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Sheep in the Big City is an American animated television series which ran on Cartoon Network for two seasons, from November 2000 to April 2002. Created by Mo Willems, the bulk of the show follows a runaway sheep, Sheep, in its new life in the Big City. It also features several unrelated sketches and shorts. With an emphasis on more "sophisticated" (in particular, literal) humor, it was more popular with older audiences. It was also unusual in featuring many comic references to film-making and television broadcasting.
Plot Fed up with living on Farmer John's farm, Sheep, a sheep, moves to the Big City. Unfortunately, the Secret Military Organization, commanded by General Specific, wants to use Sheep in its new sheep-powered ray gun. So now Sheep is on the lam from General Specific, who is assisted by sidekick Private Public, the Angry Scientist, a bunch of other military types, and, last but not least, by the Plot Device. In addition, Sheep has to come to grips with living in the Big City and trying to romance his love, Swanky the poodle. All the while, he has to avoid the attentions of a host of unwelcome characters - Farmer John, Lisa Rental, and Swanky's owner, the sheep-hating Lady Richington. The episodes are also divided into chapters which is unusual for an animated show. Characters Sheep: Sheep has a hard time with life -- between getting chased by the military and trying to see Swanky, the poodle he loves, without getting bonked on the head by Lady Richington with her stainless steel wig. Yet he still makes time to act in dish-washing commercials, travel through time, and get a job at a hip club. Sheep never talks, he only bleats. Farmer John: Sheep's original owner, also seeking to recapture him - although in a more mild-mannered way than General Specific. In one episode it is revealed that 'Far Mer' is actually Farmer John's first and middle name, not his job description. Ben Plotz: The show's narrator. He often complains about the quality of the writing on the show, but overall he has an appreciation for the cast. His last name is "plotz," which is a pun because he is the narrator, who carries along the plot. Plot Device: A machine that comes up with plans for General Specific such as disguising as water soup cooks to sneak into Farmer Brown's house. General Specific: The dimwitted leader of the Secret Military Organization, General Specific repeatedly tries to catch Sheep for his Sheep-Powered Ray Gun. He's never discouraged by his constant losses. His name is oxymoronic. Private Public: General Specific's right-hand man, Private Public is always right behind General Specific, and despite being much smarter, he would prefer to receive orders than give them. His name is also oxymoronic. The Angry Scientist: He often gets his hump busted for being an Angry Scientist rather than mad, but he's the brains behind the organization, despite his extremely limited grasp of the English language. His inventions include the Sheep-Powered Ray Gun, the Clome, and a Time-Travel Bicycle. He often goes into fits of rage at General Specific when he calls him a 'Mad Scientist', and on one occasion he is called the 'Mad Chemist'. Lady Richington: The owner of Swanky the Poodle, the object of Sheep's affection, Lady Richington is quite rich. She owns the majority of the city and is never seen without her gaudy jewelery and lavish clothing. While she may not look very intimidating, she has a severe hatred of sheep in general, and will not hesitate to pummel them into fluffy pulps with her stainless steel wig. Ranting Swede: Ranting Swede rants about old cars, pianos, supermarkets and a variety of other topics. His rants appear at the end of every single episode, except the final one, which is done in reverse order. Once, he rants that he is tired of ranting, then realizes he's already done it by accident. Lisa Rental: A girl who thinks Sheep is a "cutesy wootsey dog" and wants him desperately. She also loves to refer to Sheep as "Doggy Woggy Smoggy Foggy Loggy Toggy...etc." Her name is a pun on the words "lease" and "rental". Oxymoron: An ox who debuted in numerous "phony bolonee" advertisements for the Oxymoron company. He also makes cameos in some episodes. His name is a parody of oxymoron, a phrase in which an adjective that means the opposite of the noun that it describes is used (e.g. a smart idiot, a planned coincidence.) Swanky: A poodle that is Sheep unrequited love, who, luckily, gives Sheep some attention. She is owned by Lady Richington. General Lee Outrageous: A rival to General Specific that appears in only one episode. He is similar in appearance to General Specific but his uniform is brightly colored and sparkly. He also has gold teeth and sunglasses. Trivia Sheep in the Big City in other languages | ||||||||
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