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The 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
United Productions
Distributor Itel
Release
Original network ITV Network (CITV)
Picture format 4:3
Audio format Dolby Surround
Original release 9 September 1999 (1999-09-09) – 24 November 2000 (2000-11-24)
Chronology
Related shows Bounty Hamster

The Foxbusters is a fun British animation TV show. It's based loosely on a book by Dick King-Smith called The Foxbusters. The show was made by Cosgrove Hall and has two seasons. Each season has thirteen episodes, and each episode is about 11 minutes long. The series aired between 1999 and 2000.

The story mainly takes place on Foxearth Farm, a made-up farm in the English countryside. The farm is full of different animals, especially chickens! The main heroes are three chickens named Ransome, Sims, and Jeffries. They are called the Foxbusters because they can do something amazing: they can fly! Each chicken has a unique personality. Ransome is the best at flying, Sims is the smartest, and Jeffries is the funniest.

These special chickens have cool ways to fight off the hungry foxes from Foxearth Forest. They can spit grit like a machine gun and drop hard-boiled eggs like bombs! They use these skills, and many others, to keep the farm safe. The funny arguments and conversations between the chickens make the show really entertaining. The foxes are always trying to catch the chickens, but they usually fail. Their creative but unsuccessful plans add a lot of humor to the show.

The Foxbusters was a big hit with critics. In 2000, it won two major awards:

  • A BAFTA award for 'Best Animated Series'.
  • An award from the British Animation Awards for 'Best Children's Series'.

Even though it won awards, the show didn't become as popular as some other cartoons at the time. It ended in 2000 after just two seasons. But even today, many fans remember the show fondly, and it has gained a special group of dedicated followers.

Meet the Characters: Farmyard Heroes and Forest Foes

This section introduces the main characters from The Foxbusters, including the brave chickens and the sneaky foxes.

The Foxbusters: Flying Chicken Heroes

These are the three main chicken heroes who protect Foxearth Farm.

Ransome Ransome is the best flyer among the Foxbusters. She's confident and a bit proud, always looking for ways to impress the other farm animals. She often argues with her sister Sims and has a big ego. Unlike her sisters, who have British accents, Ransome speaks with an African-American accent because she's voiced by Whoopi Goldberg.
Sims Sims is the oldest, thinnest, and smartest of the three sisters. She's the one who plans how the Foxbusters will defend the farm from the foxes. She's always coming up with new and clever ways to keep the foxes away. Sims is the most serious of the sisters. Her voice is done by Joanna Lumley.
Jeffries Jeffries is the largest of the trio and not the best flyer, but she's the funniest! She's usually a bit more laid-back and doesn't want to seriously hurt the foxes. However, she defends the farm just as bravely as her sisters when needed. She's even friendly with Todd, one of the foxes, as seen in the episode Winging It. Jane Horrocks provides her voice.

The Foxes: Tricky Forest Villains

These are the foxes who live in the forest and constantly try to get into Foxearth Farm.

King Voracious King Voracious is the leader of the foxes and the main bad guy in the series. He's a big, charming red fox, but he can be a bit unstable and mean. Sometimes he seems to lose control of his fox group, but he still leads them in their constant (and usually failed) attempts to catch the chickens. Even though he's a fox, he looks more like a wolf.
Attila Attila is a young, scruffy fox with only one eye (we never find out how he lost it). He's clever and tricky, but also gets angry easily, especially when his plans go wrong. He often acts as Voracious's second-in-command. Sometimes, he shows a lighter, more playful side. He usually schemes with his sister, Evita.
Evita Evita is a young female fox and Attila's sister. They often work together. Like Attila, she's cunning and can be mean, but she's also very good at finding solutions.
Todd Todd often works with Attila and Evita, but he's very different from most other foxes. He's not very smart and often has accidents. He doesn't seem to understand why the other foxes want to catch the chickens, so he acts pretty neutral. However, he often ends up helping with the foxes' plans, and sometimes accidentally ruins them!
Queen Voracity Queen Voracity is King Voracious's partner. She's snobby and proud, and she doesn't get along well with Voracious (and he feels the same way about her).
Ghengis Ghengis is a fox cub, the son of Voracious and Voracity. He rarely talks. Instead, he seems more interested in biting anything that comes near him! Because of this, the other foxes don't like babysitting him, as he's also very hard to keep entertained.
Volpone Volpone is one of the oldest foxes in the forest and King Voracious's father. He used to be the leader of the foxes before his son took over. Now, he's sometimes stuck with the unpopular job of babysitting his grandson Ghengis. Like Voracious, he looks different from the other foxes; he looks like a brown coyote. He believes simple plans are the best, unlike the more complex schemes the other foxes prefer.

Other Important Characters

  • Rotter - Rotter is a tricky otter who appears in some episodes. He acts as a go-between for the foxes and the farm animals. Rotter loves chicken eggs instead of his usual otter diet of fish. He thinks he's a great egg thief and has even tried to turn the foxes and chickens against each other for his own gain. But he's usually caught before his plans work. He also likes a female otter named Carlotta, who sometimes outsmarts him.
  • Icky - Icky is the older brother of Ransome, Sims, and Jeffries. He's always a bit jealous that his sisters get all the credit for dealing with the foxes. He's clumsy and easily gets carried away. This once led him into a fight with King Voracious, and his sisters had to rescue him.
  • Dog - Dog is the farmer's sheepdog. He gets along well with all the farm animals and is in charge of the sheep. You usually see him with the farmer. He was once voted leader of the farm, but he soon quit when he realized he couldn't keep his promises, giving the leadership role back to the Foxbusters.
  • Farmer Farmer - Farmer Farmer is the always-happy owner of Foxearth Farm. He has no idea about the fox problem in the forest or that three of his chickens can fly! He spends most of his time with his dog, relaxing and having picnics in the fields, but sometimes he does farm work.

Voice Actors: Who Plays Who?

Here are the talented people who lend their voices to the characters in The Foxbusters:

  • Whoopi Goldberg - Ransome
  • Jane Horrocks - Jeffries
  • Joanna Lumley - Sims/Evita/Voracity
  • Rob Rackstraw - Voracious/Attila/Farmer Farmer/Various others
  • Jimmy Hibbert - Todd/Volpone/Ghengis/Dog/Various others

The Pilot Episode: A Different Idea

The very first version of The Foxbusters, made in 1997, was planned to be set during the Second World War. However, this idea was changed. In the actual series, it's clear the show takes place in modern times.

Episode Guide: Adventures of the Foxbusters

The Foxbusters has two exciting seasons, each with 13 episodes. Here's a look at some of the adventures the chickens and foxes get into!

Series 1 (1999)

No.
overall		 No. in
series		 Title Original air date
1 1 "Hen Night" 9 September 1999 (9 September 1999)
12 March 2000 (Super RTL)
Sims meets Wilby, who tricks her towards the foxes. Ransome saves Sims, and the Foxbusters stop the fox attack.
2 2 "Where Egos Dare" 16 September 1999 (16 September 1999)
12 March 2000 (Super RTL)
Ransome's showing off gets her caught by foxes. Her sisters get caught too. They escape by making the foxes argue.
3 3 "Winging It" 23 September 1999 (23 September 1999)
19 March 2000 (Super RTL)
Todd flies a glider by accident, surprising everyone. Jeffries saves him from King Voracious.
4 4 "Icky's Sticky Situation" 30 September 1999 (30 September 1999)
19 March 2000 (Super RTL)
Icky challenges the foxes, feeling jealous. With secret help from his sisters, he thinks he won.
5 5 "A Fete Worse Than Death" 7 October 1999 (7 October 1999)
26 March 2000 (Super RTL)
A snobby new hen named Blue gets captured by foxes. The Foxbusters rescue her, teaching Blue a lesson.
6 6 "Follow My Leader" 14 October 1999 (14 October 1999)
26 March 2000 (Super RTL)
The sheep admire Ransome for saving a lamb. Voracious tries to turn them against the Foxbusters, but Dog fixes it.
7 7 "The Ring Cycle" 21 October 1999 (21 October 1999)
2 April 2000 (Super RTL)
A magpie steals Fabio's nose ring. The Foxbusters chase it, and the ring gets passed around until Fabio gets it back.
8 8 "The Trojan Chicken" 28 October 1999 (28 October 1999)
2 April 2000 (Super RTL)
Rotter tricks both foxes and Foxbusters for eggs. When they find out, they get revenge on Rotter.
9 9 "Going Underground" 4 November 1999 (4 November 1999)
9 April 2000 (Super RTL)
Foxes kidnap rabbits to dig a tunnel to the farm. The Foxbusters get trapped, and Sims reveals her Claustrophobia. Moleier and Billy the rabbit rescue them.
10 10 "See The Dog, See The Dog Run" 11 November 1999 (11 November 1999)
9 April 2000 (Super RTL)
Dog wins leadership of the Foxbusters, but it backfires when foxes attack. The Foxbusters regain their roles and fight off the invasion.
11 11 "The Long Walk Home" 18 November 1999 (18 November 1999)
16 April 2000 (Super RTL)
Sims breaks her wing during a night mission. Ransome and Jeffries agree to walk back with her, facing dangers.
12 12 "Three Hens And A Baby" 25 November 1999 (25 November 1999)
16 April 2000 (Super RTL)
The fox cub Genghis wanders to the farm and thinks Sims is his mother. After a funny ransom, Sims reluctantly gives him back.
13 13 "Passing The Buck" 02 December 1999 (02 December 1999)
23 April 2000 (Super RTL)
David Deer moves to the farm to avoid foxes. The chickens try to move animals around to prevent fights.

Series 2 (2000)

No.
overall		 No. in
series		 Title Original air date
14 1 "Ackluckalypse Now" 1 September 2000 (1 September 2000)
23 April 2000 (Super RTL)
A secret mission to find a legendary chicken goes wrong.
15 2 "Big Trouble" 8 September 2000 (8 September 2000)
30 April 2000 (Super RTL)
Sims' invention makes King Voracious huge and Ransome tiny. They end up in space, then grow the Earth to fit them.
16 3 "Day Of The Hunter" 15 September 2000 (15 September 2000)
30 April 2000 (Super RTL)
Hunter Hawk tries to ground the Foxbusters. Ransome likes him until she learns he's used by foxes. They rescue his family.
17 4 "Fear Of Flying" 22 September 2000 (22 September 2000)
7 May 2000 (Super RTL)
Ransome acts strangely because she's been hypnotized. Sims and Jeffries are confused and try to figure it out.
18 5 "The Not So Great Escape" 29 September 2000 (29 September 2000)
7 May 2000 (Super RTL)
Todd accidentally gets taken to the farm. He can't escape and is mistaken for a chicken, forced to stay.
19 6 "Love Bites" 6 October 2000 (6 October 2000)
14 May 2000 (Super RTL)
The Foxbusters make all foxes fall in love for peace, but it makes them stronger. The Foxbusters then break up the couples.
20 7 "Eggs, Lies And Videotape" 13 October 2000 (13 October 2000)
14 May 2000 (Super RTL)
A zoologist is amazed by the flying hens. The Foxbusters avoid being filmed until they give him "Flying Foxes" to record instead.
21 8 "Of Mice And Hen" 20 October 2000 (20 October 2000)
21 May 2000 (Super RTL)
Jeffries feels left out and rescues field mice from an owl. After saving them, they all help rescue Sims and Ransome from the foxes.
22 9 "Some Like It Otter" 27 October 2000 (27 October 2000)
21 May 2000 (Super RTL)
Carlotta leaves Rotter and moves in with the Foxbusters. Rotter tries to steal eggs, then Carlotta double-crosses everyone.
23 10 "The PrisHener" 3 November 2000 (3 November 2000)
28 May 2000 (Super RTL)
Ransome is taken to an automatic farm that acts like a prison. She befriends a chicken named Five. Her escape attempts fail until she makes the systems go crazy.
24 11 "Peace" 10 November 2000 (10 November 2000)
28 May 2000 (Super RTL)
King Voracious declares peace with the Foxbusters, tired of fighting. But Sims and Volpone break the peace.
25 12 "One Paw In The Grave" 17 November 2000 (17 November 2000)
5 June 2000 (Super RTL)
Foxes plan to catch the Foxbusters. Old Volpone is stuck babysitting Ghengis. He tries to prove "old ways are best" with Ghengis.
26 13 "In The Beak-ginning" 24 November 2000 (24 November 2000)
5 June 2000 (Super RTL)
Sims tells a story about how she and her sisters were raised. Their flying talent was a disgrace until they saved the hens from foxes, earning the title Foxbusters.

Where It Aired: International Broadcasts

The Foxbusters was shown in many countries around the world!

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