The Cramp Twins

The Cramp Twins
Genre Comedy
Created by Brian Wood
Developed by Brian Wood
Richard Liebmann-Smith
Written by Brian Wood
Andrew Brenner
Sean Veder
Peter Cocks
Ian Carney
Directed by Frank Gresham
Becky Bristow
Tamara Varga
Starring Tom Kenny
Kath Soucie
Terry Klassen
Jayne Paterson
Tabitha St. Germain
Nicole Oliver
Ian James Corlett
Colin Murdock
Cathy Weseluck
Lee Tockar
Ellen Kennedy
Iris Quinn
Jay Brazeau
Theme music composer Hélèn Muddiman
Composer(s) Hélèn Muddiman
Country of origin United Kingdom
United States
Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 52 (104 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Peter Völkle
Ken Olshansky
Carole Weitzman
David Ferguson
Marion Edwards
Finn Arnesen and Daniel Lennard (for Cartoon Network Europe)
Producer(s) Jodey Caminski-Cashman (Season 1–2)
Denise Green (Season 3–4)
Editor(s) Michael Geisler
Jim Andrews
Darren Jones
Running time 20 minutes (2–10 minute segments)
Production company(s) Sunbow Entertainment (Season 1-2)
Telemagination (Seasons 3-4)
RG Prince Films[1]
Cartoon Network Europe
Distributor TV-Loonland AG
m4e AG
Cartoon Network Worldwide Distribution
Release
Original network Cartoon Network
4Kids TV
Rai 2 (Italy)
Original release February 8, 2001 (2001-02-08) – August 12, 2006 (2006-08-12)

The Cramp Twins is a British/Canadian/American animated series created by cartoonist Brian Wood. The show was produced by Sunbow Entertainment and TV-Loonland AG in association with Cartoon Network Europe. This is the final television series to be produced by Sunbow Entertainment before the company was shut down in 2004. It is about Wayne Cramp (Tom Kenny) and Lucien Cramp (Kath Soucie), not-so identical twin brothers who live with their hygiene-obsessed mother (Nicole Oliver) and their Western-obsessed father (Ian James Corlett) in the fictional town of Soap City. Wayne and Lucien's personalities clash, and they rarely get along. Wayne has a friend called Dirty Joe (Lee Tockar), who owns a dump, and neighbour Wendy Winkle (Jayne Peterson) has a crush on him, but he hates her. Wayne's and Lucien's teacher is Miss. Hillary Hissy (Cathy Weseluck who also plays Mrs. Winkle). Lucien's friends include environment-friendly Tony Parsons (Terry Klassen, who also plays Tony's dad, Seth) and Mari and Luke Harrison (Adam Little).

Season 1 premiered in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2001 on BBC One, Cartoon Network UK in October and on February 2, 2002 on CBBC, respectively and has reached high popularity with children; the season ended on 21 June 2002. Season 2 premiered in Summer 2003 and finished in Autumn of the same year. The Season 3 started in 2004 and ended in 2005. The Season 4 (also finale) began in 2006 and ended that same year but still airing in the UK. The show is currently licensed to Cartoon Network. It also showed in some parts of Africa.

The show was originally cancelled in the US, when Mew Mew Power (aka Tokyo Mew Mew) was airing in its slot on February 19, 2005. This was originally intended to be a sneak peek for the series to air September 2005 with The Cramp Twins continuing to air in its original slot. However 4Kids TV decided to cancel The Cramp Twins to put Mew Mew Power in its slot. A press release went out about a possible 3-part finale answering any unanswered questions, but the show returned in the summer of 2006, and later with more new episodes.

Characters

Main characters

Major characters

Minor characters

The Winkles

There is various evidence from sources that the Winkles are "swamp folk" and relations of Tony's ancestors. In the episode where the toilet is clogged Tony and his father cites "the deeper you go, the more you know" in realization that their basement links to Mr. Winkle's mansion's foundations, where his "ancestors left for a pure and earthy existence". In hearing this, he decided to pay Mr. Parsons the sum for cleaning the house that he before refused, otherwise their secret link would be revealed. Other sources are when the swamp was to be replaced with Wendy's "Sweet Dream Valley", Mr. Parsons pays a visit to Mr. Winkle reminding him "you can take the man out of the swamp but you can't take the swamp out of the man", reminding him they used to race with his swamp name "Eely". Mr. Winkle is almost always present and knows all swamp phenomenon, such as the mystery egg which, by swamp tradition, gave good luck. He also frequently visits the swamp to eat dumb radishes. Furthermore, he knows about the "crested marsh swallow", a swamp resident, and ordered them to be delivered to his residence when Tony told Lucien they are "delicious". In the episode "Soap Day" where it rains soap, Tony tells that the people of Soap City have an immunity to soap that outsiders, and Swamp Folk, don't. Later, Tony is seen delivering a package to Mr. Winkles house, where Mr. Winkle and Wendy were coughing. Mr. Winkle and Parsons become friends in the episode (Wendy Boy) where they camp out in the night. Mr. Winkle pays a visit to "old man Parsons" to prepare his food for him, suggesting he did this in the past. Mr. Winkle's office is full of various swamp objects, and in a number of episodes, Mrs. Winkle refers to the office as "the ugly room." In the episode "Cow Son", when Lucien yells "Ukyuba" on the animal sounds contest, the eagle appeared and Mr. Winkle hits it like Mr. Parsons did. He is also shown in a running gag to be eating flies like a Frog by the end of each episode he appears in.

Agent X

Agent X is a mysterious and charismatic character portrayed as an FBI Agent (or similar). He has neat, black hair, and always wears a black suit, a white shirt, and a black tie. It is suggested in episode 'Alien Glow', that he is an alien, and in episode 'Agent W', a spy. While neither of these suspicions are confirmed, Agent X does have a talent for vanishing in fast and silent ways, impossible for normal people to perform. He appears to have an obsession for cleanliness, like Mrs. Cramp, who has a crush on him because of this, and because she likes his deep voice. However, Agent X often manipulates to achieve his goals, e.g. he gives Wayne sweets in return for information about Mrs. Cramp. Clever and articulate, Agent X always appears when something mysterious is happening in Soap City. During episode 'Alien Glow', Wayne believes aliens are landing. He tries to convince others the same by painting himself green and frightening the neighbours. At the end of the episode, Agent X finds traces of green paint on Wayne, and declares it the mark of alien abduction. Whether or not Agent X truly thought this isn't verified, but Agent X takes Wayne away, against Wayne's will, "for tests and deprogramming". The true nature of his 'abducting' Wayne is never revealed. It is unclear what Agent X's motive for coming to Soap City is. His name, place of residence, and who he works for, are all unknown.

Episodes

In total there are four seasons of The Cramp Twins. In the USA, the Season 1 aired as two separate seasons, and did not get the show until long after it aired in its home country. Note: All episodes are listed chronologically in order of occurrence within the Cramp Twins universe. All episodes were aired 2–3 years earlier in the UK leaving one episode from Season 3 unaired.

DVD and VHS releases

Region 2 (Metrodome)

DVD TitleRelease DateIncluded Episodes
Mr. Winkle's Monkey & Other Stories

(DVD & VHS)

United Kingdom: February 17, 2003[2][3]
  • "Fashion Passion / Small Wonder"
  • "Mr. Winkle's Monkey / Wicked Wendy"
  • "Swamp Fever / Kung Foolish"
  • "Silence Please / Fur Fungus"
  • "Home on the Range / Holesome"
Haircut Horrors & Other Stories

(DVD)

United Kingdom: May 15, 2006[4]
  • "Date Daze / Agent X"
  • "Picket Picket / Sick Daze"
  • "Haircut Horrors / Nostalgia Nasty"
  • "Big Baby / Ad Bad"
  • "Workout / Sixth Senselessness"
  • "Twin Studies / Birthday Blues"
Wolfman Wayne & Other Stories

(DVD)

United Kingdom: May 15, 2006[5]
  • "Grandma`s Piano / Guide Games"
  • "Prize Swallow / Ice Scream"
  • "Wolfman Wayne / Shed Dead"
  • "No Means Yes / Spy's Pies"
  • "Friend Fight / Miss Kissy"
  • "Walk Like A Man / Bouncy Bob"
Dirty Monkey & Other Stories

(DVD)

United Kingdom: October 9, 2006[6]
  • "Room Rage / Dirty Monkey"
  • "Hotel Hysteria / Alien Glow"
  • "Chameleon Chaos / Weedkiller"
  • "The Great Luciani / Wendy Boy"
  • "Food Fight / Mari Mania"
Pantaloonacy & Other Stories

(DVD)

United Kingdom: February 26, 2007[7]
  • "Great Bowl of Fear / Mud Crush"
  • "Petrified Poodles / Harp Wars"
  • "The Bad Seed / Rodeo Rita"
  • "Worm Funeral / One Sock Wonder"
  • "Pantaloonacy / Girl Gang"

Award nominations

Ratings (CBBC Channel)

References

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