Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids
| Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Nadine Velde |
| Directed by | Mike Fallows Kevin McDonagh (timing director) |
| Voices of | Brooke Shields Rick Moranis Tony Jay Marc Donato Julie Lemieux Aaryn Doyle Alexander Lai Scott Beaudin Rebecca Brenner Mitchell Eisner |
| Music by | Jeff Danna |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 49 minutes |
| Production company | Nelvana |
| Original release | |
| Network | Treehouse TV |
| Release | March 31, 2003 |
Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids is a 2003 Canadian animated television special produced by Nelvana. It serves as the pilot for the show Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends. It aired on Treehouse TV in Canada on March 31, 2003, a year before the series began.[1] The special was based on David Kirk's book series of the same name, as well as the Sunny Patch brand of toys that Kirk designed.[2] The special features well-known celebrity voices including US actress Brooke Shields as the voice of Miss Spider, Rick Moranis as the voice of Holley, and Tony Jay as the voice of Spiderus Reeves.
The characters were "CGI animated insects and arachnids in a relatively natural setting which has a similar plot with anthropomorphic qualities appropriate for a children's story", as described by the Nelvana executives.
Plot[edit]
Miss Flora Spider has been living happily with her new husband Holley, but becomes nervous when she hatches five eggs on the same day. She worries about becoming a mother, since her own mother abandoned her before she hatched. But her adoptive mother, Betty Beetle, tells her that she has nothing to worry about. When the eggs hatch out five new spiders, the family becomes overjoyed.
Years pass and as the spider kids grow up, the family finds an egg and decorate it. Thinking its mother is looking for it, Squirt, one of the spiderlings, decides to return it. While going through the forest, he comes upon three kid orphans: Dragon the Dragonfly, Shimmer the Jewel Beetle, and Bounce the Bedbug who are bandits living in the forest. When the young spider explains that he is looking for the egg’s mother, Bounce reveals that they do not have parents either, although Dragon says that they are still looking for them. Shimmer decides that they should tag along and help Squirt.
Suddenly, Spiderus, a grumpy and vicious giant white spider who was jealous after Miss Spider chose Holley over him, arrives and tries to take the egg. The kids manage to scare him away. Meanwhile, Miss Spider has discovered that Squirt is missing and fears for the worst. She and Holley decide to search for him. With the help of Spiderus, who now agrees to help in the rescue mission, Miss Spider and Holley now know where Squirt is.
Snow starts to fall, and kids find Stinky, a stink bug, in his home. They take shelter there until morning. By the time the kids leave, the three adult spiders arrive. Spiderus meets and falls in love with a female spider named Spindella. The kids arrive at a barn, where a hen, revealed to be the mother of the egg, attacks. Just as Squirt is about to be eaten, Miss Spider and Holley arrive and save him.
The egg hatches and is reunited with its mother. Squirt introduces his new friends to his parents. Miss Spider decides to adopt them, since she herself understands how it feels to be orphaned, along with eight being a perfect number to her. They are all overjoyed and return home. As all the kids sleep, Miss Spider understands that it does not matter what other bugs are, all that matters is that they are all family.
Squirt is eventually thought to be missing again, but he is soon found outside, flying on his web. The other kids wake up and run outside and play. As the adults look outside, they all join in the fun as they shout out "Bugs Away!"
Voice cast[edit]
- Brooke Shields as Miss Spider
- Scott Beaudin as Squirt
- Rebecca Brenner as Shimmer
- Mitchell Eisner as Dragon
- Julie Lemieux as Bounce
- Rick Moranis as Holley
- Tony Jay as Spiderus
- Mary-Frances Buffery as Little Miss Spider
- Marc Donato as Wiggle
- Aaryn Doyle as Pansy / Baby Earwig / Snowdrop (singing voice).
- Austin Di Iulio as Spinner
- Patricia Gage as Betty Beetle
- Catherine Gallant as Beatrice
- Emily Hampshire as Katie
- Alexandra Lai as Snowdrop (speaking voice)
- Scott McCord as Stinky
- Phil McCordick as Flint
- Stephanie Morgenstern as Ladybug
- Kristina Nicoll as Spindella (Girl Spider)
- Peter Oldring as Gus
- Ezra Perlman as Eddy
- Cara Pifko as Eunice
- Wayne Robson as Mr. Mantis
- Alison Sealy-Smith as Mama Snake
- Robert Smith as Pillbug
- Robert Tinkler as Grub
- Jonathan Wilson as Ant 1
- Philip Williams as Ant 2
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. p. 346. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.
- ^ "Lifestyle Products". Archived from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
External links[edit]
- 2003 computer-animated films
- 2003 television films
- 2003 films
- 2003 television specials
- 2000s animated television specials
- Canadian television specials
- Teletoon original programming
- Animated films based on children's books
- Animated films about insects
- Nelvana television specials
- Films about spiders
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated films
- Films scored by Jeff Danna
- Works about families
- 2003 in Canadian television
- 2000s American films
- 2000s Canadian animated films