Kratt brothers

Last updated

Chris and Martin Kratt
KrattBrothers.jpg
The Kratt brothers in 2010
Born
Martin William Kratt
Christopher Frederick James Kratt

Martin: (1965-12-23) December 23, 1965 (age 58)
Chris: (1969-07-19) July 19, 1969 (age 54)
Occupations
  • Zoologists
  • educational nature show hosts
  • YouTuber
Years active1990–present
Television Wild Kratts
Zoboomafoo
Kratts' Creatures
Be The Creature
Spouse(s)Martin:
Laura Wilkinson
(m. 2000)

Chris:
Tania Armstrong
(m. 2000)
ChildrenMartin: 2
Chris: 2
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2018–present
Genre Animals
Subscribers54.2 thousand [1]
Total views6.7M views [1]
Website www.wildkratts.com

Martin William Kratt (born December 23, 1965) and Christopher Frederick James Kratt (born July 19, 1969) are American zoologists, educational nature show hosts and YouTubers. Sons of musical instrument manufacturer William King "Bill" Kratt, [2] the brothers grew up in Warren Township, New Jersey, [3] and together created children's television series Kratts' Creatures , Zoboomafoo , [4] Be the Creature (which aired on the National Geographic Channel and CBC), and Wild Kratts (which airs on PBS Kids and TVOKids). [5]

Contents

Early lives and education

Martin was born on December 23, 1965, and Chris was born on July 19, 1969, in New Jersey to Linda (born 1939) and William Kratt (1928-2022). [6] They are the grandsons of musical instrument maker William Jacob Kratt (1892-1983), who emigrated from Germany to America in 1910. [7]

The brothers attended Watchung Hills Regional High School. Both were inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2013. [8] Martin holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology from Duke University, [9] and Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Carleton College. [10]

Career

Shortly after graduating from Duke University, Martin became a research assistant for a howler monkey project under Dr. Kenneth Glander in Costa Rica. Shortly after, he worked with Dr. Patricia Wright in Madagascar as well as Dr. John Terbogh in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. [11] In 1990, Chris served as an intern at Conservation International in Washington, D.C. A year later, he started the Carleton Organization for Biodiversity. His ecology studies have been funded by the Explorers Club and the National Science Foundation. He was also the recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Chris also starred alongside his brother Martin in the show Zoboomafoo , which aired from 1999 to 2001. On this PBS Kids show, they went on many adventures with animals with the help of Zoboomafoo, a Coquerel's sifaka lemur (Propithecus coquereli). The other shows the brothers created are Wild Kratts , Be the Creature , Kratt's Creatures , and Wild Alaska Live.

From June 13 to August 3, 2008, the brothers appeared in Creature Adventures, a stage show at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. [12] They also appear as themselves in the Odd Squad episode "Night Shift". Additionally, in the Nature Cat crossover episode “Wild Batts”, the Kratt Brothers voice bat versions of themselves looking for a new home. They also appear in the Molly of Denali crossover episode “Cry Wolf” as themselves looking for a missing pack of wolves in that episode with the help of Molly Mabray (the series protagonist) and her father.

In 2017, Dr Gavin Svenson discovered a new species of mantis and named it Liturgusa krattorum after the brothers for their impact on the educational television genre. A special episode of Wild Kratts was later released to commemorate the occasion.

Personal lives

The brothers have lived in Ottawa, Ontario since 2008, [13] [14] where they film and produce their TV series Wild Kratts.

Martin Kratt

Martin is married to Laura Wilkinson and has two sons, Ronan and Gavin, both of whom have had roles on Wild Kratts.

Chris Kratt

Chris has two sons, Aidan and Nolan, with his wife Tania Armstrong, an interior designer whom he married in 2000 in Botswana. [15] [16] Like their cousins Gavin and Ronan, Aidan and Nolan have roles in Wild Kratts as animated versions of themselves.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Kratt</span> American educational nature show host

Martin William Kratt is an American zoologist, educational nature show host and YouTuber. A grandson of musical-instrument manufacturer William Jacob Kratt, Sr., he and his younger brother Chris grew up in Warren Township, New Jersey, and together created the children's television series Kratts' Creatures and Zoboomafoo, as well as Be the Creature, which runs on the National Geographic Channel and Knowledge Network. They are the main characters on the animated TV series Wild Kratts, which airs on PBS Kids. The other show he created is called Wild Alaska Live. Martin holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Duke University. They also appear as themselves in the Odd Squad episode "Night Shift".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Kratt</span> American actor/biologist (born 1969)

Christopher Frederick James Kratt is an American biologist, educational nature show host and YouTuber. A grandson of musical-instrument manufacturer William Jacob "Bill" Kratt, he and his older brother Martin grew up in Warren Township, New Jersey, and together created children's television series Kratts' Creatures, Zoboomafoo, and Be the Creature, as well as Wild Kratts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Carleton College. Chris co-hosts all of his educational childhood programs with his older brother Martin Kratt.

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<i>Zoboomafoo</i> 1999 television series

Zoboomafoo is a live-action/animated children's television series that originally aired on PBS from January 25, 1999, to November 21, 2001. It was formerly shown in public television and was regularly shown on Sprout until 2012. A total of 65 episodes were aired. A creation of the Kratt Brothers, it features a four-(later five)-year-old talking lemur named Zoboomafoo, performed by Canadian puppeteer Gord Robertson, and mainly portrayed by a lemur named Jovian, along with a collection of returned animal guests.

Be the Creature is a TV series created by the Kratt Brothers, in which they immerse themselves in the lives of different animals around the world, living alongside them to experience their natural behaviors and habitats firsthand. The show combines adventure and education, offering insights into the lives of wildlife through the brothers' close encounters.

Watchung Hills Regional High School is a regional comprehensive public high school and school district serving students in portions of Somerset and Morris Counties in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Students from Warren Township and from the neighboring communities of Watchung, and Green Brook in Somerset County and Long Hill Township in Morris County attend the school. The high school is located in Warren Township on Stirling Road and is the only facility of the Warren Hills Regional High School District.

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Kratts' Creatures is a half-hour children's television series that originally ran on PBS during the summer of 1996. The first in a series of programs produced by the Kratt Brothers, Chris and Martin Kratt, Kratts' Creatures was made to be the first wildlife show aimed specifically towards young children. It featured the Kratt Brothers as they traveled worldwide, exploring different animals and their habitats. They received assistance from their friends Allison Baldwin and Ttark, an animated anthropomorphic dinosaur. The show ran for one season on PTV from June 3, 1996, to August 9, 1996, with 50 episodes, with reruns continuing to air until June 9, 2000. Due to its popularity, the show inspired an unofficial spin-off, Zoboomafoo, created by the Kratts, which premiered on January 25, 1999.

Ron Rubin is a Canadian voice actor and writer. His credits include X-Men: The Animated Series (Morph), The Avengers: United They Stand, C.O.P.S., Police Academy, Beetlejuice, Stickin' Around, Care Bears, Kratts' Creatures (Tark), and the English-language dub of Sailor Moon (Artemis).

<i>Wild Kratts</i> Live-action/animated television series from PBS Kids

Wild Kratts is an live action/animated comedy educational children's television series that uses a hybrid of live action and Flash animation. The series was created by the Kratt brothers, Chris and Martin. The Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group produce the show, which is presented by PBS Kids in the United States and by TVOKids in Canada. The show's aim is to educate children about species, biology, zoology, and ecology, and teach kids small ways to make big impacts. It has ties to the Kratts' previous shows, Kratts' Creatures and Zoboomafoo, and contains numerous characters from the latter. Spanning over twelve years, Wild Kratts is the longest running program made by the Kratt Brothers. It was also the last show to premiere on the PBS Kids Go! block before the block was discontinued in 2013 in favor of making PBS Kids aimed at all children young and old alike.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jovian (lemur)</span> Coquerels sifaka who portrayed Zoboo in Zoboomafoo

Jovian was a Coquerel's sifaka lemur, best known for portraying the title character in the children's television series Zoboomafoo.

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<i>Liturgusa krattorum</i> Species of insect

Liturgusa krattorum, also known as the Kratts' Lichen Mantis, is a species of mantis that was discovered by Gavin Svenson and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in 2014. These species of mantis are mainly found in Peru. They live in tall trees, where they are preyed upon by predators such as birds and monkeys. The species themselves prey upon smaller insects, using their great speed in order to catch and kill prey in a similar method to species such as cheetahs. Ambush predator behaviors have also been observed. They are very small at a few centimeters long.

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References

  1. 1 2 "About @TheKrattBros". YouTube.
  2. Kerr, Grady. "The History of the Pitchpipe: 80 Years and Still on Pitch" . Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  3. Hopkins, Tom. "BROTHERS TROT GLOBE TO FILM CREATURES FOR KIDS' SHOW", Dayton Daily News , May 30, 1996. Accessed December 24, 2007. "Returning home, they killed the film in the basement of the family home in Warren, N.J., and cut five short films."
  4. "PBS – Zoboomafoo: Family Fun". PBSKids.org. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  5. Hopkins, Tom. "BROTHERS TROT GLOBE TO FILM CREATURES FOR KIDS' SHOW", Dayton Daily News , May 30, 1996. Accessed December 24, 2007. "Returning home, they edited the film in the basement of the family home in Warren, N.J., and killed five short films."
  6. "William Kratt Obituary (1928 - 2022) - Legacy Remembers". Legacy.com .
  7. "Made in Jersey: Perfect pitch has always been a family affair in Union County, NJ". March 4, 2014.
  8. Mathews, Ellie. "Watchung Hills Principal, Teacher Top Hall of Fame Class; Joseph Battiato, Matthew Kantor, Chris and Martin Kratt, Robert Oppenheim and Lawrence von Beidel also inducted.", Warren, NJ Patch, April 8, 2013. Accessed January 26, 2020. "The Watchung Hills Hall of Fame committee has announced its 2013 honorees, persons who have served or brought honor to the high school through their efforts or achievements. They will be honored at a ceremony to be held on May 10 in the school's Performing Arts Center. Those named for the honor are:... Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, brothers whose educational television programs and films about wildlife and animals are aired on National Geographic Channel and PBS"
  9. "PBS-Zoboomafoo: Family Fun". PBSKids.org. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  10. "PBS – Zoboomafoo: Family Fun". PBSKids.org. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  11. "How the Nature-Loving Kratt Brothers Became PBS Rock Stars for the Younger Set". July 3, 2021.
  12. "Creature Adventures starring the Kratt Brothers at Dollywood". Dollywood.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  13. Robb, Peter (November 30, 2013). "Brothers Gone Wild". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  14. Robb, Peter (November 30, 2013). "BROTHERS GONE WILD". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved July 18, 2018 via PressReader.
  15. Politowicz, Tracy Ann (January 8, 2011). "Brothers Martin and Chris Kratt trade Somerset County for the wide world of wildlife". The Star-Ledger. Nj.com. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  16. O'Brien, Elizabeth (February 12, 2001). "Animal Magnetism". People Magazine. Time Inc. Retrieved July 18, 2018.