Amazing Animals (sometimes marketed as Henry's Amazing Animals for home video) is an educational children's animated TV show series nature program produced by Dorling Kindersley Vision and Partridge Films in association with the Disney Channel. It was originally broadcast on the service in 1996. It also aired on Family Channel in Canada. It is also available on VHS.
The show centers on the interactions of Henry the Lizard, a green CGI anthropomorphic lizard with purple spots, and an unseen narrator. Each episode centers on a theme relating to the episode's subject matter, such as Henry traveling through prehistory in a time machine in an episode about prehistoric animals. Henry is usually faced with some kind of predicament or work, always relating to the episode's theme, which he resolves by the end of the episode, often learning a lesson of some sort in the process.
Plot Each episode is made up of sections in which Henry is featured, video sequences of animals narrated by the off-screen narrator with replies by Henry, and cartoons featuring recurring unnamed cartoon animals. There are also two recurring segments: "Henry's Report" and "The Golden Gecko Awards". Early episodes depicted Henry's Report as a school report, though later episodes changed it to a news report. In either case, the report is comical and almost always wildly inaccurate. The correct information is given by The Narrator after the report.
In Henry's Amazing Golden Gecko Awards, Henry picks three animals relating to the subject of the episode and presents them with awards. Unlike the report, the Golden Gecko Awards are typically more genuine. Henry does most of the narration and often gets annoyed at the Narrator for interrupting him. Henry's Report occurred in every episode; the only episode that did not have the Golden Gecko Awards was "Underground Animals", probably because of timing issues.
Cast and major characters Henry (voiced by Eric Meyers) is the show's main protagonist. He is a small green lizard with purple spots and yellow eyes. Henry is portrayed as being enthusiastic, albeit foolish and immature. He is generally depicted as ignorant of the episode's subject matter and typically fails in the endeavours he attempts to undertake. Sometimes, he can prove himself to be quite smart; he is also an inventor. He often identifies lizards seen in the video sequences as his cousins (example Monty the Monitor Lizard). His favorite food is pizza. The Narrator (voiced by Tom Clarke-Hill in the US version and Nigel Greaves in the UK version) is Henry's co-star, but he is never seen and almost never named. He is depicted as being wise and knowledgeable. In addition to teaching Henry about animals and correcting his special reports, the Narrator acts as a comedic foil to Henry: the show's "straight man", who cuts Henry down for his immaturity and lack of knowledge with some combination of a mature seriousness and a dry sarcasm. Crab Tuesday: Henry met Crab Tuesday (vocal effects provided by Fred Newman) during a visit to the seashore, and the crab has been Henry's best friend and assistant ever since. Henry names him Tuesday after Robinson Crusoe's "man Friday". Henry can often tell what Tuesday is saying, although he has no voice at all and communicates by snapping his claws. However, in Amazing Animal Hunters, he is heard mumbling "I don't know" to Henry.
Episodes
Season 1 (1996) +Episode NumberTitleTitle card animalDate first airedPlotlineGolden Gecko Award Winners & Henry's Special Report1Tropical BirdsScarlet macaw16 April 1996Henry lands in a tropical rainforest and learns about tropical birds – including, but not limited to, parrots. 1st Place: Hornbill 2nd Place: Toco Toucan 3rd Place: Jackson's Widowbird Tropical Bird Eggs2Animal DisguisesChameleon23 April 1996Henry learns about camouflaged animals after looking for his own disguise. 1st Place: Chameleon 2nd Place: Poo Bug 3rd Place: Potoo Bird Decorator Crab3Nighttime AnimalsSpringhare30 April 1996After a long day with cousin Rex, Henry can't get to sleep, and learns about animals which stay up during the night. 1st Place: Greater Bushbaby 2nd Place: Kinkajou 3rd Place: Tarsier Wisdom of the Owls4Animal AppetitesKing penguin7 May 1996Henry opens a café for animals, but learns that different animals eat different things. 1st Place: Sea Otter 2nd Place: Goat 3rd Place: Koala Eating Habitats of Snakes5Animal SurvivorsWolf14 May 1996After avoiding the dangerous animals on the desert island he is on, Henry learns about strategies that help animals to survive. 1st Place: Cicada 2nd Place: Shovel-snouted Lizard 3rd Place: Chinchilla why animals hibernate6Animal SensesSiamese cat21 May 1996After knocking over some sense blocks, Henry learns about how animals explore the world around them using their senses. 1st Place: Bat-eared fox 2nd Place: Green Tree Python 3rd Place: Elephant Nose Fish Electric eel7Animal WeaponsGoat28 May 1996Guarding his toy castle from an attack, Henry learns about animals that can fight other animals using body weapons. 1st Place: Japanese fighting fish 2nd Place: Jackson's Chameleon 3rd Place: Ibex Tasmanian Devil8Animal BuildersBeaver4 June 1996Henry is building a house, to learn that he is not the only animal that builds a home. 1st Place: Woodpecker 2nd Place: Jawfish 3rd Place: Mexican burrowing toad Bower Bird9Armored AnimalsTortoise11 June 1996Henry learns that there are different animals with protective armor. 1st Place: Elephant 2nd Place: Millipede 3rd Place: Tortoise Hermit Crab10Mini BeastsTarantula18 June 1996Henry learns that there are many very small animals that inhabit the wild. 1st Place: Common garden spider 2nd Place: Giant land snail 3rd Place: Praying mantis Bees11Animal BabiesKitten, Puppy, Duckling25 June 1996An egg belonging to Henry's cousin hatches in its pram, and Henry has to babysit it. He gets advice from how animals babysit their young. 1st Place: African hunting dog 2nd Place: Right whale 3rd Place: Giraffe Seahorse12Poisonous AnimalsGila monster2 July 1996Thinking of eating the contents of a nearby cauldron, the narrator warns Henry that the contents may be poisonous, and he shouldn't eat them. He also learns about animals which can be poisonous to protect themselves. 1st Place: Black widow spider 2nd Place: Scorpion 3rd Place: Gila monster Rattlesnake13Animal JourneysCamel9 July 1996Globetrotting (literally walking across the surface of a globe), Henry learns that animals also move long distances too. 1st Place: Wildebeest 2nd Place: Camel 3rd Place: Flying gecko Mud skippers
Season 2 (1997) +Episode NumberTitleTitle card animalDate first airedPlotlineGolden Gecko Award Winners & Henry's Special Report14Birds of PreyBlack vulture15 April 1997 1st Place: Lammergeier 2nd Place: King vulture 3rd Place: Andean condor Secretary Bird15Desert AnimalsDromedary camel22 April 1997 1st Place: Scorpion 2nd Place: Crested porcupine 3rd Place: Camel Same as 3rd Place Winner16Scary AnimalsTarantula29 April 1997 1st Place: Army ant 2nd Place: Tarantula 3rd Place: Vampire bat How Scary Sharks are17Animal RecordsTortoise, rabbit6 May 1997 1st Place: Cheetah 2nd Place: Raccoon 3rd Place: Leopard The Sloth18Animal ColorsGolden pheasant13 May 1997 1st Place: Hummingbird 2nd Place: Chameleon 3rd Place: Frigatebird Albino Animals19Animal MothersLioness20 May 1997Henry learns to appreciate his mother. 1st Place: Pipa toad 2nd Place: Fruit bat 3rd Place: Puffin What Being an animal mother is all about20Animal PetsPuli27 May 1997 1st Place: Great Dane 2nd Place: Cat 3rd Place: Golden hamster why hamsters are so popular21Seashore AnimalsPelican3 June 1997 1st Place: Pelican 2nd Place: Fiddler crab 3rd Place: Sea turtle Seagulls22Animal FamiliesDucks10 June 1997 1st Place: Elephant 2nd Place: Ibex 3rd Place: Discus fish Prairie Dog23Endangered AnimalsBengal tiger17 June 1997 1st Place: Giant panda 2nd Place: Tiger 3rd Place: Howler monkey What happened to the passenger Pigeon24An Animal YearRed squirrel24 June 1997 1st Place: Monsoon 2nd Place: Winter 3rd Place: Spring how animals tell the time25Prehistoric AnimalsCrocodile7 July 1997 1st Place: Crocodile 2nd Place: Shark 3rd Place: Dragonfly What happened to the dinosaurs26Monkeys and ApesMandrill8 June 1997 1st Place: Chimpanzee 2nd Place: Lar gibbon 3rd Place: Ring-tailed lemur Gibbons
Season 3 (1998) +Episode NumberTitleTitle card animalDate first airedPlotlineGolden Gecko Award Winners & Henry's Special Report27Animal HuntersGolden eagle14 April 1998 1st Place: Archerfish 2nd Place: Serval 3rd Place: Venus flytrap Spiders28Animal TalkDog21 April 1998 1st Place: Ring-tailed lemur 2nd Place: Zebra 3rd Place: Bushbaby Honey Bees29Slimy AnimalsApple snail28 April 1998 1st Place: Poison arrow frog 2nd Place: Wallaby 3rd Place: Salamander Cave Swiftlets30Rainforest AnimalsScarlet macaw5 May 1998 1st Place: Hoatzin 2nd Place: Tree porcupine 3rd Place: Jaguar Rain in the Andie Mountain31Animal AcrobatsChimpanzee, Sea lion, Wallaby12 May 1998 1st Place: Sifaka 2nd Place: Chameleon 3rd Place: Dung beetle Penguins32Underwater AnimalsFish19 May 1998 1st Place: Squid 2nd Place: Water scorpion 3rd Place: Shark Sea Turtle33Animal NeighborsRabbit26 May 1998 1st Place: Peregrine falcon 2nd Place: Hyrax 3rd Place: Garibaldi neighborhood swimming pool34Giant AnimalsGreat Dane2 June 1998 1st Place: Whale 2nd Place: Komodo dragon 3rd Place: Giraffe Giant Features35Creepy Crawly AnimalsGrasshopper9 June 1998 1st Place: Beetle 2nd Place: Fishing spider 3rd Place: Springtail Insects36Farm AnimalsCow, Sheep16 June 1998 1st Place: Cow 2nd Place: Spectacled bear 3rd Place: Silkworm Ostrich37Animal ChangesLion cub, Lioness23 June 1998 1st Place: Galápagos finch 2nd Place: Peppered moth 3rd Place: Ptarmigan Ant imitate caterpillar into butterfly38Extinct AnimalsFootprints30 June 1998 1st Place: Tarpan 2nd Place: St. Stephens wren 3rd Place: Tasmanian emu Pigmy Elephant the rock39Animal EggsEgg7 July 1998 1st Place: Crested oropendola 2nd Place: Crocodile 3rd Place: Lapwing Ostrich Egg
Season 4 (1999) +Episode NumberTitleTitle card animalDate first airedPlotlineGolden Gecko Award Winners & Henry's Special Report40Animals Around the WorldRed kangaroo, Monarch butterfly, Chimpanzee, Fish13 April 1999Insects The Party41Polar AnimalsSiberian Husky20 April 1999 1st Place: Arctic tern 2nd Place: Polar bear 3rd Place: Lemming The Arctic Icecap42Clever AnimalsAmerican crow27 April 1999 1st Place: Raven 2nd Place: River dolphin 3rd Place: Chimpanzee Whale Song43Underground AnimalsRabbit4 May 1999 Note: The only episode to not feature the Golden Gecko Awards Earthworms.44Animal HelpersCollie11 May 1999 1st Place: Reindeer 2nd Place: Golden Retriever 3rd Place: Ox Bat Droppings45Woodland AnimalsSquirrel18 May 1999 1st Place: Tree squirrel 2nd Place: Fisher 3rd Place: Rhyssa wasp The Sounds of the Forest46Mountain AnimalsSt. Bernard25 May 1999 1st Place: Mountain gorilla 2nd Place: Mountain goat 3rd Place: Andean condor Yak47Backyard AnimalsMockingbird1 June 1999 1st Place: Pidgeon 2nd Place: Baboon 3rd Place: Black kite The Storks48Tiny AnimalsMice8 June 1999 1st Place: Spider 2nd Place: Mouse 3rd Place: Threadsnake The Food Chain49Animal PartnersMule15 June 1999 1st Place: Honey badger and Goshawk 2nd Place: Albatross 3rd Place: Red kangaroo Animal Bloodsuckers50Scaly AnimalsCrocodile, Fish22 June 1999Note: The only episode where Henry reads the title and the Narrator does the report. 1st Place: Crocodile 2nd Place: Chameleon 3rd Place: Scale-biter cichlid Lizards51River AnimalsBeaver, Neon tetra29 June 1999 1st Place: Giant otter 2nd Place: Salmon 3rd Place: Hippopotamus Mice Fishing52Animal FlightLadybug6 July 1999 1st Place: Hummingbird 2nd Place: Canada goose 3rd Place: Murre Flying Mammals
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