5 September 1997 (1997-09-05) – 21 December 2000 (2000-12-21)
Kipper is a British preschool animatedchildren's television series based on the characters from Mick Inkpen's Kipper the Dog picture book series.[1] Seventy-eight episodes were produced.[2] The videos have won awards including a BAFTA award for best children's animation. The show was produced by HIT Entertainment with animation production by Grand Slamm Children's Films, and ran for five seasons on ITV from September 1997 until December 2000. Out of these, thirteen episodes - twelve of the first series, and the last of the third series, were written by Mick Inkpen himself.
Premise
The series follows Kipper the Dog as he embarks on various adventures to an assortment of destinations throughout the English countryside. He is joined by friends, Tiger, Pig, Arnold, and Jake.
Characters
Kipper (voiced by Martin Clunes) is a fun-loving, caring and warm-hearted dog with a soft voice who is the titular character of the series. He embodies the true essence of what it means to carpe diem. He is also very selfless, even though he hoards lots of small belongings like books and toys. Kipper is a Jack Russell terrier who has many exciting encounters with his friends.
Tiger (voiced by Chris Lang) is Kipper's best friend. He is more realistic, practical, and wise than Kipper with a tendency to think long term. Sometimes Tiger can be very smug and haughty, even though he really is a kind dog at heart. Tiger is a Scottish terrier.
Pig (voiced by Chris Lang) is Kipper's second best friend. Pig is very outgoing, but loves normalcy and gets easily irritated by anything strange or mysterious. He likes to eat chocolate cake and biscuits.
Arnold (voiced by Chris Lang) is Pig's live-in toddler cousin and Kipper's third best friend. Even though Arnold cannot talk, he is actually more curious, observant, and intelligent than Pig. He can still say easy words like "duck", "kitten", and "igloo".
Jake (voiced by Chris Lang) is a friendly Old English sheepdog who is Kipper's fourth best friend. He is a minor character in the first series who makes more regular appearances after joining the main characters in the second series where he, Kipper, and Tiger have had many adventures together.
Mr. Frog (voiced by Chris Lang) is a magic frog who occasionally runs into Kipper.
The Bleeper People (voiced by Chris Lang) are two space aliens who live on the moon.
Mouse (voiced by Julia Sawalha, credited as Julie Sawalha in later appearances) is a young female mouse who lives with Kipper at his house. She speaks with an English accent and is the only female character who appears in the series.
The series aired on CITV in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it aired on Nick Jr. and PBS Kids Sprout. It also aired in Canada on YTV around the late 1990s as a part of its YTV Jr. lineup.
Home media
UK releases
In the United Kingdom, HIT Video and HIT Entertainment PLC both released various VHS tapes and DVD releases of the television series.
This list is for videos that were never released on physical media and are only available on digital download in the US. There are currently only two. One is called "Tales of Adventure" featuring episodes already on other releases. The other is an alternate version of "The Visitor & Other Stories" in which the episodes are in reverse order as to how they are on the US VHS release.
Release name
Release year
Episodes
Tales of Adventure
2013
The Goldfish
The Gismo
The Nest
The Seaside
The Big Freeze
The Swimming Pool
The Visitor & Other Stories
2013
Nothing Ever Happens
The Seaside
The Umbrella
The Visitor
Reception
Common Sense Media gives Kipper four out of five stars, and it says the show's characters are positive role models, except Tiger, "but he always learns his lessons"; all the characters "do lots of exploring and learn lessons about friendship, kindness, and the difference between right and wrong".[3] A list published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute names Kipper as the top television show for two- and three-year-old children because of its focus on "developing social and emotional intelligence" through interactions among its characters.[4]
References
^Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 482. ISBN978-1476665993.
^Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 54. ISBN9781476672939.
