ZingZillas

ZingZillas
Format	Children's
Developed by	CBeebies in association with BBC Worldwide Created by Steve Cannon, Alan Robinson and Barry Quinn
Written by	Simon Davies
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	originally English
Production
Producer(s)	David Collier Dominic Macdonald Tony Reed
Running time	22 minutes (season 1 & 2) 11 minutes (season 3 & 4)
Distributor	BBC
Broadcast
Original channel	CBeebies
Picture format	PAL 16:9
Audio format	Stereo
First shown in	CBeebies
Original airing	5 April 2010
External links
Website

ZingZillas is a television programme aimed at young children, broadcast on the BBC pre-school channel CBeebies.

Overview

ZingZillas is a music show aimed at the under sixes.

It is set on a monkey-shaped tropical island where everyone joins in to create music magic. They use musical influences from all over the globe from rock to soul, jazz to samba, big band to orchestra.

A yellow submarine is sometimes seen in the sea near the island. One episode contains what appears to be a view from the submarine through its periscope. In a recently-started 5-minute version called Zingzillas Zingbop, the submarine goes very near the viewpoint, showing children inside the submarine through its portholes; those children later take part in the programme's singing and dancing session, as if (in the world of the story) the submarine is the usual transport for guests to and from the island.

The main characters are primates: Zak, Tang, Panzee and the youngest, Drum. They are mentored by music guru DJ Loose and they create their unique ZingZilla sound just in time for their daily performance which is called 'The Big Zing'. A coconut clock counts down the time to the Big Zing and breaks each programme into four parts.

In every episode they are visited by a different musical guest. The ZingZillas always discover their musical guests in a 'glade' in the jungle and they take inspiration from these guests, incorporating them and their sounds into The Big Zing.

Original music for the series has been composed by Banks & Wag.

On Monday 30 August 2010, "Do You Didgeridoo?" was released on an EP, alongside the "ZingZillas Theme Tune" and "Bhangra Beat", reaching #1 in the iTunes Children's Chart.

On Monday 4 October 2010, "ZingZillas: The Album" was released on CD and as a digital download, reaching #1 in the iTunes Children's Chart on the first day. The recording features guest tracks by musical luminaries who have appeared on the show including cellist Julian Lloyd Webber flautist James Galway and jazz vocalist Cleo Laine.

On 28 February 2011 Cbeebies began broadcasting a 20 part series of 5 minute spinoff programmes entitled "Zingzillas Zingbop" which is hosted by DJ Loose, where a small group of children (known as Zingboppers) go to Zingzilla Island and are taught to dance to a Zingzillas song. The Zingboppers then participate in the final Zingbop. Every Zingbop performed is of course "the best Zingbop ever".

Characters

Each ZingZilla has their own personality:^[1]

• Panzee is feminine and loves dressing up. She is sensitive, fun and always ready to try something new. She is a Chimpanzee, played by Victoria Bovingdon,^[2] and voice by Penni Tovey:^[3]
• Tang thinks creatively and is never afraid of asking for help when he doesn't know the answer. He is an Orangutan, played by Nick Chee Ping Kellington and voiced by Gary Jordan ^[4]
• Zak has a positive attitude. He is serious, confident and likes taking risks. He is a Gorilla, played by Jerimiah Krage^[5] and has purple fur. He is voiced by Michael Offei.
• Drum is very young at heart. She loves exploring sounds and enjoys making rhythms and noise. She is very sensitive to the mood of music. She resembles a Golden Lion Tamarin, is played by Rachelle Beinart and her voice is by Penni Tovey^[6]

Other characters

• Todd is the ‘father figure’. Helpful, inventive, accident-prone and loveable. He is a Mandrill.
• Auntie Dot is a relation of Todd's and whose voice is by Penni Tovey^[7]
• DJ Loose Is the island's sloth DJ. He plays the ZingZillas music made by real people in the glade.
• The Beach Byrds (Maxine, Patti and Laverne ^[8]) are tropical birds who work in the coconut hut and say everything tunefully.
• The Moaning stones are similar to the standing Moai heads on Easter Island. Although four are shown, only the middle pair called Granite and Gravel talk. All four heads jet into the sky near the end of each episode signalling the start of the "big zing".

Episodes

Series 1

Series 1 has been broadcasting on CBeebies since 5 April 2010

1. Digeridoo Hullaballoo (with didgeridoo player Dhinawan) - Big Zing: "Do You Didgeridoo?"*
2. Tang's Happy Day (with vibraphone player Jim Hart) - Big Zing: "Happy Day"
3. Rock Guitar (with The BMQ: Daniel P Carter, Nick Tsang, Kat Bax and Robin Guy) - Big Zing: "Rocking In A Rock Band"
4. Auntie Dot’s Dash (with bagpiper Martin McKay) - Big Zing: "Welcome To The Island"
5. ScatZilla! (with scat singer Dame Cleo Laine & John Dankworth) - Big Zing: "Let's Hear You Scat"
6. Operatic Todd (with opera singer Sarah Connolly, David Milner Pearce (uncredited) and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Ben Foster) - Big Zing: "The Big Zing Opera"
7. Sticker Trouble (with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber) - Big Zing: "Playing Together Makes It Twice As Fun"
8. Bhangra Beats (with Jugnu bhangra music and dance group) - Big Zing: "Bhangra Beat"*
9. Squeaky Boots (with bluegrass group Kickin' Alice and a troop of Appalachian cloggers) - Big Zing: "Bluegrass, Bluegrass"
10. Sweet Dreams (with harpist Catrin Finch) - Big Zing: "Drift Away"
11. A Great Place to Live (with saxophonist James Knight) - Big Zing: "Moving House"
12. Bubble Trouble (with boogie woogie piano player Elio Pace) - Big Zing: "Boogie Woogie Bubbly Time" (aka "Bubbly Pop")
13. Tang's Clubhouse (with BBC Concert Orchestra playing Danse Macabre, and violin solo, conducted by Ben Foster) - Big Zing: "Playing A Solo"
14. Welcome Beach Byrds (with gamelan players, Lila Cita, and dancer Cecily Fay) - Big Zing: "Our Island Home"
15. Zak’s Rubbish Day (with clarinetist Julian Bliss) - Big Zing: "Litter, Litter, Litter"
16. Disappearing Drum (with Japanese Taiko drummers Joji Hirota and Hiten Ryu Daiko) - Big Zing: "Making A Big Noise" (aka "Beating On The Drum")
17. Keep Your Castanets (Flamenco performance with Spanish guitarist Angus Cruickshank and Flamenco dancer Verena Menichellui) - Big Zing: "Feel The Rhythm Of Flamenco"
18. The Fan Letter (with trumpeter Jay Phelps) - Big Zing: "The Great ZingZilla Band"
19. Hide and Seek (with percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie on tubular bells) - Big Zing: "The Ringing Of A Bell"
20. Birthday Todd (with traditional jazz band The Silk Street Hot 7) - Big Zing: "It's Your Birthday"
21. Gravel and Granite's Quiet Night In (Compilation episode) - Big Zing: "Making A Big Noise"
22. The Z Factor (with harmonica player Philip Achille) - Big Zing: "Do A, Do A, Do A Duet"
23. Panzee's Photograph (with Dr. Lonnie Smith on Hammond organ) - Big Zing: "Friendship Never Ends" (aka "Best Friends")
24. Tang's Hooter (with flautist James Galway) - Big Zing: "Do You Want To Have Fun?"
25. Where's Yapple (with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Ben Foster) - Big Zing: "Have You Ever Lost?"
26. Tuba Swaps (with the Bavarian Stompers) - Big Zing: "I've Never Heard A Sound As Absurd" (aka "Oom-Pah-Pah")

Series 2

Series two has been broadcasting on CBeebies since 18 October 2010.

1. Super Zak (with theremin-player Lydia Kavina) - Big Zing: "Super Heroes Doing Super Things"
2. Panzee Gets The Giggles (with The Swingle Singers) - Big Zing: "Look At My Lips"
3. Bam-Boo! (with Andean pipers Kausary) - Big Zing: "It's Just A Noise"
4. Try a Triangle (with Cajun band Petit Et La Gros) - Big Zing: "Try A Triangle"
5. Auntie Dot's Special Show (Compilation episode) - Big Zing: "Bluegrass, Bluegrass"
6. Aloha Flower (with Beats of Polynesia) - Big Zing: "Hula All The Day"
7. The Golden Coconut (with the BBC Concert Orchestra) - Big Zing: "Can You Guess?"
8. Banana Blues (with Stuart Zender on slap bass guitar) - Big Zing: "Dreaming About Bananas"
9. Tang's Photo Album (Compilation episode) - Big Zing: "ZingZillas Theme"
10. Music Box (with celeste player Roderick Elms) - Big Zing: "Your Dreams Can Come True"
11. Panzee's Poorly Knee (with pedal steel guitar player BJ Cole) - Big Zing: "It's Not Bad To Be Sad"
12. The Red Button (with keyboard player Matt Gooderson) - Big Zing: "Todd's Technology"
13. Trombone Trouble (with trombonist Chris Lowe) - Big Zing: "Play The Trombone"
14. Panzee's Wish Stall (with Yangqin player Jinyan Zhou) - Big Zing: "Wishing"
15. Cinema Day (Compilation episode) - Big Zing: "Can You Guess?"
16. Salsa Dip (with La Cuba Ritmo) - Big Zing: "Practising Makes Perfect"
17. Making A Choice (with sitar player Jonathan Mayer) - Big Zing: "What Will You Decide?"
18. The Hairy Diggle (with violinist Nicola Benedetti) - Big Zing: "Animals"
19. The Singing Bowl (with percussionist Frank Perry) - Big Zing: "The High And Low Song" (aka "Singing Up When You Want It High")
20. Todd's Little Helper (with bassoonist Karen Geoghegan) - Big Zing: "We're Going On A Hunt"
21. Home (with Blues Guitarist Michael Messer) - Big Zing: "Home Is Where My Heart Is"
22. Pirate Day (with The Hornpipers - Robert Harbron, Miranda Rutter and Laurel Swift) - Big Zing: "Pirates!"
23. Pom Pom (with Ebony Steel Trust) - Big Zing: "My Special Friend"
24. Where's the Bug? (with Dame Evelyn Glennie on Waterphone) - Big Zing: "Everywhere You Go"
25. DJ Loose's Radio Show Host DJ Loose (compilation episode) "Bhangra Beat" "Do You Didgeridoo" "The Great ZingZilla Band"
26. Zingzillas Let It Snow Christmas Episode (with the ACM Gospel Choir) - Big Zing: "Let It Snow "

Series 3

Series three started broadcasting on CBeebies from the 21 November 2011.

1. Thunder and Lightning (with Colin Currie on timpani) - Big Zing: "Thunder and Lightning"
2. Disco Lights (with Manchester Disco Crew) - Big Zing: "Disco Lights"
3. Panzee I'm Sorry (with Simon Mayor on Mandolin) - Big Zing: "Panzee I'm Sorry"
4. Catch That Beat - (with the Dance Off Crew) Big Zing: "Catch That Beat"
5. Giddyup and Go (with Andrew Budden on French Horn) - Big Zing: "Giddy Up and Go"
6. On The Drums (with Cherisse Osei) - Big Zing: "On The Drums"
7. Pause For a Moment (with Bogdan Vacarescu ^[9])- Big Zing: "Fast"
8. Beatbox (with Bellatrix)- Big Zing: "Beatboxing"
9. Sunshine (with Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh on the kora) - Big Zing: "Sunshine"
10. Zingzilla Rock 'n' Rolling (with Feets of Amazement) - Big Zing: "ZingZilla Rock 'n' Rollin"
11. To the Beat of a Drum (with The Hertfordshire Showband) - Big Zing: "To the Beat of a Drum"
12. Brush Your Teeth (with banjolele player Peter Moss) - Big Zing: "Brush Your Teeth"
13. Let's Play (with the ZingBoppers) - Big Zing: "Let's Play"
14. Listen to the Wind (with Guan Yue on Chinese bamboo flute)- Big Zing: "Listen to the Wind"
15. Panzee's Family Show (with the BBC Big Band) - Big Zing: "Unknown"
16. Cooking in the Kitchen (with the Zingboppers)
17. Like a Firefly (with Simone Rebello)
18. Tiny or Tall (with a recorder group)
19. It's Fun To Be A One Man Band (with Roger Butler as Chucklefoot) - Big zing: "It's Fun To Be A One Man Band"
20. Granite's Glasses (compilation show)
21. I'll Grow Flowers for You (with Bauler Ganer Dol)
22. Orangutango (with Tango Siempre and Alex & Giraldo)
23. My Lazy Afternoon (with oboe player Jenny Galloway)
24. Chugging on a Train (with the BBC Big Band)
25. Shake It (with Brazilian samba band Rhythms of the City) - Big Zing: "Shake It"
26. Counting the Pennies (compilation show)

Series 4

Series 4 started airing on CBeebies from 23 April 2012.^[10]

1. Electric Guitar (with Dan and Justin Hawkins)
2. New Banana Car (with Urban Strawberry Lunch)
3. Spread the Word (with yodeller Melanie Oesch)
4. Never Mind (with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band)
5. You Need a Hat (with Mariachi El Mexicano)
6. You Can Really Do It If You Try (with string quartet Bond)
7. The Little Pigs Saved the Day (with harmonium player Mukul Acharya)
8. All the Fun of the Fair (with Boggart's Breakfast Morris dance troupe)
9. Flying To The Moon (with Kojo on synthesiser)
10. Shopping (with marimba player Paul Patrick)
11. Statues (with traditional Irish musicians Sharon Shannon, Jim Murray, Dezi Donnelly, and Michael McGoldrick; and the North West Celtic Dance Ladies)
12. Belle of the Ball (with Bond and dancers Natalie Patel and Tom Malone)
13. Why Don't You Copy Us Too? (with line dance group Nuline Dance Cumbria)
14. Echo on the Island (with double bass player Michele Montoli)
15. Good To Be Me (with the band Gossip (band))
16. Hangin' Loose (with the Zingboppers)
17. Everyone's Different (with soprano saxophone player Julian Smith)
18. Jogging Day (compilation show with clips from Electric Guitar, Shopping and Good To Be Me)
19. Robotic Beat (with robotic dancer Rie Fujii)
20. Fall Asleep (with mbira player George Panda)
21. Washing Up (with the Mahatma Skiffle Orchestra)
22. Zak Loves Dancing (with bazouki player Valentino, and the Greek Dancers)
23. Everybody Bogle to the Island Beat
24. Magical Carpet Ride (with oud player Hassan Eraji)
25. Staying Up Late (with trumpet player Simon Finch)
26. Picnic Day (compilation show with clips from New Banana Car, You Need a Hat, and You Can Really Do It If You Try)
27. Popstar Day (with Brace Paine on guitar, Hannah Blilie on drums and Beth Ditto) - Big Zing: "Move In The Right Direction"

DVD releases

Welcome to the Island

This DVD contains five episodes^[11] (note that it's not the first five of the series, although there's a lot of overlap):

1. Didgeridoo Hullaballoo
2. Rock Guitar
3. Operatic Todd
4. A Great Place to Live
5. Auntie's Dot Dash

Extras: Musical instrument game and character profile.

World Music Tour

This DVD contains five episodes:^[12]

1. Bhangra Beats
2. Welcome Beach Byrds
3. Keep your Castanets
4. Disappearing Drum
5. Bam-boo!

Extras: Interactive game

External links

• ZingZillas official website
• Banks & Wag official website
• Do You Didgeridoo? EP

References