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Art Ninja
Art Ninja title card.png
Genre
Created by
  • Alan Robinson
  • Jo Killingley
Written by
  • Nick Hutchings
  • Howard Davidson (2017-present)
Directed by Geoff Coward
Presented by
  • Ricky Martin
Starring
  • Ricky Martin
  • Gavin Strange
  • Sarah Matthews
  • Rich Thorne
  • Michelle Ackerley
  • Ella Trudgeon
  • Terry Martin
Narrated by Enn Reitel
Composer(s) Dobs Vye
Country of origin Britain
Original language(s) English
No. of series 4
No. of episodes 40
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Hugh Lawton
  • Jo Killingley
Producer(s)
  • Nick Hutchings
  • Richard Hunt (2017-present)
Running time 28 minutes
Production company(s) Dot to Dot Productions
Distributor Serious Lunch
Release
Original network CBBC
Picture format 1080i
Audio format Stereo
Original release 17 January 2015 (2015-01-17) – present

Art Ninja is a British children's television art-sitcom hybrid hosted by Ricky Martin. The show is produced by Dot to Dot Productions for CBBC and began on 17 January 2015. The series follows presenter Ricky and his life where he makes arts with his friends Rich Thorne, Michelle Ackerley, Gavin "Gav" Strange and Sarah Matthews. Ella Lia Trudgeon and Ricky's dad, Terry Martin also appears in some episodes. Three series of 10 episodes each have been aired. Short compilation episodes are as Nine Minute Ninja.

A fifth series was commissioned by CBBC in Spring 2018, which will air in 2019.

Format

Each episode follows a sitcom format with instructional art segments, like Art Attack or SMart. Each episode's makes has a theme to them, such as animals or aliens. An episode will usually consist of several small makes the viewer is able to make at home, an animation, a small drawing on a post-it note, a make made with a viewer on Skype, a small make with the character The Grandmaster and a big make (in the way of Art Attack), usually using a large amount of a certain material, like coins or clingfilm.

Production

Art Ninja came around after Ricky Martin's pilot, Ricky's Radical Reinventions was not picked up by CBBC. Dot to Dot Productions were looking for a recommission of their former art series, Totally Rubbish. However, CBBC's commissioner Cheryl Taylor wanted to create a new art brand. According to Martin, the series was aiming to be "The Naked Chef, meets art, meets Jackass." The working title for the series was Art Monkey.

Episodes

Series Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 10 17 January 2015 (2015-01-17) 21 March 2015 (2015-03-21)
2 10 30 January 2016 (2016-01-30) 2 April 2016 (2016-04-02)
3 10 21 January 2017 (2017-01-21) 1 July 2017 (2017-07-01)
4 10 20 January 2018 (2018-01-20) 24 March 2018 (2018-03-24)

Series 1 (2015)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1 1 "Day of the Birdman" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 17 January 2015 (2015-01-17)
Ricky is reminded of his childhood pet Mr Chicken and creates a collage to help him find his old feathered friend.
2 2 "Day of the Disguise" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 24 January 2015 (2015-01-24)
Ricky has forgotten his friend Sarah's birthday so he throws a surprise party to make it up to her.
3 3 "Day of the Goblins" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 31 January 2015 (2015-01-31)
Ricky demonstrates how to animate a submarine and create a bookend using a rubber glove.
4 4 "Day of the Lucky Trunks" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 7 February 2015 (2015-02-07)
Before he joins his friends at the beach, Ricky shows how to make cool stuff.
5 5 "Day of the Angry Cloud" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 14 February 2015 (2015-02-14)
Ricky can't go out because of the rain so he makes a water picture inspired by J. M. W. Turner.
6 6 "Day of the Decoration" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 21 February 2015 (2015-02-21)
Sarah foolishly asks Ricky and Gav to paint her flat while she is out.
7 7 "Day of the Trash" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 28 February 2015 (2015-02-28)
Ricky attempts to tidy up but his dad brings around a box of his old junk.
8 8 "Day of the Aliens" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 7 March 2015 (2015-03-07)
Ricky is inspired by extraterrestrials to make alien gloop. He also makes a Venus flytrap.
9 9 "Day of the Bug" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 14 March 2015 (2015-03-14)
Ricky has a cold, but that hasn't stopped him from making art. He makes a nosey tissue dispenser.
10 10 "Day of the Dog" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 21 March 2015 (2015-03-21)
Ricky accidentally becomes a dogsitter. This inspires him to make a fake dog with a collar.

Series 2 (2016)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11 1 "Day of the Prank" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 30 January 2016 (2016-01-30)
Gav plays a prank on Ricky, so he decides to get his own back using six thousand cups of juice.
12 2 "Day of the Game" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 6 February 2016 (2016-02-06)
Gav won't stop playing games on Ricky's phone and despite his best efforts Ricky can't distract him.
13 3 "Day of the Spider" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 13 February 2016 (2016-02-13)
Gav brings round his new pet and Ricky makes butterfly art inspired by Damien Hirst.
14 4 "Day of the Diamond" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 20 February 2016 (2016-02-20)
Something sparkly and expensive is delivered to the flat, and Ricky thinks a scary man wants it back.
15 5 "Day of the Time Machine" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 27 February 2016 (2016-02-27)
Ricky wishes he could go back in time after spilling paint on a priceless rug.
16 6 "Day of the Dragon" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 5 March 2016 (2016-03-05)
Ricky orders a takeaway, but will his fortune cookies' predictions come true?
17 7 "Day of the Baby" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 12 March 2016 (2016-03-12)
Ricky is looking after his baby niece and has to use his ninja skills to try to keep her amused.
18 8 "Day of the Band" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 19 March 2016 (2016-03-19)
Ricky decides to form a band, but the instruments he orders don't quite fit the bill.
19 9 "Day of the Werewolf" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 26 March 2016 (2016-03-26)
Gav turns up at the flat, but Ricky thinks there is something a bit strange about his mate.
20 10 "Day of the Six-Pack" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 2 April 2016 (2016-04-02)
Ricky decides to get in shape and makes healthy art, including fruit pom-poms and a salad face place mat.

Series 3 (2017)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
21 1 "Day of the Animals" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 21 January 2017 (2017-01-21)
Gav can't find the right animal costume to run the local marathon. Ricky helps him decide by making a piranha fish bag and a baboon chalk picture.
22 2 "Day of the Match" Geoff Coward Howard Davidson and Nick Hutchings 28 January 2017 (2017-01-28)
Ricky's never been good at football, so is horrified to hear his dad has entered him and his 'make-believe' girlfriend into a family tournament.
23 3 "Day of the Egg" Geoff Coward Howard Davidson and Nick Hutchings 4 February 2017 (2017-02-04)
Ricky thinks he has nothing to spread on his toast, until a giant egg is delivered. Worried it could contain a baby Tyrannosaurus rex, Ricky distracts himself with art.
24 4 "Day of the Yeti" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 11 February 2017 (2017-02-11)
Ricky hears that a Yeti has been spotted in Bristol and he is determined to lure the mysterious creature and be the first to photograph it.
25 5 "Day of the Dream" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 18 February 2017 (2017-02-18)
Ricky is having really weird dreams, which lead to him to make surreal art including giant hands and a burger hat inspired by René Magritte.
26 6 "Day of the Vlog" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 25 February 2017 (2017-02-25)
Gav thinks that he could get rich and famous by filming a vlog about being the art ninja's annoying best friend. Ricky wants in as well.
27 7 "Day of the Invisibility" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 4 March 2017 (2017-03-04)
Sarah's bought a onesie that turns her invisible and she and Ricky use it to plays tricks on Gav. Ricky conjures a geometric kite design.
28 8 "Day of the Spy" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 11 March 2017 (2017-03-11)
Ricky's always wanted to be a spy, but when he starts receiving mysterious phone calls full of code words he's not so sure.
29 9 "Day of the Ancestor" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings 18 March 2017 (2017-03-18)
Sarah's bought a onesie that turns her invisible and she and Ricky use it to plays tricks on Gav. Ricky conjures a geometric kite design.

Series 4 (2018)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
31 1 "Day of the Food Fest" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 20 January 2018 (2018-01-20)
Ricky enters a foodie competition run by Nadiya Hussain whilst Gav cooks up some unlikely food combos.
32 2 "Day of the Fairytale" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 27 January 2018 (2018-01-27)
Ricky becomes part of a fairytale when his virtual assistant trolls him. Sarah becomes a wicked witch and Gav is with three little pigs.
33 3 "Day of the Competition" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 3 February 2018 (2018-02-03)
Ricky and Gav watch Officially Amazing and they rediscover their competitiveness and attempt to break several records.
34 4 "Day of the Hair" Geoff Coward Howard Davidson 10 February 2018 (2018-02-10)
Short Summary
35 5 "Day of the Driving Test" Geoff Coward Howard Davidson 17 February 2018 (2018-02-17)
Short Summary
36 6 "Day Of The Gossip" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 24 February 2018 (2018-02-24)
Short Summary
37 7 "Day Of The Superfan" Geoff Coward Howard Davidson, Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 3 March 2018 (2018-03-03)
Short Summary
38 8 "Day Of The Dummy" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 10 March 2018 (2018-03-10)
Short Summary
39 9 "Day Of The Fashion" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 17 March 2018 (2018-03-17)
Short Summary
40 10 "Day Of The World Trip" Geoff Coward Nick Hutchings, Richard Hunt & Jo Killingley 24 March 2018 (2018-03-24)
Short Summary
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