Peppa Pig is a British preschool animated television series directed and produced by Astley Baker Davies in association with Entertainment 1, which originally aired on 31 May 2004. It went on a hiatus for just over 2 years before re-premiering on 14 February 2015. To date, 6 seasons have been completely aired, with a 7th currently airing. It is shown in 180 territories.[1]
Background
Peppa Pig is a children's television programme broadcasting on Thames Television (UK) Channel 5 and Nick Jr. in the UK, Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. in the USA, ABC 4 Kids in Australia and Discovery Kids in Latin America, including Brazil. Each episode is approximately 5 minutes long. The show revolves around Peppa, an anthropomorphic female pig, and her family and friends. Each of her friends is a different species of mammal. Peppa's friends are the same age as she is, and Peppa's younger brother George's friends are the same age as him. Episodes tend to feature everyday activities such as attending playgroup, going swimming, visiting their grandparents, cousins, going to the playground or riding their bikes.
The characters wear clothes, live in houses, and drive cars, but still display some characteristics of the animals on which they are based. Peppa and her family snort like pigs during conversations in which they are speaking in English, the other animals make their respective noises when they talk, with some exhibiting other characteristics, such as the Rabbit family's communications of squeaking sounds and their enjoyment of carrots. The Rabbits are also the sole exception to the rule of human-like habitation, in that they live in a burrow in a hill, although it does have windows and is furnished in the same way as the other houses. The characters also blush when embarrassed and their mouths are used to express other emotions such as sadness, happiness, irritation, bewilderment and confusion. Although the mammals are anthropomorphic, other animals are not, for example, Tiddles the tortoise, Polly Parrot, and the ducks. In addition, the narrator of the series John Sparkes reinforces the action and humour, saying things like "Oh, dear" when something unfortunate happens (such as George starts crying) or "Look out!" when a character is doing something unsafe (such as Peppa riding her bicycle without looking where she's going).
The 1st series of 52 5-minute episodes started on Channel 5 on 31 May 2004, and had its American premiere as part of Cartoon Network's Tickle-U preschool television programming block on 22 August 2005, redubbed with American actors,[2] and Noggin in December 2007 and January 2008. As of 2014, the series currently airs on the Nick Jr. channel in the US. In the United Kingdom, it can also be seen on Nick Jr., the same with Portugal, Italy, Benelux, Scandinavia and Australia. In Taiwan, the show can be seen on Playhouse Disney. The 2nd series of 52 episodes began on Channel 5 on Monday 4 September 2006, with Cecily Bloom replacing Lily Snowden-Fine as Peppa, amongst other cast changes. The 3rd series started broadcasting on the Channel 5 kids block, Milkshake! on 4 May 2009 with Harley Bird replacing Cecily Bloom and Lily Snowden-Fine as Peppa.
Characters
Take a look at the list of characters...
Episodes and DVD releases
- Main article: Episodes
Books
There is a line of Personalised books in which any child can be added into the story with Peppa and her friends.[3] There is also a series of books based on Peppa Pig, 1 of which, Peppa Meets the Queen, was written to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Film and "cinema experience"
A 15-minute film called Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots[4] was released on 14 February 2015[5] alongside several episodes of the TV series.[6] As of December 2015, it had grossed £2,326,328.[7]
A 2nd film, branded a "cinema experience" was released on 16 March 2017, and was shown in cinemas on 7 April 2017. It features 9 exclusive new episodes, 4 of which share the same theme, Peppa's holiday in Australia. Between the episodes are segments with a live-action host named Daisy and Peppa and George as 3D puppets, based on the Peppa Pig Live stage show.
Peppa Pig World Theme Park
Peppa Pig World, a family theme park located in the New Forest, Hampshire,[8] opened on 9 April 2011 at Paultons Park, Hampshire, UK with 7 rides, an indoor play zone, a muddy puddles water splash park, smaller play areas and themed buildings.
Merchandise
Peppa Pig, the Entertainment 1 (e1) brand, grossed over £200 million in UK merchandise sales in 2010, far exceeding the 2009 figure of £100 million. Additionally, for the 1st time in the brand's history, NPD figures for the year reveal that Peppa Pig was the number 1 preschool property in the total toy market for 2010 – moving up 4 places from its previous position in 2009. Now in its 7th year, new licensees continue to join the Peppa Pig licensing programme, which currently has 63 licensees on board.[9]
In addition to episode DVDs, a variety of licensed Peppa Pig products are available, play including video games and other toys such as playsets, playing cards, vehicles, and stuffed toys. Merchandise has also been expanded to include household items such as bathroom products, stationery,[10] bed-linens, food, drink, clothing, and jewellery. Licensees include Holland Publishing in the United Kingdom.
Criticism, controversy, and safety concerns
Comparison of identical frame in original (top) and re-edited versions of the Series 1 episode "Bicycles", with cycle helmets added.
Peppa and her family did not wear seat belts in the 1st and the 2nd series. After receiving several complaints, Astley Baker Davies announced that all future animation would include characters wearing seat belts, and that the relevant scenes in the 1st 2 series would be re-animated to include them.[11] Similar changes were also made to early episodes with characters riding bicycles to add cycle helmets, which were not included in the original versions.[12]
In April 2010, during the UK General Election campaign, E1 Entertainment confirmed Peppa would not be attending the launch of the UK Labour Party's families manifesto "in the interests of avoiding any controversy or misunderstanding". Peppa had previously been used to promote the Labour government's Sure Start programme.[1]
In 2012, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation received a complaint that the episode "Mister Skinnylegs" was not appropriate for Australian audiences, since it encouraged befriending spiders. Given the toxicity and widespread distribution of some dangerous Australian spiders, notably the common Redback Spider, the complaint was upheld and the episode not aired again.[13]
In late May 2014, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Mark Scott expressed fears about the future of Peppa on Australian television, given Australian federal budget cuts to ABC funding that were said to affect its ability to pay for, and broadcast, overseas media products such as Peppa Pig. Australian media noted the character's appeal to Australian toddlers and echoed concerns about the future of her Australian distribution rights. Australian Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce made reference to the character as a menu item at a Thai restaurant, while conservative columnist Piers Akerman thought that Peppa "pushes a weird feminist line".[14] On 28 May 2014, then-Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull quelled fears about the future of Peppa Pig on Australian TV, by tweeting that: "Contrary to media rumours, Peppa's is 1 snout we are happy to have in the ABC trough".[15]
During September 2015, the cartoon once again entered the realm of political parody, as commentators referenced it when making light of the supposed Piggate scandal revolving around David Cameron.[16] Earlier in 2015, former UK health minister Norman Lamb said that programmes such as Peppa Pig should include gay characters, because having arbitrary boundaries as to what relationships are acceptable in children's television was "not equitable".[17]
Credits
Season 1: See here
Season 2: See here
Season 3: See here
Season 4: See here
Season 5: See here
Awards and nominations
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- Awards
- British Academy Children's Awards
- Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2005, Winner of the Grand Prize, The Crystal for Best TV Production[20]
- Bradford Animation Film Festival 2005, Winner of Best Children's Animation Series
- Cartoons on the Bay Festival 2005, Winner of Pulcinella Award for Best European Programme of the Year
- Cartoons on the Bay Festival 2005, Winner of Pulcinella Award for Best Pre-School Series
- Cartoons on the Bay Festival 2005, Children's audience award for Best Pre-School series
- Nominations
- British Academy Children's Awards
- 2013, Nomination for Best Pre-School Animation[21]
- 2013, Nomination for Best Writing[21]
- 2013, Nomination for Best Multiplatform (Peppa Pig's Holiday game)[21]
- 2010, Nomination for Best Pre-School Animation
- 2010, Nomination for Best Writing
- 2009, Nomination for Best Pre-School Animation
- 2009, Nomination for Best Writing
- 2008, Nomination for Best Pre-School Animation
- 2007, Nomination for Best Pre-School Animation
- 2004, Nomination for Best Pre-School Animation
Software
Peppa Pig: The Game
Peppa Pig: The Game was developed by Ubisoft and published by Pinnacle Inc. It was released on 27 November 2009 for the Nintendo Wii console and Nintendo DS hand-held game system. It is a children's video game to learn and play, and it contains 11 games and activities.
Peppa Pig: Fun and Games
Peppa Pig: Fun and Games was developed by Ubisoft and published by Pinnacle Inc. It was released on 22 October 2010 for the Nintendo Wii console and Nintendo DS hand-held game system.
Peppa Pig: Theme Park Fun
Peppa Pig: Theme Park Fun was released for Nintendo DS hand-held game system.
References
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Peppa Pig in the USA
Peppa Pig first appeared in the USA on the short-lived Tickle-U block on Cartoon Network back in 2005. In this time, it was completely re-dubbed for American viewers.
After this, the original series left in-tact was placed on the Nick Jr. block on Nickelodeon, then eventually to the Nick Jr. Channel. Reruns and new episodes stopped airing on the Nick Jr. block on Nickelodeon in February 2019, with the exception of Christmas 2019.