The Busy World of Richard Scarry

Genre

Animated series

Written by

Various

Directed by

Greg Bailey
Marcos Da Silva
Pascal Morelli
Stephan Martinière
Nadja Cozic

Starring

Keith Knight
Sonja Ball

Composer(s)

Laurent Petitgirard

Country

Canada
France
United States

Seasons

5

Episodes

65 (195 segments)

Production

Executive producer(s)

Micheline Charest

Producer(s)

Ronald A. Weinberg

Running time

30 minutes

Production company(s)

CINAR Films
France Animation
Paramount Television Animation

Distributor

CINAR

Broadcast

Original run

March 9, 1994 – 1997

Followed by

Busytown Mysteries

The Busy World of Richard Scarry is an animated children's television series, produced by CINAR Animation and France Animation in association with Paramount Television Animation, which aired from 1994 to 1997, first on Showtime, later on Nickelodeon, and ran for 65 episodes. The television series was based on the books drawn and written by Richard Scarry. Reruns of the show formerly aired in syndication as part of the Cookie Jar Kids Network block, but the show now continues to air on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV until October 26, 2013. Reruns of the show aired on Qubo from May 13, 2013, to September 25, 2016. However, it returned to Qubo on March 28, 2017, as part of the network's Night Owl block until May 26, 2018, and has also aired on Light TV, but has since left the network.

Cast[]

Sonja Ball as Huckle Cat, additional voices
Keith Knight as Lowly Worm, Snozzle, Able Baker Charlie, additional voices
Judy Marshak as Fiona Cat, additional voices
Philip Williams as Sergeant Murphy, Bruno Bear, additional voices
Stephen Ouimette as Doctor Lion, Mr. Raccoon, additional voices
Len Carlson as Mr. Frumble, Mr. Gronkle, Mayor Fox, additional voices
Tara Meyer as Sally Cat, additional voices
Cathy Gallant as Hilda Hippo, P.S. Pig, Thump, Deputy Flo, additional voices
John Stocker as John Cat, Mr. Humperdink, Scotty Dog, Pedro, Wolfgang Wolf, additional voices
Rino Romano as Billy Dog, additional voices
David Berni as Bananas Gorilla, additional voices
Peter Wildman as Mr. Fixit, Sniff, Pickles, additional voices
Hadley Kay as Sprout Goat, Dennis Elephant, additional voices
Stuart Stone as Kenny Bear (seasons 1-3), Pig Will (seasons 1-3), Pig Won't, Manuel
Linda Feige as Miss Honey (early episodes)
Susan Roman as Cucumber, Professor Dog, April Rhino, Squirty, additional voices
Tara Strong as Lynnie Raccoon (season 5), additional voices
Michael Caloz as Kenny Bear (later season 3), Vanderbuilt Gronkle, Robby Lion, Pig Will (season 5)
Julie Lemieux as Russ
Lisa Yamanaka as Bridget Murphy

Overview[]

The series takes place in the fictional city of Busytown and mainly stars Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and many of the other residents of Busytown. Every "human" in the series is an anthropomorphic animal, most commonly pigs, foxes, breeds of dogs, mice, rabbits, goats, and cats. Each episode always features a conflict (which is eventually resolved in the end). However, episodes featuring other anthropomorphic animals, like Couscous catching Pépé le Gangstaire and his dirty rats, Sam and Dudley, Sneef and Sniff, Cucumber and Pickles, etc. have taken place outside of Busytown in other places around the world.

Episode list[]

Season 1: 1994[]

Nº	Segments	Air date	Synopsis
1	The Talking Bread / Couscous, the North African Detective / The Three Fishermen	March 13, 1994	A bread in Able Baker Charlie's bakery repeatedly says "Mama". Couscous catches Peppy the Gangster and his Dirty Rats who intend to steal the Jewel-of-Jewel. The Cat Family goes fishing and returning with fish of different sizes.
2	The Best Birthday Present Ever / Patrick Pig Learns to Talk / Grouchy Mr. Gronkle	March 9, 1994 (special prime-time airing)	Mother Cat gets a birthday present in the form of a cuckoo clock. The mute Patrick Pig's talkative Irish forefathers try to teach him how to speak for the first time. The grouchy Mr. Gronkle is angry when kids start skating on his frozen pond, but ends up needing their help.
3	The Busiest Firefighters Ever / Manuel of Mexico / The Biggest Catch Ever	March 20, 1994	Huckle and Lowly join Smoky and his Firefighters for one day, and accidentally ruin someone's barbecue. Manuel breaks his mom's pot. Rudolph Von Flugel takes Huckle and Lowly in his hot air balloon.
4	Mr. Raccoon's Different Day / Mario, the Venetian Gondolier / The Best Babysitter Ever	March 27, 1994	Mr. Raccoon tries to have a different day. Mario is introduced and his career as operating gondoliers in Venice. Hilda babysits Pig Will and Pig Won't.
5	The Best Mistake Ever / Sneef, the Best Detective in Europe / Camping Out	April 3, 1994	Huckle forgets a shopping list. Sneef and Sniff succeed in catching the Royal Jewels. The Cat family goes camping.
6	Mr. Frumble's New Cars / Ernst and Heidi in the Alps / Billy Dog's Bad Day	April 10, 1994	When Mr. Frumble crashes his car, he steals the bulldozer from Roger Rhino, a taxi and the airplane from Rudolph Von Flugel. Ernst tries to join Heidi on the rescue patrol but is a bad climber. The new kid Billy Dog has a bad first day as he intimidates people with his gruff personality.
7	The Snowstorm / Professor Dig and His Egyptian Mummy / The Treasure Hunt	April 17, 1994	Hilda believes her strength only causes trouble on the playground, but when a big snowstorm causes havoc in Busytown, her strength helps them out. Professor Dig discovers an Egyptian mummy. A treasure hunt takes place on the beach, but all Huckle and Lowly find is junk.
8	The Missing Bananas / Good Luck in Rome / The Accident	April 24, 1994	Bananas Gorilla steals a batch of bananas. Maria and Frederico want to throw a coin into the lucky Trevi fountain. Mr. Fixit's traffic light causes an accident.
9	A Trip to the Moon / Pip Pip Goes to London / Floating Bananas	May 1, 1994	Wolfgang, Benny, Harry and Lowly try to fly to the moon. Pip Pip goes to London to find the Queen's ring, and experiences many problems. Bananas wants to work on a banana cargo ship.
10	Hat Pie / Hans, the Dutch Plumber / Hilda's Romantic Tea Party	May 8, 1994	Lowly's hat goes missing. Hans, a plumber working at the Dutch Windmills experiences a leak in a dyke. Hilda has a matchmaking tea party.
11	A Big Operation / Cucumber, the African Photographer / Summer Picnic	May 15, 1994	Huckle gets his tonsils removed in a big operation, but pulls through on the promise of getting ice cream as a reward. Cucumber is really nervous about photographing lions. The class goes on a picnic, but a big storm forces them into a scary cave.
12	Sergeant Murphy's Day Off / Schmudge, the German Chimney Sweep / The Sleeping Car Adventure	May 22, 1994	Sergeant Murphy gets his first day off. Schmudge, a chimney Sweeper in Germany has no luck. Hilda takes a train ride while babysitting.
13	Busytown Regatta / Schtoompah, the Funny Austrian / Busytown Soap Box Derby	May 29, 1994	Busytown celebrates a regatta race. Schtoompah wreaks havoc when he blows his tuba too hard. A Soap box race takes place in Busytown and Sally is left out.

Season 2: 1995[]

Nº	Segments	Air date	Synopsis
14	The Big Story / Couscous in Gibraltar / The Firefighter's Ball	Spring 1995	Huckle and Lowly become news reporters. Couscous captures Peppy and his Dirty Rats in Gibraltar. Smoky, Sparkey and Nozzle get a firefighters ball.
15	The Field Trip / The Great Pie Robbery / Clean Garage	Spring 1995	The Scouts go on a field trip. Madame Dog's pies get stolen. The Cat Family cleans out their garage.
16	Captain Willy and the Pirates / Flying Noodles / Roughing It	Spring 1995	Captain Willy is put ashore by pirates and attempts to get his boat back, as well as catch them. Cucumber takes pictures of a Japanese noodle chef Sato. Fixit takes the scouts to camp.
17	Young Vikings / Sneef Saves the Queen / Hilda the Director	Spring 1995	Huckle and Lowly go sailing on a raft that they built. Sneef captures the culprit who stole the Queen of England's crown. Hilda holds auditions for actors to star in her play.
18	High Flyers / Steamboat Mystery / The Best Waiters Ever	Spring 1995	Rudolph Von Flugel takes Huck and Lowly up in his plane. A mystery involving a steamboat takes place. Mayor Fox invites another mayor to a restaurant.
19	The Big Move / Sneef in Russia / Mr. Frumble Gets a Job	Spring 1995	Billy Dog is moving away. Sneef and Sniff save a Russian mystery. Mr. Frumble gets his first job.
20	Ambulance Cake / The Supermarket Mystery / Big Trouble for Bananas Gorilla	Spring 1995	The hospital hosts a bake sale. Groceries are stolen from the supermarket. Bananas Gorilla gets in more big trouble at his garage job.
21	Sergeant Murphy's Deputy / Couscous in the Sahara / New Friend on the Block	Spring 1995	Overworked Sergeant Murphy gets help from Deputy Flo. Couscous catches Pepe and his Dirty Rats by trapping them in an Egyptian pyramid that they are searching for treasure in. A new friend for Huckle arrives on his street as he tries to deliver cookies to a new neighbor.
22	The Biggest Storm Ever / Cucumber in Rockies / Sally's First Day at School	Spring 1995	A big storm occurs and Sergeant Murphy evacuates all of Busytown to a shelter, but Mr. Gronkle is left behind. Cucumber manages to stop a runaway boxcar that is carrying a wedding cake in the Canadian rockies. Sally Cat starts kindergarten but would rather stay home and play with puppets.
23	No Time for Bananas / Sneef in India / Sally Cat's First Trip	Spring 1995	Bananas Gorilla gets a crush. Sneef and Sniff take on a jewel thief. Sally Cat goes on her first trip to visit her cousin Lily.
24	Grand Hotel / Couscous on the Nile / Cat Family Ski Trip	Spring 1995	Father Cat reviews the Busytown Grand Hotel. Couscous succeed another mystery taking place on a boat on the Nile River. The Cat Family goes skiing.
25	Lowly Breaks His Leg / Cucumber in Machuu Pichuu / The Plight of Penelope Parakeet	Spring 1995	Lowly breaks his one leg and has to survive with being unable to use it. Cucumber saves a Machuu Pichuu mystery where all the costumes for a parade are stolen. Huckle and Lowly pet-sit Penelope Parakeet.
26	A Newspaper Mom / Cucumber in Rio / Donut Raffle	Spring 1995	Mother cat gets a job for newspaper delivering. Cucumber captures a carnival in Rio. A Donut Raffle takes place in Busytown.

Season 3: 1995–96[]

Nº	Segments	Air date	Synopsis
27	The Knights of Busytown / Cave Pigs / Bucketman in Busytown	Fall 1995	A game of The Knights of Busytown ends when Sally doesn't want to be the maiden in distress. The life of cave pigs is featured. Mr. Frumble gets stuck in a painted garbage can.
28	Billy Dog Gets Glasses / Cordelia's Debut / Lowly Joins the Circus	Fall 1995	Billy Dog gets his first pair of glasses. In the Shakespearean era, Cordelia dreams of becoming an actress. Lowly Worm takes part in a circus.
29	The Big Dare / Oliver's Sandwich / Pig Will Won't	Fall 1995	Billy Dog claims he's not scared of ghosts. Oliver is a clumsy butler. Pig Will becomes Pig Won't.
30	The Best Birthday Party Ever / Martha's First Book / Locked Out	Fall 1995	Two simultaneous birthday parties take place in Busytown. In an era where books are printed by hand, Martha reads her first book while witnessing the invention of the printing press. Mr. Frumble gets locked out of his house.
31	Dad's Neat Job / The Discovery of America / Mr. Gronkle's Friends	Fall 1995	Father Cat does a new job. The story of America being discovered by Admiral Columoose is featured. Mr. Gronkle's friends are introduced to his mom.
32	Denys at Camp / Peasant Pig's Gifts / Little Fixit	1996	Denys go to camp. Piggy Origami's granddaughter wants a wedding with origami. Little Fixit, the child of Mr. and Mrs. Fixit is introduced.
33	The School Dance / The First Olympics / Hilda for President	1996	Hilda plans a school dance. The story of the Greek Olympics is featured. Hilda runs for president against Billy Dog.
34	Mr. Frumble's Brother / Viking Pigs / The Perfect Wedding	1996	Mr. Frumble's twin brother goes searching for him. Pig Pigson's crew is unenthusiastic. Miss Honey and Bruno Bear are getting married.
35	A Tough Test / The First Pyramid / The Big Date	1996	Mr. Tough substitutes for the class. Imhotep builds the first pyramid but neglects his son. Billy's mother goes on a date.
36	Inventor of the Year / Macaroni Polo / Lone Wolf at the Lighthouse	1996	Huckle is inspired to become an inventor. Macaroni Polo goes to China. Lone Wolfe grumpily guards a lighthouse.
37	Fun-Time Riddle Race / The First Balloon / Billy Dog's Space Rock	1996	A big riddle race takes place in Busytown starting at the Fire station (with the riddle "When things get really hot, we'll bring you some water") and ending at the Observatory (with the riddle "When it gets dark, look up and watch the show"). The story of the first balloon (a.k.a. Montgolfier) is featured. Billy Dog loses a meteorite from the observatory and tries to find and return it.
38	The Best Amusement Park Ever / The First Bridge / Say Cheese, Please!	1996	Wolfgang, Benny and Harry open a big amusement park, but have trouble in the process. The cave pigs create the first bridge. The class has to take photos of their families, but experience many problems and Huckle finally succeeds in taking the best picture.
39	Has Anyone Seen My Book? / P.J. Pig's Brave Day / Vanderbuilt's New Shoes	1996	Sally's book goes missing. P.J. Pig tries to be a knight. Mr. Gronkle's nephew Vanderbuilt fails the soccer team.

Season 4: 1996[]

Nº	Segments	Air date	Synopsis
40	The Perfect Gentleman / The Best Painter Ever / The Best Day for Dennis	1996	Hilda's friend Rita comes to babysit. Michael Antelope paints the Sistine Chapel. Dennis has his best day.
41	A Trip Back in Time / Home Sweet Home / P.S. Pig's Special Friend	1996	Mr. Fixit builds a time machine. Cavemen search for a cave for their friend. P.S. Pig wishes she got a letter too.
42	Mr. Fixit's Magnet Machine / Sneef and Sniff at the Opera / Mr. Gronkle Won't Mind	1996	Mr. Fixit causes havoc with his new magnet machine that gets out of control and attracts anything made of metal. Sniff and Sneef solve a voice problem at a European Opera. An eventful day occurs in the lives of Lowly, Huckle, and Father Cat.
43	Peter's Visit / The First Skis Ever / Stage Fright	1996	Sally has an imaginary friend Peter. Bernard is too little to help his big brother. Dennis gets stage fright at a public speaking contest.
44	End of the Rainbow / A Signal for Peng / Mr. Frumble's Birthday Party	1996	The class loves a story about a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Peng's wife has a baby when he gets a job at the Great Wall of China. Mr. Frumble forgets his own birthday party.
45	Bananas the Magician / The First Horseless Carriage / Princess Hilda	1996	Bananas Gorilla acts as a magician. The story of the first horseless carriage is featured. Hilda acts as a princess.
46	Daylight Savings Time [sic] / Eager Beaver's Clever Game / The Pickle Car Wash	1996	A clock tower gets stuck during Daylight Saving Time. Eager Beaver makes a clever game. Mr. Frumble has his own car wash for his Pickle Car.
47	Triple A Deliveries / Stanley's Amazing Photo / Lost in the Swamp	1996	Several deliveries take place. Stanley does some of the best photographing. Someone gets lost in the swamp.
48	Mr. Fixit's Super Submarine / Cahuchu's Magic Tree / Mr. Bean's Restaurant	1996	Mr. Fixit invents a submarine and Lowly and Huckle give it a test ride. Little Cahuchu discovers a tree with magical bouncing sap. Mr. Bean opens a drive-in restaurant but only serves beans.
49	The Best Christmas Present Ever / Abe and Babe's Christmas Lesson / Sally Cat's Christmas Dream	1996	The Cat family expects a baby on Christmas. Abe and Babe have been bad, so they get coal for Christmas. Sally Cat has a dream where Santa is in trouble.
50	The Best Car Trip Ever / Earnest's Dish You Can Eat / Cousin Ross	1996	The Cat family goes on a big car trip to the beach. Earnest enters the best new dish contest. Cousin Ross comes to visit Huckle.
51	Fill'er Up Scotty / Niagara Falls Mystery / Helper's Helper	1996	Scotty's tanker truck breaks down. Cucumber succeeds a mystery when Niagara Falls stops flowing and it is blocked by Beaver Sweet Tooth's gang. Deputy Flo gets another helper.
52	Who's Afraid of the Big Eclipse / Hold Your Breath! / Pumpkin Heads	1996	When there is a misprint in The Bugle, the townspeople think that the sun will disappear for 360 years. Toula and her father catch a gold necklace in their net. Huckle, Lowly and Sprout participate in a pumpkin contest.

Season 5: 1997[]

Nº	Segments	Air date	Synopsis
53	The Mole Machine / The Royal Game of Dennis / Now That's Progress	1997	Mr. Fixit invents a mole machine. Abbott Thomas's monk Dennis is unhappy. Mr. Gronkle decides to demolish his decaying castle.
54	Superstitious Bananas / Pépé le Gangstaire / Drive-Through Movie	1997	Bananas Gorilla thinks he's doomed to bad luck. Couscous is shocked that the dirty rats are being let out of jail. A drive-through theater opens.
55	King and Queen for a Day / The Piggy Express / Practice Makes Prefect	1997	Huckle and Hilda become king and queen. Piggy delivers mail through stormy weather. There is a school recital and everyone's unhappy with their parts.
56	The Winners / No More Games, Manuel! / We Won't Go to the Doctor!	1997	Busytown holds a race. Manuel plays jungle explorer. Pig Will and Pig Won't argue about the doctor.
57	Never Too Small / Albert, the Belgian Barge Captain / Rainy Day	1997	Sally and Robbie are too small for basketball. There's a festival of giants in Belgium. Huckle, Lowly, and Sally are bored on a rainy day.
58	Mr. Gronkle Comes to Stay / Leo-pardo's Smile / Blooming Busytown	1997	Mr. Gronkle stays with the Cat family during winter, but freezes in the ice. Leo-pardo is an inventor genius but discovers his greatest innovation. Mr. Root plants flowers all over Busytown.
59	Match-Makers / Forget-bur Never Forgets / Toof Trouble	1997	Huckle plays matchmaker for Mr. Frumble. In Mesopotamia before writing was invented, royal architect Forget-bur tries to build a Ziggurat for the king but keeps forgetting his plans. Hilda has a toothache and is in denial.
60	The New Neighbors / The First Halloween Ever / Now I Know My One, Two, Threes!	1997	A new neighbor moves into Busytown's spooky house. The story of the first Halloween is told. Sally learns how to count after realizing it's okay to ask for help.
61	Mr. Gronkle Moves Away / Counting Chickens / The Spelling Bee	1997	Mr. Gronkle moves to the quiet countryside. Before numbers were invented, a scribe must take inventory of an estate. Billy enters a spelling bee despite lacking confidence in his abilities.
62	Huckle's Feathery Friends / The First Valentine Ever / The Sleepover	1997	Huckle knocks out a bird's nest. The first valentine is created. Dennis goes to Sprout's sleepover.
63	Count on Us! / The First Easter Egg Ever / Be My Valentine	1997	The story of the first easter egg is featured, the Easter Bunny comes to Busytown and Huckle gets some bird friends.
64	The Mystery of the Stone Circle / The Big Apple Christmas Caper / Who's too Scared to Masquerade? /	1997	A substitute teacher takes the class to the Stone Circle. On Christmas someone tries to rob New York. Little kids are intimidated by a masquerade party.
65	A Message in a Bottle / Santa Needs Help / There Really is an Easter Bunny	1997	Series finale. While playing pirate, Huckle discovers a message in a bottle with an SOS message. Hilda writes a Christmas story. Everyone except Huckle and friends are excited for the Easter egg hunt.

Home releases[]

On July 27, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment released The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Every Day There's Something New on DVD in Region 1 (US only). This 3-disc set features the first 30 episodes of the series. On July 19, 2011, Mill Creek released The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Fun in Busytown!, a 4-disc set that features the remaining 35 episodes of the series.

On August 4, 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released The Busy World of Richard Scarry- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 which includes bonus episodes of Busytown Mysteries, Wimzie's House and Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings.

Music[]

Most of the music was written by two composers. The theme song was written by Sara Zahn and composed by Milan Kymlicka, while the underscore was composed and conducted by Laurent Petitgirard and Steve Wener. Several other composers contributed to several educational shorts in the series.