ZingZillas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ZingZillas |
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| Developed by | CBeebies in association with BBC Studios |
| Written by | Simon Davies |
| Music by | Banks & Wag |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | David Collier Dominic Macdonald Tony Reed |
| Running time | 22 minutes (series 1 & 2), 11 minutes (series 3 & 4) |
| Distributor | BBC Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies |
| Picture format | PAL 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 5 April 2010 – 11 June 2012 |
ZingZillas is a fun British television show that was made for young children and shown on the BBC channel CBeebies. It's all about music and adventure on a special island!
Contents
Discover the ZingZillas Island
ZingZillas is a musical show set on a tropical island shaped like a monkey. On this island, everyone works together to create amazing music. The show features many different kinds of music from around the world, like rock, soul, jazz, samba, big band sounds, and even orchestra music.
Sometimes, a yellow submarine can be seen in the sea near the island. In a shorter version of the show called Zingzillas Zingbop, children inside the submarine visit the island to join in the singing and dancing.
Meet the Main Characters
The main characters in ZingZillas are four friendly primates:
- Zak is the lead singer. He's a gorilla with purple fur who is confident and loves taking risks.
- Tang is an orangutan who plays guitars (both acoustic and electric) and sings backing vocals. He's a creative thinker and isn't afraid to ask for help.
- Panzee is a chimpanzee who plays bass, keyboards, and backing vocals. She loves to dress up and is always ready to try new things.
- Drum is the youngest of the group. She looks like a golden lion tamarin and plays drums and other percussion instruments. Drum loves exploring sounds and making rhythms.
These four friends are guided by their music expert, DJ Loose. They work hard to create their own special "ZingZilla sound" for their daily performance, which is called 'The Big Zing'. A special coconut clock counts down the time to 'The Big Zing', dividing each show into four parts.
Musical Guests and Inspiration
In every episode, the ZingZillas get a visit from a different musical guest. They usually find these guests in a special jungle area called the 'glade'. The ZingZillas learn from these guests and use their musical styles and sounds to make 'The Big Zing' even better.
The original music for the show was created by Banks & Wag. Some of their songs, like "Do You Didgeridoo?" and "Bhangra Beat", even reached number one on the iTunes Children's Chart! They also released an album called "ZingZillas: The Album" which featured famous musicians who appeared on the show, such as cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and flautist James Galway.
In 2011, a shorter five-minute show called "Zingzillas Zingbop" started. In this show, DJ Loose teaches a group of children (called Zingboppers) how to dance to a ZingZillas song on the island.
Other Island Friends
Besides the main band, there are other fun characters on ZingZilla Island:
- Todd is a helpful and lovable mandrill. He's like a father figure to the group, though he can be a bit clumsy sometimes!
- Auntie Dot is Todd's relative.
- DJ Loose is the island's sloth DJ. He plays the music made by the guest performers in the glade.
- The Beach Byrds (Maxine, Patti, and Laverne) are tropical birds who work at the coconut hut. They always sing what they say!
- The Moaning Stones are like the famous stone heads on Easter Island. Only two of them, Granite and Gravel, can talk. They jet into the sky at the end of each episode to signal the start of 'The Big Zing'.
ZingZillas Episodes
The ZingZillas show had four series, each with many exciting episodes featuring different musical styles and guest performers.
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 26 | 5 April 2010 | 2 July 2010 | |
| 2 | 26 | 18 October 2010 | 14 December 2010 | |
| 3 | 26 | 21 November 2011 | 6 February 2012 | |
| 4 | 26 | 23 April 2012 | 11 June 2012 | |
Each episode features the ZingZillas learning about a new musical instrument or style from a guest performer. They then use this new knowledge to create their daily 'Big Zing' performance. Some of the many musical guests included:
- Dhinawan playing the didgeridoo
- Jim Hart playing the vibraphone
- Rock band The BMQ
- Piper Martin McKay playing bagpipes
- Jazz vocalist Cleo Laine
- Opera singer Sarah Connolly with the BBC Concert Orchestra
- Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
- Bhangra group Jugnu Bhangra
- Bluegrass band Kickin' Alice
- Harpist Catrin Finch
- Saxophonist James Knight
- Boogie woogie pianist Elio Pace
- Japanese Taiko drummers Hiten Ryu Daiko
- Flamenco performers Angus Cruickshank and Verena Menichellui
- Trumpeter Jay Phelps
- Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie playing tubular bells and waterphone
- Traditional jazz band Silk Street Hot Seven
- Theremin player Lydia Kavina
- Vocal group The Swingle Singers
- Andean pipers Kausary
- Cajun band Petit et la Gross
- Hawaiian group Polynesian Beats
- Bass guitarist Stuart Zender
- Celeste player Roderick Elms
- Pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole
- Keyboard player Matt Gooderson
- Trombonist Chris Lowe
- Guzheng player Zhou Jinyan
- Sitar player Jonathan Mayer
- Violinist Nicola Benedetti
- Singing bowl player Frank Perry
- Bassoonist Karen Geoghegan
- Slide guitarist Michael Messer
- Hornpipers Robert Harbron, Miranda Rutter & Laurel Swift
- Steelpan band Ebony Steelband Trust
- Percussionist Colin Currie playing timpani and thunder sheet
- Manchester Disco Crew
- Mandolin player Simon Mayor
- Street dance group Dance Off Crew
- French horn player Andrew Budden
- Drummer Cherisse Osei
- Beatboxer Bellatrix
- Kora player Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh
- Rock 'n' roll dance group Feets of Amazement
- Hertfordshire Showband
- Banjolele player Peter Moss
- Chinese bamboo flute player Guo Yue
- BBC Big Band and Manchester Rhythm Tap
- Glockenspiel player Simone Rebello
- Recorder group Fontanella
- One-man band Chucklefoot
- Bauler Ganer Dol
- Tango dancers Tango Siempre, Alex & Giraldo
- Oboe player Jenny Galloway
- Brazilian Samba band Rhythms of the City
- Electric guitarists Justin and Dan Hawkins
- Urban Strawberry Lunch (playing instruments made from recycled car parts)
- Yodeller Melanie Oesch
- Brass band The Grimethorpe Colliery Band
- Mariachi band Mariachi El Mexicano
- String quartet Bond
- Harmonium player Mukul Acharya
- Morris dancing group Boggart's Breakfast
- Synthesiser player Kojo
- Marimba player Paul Patrick
- Irish musicians Sharon Shannon, Jim Murray, Dezi Donnelly, Michael McGoldrick & The North West Celtic Dance Ladies
- Line dancing team Nuline Dance Cumbria
- Double bass player Michele Montolli
- Robotic dancer Rie Fujii
- Mbira player George Panda
- Skiffle band Mahatma Skiffle Orchestra
- Bazouki player Valentino and The Grecian Dancers
- Oud player Hassan Erraji
- Trumpet player Simon Finch
DVD Releases
You can find some of the ZingZillas episodes on DVD!
| Release name | UK release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome to the Island | Monday 4 October 2010 | Even though the show was filmed in high definition, there was no Blu-ray version released. |
| World Music Tour | Monday 15 November 2010 | Even though the show was filmed in high definition, there was no Blu-ray version released. |
Welcome to the Island
This DVD includes five episodes:
- Didgeridoo Hullabaloo (Series 1, Episode 1)
- Operatic Todd (Series 1, Episode 6)
- Rock Guitar (Series 1, Episode 3)
- Auntie Dot’s Dash (Series 1, Episode 4)
- A Great Place to Live (Series 1, Episode 11)
It also has extra features like a musical instrument game and character profiles.
World Music Tour
This DVD features five episodes:
- Bhangra Beats (Series 1, Episode 8)
- Welcome Beach Byrds (Series 1, Episode 14)
- Keep Your Castanets (Series 1, Episode 17)
- Disappearing Drum (Series 1, Episode 16)
- Bam-Boo! (Series 2, Episode 3)
This DVD also includes an interactive game.
Images for kids
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The ZingZillas Logo
- ZingZillas at BBC Programmes
