The Brothers Flub
The Brothers Flub | |
---|---|
The cover of Plan C: Panic!, depicting Guapo (left) and Fraz | |
Genre | Animated television series |
Created by |
David Burke Laslo Nosek[1] |
Written by |
Susie Singer Carter Dan Danko Tom Mason Don Priess Ralph Soll David Burke Bob Widmer Andrew Brenner Kati Rocky Shaun McLaughlin Doug Langdale Steve Brasfield Dave Polsky Randolph Heard |
Directed by |
Bob Boyle Ralph Grairl Thom Kins Bert Ring Charlie Adler (voice) David Bucs (animation art) Jeff Hall (timing) Jamie H. Huang (timing) Carole A. Beers (timing) Michael Lyman (timing) |
Voices of |
Scott Menville Richard Horvitz Jerry Sroka Mariette Hartley Charlotte Rae Ron Hale Christine Cavanaugh Joe Lala John Kassir Tom Kenny Candi Milo Jeff Bennett H. Richard Greene Michael Bell Pat Fraley Sally Struthers Roger Rose Kevin Michael Richardson Jennifer Darling Bruce Eckstart Tom Shell Gayiel Von Tress MacNeille Harvey Korman Estelle Harris Marsha Clark Stuart Pankin Gregg Berger Gary Littman Vanessa Marshall Peter Ratray Dee Bradley Baker Lori Alan Jim Ward Billie Hayes Michael Horton[2] |
Theme music composer | Nathan Wang[2] |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 26 |
Production | |
Producer(s) |
Bonni Freeman (coordinating) C.J. Kettler (executive) Geraldine Clarke (supervising) Jodey J. Kaminski (associate) Salaam Coleman (Nickelodeon executive) Wolfgang Heidrich (Ravensburger Film + TV executive) |
Running time | approx. 22-26 minutes (2×11-minute episodes) |
Production company(s) |
Ravensburger Film + TV Videal Sunbow Entertainment |
Distributor | Sony Wonder |
Release | |
Original network | Nickelodeon |
Original release | 17 January 1999[3] – 8 January 2000[4] |
The Brothers Flub is an animated television series produced by Sunbow Productions and co-produced by Ravensburger. It aired in the United States of America on the television network Nickelodeon. The show's title characters are a pair of alien brothers named Guapo and Fraz, both of whom work as couriers, who travel throughout their universe to deliver packages to a different planet in each episode of the series. The Brothers Flub lasted for twenty-six episodes, airing on Sundays from January 1999 until its cancellation in January 2000.
Summary
The Brothers Flub takes place in a fictionalized version of outer space. The show's title refers to its two central characters: a pair of blue-furred alien brothers named Guapo and Fraz Flub. Guapo is shorter and fatter than his brother, and is a darker shade of blue. Both wear bodysuits, shoes and caps.
In the series, they work for a company called RetroGrade Interdimensional Couriers, of which a green-colored female alien named Tarara Boomdeyay is the boss.[1][5][6] Other characters at their job include a female alien named Valerina and an older orange, male alien named Squish. The brothers, who are couriers, through their universe in their spacecraft (called Hoog) to deliver packages to various planets.[6][7] Each episode features a different planet with a different characteristic, such as "The Land of Oversized Games", which comprises life-sized game pieces such as a pinball machine,[8] or "Hip City", a planet inhabited by beatnik aliens.[9]
History
Cindy Barth of the Orlando Business Journal said that "although still an untested property, optimism is high for the Brothers Flub" because of Sunbow's record and staff members.[10]
Production
The creators marketed the series for children ages six through eleven.[11] Sunbow contracted with Animatics, an Orlando, Florida-based company, allowing for Animatics to create the storyline and the storyboard for the series.[10] Laura Sullivan, the senior director of marketing of Sony Wonder, said in a 1999 Promo article that the series attracted equal numbers of male and female children and that it was "very Nickelodeon-looking."[11]
Episodes
- 1. Bard Brain/Bunch of Troubles
- 2. Cookie Crumbles/Fitness Freaks
- 3. Flub, Flub and Away/Flub's Overeasy
- 4. Guapo's Funhouse/Guapos Galore
- 5. Hair Brains/Heads Up
- 6. Madman Mambo/Pay Dirt
- 7. Pizza! Pizza!/ Prehysteria
- 8. Queen Bees/Scared Stiff
- 9. Snow Doomed/Tiresome Twosome
- 10. Unlucky Charmers/Village Idiots
- 11. Wrestlemaniacs/Bad Judgment Day
Cast
Main cast
- Guapo Flub: Jerry Sroka
- Fraz Flub: Scott Menville
- Tarara Boomdeyay: Charlotte Rae
- Squish: Ron Hale
- Valerina: Christine Cavanaugh
Additional voices
- Richard Horvitz
- Mariette Hartley
- Joe Lala
- John Kassir
- Tom Kenny
- Candi Milo
- Jeff Bennett
- H. Richard Greene
- Michael Bell
- Pat Fraley
- Sally Struthers
- Roger Rose
- Kevin Michael Richardson
- Jennifer Darling
- Bruce Eckstart
- Tom Shell
- Gayiel Von
- Tress MacNeille
- Harvey Korman
- Estelle Harris
- Marsha Clark
- Stuart Pankin
- Gregg Berger
- Gary Littman
- Vanessa Marshall
- Peter Ratray
- Dee Bradley Baker
- Lori Alan
- Jim Ward
- Billie Hayes
- Michael Horton
Merchandising
The Brothers Flub was used in several promotional deals for various brands. Fast food chain KFC announced that it would use the characters in a kids' meal, while Carl's Jr. and Hardee's branded tray liners and bags with The Brothers Flub images.[11] GNC planned to include The Brothers Flub yo-yos in its children's vitamins, while department store chain Macy's used the characters in their back-to-school advertising flyers.[12] Skechers started a sweepstakes that distributed Skechers and The Brothers Flub-branded items.
VHS release
Sony Wonder released two videocassettes of the show in 1999. These were entitled Plan C: Panic! and Doom Wears Funny Tights!.[13][14] Each one featured four episodes of the series. Both tapes are now out of print and hard to find.
Reception
The Brothers Flub was panned by critics. Joanne Weintraub of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel described the show as "a rare clinker with all the noisy hyperactivity of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and little of the cockeyed charm."[15] The Hollywood Reporter called it "a somewhat vacuous effort that lacks the charm and substance of much of Nick's other programming" but added "now and again [the creators] hit on some clever high jinks."[7] Writing for the Lakeland Ledger, Evan Levine thought that the show had a promising premise, but thought that its humor was mean-spirited.[16]
References
- 1 2 Richmond, Ray (1997-12-09). "Nick buys "Brothers Flub"". Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- 1 2 As listed in closing credits
- ↑ "New kids on the shelf: Brothers Flub attracts "transdimensional" promo slate.". Promo Magazine. 1999-09-01. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ↑ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003. 1 (2 ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 159. ISBN 0-7864-2099-5.
- ↑ "Brothers Flub". Retroland. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- 1 2 Barth, Cindy (1998-05-29). "Nickelodeon's Brothers Flub gets local touch". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- 1 2 "Brothers Flub". Hollywood Reporter. 1999-01-22. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ↑ "Scared Stiff". The Brothers Flub. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ "Bard Brain". The Brothers Flub. Nickelodeon.
- 1 2 Barth, Cindy. "Nickelodeon's Brothers Flub gets local touch." Orlando Business Journal. Friday May 29, 1998.
- 1 2 3 "New Kids on the Shelf: Brothers Flub attracts"transdimensional" promo slate." Promo Magazine. September 1, 1999.
- ↑ Stanley, T. L. (1999-07-26). "Bros. Flub sets rookie promo deal". Brandweek. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ↑ "Brothers Flub: Plan C - Panic! (1999)." The New York Times. Retrieved on November 9, 2008.
- ↑ "Brothers Flub: Doom Wears Funny Tights." The New York Times. Retrieved on November 9, 2008.
- ↑ Weintraub, Joanne. "Animals star in two winning kid-TV shows." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. February 23, 1999.
- ↑ Levine, Evan (16 April 1999). "'The Brothers Flub' Needs More Than Funny Premise". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved 11 July 2010.