Sheep in the Big City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheep in the Big City
Genre	Comedy
Created by	Mo Willems
Written by	Mo Willems David Wain Joey Mazzarino
Directed by	Mo Willems (supervising director) Karen Villarreal Maurice Joyce Sue Perrotto Tom Warburton
Voices of	Kevin Seal James Godwin Ken Schatz Stephanie D'Abruzzo Mo Willems Christine Walters Ruth Buzzi Bradley Glenn Fran Brill Joey Mazzarino Jerry Nelson
Narrated by	Ken Schatz
Theme music composer	Julian Harris
Composer(s)	Julian Harris
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	26 (and 1 pilot) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mo Willems Steve Oakes Susan Holden David Starr Richard Winkler (for Curious Pictures) Linda Simensky Jay Bastian Khaki Jones (for Cartoon Network)
Producer(s)	Kris Greengrove (season 1) Bruce Knapp (season 2)
Editor(s)	Dave Courter
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Hanna-Barbera (2000–01) Cartoon Network Studios (2001–02) Curious Pictures
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	Cartoon Network
Original release	November 17, 2000 (2000-11-17) – April 7, 2002 (2002-04-07)
Chronology
Related shows	The Off-Beats

Sheep in the Big City is a fun animated TV show created by Mo Willems for Cartoon Network. It was the 9th show in Cartoon Network's "Cartoon Cartoons" series. The first episode, called a "pilot," aired on August 18, 2000. The show officially started on November 17, 2000.

Before this show, Mo Willems also made The Off-Beats for Nickelodeon. Sheep in the Big City is about a sheep named Sheep. He runs away from a farm and starts a new life in a busy place called "the Big City." But he has to be careful! A secret military group is always trying to catch him.

The show also has short, funny parts that are not always connected to the main story. This is similar to old shows like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends. The humor in Sheep in the Big City is very clever. It often uses words in a literal way, which means taking phrases exactly as they sound. It also makes jokes about how TV shows are made. When it first aired, Sheep in the Big City was the most-watched new show on Cartoon Network.

The animation for the series was done by a studio in Korea called Rough Draft Korea. This show was also the first Cartoon Network original series made by Curious Pictures. This studio later made Codename: Kids Next Door in 2002.

What Is Sheep in the Big City About?

Sheep lives a happy life on a farm with his friends. But there's a problem! A secret military group, led by General Specific, really wants Sheep. They need him for their special "Sheep-Powered Ray Gun." This ray gun even has a sheep-shaped hole!

General Specific will do anything to get Sheep. To protect his farm friends, Sheep has to leave and go to the Big City. Now, Sheep is always on the run from General Specific. The General has helpers like Private Public, the Angry Scientist, and other military people. There's also a special machine called the Plot Device that helps them.

Besides running from the military, Sheep also has to get used to city life. He tries to win the heart of a poodle named Swanky. But he also has to avoid other strange characters. These include Lisa Rental and Swanky's owner, Lady Richington. Lady Richington hates sheep and carries a strong, shiny wig she uses to hit them!

Meet the Characters

The show has many funny and unique characters.

Main Characters

• Sheep (voiced by Kevin Seal) is the main hero of the show. He is an animal that acts like a human sheep. His owner, Farmer John, named him Sheep because he was a brave little sheep. Sheep has a tough life! He's chased by the military and tries to see Swanky the Poodle. He also has to avoid getting hit by Lady Richington's wig. Even with all that, he finds time to be in commercials, travel through time, and work at a cool club. He even helps people fall asleep by jumping over fences! Sheep only makes "bleating" sounds and does not speak human words. He's a normal sheep, so he sometimes can't help but eat grass, even when he's being chased!

• General Specific (voiced by Kevin Seal) is the main bad guy. He is the determined leader of the Secret Military Organization. General Specific tries his best to catch Sheep for his Sheep-Powered Ray Gun. He never gives up, even when he fails many times. Specific always speaks with his teeth clenched. In one episode, he says he has a metal plate in his head. He also likes to drop his helpers into "The Pit," which is a trapdoor that appears out of nowhere! His name, "General Specific," is a funny oxymoron because "general" means broad, and "specific" means exact.

• Farmer John (voiced by James Edmund Godwin) is Sheep's first owner. He also wants Sheep back, but in a much calmer way than General Specific. In one episode, we learn that "Far" and "Mer" are actually his first and middle names, not just his job! Farmer John often talks in a very boring, fake-psychology way. This makes other characters stop listening to him. He sometimes calls Sheep "Sheepie."

• Ben Plotz (voiced by Ken Schatz) is the show's narrator. He often complains about the show's writing. But overall, he likes the actors. Sometimes, he even changes the story if he doesn't like how it ends! Other times, he has to change things because Irv, the accountant, wants to save money.

• Private Public (voiced by James Edmund Godwin) is General Specific's main helper. He is always right behind the General. Even though he is much smarter, he prefers to follow orders instead of giving them. His name is also an oxymoron, like General Specific's.

• The Angry Scientist (voiced by Mo Willems) is the smart one behind the military group. He often gets upset when people call him "Mad Scientist" instead of "Angry Scientist." He has trouble with English, saying things like, "Why are you not my Englishness be understanding?" He invented the Sheep-Powered Ray Gun and a Time-Travel Bicycle. He once opened a center to teach people how to get angrier!

• The Plot Device (voiced by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) is a machine that helps General Specific come up with plans. For example, it suggested disguising a sleep potion as water soup. Her name is a joke because her job in the stories is to be a plot device, which is something that moves the story forward.

• Lady Virginia Richington (voiced by Ruth Buzzi in the pilot and Stephanie D'Abruzzo in the series) owns Swanky the Poodle. She is very rich and owns most of the city. She always wears fancy jewelry and clothes. Lady Richington looks harmless, but she really hates sheep! She will hit them with her stainless steel wig if they get too close.

• Lisa Rental (voiced by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) is a mean little girl. She thinks Sheep is a "cutesy wootsey dog" and desperately wants him as a pet. She calls Sheep "Doggy Woggy Smoggy Foggy Loggy Toggy Doggy." Her name is a play on the words "lease a rental."

Other Notable Characters

• X Agent is a black sheep hired by General Specific. He becomes good friends with Sheep. He feels bad for betraying Sheep and then turns against General Specific. He becomes a Batman-like superhero! Like Sheep, X Agent only bleats.

• Oxymoron is an ox who appears in funny commercials for the "Oxymoron" company. His name is a joke about the word oxymoron, which is a phrase with words that mean the opposite, like "planned coincidence."

• Victor (voiced by Ken Schatz) is a loud salesman in the Oxymoron commercials. He sells products that are usually bad or cause pain.

• Jay (voiced by Ken Schatz) is a man who loves to read signs out loud. When a character turns to him, he lifts his glasses and says, "I like to read" or "Reading is funducational."

• Swanky the Poodle (voiced by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) is a poodle and Sheep's girlfriend. She is owned by Lady Richington.

• Great Scott (voiced by Ken Schatz) is a Scotsman who appears and says "EEE-Yeeeeeeeeesssss?" whenever someone says the phrase "Great Scott!"

• News Announcers are a duo: Hank (voiced by Ken Schatz) is a nervous, angry man, and Betsy (voiced by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) is a ditzy blonde woman. They always say unrelated things are "related stories."

• Irv, the Studio Accountant (voiced by Joey Mazzarino) tries to save money for the show. He makes the narrator do sound effects himself!

• The Sombrero Brothers are two untalented performers in Mexican clothes. Their act, "Flying Sombrero Brothers," involves flying on a plane.

• The Ranting Swede (voiced by Kevin Seal) is a Swedish man who complains about many things at the end of almost every episode.

• The Ranting Norwegian (voiced by Kevin Seal) replaces the Ranting Swede in one episode. He talks softly about his new car and appreciates things instead of complaining.

• General Public (voiced by Jerry Nelson) is Private Public's father.

Show Style and Humor

Sheep in the Big City has a very unique and funny style.

How Episodes Begin

Each episode usually starts with a clip that seems unrelated. It turns out Sheep is just watching TV! Sheep then presses a button on his remote to change the channel, and the show's theme song begins.

Episode Structure

Every episode is split into three parts, called "chapters." The narrator often jokes that each chapter title is "some pun on the word 'sheep' or something." For example, in one episode, a chapter was actually named "Some Pun on the Word 'Sheep'!"

Between the chapters, there are fake commercials and short skits, like those with the Sombrero Brothers. The fake commercials often feature products from "Oxymoron" with Victor as the spokesperson. These products are usually bad quality or cause pain!

Breaking the Fourth Wall

One of the most special things about the show is how often it "breaks the fourth wall." This means characters know they are in a TV show! They often talk about the show's script, how it's made, or even its main idea. For example, in one episode, General Specific finally catches Sheep. But the Angry Scientist says he didn't have the Ray Gun ready. He thought they would never catch Sheep because it would go against "the set-up of the show"!

The Narrator is also a very important character. He often talks to the characters through his voice-over. Sometimes, characters even show up in his studio! He also criticizes TV shows in general and the script itself. If the script doesn't make sense, he sometimes makes up his own lines. He also tells the audience to "just go with it" if things get too silly.

Literal Humor

The show also uses a lot of "literal humor." This means that common phrases or expressions are taken exactly as they sound. For example, if someone says "Hold the phone!" the show might cut to a picture of someone literally holding a phone. A running joke in the show is that whenever a character exclaims "Great Scott!" a Scotsman appears out of nowhere and says, "Yes?"

Episodes List

Pilot (2000)

Season 1 (2000–01)

Season 2 (2001–02)

Other Appearances

Sheep also made a quick appearance in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes special episode "Crossover Nexus." He was one of many Cartoon Network heroes who were called to fight and were defeated by a character named Strike.

Images for kids

• Hold the phone.png

  A common running gag in Season 1: when "hold the phone" was said, this image would appear.

See also

In Spanish: Sheep in the big city para niños