Plot[edit]
The basic plot of the series is usually to save the animals from various situations, be it villains, general human influence, or confusion on a baby animal's part. Most episodes focus on villains, but those that do not usually focus on some real world problem, either directly (as seen in "Stuck On Sharks" where Gourmand captured a shark for making shark fin soup) or indirectly through allegory ("Build It Beaver" had the beaver's dam destroyed repeatedly through various means; an allegory for deforestation). Still, some episodes aim to change the way a creature is seen- creatures that are usually considered frightening, such as bats and crocodiles.
Along the way, viewers learn about the animals and their lives as the Kratt brothers and the Wild Kratts gang (consisting of the Kratts themselves, Aviva, Koki, and Jimmy) figure out ways to either right wrongs or to get out of the strange (and always amusing) situations they are in. It was stated in an interview that the villains do not learn about the animals and this is why they are always unsuccessful .[citation needed]
Some of their adventures have put them in grave danger or even brought them seconds away from death. In these episodes, it can be just the nature of the mission, or it can be the cause of a villain. Although in only one case ("Platypus Café") did the villain (Gaston Gourmand) actually intend to cause harm to one of the brothers. In the other episodes, the villain had not thought it through (Zach in "Mystery of the Weird Looking Walrus"), or was not aware of the medical risks involved. They also occasionally enlist the help of the Wild Kratts Kids, children who help the Wild Kratts from their home however they can, whether it is moving animals or helping rebuild habitats (some of which are voiced by the children of the Kratt Brothers).[citation needed]
Background and production[edit]
Wild Kratts is a rework of the lesser-received Be the Creature. Chris is listed as the Executive Producer, and Martin is listed as the Executive Director. It is written by either the Kratts themselves, Eva Almos (who also plays Donita Donata), or Chris Roy. It is mostly filmed in Canada and North America, but some creatures in the live segments have been from other countries. It is not known if they actually went to those countries to film or not. PBS dedicated nearly $500,000 to developing the series.[5]
The show makes use of comedic devices such as slapstick comedy as per their previous kids' shows (Kratt's Creatures andZoboomafoo). Wild Kratts debuted on January 3, 2011[6] on most PBS stations and has currently been signed for a second season with both PBS and TVOntario.[4] The series currently has 40 episodes, of which not all have been shown. Season 2 started with episode "Ker-Honk", which was aired on December 30, 2011 on most stations.
The show is both animated and live action, featuring a donut sequence that asks "What If?", that sets up the cartoon segment and introduces the focus animal (or focus trait/behaviour if more than one animal is the focus); the principal cartoon show; and a concluding live action segment that sums up the cartoon. The last segment is then followed by additional clips about other animals that somehow relate to the focus animal. International rights were signed by 9 Story in September 2010.[7]
PBS shows the episodes out of order. The episode "Polar Bears Don't Dance", being the pilot episode, features an animation style different from the rest of the episodes, and was omitted from the first DVD release. It is also directed by Luc Chamberland, who did not direct any subsequent episodes. Foreign countries seem to get future episodes before US and Canadian watchers. The episode "Caracal Minton" was shown in South America before being aired in English.
On October 15, 2012 in The United States of America and Canada, Season 2 will begin in 4 episodes but it sometimes will run out of order. This is the first season to begin with a view of the Earth before the Kratt brothers are shown introducing the audience. This will focus on the Western Hemisphere, such as the rainforest, coral reef, temperate woodlands, and the Sonoran Desert.
