Rayman: The Animated Series facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rayman: The Animated Series |
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| Based on | Rayman; |
| Developed by | Jonathan Greenberg |
| Written by |
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| Story by |
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| Directed by | Laurent Jennet |
| Creative director(s) | Vanessa Coffey |
| Voices of |
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| Country of origin |
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| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 (26 planned) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | François Pétavy |
| Editor(s) | Alexis Nolent |
| Running time | 13 minutes (each) |
| Release | |
| Original release | December 20, 1999 – January 10, 2000 |
Rayman: The Animated Series is a cartoon show from France, Britain, and Canada. It was made by Ubisoft in 1999. The show is based on the popular Rayman video games, especially after Rayman 2: The Great Escape was a big hit.
The creators planned to make 26 episodes, but only four were finished. The show was stopped before it was complete. It was shown on TV in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. People in North America could buy it on VHS tapes. In France, it was even released on DVD before it aired on TV.
Contents
Meet Rayman and His Friends
The story is about a galactic circus run by two bad guys, Rigatoni and Admiral Razorbeard. Lac-Mac, a circus performer, and his friends are treated badly. They are called "circus freaks" and dream of being free.
One night, Rigatoni brings in a new performer, Rayman. Rayman has amazing floating hands and can do incredible tricks. He soon realizes that the other performers are like prisoners. Rayman decides he won't stand for it!
That night, Rayman helps everyone escape. Rigatoni then hires a clumsy detective, Inspector Grub, to catch them. Rayman and his friends must use their smarts to outwit Grub. They try to live freely in a city called Aerotropolis, where the circus had landed.
Episode Adventures
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Lac-Mac Napping" | 20 December 1999 | |
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The story begins with a circus floating in a dark forest. The cruel Sir Rigatoni and his helper, Admiral Razorbeard, own it. Inside, performers like Lac-Mac, Betina, Cookie, and Flips are kept prisoner. Lac-Mac performs, then is thrown back into a cage. Later, Rigatoni brings in Rayman, who can do cool tricks with his limbless hands. But Rayman is rebellious and refuses to perform. He ends up in a cage with the others. Lac-Mac shows off his super strength by bending metal bars. Rayman suggests he bend the cage open for them to escape. Flips flies around, blocking the cameras so Rigatoni can't see them. They escape Razorbeard and crash the circus! Rigatoni hires Inspector Grub to catch them. Rayman and his friends find a broken car. Cookie fixes it, and they drive off to find a hiding spot. |
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| 2 | "No Parking" | 27 December 1999 | |
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Rayman and his friends keep driving, trying to hide from the law. Inspector Grub spots them and chases them in his police car. Rayman makes a sharp turn, causing Grub to crash. They stop at a park to rest. Cookie complains and starts writing a will, thinking he'll die soon. Flips finds a teddy bear but is sad when Betina and Cookie are too busy to notice. Suddenly, their car is towed away! They realize Flips is still inside and chase after it. At a train station, Rayman disguises himself and asks Grub where the tow truck goes. Grub says it's headed to the Scrapyard by the 7 Train. Grub then recognizes Rayman, and a chase begins! They jump onto the 7 Train just in time. They see Flips on another train going to the scrapyard. Lac-Mac tries to reach her, but the train is too fast. At the Scrapyard, cars are being dumped into a giant monster. Rayman sees Grub's car outside. They hook Grub's car to theirs, pulling it into the scrapyard so he can't follow. Rayman climbs the conveyor belt and saves Flips just as Grub finds them. Lac-Mac drives a steamroller, chasing Grub. But Lac-Mac falls off a pier! Rayman uses his Helicopter Hair to keep them in the air, but they fall into a forest. They wake up in a cozy bedroom, but it's actually the first floor of Inspector Grub's house! |
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| 3 | "High Anxiety" | 3 January 2000 | |
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Cookie has a bad headache from their crash. They borrow Betina's taxi and take him to the doctor. Cookie is strapped to a chair and has funny experiments done on him. The doctor says Cookie is just imagining things and needs to go to a mental asylum. Cookie is taken to a cell with an old lady who has mood swings. In the waiting room, Rayman and the others plan how to get Cookie out. To their shock, Grub enters the building! They hide and follow him. They pretend to be Grub's family to find out where he went. They take a wrong turn and check all the cells for Cookie. Meanwhile, Grub visits his mother, who is the old lady in Cookie's cell! Rayman and friends arrive just as Grub recognizes Cookie. Thanks to Grub's mother, they escape the asylum after a long chase. Grub is caught by orderlies who mistake him for another patient and throw him into a cell. |
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| 4 | "Big Date" | 10 January 2000 | |
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Back at their flat above Grub's house, everyone is hungry. Rayman suggests the grocery store, but Cookie fears Grub is home. Lac-Mac suggests looking through the floorboards. Cookie invents a periscope to spy on Grub. Betina sees Grub with flowers and thinks he has a date. Rayman realizes if Grub has a girlfriend, he might stop chasing them. Grub cleans his house for his date. But when she arrives, he messes up, hitting her with an umbrella and burning dinner. Rayman feels bad for Grub and decides to help him, even though he's their enemy. Rayman sets off the fire alarm. While Grub is in the kitchen, Rayman, Betina, and Flips quickly clean the living room. Grub returns with his date. Rayman and friends sneak into the kitchen and see Grub's terrible cooking. With Cookie and Lac-Mac's help, they prepare a secret feast. But Lac-Mac drops the plates, making noise. Grub goes into the kitchen as Rayman and friends leave. Grub takes the feast to his date. But he ties the tablecloth to his neck! When he gets up for soda, he pulls the cloth, making a huge mess. Grub's date storms out. In a last effort, Rayman pretends to be a singing telegram. He delivers flowers and a "romantic message" from Grub, asking her to the movies. The date calls Grub, and he happily agrees to go. Rayman and his friends smile, knowing they helped Grub and might finally be safe. |
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Characters in the Show
The Good Guys
Rayman
Rayman is the main hero of the show. He has special powers and uses them to help his friends escape. Rayman doesn't have a neck, legs, or arms. His hands, body, and head float in the air! He's very smart and always comes up with plans to get away from Inspector Grub.
Betina
Betina looks like a human girl, but she might be a fairy. She's amazing at acrobatics and always lands perfectly. She acts like an older sister to Flips and takes good care of her. Betina is kind and caring, much like Rayman. She can also be a bit sassy sometimes, as seen in the "No Parking" episode.
Cookie
Cookie is a dog-like creature who worries a lot. He's often whiny and dramatic. He frequently doubts Rayman's ideas. But Cookie is also a great handyman! He fixed their car and even made a special spy tool to watch Grub. He's also a good cook. Even though he seems grumpy, he does care about his friends.
Flips
Flips is a tiny fairy girl. She can't talk, but she makes squeaking sounds that her friends understand. Flips almost always flies instead of walking. She always tries to help out. She stays close to Betina, even sleeping in the same cage at the circus. Flips could have flown away easily, but she refused to leave Betina behind. She believes they need each other.
Lac-Mac
Lac-Mac is a rabbit-like creature who is a bit silly and sometimes confused. He can juggle and bend strong metal bars! Cookie sometimes takes advantage of Lac-Mac because he's so clueless. Lac-Mac is a bit shy and innocent, but he means well. Sometimes, his attempts to help can cause funny problems. He might even have a small crush on Betina, but it's only hinted at.
The Bad Guys
Rigatoni
Rigatoni is the mean owner of the flying circus. He's the main villain of the show. He's the reason Rayman and his friends are on the run. Rigatoni is obsessed with catching Rayman, but he always gets Rayman's name wrong, calling him "Linguini" or "Ravioli." He has a Brooklyn accent.
Admiral Razorbeard
Admiral Razorbeard is a robot pirate who works for Rigatoni. He first appeared as a villain in the Rayman 2: The Great Escape video game. His job is to make sure the "freaks" stay in their cages and behave.
Inspector Grub
Inspector Grub is a policeman and detective hired by Rigatoni to catch Rayman and his friends. He lives alone in a treehouse in Aeropolis forest. Rayman and his gang accidentally fall into his house and have to hide from him. Grub is the only villain who appears in most episodes after the first one. In the final episode, Rayman and his friends even help him get a date!
Who Are the Voices?
| Character | French Voice Actor | English Voice Actor |
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| Rayman | Emmanuel Garijo | Billy West |
| Betina | Patricia Legrand |
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| Lac-Mac | Patrice Baudrier | Danny Mann |
| Cookie | Emmanuel Fouquet | Carlos Alazraqui |
| Rigatoni | Olivier Hémon | Danny Mann |
| Admiral Razorbeard | Philippe Bozo | Carlos Alazraqui |
| Inspector Grub | Michel Elias | Billy West |
| Additional voices |
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How the Show Was Made
The show's producer, François Pétavy, said they planned to make 26 episodes, each 15 minutes long. However, after only four episodes were finished, the show was cancelled. This happened even though the government of Quebec, Canada, was helping to pay for it.
The second episode, "No Parking," was actually the first one shown to people. It was shown at a film festival in 1999. The series only aired in a few countries in Europe, like France, Germany, and the Netherlands. A fifth episode, called "My Fair Lac-Mac," was almost done when the show was stopped. Fans often wonder what would have happened in that episode!
Where to Watch It (Home Media)
It's hard to find now, but Rayman: The Animated Series was released on VHS tapes and DVDs. An English version on VHS was sold in North America. A French version was available in France and Belgium.
A DVD was also released, but only in France. Even though the cover text is in French, the DVD includes the English and German versions, along with the original French one. In Germany, it was even part of a special CD-ROM edition of the first Rayman game.
See also
In Spanish: Rayman: The Animated Series para niños
