Art Ninja

Last updated

Art Ninja
Art Ninja title card.png
Genre
Created by
  • Alan Robinson
  • Jo Killingley
Written by
  • Nick Hutchings
  • Howard Davidson (2017-present)
Directed byGeoff Coward
Presented by
Starring
  • Ricky Martin
  • Gavin Strange
  • Sarah Matthews
  • Rich Thorne
  • Michelle Ackerley
  • Ella Trudgeon
  • Terry Martin
Narrated by Enn Reitel
ComposerDobs Vye
Country of origin Britain
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes55
Production
Executive producers
  • Hugh Lawton
  • Jo Killingley
Producers
  • Nick Hutchings
  • Richard Hunt (2017-present)
Running time28 minutes
Production companyDot to Dot Productions
Release
Original network CBBC
Original release17 January 2015 (2015-01-17) 
7 April 2019 (2019-04-07)

Art Ninja is a British children's television art-sitcom hybrid hosted by Ricky Martin. The show is produced by Dot to Dot Productions for CBBC and began on 17 January 2015. [2] The series follows presenter Ricky and his life where he makes arts with his friends Rich Thorne, Michelle Ackerley, Gavin "Gav" Strange and Sarah Matthews. Ella Lia Trudgeon and Ricky's dad, Terry Martin also appears in some episodes. Three series of 10 episodes each have been aired. Short compilation episodes are as Nine Minute Ninja.

Contents

A fifth series was commissioned by CBBC in Spring 2018, which aired in 2019. [3]

Format

Each episode follows a sitcom format with instructional art segments, like Art Attack or SMart . Each episode's makes has a theme to them, such as animals or aliens. An episode will usually consist of several small makes the viewer is able to make at home, an animation, a small drawing on a post-it note, a make made with a viewer on Skype, a small make with the character The Grandmaster and a big make (in the way of Art Attack), usually using a large amount of a certain material, like coins or clingfilm.

Production

Art Ninja came around after Ricky Martin's pilot, Ricky's Radical Reinventions was not picked up by CBBC. Dot to Dot Productions were looking for a recommission of their former art series, Totally Rubbish. However, CBBC's commissioner Cheryl Taylor wanted to create a new art brand. According to Martin, the series was aiming to be " The Naked Chef , meets art, meets Jackass ." The working title for the series was Art Monkey. [4]

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 1017 January 2015 (2015-01-17)21 March 2015 (2015-03-21)
2 1030 January 2016 (2016-01-30)2 April 2016 (2016-04-02)
3 1021 January 2017 (2017-01-21)1 July 2017 (2017-07-01)
4 1020 January 2018 (2018-01-20)24 March 2018 (2018-03-24)
5 1516 December 2018 (2018-12-16)7 April 2019 (2019-04-07)

Series 1 (2015)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Day of the Birdman"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings17 January 2015 (2015-01-17)
Ricky is reminded of his childhood pet Mr Chicken and creates a collage to help him find his old feathered friend.
22"Day of the Disguise"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings24 January 2015 (2015-01-24)
Ricky has forgotten his friend Sarah's birthday so he throws a surprise party to make it up to her.
33"Day of the Goblins"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings31 January 2015 (2015-01-31)
Ricky demonstrates how to animate a submarine and create a bookend using a rubber glove.
44"Day of the Lucky Trunks"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings7 February 2015 (2015-02-07)
Before he joins his friends at the beach, Ricky shows how to make cool stuff.
55"Day of the Angry Cloud"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings14 February 2015 (2015-02-14)
Ricky can't go out because of the rain so he makes a water picture inspired by J. M. W. Turner.
66"Day of the Decoration"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings21 February 2015 (2015-02-21)
Sarah foolishly asks Ricky and Gav to paint her flat while she is out.
77"Day of the Trash"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings28 February 2015 (2015-02-28)
Ricky attempts to tidy up but his dad brings around a box of his old junk.
88"Day of the Aliens"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings7 March 2015 (2015-03-07)
Ricky is inspired by extraterrestrials to make alien gloop. He also makes a Venus flytrap.
99"Day of the Bug"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings14 March 2015 (2015-03-14)
Ricky has a cold, but that hasn't stopped him from making art. He makes a nosey tissue dispenser.
1010"Day of the Dog"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings21 March 2015 (2015-03-21)
Ricky accidentally becomes a dogsitter. This inspires him to make a fake dog with a collar.

Series 2 (2016)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
111"Day of the Prank"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings30 January 2016 (2016-01-30)
Gav plays a prank on Ricky, so he decides to get his own back using six thousand cups of juice.
122"Day of the Game"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings6 February 2016 (2016-02-06)

Gav won't stop playing games on Ricky's phone and despite his best efforts Ricky can't distract him.

133"Day of the Spider"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings13 February 2016 (2016-02-13)
Gav brings round his new pet and Ricky makes butterfly art inspired by Damien Hirst.
144"Day of the Diamond"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings20 February 2016 (2016-02-20)
Something sparkly and expensive is delivered to the flat, and Ricky thinks a scary man wants it back.
155"Day of the Time Machine"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings27 February 2016 (2016-02-27)
Ricky wishes he could go back in time after spilling paint on a priceless rug.
166"Day of the Dragon"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings5 March 2016 (2016-03-05)
Ricky orders a takeaway, but will his fortune cookies' predictions come true?
177"Day of the Baby"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings12 March 2016 (2016-03-12)
Ricky is looking after his baby niece and has to use his ninja skills to try to keep her amused.
188"Day of the Band"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings19 March 2016 (2016-03-19)
Ricky decides to form a band, but the instruments he orders don't quite fit the bill.
199"Day of the Werewolf"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings26 March 2016 (2016-03-26)
Gav turns up at the flat, but Ricky thinks there is something a bit strange about his mate.
2010"Day of the Six-Pack"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings2 April 2016 (2016-04-02)
Ricky decides to get in shape and makes healthy art, including fruit pom-poms and a salad face place mat.

Series 3 (2017)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
211"Day of the Animals"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings21 January 2017 (2017-01-21)
Gav can't find the right animal costume to run the local marathon. Ricky helps him decide by making a piranha fish bag and a baboon chalk picture.
222"Day of the Match"Geoff CowardHoward Davidson and Nick Hutchings28 January 2017 (2017-01-28)
Ricky's never been good at football, so is horrified to hear his dad has entered him and his 'make-believe' girlfriend into a family tournament.
233"Day of the Egg"Geoff CowardHoward Davidson and Nick Hutchings4 February 2017 (2017-02-04)

Ricky thinks he has nothing to spread on his toast, until a giant egg is delivered. Worried it could contain a baby Tyrannosaurus rex, Ricky distracts himself with art.

244"Day of the Yeti"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings11 February 2017 (2017-02-11)
Ricky hears that a Yeti has been spotted in Bristol and he is determined to lure the mysterious creature and be the first to photograph it.
255"Day of the Dream"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings18 February 2017 (2017-02-18)
Ricky is having really weird dreams, which lead to him to make surreal art including giant hands and a burger hat inspired by René Magritte.
266"Day of the Vlog"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings25 February 2017 (2017-02-25)
Gav thinks that he could get rich and famous by filming a vlog about being the art ninja's annoying best friend. Ricky wants in as well.
277"Day of the Invisibility"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings4 March 2017 (2017-03-04)
Sarah's bought a onesie that turns her invisible and she and Ricky use it to plays tricks on Gav. Ricky conjures a geometric kite design.
288"Day of the Spy"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings11 March 2017 (2017-03-11)
Ricky's always wanted to be a spy, but when he starts receiving mysterious phone calls full of code words he's not so sure.
299"Day of the Ancestor"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings18 March 2017 (2017-03-18)
Sarah's bought a onesie that turns her invisible and she and Ricky use it to plays tricks on Gav. Ricky conjures a geometric kite design.

Series 4 (2018)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
311"Day of the Food Fest"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley20 January 2018 (2018-01-20)
Ricky enters a foodie competition run by Nadiya Hussain whilst Gav cooks up some unlikely food combos.
322"Day of the Fairytale"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley27 January 2018 (2018-01-27)
Ricky becomes part of a fairytale when his virtual assistant trolls him. Sarah becomes a wicked witch and Gav is with three little pigs.
333"Day of the Competition"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt3 February 2018 (2018-02-03)
Ricky and Gav watch Officially Amazing and they rediscover their competitiveness and attempt to break several records.
344"Day of the Hair"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt10 February 2018 (2018-02-10)
Short Summary
355"Day of the Driving Test"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt17 February 2018 (2018-02-17)
Short Summary
366"Day Of The Gossip"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt24 February 2018 (2018-02-24)
Short Summary
377"Day Of The Superfan"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt3 March 2018 (2018-03-03)

Short Summary

388"Day Of The Dummy"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt10 March 2018 (2018-03-10)
Short Summary
399"Day Of The Fashion"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt17 March 2018 (2018-03-17)
Short Summary
4010"Day Of The World Trip"Geoff CowardNick Hutchings & Richard Hunt24 March 2018 (2018-03-24)
Short Summary

Series 5 (2018 - 2019)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
411"Day of the Not Christmas"Geoff CowardTBC16 December 2018 (2018-12-16)
Short Summary
422"Day of the Clown"Geoff CowardTBC13 January 2019 (2019-01-13)

Short Summary

433"Day of the Virtual Reality"Geoff CowardTBC13 January 2019 (2019-01-13)
Short Summary
444"Day of the Dance Off"Geoff CowardTBC20 January 2019 (2019-01-20)
Short Summary
455"Day of the Detective"Geoff CowardTBC27 January 2019 (2019-01-27)
Short Summary
466"Day of the Eco-Warrior"Geoff CowardTBC3 February 2019 (2019-02-03)
Short Summary
477"Day of the Samphoo-Poo"Geoff CowardTBC10 February 2019 (2019-02-10)
Short Summary
488"Day of the Antique"Geoff CowardTBC17 February 2019 (2019-02-17)
Short Summary
499"Day of the Grand High Ninja"Geoff CowardTBC24 February 2019 (2019-02-24)
Short Summary
5010"Day of the Lurgy"Geoff CowardTBC3 March 2019 (2019-03-03)
Short Summary
5111"Day of the Prophecy"Geoff CowardTBC10 March 2019 (2019-03-10)
Short Summary
5212"Day of the Magician"Geoff CowardTBC17 March 2019 (2019-03-17)
Short Summary
5313"Day of the Ghost"Geoff CowardTBC24 March 2019 (2019-03-24)
Short Summary
5414"Day of the Zapper"Geoff CowardTBC31 March 2019 (2019-03-31)
Short Summary
5515"Day of the Flashback"Geoff CowardTBC7 April 2019 (2019-04-07)
Short Summary

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References

  1. "Art meets sitcom in CBBC's upcoming Art Ninja". Archived from the original on 12 February 2017.
  2. "BBC Store". 10 November 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. "CBBC strikes deal for more Art Ninja". Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  4. "Aardman designer encourages kids to get creative in art TV show". 16 February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.