You're a wizard in the making and your magic's true
You're not alone so don't be overwhelmed
Gilbert's here to help you from the Magic Realm
But 'ya gotta listen... listen to the bunny now
The grumpy, magic, bunny bunny bunny!"
Sadie Sparks is an Irish-French animated TV series produced by Brown Bag Films and Cyber Group Studios.
As the theme song perfectly explains, the series follows the enchanting misadventures of a 14-year-old girl, Sadie Sparks, who finds out she has magical abilities and becomes a wizard-in-training with the guidance and mentorship from a very old and grumpy rabbit, Gilbert. He was sent to the human world from the Magical Realm to train Sadie and harness her volatile magical skills. Sadie must navigate the challenging world of high school, juggling exams whilst training to be a wizard, on top of keeping it a secret to all but her best friends, Teepee and Lulu, who accompany her adventures.
The art style of the series is typically CGI, but the Magical Realm segments are done in 2D.
Sadie Sparks premiered 20 April 2019 on Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland, but the first episode was released a week earlier on their YouTube channel. The series is also planned to premiere in the US on the same channel. The intro to the series can be seen here
, and the trailer here.
This show contains magical examples of the following tropes:
- A Boy and His X: A trainee wizard girl and her talking rabbit mentor.
- Alliterative Name: Sadie Sparks.
- All-CGI Cartoon: Well, partially CGI as the Magical Realm segments are done in 2D.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Sadie's kid brother Max, an aspiring scientist whose "inventions" never work out as intended, often embarrassing Sadie in the process.
- Betty and Veronica: Sadie has a crush on blonde Muggle Nice Guy Sam, and constantly butts heads with brunette rival wizard-in-training Blaine.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: In the season finale, Sadie's friends have a collective "Oh. My. Giddy!" while Sadie risks her life to seal a rift.
- Catchphrase: "Oh, my giddy!"
- Expository Theme Tune: The theme explains that Sadie is a wizard-in-training and that she is helped by her bunny Gilbert and friends.
- Freudian Trio: Teepee (Id), Sadie (Ego), and Lulu (Superego).
- Magic Misfire: Most episodes involve Sadie's magic going haywire - if it's not an accident during training, it's an attempt to help herself or her friends getting way out of hand.
- Medium Blending: The series has an Art Shift between the CGI Human World and the 2D Magical Realm.
- Mentor Mascot: Gilbert the rabbit serves as Sadie's guide to magic.
- Muggle and Magical Love Triangle: Sadie, Sam and Blaine by the end of season one.Blaine: Seriously, what does she see in him?
Everyone else: Ooohhh! - Muggle Best Friend: Teepee and Lulu are Sadie's two best friends, and the only Muggles in the cast to be in on the Masquerade. Despite having zero abilities, they're always happy to help deal with the Magic Misfire of the week.
- Ordinary High-School Student: Sadie..except for the whole "wizard in training" thing.
- Personal Gain Hurts: Any time Sadie uses magic to give herself or her friends a leg up at something, it goes haywire.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Teepee is an excitable pop culture nerd, and of the three kids he's the most likely to crack jokes or suffer mishaps.
- Rabbit Magician: Gilbert is an ancient 700-year-old grumpy rabbit who is training Sadie in magic.
- Secret Chaser: The school principal is secretly (to everyone but Sadie and her friends) part of an MIB-style group, and is constantly trying to find proof of the various supernatural goings-on in town.
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: Sadie and Blaine, on more than one occasion.
- Snarky Non-Human Sidekick: Gilbert is a grumpy 700 year old rabbit who is seldom impressed by his student's magical aptitude.
- Talking Animal: Gilbert is a talking rabbit.
- Wake Up, Go to School & Save the World: Sadie has to balance her academic life with saving the world from magical disasters. Of course, those disasters are often of her own making, but still...
