Jane and the Dragon (TV series)

Last updated
This page refers to the television series. For the book series, see "Jane and the Dragon."
Jane and the Dragon
Jane and the Dragon (TV series).png
Genre
Created by Martin Baynton
Based on Jane and the Dragon
by Martin Baynton
Developed by
  • Martin Baynton
  • Ross Hastings
Written by
  • Martin Baynton
  • Steven Sullivan
  • Michael Stokes
  • Terri Baynton
  • Hugh Duffy
  • Ross Hastings
  • Jeff Schechter
  • Richard Elliott
  • Carolyn Hay
  • Simon Racioppa
Directed by
  • Mike Fallows
  • Theo Baynton
Voices of
Theme music composerMartin Kucaj
Composers
  • Geoff Bennett
  • Andre Hirz
  • Ben Johannesen
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • New Zealand
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producers
Production locationEngland
EditorAnnellie Rose Samuel
Running time23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseOctober 15, 2005 (2005-10-15) 
August 12, 2006 (2006-08-12)

Jane and the Dragon is a CGI children's animated television series based on the books of the same name by Martin Baynton. The show is directed by Mike Fallows and the motion capture is directed by Peter Salmon; it is co-produced by Weta Workshop (as Weta Productions) in New Zealand and Nelvana Limited in Canada. The series follows the comedic exploits of Jane-- an adolescent girl training to be a knight-- and her friend Dragon-- a talking, flying, 300-year-old, fire-breathing dragon. The program originally aired on YTV in Canada and on ABC in Australia. It also aired on the Qubo weekend lineup from September 9, 2006 (four weeks after its cancellation) until 2021, when the network shut down1. [1] It can be seen on Five in the UK. In American broadcasts, it bears the E/I bug. Episodes are available as part of the "Kids Suite" sold via Bell/Rogers in Canada and are broadcast on Tuesdays on Disney Junior on the Disney Channel. It has also been on Treehouse TV.

Contents

About the series

Jane is a redhead 12-year-old adolescent girl who lives in a small fictional kingdom called Kippernium [2] located in southern England. [3] According to the backstory explained in the opening theme song, Jane was being trained to become a lady-in-waiting but had always dreamed of becoming a knight. When the prince is kidnapped by a dragon, Jane sets out to slay the beast. When Jane brings the prince back, the king makes her a knight apprentice. Jane and the dragon end up becoming best friends. Further details of this early adventure are never explained in the series. They are, however, explained in detail in the book Jane and the Dragon by Martin Baynton. The series follows Jane's interactions with the rest of the castle's residents and their frequent adventures. Themes of integrity, loyalty, friendship, and courage are woven through the stories. Jane frequently makes errors in judgment, but every episode ends happily. As a knight apprentice, Jane trains and performs various tasks and duties around the castle. Her master is wise Sir Theodore. Sir Ivon, a valiant but somewhat comical knight, has an apprentice of his own named Gunther, a boy whose integrity seems outwardly questionable and whom Jane views as a rival. Dragon helps Jane as she trains to become a knight. When she is on patrol duty, he lets her ride on his back as he flies around the kingdom. Jane, in turn, helps Dragon, who is an orphan, in his efforts to uncover the secrets of his ancestry. In addition to Dragon, Jane has several other friends among the castle staff. Jester the royal jester, Pepper the castle cook and Rake the castle gardener are all about Jane's age. She is also friends with Smithy, the castle blacksmith and stable hand. Also residing in the castle are the King and Queen, their two children, Jane's parents and the wizard. The only non-resident of the castle seen is Gunther's father, a merchant who has regular dealings with Jane's father and the king. No other characters are seen or heard in the series. The wizard is never seen but he lives in a tower, in the far corner of the Royal Gardens near the castle. He is seemingly knowledgeable in alchemy. The younger members of the castle staff appear to be afraid of him, for some reason. While hoping to preserve verisimilitude in its portrait of the earthy characters inhabiting a medieval castle Baynton engineered into his depiction substitute swear words to avoid controversy with parents. Jane is prone to exclaiming "Maggots!" when frustrated or exasperated. In this manner the series taps into the imagination of children, encouraging them to find their own expressions that can be much more fun and creative and colourful than conventional profanity without being offensive. [4]

Characters

The characters were voice acted (in English) by the Canadian actors credited below and physically performed and motion-captured by a team of five actors at Weta Productions in New Zealand.

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Tests and Jests"January 8, 2006 (2006-01-08)
Jane has her knight in-training 'rescue the damsel' test. It is a difficult challenge that she must meet in order to carry on her apprenticeship as a knight. If Jane fails, she must sacrifice her bid to become a knight and face her fear of a future in the kitchens. The arranged marriage between the king and the queen is revealed.
2"The Tooth Fairy"January 15, 2006 (2006-01-15)
Dragon has a toothache and decides to have the tooth pulled only after hearing Jane’s tooth fairy story.
3"Jester Justice"January 22, 2006 (2006-01-22)
Jester’s hysterical impression of Ivon leads to a face saving duel. Jane is mortified, Jester is terrified and Jane's efforts to save her friend from public doom seem, well... doomed.
4"A Dragon's Tail"January 29, 2006 (2006-01-29)
Dragon comes down with a case of curly tail and it is up to Jane and Gunther to save him.
5"Shall We Dance"January 29, 2006 (2006-01-29)
Gunther insists that Jane isn’t good enough to become a real knight and Jane is determined to prove him wrong-- so much so, in fact, that she misses the Annual Ball and sets about trying to capture a flower thief.
6"The Offer"February 5, 2006 (2006-02-05)
Jane rushes to defend her friend Dragon, whose clumsiness is causing many problems around the castle, by concocting a story and lets her friends know that she and Dragon have received an offer to move to a castle where they love dragons.
7"Dragon Rules"February 19, 2006 (2006-02-19)
On their day off, Jane and her friends have the chance to play bandyball. Dragon joins in the game, but it ends in disaster. Jane manages to get the others to involve Dragon as referee, but playing a physical and noisy game like bandyball without disturbing the King is extremely tricky.
8"All Fools Day"February 26, 2006 (2006-02-26)
Jester's favorite day of the year, All Fools Day, is here, but a jealous Dragon threatens to ruin the fun with his terribly unfunny pranks. Jane is determined to pull a prank on Dragon, but he proves to be a very difficult target. There is an interesting twist at the end of this episode.
9"Dragon Diva"March 5, 2006 (2006-03-05)
Jester is the King’s best hope for winning the inter-kingdom competition of song. However, Jane’s overenthusiastic coaching results in Jester losing his voice. Hope is rekindled when Jane overhears a talented voice, but there is one problem: she cannot find the singer.
10"Adventures in Royal Babysitting"March 12, 2006 (2006-03-12)
When the King and Queen are gone for the day on royal business, Jane is entrusted with "protecting the royal heirs." Unfortunately, babysitting the bratty Prince and playful Princess wreaks havoc on Jane’s plan to study for one of Sir Theodore’s knighthood tests.
11"Three's a Crowd"March 19, 2006 (2006-03-19)
When Gunther pulls a practical joke on Jane, Dragon discovers he and Gunther share a similar sense of humor: lowbrow. Jane begins to feel left out, so she enlists Jester to give her a crash course on crass humor.
12"A Pig of a Problem"March 26, 2006 (2006-03-26)
When Smithy's pig bites the Prince, the King decides that Pig must be tethered. Smithy is devastated, as Pig is his pet and friend. When the King sells Pig to the merchant, Smithy's problems multiply.
13"A Thing of Beauty"April 2, 2006 (2006-04-02)
The King commissions a beautiful portrait of the Queen and Jane is entrusted to guard it before the grand unveiling gala. When Jane leaves her post to check in on Dragon, the Queen's portrait is left unattended, leaving Jane in big trouble.
14"Rune"April 9, 2006 (2006-04-09)
With the 300th anniversary of the castle approaching, Jane and Gunther are given an important chore to prepare for the Royal Jubilee. Whichever squire polishes more of the castle's myriad of shields will win the honor of carrying the banner in the Jubilee Parade. At the same time, Dragon wants Jane to come to his cave to help him decipher the carvings on his wall.
15"Foul Weather Friends"April 23, 2006 (2006-04-23)
While out on patrol, Dragon's spontaneous loop-de-loop causes Jane to slip off and free-fall through the air. Dragon manages to save her in the nick of time, but is shaken by the experience. He vows that no harm will come to her and becomes something of an overprotective parent. Jane rebels against his suffocating affection and unlocks one of the secrets of her runic sword.
16"Dragonphobia"May 7, 2006 (2006-05-07)
When Jane eats some berries and passes out ill, she reawakens with amnesia thinking she is still a Lady-in-waiting. Jane now knows only one thing is for certain; she is terrified of Dragon.
17"Pride and Pollen"May 14, 2006 (2006-05-14)
The scheming Merchant concocts a plan to get rid of Dragon once and for all.
18"Knight Light"May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21)
When Jane finds herself trapped in the privy at night, with no candle and a squeaky bat, she develops a sudden fear of the dark, so she has a set of candles in her room to feel safe. To make matters worse, Sir Ivon and Sir Theodore have built a hedge maze outside the castle, which Jane and Gunther must navigate at night. Princess Lavinia gets lost inside it while the wolves are hunting, leaving Jane to face her fears to save the day.
19"Fathers"May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21)
An adventure in a newly discovered underground chamber allows Jane and Dragon to learn a little more about each of their fathers.
20"Strawberry Fool"May 28, 2006 (2006-05-28)
When Princess Lavinia comes down with a cold, the King puts Jane in charge to cheer her up, but one by one, Jane's elaborate plans go awry.
21"Go West Young Gardener"June 4, 2006 (2006-06-04)
When Jane finds out that the King is bored with Pepper's cooking and that Rake has never traveled far beyond the castle, she figures that she can solve two problems with one Dragon flight.
22"Mismatched"July 16, 2006 (2006-07-16)
When Jane and Gunther get out of hand, Sir Theodore decides to settle their differences in the sparring arena. But when Pepper mistakes Gunther taking Jane's sword for a romance instead of courting, things start to get complicated. In this episode, Jester reveals his jealousy at the possibility that Jane and Gunther might be sweethearts.
23"Dragon's Egg"July 22, 2006 (2006-07-22)
The Merchant's new consignment of supplies contains an incredible object-- a dragon's egg.
24"King's Knight"July 29, 2006 (2006-07-29)
It is a proud day for Jane, as the squires and knights must make their annual pledge of allegiance to the King. The day gets more exciting when Jane and Jester find a map of the catacombs and set off on a mission to find what they hope is treasure. Instead, however, they stumble upon a terrible tomb.
25"The Last of the Dragonslayers"August 5, 2006 (2006-08-05)
When Sir Theodore assigns Jane the menial task of cleaning his sword, Gunther gloats over getting the easier task of Sentry duty. Dragon accuses Theodore of playing favorites, but Jane defends her mentor-- that is, until she discovers a broken sword in Sir Theodore's quarters with mysterious runes on its hilt.
26"For Crying Out Loud"August 12, 2006 (2006-08-12)
Jane tries to master her poorly done battle cry to call out above the din of battle. Meanwhile, the royal boar hunt is on and the squires are invited to join. Dragon cannot believe that Jane will not stand up for the defenseless boar.

Awards and nominations

The show was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production in 2007. [38]

Reception

Andrea Graham of Common Sense Media gave it 5 out of 5 stars and called it "a soaring delight." Graham also wrote: "With its lovable characters, engaging story lines, and wit reminiscent of the Shrek series, Jane and the Dragon may capture the attention of the entire family." [39]

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References

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  2. "Jane and the Dragon – Fun Facts". qubo.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Jane Ask Archive". qubo.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2010.
  4. "Last of the Dragon". Archived from the original on 2016-02-04.
  5. "Meet the Cast: Jane". Qubo.com. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  6. Kippernook, Lavinia. "A Thing of Beauty". Jane and the Dragon. You look nice today Jane. Your hair is very uh... red.
  7. "Mismatched". Jane and the Dragon.
  8. Foul Weather Friends
  9. 1 2 "Meet the Cast: Lady in Waiting". Qubo.
  10. "Shall We Dance". Jane and the Dragon.
  11. "Jester Justice". Jane and the Dragon. I've not laughed so hard in centuries
  12. "Rune". Jane and the Dragon.
  13. "Meet the Cast: Dragon". Qubo.com. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  14. "Dragon Diva". Jane and the Dragon.
  15. "Pride and Pollen". Jane and the Dragon.
  16. "Tests and Jests". Jane and the Dragon.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Meet the Cast: Jester. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  18. "Mismatched". Jane and the Dragon. (He got really jealous and mad when he thought that Jane and Gunther liked each other, Jane winks at the end
  19. "Strawberry Fool". Jane and the Dragon.
    "For Crying Out Loud". Jane and the Dragon.
  20. Meet the Cast: Smithy. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  21. "Smithy", Jethro. "A Pig of a Problem". Jane and the Dragon. 4 minutes in. Pig would never hurt a fly. The prince must have provoked her.
  22. Meet the Cast: Pepper. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  23. Royal Archives. Jane and the Dragon. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  24. "Shall We Dance". Jane and the Dragon. 2 minutes in.
  25. "Meet the Cast: Rake". Qubo.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011.
  26. "Go West Young Gardener". Jane and the Dragon.
  27. "All Fool's Day". Jane and the Dragon.
  28. Gardener, Rake. "The Offer". Jane and the Dragon. I am slightly terrified of him.
  29. "Knight Light". Jane and the Dragon.
  30. "Mismatched". Jane and the Dragon.
  31. Breech, Gunther. "Shall We Dance". Jane and the Dragon. 19 minutes in. My lady friend happens to be very fond of roses
  32. Meet the Cast: Magnus Breech. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  33. Meet the Cast: Queen Gwendolyn. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  34. Meet the Cast: Prince Cuthbert. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  35. Meet the Cast: Princess Lavinia. Qubo.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-28.
  36. "Foul Weather Friends". Jane and the Dragon.
  37. "Jester Justice". Jane and the Dragon.
  38. "Ratatouille Cooks Up Most Annie Nominations". Animation World Network. 2007-12-03. Archived from the original on 2006-05-13. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  39. Andrea Graham. "Jane and the Dragon TV Review". Common Sense Media .