The Why Why Family (, also known as Saban's The Why Why Family) is an animated children's television series, which originally aired from late 1996 to 1997. It was produced by Saban International Paris and Saban Entertainment. The show was broadcast internationally on Fox Kids (starting with Fox Kids Netherlands and Fox Kids UK feeds later expanded airs on other feeds), while in the United States it was syndicated as part of the company's "The Saban Network for Kids!" strand. Character designs and comedy elements emulate vintage cartoons.
Synopsis Every episode begins with Victor (off-screen) summarizing what his family members will teach him in the episode. Each episode is divided into 5 segments. In each segment, Victor asks a family member a popular scientific question, following an extensive answer by said family member/s with a particular expertise in the field of science involved in the question. Each of these segments has its short intro and The End sketches for the specific characters. Each sketch is titled <(character name/s) in (topic)>. Before the end credits in each episode, Max asks Victor "Well Victor, what did you learn today?" to which he begins with "Tons of neat stuff", summarizing again what his family members taught him. Max answers, "Sounds like a real big day." and Victor concludes, "It was, but I still have plenty of questions left for next time."
Characters Victor A baby and the main protagonist of the series. All times he has questions (though these are smarter ones) to explain his family members like any other kid. He has blonde hair, and usually only wears a light blue diaper. Max — Technology and electronics The intelligent father of Victor and a stereotypical mechanic/handyman. He is Vanilla's husband, Eartha and Matik's son and Micro and Scopo's brother. He seems to be the closest to Victor compared to the others. Resembles his mother Eartha and is rarely seen without his cap. Vanilla and birds Kwik and Kwak — Botany and zoology Vanilla is Max's wife, Eartha and Matik's daughter-in-law, Micro and Scopo's sister-in-law, and Victor's mother who he resembles. Kwik and Kwak are running gags of their episodes and normally argue. Eartha (as her name suggests) and Basalt the dinosaur — Geography, geology and meteorology Matik's wife, Max, Micro and Scopo's mother, Vanilla's mother-in-law, and Victor's grandmother who also cooks for their family. Basalt is a green dinosaur with orange spots & can be greedy. He can transform into any mode of transport & time travel. Micro and Scopo — Biology of the human body Victor's uncles and Max's brothers who are running gags. Micro is stubby and wears a white cowboy hat (is sometimes seen without it), does most of the statements in their episodes. Scopo is the larger and dumber of the brothers, being the test subject yet expresses his own knowledge at times. They both have what look like masks and 'dog ears' like their father, Matik. Matik and dog Zygo — Astronomy and the Universe Victor's grandfather, Max, Micro and Scopo's father, and Eartha's husband who has 'dog ears' and is rarely seen without his pilot hat. Zygo sounds like Daffy Duck from Looney Tunes and has webbed limbs.
Episodes #TopicCharacter(s)Title1 Camera Max Photo Opportunity Illnesses Micro & Scopo Sick Leave Solar System Zygo & Matik O Solar Mio Volcanoes Earth & Basalt All You Need is Lava Zebras Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak A Horse of a Different Color2 Meteors Zygo & Matik Pleased to Meteor You Car engine Max Idle Chatter Bird wing Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Feather Knows Best Fossils Eartha & Basalt Shell Shock DNA Micro & Scopo I Resemble Mama3 Paresthesia Micro & Scopo Out on a Limb Flowers Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Petal Pushers Gravity Zygo & Matik He Ain't Heavy, He's an Astronaut Rain Eartha & Basalt Stormy Weather Barcodes Max Bars & Stripes Forever4 Sneeze Micro & Scopo Sneezed to Meet You Remote control Max Beam My Baby Plants Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Green and Bear It Thunder and lightning Eartha & Basalt Sound and the Why Whys Stars Zygo & Matik Star Treatment5 Spiders Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Web Sight Fax machine Max Just the Fax Sweat Micro & Scopo No Sweat Galaxy Zygo & Matik For Me and My Galaxy Currents Eartha & Basalt Current Event6 Brain Micro & Scopo Brain Waves Photocopier Max Copy Cats Bees Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak To Hive and Hive Not Ice Age Earth & Basalt A Tree Froze in Brooklyn Mars Zygo & Matik Mars Attracts7 Mammals Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Hair Today Aeroplanes Max Plane Speaking Solar eclipse Zygo & Matik Sun Blocked Tides Eartha & Basalt Fit to Be Tide Ear Micro & Scopo Hear and Now8 Sunlight Zygo & Matik Light Entertainment Telephone Max Dial-A-Why Why Smell and taste Micro & Scopo Common Scents Mountains Eartha & Basalt Uphill All the Way Coral reefs Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Hail to the Reef9 Lightning Eartha & Basalt A Bolt from the Blue Bird sounds Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Chirp Thrills CDs Max Pit Stop Space stations Zygo & Matik Station Break Eye Micro & Scopo Oh Say Can You See10 Wind Eartha & Basalt Breezy Does It Refrigerator Max The Chill of It All Gravity Zygo & Matik Down to Earth Balanced diet Micro & Scopo Surely You Ingest Cats Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak You've Gotta Be Kitten11 Mosquitoes Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak A Bite to Remember Sand Eartha & Basalt True Grit Stars Zygo & Matik Great Balls of Fire Elevators Max Ready Willing & Cable Reflexes Micro & Scopo A Touchy Subject12 Climates Eartha & Basalt Changing Climes Leaves Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Free Falling Television Max Turn On… Tune In Comets Zygo & Matik Dust to Us Digestion Micro & Scopo Eater's Digest13 Ocean's bottom Eartha & Basalt Bottom Feeders Snakes Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak No Skin Off My Back Light bulb Max Lights Out! Day and night Zygo & Matik Sunrise… Sunset Breathing Micro & Scopo Air Apparent14 Fog Eartha & Basalt Another Fine Mist Helicopter Max The Big Cover Up Bats Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Blind Leading the Blind Cavities Micro & Scopo Nothing but the Tooth Seasons Zygo & Matik Season's Greetings15 Coal and oil Eartha & Basalt No Fuel Like Old Fuel Submarine Max Way Down Under Cactus Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Cactus if You Can Scabs Micro & Scopo A Cut Above Satellites Zygo & Matik Global Swarming16 Kangaroos Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak It's in the Bag Microwave oven Max Nuking It Out! Fungi Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak A Fungus Among Us Heart Micro & Scopo To Bleed or Not to Bleed Moon Zygo & Matik Craters and Cream Cheese17 Snow Eartha & Basalt Snow Job Solar power Max Sunday Punch Marine life Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Victor and the Glow Fish Fever Micro & Scopo Heat Treatment Washing machine Max Wash You Were Here18 Frogs Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak One Giant Leap for Frogkind Glue Max Stick Around Nests Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Branching Out Dizziness Micro & Scopo Spin Doctors Space telescopes Zygo & Matik Scope It Out19 Evaporation Eartha & Basalt That Thing You Dew Batteries Max The Powers That Be Pollination Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Blowin' in the Wind Hair Micro & Scopo Hair-Raising Experience Black holes Zygo & Matik Hole in One20 Valleys Eartha & Basalt Ice Cycle Light Max The Light Show Earthquakes Eartha & Basalt Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On Tears Micro & Scopo For Cryin' Out Loud Venus and Mercury Zygo & Matik Hot! Hot! Hot!21 Ozone layer Eartha & Basalt There's No Zone Like Ozone Sleep Micro & Scopo Perchance to Dream Cows Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak That Was Then, This is Cow Projector Max Lights, Camera, Action! Speech Micro & Scopo O' See Can You Say?22 Deserts Eartha & Basalt How Dry I Am! Jupiter Zygo & Matik Big Butterflies Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Ch Ch Ch Changes Water purification Max Go with the Flow Asteroid belts Zygo & Matik It's a Material Whirl23 Rocks Eartha & Basalt Goldirocks Growing up Micro & Scopo Home Grown Roots Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak From the Ground… Up Water Eartha & Basalt Water Water Everywhere Space Travel Zygo & Matik One Giant Leap for Why Whys24 Rivers Eartha & Basalt It's All Downhill from Here Locks Max A Turn-Key Operation Habitat Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Sleeping In Headaches Micro & Scopo Your Loss is Migraine Planet rotation & revolution Zygo & Matik Moon Trek25 Storms Eartha & Basalt Sooo Cool Outer planets Zygo & Matik The Outer Planets Dams Max Hold That Thought! Brain Micro & Scopo Chuckleheads Astrological symbols Zygo & Matik What's Your Sign?26 Light Eartha & Basalt The Light Show Lenses Max Thru the Looking Glass Reptiles Vanilla, Kwik & Kwak Snakes Alive! Muscles Micro & Scopo Only the Strong Survive Asteroids Zygo & Matik It Came from Outer Space
Voice cast Sammy Lane Heidi Lenhart Mendi Segal Stanley Gurd Jr. as Max Derek Patrick as Matic Genghis Studebaker as Zygo Kevin Schon as Micro (uncredited) Julie Maddalena as Victor (uncredited)
Crew Jamie Simone – Voice Director Bruno Bianchi – Producer, Director
Release Broadcast The exact airdates of the 26 episodes are unknown; with some having a 1996 copyright date in the credits and others having a 1997 copyright date.The Why Why Family credits. In the United States, the series aired as part of a syndicated strand of Saban programmes called "The Saban Network for Kids!", later named "Saban Kids Network". The block included other, more action-oriented programmes such as Eagle Riders, Samurai Pizza Cats, season 1 of Dragon Ball Z and season 2 of Masked Rider. With the series airing on the block per the guidelines of the Federal Communications Commission, it marked Saban's first entry into the educational television market. The show was cancelled by Saban due to low ratings.
Ownership of the series passed to Disney in 2001 when Disney acquired Fox Kids Worldwide, which also includes Saban Entertainment. In the 2000s, it later ran as part of Disney's Jetix block.
Home media As with many other Saban Entertainment series, the only major English-language DVD release is by Czech distributor North Video, featuring both Czech and English audio and original video (with English-language text) in the original production order. All 26 episodes were released on 8 volumes, from September 2https://www.dvdinform.cz/8549-north-video-zvidava-rodinka-1/ to October 21, 2010.https://www.filmarena.cz/dvd-zvidava-rodinka-08
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