Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness is an American animated comedy spin-off television series co-produced byDreamWorks Animation andNickelodeon Animation Studio based onDreamWorks'Kung Fu Panda films. First released in 2011, the show serves as a bridge between thefirst andsecond films, showing Po's training to becoming a successful Dragon Warrior, whereas the second film is, according to the series' developerPeter Hastings, "not unlike a very long, super-deluxe 3-D version of one of our episodes."[1]
| Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Kung Fu Panda byDreamWorks |
| Developed by | Peter Hastings |
| Voices of |
|
| Composers | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 80(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | September 19, 2011 (2011-09-19) – June 22, 2014 (2014-06-22) |
| Network | Nicktoons |
| Release | February 15 (2016-02-15) – June 29, 2016 (2016-06-29) |
The series was originally set to air onNickelodeon in 2010,[2] but it was pushed back to 2011 instead. The series premiered with a special preview on September 19, 2011, and began airing regularly on November 7.[3] Three seasons were produced. Airing ceased in the United States partway through season 3. Before finishing up in the United States, all the episodes had aired already in other countries, for example onNicktoons in Germany from 2014–15[4][5] and then onYTV in Canada from 2015–16.[6] In 2016,Nicktoons in the United States began running ads announcing the airing of new episodes; it was subsequently revealed that five of the ten unaired episodes would play from February 15 through February 19.[7] As a result, the final episode aired on June 29, 2016.
BesidesLucy Liu andJames Hong, who reprise their film roles as Viper and Mr. Ping, the cast features new voice actors for the characters of Po (Mick Wingert), Master Shifu (Fred Tatasciore), Tigress (Kari Wahlgren), Crane (Amir Talai), Monkey (James Sie), and Mantis (Max Koch).[3]
Netflix commissioned a successor series, titledKung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, in 2022. Peter Hastings, the developer ofLegends of Awesomeness, returned as an executive producer. UnlikeLegends of Awesomeness however,Jack Black reprised his role as Po from the films.[8]
Synopsis
Po and the Furious Five defend the Valley of Peace from villains of different kinds. All the while, Po makes accidents, learns lessons, learns more about the history ofkung fu, and meets other famous kung fu masters.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 26 | September 19, 2011 (2011-09-19) | April 5, 2012 (2012-04-05) | Nickelodeon | |
| 2 | 26 | April 6, 2012 (2012-04-06) | June 21, 2013 (2013-06-21) | ||
| 3 | 28 | 18 | June 24, 2013 (2013-06-24) | June 22, 2014 (2014-06-22) | |
| 10 | February 15, 2016 (2016-02-15) | June 29, 2016 (2016-06-29)[note 1] | Nicktoons | ||
Voice cast
- Mick Wingert asPo[3]
- Fred Tatasciore as Shifu[3]
- Kari Wahlgren as Tigress[3]
- Lucy Liu as Viper[3]
- Amir Talai as Crane[3]
- James Sie as Monkey[3]
- Max Koch as Mantis[3]
- James Hong as Mr. Ping[3]
- Peter Hastings as Apple Cart Duck
Development
The series was DreamWorks Animation's second co-production with Nickelodeon.[9] The two companies previously partnered onThe Penguins of Madagascar.
The show's musical score is done by the Track Team, most Chinese musical instruments includingerhu,zhonghu,gaohu,bawu,hulusi, xiao,dizi,guqin,sanxian,suona, guanzi, xun etc. by well-known multi-instrumentalist Hong Wang.[10] In addition, Sifu Kisu was themartial arts consultant for the show as he was on theAvatar: The Last Airbender series.[11]
Media
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness took part inNickelodeon's revamp to their cartoon season on TV. As an early promotion,Po was featured in a Nickelodeon bumper alongside other characters.[12] On July 23, an exclusive sneak peek of the show was shown at the 2011San Diego Comic-Con, with producers and members of the voice cast present at the panel.[13] A sneak peek episode was released for theDVD /Blu-ray release forKung Fu Panda 2 on December 13, 2011.[14] In addition, twosneak preview episodes aired (one on September 19, 2011 and another on October 21, 2011) before the official premiere of the show. In June 2018, it was announced that the series will stream onHulu.[15]
Other dubbed versions
In 2021, Bangladeshi television channelDuronto started to broadcast aBengali dubbed version of this show as part of the channel's 15th season.[16]
Critical reception
Mary McNamara ofLos Angeles Times calledKung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness "a show that won't drive every adult in earshot absolutely crazy. And these days, that's saying something."[17]Kevin McFarland ofThe A.V. Club said that the show "rips out the elements that made the original film such a surprise, leaving behind a derivative, cliché-laden children's show that recycles moral platitudes adequately but is otherwise indistinguishable from countless other programs" and "isn't a show that's aiming to be cutting edge or original, just mildly entertaining, which it is....This isn't going to harm any kids, but it's not going to impress them either."[18] Despite the mixed reviews, the show has received four Emmy Awards and nominated for four Annie Awards.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Annie Awards[19] | Best Television Production Children | Nominated | |
| Character Animation in a Television Production | Michael Franceschi | |||
| Directing in a Television Production | Gabe Swarr | |||
| Editing in a Television Production | Hugo Morales, Davrick Waltjen, Adam Arnold, Otto Ferrene | |||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Cartoon | |||
| Daytime Emmy Awards[20][21] | ||||
| Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation | Joe Pizzulo, Paulette Lifton,James Lifton, Benjamin Wynn, Jeremy Zuckerman, Rob McIntryre, Anna Adams, Jason Stiff, Molly Minus, Matt Hall, Andrew Ing, Roberto Dominguez Alegria, Aran Tanchum, Chris Gresham and Lawrence Reyes | Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing – Animation | Justin Brinsfield, Matt Corey and Thomas J. Maydeck | |||
| Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special | Sarah Noonan and Meredith Layne | |||
| Outstanding Individual in Animation | Joel Fajnor | |||
| British Academy Children's Awards[22] | International | Peter Hastings, Gabe Swarr, Randy Doormans | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Annie Awards[23][24] | Storyboarding in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production | Ryan Kramer, Paul Linsley, Kenji Ono, Le Tang, Alice Herring, Mike Mullen, Aaron Hammersley (for "Enter the Dragon") | Nominated |
| Writing in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production | Doug Langdale (for "Kung Fu Day Care") | |||
| Editorial in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production | Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrick Waltjen, Otto Ferrene (for "Monkey in the Middle") | Nominated | ||
| Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrick Waltjen, Otto Ferrene (for "Enter the Dragon") | Won | |||
| Daytime Emmy Awards[25][26] | Outstanding Children's Animated Program | Peter Hastings, Bret Haaland, Randy Dormans, Gabe Swarr,Andrew Huebner | Won | |
| Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program | Gabe Swarr, Michael Mullen, Lane Lueras, Juan Meza-Leon, Peter Hastings | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Individual in Animation | Joel Fajnor (for "Kung Fu Day Care") | Won | ||
| Bill Dely (for "Kung Shoes") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Writing in Animation | Peter Hastings, Doug Langdale, Gene Grillo, Paul Rugg, Kevin Seccia, Scot Kreamer | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation | Joe Pizzulo, Gary Falcone, Jeremy Zukerman, Benjamin Wynn, Rob McIntyre, Anna Adams, Marc Schmidt, Andrew Ing, Jeseey Drake, Roberto Dominguez Alegira, Cynthia Merrill | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing – Animation | Justin Brinsfield, Thomas J Maydeck, Rob McIntyre | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards[27] | Outstanding Animated Program | For episode: "Enter The Dragon" | Nominated | |
| British Academy Children's Awards[28] | International | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Annie Awards[29] | Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children's Audience | Nominated | |
| Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Katie Matila | Nominated | ||
| Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Adam Arnold, Hugo Morales, Davrick Waltjen | Nominated | ||
| Daytime Emmy Award[30][31] | Outstanding Children's Animated Program | Peter Hastings, Bret Haaland, Randy Dormans, Gabe Swarr, Joann Estoesta andAndrew Huebner | Won | |
| Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program | Gene Grillo, Peter Hastings, Scott Kreamer, Doug Langdale and Paul Rugg | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program | Aaron Hammersley, Lane Lueras, Michael Mullen and Peter Hastings | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing – Animation | Justin Brinsfield, Matt Corey, Thomas J. Maydeck and Rob McIntyre | Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation | Gary Falcone, Jeremy Zuckerman, Benjamin Wynn, Jessey Drake, Andrew Ing, Anna Adams, Roberto Alegria, Cynthia Merrill, Rob McIntyre and Marc Schmidt | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Daytime Emmy Award[32][33] | Outstanding Sound Editing – Animation | Gary Falcone, Rob McIntyre, Marc Schmidt, Jeremy Zuckerman, Benjamin Wynn, Anna Adams, Andrew Ing, Thomas J. Maydeck, Roberto Dominguez Alegria and Cynthia Merrill | Won |
| Outstanding Sound Mixing – Animation | Justin Brinsfield, Matt Corey, Thomas J. Maydeck, Rob McIntyre and Roberto Dominguez Alegria |
Home media
| Season | Episodes | Release dates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | ||||
| 1 | 2011–12 | 15 (of 26) | Kung Fu Panda 2: December 13, 2011 Episode(s): "Has-Been Hero" Good Croc, Bad Croc: June 18, 2013[34] Episode(s): "The Princess and the Po" • "Chain Reaction" • "Good Croc, Bad Croc" • "Jailhouse Panda" • "Bad Po" • "Po Fans Out" • "Father Crime" The Scorpion Sting: October 15, 2013[35] Episode(s): "Scorpion's Sting" • "Owl Be Back" • "Love Stings" • "Monkey in the Middle" The Midnight Stranger: March 11, 2014[36] Episode(s): "Master Ping" Holiday Hijinks: November 18, 2014 (Redbox exclusive) Episode(s): "Hometown Hero" • "Hall of Lame" | |
| 2 | 2012–13 | 10 (of 26) | The Scorpion Sting: October 15, 2013 Episode(s): "Kung Shoes" • "Crane On A Wire" • "Qilin Time" The Midnight Stranger: March 11, 2014 Episode(s): "Shifu's Back" • "Terror Cotta" • "The Midnight Stranger" • "Shoot the Messenger" • "Secret Admirer" • "Huge" Holiday Hijinks: November 18, 2014 (Redbox exclusive) Episode(s): "Present Tense" | |
| 3 | 2013–16 | 2 (of 28) | Holiday Hijinks: November 18, 2014 (Redbox exclusive) Episode(s): "Shifu's Ex" • "Po Picks a Pocket" | |
Notes
- ^The official series finale "Emperors Rule" first aired sometime in 2014 in Germany. However, in Germany, the final episode to air from season 3 was "Po the Croc", which aired on January 7, 2015, in that country.
References
- ^Zahed, Ramin (October 7, 2011)."Kung Fu Panda Proves His Chops on Nick".Animation Magazine. RetrievedAugust 3, 2014.
- ^Barnes, Brooks (May 13, 2009)."'Kung Fu Panda' to Become a Series on Nickelodeon".The New York Times. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2014.
- ^abcdefghij"Megahit Martial Arts Panda is Back as Nickelodeon and Dreamworks Animation Premiere Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, New CG-Animated Series, Monday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 P.M. (ET/PT)".PR Newswire. October 25, 2011.Archived from the original on November 12, 2011. RetrievedOctober 26, 2011.
this year, has brought in $664 million at the worldwide box office. Kung Fu Panda 2 debuts on Blu-ray and DVD on December 13, 2011. Lucy Liu (Kill Bill) and James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China) reprise their roles as Viper and Mr. Ping
Kari Wahlgren (Tak and the Power of Juju) as Tigress, Amir Talai (Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay) as Crane, Max Koch (Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five) as Mantis, Fred Tatasciore (Family Guy) as Shifu and James Sie (King of the Hill) as Monkey - ^"Kung Fu Panda: Episodenguide" (in German). RetrievedDecember 31, 2015.
71 3. 19 Die ersten Fünf 29.12.2014 The First Five
72 3. 20 Im Dienst des Kaisers (1) 06.09.2014 Emperors Rules, Part 1
73 3. 21 Im Dienst des Kaisers (2) 06.09.2014 Emperors Rules, Part 2
74 3. 22 Jugend Re-Volte 30.12.2014 Youth In Re-Volt
75 3. 23 Ohne Tsin und Verstand 31.12.2014 See No Weevil
76 3. 24 Der greinende Ganter 01.01.2015 Goose Chase
77 3. 25 Der Angsthasenkrieger 02.01.2015 Face Full Of Fear
78 3. 26 Die vernachlässigten Fünf 05.01.2015 Training Session 4
79 3. 27 Camping mit Ping 06.01.2015
80 3. 28 Po, das Krokodil 07.01.2015 - ^"Kung Fu Panda Staffel 3 Episodenguide (Seite 2)".FernsehSerien.De.
Staffel 3, Folge 3.15–3.28
- ^"Kung Fu Panda".RogersOnDemand.Com. Archived fromthe original on February 8, 2016.
EP 65 Emperors Rules (Part 2) Aired on 01/17/16
EP 64 Emperors Rules (Part 1) Aired on 12/20/15
EP 31 Shifus Back Aired on 11/22/15 - ^"All Upcoming Times for Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness".Zap2it. Archived fromthe original on September 26, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2016.
Youth in Re-Volt Mon 2/15
Forsaken and Furious Tue 2/16
Po the Croc Wed 2/17
Camp Ping Thu 2/18
Goose Chase Fri 2/19 - ^"Netflix Orders 'Kung Fu Panda' Animated Series with Jack Black Returning as Po". March 16, 2022.
- ^"Nickelodeon orders 'Kung Fu Panda: The Series'".The Hollywood Reporter. May 14, 2009.
- ^"Starting up on "Kung Fu Panda"".The Track Team. September 16, 2010. Archived fromthe original on April 8, 2011. RetrievedAugust 27, 2011.
- ^Sifu Kisu (July 29, 2011)."Post #2 for Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness". Kung Fu Magazine Forums. RetrievedSeptember 25, 2011.
- ^ToonBarn Rob (May 3, 2011)."Nickelodeon asks: Are you ready? TMNT, TUFF Puppy, Fairly OddParents, SpongeBob, Kung-Fu Panda".ToonBarn. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2011.
- ^Timmy (July 23, 2011)."SDCC 2011: Friday Comic-Con Schedule".MovieWeb. Archived fromthe original on September 11, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2011.
- ^"'Kung Fu Panda 2' Blu-ray Up for Pre-Order!". High-Def Digest. June 26, 2011. RetrievedJune 27, 2011.
- ^Jarvey, Natalie (June 25, 2018)."'Daria,' 'My Super Sweet 16' to Stream Exclusively on Hulu".The Hollywood Reporter. RetrievedJune 25, 2018.
- ^"Duronto TV's 15th season kicks off".Dhaka Tribune. April 8, 2021. RetrievedJuly 7, 2021.
- ^McNamara, Mary (November 7, 2011)."Television review: 'Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness'".Los Angeles Times. RetrievedMay 11, 2012.
- ^McFarland, Kevin (November 7, 2011)."Kung Fu Panda: Legends Of Awesomeness".A.V. Club.Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 30, 2012.
- ^Beck, Jerry (February 4, 2012).""Rango" tops Annie Award Winners".Cartoon Brew. Archived fromthe original on June 3, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2012.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations"(PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. May 9, 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on April 2, 2015. RetrievedMay 10, 2012.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Winners for the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards"(PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. June 17, 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on April 2, 2015. RetrievedJune 18, 2012.
- ^"Children's in 2012".British Academy of Film and Television Arts. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023.
- ^"Annie Awards Nominees". International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood. RetrievedJanuary 31, 2013.
- ^Beck, Jerry (February 2, 2013)."Annie Award Winners".Cartoon Brew. RetrievedFebruary 3, 2013.
- ^"The Nation Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces The 40th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award Nominations".The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. May 1, 2013. Archived fromthe original on May 3, 2013. RetrievedMay 3, 2013.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Winners for the 40th Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards"(PDF). The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. June 14, 2013. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on September 29, 2013. RetrievedJune 18, 2013.
- ^"Outstanding Animated Program"(PDF).Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. p. 18. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on December 28, 2013. RetrievedJuly 18, 2013.
- ^"Children's in 2013".British Academy of Film and Television Arts. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2023.
- ^Amidi, Amid (December 2, 2013)."Complete List of 2013 Annie Award Nominations".Cartoon Brew. RetrievedDecember 6, 2013.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 41st Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations"(PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. May 1, 2014. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on July 5, 2014. RetrievedMay 1, 2014.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Winners for the 41st Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards"(PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. June 21, 2014. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on July 5, 2014. RetrievedJune 21, 2014.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 42nd Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations"(PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. March 31, 2015. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on February 16, 2016. RetrievedMarch 31, 2015.
- ^"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Winners for the 42nd Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards"(PDF). National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. April 26, 2015. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on February 4, 2018. RetrievedApril 26, 2015.
- ^Lambert, David (April 22, 2013)."Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness – 'Good Croc, Bad Croc' is a DVD Release of the TV Spin-Off".TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived fromthe original on May 27, 2013. RetrievedMay 15, 2013.
- ^"Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment: – "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: The Scorpion Sting" on DVD October 15; "Monsters vs Aliens: Cloning Around" on DVD October 15".Don411.com. September 10, 2013. Archived fromthe original on September 12, 2013. RetrievedSeptember 12, 2013.
- ^"Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: The Midnight Stranger". Fox Connect. RetrievedDecember 27, 2013.
External links
