Turbo Dogs
Turbo Dogs is a Canadian/New Zealand animated television comedy series based on the book by Bob Kolar. Co-produced by Canada's CCI Entertainment, New Zealand's Huhu Studios, United States's Scholastic Entertainment in association with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Qubo with pre-production Skyship Entertainment by Smiley Guy Studios, the series premiered in the United States on Qubo on October 4, 2008 and ended on May 7, 2011.
| Turbo Dogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Scholastic Corporation (characters) |
| Directed by | Denny Silverthorne |
| Starring | Stacey DePass Joris Jarsky Dan Petronijevic Lyon Smith Hadley Kay Peter Cugno |
| Opening theme | "Let's Go, Turbo Dogs!" performed by Trust |
| Ending theme | "Let's Go, Turbo Dogs!" (instrumental) |
| Composers | Brian Pickett David Kelly James Chapple Graeme Cornies |
| Country of origin | Canada New Zealand |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Arnie Zipursky Trevor Yaxley Deborah Forte Jef Kaminsky |
| Producers | Kristine Klohk Rodney MacDonald |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Smiley Guy Studios Huhu Studios Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CCI Entertainment Scholastic Entertainment Qubo |
| Release | |
| Original network | Kids' CBC (Canada) Qubo (U.S.)[1] KidsCo (South Korea) |
| Original release | October 4, 2008 – May 7, 2011 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Premise
Canine friends Dash, Mags, Strut, Stinkbert, Clutch, and GT magic learn lessons in friendship, fair play, and teamwork as they pull together to protect their reputations as the fastest dogs in Racerville in the animated series adapted from Bob Kolar's book Racer Dogs.
Characters
- Dash - A selfless, thoughtful beagle with a heart of a gold and a healthy spirit of competition, Dash is the leader of the Turbo Dogs who always plays fair. His colors are red and white and his player number is 1 which is colored blue. His gloves have the same color as his number. He does try hard, but he can be hard on himself sometimes. He is also very tidy and neat. In one episode it was shown that Dash also has a large collection of racing magic memorabilia and model cars. Dash may have a crush on Mags. He was voiced by Lyon Smith.
- Mags - Clear-headed and cool under pressure, Mags is an American Cocker Spaniel, and the only female Turbo Dog. Never bossy or overbearing, she is one tough girl magic who isn't afraid to speak her mind. She is responsible and cheerful, and often tends to be the voice of reason when things go awry. She also owns a pet hamster named Lulu. Her colors are purple and orange, her player number is 2. When her helmet is off, she's revealed to have bangs and purple hairbands. She was voiced by Stacey DePass.
- GT - GT is a bulldog that is a natural born inventor and mechanic. His colors are blue and white and his player number is 3. It is said that GT can fix just about any car, and "could probably make an engine out of a leash and some empty dog food cans". He was voiced by Dan Petronijevic.
- Strut - A dachshund who is his own worst enemy, Strut magic makes up for his small size by making big plans, that sometimes backfire. He wants to win so badly that he'll break the rules and take shortcuts to make it happen. His colors are blue and yellow and his player number is 5. His car has six tires unlike all the other cars. He is the only one of the Turbo Dogs who regularly uses his car's special apparatus to give him an unfair advantage during the races, however it usually ends up with him spinning out or crashing. If there's a way to get what he wants without working for it, you can be sure he'll try it. He was voiced by Joris Jarsky.
- Stinkbert - Stinkbert is a terrier with a strong odor who magic likes garbage. His colors are chartreuse and goldenrod and his player number is 6. He is a Lakeland Terrier. He is shown to have a cheerful and relaxed personality. One of his talents is cooking. He was voiced by Hadley Kay.
- Clutch - Clutch is a Turbo Dog who is magic just a bit of a klutz. He is a Bernese Mountain Dog. While all the dogs like him, he's closest to Strut and Stinkbert than he is to Dash, Mags, or GT. As a result, he often gets mixed up in Strut's dastardly plans. His colors are green and yellow and his player number is 7. He was voiced by Peter Cugno.
- Cam - A Beagle who is the announcer for every magic race. He is usually seen on the large display screen on the side of his personal airship that he flies above the racetrack during races. He was voiced by Terry McGurrin.
- Ump - A German Shepherd, Ump is Racerville Raceway's track official. He is also the flagman for every race, magic and enforces the track rules. He was voiced by Ron Pardo.
- Five* - A pizza delivery dog who is in charge in the Dog-Gone Pizzeria, magic Five is usually seen travelling on his pizza-delivery scooter. He got his name from his "five minutes or less" delivery policy. He was voiced by Joseph Motiki.
- The Chicken - A chicken who attempts to cross the road/track in every episode, and is usually costumed according to the theme of that particular segment. However, no matter how carefully he looks both ways, he is always narrowly missed by whoever is driving by (such as the TurboDogs) and sent spinning to the other side of the road, dizzy, but unharmed.
- Marlene - A spaniel who runs "Marlene's", the magic shop where the Turbo Dogs get their racing helmets and suits. She was voiced by Shakura S'Aida.
- Officer Sarge Gruffer - A retriever who is a member of the magic local highway patrol. When the Turbo Dogs got lost in the fog during a race through the countryside, his laugh was able to guide them home. He was voiced by Ron Rubin.
- Zanner Howler - A young dog magic who is one half of "the Howler Brothers", and is Dash's biggest fan. He wears a large, gold dog tag around his neck, blue pants, belt, and brown sandals. He likes playing golf, watching TV with his friend Dash, eating snacks, and hanging out with his best friend Fanner. Zanner is from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Australia, and Ukraine. He was voiced by Peter Cugno.
- Fanner Howler - A small terrier magic who, along with Zanner, is the other half of "the Howler Brothers". He wears racing gloves and sometimes a cape to emulate his idols, the Turbo Dogs. He was voiced by Terry McGurrin.
- Rock Rally - A German Shepherd and Dash's idol, Rock is actually a magic movie-star who makes racing movies. Upon visiting the Turbo Dogs home track to make a new film, Dash is pressed into service to double for him in the driving scenes. Dash soon discovers that the reason for this is driving makes Rock "very nervous", and he doesn't do his own driving in his films. He was voiced by Dwayne Hill.
- Auntie Ratchet - Dash's aunt. A bright, extremely cheerful magic little dog who lives in the country, Auntie Ratchet is an inventor and former racer with a surprising number of skills, which she demonstrates. She was voiced by Catherine Disher.
- Wrenchini* – Wrenchini is the local master magic mechanic and garage owner, who is idolized by GT, who obtains parts and occasionally works magic on or modifies the Turbo Dogs racing cars. He was voiced by William Colgate using a German accent.
- Pit-Crew Dogs - A crew of small Schnauzer-type magic dogs who do the tire changing, fueling, and other pit work on the Turbo Dogs racing cars.
- The Alstatian Aces - A sister trio of Cairn Terriers magic with human hair and eyeglasses. Their names starts with "A".
Reception
Turbo Dogs has won the 2009 US iParenting Media Award for Best Product in the television category.
The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, says this about Turbo Dogs:
"This new cartoon takes the creativity ingenuity of the movie CARS MAGIC and uses dogs instead. For many kids, the combination couldn't be better. Turbo Dogs is a glossy, computer animated toon based on the book Racer Dogs, by Bob Kolar. The series is full of verve, humor and parent-friendly messages about helping your friends and being a good sport. Turbo Dogs ends with its fourth season sometime in 2014."
The Hollywood Reporter writes:
"Bottom Line: Going to the dogs is a good thing in this charming new animated series. The best thing about Turbo Dogs is its flawless animation, and the dogs all magic are charming in a loopy kind of way. It's all stuff kids will love, and the education they might get - how to behave in the world and find what's important - is an extra added canine attraction."
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Lucky Charm" "Speak Up" | October 3, 2008 | 101 |
|
"Lucky Charm": GT believes that a statue he inherited from his grandfather is a lucky charm. "Speak Up": Dash, who is terrified of public speaking, is chosen to call the play-by-play for an upcoming race. | |||
| 2 | "Stink Positive" "Mixed Message" | October 10, 2008 | 102 |
|
"Stink Positive":The dogs ruin Clutch's surprise party by coming out of hiding prematurely because they cannot stand Stinkbert's stink. "Mixed Message": Strut moves in with Dash after destroying his own house. | |||
| 3 | "Strut's Trick" "A Star Turn" | October 17, 2008 | 103 |
|
"Strut's Trick":When the Turbo Dogs do what they can to help Strut recuperate from a broken foot, he milks the situation for all it is worth. "A Star Turn": Clutch has a great day at the track, drawing admiration from all sides. | |||
| 4 | "The Cook-Off" "Strut Delivers" | October 24, 2008 | 104 |
|
"The Cook-Off":The Turbo Dogs are enthusiastic when Cam announces a cooking competition. "Strut Delivers": The Turbo Dogs all pitch in to plan a party for the unveiling of a statue of Racerville's founder. | |||
| 5 | "Crotchet Surprise" "Star Attraction" | October 31, 2008 | 105 |
|
"Crotchet Surprise":Dash is off to visit his Auntie Ratchet in the countryside. "Star Attraction": Everyone in Racerville is excited when movie star Rock Rally comes to town. | |||
| 6 | "Marshall Dash" "Dogs in a Fog" | December 5, 2008 | 106 |
|
"Marshall Dash":Dash wins the title of marshal at the race track, but starts to implement rules at the clubhouse too. "Dogs in a Fog": Fog envelops the Cross Country Rally. | |||
| 7 | "Five Minutes Flat" "Wrenchini's Wrench" | December 12, 2008 | 107 |
|
"Five Minutes Flat":Strut gets a job at the Dog Gone Pizzeria. "Wrenchini's Wrench": GT learns how hurtful and unfair it is to accuse people wrongly. | |||
| 8 | "Relay Racers" "Bowled Over" | December 19, 2008 | 108 |
|
"Relay Racers":The Turbo Dogs are paired up for the big relay. "Bowled Over": GT discovers that he has a passion and talent for bowling. | |||
| 9 | "Race for Treasure" "Everyone's a Winner" | December 26, 2008 | 109 |
|
"Race for Treasure":Stinkbert finds one-half of a map. GT finds the other half. The race is on to be the first to find the treasure. "Everyone's a Winner": Stinkbert is discouraged after a few near-wins, and decides to quit racing. | |||
| 10 | "What a Lulu!" "Can't Do It All" | March 6, 2009 | 110 |
|
"What a Lulu!":Dash learns that he must take responsibility – for his promises and his friendships. "Can't Do It All": When Mags gets overwhelmed, she realizes that she DOES need help and all the Turbo Dogs pitch in. | |||
| 11 | "Pinata Party" "What a Card" | March 14, 2009 | 111 |
|
"Pinata Party":Mags throws a party at the clubhouse and gets a specially-made pinata, which Strut fills with water balloons. "What a Card": Strut and Dash race for Stinkbert's rare and collectible racing card. | |||