The Jungle Book (2010 TV series) explained

Genre:	Animation
Creator:	Christian Croquet
Based On:	Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book
Developer:	DQ Entertainment
Director:	Tapaas Chakravarti
Opentheme:	"It's in the jungle book"
Endtheme:	"It's in the jungle book"
Composer:	Guy Michelmore
Num Seasons:	3
Num Episodes:	155
Executive Producer:	Christophe di Sabatino
Producer:	Tapaas Chakravati
Runtime:	11 minutes
Company:	DQ Entertainment International ZDF Enterprises MoonScoop (Season 1–2) Ellipsanime Productions (Season 3)

The Jungle Book is a 3D CGI animated television series co-produced by DQ Entertainment International, MoonScoop (Season 1–2), Ellipsanime Productions (Season 3), ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, TF1 (Season 1–2) and Les Cartooneurs Associés (Season 3). It is based on the Rudyard Kipling book of the same name.

Plot

The Jungle Book is about the adventures of Mowgli, a human foundling raised by Akela's wolf pack, and his best friends, fatherly bear Baloo and playful panther Bagheera. They live in the Indian jungle where many dangers lurk, such as the mighty Bengal tiger Shere Khan. The inquisitive Mowgli often gets himself into trouble and can't resist helping animals in danger or solving other problems.

Characters

Main

• Mowgli (voiced by Emma Tate in seasons 1–2 and Sarah Natochenny in season 3) is a human boy raised by wolves in the jungle, as the adoptive son of Daruka and Raksha, and the brother of Lali and Bala. He keeps a tiger claw as a pendant which he took in a battle from Shere Khan. Mowgli is never depicted as naked, as in the book.
• Bagheera (voiced by Sam Gold in seasons 1–2 and Abe Goldfarb in season 3) is a black panther. He is Mowgli's best friend. Unlike most other adaptations (like Disney's 1967 film), Bagheera is not as wise or strict as in the book. Most animals in the jungle never dare to step in the way of the panther. He often fights Shere Khan to save Mowgli.
• Baloo (voiced by Jimmy Hibbert in seasons 1–2 and David Wills in season 3) is a sloth bear In the series, he is bipedal, wears glasses and he is Mowgli's mentor. Baloo likes to tell stories of the jungle.
• Kaa (voiced by Joseph J. Terry in seasons 1–2, Billy Bob Thompson in season 3) is an Indian python who is sort of friends with Mowgli, Bagheera, and Baloo, yet moody and feared.

Seeonee Wolf Pack

• Akela (voiced by Joseph J. Terry in seasons 1–2) is an Indian wolf who is the most trusted leader of the Seeonee Wolf Pack and the grandfather of Phaona. He is father of Daruka and in law of Raksha.
• Daruka (voiced by Aaron Albertus in seasons 1–2) is the adopted father of Mowgli. Although Mowgli usually lives with Baloo and Bagheera, he visits Daruka's family sometimes.
• Raksha is the adopted mother of Mowgli. She is patient and motherly, but can be stern when necessary.
• Lali is the daughter of Daruka and Raksha. She is sweet, and caring, like her mother, but can be extremely protective and rebellious. Her grandfather is Akela.
• Bala is the son of Daruka and Raksha. He is a brave and loyal, but competitive wolf, who often gets in trouble. His grandfather is Akela.

Villains

• Shere Khan (voiced by David Holt in seasons 1–2 and Marc Thompson in season 3) is a Bengal tiger who is the main antagonist of the series. He's territorial and going to kill and eat Mowgli, but often fails in his attempts. He has a scar on his left eye. Shere Khan lost one of his claws in an earlier fight with Mowgli who keeps the claw as a pendant.
• Tabaqui (voiced by Nigel Pilkington in seasons 1–2) is an Indian jackal. He is Shere Khan's sycophantic, greedy, devious sidekick where he lacks the courage to disagree with his tiger master. He is usually the one to set up traps for Mowgli so Shere Khan can eat him.
• Bandar-log are a group of langurs who like to cause trouble for Mowgli and his friends. They live in the Cold Lair temple ruins.
  • Masha (voiced by Joseph J. Terry in seasons 1–2) is a langur who is the queen of the Bandar-logs.
• Jacala is a mugger crocodile who would eat anyone that trespasses into his territory. He had his baby crocodiles.
• Kala (voiced by Sam Gold in season 1-2) is a black panther that looks like Bagheera, with a scar. Highly territorial and hostile towards Bagheera and Mowgli, he also has a scar on his right eye.
• Phaona (voiced by Aaron Albertus in seasons 1–2) is an Indian wolf who is the grandson of Akela. He dislikes Mowgli being in the wolf pack, tries every attempt to expel the adopted human from the pack, and will stop at nothing to attempt becoming the next pack leader. Phaona's plots tend to backfire and he tends to get punished by his grandfather.
• Harjeet/Harjit is a bad-tempered honey badger.
• Kaloo is a crow who works for Shere Khan, and has a rivalry with Tabaqui.

Other animals

• Darzi (voiced by Peter Michail/Teresa Gallagher in seasons 1–2) is a tiny red tailorbird without a mate or nest. Brave for her size and friendly, but poor as a messenger (as in the book) causing bird-brain and terrible memory.
• Hathi (voiced by Phil Lollar in seasons 1–2) is a wise Indian elephant who is the leader of the jungle's elephants.
  • Gajjini is a light violet elephant who is the wife of Hathi.
  • Appu and Hita are Hathi and Gajjini's two calves who are Mowgli's friends.
• Rangoo is a colourful fruit-eating bird.
• Cheel is a kite.
• Ikki is an Indian crested porcupine.
• Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (voiced by Nigel Pilkington in seasons 1–2) is an Indian gray mongoose. Here he lives in the jungle with the other animals. He is very cute-faced, ferret-sized and fearless (once even fought with Shere Khan in order to defend Mowgli).
• Thuu is an Indian cobra, occasionally the leader of a cobra's nest.
• Manny is a young langur who is friends with Mowgli.
• Oo and Boo are a couple of old turtles.
• Pavo is a leucistic peacock.
• Alonna is a demoiselle crane.
• Hoola/Phoola is a peacock who is Pavo's rival.
• Rana is a wild pig who has a short temper.
• Baby Monkey is a monkey is a friend of Mowgli.
• Ravi and Vira are a bluebird couple.
• Chota is a Bengal tiger cub who is friends with Mowgli.
• Ponya is a red panda.
• ChuChip/ChooChip is a young sambar deer whom Mowgli befriends.
• Bella is a female bear that Baloo falls for, but she's actually trying to get rid of Baloo, but she later reformed after she and Baloo Recouncil.
• Bara is a barasingha deer who dreams of becoming one of Santa's flying reindeer.
• Lori is a loris who is always worried about Bara.
• Ackney is an Indian giant squirrel.
• Chappal is an adult sambar deer and the mother of Chuchip.
• Chanda is an adult Bengal tiger and the mother of Chota.
• Anupam is a blind monkey and teacher that teaches Mowgli.

Production

Tapaas Chakravarti, Chairman and CEO of DQ Entertainment, said that they decided to make the second season of Jungle Book after the tremendous success of the first season in India and globally. The animated series had a fan following and, in his view, created the need to see more stories about Mowgli and his jungle friends. Tapas said that the second season will be followed by a TV movie special, a Christmas special, a Halloween special and many other spin-offs. The partnership between DQ Entertainment and ZDF was described as symbiotic as they were producing several other projects for them.^[1]

An animated feature film based on the series was released in 2013.^[2] The film was produced by Tapaas Chakravarti, and directed by Jun Falkenstein and Kevin Johnson.^[3]

DQ Entertainment co-produced the third season with Ellipsanime.^[4]

Episodes

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	52
	2	52
	3	52

Season 3 (2019–2020)

See also

• List of Indian animated television series

External links

• – the series
• – the film
• The Jungle Book streaming on ZEE5

Notes and References

1. Web site: DQ E and ZDF Enterprises to Co-Produce Second Series of the Jungle Book. PR Newswire. 4 February 2011. 30 May 2016. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053146/http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dq-e-and-zdf-enterprises-to-co-produce-second-series-of-the-jungle-book-156399495.html. live.
2. Book: The jungle book: return 2 the jungle. 1920. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.. 855019039.
3. "The Jungle Book ". www.bcdb.com, 13 April 2013
4. Web site: DQE Signs Co-Pro Deal for 'The Jungle Book' Season 3. Animation World Network. 15 September 2020. 6 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191006190923/https://www.awn.com/news/dqe-signs-co-pro-deal-jungle-book-season-3. live.