Willa's Wild Life

Willa's Wild Life
Genre	Supernatural
Created by	Dan Yaccarino
Written by	Steven Sullivan Dan Yaccarino
Directed by	Gary Hurst (Canada) Catharine Méziat (France)
Starring	Jordan Todosey (Willa) Danny Wells Samantha Reynolds Dwayne Hill Darren Frost Sunday Muse Lisa Norton Peter Keleghan Katie Bergin Jay T. Schramek
Composer(s)	Geoff Bennett Andre Hirz Ben Johannesen, for TTG Music
Country of origin	Canada United States France (worldwide releases)
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2 (renewed for a third season in 2013)
No. of episodes	26 (13 produced)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Dan Yaccarino Pilippe Delarue Scott Dyer Doug Murphy Paul Robertson
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Nelvana
Release
Original network	YTV qubo (USA) Tiny Pop (UK)
Picture format	4:3
Original release	2008 – 2013

Willa's Wild Life is a French/Canadian/American animated television series that first aired on ABC2 in 2008, then on Qubo and YTV in 2009. The show is based on Dan Yaccarino's book An Octopus Followed Me Home. It is about a 9-year-old girl named Willa (Jordan Todosey) who has some very unusual pets. She has, so far, acquired a giraffe, two elephants, an alligator and many more exotic animals. The show airs on Qubo at 7:00pm Saturday-Sunday.

Characters

People

• Willa is the main character of the series. Willa has many exotic animals much to her father's discomfort. She has many wacky adventures and learns lessons along the way. Because of her adventures, she often gets into trouble. Willa is kindhearted and caring and never tries to hurt her friends' feelings. She is usually seen with a green and red dress, and a green hairband and her best friend is her next-door neighbor, Dooley. She appears in all episodes. She is voiced by Jordan Todosey.
• Dooley is Willa's next-door neighbor and best friend. Dooley often gets caught up in Willa's adventures. He helps Willa learn lessons during their adventures. Dooley is usually seen wearing a purple T-shirt, yellow pants and thick, round glasses. He is voiced by Samantha Reynolds.
• Dad is Willa's father. Dad is not comfortable with the animals around the house, but knowing how Willa cares for them, he lets her keep them. He helps Willa learn lessons along the way. He is usually seen with an orange sweater vest, blue sleeves, brown pants, and glasses. He loves and cares for Willa. He apparently has a crush on Ms. Vanderwinkle. His real name is never revealed.
• Sara, Kara, and Lara are friends (for over a year^[1]) who think they are cooler than everyone.^[2] They often bully Willa, Dooley and Evelyn, and use the wrong names, calling Willa "Wanda/Wendy/Wilma/Winifred/Winona" and Dooley "Danny/Dickie/Donny". They are members of the dance club and practice ballet^[3] and all own dogs.
  • Sara has a light skin tone and long blonde hair, red lipstick and pink clothes. She has a red dog named Susu.
  • Kara has a pale skin tone and long red hair, purple lipstick and purple clothes. She has a purple dog named Kuku.
  • Lara has an olive skin tone and long brown hair, green lipstick and yellow clothes. She has a green dog named Lulu.
• Evelyn is Willa's friend. Evelyn frequently gets into Willa's adventures. She seems to be grumpy all the time and gets discouraged easily. With Willa and Dooley's help, she learns to have fun and be happy. Evelyn is tall, has red hair and is usually seen wearing a long-sleeved turquoise shirt, and blue capris.
• Mr. Tremble is the assistant principal at Willa's school. Mr. Tremble easily gets into Willa's adventures. He is usually seen wearing an orange toupee, a brown jacket and blue pants. When he is in Willa's adventures, he often loses his toupee.
• Ms. Delilah Vanderwinkle is Willa's other next-door neighbor. Ms. Vanderwinkle is usually seen with a long-sleeved pink shirt, a flowered dress, and cat-eye glasses. She has an orange cat named Tangerine, and a nephew named Buzzy whom Willa babysat in "Baby It's You." Ms. Vanderwinkle's first name was revealed in the episode "Willa & Dooley Sitting in a Tree."
• The Mailman appears in some episodes and is mostly scared by Willa's alligator, Gus.
• Tiffy Tootle is a famous blond girl with decorative pigtails. Tiffy only appears in Willa’s Wonderful Life and near the end of this episode, she sees her biggest fan Willa and her family make a lot of pizzas by tossing.

Animals

• Gus is an American alligator. He is rude and obnoxious. Whenever he has a chance, he tries to eat the Bunnies, but is always caught by either Willa or one of the other animals. He sleeps under Willa's bed. Gus is always hungry, being an alligator. He is voiced by Danny Wells.
• Jenny is a Masai giraffe. Jenny is the wisest of the animals. She helps Willa during her adventures and acts as a mother figure to Willa since Willa's mother is not around. Due to her size, Jenny sleeps outside.
• Inky, Blinky, and Bob are chinstrap penguins. Inky, Blinky, and Bob are the dumbest of the animals. Bob does not speak at all, he just makes gestures accompanied by trombone sounds. They call Willa "Gladys." They are very good at ice skating. They sleep in the freezer. They also have a love for herrings, Like in real life penguins eat herrings for survival. In each episode they are always involved with something. They are voiced by Dwayne Hill and Jay T. Schramek.
• KoKo is a red kangaroo from Australia. She has a pink bow on her head and keeps many things in her pouch. For instance, she keeps makeup products, scissors and a signed photograph of a famous kangaroo named Willard Wallaby. She sleeps in the living room. KoKo is the girliest of the animals.
• Steve and Edie are two harbour seals that used to be in show business before living with Willa. Steve's skin is darker than Edie's. Edie has a flower hair clip on her head. They give a performance every week in Willa's backyard and are talented musicians. They sleep in the bathtub.
• Wallace is a walrus. Wallace is the oldest of all the animals. He likes to tell stories about his adventures in the Arctic before moving in with Willa. He sleeps with Steve and Edie in the bathtub.
• Samuel is a bactrian camel. Samuel is the most sophisticated of the animals. Willa rides on his back to school every day. He sleeps with KoKo in the living room.
• The Bunnies are dozens of rabbits in different colors. The Bunnies are green, orange, blue, pink, and many more bright colors. The Bunnies can not speak but they squeak and giggle all the time. They usually give out kisses when they are happy. They sleep everywhere in the house.
• Bert is a grizzly bear. Before Bert lived with Willa and the other animals he lived in Russia. He is usually seen sleeping. Bert sleeps with KoKo and Samuel in the living room.
• Tiny and Lou are two Asian elephants. Of all the animals Tiny and Lou are the most immature. Tiny is blue and has a high-pitched voice. Lou is yellow and has a low-pitched voice. It is unknown if Tiny and Lou are brothers. They do not like to give elephant rides unless Willa wants them to. Tiny and Lou sleep in the garage.
• Susu, Kuku and Lulu are Sara, Kara and Lara's pet poodles. Susu is red, showing that she is Sara's dog. Kuku is purple, showing that she is Kara's dog. Lulu is green, showing that she is Lara's dog. Like their owners, Sara, Kara and Lara, Susu, Kuku and Lulu are snooty.
• Sparkle is Evelyn's pet spider. Sparkle is orange and red. Sparkle is female. Sparkle only appears in Spider Girl.
• Tangerine is Ms. Vanderwinkle's pet cat. Tangerine is orange. Tangerine only appears in Over the Fence.

Episodes

Order confirmed:

• Episode 1: Happy Willa's Dad's Day / Willa's Wild Pony Tale 21 September 2008
• Episode 2
• Episode 3: Willa's Wild Walk
• Episode 4
• Episode 5: Willa Willa Everywhere / Party Animals 16 January 2009

Numbering needed:

1. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Vet? / Lone Gone to Hong Kong 29 November 2008
2. Willa Sets the Stage / Willa in the Wilderness 29 November 2008
3. Willa's Wild Walk / Willa's Top Dogs 29 November 2008
4. Hidden Treasure / Up, Up and Away 7 December 2008
5. Disappearing Act / Great Eggspectations 14 December 2008
6. It Came from the Attic / Over the Fence 28 December 2008
7. Unbearable Bear / Willa's Fun Raiser 12 January 2009
8. An Alligator Ate My Homework / Hammering Away 13 January 2009
9. Willa's Bedtime Story / The Jenny Bus Fuss 19 January 2009
10. Baby It's You / Willa's Bad Hare Day 20 January 2009
11. Willa's Wild News / Don't Let Go 22 January 2009
12. Spider Girl / Perfect Partners 26 January 2009
13. The Girl Who Cried Ouch / Willa's Not So Peaceable Kingdom 27 January 2009
14. Walk a Mile in Alligator Shoes / Willa's Sleepover 3 February 2009
15. Pas de Dooley / Perfect Partners 30 March 2009
16. Willa's Sleepover / High Flying Willa 21 June 2009
17. Nurse Willa / Willa and Dooley Sitting in a Tree 28 June 2009
18. Dad's Big News / Little Miss Fitness 19 July 2009
19. Willa's Journal / Willa's Wild News 20 October 2009 in Canada then 2 July 2011 in USA
20. Willa Awards / To Ski or Not to Ski 31 October 2009
21. Feathered Friends / Forgetting Sara 3 December 2009
22. Don't Let Go / Vet for a Day 7 December 2009
23. Company's Coming / Growing Pains 10 December 2009
24. Willa's Not So Peaceable Kingdom / Go to Sleep Bert 4 February 2010
25. Walk a Mile in Alligator Shoes / A Tall Walrus Tale 21 May 2010
26. Willa's Wonderful Life / Big Brother Gus 26 May 2010

Awards

In 2010 Art Director Adrian Thatcher received a Daytime Creative Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for his work on Willa's Wild Life.^[4]

References

1. Sara. "Party Animals". Willa's Wild Life. I still can't believe it's been a whole year since we met
2. Kara. "Party Animals". Willa's Wild Life. And discovered how much cooler we are than everybody else!
3. "Willa Willa Everywhere". Willa's Wild Life.
4. http://www.daytimeemmys.tv/oda/servlet/fileOpenStatus?file=37th%20Daytime%20Emmy%20Awards%20NOMINATIONS__0.4797551463298908.doc&hash=0.09625771364984503 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations, Page 47

External links

• Willa's Wild Life at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Willa's Wild Life at the Internet Movie Database
• Qubo schedule
• Qubo description