Franklin (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Franklin |
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| Theme music composer | Bruce Cockburn |
| Opening theme | "Hey, It's Franklin" performed by Bruce Cockburn |
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| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 78 (156 segments) (list of episodes) |
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| Running time | 23 minutes |
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| Original network | Canada
TF1 (Season 6) |
| Original release | November 3, 1997 – August 8, 2004 |
Franklin is a popular animated TV show for kids. It's based on the Franklin the Turtle books by Brenda Clark and Paulette Bourgeois. The show was made by a company called Nelvana.
After this series, a new version was created using CGI (computer graphics) called Franklin and Friends. The Franklin animated series also made several TV movies. These include Franklin and the Green Knight (2000), Franklin's Magic Christmas (2001), and Back to School with Franklin (2003). There was even a movie shown in theaters, Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure (2006). All these movies were also made by Nelvana.
Contents
About Franklin's Adventures
The Franklin show is all about a young turtle named Franklin. He's a growing kid who can count by twos and tie his shoes. Franklin goes to school and lives in a small village called Woodland. He has many fun adventures with his friends. They play and learn about the world around them. Sometimes, adults like his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Turtle, help them.
Franklin loves swimming and making art, especially drawing. He also really likes shoofly pie. Sometimes, Franklin gets scared of the dark or thunderstorms. When he's scared, his blue blanket and a blue stuffed dog named Sam help him feel calm. Franklin's best friend is a character named Bear.
Meet the Characters
The main character of the show is Franklin Turtle. Every episode and movie focuses on him. You won't find a story where Franklin isn't there. Sometimes, other characters might get more attention, but Franklin is always the star.
Franklin's Family and Friends
Franklin's family includes his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Turtle. They are kind and loving parents. They help guide Franklin and teach him important lessons. Franklin also has a younger sister named Harriet. She was born in the movie Franklin and the Green Knight. Harriet appeared in the show's fifth and sixth seasons.
Franklin's grandmother lives nearby. His other grandparents live on a farm far away. In the movie Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure, his aunt Lucy and her goddaughter Sam moved to Woodland. Sam's parents let her stay in Woodland to be with her godmother. In the newer CGI series, Franklin's Aunt Teeny (Aunt T) is introduced.
Franklin's best friend is Bear. Bear loves to eat and later has a sister named Beatrice. Snail is another close friend who thinks Franklin is his best friend. Beaver is also one of Franklin's friends who appears often. Other friends include Goose, Rabbit, Fox, Badger, Raccoon, and Skunk. Mr. Owl is their teacher at school.
Goose's family includes her mother and father, who are divorced. Goose has a big family, including her grandmother and grandfather. She also has an aunt, uncle, and a younger cousin named Giselle. Other characters appear less often, sometimes only in a few episodes.
Exploring Woodland Village
Franklin and his friends live in a small village called Woodland. It's in eastern North America. The village is small, so most people know each other. Woodland has a shopping area, roads, and a community schoolhouse. It's thought that Woodland might be in Manitoba, Canada, but this isn't officially confirmed.
Here are some important places in Woodland:
- Turtle Household: This is where Franklin, his parents, and Harriet live.
- Granny Turtle's Home: Franklin's paternal grandmother lives nearby. She loves to talk and has a cool attic.
- Oakwood School: This is the schoolhouse where Mr. Owl teaches. Franklin and his friends go to school here.
- Shopping District: Woodland has a busy shopping area. It has an ice cream shop, a hardware store, a pharmacy, and more. Franklin and his friends sometimes visit here.
- Tree Fort: Franklin's friends built this treehouse. Franklin was once afraid of heights but overcame it. They use it for activities and to hang out. It broke once but was rebuilt.
- Pond: Franklin and his friends often hang out by the pond. They go swimming or just relax there.
- Woods: Woodland is surrounded by forests. Franklin and Snail had an adventure deep in the woods. They met new characters and found magic cherry blossoms.
- Oakwood Ravine: This area is in the woods and has poison ivy.
- Nature Trail: This trail has a picnic area, Monarch Meadow, and Blueberry Hill Lookout. Franklin and Bear once hiked here.
- Village Park: Kids go skateboarding here.
- Playground: This is for younger kids like Harriet and Beatrice. It has a slide, swings, and monkey bars.
- Faraway Farm: This farm is far from Woodland. Franklin's maternal grandparents live here. Franklin's family spends Christmas here in a TV special.
- Turtle Lake: This area was only in the movie Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure. Franklin's Granny used to live here but lost her home in a fire.
- Woodland Town Hall: This building is used for community events. Franklin and his class performed Sleeping Beauty here.
- Thrill Hill: This is a steep hill where older kids skateboard. Franklin accidentally went down it once.
- Blueberry Hill: A hill in a nature park with a great view on clear days.
Sports and Games Franklin Enjoys
Baseball is often seen in earlier seasons of the show. Hockey and soccer are also popular sports. Once, Franklin and Bear wanted to play football, but they ended up playing basketball instead.
Because the show is Canadian, ice hockey is very important in the Franklin world. It appears in several stories. Franklin even gets to meet some professional hockey players in later seasons.
Besides sports, the characters enjoy many games and activities. Franklin becomes his school's chess champion. Harriet and Beatrice love playing tag and hide-and-seek. Franklin and his friends also enjoy playing knights.
How the Show Was Made
Show Development
The look of Franklin the Turtle for the animated series was created by Canadian artist Kurt Lehner in 1997. He worked at Nelvana studio. His designs were based on the original Franklin the Turtle books. Kurt Lehner also designed Beaver, Rabbit, and Skunk.
In May 2004, new episodes of Franklin started airing on Treehouse TV in Canada. Franklin and many of his friends had new voice actors. Many of the show's writers and staff stayed on. In these new stories, Franklin dealt with a flood and worried about the old treehouse. He also earned a badge in a group called the Woodland Trailblazers. For the sixth season, Funbag and other studios helped make Franklin.
The most recent movie in the series is Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure. This movie was written by John van Bruggen and directed by Dominique Monféry. The 76-minute movie first showed in theaters in 2006. It later appeared on the Noggin TV channel in 2007.
Animation Style
Franklin uses traditional animation with some help from computers. This was especially true in later seasons. The show also had closed captions for viewers.
Usually, Franklin episodes had two 11-minute stories. However, on CBC in Canada, they sometimes showed one story at a time. The DVD and video releases of Franklin group individual stories together by theme. Unlike many kids' shows, Franklin doesn't have short clips or special scenes at the end. The opening introduction changed after the first season. Some early scenes showed Otter, a character who left the series early on.
You can see differences in the cartoon's colors from season to season. The newer movies, like Back to School with Franklin, look a bit different from the TV series. The movie Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure had even better animation. It had more color differences, higher quality animation, and brighter backgrounds.
Where to Watch Franklin
TV Broadcasts
In Canada, Franklin was shown on CBC Television, Family Channel, and Treehouse TV.
In the United States, it aired on CBS as part of their Saturday morning kids' block. It also aired on Nickelodeon and the Noggin channel. Later, it moved to the Nick Jr. Channel. In 2021, it briefly aired on Qubo.
In the United Kingdom, Franklin was shown on Sky One, Channel 4, Tiny Living, Nick Jr., Five, and Tiny Pop. Sometimes, it was dubbed with British voices instead of the original Canadian ones. It also aired in India on Pogo and in the Arab World on Spacetoon. In Australia, it aired on ABC.
Home Videos
You could also watch Franklin on home video. Here are some of the releases:
| Title | Release date | Format |
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| Franklin Plays the Game | July 14, 1998 | |
| Franklin and the Secret Club | ||
| Franklin's Halloween | September 1, 1998 |
Other Franklin Adventures
Books and Movies
Many Franklin TV stories are based on the original Franklin Adventure books. After the first season, the show started creating new stories. However, some ideas and words from the books were still used. Many Franklin TV stories were also turned into books. These books, often written by Sharon Jennings, are shorter versions of the TV episodes.
Franklin's younger sister Harriet was first seen in the movie Franklin and the Green Knight in 2000. They had another adventure together in Franklin's Magic Christmas in 2001. Back to School with Franklin was released in 2003. In this movie, Harriet became friends with Beaver's younger brother Kit. A new teacher, Mrs. Koala, was also introduced.
Live Stage Shows
Franklin has also been part of many live stage shows. These include "Franklin's Big Adventure" and "Franklin's Family Christmas Concert." These shows featured songs like "Come See the World." Koba Entertainment produced these shows.
In 2009, a new show called "Franklin and The Adventures of the Noble Knights" started touring in France. This show also toured in Canada in 2010. You can even find a CD with the songs from the show.
Video Games
Several educational video games based on Franklin have been released.
- Franklin's Activity Center
- Franklin's Reading World
- Franklin Learns Math
These games were published by Sanctuary Woods and released for PC in 1995 and 1996.
Later, Nelvana and Knowledge Adventure made more PC games:
- Franklin the Turtle Goes to School (2000)
- Franklin the Turtle's Clubhouse (2000)
- Franklin the Turtle After School (2004)
Between 2005 and 2006, The Game Factory released games for other platforms:
- Franklin the Turtle (2005)
- Franklin's Great Adventures (2005)
- Franklin's Birthday Surprise (2006)
New CGI Series: Franklin and Friends
On September 27, 2010, Nelvana announced a brand new Franklin series. It was made entirely with CGI and called Franklin and Friends. This series has 52 episodes. Many familiar characters returned, including Bear, Fox, Rabbit, Beaver, Goose, Snail, and of course, Franklin. A new character, Franklin's paternal aunt named Aunt T., was also introduced. This new series focuses on fun mysteries, Woodland events, and outdoor activities. It was a joint project between Nelvana (Canada) and Infinite Frameworks Pte. Ltd. (Singapore).
Franklin and Friends first aired on Treehouse TV in Canada on March 4, 2011. It premiered in the US on the Nick Jr. Channel on February 13, 2012. It also started airing in Singapore on Mediacorp on February 15, 2012.
Images for kids
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Franklin the Turtle, the main character.
See also
In Spanish: Franklin (serie animada) para niños
