Amazing Planet
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1997
| Amazing Planet | |
|---|---|
| Created by | National Geographic Kids Video |
| Starring | Pat Cashman, Tiffany Saito, Mark Pinckney, Ki Gottberg |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Original release | |
| Release | 1996 – 1997 |
Amazing Planet is an educational children's show produced by National Geographic Kids Video, which ran from late 1996 to early 1997 on VHS.
On the planet Miptor, three alien janitors Rip Rayon (Pat Cashman), Squeege (Mark Pinckney) and Kidogo (Tiffany Saito) were cleaning a spaceship until their boss Admiral Lump checks in on them via the ship's view screen. His presence frightens Squeege so much that Squeege accidentally starts the engine launching the ship into outer space. The janitors then assume roles: Rip Rayon as Captain, Squeege as Pilot and Kidogo as Engineer. Joining them as information officer on their exploration of Earth, is Orb (Ki Gottberg), a hovering metal orb that provides information to the aliens.
Format
Each episode begins with the aliens and Orb traveling to a specific location on Earth. Rip Rayon orders Squeege to land the spaceship gently on the ground but Squeege's landings are often rough. When they arrive, the aliens at first glance are frightened by an object in that location. Then they ask Orb what that object is. Whenever the aliens mentioned their boss Admiral Lump, Admiral Lump appears via the ship's view screen and orders the aliens to get to the bottom of the situation and report their findings back to him when they are done. At the end of the episode, the aliens present their report to Admiral Lump either in spoken detail or music video obviously leaving Admiral Lump in a bad mood. He then tells them to find something that would please him or they're never going back to their home planet. The aliens would start to say something bad about Admiral Lump but when Admiral Lump demands to know what they said, the aliens correct their sentence. Then the aliens would do a fun activity.
Reception
The Chicago Tribune reviewed Amazing Planet as a "delightful," "charming, goofy", "informative, yet engaging, children's show," in which "low-budget effects add another wacky touch."[1]