Bounty Hamster facts for kids

Bounty Hamster is a fun British cartoon from 2003. It mixes science fiction with lots of laughs. The show was created by David Max Freedman and Alan Gilbey. It follows the adventures of a girl and her unusual sidekick as they travel through space.

What's the Story?

The show is about Cassie Harrison, a 13-year-old girl. Her dad was kidnapped by space pirates! To find him, Cassie hires a bounty hunter. But she can only afford a very unique one: a talking blue hamster named Marion.

Cassie and Marion are a bit of an "odd couple." They travel the universe together in their spaceship, which they call Keith. Keith is special because its cockpit can detach and fly down to planets. It's like a small boat launching from a big ship. Inside Keith, you often see strange, large objects appear out of nowhere!

Marion, the hamster, has a funny habit. He can pull all sorts of huge, weird things from his cheeks. It's like his cheeks are giant pockets! Once, he even pulled out a cruise ship to help them when they were falling. The show also has many jokes about other sci-fi stories. For example, C-3PO from Star Wars once appeared on their ship. Cassie even asked who he was!

Every episode starts with a quick recap of the main story. You see Cassie's dad being taken away. Then, Marion appears from a tough armored suit, standing on stilts. After that, the screen splits into four parts. Each part shows different scenes from the show. The opening music sounds like it's saying "bounty hamster" to a catchy beat.

Even though it aired for kids, the show was popular with older viewers too. It had many science fiction jokes and references. It also made fun of other movies and TV shows. Marion's name and eye patch are a funny nod to John Wayne. He played a character in the movie True Grit. The whole idea of the show, a young girl hiring a bounty hunter to find her lost father, is also based on True Grit.

Meet the Characters

Marion the Hamster

Marion is a blue talking hamster, about 6 inches tall. He wears an eye patch over his right eye. But it's just for show; he can see perfectly fine with both eyes! Marion can fit all kinds of objects inside his cheeks. He gets very upset if anyone calls him "cute." When that happens, he shouts, "Don't call me CUTE!" and goes a bit wild. Sometimes he seems clumsy or forgetful. But he can also be surprisingly smart, like when he remembers to lock his spaceship with a remote.

Cassie Harrison

Cassie's full name is Cassiopeia. She usually wears a white shirt and green trousers. Her trousers have a unique shape, wide at the top and then narrow down to her belt. They also have darker green patches on the knees and pockets. She wears grey shoes with white soles. Cassie has dirty blonde hair. She is usually the more sensible one of the pair. She is always looking for her father. She often complains about Marion's silly actions.

Episodes

There was an episode called A.I. (Artificial Idiocy) planned to be episode 21. It was supposed to air between The Lost World and Planet of the Japes. But because of money cuts at CITV, this episode was never made. Instead, The Trial, which used old clips, was made. According to Alan Gilbey, one of the creators, A.I. would have been about an old friend of Marion's who was now hunting them in a spaceship.