Yakkity Yak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yakkity Yak
Genre	Animated series Comedy
Running time	22 minutes approximately
Creator(s)	Mark Gravas
Starring	Lee Tockar Andrea Libman Ian James Corlett Brian Drummond Michael Daingerfield Pam Hyatt Jason Schombing
Country of origin	Australia
Original channel	Nickelodeon Nicktoons Network (for the episodes that never aired on Nickelodeon) YTV
Original run	November 9, 2003–December 11, 2003
No. of episodes	51
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Yakkity Yak was a television program that ran on Nickelodeon from 2003 to 2006. It was known for its extreme lack of reality, and featured a style of animation which broke with past Nickelodeon tradition. The show features a yak named Yakkity who wants to make it to stardom by becoming a comedian. Along the way, he has adventures with his two best friends Keo (an actual anthropomorphic pineapple) and Lemony in each episode. Created by Mark Garvas, the show was cancelled just months after it first aired because of generally low ratings. The show's slogan, "It's Just Plain Stupid," may have turned potential viewers away. The program currently airs on NickToons Network.

[edit] Characters

• Yakkity Yak - Yakkity is a student at Onion Falls High - class clown and undervalued mascot for all of Onion Falls sporting teams including the rugby team. Yakkity got the job because his grandfather was mascot when the football team won the state championship in 1925. Much to Yakkity’s dislike, it’s the football team not the mascot who gets all the glory (even though they haven't won since 1925). Yakkity now lives with his Granny and her boarder Professor Crazyhair. His closest friends are Keo (whom lives next door) and Lemony. Yakkity and Keo’s relationship is a strong buddy relationship that is ever-evolving and has its difficulties but ultimately these are two best friends who need each other. Yakkity needs Keo as he’s grounded – Keo needs Yakkity as he needs to be pushed. Yakkity has his dream of comedic fame. Yakkity has his outlet through small gigs landed by the Trilo Entertainment Agency. From kids birthday parties to ‘Yakstravaganza’s, Yakkity is keen for experience. Even when encouraged by Trilo to fill in for Fairy Yakkity, which entails him dressing up as a ‘female fairy’, Yakkity takes it in his stride as he knows part of a comedian’s repertoire is a keen sense of character and be able to make laughs from impersonation.

• Keo - Keo is Yakkity’s best pal and biggest fan. He lives next door to Yakkity with his father, henceforth known only as ‘Keo’s Dad’ who Keo has to look after quite a bit. Although they have their problems as any budding teenager and his Father could have, Keo loves his Dad although as we see in ‘Pineapple Upside Down Dead Cake’ wishes he could be a little less bossy and see his view at times. His mother might be a human due to the fact that he is a human with a pineapple for a head. He also has a crush on Lemony.

• Granny Yak - Granny Yak is (as her name would sujest) Yakkity’s Granny. She takes care of Yakkity and in many ways is his mother, father and big brother all rolled into one. While she is a good sounding board in a parental way, she also has some of Yakkity’s impulsive genes.

• Lemony - Lemony is the third member in Yakkity’s gang of sorts. She’s in the same classes as Yakkity and Keo and has been friends with the two since primary school. While down-to-earth and resourceful, she has quite a fantastical imagination as we see in ‘Pineapple Upside Dead Cake’. Lemony prefers aliens to dating magazines, octopuses to puppies and is tune with anything fantastical - like Fairy Wanda and her disco.

• Prof. Crazyhair - Eccentric inventor/scientist with a day-job as the science teacher at Onion Falls High, Crazyhair is also a boarder at Yakkity’s house. He rents out the basement at Yakkity's house - which he doubles as a small private laboratory with a bunk bed on the side. Yakkity and Keo are eternally curious about the smells and noises emitted from his room. The Professor is usually focused on his experiments to the exclusion of everyone else but can be a handy housemate to have if you have a scientific based problem. However, he can be quite longwinded in explanations. As we see in ‘Yak TV’, Crazyhair favourite movies usually entail a tale of a misunderstood scientist. He has the ability to change the color of his hair which acts as a mood ring.

• Mr. Highpants - The towns leading vendor of candy and all things sugared, Mr. Highpants’ store is also a party venue, such as in ‘Fairy Yakkity’. Highpants is quite fastidious in appearance and is proud of his store which has won the civic ‘Best Business Award’ since his family created the award. A town 'Mr. Fix it', Highpants volunteers and/or runs many other smaller businesses - such as the volunteer fire brigade, Neighbourhood watch and he also moonlights as the town's dentist. While popular, he’s the towns gossip - if you want to spread a rumour in Onion Falls, go see Mr. Highpants. He's good friends with Keo's Dad and always a helping hand with advice for Yakkity and Keo.

• Penelope - Due to stringent cutbacks by the Board of Education, Prof. Crazyhair is without a lab assistant. He quickly builds "Penelope" as an assistant. Prof. Crazyhair being who he is, totally disregards adding a personallity/social skills. Penelope is super-intelligent, but has zero confidence and absolutely no social skills. Sort of like a shy Mr. Spock who’s always saying the wrong things at the wrong times. She does, however, goes to Yakkity and is a friend of sorts to him.

• Rondo - High school senior, captain of the Onion Falls High football team and town hero, Rondo is Lemony’s older brother and one of Yakkity’s main antagonists. Although their spirits are unified on the football field, Rondo and Yakkity both share a desire to be in the spotlight – Rondo as football hero, Yakkity as comedic genius and inevitably get in each others’ way.

• Trilo - Trilo is a ‘trilobite’. A former circus performer who now runs his own Entertainment Agency, offering the likes of Yakkity, Fairy Wanda and Chuck Damage for children's parties, store openings and as in ‘And That’s The Weather’ weatherman appointments too. Hardly a perceptive businessperson, Trilo is hopeless with money, easily talked into crazy Yakkity plans (such as his ‘Yakstravaganza’ and ‘End of the Line’) and always looking for a new market or gimmick. Business isn’t great in either Onion Falls or it’s next town Griswold Junction, but Trilo manages to just stay afloat, except in ’10 % Solution’ where Yakkity has to help him out. Although he is known to act disrespectfuly to and take advantage of people, such as in ’10 % Solution’ where he figures out that Yakkity's contract gives him 10% of everything Yakkity owns.

• Keo's Dad - Keo's Dad is a pineapple but quite an opinionated one. He’s full of advice and very willing to get involved in everyone’s business. While he can’t walk, if he wants to go somewhere in town, Keo (or his best pal Mr. Highpants) can carry him - or he can take a taxi or get a ride with Granny. He speaks in a classic TV Dad brogue although his advice isn't always the best source of information – as too often he speaks about things he has never experienced.

• Wanda - Wanda is the school's young hip librarian - recently moved to Onion Falls from the city for a bit of a 'sea change', as she puts it. Behind the shy smile and stylish glasses, she has a few secrets. On the weekend she turns into a stunning fairy, the children, particularly the girls lover her. At school, she certainly makes the trip to the library that much more interesting. She's seen as slightly eccentric but is very popular - she also DJs older kids parties so is pretty hip all round.

• Chuck Damage - Former wrestling champion, now turned children's entertainer, Chuck re-enacts his championship days with the magic of hand puppets. Despite his gruff looks, Chuck is very humorous and fun to watch when he's performing. His shows are hugely popular particularly among the boys. A local celebrity with enigmatic fame to boot – no one has ever seen his face. Chuck is one of Yakkity's heroes and a would-be mentor if he had the chance, so it is devastating to Yakkity when he is responsible for injuring Chuck in ‘Regarding Chuck’. Chuck lives in a small house on the edge of a quarry and drives an old tow-truck.
• Gary - Gary is Yakkity's archenemy. He will do anything to get his hands on Crazyhair's egg salad recipe, that's because he is ordered to do that by his superiors at an organization called F.O.E..

[edit] Episodes

Episode #	Title
Season 1: 2003–
1	"Hypnotic Yak / As the Worm Turns"
2	"Yak in the Hat / Cowinator III"
3	"3 Cheers for Penelope / My Dad the Robot"
4	"A Tree Grows in Onion Falls / Spring Cleaning"
5	"Dial-a-Yak / Darn-it Dog"
6	"Yakstravaganza / Curly Top"
7	"I Want My Yak TV / Election Dysfunction"
8	"And That's the Weather / Pineapple Upside-Dead Cake!"
9	"A Yak and His Fish / Regarding Chuck"
10	"Double Double Oil and Trouble / High Fashion Yak"
11	"Nerds Are People Too / The 10% Solution"
12	"National Day of Yakking / Fairy Yakkity"
13	"3 Minutes and Funny / Nature Calls"
14	"The Yakking / Yakeo"
15	"Sharing Bear / Lucky Undies"
16	"End of the Line / House Sitters"
17	"Camp Onion / Snow Biz"
18	"Home School / The Onion Falls 500"
19	"Rondo Reversal / The Damage Is Done"
20	"My Fair Crazy Hair / Practically Funny"
21	"Techno Prisoners / It's a So-So Life"
22	"Fount Onion / Ice Scream, You Scream"