LazyTown (Icelandic:Latibær) is an Icelandic children'seducational musical television series created byaerobics championMagnús Scheving,[1] who portrays the characterSportacus. Originally produced inEnglish, it has been broadcast in dozens of languages globally. Designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, the series was based on Scheving's stage playÁfram Latibær!, itself adapted from a book that Scheving wrote in 1995.[2]
The series was originally commissioned byNickelodeon in early 2003, following the production of two stage plays and a test pilot. Originally performed in American English, it was later dubbed into thirty different languages and broadcast in over 180 countries around the world. It combineslive action,puppetry andcomputer animation, making it one of the most expensive children's shows, with the cost per episode being over five times that of the average children's show.[3]
The first two seasons, consisting of fifty-two episodes, were produced from 2004 to 2007.LazyTown originally aired on Nickelodeon'sNick Jr. block in theUnited States and theUnited Kingdom andRÚV inIceland. In 2011,Turner Broadcasting System Europe acquired LazyTown Entertainment[4] and commissioned the third and fourth seasons.[5][6] Consisting of twenty-six episodes, they premiered in 2013 on Turner'sCartoonito and later on Viacom'sChannel 5, for a total of seventy-eight episodes and four seasons. LazyTown was also aired in the United States in thePBS Kids Sprout channel after it acquired the rights to the show.
The series focuses on a town called LazyTown, where the residents spend most of their time being inactive and unmotivated. With help from heroSportacus and newcomerStephanie, they learn how to become more active and lead healthier lifestyles. They are opposed by the villainousRobbie Rotten, who prefers to lead a sluggish life and devises schemes to make LazyTown lazy. However, his plans, which, ironically, involve him becoming physically active, are never foolproof and always end in failure.
Each of the children that Stephanie befriends embodies negative traits. Ziggy has an unbalanced diet devoid of fruits and vegetables, Pixel is very reclusive and spends too much time on his computer, Stingy is self-centered, selfish and possessive, and Trixie is a troublemaker and spoiled brat with little respect for rules and other people. As the series progresses, the characters become less lazy in favor of a healthier lifestyle.
The program features a predominantlyEurodance soundtrack.[7] Each episode features at least one original song and concludes with a performance of "Bing Bang", sung by Stephanie. Many tracks are reworked versions of songs from the original Icelandic plays.
Sportacus,Icelandic:Íþróttaálfurinn,lit. 'the athletic elf', (portrayed byMagnús Scheving), is the hero of LazyTown and the male protagonist of the series, who has a rivalry with Robbie Rotten and is dedicated to exercise and healthy eating. He lives in a futuristic airship above LazyTown and is alerted to people who need help when the crystal on the chest of his costume glows. He is empowered by fruits and vegetables, which he calls "sports candy", but loses his powers after eating junk food, which can only be restored by eating healthy food. In the third season, he gains new equipment, including a backpack that is integrated into his outfit and contains food and sports equipment. His crystal also flashes red when his energy is low.
Stephanie,Icelandic:Solla Stirða,lit. 'Solla inflexible', (portrayed byShelby Young in the unaired pilot,[8] Julianna Rose Mauriello in series 1–2 and Chloe Lang in series 3–4), is an energetic and kind, but shy and sassy, 8-year-old[9] girl and aspiring dancer and the female protagonist of the series. Upon moving to LazyTown to live with Mayor Meanswell, she is surprised by Ziggy, Pixel, Stingy and Trixie's laziness and tries to convince them to try healthier activities while dealing with Robbie Rotten's schemes.
Robbie Rotten,Icelandic:Glanni Glæpur,lit. 'reckless crime' (portrayed byStefán Karl Stefánsson), is the villain of LazyTown and the main antagonist of the series, who devises schemes to keep the citizens of LazyTown lazy and discourage their active lifestyles. He despises Sportacus, and several of his schemes involve trying to get rid of him fails for many times. Ironically, he puts so much effort into his schemes that he is one of LazyTown's most active citizens.
Ziggy,Icelandic:Siggi Sæti,lit. 'Siggi sweet', (puppeteered and voiced byGuðmundur Þór Kárason in the US, voiced by Lorraine Parsloe in the UK), is a 6-year-old[9] boy who loves candy and sweets. He is naive and idolizes Sportacus.
Pixel,Icelandic:Goggi Mega, (puppeteered by Ronald Binion/Julie Westwood and voiced byNoel MacNeal/Kobie Powell/Chris Knowings/Ronald Binion in the US andJoanna Ruiz in the UK), is a 9-year-old[9] boy, who is passionate about technology and inventing. He is reclusive and antisocial, repairing gadgets to avoid exercising and often spending time on his computer or playing video games. He has a crush on Stephanie and often struggles to talk to her. His house often serves as a meeting spot for the kids, as it is spacious and has a television.[10][11] He represents reclusiveness and technology addiction.
Stingy,Icelandic:Nenni Níski,lit. 'Nenni cheapskate', (puppeteered by Jodi Eichelberger in the US andSarah Burgess/Julie Westwood in the UK), is a 7-year-old[9] boy who is selfish and possessive, but cares for his friends. He has a piggy bank who he calls Piggy and considers his best friend, and his father is supposedly the richest man in town. He represents possessiveness and a self-centered attitude.
Trixie,Icelandic:Halla Hrekkjusvín,lit. 'Halla trickster', (puppeteered by Amanda Maddock/Sarah Burgess/Heather Asch/Aymee Garcia and voiced by Sarah Burgess/Heather Asch/Aymee Garcia in the US and Joanna Ruiz in the UK), is an 8-year-old[9] girl who is fun-loving and often causes trouble. She also has a crush on Stingy and even gives him a kiss in the episode "Crystal Caper." She represents impatience and a lack of respect for rules.
Mayor Milford Meanswell,Icelandic:Bæjarstjórinn,lit. 'the mayor', (puppeteered by David Matthew Feldman), is Stephanie's uncle and the mayor of LazyTown, who has a crush on Bessie. He is old-fashioned and often confused by modern technology.
Miss Bessie Busybody,Icelandic:Stína Símalína,lit. 'Stína phoneline', (puppeteered by Julie Westwood), is the town PR agent and Mayor Meanswell's secretary. Though pompous and sassy, she is fashionable, aware of trends, and tries to be motherly with the kids. She is often so engrossed with talking on her cellphone that she is oblivious to what is going on around her.
Jives Junkfood,Icelandic:Maggi Mjói, is a tall and thin teenage boy who lives alone in his house. Though he only appears in the Icelandic plays, his home appears in the series and he is seen on cards and books.
The rooster,Icelandic:Haninn, is a symbol of LazyTown, appearing on the town seal and on the papers in Meanswell's filing cabinets. In the second play, the rooster was an anthropomorphic character who acted as anarrator.
Bean appears in Sprout'sLazyTown spin-off block "The Super Sproutlet Show", who shows viewers how to plant fruits and vegetables and make healthy meals. She rides on a bike with a greenhouse on the back.
LazyTown began as a storybook published in 1995 titledÁfram Latibær! ("Go Go LazyTown!").[2] A second book,Latibær á Ólympíuleikunum (LazyTown at the Olympics), was published in 1996. Later in 1996, a stage adaptation of the first book was shown in Iceland.[a] It featured Sportacus as an energetic elf and Stephanie as an out-of-shape dancer. The puppet characters seen in the television series also appeared in human form, but Robbie Rotten did not yet exist. A third book,Latibær í Vandræðum (LazyTown in Trouble), was published in 1997. This book introduced Robbie Rotten to the franchise. A second stage show based on the third book titledGlanni Glæpur í Latabæ (Robbie Rotten in LazyTown) debuted in 1999. It introduced Stefán Karl Stefánsson as Robbie Rotten and featured more finalized versions of the other characters.Nickelodeon Australia reported that by the time the second play finished touring,LazyTown had become ahousehold name in Iceland.[14] A variety of tie-in products and media were created in the country before Scheving decided to developLazyTown into a television program; these included bottled water, toy figures, and a radio station.[15] Development on the TV series began in 2000, following the success of the second play. Production on the TV series began in 2002, and in 2003, the pilot was pitched toNickelodeon. A deal was subsequently made with the network.
In most episodes, the only characters played by live actors are Sportacus, Stephanie, and Robbie Rotten. The rest of the characters are depicted aspuppets, made by theNeal Scanlan Studio andWit Puppets. The show was filmed and produced at 380 Studios, a purpose-built studio near Reykjavík equipped with high-endHDTV production facilities and one of the largest green screens in the world. The production floor area is 1,800 square meters.[16][17] The budget for each episode was approximately ISK 70,000,000 (US$1 million), about five times the average cost for a children's television program at the time, making it "the most expensive children's show in the world" according to Scheving.[18][19]
Its virtual sets were generated with anUnreal Engine 3-based framework, created by Raymond P. Le Gué and known as XRGen4. According to Le Gué, "We start with the live actors and puppets on a physical set with a green screen behind them as a backdrop. The green screen is replaced in real time with the sets created in XRGen4 using UE3. As we move the camera and actors around the physical set, the backdrop scene also moves in real time in complete synchronization with the movements of the real camera. All of this is recorded, and the director can watch the resulting composition in real time."[20] Seasons 3 and 4 ofLazyTown were filmed as usual in the LazyTown Studios in Iceland, but the special effects for these seasons were created byTurner Studios in Atlanta.[21]
On 16 May 2024, in an interview given toStöð 2, Magnús Scheving received the rights forLazyTown back fromWarner Bros. Discovery. Also expressing interest in reviving the show in some way, Scheving remarks, "LazyTown must be moving. We sometimes say "Let's move the world". Let's move the world. That's what LazyTown should do. I think that LazyTown has a lot to do again, as can be seen from YouTube views and such. It's a hugely popular topic, incredibly."[22]
In the United States, the show debuted onNickelodeon on theNick Jr. block on August 16, 2004, and ended on October 15, 2007.[23] The second season debuted in the United States on Nickelodeon in 2006.[24][25] It also aired in the United States onCBS, as part of theNick Jr. on CBSSaturday morning block, from September 18, 2004, to September 9, 2006. The series aired daily on theNick Jr. Channel from September 28, 2009, to July 19, 2010.[26] On April 18, 2011,PBS Kids Sprout acquired the US TV rights toLazyTown.[27] The series aired daily onPBS Kids Sprout from September 5, 2011, to September 26, 2016.LazyTown aired onNBC Kids from July 7, 2012, to March 27, 2016.[citation needed]
The series has been broadcast on a variety of networks internationally, many of which belong toViacom Media Networks.Nickelodeon Southeast Asia has carried the program in eleven territories.[28] In Australia and New Zealand, it is shown onNickelodeon Australia.[14] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it aired onNick Jr. UK,Noggin,Boomerang andCBeebies.[29][30] The series arrived in the UK on October 3, 2005, making a simultaneous debut on both Nickelodeon and CBeebies. CBeebies aired the first two series and stopped repeats in March 2012.Nick Jr UK stopped airing repeats in 2011.[31][32] After the series was revived for seasons three and four, Turner'sCartoonito premiered episodes from 2013 to 2014. Viacom'sChannel 5 also aired the newer episodes as part of itsMilkshake! programming block until 2016.[33][34] Channel 5'sDemand 5 service carried episodes of the Icelandic version in 2015.[35]
In 2008, aSpanish-dubbed version ofLazyTown debuted onV-me, a television network created for theHispanic market in the US.[36] The Spanish-dubbed version was also aired onTelemundo (a sister station toNBC) as part of the weekend pre-school morning block MiTelemundo.
In 2011 an Arabic dub aired on Cartoon Network Arabia's early morning Cartoonito block for the Middle East and North Africa and it aired until late 2014 when the block was discontinued. It made a brief return back to air in 2019 upon the return of the Cartoonito block on the channel but hasn"t been aired since. In 2010 a subbed version briefly aired on Saudi Channel MBC 3 but was"t a huge success compared to the dubbed version at Cartoon Network Arabia.
In Brazil, the two first seasons of the show was broadcast with Brazilian Portuguese dubbing onSBT (on the children's television blockBom Dia & Cia), and subsequently onDiscovery Kids andCartoon Network. The last two seasons were broadcast onBoomerang until 2018.
In Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia, the show was broadcast onUltra TV. A Croatian-dubbed version calledLijeni Grad was broadcast in Croatia onHRT 2. A Macedonian-dubbed version called Мрзеливиот Град was broadcast in Macedonia onSitel.
In Portugal, the first two seasons of the European Portuguese version aired onRTP2, andCanal Panda, with the latter two seasons airing solely on RTP 2 several years later.
The week ofLazyTown's debut on Nickelodeon in the United States was the channel's highest-rated premiere week in three years.[37] A broadcast of the hour-longprimetime episode "LazyTown's New Superhero" in August 2005 drew three million total viewers, ranking number-one in its time period among all broadcast and cable television with the 2–5, 2–11, and 6–11 demographics.[38] The episode garnered double-digit increases over the last Nick Jr. primetime special to air before it, which was an episode of the network's then-highest-rated seriesDora the Explorer.[38]
The Hollywood Reporter's Marilyn Moss praised the show's intentions to encourage exercise, calling it "great fun for the very young set, not to mention educational, maybe even life-changing."[39] Justin New ofThe Washington Times calledLazyTown "a great show" and stated that he admired the Sportacus character.[40]Common Sense Media's Joly Herman gave the show a more mixed review, stating that the characters' healthy choices are "sometimes lost in the show's chaotic nature".[41] Pete Vonder Haar of theHouston Press calledLazyTown "pretty much the creepiest show on TV sinceTwin Peaks", citing the "off-putting" mix of live-action and puppetry.[42]
The program has been noted for its appeal towards multiple age groups. In 2005,The Boston Globe stated that the program "has sparked a cult of healthy living among a certain preschool set [and] has a grown-up following, too".[43] Lynne Heffley of theLos Angeles Times stated that LazyTown "has zany appeal, even to viewers who are no longer 'junior'."[44]
On 15 September 2008, a spin-off television series calledLazyTown Extra debuted in the United Kingdom onCBeebies.[52] A "magazine format style show" for 3 to 6-year-olds, it features characters fromLazyTown in an assortment of short sketches.[53] Twenty-six episodes ofLazyTown Extra were produced, each between 11 and 15 minutes in duration.[54][55]
In February 2005, Nickelodeon unveiled a collection ofLazyTown products at theAmerican International Toy Fair.Fisher-Price partnered with Viacom's consumer product division to produce the merchandise, all of which was designed to encourage physical activity.[37]
From June to August 2005,LazyTown's Stephanie hosted the "Nick Jr. Power Play Summer" event, which involved a series of television spots that replaced the channel's standard on-air continuity. Similarly to the live performances and the program itself, this campaign was an experiment designed by the network to increase awareness of exercise and nutrition in its preschool audience.[56]
Nickelodeon produced a stage show titledLazyTown Live! in 2005. It debuted atNickelodeon Suites Resort on 6 August.[57] A modified version toured the United Kingdom and Ireland between October 2007 and August 2008. It introduced a new cast to the United Kingdom, including Julian Essex-Spurrier as Sportacus.[18][58][59]
A Spanish-speaking version of the live show premiered in Mexico in 2008, followed by Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. As of 2009[update], it was scheduled to tour the United States in 2010.[60][61] A Brazilian version of the live show premiered inSão Paulo in October 2008.[62] New productions ofLazyTown Live had their premieres in November 2009 in Portugal and in March 2010 in Spain by producersWarner Bros. Entertainment. A stage play premiering in 2011 introduced the character and concept for Roboticus, which became the first episode of Season 3 of the show in an abridged form.[63]
From 28 January, to 29 November 2009, a live stage production entitledLazyTown Live! The Pirate Adventure toured the United Kingdom and Ireland. It featured characters and songs fromLazyTown, performed by a new cast.[64][65] In 2016, a UK production entitledLazyTown Live On Stage ran from 7 July 2016, to 4 September 2016. This production was posted onYouTube and featured the song "We Are Number One".[66][67][68]
A live showLazyTown in Schools premiered in Australia in 2012, touring schools to promote healthy eating and fitness for children.[69]
^Premiered in April 1996 with the Theater Company ofVestmannaeyjar.[12] Another stage production byBaltasar Kormákur premiered in November 1996 in Reykjavík.[13]