Foxbusters

Foxbusters
Genre Animation
Created by Dick King-Smith (Novel)
David Max Freedman
Alan Gilbey
Written by David Max Freedman
Alan Gilbey
Joel Jessup
Voices of Whoopi Goldberg
Joanna Lumley
Jane Horrocks
Jimmy Hibbert
Rob Rackstraw
Composer(s) Keith Hopwood
Phil Bush
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 2
No. of episodes 26
Production
Executive producer(s) Brian Cosgrove
Producer(s) Jon Doyle
Running time 11 min
Production company(s) Cosgrove Hall Films
Anglia Television
Broadcast
Original channel ITV Network (CITV)
Picture format 4:3
Original run 9 September 1999 – 2000
Chronology
Related shows Bounty Hamster

Foxbusters is a British animation very loosely based on the Dick King-Smith book The Fox Busters. It was made by Cosgrove Hall and consists of two series of thirteen 11-minute episodes each, made between 1999 and 2000. The show was co-written by the animation partnership of David Max Freedman and Alan Gilbey, and occasionally with Joel Jessup as a third writer. It was directed by Jon Doyle.

The show is primarily set on Foxearth Farm, a fictional farm based in the English countryside in the west midlands which is dominated by a variety of animals, particularly the chickens. The Foxbusters are three chickens, Ransome, Sims and Jeffries, who have the unlikely ability to fly. Each has a different personality; Ransome is the best flyer, Sims is the smartest and Jeffries is the comic relief. The Foxbusters also have the ability to spit grit like machine guns, and drop hard-boiled eggs like they were bombs - and these are used to effect among other methods to keep the hungry pack of foxes in Foxearth Forest at bay.

The arguments and conversations between the chickens makes an effective comedy. The foxes' attempts to get the better of the chickens are often unsuccessful, but they add a lot of humour to the show. The show itself is laden with gags and action, and is of a quality which led to its receiving two major awards in 2000. One was a BAFTA for 'Best Animated Series' and the other was from the British Animation Awards for 'Best Children's Series'.

Despite being a critical success, the show did not enjoy the same level of commercial success as some of its competitors and ended in 2000 after just two series. In spite of this, the series is still fondly remembered by fans.

List of main characters

The Foxbusters

The Foxes

Other recurring characters

List of voice actors

Episode list

Series 1 (1999)

# Title Air Date
1"Hen Night"09/09/1999
At a party, Sims finds the charming cockrel Wilby who lures her to the treacherous foxes. Ransome rescues Sims and the Foxbusters repel the fox invasion.
2"Where Egos Dare"16/09/1999
After a lot of showing off, Ransome lands herself right into the foxes, then her comrades get caught. The Foxbusters escape after they cause the foxes to squabble.
3"Winging It"23/09/1999
Todd accidentally flies on a glider which impresses the foxes and catches the Foxbusters by surprise. On his third flight Jeffries rescues him from the jealous King Voracious.
4"Icky's Sticky Situation"30/09/1999
Icky feels jealous of his sisters and gets himself into a challenge with the foxes. With discrete help from his sisters, Icky is convinced he beat the fox pack.
5"A Fete Worse Than Death"07/10/1999
The Farmer gets a new hen called Blue, who is very snooty and conceited. A capture from the foxes followed by a Foxbuster rescue teaches Blue a lesson.
6"Follow My Leader"14/10/1999
The sheep become in awe of Ransome for saving a lamb. Voracious uses this ruse to turn the sheep against the Foxbusters, but Dog takes care of that and gets back his job.
7"The Ring Cycle"21/10/1999
Fabio's nose ring is swiped by a magpie. As the Foxbusters pursue the magpie, the ring is tossed all around the forest going from one person to another until Fabio reclaims it.
8"The Trojan Chicken"28/10/1999
Rotter gives the foxes failed passages to the barnyard via a Trojan Chicken, whilst tipping the Foxbusters in return for some eggs. When both sides see they've been duped, they deliver payback to Rotter.
9"Going Underground"04/11/1999
The foxes have been kidnapping rabbits and forcing them to dig a tunnel to the farmyard. The Foxbusters get trapped entering the tunnels until Moleier rescues them and they all thwart the foxes' scheme.
10"See The Dog, See The Dog Run"11/11/1999
A long democratic campaign battle ends up with Dog winning leadership of the Foxbusters, which backfires when the foxes come for their gain. The Foxbusters regain their positions and fight off the fox invasion.
11"The Long Walk Home"18/11/1999
12"Three Hens And A Baby"25/11/1999
The little fox cub Genghis strays from the pack and ends up at the farmyard and regards Sims as his mother. After the foxes pay a ridiculous ransom, Sims reluctantly hands back Genghis.
13"Passing The Buck"02/12/1999

Series 2 (2000)

# Title Air Date
1"Ackluckalypse Now"
2"Big Trouble"
Sims' new invention accidentally makes King Voracious huge and Ransome dinky till she travels through space. After an escalating growth battle between Sims, Jeffries and Voraciou,s they grow the earth to fit their scale.
3"Day Of The Hunter"
Hunter Hawk is about to have the Foxbusters grounded, but they thwart his attempt. They then have to rescue Hunter's wife and child from the foxes.
4"Fear Of Flying"
5"The Not So Great Escape"
Todd gets taken by accident into the farm. He has no luck escaping and ends up being staying there mistaken for a chicken.
6"Love Bites"
The Foxbusters get all foxes and vixens to fall in love to create a ceasefire, but it only improves their efforts against the chickens. The Foxbusters get the couples to break up.
7"Eggs, Lies And Videotape"
A zoologist is astounded by the flying Foxbuster hens. The Foxbusters try to avoid a flying pose for the zoologist's camera until they give him flying foxes to film.
8"Of Mice And Hen"
Jeffries is starting to feel overlooked. She goes on a freelance mission to rescue field mice from an owl. After she rescues them, they all rescue Sims and Ransome from the foxes.
9"Some Like It Otter"
Carlotta is through with Rotter and moves in with the Foxbusters. Rotter uses this as an opportunity to grab some eggs. Then Carlotta double crosses everybody.
10"The PrisHener"
Ransome has been taken away to an automatic farm which acts like a prison. All Ransome's attempts to escape fail until she makes the systems go haywire.
11"Peace"
King Voracious has enough of chicken fighting and declares peace with the Foxbusters, but both Sims and Volpone break it all up.
12"One Paw In The Grave"
13"In The Beak-ginning"
Sims tells an ugly duckling a story of how she and her sisters were raised by traditionalist parents and became a disgrace to the farmyard due to their flying talent, but gained their placed after rescuing the hens from the fox pack and gained the title as Foxbusters.

DVD release

In 2003 the first series was released in the UK on DVD. The second series has currently not been released.

References

    External links