There's a common stigma with Canadian cartoons, in that they tend to be cheaply produced for quick revenue with little actual effort or talent going into them. This show may well be the single closest thing to scientific proof of that statement... while also being one of the most deeply underrated cartoons of all time.
In a highly unusual move for a supposed Canadian TV series, both the scripting and vocal talent for the first season were predominantly American (not to mention the suspiciously uncredited soundtrack). This is the season that essentially defines the show. It features incredibly creative and unpredictable storylines for such a seemingly simplistic series concept, often stereotypical yet unusually entertaining characters, approximately one brilliant joke per minute, and even a very distinctive visual gag in which most of the screen freezes in monochrome while Andy breaks the fourth wall - which was largely dropped in later seasons, with Andy just talking to the viewer instead. Perhaps it is not coincidental that only this season actually adapts some of the stories from the books the show is based on, though many of the episode plots are still original to the cartoon.
The conveniently labeled second season credits make it clear that all of the writers were from Canada, while most of the storyboarders were based in France. Unfortunately, as a result of losing the American writers from the first season the quality of the scripts suffered greatly, and although some episodes are still excellent there are far too many that showcase Canadian writing "talent" in all its glory. On the other hand, the music actually improved between seasons. Season 1's soundtrack mostly consisted of individual riffs that made for a unique but not exactly melodic rap-based experience. Season 2 on the other hand got fully arranged background music, courtesy of the in-house composers at the French animation studio co-producing the season (which notably also produced W.I.T.C.H., quite possibly the only more underrated Western animated series than this one).
Interestingly, and very unusually for a cartoon, the in-show setting also changed from America to Canada between seasons 1 and 2, possibly as a reflection of the change in cast and crew. What impact this had in the US, where only the first season seems to have been aired and even then only sporadically, is unclear - but despite the show's unpopularity there, a third season was ordered for international broadcast. Unfortunately, this time the old adage about Canadian animation was in full effect. Not only did the scripts almost exclusively range from mediocre to outright bad, but the animation itself suffered with the characters making bizarre expressions throughout and movement becoming more jerky and erratic. In addition, the jazzy sound of the music, while hardly bad in itself, made for a jarring transition from the prior soundtracks. (This season did coin the "prince of pranks" moniker, at least!)
WesternAnimation 3 seasons, 3 countries, 1 prince of pranks
There's a common stigma with Canadian cartoons, in that they tend to be cheaply produced for quick revenue with little actual effort or talent going into them. This show may well be the single closest thing to scientific proof of that statement... while also being one of the most deeply underrated cartoons of all time.
In a highly unusual move for a supposed Canadian TV series, both the scripting and vocal talent for the first season were predominantly American (not to mention the suspiciously uncredited soundtrack). This is the season that essentially defines the show. It features incredibly creative and unpredictable storylines for such a seemingly simplistic series concept, often stereotypical yet unusually entertaining characters, approximately one brilliant joke per minute, and even a very distinctive visual gag in which most of the screen freezes in monochrome while Andy breaks the fourth wall - which was largely dropped in later seasons, with Andy just talking to the viewer instead. Perhaps it is not coincidental that only this season actually adapts some of the stories from the books the show is based on, though many of the episode plots are still original to the cartoon.
The conveniently labeled second season credits make it clear that all of the writers were from Canada, while most of the storyboarders were based in France. Unfortunately, as a result of losing the American writers from the first season the quality of the scripts suffered greatly, and although some episodes are still excellent there are far too many that showcase Canadian writing "talent" in all its glory. On the other hand, the music actually improved between seasons. Season 1's soundtrack mostly consisted of individual riffs that made for a unique but not exactly melodic rap-based experience. Season 2 on the other hand got fully arranged background music, courtesy of the in-house composers at the French animation studio co-producing the season (which notably also produced W.I.T.C.H., quite possibly the only more underrated Western animated series than this one).
Interestingly, and very unusually for a cartoon, the in-show setting also changed from America to Canada between seasons 1 and 2, possibly as a reflection of the change in cast and crew. What impact this had in the US, where only the first season seems to have been aired and even then only sporadically, is unclear - but despite the show's unpopularity there, a third season was ordered for international broadcast. Unfortunately, this time the old adage about Canadian animation was in full effect. Not only did the scripts almost exclusively range from mediocre to outright bad, but the animation itself suffered with the characters making bizarre expressions throughout and movement becoming more jerky and erratic. In addition, the jazzy sound of the music, while hardly bad in itself, made for a jarring transition from the prior soundtracks. (This season did coin the "prince of pranks" moniker, at least!)