Total DramaRama explained

Genre:Comedy
Director:Keith Oliver
Chad Hicks
Christos Katopodis
George Elliott
Theme Music Composer:Voodoo Highway Music
Composer:Voodoo Highway Music
Country:Canada
United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:3
Num Episodes:152
List Episodes:List of Total DramaRama episodes
Producer:Wren Errington
Sonia Santarelli
Company:Fresh TV Inc.
Corus Entertainment
Runtime:11 minutes
Network:Teletoon (Canada)
Cartoon Network (U.S.)
Related:Total Drama
The Ridonculous Race
6teen

Total DramaRama (originally titled Total Drama Daycare) is a Canadian animated comedy children's television series created by Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch that premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on September 1, 2018, and on Teletoon in Canada on October 7, 2018. The show, serving as a crossover prequel spin-off as well as the second spin-off of Total Drama following The Ridonculous Race, is set in an alternate universe of Total Drama and 6teen. The series is co-produced by Fresh TV and Corus Entertainment in association with Cartoon Network, and distributed by Cake Entertainment.

Premise

The series re-introduces some of the original "Total Drama" characters in an alternate universe where they are aged down from teenagers to toddlers, being taken care of by Chef Hatchet. Each episode features dream sequences, cutaways, visual jokes, confessionals, and flashbacks.[1] A Ridonculous Race contestant, MacArthur, has made recurring appearances and several other characters from the Total Drama series and The Ridonculous Race have made cameo appearances throughout the series.

Episodes

See main article: List of Total DramaRama episodes.

Characters

Production

The show was under production as of December 19, 2017 under the title Total Drama Daycare.[7] [8] It first aired on Cartoon Network in the United States on September 1, 2018.[9] Jennifer Pertsch revealed in an interview with TV Kids that Fresh took "11 favorites from the original cast and aged them down to 4".[10]

On February 13, 2019, the series was green lit for a second season.[11] On June 23, 2020, Corus Entertainment announced that the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered in Canada in mid-2021. Revenge of the Island contestant, Lightning, and Pahkitew Island contestant, Sugar, were aged down to join the cast.[12] [13]

Broadcast

Streaming

The first season is available to stream on HBO Max as of September 20, 2021.[14] The second season is also available to stream on HBO Max. The first 25 episodes of the third season were added to HBO Max on June 6, 2022.[15] [16]

Reception

Critical

Total DramaRama has received mostly mixed reviews. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the series three stars out of five and found that it was as entertaining as previous entries in the Total Drama franchise, declaring that "Total Drama fans who tune in for DramaRama will appreciate the humor in seeing these familiar characters' big personalities in little bodies."[17] The Washington Post found that "the satire that defined the “Total Drama” shows is less clever" than it had been in previous seasons, and recommended the series for ages 7 and up.[18]

Ratings

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CN, Teletoon open up Total Drama Daycare. Kidscreen. Elizabeth Foster. December 19, 2017. December 19, 2017. December 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222003627/http://kidscreen.com/2017/12/19/cn-teletoon-open-up-total-drama-daycare/. live.
  2. Book: This Is How We Do It with Deven Mack. Audible. August 8, 2020. July 8, 2021. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709191016/https://www.audible.com/pd/This-Is-How-We-Do-It-with-Deven-Mack-Podcast/B08JM9SGN9. live.
  3. Web site: Total DramaRama. 31 August 2018. Apple TV. July 8, 2021. 9 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709191343/https://tv.apple.com/us/show/total-dramarama/umc.cmc.12jxzt1y765iuyd111axay1up. live.
  4. The 17th Annual ACTRA Awards In Toronto Nominees. ACTRA Toronto. Newswire.ca. January 15, 2019. July 8, 2021.
  5. Web site: Detention Adventure adds Grand Bend's Lilly Bartlam to cast. Hanover Post. Dan Rolph. October 21, 2020. July 8, 2021. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190939/https://www.thepost.on.ca/news/local-news/detention-adventure-adds-grand-bends-lily-bartlam-to-cast. live.
  6. Web site: Winners: The 19th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto. ACTRA Toronto. February 21, 2021. July 8, 2021. February 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210224185135/https://www.actratoronto.com/news-release/2021/02/winners-the-19th-annual-actra-awards-in-toronto/. live.
  7. Web site: Pint-Sized Prequel Total Drama Daycare Announced. Animation Magazine. Mercedes Milligan. December 19, 2017. August 25, 2018. August 29, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180829002017/http://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/pint-sized-prequel-total-drama-daycare-announced/. live.
  8. Web site: Corus unveils 2018/19 kids programming slate. Kidscreen. Jeremy Dickson. June 4, 2018. June 4, 2018. June 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180606183741/http://kidscreen.com/2018/06/04/corus-unveils-201819-kids-programming-slate/. live.
  9. Web site: Cartoon Network Dates Adventure Time Finale Amid September Highlights. Animation Magazine. Mercedes Milligan. August 24, 2018. August 27, 2020. September 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926031823/https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/cartoon-network-dates-adventure-time-finale-amid-september-highlights/. live.
  10. Jennifer Pertsch - Total Drama Daycare. TV Kids. Mansha Daswani. Issuu. April 2018. June 19, 2018.
  11. Web site: CAKE, Fresh TV get more Dramarama. Kidscreen. Ryan Tuchow. February 13, 2019. March 30, 2019. March 31, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331004658/http://kidscreen.com/2019/02/13/cake-fresh-tv-get-more-dramarama/. live.
  12. Web site: Corus Ent. Bolsters Specialty Portfolios, Including Toons for All Ages. Animation Magazine. Mercedes Milligan. June 23, 2020. June 25, 2020. August 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200823031027/https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/corus-ent-bolsters-specialty-portfolios-including-toons-for-all-ages/. live.
  13. Web site: CAKE and Fresh TV Order Up 3rd Season of Total Dramarama. Animation Magazine. Mercedes Milligan. July 31, 2020. August 1, 2020. August 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200805051813/https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/cake-and-fresh-tv-order-up-3rd-season-of-total-dramarama/. live.
  14. Cry Macho, Malignant, Limited Series Scenes from a Marriage, The Third Season of Doom Patrol, and Adventure Time: Distant Lands - Wizard City Arrive on HBO Max This September. WarnerMedia. The Futon Critic. August 19, 2021. September 3, 2021.
  15. This June Stream Westworld, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Father of the Bride, The Janes and More on HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery. The Futon Critic. May 23, 2022. June 6, 2022.
  16. Web site: Total Dramarama Episode Listings. The Futon Critic. 2018-08-24. 2023-07-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20230731062951/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/total-dramarama/listings/. live.
  17. Web site: Total DramaRama TV Review. Common Sense Media. Emily Ashby. 2018. May 31, 2021. June 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213907/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/total-dramarama. live.
  18. News: What to watch with your kids: The House With a Clock in Its Walls and more. The Washington Post. September 20, 2018. May 31, 2021. October 18, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181018002502/https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/what-to-watch-with-your-kids-the-house-with-a-clock-in-its-walls-and-more/2018/09/19/dde0afca-b6bc-11e8-a7b5-adaaa5b2a57f_story.html. live.