine) and bass and saxophone. Despite being the biggest music lover in the group, his lyrics were always terrible. He was also the token coward, often needing his friends’ support in dangerous situations to keep moving forward. Whiz (Robbie Rist) played guitar and keyboard and also sang lead vocals from time to time. He was the resident genius, capable of inventing and building almost anything. He was also a little selfish and short-tempered, often angered by his friends’ seeming inability to take certain things seriously.

Master Blaster and the Copy Cats: Cool Kitty, She-Lion and Fat Cat.

            As laid out in the show’s intro, while the band was rehearsing in a warehouse, an animated despot named Master Blaster (seemingly an evil music executive, voiced by Peter Renaday) appeared in a mirror in a floating chair. He transported the band into an alternate animated dimension known as The Flipside where music was a powerful commodity. He sought to steal their sound and use it to strengthen his hold over the realm by either conquering it or controlling its music (on some occasions, he’d just settle for riches galore). Aiding him was his trio of incompetent henchmen and lousy band known as the Copy Cats: literal humanoid felines comprised of the vain and whiny She-Lion (Susan Silo); the constantly-hungry Fat Cat (Marshall Efron); and the lazy and mellow Kool Kitty (Robert Towers). Master Blaster operated out of and travelled around in a flying fortress that resembled a juke box. It’s interesting to note that while all the characters wore the same clothing in each episode, Master Blaster’s suit was given different color combinations each time.

Glitter rocking that 80s fashion.

            The band got their own help in the form of Glitter (Cathy Cavadini), a tiny fairy that gained super strength for a brief time whenever she sneezed, who rescued them from Master Blaster when they arrived and stayed with them. Together, they traveled around The Flipside as the band searched for a way to get home while protecting the unusual citizenry (one whole town was comprised of vegetable people that grew instruments, for instance) from Master Blaster’s machinations, as well as freeing the other performing artists he captured. They did so in the Kiddmobile, a large hovercraft that doubled as a mobile home for the band. In the real world, it was actually Whiz’s 1984 Subaru Brat that was also sucked in with them and their instruments and took on this new form.

The strange world of the Flipside.

            Kidd Video debuted on NBC on September 8, 1984. The series featured a blend of live-action and animation, with the actors portraying both themselves in the real world and providing their voices in The Flipside. Each episode was largely a showcase for popular music of the day. A Top 40 hit was played during at least one scene, lip-synched by the Copy Cats via Master Blaster’s captives, or somehow incorporated as an element of the story. Additionally, an excuse was always made to show a minute-long snippet of a music video. The entire season was written and story edited by Jim Carlson and Terrence McDonnell, and the characters were designed by Tim Gula and Barbara Pizinger. Animation duties were handled by Cuckoo’s Nest Studio. The visual style for the show was heavily influenced by the videos airing on MTV and album artwork of the era (and, as one artist would claim, lots and lots of drugs).

            The show was a hit and was renewed for a second season. Several changes were made; most notably the alteration of the characters’ animated forms to closer resemble their actors. Carla’s skin was made lighter in complexion and her tendency to drop Spanish words was removed. Glitter was given slightly longer hair and a more pixie-ish face. Whiz was far less homesick than he had been in the previous season, and invented an artificially intelligent toolbox robot named Toolbot (Hal Rayle) that served as his sidekick and friend. He also gained a vest over his shirt. And speaking of vests, Kidd’s became a darker blue. This season was written by Dianne Dixon, Michael Maurer, Deborah Shelton and Levy, with Tracy Mays serving as story editor. The night before the season premiere, the live cast appeared on the preview special Back to Next Saturday Morning to promote the show.

           Each episode ended with a Kidd Video music video set to an original song that were actually performed by the band. Rist and Scott also played guitar on several tracks. Most of the songs and the series’ music were written and composed by Levy and Saban, with additional songs written by Terry Britten, Lynsey de Paul (as Lindsey DePaul), Lisa Popeil, Willie Wilkerson, Gary Goetzman, Mike Piccirillo, Noam Kaniel, Holly Knight, Bernie Taupin, Jay Gruska, Tom Keane and Holland-Dozier-Holland. The song “Time” was written by Scott himself. These live segments were directed by Bud Schaetzle, written by Schaetzle with Jeff Book, Kevin Clyne, Carole Markin, Don McGlynn, Martin Wiley, Mike Salomon and Kathy Dellar, and produced by High Five Productions. Nancy Grossi designed the characters’ costumes.

            At the height of Kidd Video’s popularity, there was a strong concern in the nation for a famine outbreak in Africa. Various types of fundraising initiatives were conducted to raise money to combat it; most notably the recording of the songs “Do TheyKnow It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid and “We Are the World” by USA for Africa. Adding their own spin on the idea, the kids from Kidd Video fronted an assembly of 69 young entertainers called Kidds for Kids in Africa in partnership with UNICEF. Together, they sang “Love’s Gonna Find a Way” written by Levy and Shelton, and like the other two songs a video was produced of their singing it. The celebrity performers were gathered from hit programs and films at the time and included the likes of Sean Astin, Jason Bateman, Todd Bridges, Mindy Cohn, Shannen Doherty, Kim Fields, Cherie Johnson, Regina King, Joey Lawrence, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Uncredited in the video but mentioned in 16 Magazine’s coverage were Scott Baio, Alphy Rivas and Soleil Moon Frye. UNICEF named the members of Kidd Video Youth Ambassadors for UNICEF Day.

Toolbot joins the group.

            Although Kidd Video’s popularity quickly waned in the United States, in Saban and Levy’s native country of Israel the show was incredibly popular. So much so, the band actually went on tour in the country in 1987. As a result, a great deal of Kidd Video merchandise was only released in Israel, including an album featuring 11 songs by CBS Records; an audio story cassette recorded in Hebrew; candy bars; yogurt cups; bed sheets; and a card game. In the United States, Helm Toys produced a portable AM radio emblazoned with Kidd’s image.

One of the VHS tapes.

            Kidd Video remained on NBC in reruns until 1987 when CBS picked it up for continued airing. In 1989, it was combined with another less-successful music-themed DiC production, Wolf Rock TV, and aired in syndication as The Wolf Rock Power Hour. The last known airing of the show was in 1992 on WGN (now NewsNation), when licensing for the respective songs ran out resulting in the video clips being removed and the music being changed to generic tunes. Golden Books Video released six VHS tapes containing the original music but missing the video clip. Four of the tapes contained one episode each, with the other two featured three episodes. Because of the music rights issue, it’s highly unlikely further releases or even a complete series release would ever happen. More episodes as well as attempted fan recreations of the original broadcasts can be found on YouTube.

            Following the end of the show, most of the band had largely fallen out of the spotlight. Rist has been the most active, continuing to do voice work, some on-screen acting, and playing music with several bands locally. Scott had a few more voice acting roles and worked in sound post-production. Bennett became a teacher and dance instructor, and relocated to Germany in 2011. However, she did perform with Rist in 2012 at Redballs Rock’n Roll Pizza. Alterman has also continued voice acting, as well as working behind the camera and playing music in local clubs. At one point, he and Rist had their own band, The Beat Society.
 
 
EPISODE GUIDE:
Season 1:
“To Beat the Band” (9/15/84) – The band must find a way to slow down the residents of Neon City before they burn themselves out.
Music video: “All Night Long” – Lionel Richie
Songs: “Running with the Night” – Lionel Richie, “Electric Avenue” – Eddy Grant
 
“The Master Zapper” (9/22/84) – Master Blaster plans to crash a concert put on by their fan club and hit Kidd Video with a device that will turn them into their exact opposites.
Music video: “Run to You” – Bryan Adams
Song: “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell
 
“Woofers and Tweeters” (10/6/84) – When the Kiddmobile gets stuck in the Lock Stock Forest, they’re captured by the inhabitants as minions of Master Blaster.
Music video: “Owner of a Lonely Heart” – Yes
Songs: “Footloose” – Kenny Loggins, “White Horse” – Laid Back
 
“Barnacolis” (10/13/84) – The Copy Cats steal the magical instruments of mermaids, causing them to wail and awaken the destructive Barnacolis.
Music video: “Hungry Like the Wolf” – Duran Duran
Songs: “The Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats, “Footloose” – Kenny Loggins, “Wrapped Around Your Finger” – The Police
 
“The Pink Sphinx” (10/27/84) – A homesick Whiz rescues a Beatburg city leader who gives him a Pink Sphinx that can grant anyone a wish once a year while the Copy Cats capture the others.
Music video: “Owner of a Lonely Heart” – Yes
Songs: “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – Michael Jackson
 
“Cienega” (2/16/85) – The band travels to Dismal Swamp for a cure for the disease Whiz contracts and encounter a swamp monster.
Music video: Unknown
Songs: “Automatic” – The Pointer Sisters, “Footloose” – Kenny Loggins
 
“The Lost Note” (2/23/85) – Ash restores a city from stone after pulling a golden note for a rock, becoming its king and allowing the power to go to his head.
Music video: Unknown
Song: “Don’t Answer Me” – The Alan Parsons Project
 
“Music Sports” (3/2/85) – The band goes up the cheating Copy Cats in the annual Musical Sport meet for control of the Flipside music.
Music video: Unknown
Songs: “Owner of a Lonely Heart” – Yes, “Automatic” – The Pointer Sisters, “Breakdance” – Irene Cara
 
“Chameleons” (3/23/85) – While the rest of the band tries to free the Kiddmobile from desert sands, Carla and Glitter enjoy a hot new dance club.
Music video: Unknown
Songs: “Karma Chameleon” – Culture Club, “The Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats
 
“Euphonius, the Melodious Dragon” (5/5/85) – The Copy Cats steal a dragon’s egg for Master Blaster’s breakfast, and the resulting angry roar threatens to shatter the jeweled Sparkle City.
Music video: “Missing You” – John Waite
Songs: “The Reflex” – Duran Duran, “Don’t Answer Me” – The Alan Parsons Project
 
“Professor Maestro” (5/12/85) – While the band employs a genius to help them get home, Master Blaster targets the cause of his constant defeat: the Groove Machine.
Music video: “We Belong” – Pat Benatar
Songs: Unknown
 
“Grooveyard City” (5/19/85) – Master Blaster drops the band in the middle of a haunted city.
Music video: Unknown
Songs: “Ghostbusters” – Ray Parker Jr., “The Reflex” – Duran Duran
 
“The Stone” (5/26/85) – A giant bird takes Ash away, and the band learns that the wise man who owns it may have just sent Ash home through a special stone.
Music video: Unknown
Songs: Unknown
 
Season 2:
“The Dream Machine” (11/2/85) – Master Blaster steals and uses Whiz’s device to give a town nightmares after they refuse to pay their music tax.
Music video: “Dancing on the Ceiling” – Lionel Richie, “Crazy in the Night” – Kim Carnes
Songs: “Axel F” – Harold Faltermeyer, “Relax” – Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “The Heat is On” – Glenn Frey
 
“Double Trouble” (11/2/85) – The band rescues a man whose bottled message they found, and he ends up being Master Blaster’s brother Laster!
Music video: “Taken In” – Mike and the Mechanics
Songs: “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” – Stevie Wonder
 
“No Place Like Home” (11/9/85) – The band makes their way towards a town that looks like their home and discover that looks can be deceiving.
Music video: “Point of No Return” – Nu Shooz
Songs: “The Heat is On” – Glenn Frey
 
“Having a Ball” (11/16/85) – The band transports the Lyric Box with all the lyrics yet to be written, and it and Ash end up stolen by Master Blaster’s cousin.
Music video: “Dreamtime” – Daryl Hall
Songs: “Rhythm of the Night” – DeBarge
 
“Old Time Rocks that Roll” (11/23/85) – The band investigates why a town of vegetable people’s instrument crops keep disappearing underground.
Music video: “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” – Glass Tiger, “Out of Touch” – Hall & Oates
Songs: “I Love Rock and Roll” – Joan Jett, “Solid” – Ashford & Simpson, “Beat It” – Michael Jackson
 
“Starmaker” (11/23/85) – Without fans of his own Whiz creates a device that will make them for him, which the Copy Cats intend to steal to get in good with Master Blaster.
Music video: “When I Think of You” – Janet Jackson
Songs: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears
 
“Narra Takes a Powder” (11/23/85) – When the Copy Cats hit Glitter’s cousin with a music scrambling powder, she’s unable to create the whistle needed to keep her land cold and a monster asleep.
Music video: “All I Need is a Miracle” – Mike & the Mechanics
Songs: “Sussudio” – Phil Collins, “Beat It” – Michael Jackson
 
“Race to Popland” (11/23/85) – In order to keep their jobs, the Copy Cats trick the band away from a contest where Master Blaster planned to steal their music.
Music video: Unknown
Songs: “Angel” - Madonna
 
“Master Blaster Brat” (11/23/85) – The Copy Cats make a cake for Master Blaster’s birthday that accidentally turns him into an evil toddler.
Music video: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Aretha Franklin
Songs: “Sussudio” – Phil Collins
 
“Twilight Double Header” (11/23/85) – Ash’s singing keeps up a cyclops who is responsible for the day and night cycle of a town and they must find a siren to put him back to sleep.
Music video: “Daydream Believer” – The Monkees
Songs: “Shout” – Tears for Fears
 
“A Friend in Need” (11/30/85) – Away from the group, Carla must choose between going home or helping an injured new friend.
Music video: “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” – Wang Chung
Songs: “Every Time You Go Away” – Paul Young, “Lay Your Hands on Me” – Thompson Twins
 
“Pirates and Puzzles” (11/30/85) – When a flower turns Carla and Ash into plants and disables the Kiddmobile, Kidd and Whiz borrow a pirate parrot’s ship to retrieve the cure.
Music video: “Don’t Get Me Wrong” – The Pretenders
Songs: “Rhythm of the Night” – DeBarge
 
“Who’s in the Kitchen with Dinah?” (12/7/85) – The Copy Cats bungle getting a love potion from Dinah for Master Blaster, spilling it on her and causing her to fall for him.
Music video: “Take On Me” – A-Ha
Songs: “Dancing in the Streets” – Martha and the Vandellas, “Be Near Me” – ABC

I WANT MY SATURDAY TV

 

            On August 1^st, 1981, a new network launched that changed the way the music industry would do business for the next few decades. That network was MTV. While music videos had existed before the network, this was the first time a network had been dedicated largely exclusively to their airing. And being the first, stations were naturally hesitant to pick it up. But, once they did and it got going, it became a hit with the teenage and young adult market. Notably, the network provided exposure for many artists that didn’t receive a lot of radio airplay, turning them into successes they wouldn’t be otherwise. As its popularity grew, videos became an essential marketing tool resulting in more and more money being pumped into their production.

            As with any successful concept, imitators were quick to follow and try and attract those same audiences. To commemorate the 40^th anniversary of MTV and the place in pop culture it once held, this month we’ll be looking at some of the shows influenced by it directly, or at least of a similar vein.

BACK AT THE BARNYARD

 

BACK AT THE BARNYARD

(Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, September 29, 2007-November 12, 2011)

 

Omation Animation Studio, Nickelodeon Animation Studio

 
 
MAIN CAST:
Chris Hardwick – Otis, Sheep, Boil the Chick, various
Leigh-Allyn Baker – Abby, Etta, Sheep
Jeff Garcia – Pip
Tino Insana – Pig
Cam Clarke – Freddy, Sheep
Rob Paulsen – Peck, Sheep, Skunky, Tony Twocheeks, Pizza Twin, Joey the Cow, Max, various
Dom Irrera – Duke
Wanda Sykes – Bessy
Fred Tatasciore – Farmer Buyer
Maria Bamford – Noreen “Nora” Beady, Jessica Allspice
Steve Oedekerk – Eugene “Snotty Boy” Beady, Nathaniel Randall Beady III, Pizza Twin

 
            Before Toy Story changed the animated film landscape, Steve Oedekerk was trying to pitch his own computer animated film. But producers and studios weren’t quite ready to buy what he was selling. After Toy Story, however, and the creation of his hit show Jimmy Neutron, that was a different story. When Nickelodeon executives visited him at his clubhouse during production of the series, he showed them the demo of what he wanted to do. They loved it, and Barnyard was greenlit to begin production in October of 2003.

            Barnyard followed Otis (Kevin James), a slacker cow (yes, who was a male—Oedekerk thought it was funny to give them udders) that was found and adopted by the farm’s leader, Ben (Sam Elliott). Ben tried to instill a sense of responsibility into Otis, but he preferred to waste the day away hanging out with his friends: Pip the mouse (Jeffrey Garcia); dim-witted Freddy the ferret (Trevor Howard); intelligent Peck the chicken; (Rob Paulsen); gluttonous Pig the pig (Tino Insana); overzealous Duke the sheepdog (Dom Irrera); or Daisy (Courteney Cox), a pregnant cow that came to the farm and Otis fell for. After Ben is killed protecting the farm from coyote Dag (Dave Koechner) and his pack, Otis was elected the new leader. And, of course, he shirked those responsibilities allowing the coyotes to return and help themselves to his friends.

Promo art featuring Abby, Pip, Bessy, Otis, Pig, Peck, Freddy and Duke.

            Oedekerk wrote, directed, produced and even voiced some characters in the film. It was the inaugural project of Omation Animation Studio, a division of his O Entertainment production company. The film was comparatively low-budget compared to other CGI features around the time, however that didn’t stop Oedekerk from courting the talent he wanted or ensuring every scene featured characters actually “living” in the backgrounds rather than the wide-open static spaces of the other movies. The result was over 180 characters being created and their animation being achieved with a process they used on Jimmy Neutron: motion capturing actors on a set in the studio. The film was released to theaters on August 4, 2006 by Paramount Pictures, and grossed over $116.5 million, despite lukewarm reviews.

Abby hanging out with Bigfoot.

            Even before the positive box office, Nickelodeon had ordered a series spin-off of the film. Picking up where the story left off, Otis (now Chris Hardwick) was in charge of the farm and learning to balance that responsibility with his desire to just goof off and have fun—which often led to wild schemes that caused chaos for the farm’s residents and neighbors. Always with him or causing their own trouble were his friends Pip, Pig, Peck, Duke (all with their original actors) and Freddy (now Cam Clarke). Having none of Otis’ nonsense was sassy cow Bessy (Wanda Sykes, reprising the role), who served as the principal of the barnyard school and judge of their court. A running gag had Pip constantly vie for her affections, only to be repeatedly (and often physically painfully) rejected. Newly created for the series was Abby (Leigh-Allyn Baker), Bessy’s best friend who was athletic and allergic to petunias with an OCD for organization. She replaced Daisy and her calf, who went unreferenced throughout the show. Also missing were the coyotes, Ben’s old friend Miles the mule (Danny Glover), and Maddy (Madeline Lovejoy), a young chick that enjoyed playing with Otis.

Mrs. Beady, always determined to prove the animals aren't what they seem.

            Much like Toy Story, the animals had to constantly be on the lookout for human beings; acting like normal animals whenever they were around. Only the farm’s neighbor Nora Beady (Maria Bamford) was aware of their real nature. Taking a cue from Bewitched, she always tried to expose them to the world but was constantly thwarted in her attempts. Her husband, Nathan Beady III (Oedekerk), often tried to convince her she was mistaken.

Snotty Boy and his friends.

            Other characters included Farmer Buyer (Fred Tatasciore), the owner of the farm whom Otis frequently tricked away with prank phone calls so that they could operate in peace (in the film, he would always be knocked unconscious when he saw the animals being themselves); the five sheep (Hardwick, Baker, Clarke, Paulsen and Jeff Bennet) that Duke was charged with watching and were always outsmarting him to escape; Etta (Baker), the lead hen; Skunky (Paulsen), Pig’s pet skunk and best friend; The Jersey Cows: Eddy (S. Scott Bullock), Igg (Maurice LaMarche) and Bud (John DiMaggio), who enjoyed pranking humans and ignoring rules; Tony Twocheeks (Paulsen), a gopher who frequently conned people into buying stuff from him; Everett (Lloyd Sherr), the farmer’s old bloodhound and the oldest resident; Bigfoot (Dee Bradley Baker), the mythological creature who managed to become a celebrity; the Pizza Twins (Paulsen & Oedekerk), unintelligent twin brothers who frequently delivered pizza to the farm; Joey the cow (Paulsen), Macy the Sheep (Maile Flanagan) and Boil the Chick (Hardwick), three children who attend school in the barnyard in Peck’s class; the vet (Audrey Wasilewski & Julia Sweeney), a female veterinarian who came to the farm to maintain the animal’s health; Root (Nathaniel Stroman), Peck’s rival who held a weekly talent show; and Eugene “Snotty Boy” Goldner (Oedekerk), the Beady’s bratty nephew who enjoyed antagonizing animals and Mr. Beady when Mrs. Beady wasn’t looking.

Farmland superheroes.

            Back at the Barnyard debuted on Nickelodeon on September 29, 2007. The majority of episodes were broken up into two story segments, with a couple spanning a full half-hour and some segments airing independently of each other. Whenever an episode was running short, a filler segment hosted by Pig was inserted covering a variety of things like “viewer mail”, medical advice or makeovers. The series was written by Jed Spingarn, Gene Grillo, Aaron Hilliard, Luke Del Tredici, Chris Painter, Brandon Sawyer, Andrew Nicholls, Darrell Vickers, Jessica Gao, Sam O’Neal, Neal Boushell, Adam Cohen, Joel Bergen, Alex Muniz, Lazar Saric, Tom Sheppard, Dan Serafin, Ned Goldreyer and Teresa Trendler, with Oedekerk and Hardwick contributing a script each themselves. Because it was computer animated, they were able to reuse the assets they had developed for the film in the show, saving time and money on character design and set building. Additional character designs were handled by Mark Beam, Phil Cruden and Bill Schwab. Cruden, along with his company Go For Launch Productions, also handled the production design for the series as they had for the film. The theme was written and performed by Michael Fitzpatrick and Mickey Petralia, with the rest of the series’ music done by Guy Moon.

            While the show performed well enough to receive a second season, it didn’t continue to live up to Nickelodeon’s expectations. The show was removed from the network with just 8 episodes left to air, which they would eventually do almost a year later on sister channel Nicktoons. 52 episodes aired in all. In 2008, a video game based on the show was developed by Firemint (now Firemonkeys) and released by Play THQ for the Nintendo DS. Back at the Barnyard: Slop Bucket Games (Cowlympics in Europe) was a collection of mini-games unlocked by completing fetch quests around an overhead 3-D render of the barnyard. It contained limited voice acting from Hardwick, Insana, Irrera and Julie Nathanson.

DVD cover.

            Beginning in 2008, Nickelodeon released several compilation DVDs containing 4 episodes each: Escape from the Barnyard, When No One’s Looking and Cowman, the Uddered Avenger. Additionally, Lights, Camera, Moo! and Club Otis were released overseas with bonus SpongeBob SquarePants episodes. A digital-only DVD, Nickelodeon Shocktober! Vol. 2, was also released to iTunes containing “Barnyard Idol / The Haunting”. 2011 saw the release of the complete first season, with the second coming a few months later (preceding the airing of two episodes). In 2012 digital-only DVDs were made available on iTunes: On Your Marks, Get Set, Go! containing 2 episodes from season 1, the Orange Collection containing 8 episodes from season 1 and Nickelodeon’s Christmas Stocking which included “It’s an Udderful Life”. The complete series was made available to purchase for streaming on Amazon Prime.
           
 
EPISODE GUIDE:
Season 1:
“The Good, the Bad, and the Snotty / Escape from the Barnyard” (9/29/07) – Otis tricks the farmer off the farm so he can have a birthday party, but the farmer hires Snotty Boy to look after things. / The appearance of a grill has the animals worried they’re about to be eaten so they attempt to escape.
 
“Cowman and Ratboy / Cow’s Best Friend” (10/6/07) – The animals are unamused when Otis and Pip pretend to be superheroes. / After Otis saves Duke’s life, Duke becomes devoted and helpful to him to the point of annoyance.
 
“Chez Pig / The Right Cow” (10/13/07) – The animals decide to sell Pig’s delicious pies to humans to make some money, but they quickly become greedy in the process. / A space test monkey crashes onto the farm and is invited to stay, but he has his sights set on replacing Otis as leader.
 
“Saving Mrs. Beady / The Farmer Takes a Woman” (10/20/07) – After their antics get Mrs. Beady institutionalized, the animals attempt to bust her out. / Otis tries to set up the farmer so they can have their Saturday nights free again, but his new love wants to get rid of the animals.
 
“Hypno-A-Go-Go / Fowl Play” (11/24/07) – Otis accidentally hypnotizes himself to destroy the farmer. / When Freddy is found sleeping on a bed of Peck’s feathers, the animals assume he ate him and ban him from the farm.
 
“The Barnyard Games / War of the Pranks” (1/19/08) – Tried of losing, Otis tries to find Abby’s weakness so he can win some of the Barnyard Games. / Otis attempts to get revenge on Bessy for her constant insults but all his pranks backfire.
 
“Lights! Camera! Moo! / Animal Farmers” (2/2/08) – Otis goes overboard remaking the barn’s safety film. / Otis accidentally injures the farmer in his rush to see his favorite country music star, forcing the animals to handle all of the farming for him.
 
“Raging Cow / The Great Sheep Escape” (2/16/08) – A hedgehog convinces Otis to wrestle for him, not knowing all the matches are fixed except the last one. / Otis and Duke chase the sheep across the country before they get to New Zealand.
 
“The Big Barnyard Broadcast / Dead Cow Walking” (3/15/08) – The animals attempt to sabotage Mrs. Beady’s video of them from being broadcast on the news. / Overhearing the vet leads Otis to believe he’s dying.
 
“Otis Season / Cow’s Night Out” (3/29/08) – Otis disguises himself as a moose so he can get attention from the humans during Moose Appreciation Week. / Otis decides to go for a wild night on the town with The Jersey Cows.
 
“Big Top Barnyard / Pigmation” (4/12/08) – Otis volunteers the gang to take over a circus when they accidentally injure the lead. / A birthmark on Pig’s backside leads him to believe he’s of royal blood and begins to act like a snob.
 
“A Barn Day’s Night / Meet the Ferrets” (4/26/08) – The animals become stars when Pip broadcasts one of their music sessions, causing egos to rise. / Freddy tries to hide the fact that he’s a vegetarian from his parents.
 
“A Tale of Two Snottys / Snotty’s New Pet” (5/10/08) – Snotty Boy gets amnesia and turns nice, becoming unrecognizable to Mrs. Beady. / Pip gets captured by Snotty Boy as dinner for his new pet snake.
 
“Home Sweet Hole / Otis’ Mom” (5/24/08) – Otis accidentally destroys Pip’s home, causing him to move in with the others and their contrasting habits. / Realizing Otis has the same bell as her long-lost kid, Bessy begins acting motherly towards Otis.
 
“Club Otis / The Chronicles of Barnia” (6/7/08) – After being excluded from Otis’ boys’ club, Abby makes a club of her own that everyone else wants to join. / Snotty Boy catches the animals playing “Dungeons and Barn Animals”.
 
“Barnyard Idol” (7/21/08) – Discovering Pig’s beautiful voice, the animals enter him into a singing competition to win the farmer a golden tractor.
 
“The Haunting” (7/22/08) – When Otis builds a fun shack on a pet cemetery a ghost bunny possesses Pig and attempts to conquer the world.
 
“Brave Udders” (7/23/08) – Otis fears the impending arriving of his childhood bully.
 
“Otis’ 11” (7/24/08) – Otis loses the barn in a game of Fizzbin to the gophers.
 
“Pecky Suave” (7/25/08) – Peck takes a “potion” to enable him to speak to his crush, but ends up becoming bold enough to challenge his rival to a duel.
 
“Otis vs. Bigfoot” (9/22/08) – Abby brings Bigfoot onto the farm and Mrs. Beady is determined to capture him to prove she’s not crazy.
 
“Cowman: The Uddered Avenger” (11/28/08) – Cowman must prove his innocence when he’s accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
 
“Top Cow” (9/23/08) – An accident causes Otis to give up being the county’s top crop duster just as a swarm of locusts is on the way.
 
“School of Otis” (9/24/08) – Otis has to take over Peck’s class after injuring him and decides to make school less boring by teaching them pranks.
 
“Otis for Mayor” (9/25/08) – Otis decides to run against Mrs. Beady for mayor to prevent her from outing them.
 
“Dummy and Dummier” (9/26/08) – Helping Freddy find a talent has the animals get him into ventriloquism--which turns out to be a bad thing when the dummy starts trying to kill them.
 
“Some Like it Snotty” (10/24/08) – The animals dress up as girls to get into the bowling alley for free, but Snotty Boy and his friends want to date them.
 
“Pig Amok” (1/20/09) – Pig returns to his birthplace to get married, but Otis tries to keep him from his horrible future wife.
 
“The Sun Cow” (1/21/09) – A bee sting lets Otis’ new Kobe cow neighbors believe he’s the reincarnation of the 5-uddered Sun Cow, who usually ends up as a steak dinner.
 
“Doggelganger” (1/22/09) – When Duke is at the vet another dog attempts to take his place.
 
“Save the Clams” (1/23/09) – Abby rescues a clam from a nearby café  and it ends up becoming an annoying farm resident.
 
“Cowdyshack” (2/23/09) – Otis gets his friends onto a golf course through a friend of his, but ends up having to win a tournament to get him a new appendix when Pig injures it.
 
“Adventures in Snotty Sitting” (2/24/09) – The animals take a babysitting job to make money and replace the farmer’s game system, only to end up having to babysit Snotty Boy.
 
Season 2:
“Wild Mike’s Dance Party” (2/25/09) – Otis frees Wild Mike for a dance party, but he escapes and ends up captured by humans.
 
“Buyers Beware” (2/26/09) – The animals fear the farmer is selling the farm and take steps to scare potential buyers away,
 
“Anchor Cow” (2/27/09) – Accidentally injuring the local newscaster has the animals taking over his job.
 
“Abby and Veronica” (5/18/09) – Abby’s cousin visits and uses her beauty to trick the other animals into doing stuff to please her.
 
“Bling My Barn” (5/19/09) – After blowing up the barn, the animals attempt to get on a home improvement show that will fix the barn for them.
 
“Udderado” (5/20/09) – When Otis gets the farmer arrested, the animals turn the farm into a Wild West theme park to raise money for his bail.
 
“Cupig” (5/21/09) – Pig writes a love letter to his favorite treat which Otis finds and thinks is for him from Abby.
 
“Happy Animal Fun Time” (5/22/09) – Otis tries to get out of going to a concert with Abby by creating a fake holiday where everyone has to stay home.
 
“Dream Birthday” (6/29/09) – The animals decide to throw the farmer a birthday party and make him think it was all a dream after.
 
“Lord of the Beavers” (6/30/09) – When Pip has to cover for an injured Otis, Otis returns to find out everyone liked Pip better in charge.
 
“Little Otis” (7/1/09) – Otis creates a tiny clone of himself to handle his chores, which ends up captured by Mrs. Beady.
 
“Kids in the City” (7/2/09) – Otis is put in charge of watching the barnyard kids and promptly loses them in the city.
 
“Snotty and Snottier” (7/3/09) – The animals have to help Snotty with his even worse cousin so that he’ll stop hiding in the barnyard.
 
“Paging Dr. Filly” (11/5/11) – Dr. Filly is called in to settle a dispute between Freddy and Peck but ends up making it worse.
 
“Barnyards and Broomsticks / The Barn Buddy” (10/5/09) – Pip tells the others a campfire story about a witch, and when they find an old woman’s house full of sweets in the woods Otis fears she’s her. / Buying a security system for the barnyard turns out to be a bad idea.
 
“Iron Otis / Too Good to be Glue” (10/6/09) – Otis disguises himself to save Peck from being cooked by a chef on a cooking show. / Pig invents a super glue that the animals try to sell, only to learn it explodes 2 hours after application.
 
“King Cud / Everett’s Treasure” (10/7/09) – Otis is knocked out and awakens believing he’s King Cudenhotep. / The animals find an old safe belonging to Everett’s former owner and Otis tries to recreate his memories of their adventures to help him remember the combination.
 
“Free Schmoozy / Man’s Best Fiend” (10/8/09) – The animals rescue a show whale from a water park only to end up on his menu. / The animals convince the farmer to get a playmate for Duke, which ends up being his rival which continually gets Duke in trouble.
 
“Fumblebums / Endangered Liaisons” (10/9/09) – The animals end up subbing in for injured football players. / The animals import an endangered ferret to the farm to keep it from being torn down, then must rescue a smitten Freddy from her black widow ways.
 
“Back at the Booyard” (10/25/09) - Otis gives out supposedly haunted candy to his friends so that he can win a prize for collecting the most Halloween candy.
 
“Mr. Wiggleplix / Chain Gang” (11/14/09) – Pig accuses Otis of killing his imaginary friend. / The animals get mistaken for costumed crooks and end up arrested.
 
“It’s an Udderful Life!” (12/5/09) – Otis convinces Donner and Blitzen to visit the barnyard, but when Santa gets sick as a result the animals have to finish his deliveries for him.
 
“Get Bessy! / A Beautiful Freddy” (1/2/10) – The animals try to figure out what Bessy does when she’s not insulting them. / A lightning strike turns Freddy into a genius, and the animals try to cash in on it on a quiz show.
 
“RoboPeck / Arcade of Doom” (1/16/10) – After accidentally breaking his body, Otis rebuilds Peck with machine parts to make him a big help around the farm. / It’s the animals vs. Snotty Boy to win enough tickets to buy a gaming console.
 
“Puppy Love / Rodeotis” (2/6/10) – Duke’s sister visits with a surprise: she’s engaged to his rival! / Otis plays a bull to help the farmer impress a woman he likes, but when he gets hurt the farmer ends up having to ride a real bull.
 
“A Catfish Called Eddie / Beady and the Beasts” (6/19/10) – Otis’ old best friend returns and tries to get rid of Pip. / When Mrs. Beady is kicked out of her house she moves in with the animals.
 
“Mission: Save Bigfoot / Mrs. Beady Takes a Holiday” (9/11/10) – The animals climb a mountain to rescue Bigfoot after he has an accident. / The animals get Mrs. Beady to take a vacation and leave them alone, but Otis ends up missing pranking her.
 
“Treasure Hunt” (9/12/11) – A group of crows distract the animals with a fake treasure map to leave their corn crop unguarded.
 
“Clonedemonium / Hickory Dickory Donkey” (9/18/10) – The animals clone themselves to give little Otis and little Abby friends, but the owner of the Clone-a-Torium threatens to expose them. / Bessy comes between Pip and his new donkey love.
 
“Clown and Out / Clan of the Cave Cow” (9/19/11) – Otis gets into a battle with Snotty Boy’s clown father. / Otis ends up taken by scientists who believe he’s a primitive cave cow currently attacking the farm.
 
“Four Leaf Otis / Cop Cow” (9/26/11) - The animals are on the hunt for a leprechaun. / The animals become cops and try to solve a donut store theft.
 
“Plucky and Me” (10/3/11) – Otis hatches a giant chicken egg so they’ll have a fifth for polo, but it ends up being a dinosaur that causes havoc.
 
“Pig of the Mole People” (10/3/11) – The mole people come seeking Pig to reclaim his throne and defend them from an abusive worm.
 
“Aliens!!!” (11/12/11) – The animals plan to scare Mrs. Beady off with a fake alien news story so she’ll leave their satellite dish alone, but end up calling on real aliens to invade the planet.