Little Shop

Last updated
Little Shop
Little Shop Title Card.jpg
Based on The Little Shop of Horrors by
Charles B. Griffith
Developed byMark Edward Edens
Ellen Levy-Sarnoff
Starring
Composers Haim Saban
Shuki Levy
Country of origin
  • United States
  • France
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producersHaim Saban
Joe Taritero
Winston Richard
Ellen-Levy Sarnoff
Running time20 min.
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseSeptember 7 (1991-09-07) –
November 30, 1991 (1991-11-30)

Little Shop is a 1991 animated fantasy comedy television series that aired on Saturday mornings on the Fox Kids TV network, about a teenage boy and his giant talking plant. [1] Based on Roger Corman's 1960 comedy horror film The Little Shop of Horrors , the concept is credited to Ellen Levy and Mark Edward Edens, and the series was produced by Tom Tataranowicz, with Corman as a consultant. The horror elements in previous versions of the story, in which characters are eaten by the plant, are toned down for children in this series. [2]

Contents

Copyright passed to Disney in 2001 when Disney acquired Fox Kids Worldwide, which also includes Marvel Productions. [3] [4] [5]

Synopsis

Self-proclaimed nerd Seymour Krelborn, an adolescent boy who works in a flower shop, is friends with a talking Venus flytrap named Junior. [6] Junior sprouts from a 200-million-year-old seed and has the ability to talk and hypnotize people. Only Seymour is aware of Junior's abilities. The flower shop is owned by stodgy Mr. Mushnik, whose daughter Audrey is the object of Seymour's affections. Audrey, however, is unaware of Seymour's feelings towards her. Buck-toothed Paine Driller, a neighborhood bully, continuously targets Seymour.

Episodes focus on the pubescent exploits of the leads and frequently feature a moral. They also feature a couple of musical numbers per episode. Consistent with the "urban" persona of the plant in the musical, Audrey Junior raps in the series during his numbers, and speaks in a hip-hop dialect. Also featured are a trio of singing flowers reminiscent of Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon (the three chorus girls in the musical).

Differences between the film and series

Each episode features a musical segment. The young human characters are thirteen years old and in junior high. Junior is a kind-hearted plant, rather than a man-eating alien; and hatched from a prehistoric Earth plant that has been dormant for over 200 million years. Although Junior does maintain a voracious appetite, this iteration would very rarely (and only offscreen) feast on human blood. The plant retains its ability to hypnotize people, as was in the film, as well as the ability to telekinetically manipulate plants and objects made from plant-based materials. Junior sometimes aids Seymour without his knowledge, sometimes by using his hypnotic abilities, and will occasionally insult Seymour.

Audrey, Seymour's love interest, is a bow-wearing brunette who is always thinking about what job she wants when she grows up. She is Mr. Mushnik's daughter in this version. Brace-faced neighborhood bully Paine Driller replaces the character of Orin Scrivello, the dentist. (Paine's name alludes to the dentist's sadistic tendencies.)

Episodes

No.TitleWritten byOriginal air date
1"Bad Seed"Mark Edward EdensSeptember 7, 1991 (1991-09-07)
Seymour finds a seed from 200 million years in the past and helps it grow into the plant known as Junior. The plant tries to return home but, upon finding that he cannot, chooses to stay with Seymour and helps Mr. Mushnik's flowers grow.
2"Real Men Aren't Made of Quiche"Mark Edward EdensSeptember 14, 1991 (1991-09-14)
Seymour joins a home economics class where he and Junior conspire to make a human–plant hybrid a la Frankenstein. Meanwhile, Audrey decides she wants to be a refrigerator repairman.
3"Back to the Fuchsia"Mel GildenSeptember 21, 1991 (1991-09-21)
A trip to the Skid Row Museum of Uninteresting History inspires Junior to travel back in time to warn plants about the rise of the dinosaurs and keep his place in the food chain.
4"Unfair Science"Mark Edward EdensSeptember 28, 1991 (1991-09-28)
Seymour's science project, made by Junior, wins a science fair and attention from Seymour's favorite celebrity. However, the scientist wants to steal Seymour's project and use it for himself.
5"Stage Blight"Robert TarlowOctober 5, 1991 (1991-10-05)
Failed playwright Thespian Chinless produces Junior's play Flower Town and Seymour finds himself as the romantic lead. Meanwhile, Mr. Mushnik becomes a stage-dad.
6"I Loathe a Parade" Marty Isenberg & Robert N. Skir October 12, 1991 (1991-10-12)
Seymour brings home a female Venus flytrap, which Junior falls in love with.
7"Air Junior"Marty Isenberg & Robert N. SkirOctober 19, 1991 (1991-10-19)
Junior persuades Seymour to buy a new pair of shoes and makes them fly.
8"Untitled Halloween Story" Steve Cuden October 26, 1991 (1991-10-26)
Infuriated by the tradition of jack-o-lantern carving, Junior joins Seymour and Audrey's trick-or-treating to steal them back via his vegetable magnetism abilities.
9"It's a Wonderful Leaf" Jean Chalopin November 2, 1991 (1991-11-02)
A reaper shows Seymour a future where the Mushniks own a yogurt shop, Paine is winning awards, and Seymour is a politician. Meanwhile, Junior dreams that he runs a hotel for flowers.
10"Tooth or Consequences" Barbara Slade November 9, 1991 (1991-11-09)
Seymour and Junior learn the hard way about lies when Mrs. Krelborn's low-fat ice cream disappears.
11"Walk Like a Nerd"Barbara SladeNovember 16, 1991 (1991-11-16)
Weary of the limitations that come with having roots, Junior tries to give himself legs and inadvertently winds up sharing a body with Seymour.
12"Pulp Fiction"Matthew MalachNovember 23, 1991 (1991-11-23)
Junior watches in horror as the oldest tree in the world is turned into paper, and leads a revolt composed of used paper products that swamps Skid Row.
13"Married to the Mush"Hope JuberNovember 30, 1991 (1991-11-30)
Paine's aunt starts to date Mr. Mushnik under the delusion that he is wealthy. Dismayed, the usually career-oriented Audrey expresses a desire to become a housewife.

Cast

Additional voices

  1. ↑ First three episodes
  2. ↑ Rest of series

Crew

Related Research Articles

<i>The Little Shop of Horrors</i> 1960 American comedy horror film directed by Roger Corman

The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a farce about a florist's assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human blood. The film stars Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, and Dick Miller, who had all worked for Corman on previous films. Produced under the title The Passionate People Eater, the film employs an original style of humor, combining dark comedy with farce and incorporating Jewish humor and elements of spoof. The Little Shop of Horrors was shot on a budget of $28,000. Interiors were shot in two days, by utilizing sets that had been left standing from A Bucket of Blood.

<i>Teamo Supremo</i> Television program

Teamo Supremo is an American animated television series created by Phil Walsh. Animated in the limited animation style pioneered by Jay Ward, predecessors which inspired its style, it tells of three superhero children: Captain Crandall, Skate Lad, and Rope Girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Taylor (actor)</span> American actor, singer and writer (1952–2002)

Ronald James Taylor was an American actor, singer and writer. He grew up in Galveston, Texas, and later moved to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating, Taylor began working in musical theater, appearing in The Wiz (1977), before getting his break with the 1982 off-Broadway production Little Shop of Horrors. Taylor voiced the killer plant Audrey II in the show, which ran for five years and over 2,000 performances.

<i>The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss</i> American puppet television series

The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss is an American children's puppet television series based on characters created by Dr. Seuss, produced by The Jim Henson Company. It aired from October 13, 1996, to May 15, 1998, on Nickelodeon. It combines live puppets with digitally animated backgrounds, and in its first season, refashioning characters and themes from the original Dr. Seuss books into new stories that often retained much of the flavor of Dr. Seuss' own works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Welles</span> American actor (1924–2005)

Mel Welles was an American film actor and director. His best-remembered role may be that of hapless flower shop owner Gravis Mushnick in the 1960 low-budget Roger Corman dark comedy, The Little Shop of Horrors.

<i>Coconut Freds Fruit Salad Island</i> Animated television series

Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island! is an animated television series created by Sammy Oriti and Don Oriolo that aired for two seasons on Kids' WB from September 17, 2005, to May 27, 2006. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with flash animation provided by Dong Yang Animation, Studio B Productions, and Top Draw Animation.

<i>Stanley</i> (2001 TV series) 2001 childrens animated TV series

Stanley is an American children's animated television series that aired on Playhouse Disney based on the series of children's books written by "Griff", also known as Andrew Griffin. It was produced by Cartoon Pizza and was developed for television by Jim Jinkins and David Campbell.

<i>Little Shop of Horrors</i> (musical) 1982 horror comedy rock musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman

Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy rock musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman. The story follows a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is loosely based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour".

<i>Little Shop of Horrors</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Frank Oz

Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American horror comedy musical film directed by Frank Oz. It is an adaptation of the 1982 off-Broadway musical of the same name by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, which is itself an adaptation of the 1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors by director Roger Corman. The film, which centers on a floral shop worker who discovers a sentient carnivorous plant that feeds on human blood, stars Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and the voice of Levi Stubbs. The film also features special appearances by Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and Bill Murray. It was produced by David Geffen through The Geffen Company and released by Warner Bros. on December 19, 1986.

Rude Dog and the Dweebs is a 1989 Saturday morning cartoon television series developed by Sun Sportswear, based on the Rude Dog character featured in clothes advertising. The series was produced by Marvel Productions and animated by AKOM.

Handy Manny is an animated preschool children's television series that premiered with its first two episodes consecutively on September 16, 2006 originally as part of Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney block. The show was created by Roger Bollen and Marilyn Sadler, and developed for TV by Rick Gitelson. The show's animation was produced by the Canada-based animation studio Nelvana, and features the additional voice talents of Dee Bradley Baker, Tom Kenny, Fred Stoller, Nika Futterman, Kath Soucie, Carlos Alazraqui, Grey DeLisle, and Nancy Truman. The theme song is performed by Los Lobos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Zagnit</span> American actor

Stuart Zagnit is an American voice, film and television actor. He has worked in Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and national tours, television, films, commercials, and voice-overs. Zagnit has worked as a voice actor for 4Kids Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, and TAJ Productions. He is best known for voicing Professor Oak in the Pokémon franchise.

<i>Noddy</i> (TV series) Canadian-American television series

Noddy is a live-action/animated children's television series based on Enid Blyton's children's book series of the same name featuring the animated episodes from Noddy's Toyland Adventures. The show was broadcast from 7 September 1998 to 11 December 1999 and broadcast on TVOntario and CBC Television in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Wilkof</span> American actor, director, writer

Lee Wilkof is an American character actor who has been appearing on stage, film and television for 6 decades.

<i>Sabans Adventures of Oliver Twist</i> 1996 television series

Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist is a children's animated series created by Saban Entertainment. The series first aired in the United States from 1 February 1996 to 12 February 1997 through the company's syndicated "The Saban Network for Kids!" strand, totaling 52 episodes. The series began airing in France on TF1 on September 1, 1997, and on Fox Kids on internationally.

<i>Jake and the Never Land Pirates</i> American animated preschool childrens television series

Jake and the Never Land Pirates, titled Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates for the fourth season and associated merchandise, is an American animated interactive preschool children's television series for Disney Junior. Based on Walt Disney's Peter Pan franchise, which was itself based on the 1904 play and 1911 book by J. M. Barrie, it was the first Disney Junior original show following the switch from Playhouse Disney. It stars Sean Ryan Fox, Megan Richie, Jadon Sand, David Arquette, Corey Burton, Jeff Bennett, Loren Hoskins, and Dee Bradley Baker. The series was created by Disney veteran Bobs Gannaway, whose works include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Secret of the Wings.

<i>PJ Masks</i> Animated childrens television series

PJ Masks is an animated superhero children's television series based on the Les Pyjamasques book series by Romuald Racioppo. Produced by Frog Box and Entertainment One in collaboration with TeamTO and Disney Junior, its production has the participation of France Télévisions and Disney Junior. The series is broadcast worldwide on Disney Branded Television's Disney Junior channels; in its home country of France, it airs on France 5.

<i>Fancy Nancy</i> (TV series) 2018 American TV series or program

Fancy Nancy is an American animated family comedy children's television series developed by Jamie Mitchell and Krista Tucker and produced by Disney Television Animation for Disney Junior based on the eponymous children's picture book series by Jane O'Connor with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser. The show follows the adventures of Nancy Clancy, a 6 year-old girl who loves everything fancy and French, while living with her family and friends in a fictional version of Plainfield, Ohio.

"Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" is a song from the 1986 American horror comedy musical film Little Shop of Horrors, an adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of a 1960 film of the same name. Written by the musical's creators, lyricist and book writer Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, the song is performed in the film by Audrey II, a sentient, carnivorous, alien plant that feeds on human blood.

Kindergarten: The Musical is an American animated television series produced by Oddbot Entertainment for Disney Jr. The series premiered on September 3, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 367. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  2. ↑ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 511–512. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Copyright Public Records System".
  4. ↑ "Disney+ and Missing Saban Entertainment & Fox Kids-Jetix Worldwide Library - StreamClues". 14 September 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Liste - BVS Entertainment | Séries".
  6. ↑ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 263. ISBN   978-0823083152 . Retrieved 19 March 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.