LazyTown

This article is about the series. For the soundtrack, see LazyTown (soundtrack). For the production company, see Lazytown Entertainment.
LazyTown
Genre Children's television series
Musical comedy
Puppetry
Live action
Children Action
Animation
CGI
Created by Magnus Scheving
Starring Magnus Scheving
Dyri Kristjansson
Julian Essex-Spurrier
Matthias Matthiasson
Shelby Young
Julianna Rose Mauriello
Chloe Lang
Kimberly Pena
Stefán Karl Stefánsson
Ronald Binion
Kobie Powell
Gudmundur Thor Karason
Jodi Eichelberger
Amanda Maddock
Heather Asch
Sarah Burgess
Aymee Garcia
David Matthew Feldman
Julie Westwood
Opening theme "Welcome to LazyTown"
Ending theme "Bing Bang (Time to Dance)" (Instrumental)
Composer(s) Máni Svavarsson
Country of origin Iceland
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 107 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Magnús Scheving
Raymond P. Le Gue
Mark Read
Ragnheidur Melsted
Brown Johnson and Kay Wilson Stallings for Nick Jr.
Running time 24 minutes
Production company(s) LazyTown Entertainment
Distributor Turner Broadcasting System
(Europe)
Viacom International Media Networks
(US/International)
BBC
(UK)
Release
Original network RÚV, Stöð 2 (Iceland)
Nick Jr. (US)
CBeebies (UK)
Boomerang (Europe)
Picture format HDTV
Original release 15 August 2004 (2004-08-15) – 13 October 2014 (2014-10-13)
Chronology
Followed by LazyTown Extra
External links
Website

LazyTown (Icelandic: Latibær) is an Icelandic educational musical comedy program with a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also has a lead role as "Sportacus" in the show. Originally performed in English, the show has been dubbed into more than thirty languages (including Icelandic) and aired in over 180 countries.[1]

Fifty-three episodes were produced from 2004 to 2007, for the first and second seasons. It originally aired on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. in the United States and CBeebies in the UK. Turner Broadcasting System Europe acquired LazyTown Entertainment in 2011[2] and commissioned a third season[3] consisting of 16 episodes, which premiered on 6 April 2013 in the United Kingdom on Cartoonito. A fourth season, consisting of 12 episodes, premiered in the UK in 2014.[4]

It has spin-off projects including stage productions and a television program for younger children called LazyTown Extra.

TV production

LazyTown was created by Magnús Scheving, who also directed many of the TV program's episodes. The show is part live-action, part puppetry and part CGI animation. It was filmed and produced at 380 Studios, a purpose-built studio near Reykjavík equipped with high-end HDTV production facilities and one of the biggest green screens in the world. The production floor area is 1,800 square meters (almost 20,000 square feet).[5][6] The budget for each episode was approximately ISK 70,000,000 (US$1 million), about five times the average cost for a children's television programme at the time, making it "the most expensive children's show in the world", according to Scheving.[7][8]

Its virtual sets were generated with an Unreal Engine 3-based framework, created by Raymond P. Le Gué, known as XRGen4. According to Le Gué, "We start with the live actors and puppets on a physical set with a green screen behind them as a backdrop. The green screen is replaced in real time with the sets created in XRGen4 using UE3. As we move the camera and actors around the physical set, the backdrop scene also moves in real time in complete synchronization with the movements of the real camera. All of this is recorded, and the director can watch the resulting composition in real time."[9]

Seasons 3 and 4 of LazyTown were filmed as usual in the LazyTown Studios in Iceland, but the special effects were created this time round by Turner Studios in Atlanta.[10]

In most episodes, Sportacus, Stephanie Meanswell, and Robbie Rotten are the only characters played by live actors, though there are other live-action characters who occasionally appear. The rest of the characters are depicted as puppets, made by the Neal Scanlan Studio and Wit Puppets.

Cast

Main cast

Additional cast

Puppeteers

Main Puppeteers

Additional Puppeteers

Uncredited puppets for the puppeteers

Characters

Sportacus (played by Magnús Scheving/Dyri Kristjansson/Julian Essex-Spurrier and singing voiced by Matthias Matthiasson) is the local athletic superhero. He resides in a blue airship above LazyTown, and is alerted to impending danger in LazyTown by a beeping crystal on the chest of his costume. Understanding, courageous, and helpful, he is devoted to exercise and physical activity and encourages others to follow his example. He has a rivalry with Robbie Rotten, who opposes all forms of athleticism and yearns for LazyTown to return to a sluggish, silent state. Sportacus lives on a diet of fruit and vegetables, which he refers to as "sports candy". Eating junk food makes him immediately lose all his strength and athletic abilities, which can only be restored by eating healthier foods.

Stephanie (played by Shelby Young/Julianna Rose Mauriello/Chloe Lang/Kimberly Pena) is an energetic, active, enthusiastic, and sweet newcomer to town. She resides with her uncle, Mayor Milford Meanswell. Recognizable by her all-pink attire, Stephanie is initially disappointed by the inactive lifestyles of her new friends and coaxes them to partake in more athletic pastimes. Her attempts are often nearly thwarted by Robbie Rotten, who prefers to lead a sluggish, lazy lifestyle in an underground lair located beneath the town and is agitated by the sudden boom of physical activity. Nonetheless, Stephanie is eternally optimistic and hopeful, and always manages to triumph over any challenges in the end.

Robbie Rotten (played by Stefán Karl Stefánsson), desiring silence and peace, continuously formulates feckless schemes that often feature him masquerading in various disguises as a means of hoodwinking or tempting residents away from an active lifestyle. He passionately abhors the influence of Sportacus and Stephanie, and a number of these schemes are intended either to do away with them or lure the people of town away from a fit lifestyle. Ironically, in the process of attempting to convert the town to laziness, Robbie places so much effort into his schemes that he becomes one of LazyTown's most active residents.

Ziggy (played by Guðmundur Þór Kárason) is the youngest resident. He loves to eat candy and sweets—particularly lollipops. After Stephanie came along he found that there is more to childhood than sugary treats. He is now active and participates in any sport the gang plays, but still enjoys candy. He can usually be seen holding a lollipop.

Trixie (played by Amanda Maddock/Heather Asch/Sarah Burgess/Aymee Garcia and voiced by Sarah Burgess) is a troublemaker, though she does like to play with everyone else. Trixie refers to Stephanie as "Pinky" when trying to get her attention. She also likes to draw moustaches on the mayor's posters.

Pixel (played by Ronald Binion/Julie Westwood and voiced by Kobie Powell) is a 10-year-old who loves computers, technology and gadgets. He fixes up all sorts of gadgets to help him avoid doing something himself, such as a machine to tie his shoes or a remote that "does everything for you". Pixel represents the disadvantages of technology replacing outdoor activity and exercise.

Stingy (played by Jodi Eichelberger) is a selfish and possessive child. He still plays with the gang, but he will always care about his stuff, especially his car and his prized piggy bank. He often says "It's mine!" and has his own song by that name (which names everything in LazyTown as his; he even names "this instrumental break" within the song as his). He can also play the harmonica and recorder. His toy car is a 1978 Mini Cooper. In later seasons, he is often seen wearing rectangular glasses.

Mayor Meanswell (played by David Matthew Feldman) is a nervous wreck who has a crush on Miss Busybody. He loves his niece Stephanie very much and calls Sportacus if she feels sad or depressed. He is also famous for saying "Oh my!" all the time if something is wrong. In the episode "LazyTown Goes Digital", the Mayor is seen to be continually perplexed by modern technological terms and has to be corrected when foolishly trying to send a "b-mail" using a recently installed computer system.

Bessie Busybody (played by Julie Westwood) is an adult resident. Although patronizing, she tries her best to be motherly with the children. She is aware of every new trend, and is pompous but fashionable; she loves to talk on her cell phone.

Episodes

Fifty-three episodes were produced for the first two seasons of LazyTown between 2004 and 2007. A third season, consisting of 16 episodes, first aired in 2013. A fourth season consisting of another 12 episodes began airing in 2014.

Broadcast

The show first appeared on 16 August 2004 in the United States on Nick Jr., when it was a children's block on the Nickelodeon channel.[11] The second season debuted in the United States on Nick Jr. in 2006.[12][13] It also aired in the United States on CBS as part of the Nickelodeon on CBS Saturday morning block from 17 September 2005 to 9 September 2006. The series would continue to air daily on the Nick Jr. channel until July 17, 2010.[14]

The series arrived in the UK in September 2005, initially appearing on CBeebies on BBC Two and then on the CBeebies channel from January 2006.[15][16]

In 2008, a Spanish-dubbed version of LazyTown debuted on V-me, a television network created for the Hispanic market in the US.[17] NBC began airing it every Saturday on 7 July 2012, as part of the new Saturday morning NBC Kids pre-school block until early-2016. The Spanish-dubbed version also airs on Telemundo (a sister station to NBC) as part of the new weekend pre-school morning block MiTelemundo.

As of October 2013, ten episodes from season two were available for streaming on Netflix.

The series has been dubbed into thirty-two languages.

Songs

Songs' Names Performed By Backing By
"Welcome to LazyTown" Jon Josep Snaebjornsson -
"Bing Bang" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Have You Ever" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie, Pixel and Sportacus
"Always a Way" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Energy" Sportacus and Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy, Pixel, Trixie
"Anything Can Happen" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Wake Up" Pixel and Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy
"Cooking by the Book" Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Stingy and Pixel -
"Step by Step" Stephanie Meanswell and Trixie Pixel
"No One's Lazy in LazyTown" Sportacus and Stephanie Meanswell Trixie, Ziggy, Pixel
"Twenty Times Time" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Lazy Scouts" Robbie Rotten (imitating as Scouty) Stingy, Ziggy and Trixie
"Good Stuff" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy and Pixel
"You are a Pirate" Robbie Rotten (disguised as Rottenbeard) and Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy and Trixie
"Spooky Song" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy and Ziggy
"Teamwork" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy, Trixie, Pixel, Sportacus, Robbie Rotten, Milford Meanswell and Bessie Busybody
"Go For It" Stephanie Meanswell -
"The Mine Song" Stingy Piggy
"Gizmo Guy" Pixel Ziggy and Stephanie Meanswell
"I Am A Prince" Stingy Robbie Rotten, Stephanie Meanswell, Trixie, Ziggy and Pixel
"Playtime" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy, Trixie, Sportacus, and Robbie Rotten
"Master of Disguise" Robbie Rotten -
"We're Dancing" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Take a Vacation" Stephanie Meanswell and Sportacus -
"Woof Woof Woof" Robbie Rotten Robot Dog
"Man on a Mission" Bessie Busybody and Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy and Milford Meanswell
"I Love Christmas" Stephanie Meanswell and Trixie Ziggy
"Good To Be Bad" Robbie Rotten (as Santa Claus) -
"I Can Move" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Galaxy" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy and Pixel
"When We Play in a Band" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Pixel and Trixie
"Rock Your Socks Off" Robbie Rotten (imitating Johnny B. Badd) -
"Time to Play" Stephanie Meanswell Little Sportacus
"Clean Up" Stingy Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Pixel and Trixie
"It's Fun to Be the Mayor" Robbie Rotten (disguised as Milford Meanswell) -
"Playing on the Playground" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy and Trixie
"Snow, Give Me Snow" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Sportacus, Trixie, Stingy and Pixel
"Time to Start the Show" Robbie Rotten (imitating as Roberto), Stingy and Trixie Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Sportacus and Pixel
"I Like Learning" Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Stingy, Pixel, Trixie and Sportacus -
"Colors" Stephanie Meanswell, Sportacus and Pixel -
"New Games Everyday" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy, Trixie and Pixel
"We Got Energy" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy, Sportacus and Robbie Rotten
"We Will Be Friends" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Trixie, Ziggy, Pixel, Sportacus and Milford Meanswell
"Techno Generation" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Robbie Rotten, Pixel, Sportacus and Milford Meanswell
"The Greatest Genie" Genie and Robbie Rotten -
"Story Time" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Ziggy, Pixel, Trixie and Robbie Rotten
"Lazy Rockets" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy and Ziggy
"I Wanna Dance" Robbie Rotten (imitating as Silly Swingawip) and Stephanie Meanswell -
"Let's Go" Sportacus Ziggy
"LazyTown Megamix" Sportacus and Stephanie Meanswell Trixie, Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy, Robbie Rotten, Milford Meanswell and Bessie Busybody
"Go Step Go" Stephanie Meanswell -
"Never Say Never" Stephanie Meanswell Sportacus, Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy and Pixel
"Boogie Woogie Boo" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Trixie, Pixel, Sportacus, Robbie Rotten, Milford Meanswell and Bessie Busybody
"Life Can Be A Surprise" Stephanie Meanswell Sportacus, Ziggy, Pixel, Trixie and Stingy
"Take It to the Top" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie and Pixel
"Round And Round" Stingy Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Trixie and Pixel
"Here We Go" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie and Pixel
"Summer Is the Season" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie, Pixel, Robbie Rotten, Milford Meanswell, Bessie Busybody and Sportacus
"All Together" Stephanie Meanswell -
"We Love Sportscandy" Chef Pablo Fantastico -
"Recipe For Energy" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy and Trixie
"Holly Jolly Holidays" Stephanie Meanswell and Santa Claus Sportacus, Trixie, Ziggy, Stingy, Pixel, Milford Meanswell and Bessie Busybody
"Let's Go To The Moon" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Trixie, Ziggy and Pixel, Milford Meanswell and Bessie Busybody
"Great Time" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie, Pixel and Robbie Rotten
"Friends" Trixie, Pixel and Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy and Stingy
"SportsCandy" Stephanie Meanswell Trixie, Ziggy and Stingy
"We Love School" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy, Trixie and Robbie Rotten
"Princess For Eternity" Robbie Rotten (as The Royal Training Master) and Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie and Pixel
"One More Time" Stephanie Meanswell and Sportacus Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie and Pixel
"Hey We Play" Robbie Rotten (disguised as a Wizard) Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie and Pixel
"Friend For Life" Stephanie Meanswell Trixie, Ziggy and Stingy
"Life Will Be So Wonderful" Robbie Rotten (imitating as a Fortune Teller) Stephanie Meanswell, Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie and Pixel
"Ghost Stoppers" Stephanie Meanswell Stingy, Trixie, Ziggy and Pixel
"We Are Number One" Robbie Rotten Bobby Rotten, Tobby Rotten and Flobby Rotten
"Go Explore" Stephanie Meanswell Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy, Trixie and Robbie Rotten

LazyTown Extra

On 15 September 2008, a spin-off television series called LazyTown Extra debuted in the United Kingdom on CBeebies. A "magazine format style show" for 3- to 6-year-olds, it features characters from LazyTown in an assortment of short sketches.[18] 26 episodes of LazyTown Extra have been produced, each between 11 and 15 minutes in duration.[19][20] Several characters are voiced by different actors from those who performed in LazyTown.

Live shows

Prior to producing LazyTown, Magnús Scheving created two theatrical shows in Iceland. Áfram Latibær! ("Onward LazyTown!"/"Go Lazytown!", produced in 1996) had Scheving as an energetic elf who encouraged the townspeople to exercise and lead healthier lives. The show had a Stephanie-like character who was an out-of-shape dancer, but the Robbie Rotten character did not yet exist. Most of the secondary characters (puppets) seen in the television series also appeared in this show, although in human form. The second show, Glanni Glæpur í Latabæ ("Robbie Rotten in LazyTown", produced in 1999), introduced Stefán Karl Stefánsson playing his Robbie Rotten character, while Scheving's role changed from elf to hero in an airship.

The 2007–08 LazyTown Live show at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

A LazyTown Live! stage production toured the United Kingdom and Ireland between October 2007 and August 2008. It introduced a new cast to the United Kingdom, including Julian Essex-Spurrier as Sportacus.[7][21][22]

A Spanish-speaking version of the live show premiered in Mexico in 2008, followed by Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. As of 2009 it was scheduled to tour the United States in 2010.[23][24]

From 28 January to 29 November 2009, a live stage production entitled LazyTown Live! The Pirate Adventure toured the United Kingdom and Ireland. It featured characters and songs from LazyTown, performed by a new cast.[25][26]

New productions of LazyTown Live had their premières in November 2009 in Portugal and in March 2010 in Spain by producers Lemon Entertainment.

A live show LazyTown in Schools premièred in Australia in 2012, touring schools to promote healthy eating and fitness for children.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "LazyTown on air in 103 countries". LazyTown Entertainment. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  2. ↑ Turner, Mimi (8 September 2011). "'LazyTown' Founder Sells To Turner Broadcasting For $25 Million". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ↑ "C21Media". C21Media.
  4. ↑ "Turner's 'LazyTown' Returns for Season 4". Animation World Network. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "380 Studios – About Us". 380studios.com.
  6. ↑ "Icelandic Eurovision song‘s video 'Is it true' filmed in the LazyTown studios". Lazytown.com. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Action man: The world of Sportacus". London: The Independent. 3 July 2007. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  8. ↑ Moran, Caitlin (4 November 2006). "Mr Motivator". London: Times Online. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  9. ↑ "Unreal Engine 3 Powers Critical and Commercial Success LazyTown". Unreal.com. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  10. ↑ Season 3 Press Release. Lazytownworld.com.
  11. ↑ "LazyTown wows the US as it debuts on Nick Jr. to very healthy ratings". 20 September 2004. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Join Sportacus and Stephanie for a week of new, high-energy adventures on Nick Jr's hit series LazyTown, beginning Monday, September 25 at 12:00 p.m.". lazytown.com. 14 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010.
  13. ↑ Bryson, Carey (14 May 2006). "LazyTown Premieres New Second Season on Monday, May 15". About.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014.
  14. ↑ "Watch LazyTown every day on Nick Jr.". nickjr.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010.
  15. ↑ "LazyTown set to spur kids across Britain into action on BBC and Nick UK". lazytown.com. 28 September 2006. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010.
  16. ↑ Mills, Simon (24 November 2006). "I Am Sportacus". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "LazyTown Arrives on V-me". lazytown.com. 3 October 2008. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010.
  18. ↑ "CBeebies out and about with LazyTown Extra". BBC Press Office. 21 May 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  19. ↑ "LazyTown Entertainment Gives You Extra". Lazytown.com. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  20. ↑ "BBC – CBeebies Programmes – LazyTown Extra". Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  21. ↑ Fletcher, Damien. "Suffering with Sportacus". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  22. ↑ Dyball, Richard (14 July 2007). "Yes, I'm the real Sportacus". London: Times Online. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  23. ↑ "LazyTown Live! En Español Coming to U.S."
  24. ↑ Roberts, Katie. "US: Lazytown Live to hit the stage" Licensing.biz. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  25. ↑ "LazyTown Live". LazyTown Entertainment. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  26. ↑ "Facebook – LazyTown Live! The Pirate Adventure". Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  27. ↑ "LazyTown Live in Schools 2015". lazytowninschools.com.

External links

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