Animalia (2007-2008) is an Australian children's television series based on the 1986 picture book of the same name by illustrator Graeme Base.
The story involves two kids, Alex and Zoe, who happen to find a portal while visiting their town's library. This leads them to an alternate world named Animalia, populated with Talking Animals who are able to live in peace and harmony thanks to an artifact called the Core. However, the Core happens to suffer some kind of illness, resulting in it losing pieces regularly. Each piece has a specific function in Animalia's inhabitant's abilities to talk and act like humans, and losing a piece will inevitably provoke a weird side effect on everyone until the piece is put back in place. Being humans, Alex and Zoe are immune to those effects, resulting in them being in charge of collecting the pieces each time one is lost. They are assisted in this mission by G'bubu, a green gorilla, and Iggy, an Iguana.
The series mostly consists of a Piece of the week scheme, each episode usually involving a missing piece of the Core and Alex and Zoe trying to find it. Season 2, however, goes for a slight Cerebus Syndrome by introducing a new villain, the Creeper. Unlike all characters portrayed before, the Creeper was a legitimately evil character, and caused the series to get a bit darker.
Tropes include:
- Adaptation Expansion: It was originally a picture book, after all. In fact, the original picture book was really just an alphabet book, albeit a very lavishly-illustrated one. On the other hand, the television series has a rather complex plot and wealth of detailed characters.
- Alliterative Name: EVERYONE except Alex, Zoe and Bitzy and Snitzy the alligators.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: G’bubu is a green gorilla.
- And the Adventure Continues: The series ends with a portal being now opened between Earth and Animalia, allowing both Zoe and Alex to go back home and the Animalians to visit Earth.
- The Butler Did It: Averted and discussed in Tunnel King. The Creeper steals things from almost everyone unknowingly, Iggy says the thief is the butler but G'bubu points out to him they do not even have a butler.
- Cats Are Mean: Played with and later subverted with Tyrannicus Tiger. He starts out as a minor antagonist but later is shown to be a Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Firmly averted with Livingstone, however.
- Cosmic Keystone: The Core is the main power source of Animalia, and whenever one of the core spores is lost, it has a negative effect on the Animalians.
- Interspecies Friendship: Iggy and G’Bubu are really close friends who get along quite well together.
- King of Beasts: Livingstone Lion, who is the wise and noble leader of Animalia.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: "Ride of the Valkyries" was used during action scenes.
- Talking Animal: the whole population of Animalia, minus Alex and Zoe.
- Time Stands Still: Occurs when the Time Spore is lost.
- Trapped in Another World: Alex and Zoe once they enter Animalia.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: The human city's location. Is it in the US? Britain? Australia? Some fictional country altogether?
- White-and-Grey Morality: For most of the series, the only antagonist was Tyrannicus, who is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold at worst. That is, until the Creeper shows up...
- World of Funny Animals: Animalia, until Alex and Zoe show up.
