October 15, 2005 - August 12, 2006
Jane and the Dragon is a CGI children's animated television series based on the books of the same name by Martin Baynton. The show is directed by Mike Fallows and the motion capture is directed by Peter Salmon; it is co-produced by Weta Workshop (as Weta Productions) in New Zealand and Nelvana Limited in Canada. The series follows the comedic exploits of Jane-- an adolescent girl training to be a knight-- and her friend Dragon-- a talking, flying, 300-year-old, fire-breathing dragon. The program originally aired on YTV in Canada and on ABC in Australia. It also aired on the Qubo weekend lineup from September 9, 2006 (four weeks after its cancellation) until 2021, when the network shut down1. It can be seen on Five in the UK. In American broadcasts, it bears the E/I bug. Episodes are available as part of the "Kids Suite" sold via Bell/Rogers in Canada and are broadcast on Tuesdays on Disney Junior on the Disney Channel. It has also been on Treehouse TV.
Storyline[]
Jane is a redhead 12-year-old adolescent girl who lives in a small fictional kingdom called Kippernium located in southern England. According to the backstory explained in the opening theme song, Jane was being trained to become a lady-in-waiting but had always dreamed of becoming a knight. When the prince is kidnapped by a dragon, Jane sets out to slay the beast. When Jane brings the prince back, the king makes her a knight apprentice. Jane and the dragon end up becoming best friends. Further details of this early adventure are never explained in the series. They are, however, explained in detail in the book Jane and the Dragon by Martin Baynton. The series follows Jane's interactions with the rest of the castle's residents and their frequent adventures. Themes of integrity, loyalty, friendship, and courage are woven through the stories. Jane frequently makes errors in judgment, but every episode ends happily. As a knight apprentice, Jane trains and performs various tasks and duties around the castle. Her master is wise Sir Theodore. Sir Ivon, a valiant but somewhat comical knight, has an apprentice of his own named Gunther, a boy whose integrity seems outwardly questionable and whom Jane views as a rival. Dragon helps Jane as she trains to become a knight. When she is on patrol duty, he lets her ride on his back as he flies around the kingdom. Jane, in turn, helps Dragon, who is an orphan, in his efforts to uncover the secrets of his ancestry. In addition to Dragon, Jane has several other friends among the castle staff. Jester the royal jester, Pepper the castle cook and Rake the castle gardener are all about Jane's age. She is also friends with Smithy, the castle blacksmith and stable hand. Also residing in the castle are the King and Queen, their two children, Jane's parents and the wizard. The only non-resident of the castle seen is Gunther's father, a merchant who has regular dealings with Jane's father and the king. No other characters are seen or heard in the series. The wizard is never seen but he lives in a tower, in the far corner of the Royal Gardens near the castle. He is seemingly knowledgeable in alchemy. The younger members of the castle staff appear to be afraid of him, for some reason. While hoping to preserve verisimilitude in its portrait of the earthy characters inhabiting a medieval castle Baynton engineered into his depiction substitute swear words to avoid controversy with parents. Jane is prone to exclaiming "Maggots!" when frustrated or exasperated. In this manner the series taps into the imagination of children, encouraging them to find their own expressions that can be much more fun and creative and colourful than conventional profanity without being offensive.
TV Show Intro[]
Jane And The Dragon Theme Song
Sound Effects Used[]
- Hollywoodedge, Fart 2 Short Fart Clos PE139001 (Used for The Dragon when he farts.)
- Hollywoodedge, Gusts Heavy Cold Wind PE031601/Hollywoodedge, Whistling Wind Stead PE033301 (Heard in "The Dragon's Tail".)
- Hollywoodedge, Seagulls No Surf BT022101 (Heard in "Pride and Pollen" and once in "Knight Light".)
- Nelvana Stomach Growl (Used for The Dragon's stomach in some episodes and once for Prince Cuthbert's stomach in "Strawberry Fool".)
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, ROOSTER - MORNING CALL, ANIMAL 01 (Heard once in "Go West Young Gardener" and "The Tooth Fairy".)
- Sound Ideas, CHICKEN - BARNYARD, C.U. CLUCK, SQUAWK, FLAP, ANIMAL, BIRD (Heard once in "For Crying Out Loud".)
- Sound Ideas, COW - SINGLE MOO, ANIMAL 02 (Heard once in low volume in "For Crying Out Loud".)