Amazing Animals Explained

Alt Name:Henry's Amazing Animals
Runtime:30 minutes
Starring:Eric Meyers, Tom Clarke-Hill
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Seasons:4
Num Episodes:52

Amazing Animals (sometimes marketed as Henry's Amazing Animals for home video) is an educational children's animated TV show series nature program produced by Dorling Kindersley Vision and Partridge Films in association with the Disney Channel.[1] It was originally broadcast on the service in 1996. It also aired on Family Channel in Canada. It is also available on VHS.

The show centers on the interactions of Henry the Lizard, a green CGI anthropomorphic lizard with purple spots, and an unseen narrator. Each episode centers on a theme relating to the episode's subject matter, such as Henry traveling through prehistory in a time machine in an episode about prehistoric animals. Henry is usually faced with some kind of predicament or work, always relating to the episode's theme, which he resolves by the end of the episode, often learning a lesson of some sort in the process.

Plot

Each episode is made up of sections in which Henry is featured, video sequences of animals narrated by the off-screen narrator with replies by Henry, and cartoons featuring recurring unnamed cartoon animals. There are also two recurring segments: "Henry's Report" and "The Golden Gecko Awards". Early episodes depicted Henry's Report as a school report, though later episodes changed it to a news report. In either case, the report is comical and almost always wildly inaccurate. The correct information is given by The Narrator after the report.

In Henry's Amazing Golden Gecko Awards, Henry picks three animals relating to the subject of the episode and presents them with awards. Unlike the report, the Golden Gecko Awards are typically more genuine. Henry does most of the narration and often gets annoyed at the Narrator for interrupting him. Henry's Report occurred in every episode; the only episode that did not have the Golden Gecko Awards was "Underground Animals", probably because of timing issues.

Cast and major characters

Episodes

Season 1 (1996)

!Episode Number!Title!Title Card Animal!Date first aired!Plotline
1Tropical BirdsScarlet macawApril 16, 1996Henry lands in a tropical rainforest and learns about tropical birds – including, but not limited to, parrots.
2Animal DisguisesChameleonApril 23, 1996Henry learns about camouflaged animals after looking for his own disguise.
3Nighttime AnimalsSpringhareApril 30, 1996After a long day with cousin Rex, Henry can't get to sleep, and learns about animals which stay up during the night.
4Animal AppetitesKing penguinMay 7, 1996Henry opens a café for animals, but learns that different animals eat different things.
5Animal SurvivorsWolfMay 14, 1996After avoiding the dangerous animals on the desert island he is on, Henry learns about strategies that help animals to survive.
6Animal SensesSiamese catMay 21, 1996After knocking over some sense blocks, Henry learns about how animals explore the world around them using their senses.
7Animal WeaponsGoatMay 28, 1996Guarding his toy castle from an attack, Henry learns about animals that can fight other animals using body weapons.
8Animal BuildersBeaverJune 4, 1996Henry is building a house, to learn that he is not the only animal that builds a home.
9Armored AnimalsTortoiseJune 11, 1996Henry learns that there are different animals with protective armor.
10Mini BeastsTarantulaJune 18, 1996Henry learns that there are many very small animals that inhabit the wild.
11Animal BabiesKitten, Puppy, DucklingJune 25, 1996An egg belonging to Henry's cousin hatches in its pram, and Henry has to babysit it. He gets advice from how animals babysit their young.
12Poisonous AnimalsGila monsterJuly 2, 1996Thinking of eating the contents of a nearby cauldron, the narrator warns Henry that the contents may be poisonous, and he shouldn't eat them. He also learns about animals which can be poisonous to protect themselves.
13Animal JourneysCamelJuly 9, 1996Globetrotting (literally walking across the surface of a globe), Henry learns that animals also move long distances too.

Season 2 (1997)

!Episode Number!Title!Title Card Animal!Date first aired!Plotline
14Birds of PreyBlack vultureApril 15, 1997
15Desert AnimalsDromedary camelApril 22, 1997
16Scary AnimalsTarantulaApril 29, 1997
17Animal RecordsTortoise, rabbitMay 6, 1997
18Animal ColorsGolden pheasantMay 13, 1997
19Animal MothersLionessMay 20, 1997Henry learns to appreciate his mother.
20Animal PetsPuliMay 27, 1997
21Seashore AnimalsPelicanJune 3, 1997
22Animal FamiliesDucksJune 10, 1997
23Endangered AnimalsBengal tigerJune 17, 1997
24An Animal YearRed squirrelJune 24, 1997
25Prehistoric AnimalsCrocodileJuly 7, 1997
26Monkeys and ApesMandrillJune 8, 1997

Season 3 (1998)

!Episode Number!Title!Title Card Animal!Date first aired!Plotline
27Animal HuntersGolden eagleApril 14, 1998
28Animal TalkDogApril 21, 1998
29Slimy AnimalsApple snailApril 28, 1998
30Rainforest AnimalsScarlet macawMay 5, 1998
31Animal AcrobatsChimpanzee, Sea lion, WallabyMay 12, 1998
32Underwater AnimalsFishMay 19, 1998
33Animal NeighborsRabbitMay 26, 1998
34Giant AnimalsGreat DaneJune 2, 1998
35Creepy Crawly AnimalsGrasshopperJune 9, 1998
36Farm AnimalsCow, SheepJune 16, 1998
37Animal ChangesLion cub, LionessJune 23, 1998
38Extinct AnimalsFootprintsJune 30, 1998
39Animal EggsEggJuly 7, 1998

Season 4 (1999)

!Episode Number!Title!Title Card Animal!Date first aired!Plotline
40Animals Around the WorldRed kangaroo, Monarch butterfly, Chimpanzee, FishApril 13, 1999
41Polar AnimalsSiberian HuskyApril 20, 1999
42Clever AnimalsAmerican crowApril 27, 1999
43Underground AnimalsRabbitMay 4, 1999Note: The only episode to not feature the Golden Gecko Awards.
44Animal HelpersCollieMay 11, 1999
45Woodland AnimalsSquirrelMay 18, 1999
46Mountain AnimalsSt. BernardMay 25, 1999
47Backyard AnimalsMockingbirdJune 1, 1999
48Tiny AnimalsMiceJune 8, 1999
49Animal PartnersMuleJune 15, 1999
50Scaly AnimalsCrocodile, FishJune 22, 1999Note: The only episode where Henry reads the title and the Narrator does the report.
51River AnimalsBeaver, Neon tetraJune 29, 1999
52Animal FlightLadybugJuly 6, 1999

Merchandise

Some merchandise was also released during the activity of the series. An educational computer game was also released with the television show.[2] [3] A board game known as The Really Amazing Animal Game was also sold but was shortly discontinued.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Davey . Tim . Nature screen scoop . 15 February 2024 . Evening Post . 5 January 1996 . Bristol, England . 13.
  2. News: Boxer . Steve . Amazing Animals . 15 February 2024 . The Daily Telegraph . 27 May 1997 . London, England . 54 . en.
  3. News: Glover . Anne . Amazing Animals . 15 February 2024 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 6 September 1997 . Sydney, Australia . 193.