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'{{More citations needed|date=December 2022}} {{Fan POV|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox television | image = | caption = | genre = [[Nature documentary]] | creator = Andrew Carl Wilk | developer = | voices = [[Dudley Moore]]<br>[[Billy West]] | theme_music_composer = [[Darryl Kubian]] | opentheme = | endtheme = | composer = [[Alan O'Day]] and Janis Liebhart (songs)<br />[[Darryl Kubian]] (score) | country = | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 26<ref name="clicker"/> | list_episodes = | producer = | executive_producer = Andrew Carl Wilk | location = | camera = | runtime = 45 minutes<br>23 minutes (TV version) | company = [[National Geographic Society]] | network = [[Direct-to-video]] | first_aired = {{start date|1994|3|2}} | last_aired = {{end date|1997|10|21}} | related = }} '''''Really Wild Animals''''' is an American direct-to-video children's [[nature]] television series, hosted by [[Dudley Moore]] as Spin, an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] globe.<ref name="clicker"/> Comprising 13 episodes, it was released between March 2, 1994<ref name="Billboard 1-8-1994">{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-01-08.pdf|title=Really Wild Animals print ad (page 85)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=January 8, 1994}}</ref> and October 21, 1997.<ref name="Billboard 8-23-1997">{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1997/Billboard-1997-08-23.pdf|title=Fall/Winter sked promises heroes, hobgoblins, crayons & creatures (page 71)|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 23, 1997}}</ref> It was nominated for five national [[Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy]] Awards and won one. Released by the [[National Geographic Society]], the series educates children about many different species of animals. It goes to every continent, describing the wildlife on each one and also focuses on one specific group of animals, such as dogs, cats, endangered animals, and animals from Asia, the [[tropical rainforest]]s of Central and South America, the Australian [[Outback]] and the African [[savanna]]. Songs were written, produced, and mostly performed by Alan O'Day and Janis Liebhart. At the end of an episode, Spin says, "But (you know), there are lots more Really Wild Animals all across this wonderful world of ours, so be sure to join me on our next (exciting) adventure. Until then, this is your pal Spin. Spin ya later!" ==Episodes== The series was released on [[VHS]] and on August 2, 2005, National Geographic began releasing the episodes on DVD. {{Episode table |background=#FFD700 |overall=8 <!-- |season= --> |title=72 |airdate=20 |episodes= {{Episode list | Title=Swinging Safari | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994|3|2}}<ref name="Billboard 1-8-1994" /> | EpisodeNumber=1 | ShortSummary=This episode features animals from Africa, primarily in the [[Serengeti]], but also the jungles of mid-Africa and the [[Kalahari Desert]] including Botswana's [[Central Kalahari Game Reserve]]. These animals include elephants, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, chimpanzees, [[Black-and-white colobus|colobus monkey]]s, [[meerkat]]s, cheetahs, and lions. The law of survival and the food chain are also emphasized. [[Jane Goodall]] and [[Daphne Sheldrick]] appear. There are five songs. The first is about lions ("Hey Lion"); the second is about baby animals ("Young Thing"); the third is about how humans, monkeys, and apes are related ("Family"); the fourth is about zebras ("Stripes"), and the fifth is about Africa's beauty ("The Heart That Beats in Africa") sung by [[Dorian Holley]]. Note: The first three episodes were produced in 1993. The DVD version omits the "Weather Update", "Africa's Most Wanted", "Traffic Update" and "As the Earth Turns" signs. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Wonders Down Under | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994|3|2}}<ref name="Billboard 1-8-1994" /> | EpisodeNumber=2 | ShortSummary=In this episode, the animals of Australia are examined. The theme of "weirdness" among Australia's creatures (compared to the rest of the world) is explored by looking at mammals, birds, and reptiles. The [[kangaroo]]s, [[mudskipper]]s, [[quoll]]s, [[fruit bat]]s, [[echidna]]s, [[platypus]]es, [[riflebird]]s, [[bowerbird]]s, [[lyrebird]]s, [[emu]]s, [[malleefowl]]s, [[Chlamydosaurus|frilled lizard]]s, [[Ranoidea platycephala|water-holding frog]]s, [[dingo]]es, [[Tasmanian devil]]s, [[Sugar Glider|flying possum]]s, [[numbat]]s, [[thorny devil]]s, and [[koala]]s are featured. There are five songs. The first is about Australia and how unique it is ("Down Under"); the second is about kangaroos ("Wait Up, Kangaroo"); the third is about Australia's strange animals ("Proud to Be Strange"); the fourth is about the Outback's reptiles and amphibians ("Tracks in the Sand"); and the fifth is about how despite the "strange" appearances, Australia's animals make it a unique land ("Strange New Friend"). |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Deep Sea Dive | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994|3|2}}<ref name="Billboard 1-8-1994" /> | EpisodeNumber=3 | ShortSummary=This episode plunges into the world's oceans and explores underwater life. Key destinations include the [[Great Barrier Reef]] and [[Antarctica]]. Some of the animals featured are dolphins, octopuses, [[seahorse]]s, fish, [[cuttlefish]], [[jellyfish]], [[sea otter]]s, sharks, [[emperor penguin]]s and whales. It also attempts to capture the wonders of the sea and the importance of protecting it from pollution. There are five songs. The first is about water ("Water"); the second is about strange animals that live deep in the sea ("City of the Creeps"); the third is about the importance of keeping the water clean ("If the Water is Clear"); the fourth is about animal movement ("It's in the Way You Move"); and the fifth is about the "real" underwater treasure, all the wildlife ("I Found a Treasure"). Note: This is the first episode Spin explores the world instead of just sticking to one continent, and the last one Caesar Video Graphics animated. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Totally Tropical Rain Forest | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994|7|27}}<ref name="pittsburgh">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/88956726/|title=Johnny and Juliette|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=July 1, 1994|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> | EpisodeNumber=4 | ShortSummary=This episode shows an in-depth look at the [[rainforest]]s of Central and South America. It is structured around a journey through the layers of the forest, from the floor to the mid-layers to the canopy. During this journey the [[jaguar]], [[tapir]], [[leafcutter ant]], [[howler monkey]], [[Basiliscus (genus)|basilisk lizard]], [[Poison dart frog|poison arrow frog]], parrot, [[tarantula]], [[harpy eagle]], [[piranha]], [[vampire bat]], [[hoatzin]], [[Bald uakari|uakari]], [[three-toed sloth]], and [[Amazon river dolphin|river dolphin]] are among the animals shown. Environmental issues surrounding deforestation are also looked at. There are four songs. The first is about all the life that lives in the rainforest ("Greenhouse"); the second is about the importance of finding food and the food chain ("What Do You Want for Lunch"); the third is about the rainforest canopy and all the birds that call it home ("Bird's-Eye View"), and the fourth is about the importance of keeping the rainforest safe ("This Must Be the Place"). Note: This is the first episode animated by Click 3X and the change in studios resulted in Spin being redesigned. The end has a prototype animation in which Spin doesn't put away his magnifying glass at the end; he zooms in. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Amazing North America | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994|7|27}}<ref name="pittsburgh" /> | EpisodeNumber=5 | ShortSummary=This episode looks at North America's [[ecosystem]]s from its deserts and swamps to its cities and tundra. [[Ground squirrel]]s, [[rattlesnakes]], beavers, raccoons, [[woodpecker]]s, [[corn snake]]s, alligators, [[Florida red-bellied cooter|red-bellied turtle]]s, [[Arctic wolves]], [[musk ox]]en, polar bears and black bears are all featured. The film's diversity of the North American landscape and how its animals have adapted are key points. There are four songs. The first is about what animals need to do to survive in North America ("I Gotta Be Wild"); the second is about the places animals call home ("Look Who's Moving In"); the third is about difficulties in getting what animals want ("To Get What You Want"), and the fourth is about the winter season ("Winter"). |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Adventures in Asia | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994|7|27}}<ref name="pittsburgh" /> | EpisodeNumber=6 | ShortSummary=The immense continent of Asia is explored. With such a large area to cover, Spin jumps from one place to the next, including the tropical islands of [[Indonesia]], the [[Arabian Peninsula]], Russian mountains, Japanese mountains, Indian jungles, and Chinese forests and mountains. Some of the featured animals are the [[sea snake]], [[white-bellied sea eagle]], [[Japanese macaque|snow monkey]], [[proboscis monkey]], [[mudskipper]], [[fiddler crab]], [[dhole]], [[Asian elephant]], tiger, [[Komodo dragon]], [[cobra]], [[Arabian oryx]], [[ibex]], [[camel]], [[garden eel]], [[manta ray]], [[giant panda]], [[Crane (bird)|crane]], [[Cave swiftlet|swiftlet]], and [[orangutan]]. The difference between myth and reality is tested in uncovering the lifestyles of all these creatures. There are four songs. The first is about all the Asian legends and how much truth is in them ("Legends in Asia"); the second is about territories ("Get Off of My Turf"); the third is about animal roughhousing and its importance ("Roughhouse"); and the fourth is about all the life, human and animal, in Asia ("Keep the Legends Alive"). |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Polar Prowl | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1994}} | EpisodeNumber=7 | ShortSummary= In this episode, Spin takes a trip to the [[Arctic]] and [[Antarctica|Antarctic]]. Animals such as polar bears, walruses, [[orca]]s, [[caribou]], [[musk oxen]], [[Kodiak bear]]s, [[arctic tern]]s, penguins, seals, and [[humpback whale]]s are explored. Additionally, they examine the three ways animals survive the harsh cold: [[hibernation]], insulation, and migration. There are four songs. The first is about the cold temperatures and how the animals survive ("Cold, Cold, Cold"); the second is about ways animals beat the cold ("That's the Way We Do It Up Here"); the third is about penguins, and names the 17 species ("Penguins"), and the fourth is a tribute to Antarctica ("The Last Great Wilderness"). |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Hot Dogs and Cool Cats | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1995}} | EpisodeNumber=8 | ShortSummary=Spin looks at dogs and tries to determine if there is a link between wild and tame dogs. The first song is about why dogs do what they do ("Hey Dog"), and the second is about dogs' loyalty ("Best Friends"). Spin examines cats and learns that no matter how tame, they are always wild. The first song is about cats having an attitude ("The Cat's Got an Attitude"), and the second is about how they are wild inside ("Wild Inside"). Note: Due to ''Really Wild Animals'' becoming available for television broadcast at this point, all episodes starting with this one contain two half-hour segments, each featuring two songs. A bridging dog commercial between the two episodes is removed from the DVD version. The second part is also the first time Alan O'Day does not appear. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Dinosaurs and Other Creature Features | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1996|8|27}}<ref name="Billboard 8-24-1996">{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1996/BB-1996-08-24.pdf|title='Tis the season for creature features and Christmas capers (page 75/91)|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 24, 1996}}</ref> | EpisodeNumber=9 | ShortSummary=Spin examines dinosaurs such as duck-billed [[Hadrosaur]]s, ''[[Struthiomimus]]'', ''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]'', and [[Dromaeosaur]]s (Raptors), and tries to answer the questions surrounding them, including how they became extinct, and if relatives still exist such as alligators, snakes, [[Komodo dragon]]s, lizards, [[ostrich]]es, and [[cassowary|cassowaries]]. The first song focuses on dinosaurs ("Dinosaurs"), and the second shows how their modern-day relatives still "rock our world" ("We're Gonna Rock Your World"). Spin looks at some of the world's creepiest creatures, such as [[vampire bat]]s, ants, flies, spiders, [[vulture]]s, and [[dung beetle]]s. He shows that no matter how scary they are, they all play an important part in the world. The first song is about how creatures are creepy and intriguing ("Creepy Creatures", animation by Jim and Vezna Tozzi), and the second is about how important they are ("Keep on Creepin' On"). Notes: This is the first episode where the background changes from the sky to outer space, which will remain for the rest of the series. Also, Spin reads the title card as "Dinos and Other Creature Features" and footage from Phil Tippett's ''[[Prehistoric Beast]]'' and ''[[Dinosaur! (1985 film)|Dinosaur!]]'' are used for the dinosaur scenes. Paleontologist [[Robert T. Bakker]] appears, and footage from the ''[[The Three Stooges|Three Stooges]]'' episode "[[Disorder in the Court]]" and a clip from ''[[Killer Shrews]]'' is shown. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Monkey Business and Other Family Fun | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1996|8|27}}<ref name="Billboard 8-24-1996" /> | EpisodeNumber=10 | ShortSummary=Spin looks at primates, including [[gibbon]]s, [[Colobinae|langurs]], [[bush baby|bush babies]], [[aye-aye]]s, [[Capuchin monkey|capuchin]]s, and [[baboon]]s. He also explains that primates are our distant relatives. The first song is about all [[primate]]s ("Primates"), and the second is about gorillas, our "gentle brothers" ("Gentle Brother"). Spin looks at animal families, including elephants, [[African bullfrog|bullfrog]]s, [[ostrich]]es, octopuses, [[albatross]]es, and [[Loggerhead sea turtle|sea turtle]]s and shows they are not all that different from human families. The first song is about how curious animal children are ("I'm Curious"), and the second is about how important families are ("You're My Family"). Note: This episode features a parody of ''[[Candid Camera]]'' called "Candid Critter Camera" hosted by "Alan Grunt" (a parody of [[Allen Funt]]), who is played by [[Billy West]]. A "Candid Critter Camera" segment between the two episodes involving meerkats is removed from the DVD version. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Farmyard Friends | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1997}} | EpisodeNumber=11 | ShortSummary=Spin looks at farm animals, such as turkeys, pigs, sheep, horses, and cows, and examines their wild relatives, such as [[dall sheep]], [[wild turkeys]], [[warthogs]], and [[zebras]], from all over the world. The first song is about all the animals on the farm ("Farmer, Farmer"), and the second is about whether the viewer would be wild or tame ("Would You Rather be Wild, Would You Rather be Tame"). Spin looks at humans helping endangered animals, how animals rescue people, and if people work together to save animals, they will prevent them from becoming extinct. The first song is about help being available for animals ("Help is on the Way"), and the second is about humans working to save animals ("Safe at Last"). Notes: This first part does not mention the second segment. The TV version of "Farmyard Friends" was titled "Spin's Really Wild Farm Tour". [[Warner Home Video]] became the series' home video distributor and started advertising before the episode began. |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Awesome Animal Builders | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1997}}<ref name="Billboard 8-23-1997" /> | EpisodeNumber=12 | ShortSummary=It shows how animals build their own homes, such as [[termite]]s, beavers, [[orb-weaver spider]]s, [[Cave swiftlet|swiftlet]]s, bees, [[Bombyx mori|silkworms]], caterpillars, [[Ploceidae|weaver birds]], [[Naked mole-rat|naked mole rats]], and [[osprey]]s, and explains that they build their homes to have families. The first song is about the different kinds of animal homes ("Anything to Make it Home"), and the second is about why animals build homes ("I Am an Architect"). Spin takes us to look at animals that migrate, such as [[wildebeest]], [[sockeye salmon]], [[tundra swan]]s, [[African elephant]]s, geese, sharks, [[Batoidea|ray]]s, [[pronghorn]] and toads. It explains that the cycle of [[Animal migration|migration]] never ends. The first song is about animals migrating ("I'm Movin' Out"), and the second is about how migration never ends for animals ("Every Ending is a Beginning"). |LineColor=FFD700 }} {{Episode list | Title=Secret Weapons and Great Escapes | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1997|10|21}}<ref name="Billboard 8-23-1997" /> | EpisodeNumber=13 | ShortSummary=Spin is a spy who is trying to find out how some animals have ways to defend themselves, such as [[Chlamydosaurus|frilled-neck lizards]], [[poison dart frog]]s, [[Owl butterfly|owl butterflies]], [[green tree python]]s, [[Hemisphaerota|Hemisphaerota beetle]]s, [[army ant]]s, skunks, [[Common Surinam toad|Surinam toads]], [[Latrodectus|black widow spider]]s, [[bombardier beetle]]s, [[mantis shrimp]], [[cobra]]s, [[tomato frog]]s, [[cone snail]]s, and [[Tetraodontidae|puffer fish]], and finds out why animals need defenses. The first song is about animals having secret defenses ("I've Got a Secret"), and the second is about animals needing to watch out for other animals' defenses ("Trick of the Trade"). Spin shows animals that live on certain islands, such as [[lemur]]s and [[chameleon]]s in [[Madagascar]], [[Marine iguana|Marine]] and [[Galapagos land iguana|land iguana]]s on the [[Galápagos Islands|Galapagos]], [[Tasmanian devil]]s and [[quoll]]s in [[Tasmania]], [[gannet]]s and [[kea]]s in [[New Zealand]], [[Juan Fernández fur seal|fur seal]]s on the [[Juan Fernández Islands]] and [[eastern rockhopper penguin]]s with [[Snares penguin]]s in [[Snares Islands / Tini Heke|Snares Island]], and shows how unique they are. Footage of [[New York City]] and its [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|Twin Towers]] are shown, as well as the [[heron]]s and [[egret]]s on the harbor's islands. Both songs are about islands and how unique they are ("Welcome to the Islands" and "It's a World Within a World"). |LineColor=FFD700 }} }} ==''Really Wild Animals'' on television== On February 18, 1995, ''Really Wild Animals'' was announced to be part of CBS' Saturday morning schedule for that fall.<ref name="cbssaturday">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/159246403/|title='Lion King' Series|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 18, 1995|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The series made its television premiere on CBS on September 16 at 12:30PM Eastern. CBS aired each of the first seven episodes in two half-hour parts. These episodes were rerun on the [[Disney Channel]] from January 5 to October 19, 1997. All episodes were shown on [[Encore (TV network)|WAM! America's Kidz Network]] from 1999 to 2001. ==References== {{Reflist |refs= <ref name="clicker">{{cite web|url=http://www.clicker.com/tv/really-wild-animals/#EpisodeList|title=Really Wild Animals|work=clicker.com|publisher=Clicker|accessdate=14 October 2010}}</ref> <!-- <ref name="natgeo"> {{cite web|url=http://www.shopngvideos.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=16053&storeId=15001&categoryId=243393&langId=-1&page=1&viewAll=0&sortValue=0|title=Really Wild Animals|work=shopngvideos.com|publisher=National Geographic Society|accessdate=24 October 2010}}</ref> --> }} [[Category:Television series about mammals]] [[Category:Television series about birds]] [[Category:Television series about fish]] [[Category:Television series about reptiles and amphibians]] [[Category:American television series with live action and animation]] [[Category:1990s American children's television series]] [[Category:1990s American documentary television series]] [[Category:American children's education television series]] [[Category:Nature educational television series]] [[Category:National Geographic (American TV channel) original programming]] [[Category:1993 American television series debuts]] [[Category:1996 American television series endings]]'