Kid Paddle

"Kid Paddle" is a Belgian, French and Canadian co-produced animated series which has aired in the past on Teletoon, Saturday and Sunday at 1:30pm . EST. The show is based on the long running popular Franco-Belgian comic series of the same name, created by Michel Ledent (more commonly known as Midam).

Overview

The show covers all the passions and interests of 8 to 12-year-old boys. The main character, Kid Paddle, is your typical young boy with a passionate love for video games, comic books, Blorks (fictional aliens), and sci-fi television. His two best friends are Big Bang and Horace. Big Bang is more of a kid scientist, who is always creating new gadgets for Kid to try out. He is very intelligent for his age. Horace is more naive compared to the other two, and has a very bizarre appetite. He's always very supportive of Kid and looks up to him. As is typical for young children, Kid often fights with his sister, Carol, who finds her brother to be a degenerate air-head.

Regular features in the show cover video games, movies and DVDs, technology, and comic books. By the second season some of the story lines revolved around crushes and the differences between boys and girls. Two seasons of 26 half hour episodes (each consisting of two 11 minute episodes) have been produced thus far. It's not clear as of 2006 if a third season will be produced. The show has a huge following in its Belgian homeland, as well as in France. It entertains its target market well, but is also appealing for all ages. The show is currently trying to find a home in the US, but plans to air the show there have since gone on hiatus.

Characters

Kid Paddle

Kid is ten years old. He's not a child anymore, but he's not a teenager either. He lives with his dad and his sister, Carol. Kid is not his nickname. It's what's on his birth certificate. He's an artist. He draws well, and is particularly skillful when it comes to illustrating Blorknor's and Blorknor-like things. Kid isn't at the head of his class, nor is he flunking out. If he likes a subject he'll do well, but his passion for video games can have dire consequences (or benefits) on his marks. He prefers subjects which allow him to use his imagination like history, or math (Especially when Benjamin, the young math teacher, illustrates problems with Blorks!).

Big Bang

Big Bang is the only child of a couple of scientists who are always preoccupied with obscure research. He has everything he needs at home for his favorite past time, do-it-yourselfing. His "smarts" lend him a certain respect among his buddies, plus he doesn't carry on like a nerdy head of the class, licking boots and demanding extra assignments. No, he prefers to hover somewhere in the middle with Kid.

Horace Beckett

Kid's other best friend. Small, incredibly gullible and naïve, Horace has unlimited admiration for Kid. Of course, Big Bang and Kid adore him right back. Horace believes everything you tell him at face value, even when it's obviously unbelievable and made up. With or without Big Bang, Horace always finds himself mixed up in Kid Paddle's adventures. Another significant trait of Horace is his obsession with Rikiki, the duck.

Mr. Paddle

Thirty-five to forty, he works in an office but we never find out exactly what he does. Nothing exciting apparently. Nor too rigorous or relaxing. He is a single father raising two children. He doesn't oppose Kid's passion for video games, even if he thinks Kid spends too much time in front of the screen. In fact, he himself often spends too much time working in front of the computer.

Carole Paddle

Serious and a good student, Carol is around the same age as Kid. She may be older than Kid or younger -- maybe they're twins -- but either way she considers herself the mature one and can't stand Kid's foolishness. Despite her serious nature, Carol's not a nag or a nuisance.

Grandpa aka Pappy Paddle

Good old Grandad is a real softy who lives in an old folks home. Perhaps because he's a widower without a girlfriend, he frequently visits his son and grandchildren. He is close to his grandson but doesn't quite get "it" all the time... Mr. Paddle doesn't have the heart to correct his father. Besides, Kid's dad gets a kick out of watching his own son squirm. Grandpa Paddle gets confused about most things, but he's far from senile.

Max

Kid's biggest rival in videogames, Max often beats Kid's high scores at City Game. She is cool, calm and collected, while Kid bounces off the wall in frustration over a girl beating him in video games. Its not totally clear if Max and Kid like each other, but there are small hints throughout the series. If they do like each other, its purely on a competitive level.

Mr. Mirador

The owner of the City Game and Max's uncle. He is a man in his late 40s or early 50s. He is not married, does not have any children (or at least it is never mentioned) and treats his mutt Radar as his own child. He has a slight dislike towards Kid as he always shakes the machine and he either kicks him out of the City Game or have Radar bite a piece of his shorts.

English Cast

*Jessica Kardos - Max
*Daniel Brochu - Big Bang
*Pauline Little
*Eleanor Nobie
*Jennifer Begoin

Credits

*Directed by Olivier Bonnet.
*Writing credits:
*Laurent Bounoure - scenario
*Philippe Daniau - writer
*Salome Franck - writer
*Aline Leblon - scenario
*Midam - comic books
*Ghislaine Pujol - writer
*Laurent Rullier - writer
*Nasser Zeboudj - writer
*Original Music by Mark Lipsky and Kevin Morane
*Production Design by Marisa Musy
*Guy Quelquejeu - character designer

Production Companies

*Canal J
*Dupuis Audiovisuel
*M6
*Radio Télévision Belge Francofone (RTBF)
*Spectra Animation
*Teletoon

*Runtime: 52 half hours, totaling 104 11 minute episodes
*Country: Belgium / Canada / France
*Language: French / English

External links

* [http://www.KidPaddle.com Kid Paddle Official Website]