The Fairly OddParents is a popular animated series created by Butch Hartman and was first aired in March 30, 2001. It is produced by Frederator Studios, whose show Oh Yeah! Cartoons, showed the pilot episodes alongside many other first-run and one-time cartoons. It is shown in the United States on the children's television station Nickelodeon, and is also shown internationally. It is currently one of the most popular shows on Nickelodeon, second only to SpongeBob SquarePants. The show remains popular, but with a slowly shrinking level of popularity. The television series is distributed outside the United States by the Canadian animation company, Nelvana Enterprises, Inc.
The Fairly OddParents is set in the fictional town of Dimmsdale (of which there is a real-life Dimmsdale in Derbyshire, United Kingdom). Dimmsdale has no location, since time-travel episodes have shown Wild West Dimmsdale and Colonial (East Coast) Dimmsdale. The show follows the day-to-day life of 10-year-old Timmy Turner. An only child, Timmy was often preyed upon by such adversaries as his mean babysitter, Vicky (referred to at times as "Icky with a V"), or his maniacal teacher, Mr. Crocker. Just as his situation was particularly grim, he was granted a pair of fairy godparents, named Cosmo and Wanda, who had the power to grant his wishes and were charged with making Timmy happy. Unfortunately, Cosmo is a particularly dim fairy, and Wanda must devote her time to ensuring both Timmy's and Cosmo's safety; as such, although well meaning, their wishes often go awry. These Fairly OddParents (a pun on "fairy godparents"), mindful of their secretive existence, disguise themselves as various animals and objects in public, always with the same peculiar colors to identify the two: Cosmo is always a light green, and Wanda is always a light pink.
Each episode of the show consists of two cartoons, each approximately 11 minutes long.
Characters
Main Characters
| Timmy Turner
Timmy Turner (voiced by Tara Strong), is an elementary school student. With a few exceptions, he is always seen wearing a pink baseball cap and a pink shirt, which his parents bought because they wanted a girl. (In real life, pink was used because the cartoonist ran out of sources of blue, which he really wanted.) | |
| Cosmo and Wanda Cosma
Cosmo and Wanda (voiced by Daran Norris and Susan Blakeslee), are Timmy's fairy godparents. Cosmo is childish, emotional, and easily excited, while Wanda is generally more calm and mature. However, despite their differences, they are very much in love. Cosmo has a pet girl nickel called Phillip. | |
| Vicky
Vicky (voiced by Grey DeLisle) is a teenage girl who works as a babysitter. She enjoys annoying and being mean to the kids she babysits. For this reason, Timmy, who is one of the kids she babysits, doesn't like her. The only adults who know how mean she is are her parents, who she is equally mean to. She has a sister, Tootie, who she terrorizes as well. | |
| Mr. and Mrs. Turner
Mr. and Mrs. Turner (voiced by Daran Norris and Susan Blakeslee respectively); appear as Timmy's nameless, somewhat stereotypical, comically dimwitted suburban parents. However, Timmy's mother seems to be a lot more intelligent than her husband. Their first names are never given; however, in one time-travel episode it is revealed that "Dad" and "Mom", respectively, were their childhood nicknames. In the pilot episodes of the series (on Oh Yeah! Cartoons), their faces were always just out of shot. Timmy's dad's age was revealed to be 42 in an episode released in January 2005. | |
| Chester McBadbat
Chester (voiced by Frankie Muniz and subsequently Jason Marsden) is a friend of Timmy, a street-savvy schemer and opportunist. One of his most prominent features is his braces, which, despite his state of poverty, are quite technologically advanced, most likely because of A.J. His father is a failed baseball player and neighborhood outcast. | |
| A. J. Ibrahim
A. J. (voiced by Haneef Muhammad and subsequently Gary LeRoi Gray) is another friend of Timmy, a very intelligent autodidact. A.J. has an incredibly advanced laboratory; much like the titular character in Cartoon Network's Dexter's Laboratory, A.J. keeps his lab a secret. He is shown in several episodes to have scientific connections with the government. It is possible that A.J. designed modifications to Chester's braces, but this assumption is completely unofficial. | |
| Jorgen Von Strangle
Jorgen Von Strangle (voiced by Daran Norris), is a high-ranking Fairy official (possibly the head of Fairy World; if not, probably his muscle), the strongest fairy in the universe and commander in chief of all fairies. He is married to the tooth fairy and his best friends are Cosmo and Wanda, as seen in the episode titled Odd Couple. Also worth noting is that he is the only male adult human-sized fairy that is ever seen on the show. He seems to be an obvious parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger, in both thickly-accented voice and muscular physique. | |
| Denzel Q. Crocker
Denzel Q. Crocker (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui), is the somewhat estranged school teacher of the class Timmy is in. He is the only adult in town (and, in fact, the only person in town outside of Timmy) who believes in Fairy Godparents; as a child, he had fairy godparents of his own when he was a child, but thanks to a time-travelling Timmy they were taken away. His Godparents were Cosmo and Wanda. While his memory of his godparents was erased, he managed to scrawl "Fairy godparents exist" on the back of a fairy detector, before losing his memory. He is therefore strongly suspicious of the amazing things that happen to Timmy, and he was almost successful in discovering about Timmy's godparents (in which case, they'd have to go away for ever). His trademark is having manic wild takes while loudly uttering the phrase "Fairy Godparents!" | |
| Crimson Chin
The Crimson Chin (voiced by Jay Leno), is a superhero appearing in comics and televised entertainment enjoyed by Timmy Turner. He takes the responsibility of protecting the city of Chincinatti, taking the secret identity of Charles Hampton Indigo for the local newspaper, The Daily Blabbity. Timmy works as his sidekick, "Cleft, the Boy Chin Wonder". Other characters
| |
- The Anti-Fairies The opposites of all fairies. They cause bad luck and live in Anti-fairy world. Each one has the opposite personality of their fairy counterpart; for example, Anti-Cosmo is smart, Anti-Jorgen is wimpy, and Anti-Wanda is dumb and "eats with her feets," as she put it.
- Sanjay (Dee Bradley Baker), Timmy's Indian back-up friend.
- Elmer (Dee Bradley Baker), another back-up friend of Timmy's.
- Bob (Dee Bradley Baker), Elmer's oversized boil, which has plans to take over the world by controlling Elmer's thoughts.
- Principal Geraldine Waxelplax (Grey DeLisle), the principal of Timmy's school, and one-time love interest of Denzel Q. Crocker.
- Chet Ubetcha (Jim Ward), Dimmsdale's (vertically-challenged) News Anchorman. In one time-travelling episode it is revealed he is so short because of radiation from an early mobile phone.
- Chip Skylark (Chris Kirkpatrick), resident musical hearthrob, who is famous for his incredibly shiny teeth.
- Britney Britney (Tara Strong), resident pop diva. The name is either a tribute or parody to Britney Spears.
- Dr. Bender (Gilbert Gottfried), Timmy's evil dentist.
- Wendell (Gilbert Gottfried), the also-evil son and assistant of Dr. Bender.
- Mark Chang the Alien (Rob Paulsen), Crown Prince of the extra-solar planet Yugopotamia, currently hiding out on Earth to avoid being forced to marry a highly agressive warrior princess. He is in love with Vicky.
- Trixie Tang (Dionne Quan) Timmy's not-so secret crush (despite the fact that she very obviously hates him) and the popular girl at school.
- Veronica (Grey DeLisle), Trixie's not-quite-so-popular friend who wants to be just like her to the point of obsession, and has a crush on Timmy.
- Tad & Chad (Tara Strong & Grey DeLisle), two popular boys Trixie hangs out with often.
- Tootie (Grey DeLisle), Vicky's little sister who is obsessed with Timmy, and his possible wife in the future in the movie length episode entitled "Channel Chasers", as at the end it cuts to Timmy's son and daughter, the daughter looking suspiciously like Tootie, with Cosmo and Wanda as their fairy godparents.
- Mama Cosma (Jane Carr), Cosmo's mother, who dislikes Wanda (or any potential wife of Cosmo with the exception of the female robots she built for him, for that matter) and often tries to split them apart.
- Wandissimo Magnifico (Carlos Alazraqui), Wanda's old flame. Jorgen thinks he's sexy.
- Remy Buxaplenty (Dee Bradley Baker), a spoiled rich kid who often ruins Timmy's activities, and was Wandissimo's godchild once. His parents are very reminiscent of the Howells from Gilligan's Island, down to the Jim Backus soundalike father. Has managed to get Juandissimo back, after a long and confusing plot against Timmy.
- The April Fool, a character that always pulls bad pranks and gets comedy backup. Voiced similarly to Jerry Seinfeld.
- Adam West (himself), an actor who has taken the identity of his most famous character, Catman, as well as the Crimson Chin while filming the "Crimson Chin Movie". The character is a tribute to West's role as Batman.
- Norm the Genie, (Norm MacDonald) a genie (also a jerk) who attempts to get back at Timmy for outsmarting him. Was under Crocker's command for a while. Claims to be fifty thousand years old. Has something against Canada ("They've had it too good for too long," he once said). Can't escape from magic lamps and an extremely abondent substance called "smoof." Lives in a lava lamp. Was once shipped to Canada, but didn't get the oppertunity to destroy it.
- The Dinklebergs, The Turners' next door neighbors. No children. Mr. Turner has an ongoing rivalry with Mr. Dinkleberg, and in one time travel episode it was revealed he used to date Mrs. Turner in high school, before breaking up with her when he struck it rich. Mr. Turner uses every opportunity he can to make Dinkleberg miserable. When he ruled Dimmsdale for a day (as Ms. Dimmsdale), he forced Dinkleberg to turn a giant wheel.
- The Mayor, The Mayor of Dimsdale, who is in love with his goat, Chompy.
- Chompy, Dimsdale's mascot goat, who was once 'stolen' by Timmy.
- Bucky McBadBat, Chester's Dad, the worst baseball player ever. He wants Chester to be a great baseball player, but Chester is equally bad. He permanently wears a paper bag over his head. He lives in a trailer and has been known to throw mailboxes.
- Bouncer, (Butch Hartman) a bouncer for the cool kids at Timmy's school. He has a chart to explain the system.
- Mr. Bickles, an effemminate drama teacher who gets a new lifelong dream about every week.
- Gloria McBadBat Marrried to Bucky. Dead
Brief History
The Fairly OddParents first aired as a short film on Oh Yeah! Cartoons in 1998, which aired some 10 episodes of the original show. Oh Yeah! Cartoons was canceled in 2000, but Nickelodeon offered to make its own show. This offer was accepted by creator Butch Hartman. The show began airing its own full-length episodes as its own series in 2001.
Although the Fairly OddParents was not very popular in its first year, its popularity began to catch on later, attracting both a kid and adult fan base. SpongeBob SquarePants was the only thing keeping The Fairly OddParents from becoming Nickelodeon's most highly rated show at this point. Another notable thing about the show was that attracted many adolescent and adult followers because of its more complicated, witty sense of humor. Sure enough, the ratings for this show skyrocketed.
Early 2003 was definitely Fairly OddParents peak years. Its ratings were extremely high, and it very briefly passed Spongebob Squarepants. The show saw its very quick rise to the top and fall in summer of 2003 when the show's first TV Movie, Abra Catastrophe!, aired. It was a hit with record-breaking ratings, merchandise appeared all over the place.
However, that year, Butch Hartman left the show to work on a new cartoon called Danny Phantom, which premiered in 2004, there are also rumors that, because the show was very "edgy" during a period of the Hartman years (sexual jokes and anti-conservative slogans were subliminally all over the show, one of the most notable being the show's constant usage of Canada in jokes), but this is not completely known. The show was then directed by Sarah Frost, Ken Bruce and Gary Conrad.
However, when the show aired its new third season later that year, the episodes were not as funny, some being accused of being manically stupid. With new voices for principal characters such as Chester and A.J., the show also became less edgy with a new lack of subliminal sex jokes or biased liberal viewpoints. This turned off a lot of older viewers, and slowly the show's ratings plummeted. SpongeBob SquarePants (which had been in a ratings slump previously), bounced back in as Nick's highest rated show.
Now, in 2005, The Fairly OddParents remains its seemingly permanent position as Nickelodeon's second most highly rated show, and with ratings falling, it is likely that the much faster growing in popularity Jimmy Neutron will take over as Nick's second highest rated show by the end of the year. Many people contribute the loss of the show's popularity to the departure of Butch Hartman, considered to be diagnosed with a cartoon cast change pattern known as Ren & Stimpy Syndrome. However, despite falling popularity, The Fairly OddParents is still in production with new episodes that will air later this year.
Episodes
"Oh Yeah! Cartoons" Shorts
- The Fairly OddParents
- Too Many Timmys
- Where's the Wand?
- Party of Three
- The Fairy Flu
- The Temp
- The Zappy's
- The Really Bad Day
- Super Humor
- Scout's Honor
Season 1
- The Big Problem / Power Mad
- Spaced Out / Trans-Parents
- A Wish too Far / Tiny Timmy
- Father Time / Apartnership
- Chin Up / Dog's Day Afternoon
- Dream Goat / The Same Game
Season 2
- Christmas Every Day
- Boys in the Band / The Hex Games
- Boy Toys / Inspection Detection
- Action Packed / Smarty Pants
- Timvisible / That Ol' Black Magic
- A Mile in My Shoes / Super Bike
- Foul Balled / The Boy Would Be Queen
- Totally Spaced Out / The Switch Glitch
- Mighty Mom and Dyno Dad / Knighty Knight
- Fairy, Fairy Quite Contrary / Nectar of the Odds
- Hail to the Chief / Twistory
- Fool's Day Out / Deja Vu
- Scary Godparents
- Ruled Out / That's Life
- Shiny Teeth / Odd Odd West
- Cosmo Con / Wanda's Day Off
Season 3
- Information Stupor Highway
- Odd Jobs / Movie Magic
- Love Struck
- Most Wanted Wish / This is Your Wish
- Engine Blocked / Mighty Mom and Dyno Dad Meet the Crimson Chin
- Sleep Over and Over / Mother Nature
- Beddy Bye / The Grass is Greener
- The Secret Origin of Denzel Crocker
- Microphony / So Totally Spaced Out
- Pipe Down / The Big Scoop
- Crime Wave / Odd Ball
- Where's Wanda? / Imaginary Gary
- Miss Dimmesdale / Mind Over Magic
- Kung Timmy / Which Witch is Which?
- Hard Copy / Parent Hoods
- Chip off the Old Chip / Snow Bound
Season 4
- The Big Superhero Wish
- Vicky Loses Her Icky / Pixies, Inc.
- Baby Face / Mr. Right
- Power Pals / Emotion Commotion
- Lights!, Camera!, Adam! / A Bad Case of Diary-Uh
- Odd Couple / Class Clown
- Who's Your Daddy? / Homewrecker
- Shelf Life
- Fairy Friends and Neighbors / Just the Two of Us
- New Squid in Town / Wish Fixers
Season 5
- Genie Meanie Minie Moe / Back to Norm (two part story)
- Nega-Timmy / Love At First Height
- Truth or Cosmoquences / Beach Bummed
- Just Desserts / You Doo!
- Catman Meets The Crimson Chin / Teeth for Two
- Masked Magician / The Big Bash
- Blondas Have More Fun / Five Days of F.L.A.R.G.
- Go Young, West Man / Birthday Wish
- Timmy's 2-D House of Horror / It's A Wishful Life
- Escape From Unwish Island / The Gland Plan
- Remy Rides Again / Hassle in the Castle
- Timmy TV / Talking Trash
- Loving the World / Timmy's World Record
- Cosmo's World / The Water's Gone
- Rock The Butt / Go To The Ocean
- Sea You / Summer Procrastion
- Kid Forever I / Kid Forever 2
- Wanda's Affair / Timmy On Trial
TV Movies
- Abra-Catastrophe!
- The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour
- Channel Chasers
- Crash Nebula
- School's Out: The Musical
- Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 2: When Nerds Collide
- Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators
Status
The show has been cancelled, but is still airing reruns. The series finale was Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour 3: The Jerkinators, airing in July 21, 2006.
News
According to an animation book and other sources, Paramount and Nickelodeon are making a theatrical motion picture of The Fairly OddParents. In some corners, some people dislike the show for its low moral quality, so the movie is hoped to be better. However, since they announced plans in August 2003 and IMDb does not have current reports on the film's status, whether this will happen or not is unknown. It has also been rumored that the movie mite be a direct to DVD release.
External links
- The Fairly OddParents at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- The Fairly OddParents - TV Tome