Toonhound - Doctor Otter (2001)

   "If you want bright eyes and bushy tails,
     You know his remedy never fails..."

   Melvyn P Otter, MD is the local GP to a community of riverside animals.
    He operates from his own riverside home and surgery, built within the bowel
    of a glorious willow tree. Melvyn's always there to soothe a bump, patch
    up a graze or treat an upset stomach, and he can count on the unbridled
    support of his wife Raylee, and Flybread his well-bred assistant. When
    his help is required further afield, our Melvyn rides out in his faithful red
    jalopy to prescribe and cure...

    Melvyn's regular patients include Dandelion and Dexley Rabbit, and the kids
    Texley, Bexley, Mexley, and pink-ribboned Donna. Dunston the mole,
    Miss Canny Body the culinary wannabee, and the schoolteacher badger
    Mrs Barleymow are regulars, too. Oh, but we mustn't forget Lucky, the
    young Spanish chameleon with all sorts of colour-changing issues!

      Flybread in Red Baloo's "Dr Otter"

    This jolly stop-motion series comes from Red Balloo (see The Lampies),
    with Ealing Animation bringing the characters into life for them, and it's all
    bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fun. There are inevitable connections to
    Wind in the Willows here, with some handsome Edwardian details in the sets
    and costumes, and Melvyn himself is an otter of taste, with a hankering for the
    finer things in life. But the producers have carefully kept the show half a
    step away from its influence and in doing so, have given us a lively little
    production that's difficult not to like.

   » The producers obviously had fun putting this one together. Look at Melvyn's
        wife. She's called Raylee Otter, for goodness sake. Surely that's a spoof on
        the name of actor Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas")?

    » When the series was being developed it was known as "Melvyn Otter", and
        originally, it was conceived as a 2D production with Uli Meyer Studios handling
        the animation. The switch to a stop-motion format came later...


    Lucky stuff

    Lucky the chameleon pops up in the very first episode ("Colour Me Lucky")
    and recounts how he was originally brought to the UK and put in a zoo.
    But he didn't take well to his captivity, so he escaped. Unfortunately,
    although he has the ability to change colour, he's not too good at it and
    regularly turns bright blushing red and purple, instead of blending with
    the background. That's because he's actually colour blind. Still, clever
    Melvyn soon puts him to good use as the crossing guard for the children,
    as they make their way to school....

     Lucky the chameleon in Red Balloo's "Dr Otter"


     Episode titles

    Colour Me Lucky                         Treasure Hunt
    Blackberry Surprise                      Statue Over There?
    Melvyn's Birthday                        A Fishy Tale
    Doctor Otter's Mouldy Golf Bag      Oh, What a Beautiful Day
    Doctor Donna                             Things That Go Bump in the Night
    The Odd-Job Gang                       Dunston's Spring Clean
    Sale of the Centuury                    Melvyn's Lodger
    School's Out                               Summer Break
    After the Storm                           Best Foot Forward
    Stucky Lucky                              Getting the Needle
    Pumpkin Soup                             Unlucky
    Cold Comfort                               Mr Bumble
    A New Home for Lucky                  Crash


     Broadcast info

    The first episode "Colour Me Lucky" premiered on BBC2,
     6th September 2001 at 8.15am.

     The series continued for fifteen weeks, at 8.10/8.145am until
     13th December. Episode sixteen was broadcast one week later,
      20th December, but at the later time of 10.20am.

     After a one month break, the series resumed with episode seventeen,
     "Oh, What a Beautiful Day" which premiered 24th January 2002,
     back in the earlier time slot, and the broadcasts continued until the
     series concluded 28th March 2002 - though the air times was shifted
     thrice, with episodes twenty and twenty one moving to 11.45am,
     and the final episode "Crash" airing at 1.00pm.

     Doctor Otter on DVD

    Doctor Otter
                Region 2 / five eps / Right Entertainment / January 2005

      Red Balloo presents
       a David Bonner creation

      producer:           Richard Randolph
      exec prods:         Theresa Plummer-Andrews
                                James Coldwell
      asst producer:    Jilly Joseph
      director:             Tobias Fouracre
      writers:                David Bonner, Jimmy Hibbert
      Red Balloo:         David Bonner, James Coldwell,
                                Mike Smallman, Richard Bell,
                                Peter Kenyon, Brian Park,
                                John Hornsby
      animation:          Ealing Animation - Chris Titchbourne,
                                Daryl Marsh, Geoff Walker
      add. anim:          Lewi Lewis, Mark Waring,
                                Martin Pullen, Andy Joule,
      charac. designs:  Ealing Animation
      lighting camera: Malcom Hadley
      models:              The Puppet Factory
      props:                Jennie de Naeyer, Humphrey Leadbitter,
                               Wendy Collins
      sets:                  Andy Farago, Graeme Owen,
                               Colin Armitage, Kevin Harris
      studio assist:      Matt Day
      design:               Darren Cox
      consultant:         David Holley
      editing & fx:        David Brylewski
      facilities:            Oasis Television
      music:                Kick Productions
      dubbing &
      sound fx:             PK Studios
      voices
       recorded at:         Angell Sound
      voices:                Jan Francis
                                Rob Rackstraw
                                Jimmy Hibbert
                                Maria Darling


      On the web

      Ealing Animation
      More bushy-tailed business here at Ealing's official studio site,
      with some pics and a clip to view..

      Uli Meyer Studios
      Uli Meyer have put up a small gallery of their original character and
      set designs for us to view...

      index »    prev »   next »

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			Doctor Otter (2001) producers: Ealing Animation for Red Balloo in association with CBBC animation: stop-motion animation episodes: 26 x 10mins
		"If you want bright eyes and bushy tails, You know his remedy never fails..." Melvyn P Otter, MD is the local GP to a community of riverside animals. He operates from his own riverside home and surgery, built within the bowel of a glorious willow tree. Melvyn's always there to soothe a bump, patch up a graze or treat an upset stomach, and he can count on the unbridled support of his wife Raylee, and Flybread his well-bred assistant. When his help is required further afield, our Melvyn rides out in his faithful red jalopy to prescribe and cure... Melvyn's regular patients include Dandelion and Dexley Rabbit, and the kids Texley, Bexley, Mexley, and pink-ribboned Donna. Dunston the mole, Miss Canny Body the culinary wannabee, and the schoolteacher badger Mrs Barleymow are regulars, too. Oh, but we mustn't forget Lucky, the young Spanish chameleon with all sorts of colour-changing issues! This jolly stop-motion series comes from Red Balloo (see The Lampies), with Ealing Animation bringing the characters into life for them, and it's all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fun. There are inevitable connections to Wind in the Willows here, with some handsome Edwardian details in the sets and costumes, and Melvyn himself is an otter of taste, with a hankering for the finer things in life. But the producers have carefully kept the show half a step away from its influence and in doing so, have given us a lively little production that's difficult not to like. » The producers obviously had fun putting this one together. Look at Melvyn's wife. She's called Raylee Otter, for goodness sake. Surely that's a spoof on the name of actor Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas")? » When the series was being developed it was known as "Melvyn Otter", and originally, it was conceived as a 2D production with Uli Meyer Studios handling the animation. The switch to a stop-motion format came later... Lucky stuff Lucky the chameleon pops up in the very first episode ("Colour Me Lucky") and recounts how he was originally brought to the UK and put in a zoo. But he didn't take well to his captivity, so he escaped. Unfortunately, although he has the ability to change colour, he's not too good at it and regularly turns bright blushing red and purple, instead of blending with the background. That's because he's actually colour blind. Still, clever Melvyn soon puts him to good use as the crossing guard for the children, as they make their way to school.... Episode titles Colour Me Lucky Treasure Hunt Blackberry Surprise Statue Over There? Melvyn's Birthday A Fishy Tale Doctor Otter's Mouldy Golf Bag Oh, What a Beautiful Day Doctor Donna Things That Go Bump in the Night The Odd-Job Gang Dunston's Spring Clean Sale of the Centuury Melvyn's Lodger School's Out Summer Break After the Storm Best Foot Forward Stucky Lucky Getting the Needle Pumpkin Soup Unlucky Cold Comfort Mr Bumble A New Home for Lucky Crash Broadcast info The first episode "Colour Me Lucky" premiered on BBC2, 6th September 2001 at 8.15am. The series continued for fifteen weeks, at 8.10/8.145am until 13th December. Episode sixteen was broadcast one week later, 20th December, but at the later time of 10.20am. After a one month break, the series resumed with episode seventeen, "Oh, What a Beautiful Day" which premiered 24th January 2002, back in the earlier time slot, and the broadcasts continued until the series concluded 28th March 2002 - though the air times was shifted thrice, with episodes twenty and twenty one moving to 11.45am, and the final episode "Crash" airing at 1.00pm. Doctor Otter on DVD Doctor Otter Region 2 / five eps / Right Entertainment / January 2005 Red Balloo presents a David Bonner creation producer: Richard Randolph exec prods: Theresa Plummer-Andrews James Coldwell asst producer: Jilly Joseph director: Tobias Fouracre writers: David Bonner, Jimmy Hibbert Red Balloo: David Bonner, James Coldwell, Mike Smallman, Richard Bell, Peter Kenyon, Brian Park, John Hornsby animation: Ealing Animation - Chris Titchbourne, Daryl Marsh, Geoff Walker add. anim: Lewi Lewis, Mark Waring, Martin Pullen, Andy Joule, charac. designs: Ealing Animation lighting camera: Malcom Hadley models: The Puppet Factory props: Jennie de Naeyer, Humphrey Leadbitter, Wendy Collins sets: Andy Farago, Graeme Owen, Colin Armitage, Kevin Harris studio assist: Matt Day design: Darren Cox consultant: David Holley editing & fx: David Brylewski facilities: Oasis Television music: Kick Productions dubbing & sound fx: PK Studios voices recorded at: Angell Sound voices: Jan Francis Rob Rackstraw Jimmy Hibbert Maria Darling On the web Ealing Animation More bushy-tailed business here at Ealing's official studio site, with some pics and a clip to view.. Uli Meyer Studios Uli Meyer have put up a small gallery of their original character and set designs for us to view... index » prev » next »
© Melvyn P Otter Ltd / F2010