History Series / LazyTown

Most episodes mark major plot points by having one or several characters sing a song, and [[EveryEpisodeEnding all episodes close]] with Stephanie singing the show's {{ending theme}}, "Bing Bang (Time to Dance)". Many of the show's songs are from the [[{{Europop}} Eurodance]] genre.

Part of ''[=LazyTown=]''[='=]s legacy can be attributed to the [[MemeticMutation memes]] that the show has generated, primarily through several songs. Most of these songs are from Season 1 ([[https://youtu.be/i8ju_10NkGY?si=TBfyIPbeDCAKTYhF "You Are a Pirate"]], [[https://youtu.be/ZD71JeX4Vk0?si=GPTYcLAirfhbqJjT "Cooking By the Book"]], [[https://youtu.be/2dTh3iI0is8?si=-4pJlxG02IhrlZaN "The Mine Song"]]), but the most popular of them is easily the Season 4 song [[https://youtu.be/PfYnvDL0Qcw?si=oLW6xK3zX3FKzDmD "We Are Number One"]], which exploded as a meme in late 2016, two years after its original episode's airing. Sung fully by Robbie Rotten, the song centers on him attempting (unsuccessfully) to teach a team of doppelgänger accomplices (Bobbie, Tobbie and Flobbie Rotten) how to catch Sportacus. Shortly following the song going viral, Robbie's actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson announced a bile duct cancer diagnosis, after which the song and its memes became a rallying point for fans to support him, with a [=GoFundMe=] campaign set up by head ''[=LazyTown=]'' writer Mark Valenti to cover his living costs reaching its goal of $100,000 in December 2016. As a gesture of thanks, Stefán [[https://youtu.be/O3pf7HCbtXo?si=H4MB-lPNAd2dRv7F held a livestream]] in which he performed "We Are Number One" with his fellow doppelgänger actors. In August 2017, Stefán stated he was in remission; in March 2018, the cancer recurred and was diagnosed as inoperable. On August 21, 2018, Stefán passed away from the disease at the age of 43.

Part of ''[=LazyTown=]''[='=]s legacy can be attributed to the [[MemeticMutation memes]] that the show has generated, primarily through several songs. Most of these songs are from Season 1 ([[https://youtu.be/i8ju_10NkGY?si=TBfyIPbeDCAKTYhF "You Are a Pirate"]], [[https://youtu.be/ZD71JeX4Vk0?si=GPTYcLAirfhbqJjT "Cooking By the Book"]], [[https://youtu.be/2dTh3iI0is8?si=-4pJlxG02IhrlZaN "The Mine Song"]]), but the most popular of them is easily the Season 4 song [[https://youtu.be/PfYnvDL0Qcw?si=oLW6xK3zX3FKzDmD "We Are Number One"]], which exploded as a meme in late 2016, two years after its original episode's airing. Sung fully by Robbie Rotten, the song centers on him attempting (unsuccessfully) to teach a team of doppelgänger accomplices (Bobbie, Tobbie and Flobbie Rotten) how to catch Sportacus. Shortly following the song going viral, Robbie's actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson announced a bile duct cancer diagnosis, after which the song and its memes became a rallying point for fans to support him, with a [=GoFundMe=] campaign set up by head ''[=LazyTown=]'' writer Mark Valenti to cover his living costs reaching its goal of $100,000 in December 2016. As a gesture of thanks, Stefán [[https://youtu.be/O3pf7HCbtXo?si=H4MB-lPNAd2dRv7F held a livestream]] in which he performed "We Are Number One" with his fellow doppelgänger actors. In August 2017, Stefán stated he was in remission; in March 2018, the cancer recurred and was diagnosed as inoperable. Stefán passed away from the disease on August 21, 2018 at the age of 43.

Part of ''[=LazyTown=]''[='=]s legacy can be attributed to the [[MemeticMutation memes]] that the show has generated. While several of the show's songs (including [[https://youtu.be/i8ju_10NkGY?si=TBfyIPbeDCAKTYhF "You Are a Pirate"]], [[https://youtu.be/ZD71JeX4Vk0?si=GPTYcLAirfhbqJjT "Cooking By the Book"]] and [[https://youtu.be/2dTh3iI0is8?si=-4pJlxG02IhrlZaN "The Mine Song"]]) gained traction online, the Season 4 song [[https://youtu.be/PfYnvDL0Qcw?si=oLW6xK3zX3FKzDmD "We Are Number One"]] particularly exploded in popularity as a meme in late 2016, two years after its original episode's airing. Sung fully by Robbie Rotten, the song centers on him attempting (unsuccessfully) to teach a team of doppelgänger accomplices (Bobbie, Tobbie and Flobbie Rotten) how to catch Sportacus. Shortly following the song going viral, Robbie's actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson announced a bile duct cancer diagnosis, after which the song and its memes became a rallying point for fans to support him, with a [=GoFundMe=] campaign set up by head ''[=LazyTown=]'' writer Mark Valenti to cover his living costs reaching its goal of $100,000 in December 2016. As a gesture of thanks, Stefán [[https://youtu.be/O3pf7HCbtXo?si=H4MB-lPNAd2dRv7F held a livestream]] in which he performed "We Are Number One" with his fellow doppelgänger actors. In August 2017, Stefán stated he was in remission; in March 2018, the cancer recurred and was diagnosed as inoperable. Stefán passed away from the disease on August 21, 2018 at the age of 43.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"Welcome to [=LazyTown=],\\
a place where you'll want to stay..."'' [[note]]L to R: [[TheSmartGuy Pixel]], [[GenkiGirl Stephanie]], [[TheAce Sportacus]], [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold Ziggy]], [[ThePrankster Trixie]], [[ItsAllAboutMe Stingy]]. In background: [[HarmlessVillain Robbie Rotten]].[[/note]]]]

''[=LazyTown=]'' is a children's show produced in Iceland, the brainchild of former athlete Magnús Scheving, who also plays the show's [[TheHero hero]], Sportacus. The show is known for promoting healthy eating and exercise in kids in addition to its combination of live-action, puppetry and CGI (which helped make it one of the most expensive children's shows ever[[note]]The budget for each episode was reportedly around $1 million an episode, about 5x the average cost of a children's TV program; Scheving was quoted describing ''[=LazyTown=]'' as "the most expensive children's show in the world"[[/note]]). While the franchise began as books, then [[Theatre/{{Latibaer}} a series of plays]], it was with the show where it became a worldwide phenomenon, so the majority of this page covers the show.

Most episodes mark major plot points by having one or several characters sing a song, and [[EveryEpisodeEnding all episodes close]] with Stephanie singing the show's {{ending theme}}, "Bing Bang (Time to Dance)", as she, Sportacus, the puppets dance. Many of the show's songs are from the [[{{Europop}} Eurodance]] genre.

After Turner Broadcasting (which owns Creator/CartoonNetwork, Nick's biggest competitor) bought out the entire franchise in 2011, the show jumped back into production. A third season of the show premiered in 2013 on Creator/{{Cartoonito}} in the EMEA & APAC regions and Creator/{{Boomerang}} in the LATAM region, with Chloe Lang taking over the role of Stephanie from Julianna Rose Mauriello. After a fourth season, the show wrapped up for good the following year, with the final episode airing on October 13, 2014.

Part of ''[=LazyTown=]''[='=]s enduring legacy can be attributed to various [[MemeticMutation memes]] generated from the show. While several of the show's songs (including [[https://youtu.be/i8ju_10NkGY?si=TBfyIPbeDCAKTYhF "You Are a Pirate"]], [[https://youtu.be/ZD71JeX4Vk0?si=GPTYcLAirfhbqJjT "Cooking By the Book"]] and [[https://youtu.be/2dTh3iI0is8?si=-4pJlxG02IhrlZaN "The Mine Song"]]) gained traction online, the Season 4 song [[https://youtu.be/PfYnvDL0Qcw?si=oLW6xK3zX3FKzDmD "We Are Number One"]] particularly exploded in popularity in late 2016, two years after its original episode's airing. Sung fully by Robbie Rotten, the song centers on him attempting (unsuccessfully) to teach a team of doppelgänger accomplices (Bobbie, Tobbie and Flobbie Rotten) how to catch Sportacus. Shortly following the song going viral, Robbie's actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson announced a bile duct cancer diagnosis, after which the song and its memes became a rallying point for fans to support him, with a [=GoFundMe=] campaign set up by head ''[=LazyTown=]'' writer Mark Valenti to cover his living costs reaching its goal of $100,000 in December 2016. As a gesture of thanks, Stefán [[https://youtu.be/O3pf7HCbtXo?si=H4MB-lPNAd2dRv7F held a livestream]] in which he performed "We Are Number One" with his fellow doppelgänger actors. In August 2017, Stefán stated he was in remission; in March 2018, the cancer recurred and was diagnosed as inoperable. Stefán passed away from the disease on August 21, 2018 at the age of 43.

Part of ''[=LazyTown=]''[='=]s enduring legacy can be attributed to various [[MemeticMutation memes]] generated from the show. While several songs from Season 1 ([[https://youtu.be/i8ju_10NkGY?si=TBfyIPbeDCAKTYhF "You Are a Pirate"]] and [[https://youtu.be/ZD71JeX4Vk0?si=GPTYcLAirfhbqJjT "Cooking By the Book"]]) gained traction online, a song from Season 4, [[https://youtu.be/PfYnvDL0Qcw?si=oLW6xK3zX3FKzDmD "We Are Number One"]], exploded in popularity as a meme in 2016, two years after its original episode's airing. The song is sung fully by Robbie Rotten and centers on him attempting (unsuccessfully) to teach a team of doppelgänger accomplices (Bobbie, Tobbie and Flobbie Rotten) how to catch Sportacus. Shortly following the song going viral, Robbie's actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson announced a bile duct cancer diagnosis, after which the song and its memes became a rallying point for fans to support him, with a [=GoFundMe=] campaign set up by head ''[=LazyTown=]'' writer Mark Valenti to cover his living costs reaching its goal of $100,000. To thank his supporters, Stefán performed "We Are Number One"

In August 2018, actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson, who played Robbie Rotten, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer.

Most episodes mark major plot points by having one or several characters sing a song, and all episodes end with the show's ending theme, "Bing Bang (Time to Dance)". Many of these songs are reworked versions of songs

After Turner Broadcasting (which owns Creator/CartoonNetwork, Nick's biggest competitor) bought out the entire franchise in 2011, the show jumped back into production. A third season of the show premiered in 2013 on Creator/{{Cartoonito}} in the EMEA & APAC regions and Creator/{{Boomerang}} in the LATAM region, with Chloe Lang taking over the role of Stephanie from Julianna Rose Mauriello. The show wrapped up for good the following year, with the final episode airing on October 13, 2014.

Part of ''[=LazyTown=]''[='=]s enduring legacy can be attributed to various [[MemeticMutation memes]] generated from the show. While In August 2018, actor Stefan Karl Stefánsson, who played Robbie Rotten, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer.

''[=LazyTown=]'' is a 2004 children's show produced in Iceland, the brain child of former athlete Magnús Scheving, who also plays the hero, Sportacus. Its focus is promoting healthy eating and exercise. While the franchise began as books, then [[Theatre/{{Latibaer}} a series of plays]], it was with the show where it became a worldwide phenomenon, so the majority of this page covers the show.

Stephanie, our main character, is a new arrival in [=LazyTown=]. She quickly befriends the other kids (all puppets), but learns that nobody in [=LazyTown=] plays outside or does sports. Which is just fine by Robbie Rotten, the town's resident HarmlessVillain, who likes nothing more than to spend every day in his lair under [=LazyTown=] eating cake, sleeping and generally doing nothing at all. Enter Sportacus, an incredibly athletic superhero, who encourages all the kids to eat healthily and play outside, disturbing poor Robbie's sleep. So OnceAnEpisode, Robbie comes up with a scheme to make [=LazyTown=] lazy again, usually by getting rid of Sportacus or somehow tricking the kids, or sometimes just kidnapping them, usually by dressing up in [[PaperThinDisguise ridiculous outfits]]. Then Sportacus does a billion backflips and saves them all! After which there is ''more'' dancing from Stephanie and a coda with Robbie Rotten.

Although the original audio of each episode is in English, the show is filmed in Garðabær, Iceland, and the creator and the majority of the crew are Icelandic, resulting in cross-cultural weirdness.

The television show is not the first version of the story, though it is the first to be shown outside Iceland. The previous versions were books and musicals both on stage and CD, and were all in Icelandic and set in the village of ''Theatre/{{Latibaer}}'', meaning [=LazyTown=]. The child characters in the ''Latibær'' musicals were all played by Caucasian adult humans. While the basics of each character remained similar between the last ''Latibær'' production and ''[=LazyTown=]'', several characters were dropped along the way, and those remaining were given [[DubNameChange more English names]] for ''[=LazyTown=]''. The show's success led to additional stage plays performed around the world with varying storylines.

The first two seasons of ''[=LazyTown=]'' were commissioned by {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} and aired on the Nick family of channels in the US, the UK, Australia, and some Asian territories. Exclusive content such as interviews and behind-the-scenes shorts were aired on Nick Jr. during broadcasts of the show. The 'magazine format' ''[=LazyTown=] Extra'' (2008) is a co-production with Creator/TheBBC.

After Turner Broadcasting (which owns Creator/CartoonNetwork, Nick's biggest competitor) bought out the entire franchise in 2011, the show jumped back into production. The new third season premiered in 2013 on Creator/{{Cartoonito}} in the EMEA & APAC regions and Creator/{{Boomerang}} in the LATAM region, with Chloe Lang taking over the role of Stephanie from Julianna Rose Mauriello. The show wrapped up for good in 2014. In August 2018, actor Stefan Karl, who played Robbie Rotten, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer.

* AesopAmnesia: In the early seasons, Sportacus teaches the kids the importance of eating healthy, exercising often and being kind to each other, but by the next episode they're back to their bad habits.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

** "The Laziest Town" is about a yearly contest where everyone must do some type of physical activity or the town will be named "The Laziest Town on Earth." When the meter is at 90%, Sportacus tries to fill the last 10% but he tires out too soon. [[spoiler: Robbie Rotten fills the gap with a victory dance.]]

** The entire show underwent a massive overhaul when it hit American shores. The town itself was made brighter and more colorful, most of the live-action characters were turned into cute puppets (and some were gotten rid of altogether), Sportacus was changed from an elf to a superhero, and so on. While the show still retains some of its [[WidgetSeries weird/strange foreignness]], it's got nothing on the original Icelandic plays.

* ScreechingStop: In [[Recap/LazyTownS1E2Defeeted "Defeeted"]], Sportacus is put to one after Robbie's done having fun sending him gliding across the stage.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lazytown-4.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:From left to right: [[HarmlessVillain Robbie Rotten]], [[InvincibleHero Sportacus]], and [[BlitheSpirit Stephanie]].]]

* FunnyPhotoPhrase: When Robbie Rotten is having his picture taken, the photographer tells him to say, "cheese," but he says, "Cheddar!"

Although the original audio of each episode is in English, the show is filmed in Garðabær, Iceland, and the creator and the majority of the crew are Icelandic, resulting in [[WidgetSeries cross-cultural weirdness]].

* IncrediblyLamePun: There's an episode where Robbie switches Sportacus's shoes with fake shoes that make his feet go crazy. The title? Defeeted.

** Then there's Stephanie's short pink dress, though that might not be intentional considering she is supposed to be eight years old (but played by a 17 year old).

** Then there's Stephanie's short pink dress, though that might not be intentional considering she is supposed to be eight years old.

''[=LazyTown=]'' is a 2004 children's show produced in Iceland, the brain child of former athlete Magnús Scheving, who also plays the hero, Sportacus. Its focus is promoting healthy eating and exercise. While the franchise began as books, then a series of plays, it was with the show where it became a worldwide phenomenon, so the majority of this page covers the show.

* AdaptationDistillation: The ''Latibær'' plays greatly streamlined the story compared to the books, taking out plot-irrelevant characters and narration, focusing more on the main cast and their personalities, and foreshadowing events.

* CantArgueWithElves: Partially subverted in the original Latibær plays. Íþróttaálfurinn (Sportacus) doesn't exactly ''lecture'' the humans on how to live better, healthier lives. Instead, he ''teaches'' them.

The television show is not the first version of the story, though it is the first to be shown outside Iceland. The previous versions were books and musicals both on stage and CD, and were all in Icelandic and set in the village of Latibær, meaning [=LazyTown=]. The child characters in the ''Latibær'' musicals were all played by Caucasian adult humans. While the basics of each character remained similar between the last ''Latibær'' production and ''[=LazyTown=]'', several characters were dropped along the way, and those remaining were given [[DubNameChange more English names]] for ''[=LazyTown=]''. The show's success led to additional stage plays performed around the world with varying storylines.

** "The Last Sportscandy" strongly implies it is in the United States, as when Robbie goes back to 1840, Abrham Lincoln is there asking people to vote for him.

* UnCanceled: The final episode of the second season aired in October 2007; the third season premiered in the U.K. in April 2013 and the U.S. in May 2013.