The Last Kids on Earth (TV series)

Last updated

The Last Kids on Earth
The Last Kids on Earth.jpg
Season 1 promotional poster
Genre
Based on The Last Kids on Earth
by Max Brallier
Directed by
Voices of
Theme music composerMike Shields
ComposerMarcelo Trevino
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes21 + Special (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
EditorDarren Bachynski
Running time23-60 minutes
27 minutes (special)
Production companies
Original release
Network Netflix
ReleaseSeptember 17, 2019 (2019-09-17) 
April 6, 2021 (2021-04-06)

The Last Kids on Earth is a children's animated television series, based on the book series of the same name by Max Brallier, that premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2019 with a one-hour first season. A ten-episode second season, or "Book 2", titled The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade, premiered on April 17, 2020. [1] The third season also known as "Book 3", was released on October 16, 2020 which ended the series on a cliffhanger. An interactive special, subtitled Happy Apocalypse to You, was released on April 6, 2021. [2]

Contents

Voice cast and characters

CharacterVoiced byAppearances
Book 1Book 2Book 3
Jack SullivanNick WolfhardMain
Dirk Savage Charles Demers Main
June Del ToroMontserrat HernandezMain
Quint BakerGarland WhittMain
Rover Brian Drummond Main
Bardle Mark Hamill Does not appearMain
Skaelka Catherine O'Hara Does not appearMain
Thrull Keith David Guest MainDoes not appear
Chef Bruce Campbell Does not appearMain
Rezzoch Rosario Dawson Does not appearMain [lower-alpha 1]

Episodes

Series overview

Series overview
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
Book 1 September 17, 2019 (2019-09-17)
Book 2 10April 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Book 3 10October 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Special April 6, 2021 (2021-04-06)

Book 1 (2019) The Pilot [unofficial]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"The Last Kids on Earth"Will LauMax Brallier & Scott PetersonSeptember 17, 2019 (2019-09-17)
Living solo in his recently-monster-infested town, 13-year-old Jack will have to think fast, find friends, and get creative if he wants to survive and defeat the towering Blarg!

Book 2 (2020) TV [official]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
21"Mall Quest" Steve Rolston Max BrallierApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Fed up with his friends' bickering, Jack hopes a quest to the mall will get the buds back on good terms — because this is getting annoying.
32"Jack the Slayer"Steve RolstonJennifer MuroApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Jack's attempts to impress his monstrous new pals with his uprising tale upsets June, Quint and Dirk, who feel like he's taking all the credit.
43"Bestiary Master"Steve RolstonScott D. PetersonApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Feeling useless when it comes to the fine art of fighting monsters, Quint sets out to prove himself to his friends.
54"The Zombie Parade"Steve RolstonHaley ManciniApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
While exploring a graveyard, Jack and Quint get emotional — really emotional — as they face a deadly venomous monster. Meanwhile, June and Dirk find they have a lot in common. Oh, the horror!
65"The Thrull of Victory"Steve RolstonJoshua PruettApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
While Thrull trains Jack to go after monsters and zombies with a new attitude, Quint and Dirk dig through trash — and June follows a hunch.
76"Stay on Target"Steve RolstonJoshua PruettApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Quint, Dirk and June are pumped for their up-all-night zombie stakeout. But Jack's running late... and he's supposed to bring the snacks.
87"June Gloom"Steve RolstonHaley ManciniApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
When the gang visits June's old house, Jack assumes it'll be a fun walk down memory lane. But the crew instead learns an important lesson: Never assume.
98"Follow That Butler"Steve RolstonMax BrallierApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
After adding another monster to the bestiary, Jack, June, Quint and Dirk learn a troubling truth: Their work is far from over.
109"Always Darkest"Steve RolstonScott D. PetersonApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Jack's vow to never trust another monster is put to the test. Quint, Dirk and June look to acquire a little — well, actually a lot — of weed killer.
1110"Dawn of Rezzoch"Steve RolstonJennifer MuroApril 17, 2020 (2020-04-17)
Quint's been captured, Thrull's on a rampage and Jack's got a wish: to put an end to all of this mayhem, once and for all.

Book 3 (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
121"Energy Crisis"Steve RolstonJennifer MuroOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Desperate for a reliable energy source, Jack, June, Quint and Dirk head to the planetarium, where a generator awaits — along with something else.
132"Zombies Killed the Radio Star"Steve RolstonJalysa ConwayOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
The gang makes a stunning discovery at a fire station, Jack falls head over heels for a video game, and June has an urge to communicate.
143"Tournament of the Dead"Steve RolstonJoshua PruettOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Feeling June, Quint and Dirk need to stop working so hard, Jack convinces his pals to take part in an over-the-top tournament with the monsters.
154"Nightmare King"Steve RolstonHaley ManciniOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Jack and the gang close in on a much-needed antenna for their radio. Meanwhile, all four of the kids experience odd visions of a dark future.
165"Junkyard Jack"Steve RolstonJalysa ConwayOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
As Jack's anxiety about the future continues to grow, he and the team scramble to find the antenna for the radio.
176"Tunnel Vision"Steve RolstonScott D. PetersonOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Jack sets out to confront the Wretch, June gets on Quint's nerves, and Dirk learns of an unappetizing third test to become an honorary monster.
187"Zom-B-Goners"Steve RolstonMax BrallierOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Everyone leaps into action when an exhausted Quint discovers that his zom-b-gone torches are offline. Meanwhile, Dirk is forced to team up with Chef.
198"Funland"Steve RolstonJennifer MuroOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
Jack convinces June, Quint and Dirk to go to an amusement park, where the friends quickly discover they aren't the only ones there.
209"Belly of the Beast"Steve RolstonJoshua PruettOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
After Rezzoch pulls Jack into an alternate realm, Bardle transports June, Quint and Dirk in hopes they can save him before it's too late.
2110"Stay Tuned"Steve RolstonScott D. PetersonOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)

Finally free from Jack's head, the weary gang reinhabits their bodies only to learn that — surprise, surprise — the battle is far from over as they face off against Rezzoch’s most powerful monster yet… The ULTIMATE King Wretch!

Note: This is the series finale of "The Last Kids On Earth" where it ends the series on a cliffhanger.

Special (2021)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byOriginal release date
--"Happy Apocalypse to You"Steve RolstonApril 6, 2021 (2021-04-06)
It’s June's birthday so she, Jack, Quint and Dirk go search around Wakefield to gather supplies for the party while making choices they come across.

Production

On September 26, 2017, it was announced that Thunderbird Entertainment's animation studio Atomic Cartoons had optioned the screen rights on Max Brallier's book series The Last Kids on Earth with the intention of producing an animated television series. [6] [7]

On February 26, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order. Executive producers include Brallier, Scott Peterson, Jennifer McCarron, and Matthew Berkowitz. Brallier and Peterson are also expected to write the series as well. Production companies involved in the series include Thunderbird Entertainment's animation studio Atomic Cartoons. [8] [9]

On March 13, 2019, the series cast was announced, including Mark Hamill, Rosario Dawson, Catherine O'Hara, Keith David, Bruce Campbell, Garland Whitt, Montserrat Hernandez, Charles Demers, and Nick Wolfhard as the lead character Jack Sullivan. [10]

It was initially reported that the series would be released on May 30, 2019, [11] [12] but it instead premiered on September 17, 2019. [13]

Merchandise

Jakks Pacific launched a toyline based on the series in early 2020. [14] Outright Games will publish a video game tie-in The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom, for across consoles and PC in 2021. [15] A graphic novel, subtitled Thrilling Tales from the Tree House, is currently released as of April 6, 2021. [16]

Reception

The series received a mixed reception. Ashley Moulton of Common Sense Media reviewed the interactive special, "The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You," describing it a "fun interactive episode" with scary scenes and cartoon violence. She stated that because of the special's format, some elements from the original series is lacking, but that the special is "very fun nonetheless." [17]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)Result
2020 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Special Class Animated ProgramMax Brallier, Matthew Berkowitz, Jennifer McCarron, Scott PetersonWon [18]

Notes

  1. Dawson is credited as main cast from Book 2, Episode 9 onwards.

Related Research Articles

Samurai Jack is an American animated action-adventure dystopian television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The show is produced by Cartoon Network Studios. Tartakovsky conceived Samurai Jack after finishing his work on his first Cartoon Network original series, Dexter's Laboratory, which premiered in 1996. Samurai Jack took inspiration from Kung Fu, the 1972 televised drama starring David Carradine, Tartakovsky's fascination with samurai culture and the Frank Miller comic series Ronin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosario Dawson</span> American actress (born 1979)

Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama Kids. Her subsequent film roles include He Got Game (1998), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), Men in Black II (2002), The Rundown (2003), Rent (2005), Sin City (2005), Clerks II (2006), Death Proof (2007), Seven Pounds (2008), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), Unstoppable (2010), Zookeeper (2011), Trance (2013), Top Five (2014), Zombieland: Double Tap (2019), and Clerks 3 (2022). Dawson has provided voice-over work for Disney/Marvel, Warner Bros./DC Comics, and ViacomCBS's Nickelodeon unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig McCracken</span> American cartoonist and animator

Craig Douglas McCracken is an American cartoonist, animator, director, writer, and producer known for creating the Cartoon Network's The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Disney Channel and Disney XD's Wander Over Yonder, and Netflix's Kid Cosmic.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> American animated television series

Avatar: The Last Airbender, also known as Avatar: The Legend of Aang in some regions, is an American animated fantasy action television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

An animated sitcom is a subgenre of the sitcom that is animated instead of live-action and is generally made or created for adult audiences in most cases. The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, and Family Guy are four of the longest-running animated sitcoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atomic Cartoons</span> Canadian animation studio

Atomic Cartoons, Inc. is a Canadian animation studio founded in 1999 by Trevor Bentley, Mauro Casalese, Olaf Miller, and former Warner Bros. Animation employee Rob Davies. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, it produces service animation for a wide variety of clients, as well as creating its own properties. Since 2015, the company has been owned by Thunderbird Entertainment.

<i>Sym-Bionic Titan</i> Animated science-fiction television series

Sym-Bionic Titan is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Bryan Andrews and Paul Rudish for Cartoon Network. The series focuses on a trio consisting of the alien princess Ilana, the strict but rebellious alien soldier Lance, and the robot Octus, who arrive on Earth and combine themselves to create the titular Sym-Bionic Titan.

Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a Canadian film and television entertainment company, with offices in both Canada and the United States of America. Thunderbird's multiple divisions develop movies and television programs for various demographics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Hamill filmography</span> Comprehensive list of Mark Hamill acting roles

Mark Hamill is an American actor with a career spanning over fifty years in the entertainment industry. His breakout role of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise propelled him to popularity in film. To avoid being typecast, Hamill also acted in Broadway plays and as a voice actor in several television series and films. The most popular among these is his portrayal of the Joker in multiple Batman films and television shows. This has led him to voice act for other supervillains in animated and live action works.

Slap Happy Cartoons Inc. is a Canadian animation company founded by Kathy Antonsen, Vito Viscomi, Greg Sullivan, and Josh Meopham in 2004.

<i>The Last Kids on Earth</i> 2015 childrens graphic novel and series

The Last Kids on Earth is a children's illustrated novel and subsequent book series by American author Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate, with audiobook format narrated by Robbie Daymond. Novels in the series have been recognized on Best Seller lists of both The New York Times and USA Today. This book is recommended for teens/pre-teens in the "middle school" demographic. The series currently includes 9 books and has been adapted into an animated series by Netflix.

Events in 1954 in animation.

<i>Twelve Forever</i> American animated television series

Twelve Forever is an American animated television series created by Julia Vickerman, a former writer and storyboard artist known for her work on Clarence, Rick and Morty, Harvey Girls Forever!, Paradise PD and The Powerpuff Girls (2016). Twelve Forever premiered in the United States on Netflix on July 29, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Brallier</span> Childrens book author

Max Brallier is a children's book author and has written more than 30 books. He is best known for his New York Times bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth, which has been made into a TV series by Netflix.

<i>The Midnight Gospel</i> American animated television series

The Midnight Gospel is an American adult animated television series created by Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward and comedian Duncan Trussell. Released on Netflix on April 20, 2020, it is the first animated production from Ward for Netflix. It sets real podcast interviews between Trussell and various guests into surrealistic adventures, typically telling a story alongside the real podcast audio through the environment and extra voice work by Trussell and the guests of the original podcast.

Battle Kitty is an interactive computer-animated television series created by Matt Layzell for Netflix. Produced by Netflix Animation, Choice Provisions, Higher Ground Productions and Laughing Wild, the series was released on April 19, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Network and LGBT representation</span>

Cartoon Network, an American TV channel which launched in 1992, and Adult Swim, its adult-oriented nighttime programming block which launched in 2001, has regularly featured lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.

<i>Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles</i> Computer-animated action-comedy series

Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles is an animated television series developed by Candie and Doug Langdale. The show is loosely based on the Usagi Yojimbo comic books by Stan Sakai. Unlike its source material where the comics takes place in the past, the show takes place in the future and Miyamoto Usagi is not the lead protagonist, the character instead appearing in a minor role, with Yuki Matsuzaki reprising his role from the 2012 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

References

  1. Milligan, Mercedes (April 3, 2020). "Netflix Trailers 'The Last Kids on Earth' Season 2". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. "The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You". Netflix. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Oller, Jacob (April 15, 2020). "First Look: Mark Hamill and Rosario Dawson Have a Monster Good Time in The Last Kids on Earth". Syfy Wire. Syfy. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Trumbore, Dave (April 13, 2020). "Exclusive: 'The Last Kids on Earth' Season 2 Characters Revealed in First-Look Images". Collider . Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  5. Squires, John (April 14, 2020). "Here's the New Monster Being Voiced by Bruce Campbell in Netflix's "The Last Kids on Earth" [Image]". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  6. McLean, Tom (September 26, 2017). "Atomic Brings 'The Last Kids on Earth' To TV". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  7. Whyte, Alexandra (September 26, 2017). "Atomic Cartoons options The Last Kids on Earth". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  8. Petski, Denise (February 28, 2018). "'The Last Kids On Earth' Animated Comedy Series Based On Books Ordered By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  9. Vlessing, Etan (February 28, 2018). "Netflix Orders Animated Series 'The Last Kids on Earth'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  10. Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 13, 2019). "'The Last Kids On Earth': Mark Hamill, Rosario Dawson, Catherine O'Hara and Others Set For Netflix Animated Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  11. Kain, Erik (May 1, 2019). "Here's Everything Coming To Netflix In May And What To Watch". Forbes . Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  12. Knight, Rosie (May 2, 2019). "Everything Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon in May". Nerdist. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  13. Vorel, Jim (August 20, 2019). "Exclusive: Netflix to Unveil Its Animated Last Kids on Earth Zombie Comedy This September". Paste . Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  14. Milligan, Mercedes (May 13, 2019). "JAKKS Named Master Toy for 'Last Kids on Earth' from Atomic Cartoons, Cyber Group". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  15. "Atomic Cartoons and Cyber Group Developing 'The Last Kids on Earth' Game". Animation World Network . October 31, 2019. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  16. "First Look: 'Last Kids on Earth' Interactive Netflix Special, Graphic Novel in Works". Animation Magazine . March 25, 2021. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  17. Moulton, Ashley (October 5, 2021). "The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You Review". Common Sense Media . Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  18. "Daytime Emmy Awards: 'Dragon Prince,' 'Ask the Storybots' & 'Last Kids on Earth' Win Key Animation Categories for Netflix". Animation Magazine. July 27, 2020. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.