ZingZillas

ZingZillas
Developed by	CBeebies in association with BBC Worldwide Created by Steve Cannon, Alan Robinson and Barry Quinn
Written by	Simon Davies
Music by	Banks & Wag
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	originally English
Production
Producer(s)	David Collier Dominic Macdonald Tony Reed
Running time	22 minutes (series 1 & 2) 11 minutes (series 3 & 4)
Distributor	BBC
Release
Original network	CBeebies
Picture format	PAL 16:9
Audio format	Stereo
First shown in	CBeebies
Original release	5 April 2010 - 23 April 2012
External links
Website

ZingZillas is a British television programme aimed at young children, broadcast on the BBC pre-school channel CBeebies.

Overview

ZingZillas is a music show aimed at children ages six and under.

It is set on a monkey-shaped tropical island where everyone joins in to create music magic. They use musical influences from all over the globe from rock to soul, jazz to samba, big band to orchestra.

A yellow submarine is sometimes seen in the sea near the island. One episode contains what appears to be a view from the submarine through its periscope. In a recently started 5-minute version called Zingzillas Zingbop, the submarine goes very near the viewpoint, showing children inside the submarine through its portholes; those children later take part in the programme's singing and dancing session, as if (in the world of the story) the submarine is the usual transport for guests to and from the island.

The main characters are primates: Zak, Tang, Panzee and the youngest, Drum. They are mentored by music guru DJ Loose and they create their unique ZingZilla sound just in time for their daily performance which is called 'The Big Zing'. A coconut clock counts down the time to the Big Zing and breaks each programme into four parts.

In every episode they are visited by a different musical guest. The ZingZillas always discover their musical guests in a 'glade' in the jungle and they take inspiration from these guests, incorporating them and their sounds into The Big Zing.

Original music for the series has been composed by Banks & Wag.

On Monday 30 August 2010, "Do You Didgeridoo?" was released on an EP, alongside the "ZingZillas Theme Tune" and "Bhangra Beat", reaching #1 in the iTunes Children's Chart.

On Monday 4 October 2010, "ZingZillas: The Album" was released on CD and as a digital download, reaching #1 in the iTunes Children's Chart on the first day. The recording features guest tracks by musical luminaries who have appeared on the show including cellist Julian Lloyd Webber flautist James Galway and jazz vocalist Cleo Laine.

On 28 February 2011 Cbeebies began broadcasting a 20 part series of 5 minute spinoff programmes entitled "Zingzillas Zingbop" which is hosted by DJ Loose, where a small group of children (known as Zingboppers) go to Zingzilla Island and are taught to dance to a Zingzillas song. The Zingboppers then participate in the final Zingbop. Every Zingbop performed is of course "the best Zingbop ever".

Characters

Each ZingZilla has their own personality:^[1]

• Panzee is feminine and loves dressing up. She is sensitive, fun and always ready to try something new. She is a chimpanzee, played by Victoria Bovingdon,^[2] and voice by Sarah-Jane Honeywell:^[3]
• Tang thinks creatively and is never afraid of asking for help when he doesn't know the answer. He is an orangutan, played by Nick Kellington and voiced by Gary Jordan ^[4]
• Zak has a positive attitude. He is serious, confident and likes taking risks. He is a gorilla, played by Jeremiah Krage^[5] and Jack Andrews and has purple fur. He is voiced by Michael Offei.
• Drum is very young at heart. She loves exploring sounds and enjoys making rhythms and noise. She is very sensitive to the mood of music. She resembles a golden lion tamarin, is played by Rachelle Beinart and Amy Collins and her voice is by Penni Tovey^[3]

Other characters

• Todd is the ‘father figure’. Helpful, inventive, accident-prone and loveable. He is a mandrill.
• Auntie Dot is a relation of Todd's and whose voice is by Penni Tovey^[3]
• DJ Loose Is the island's sloth DJ. He plays the ZingZillas music made by real people in the glade.
• The Beach Byrds (Maxine, Patti and Laverne ^[6]) are tropical birds who work in the coconut hut and say everything tunefully.
• The Moaning stones are similar to the standing moai heads on Easter Island. Although four are shown, only the middle pair called Granite and Gravel talk. All four heads jet into the sky near the end of each episode signalling the start of the "big zing".

Episodes & guest performers

Series 1

Series 1 has been broadcasting on CBeebies since 5 April 2010

1. Didgeridoo Hullabaloo: Dhinawan
2. Tang's Happy Day: Jim Hart
3. Rock Guitar: The BMQ
4. Auntie Dot's Dash: Piper Martin McKay
5. ScatZilla!: Cleo Laine, John Dankworth & Friends
6. Operatic Todd: BBC Concert Orchestra with Sarah Connolly & Ben Foster
7. Sticker Trouble: Julian Lloyd-Webber
8. Bhangra Beats: Jugnu Bhangra
9. Squeaky Boots: Kickin' Alice
10. Sweet Dreams: Catrin Finch
11. A Great Place to Live: James Knight
12. Bubble Trouble: Elio Pace
13. Tang's Clubhouse: BBC Concert Orchestra, Ben Foster
14. Welcome Beach Byrds: Lila Cita
15. Zak's Rubbish Day: Julian Bliss
16. Disappearing Drum: Joji Hirota & Hiten Ryu Daiko
17. The Fan Letter: Jay Phelps
18. Hide and Seek: Dame Evelyn Glennie
19. Birthday Todd: Silk Street Hot Seven
20. Gravel and Granite's Quiet Night In
21. The Z Factor: Philip Achille
22. Panzee's Photograph: Dr Lonnie Smith, Jamire Williams & Jonathan Kreisberg
23. Tang's Hooter: Sir James Galway
24. Where's Yapple: BBC Concert Orchestra, Ben Foster
25. Tuba Swaps: The Amazing Bavarian Stompers

Series 2

Series two has been broadcasting on CBeebies since 18 October 2010.

1. Super Zak: Lydia Kavina
2. Panzee Gets the Giggles: The Swingle Singers
3. Bam-Boo!: Kausary
4. Try a Triangle: Petit et la Gross
5. Auntie Dot's Special Show
6. Aloha Flower: Polynesian Beats
7. The Golden Coconut: BBC Concert Orchestra, Ben Foster
8. Banana Blues: Stuart Zender
9. Tang's Photo Album: Verena Menichellui & Angus Cruickshank, Dame Evelyn Glenny, Sarah Connolly & BBC Concert Orchestra, Petit et la Grosse
10. Music Box: Roderick Elms
11. Panzee's Poorly Knee: BJ Cole
12. The Red Button: Matt Gooderson
13. Trombone Trouble: Chris Lowe
14. Panzee's Wish Stall: Zhou Jinyan
15. Cinema Day
16. Salsa Dip: La Cuba Ritmo
17. Making a Choice: Jonathan Mayer
18. The Hairy Diggle: Nicola Benedetti
19. The Singing Bowl: Frank Perry
20. Todd's Little Helper: Karen Geoghegan
21. Home: Michael Messer
22. Pirate Day: The Hornpipers featuring Robert Harbron, Miranda Rutter & Laurel Swift
23. Pom Pom: Ebony Steelband Trust
24. Where's the Bug?: Dame Evelyn Glennie
25. DJ Loose's Radio Show
26. Let It Snow: ACM Gospel Choir

Series 3

Series three started broadcasting on CBeebies from the 21 November 2011.

1. Thunder and Lightning:
2. Disco Lights:
3. Panzee, I'm Sorry:
4. Catch That Beat:
5. Giddyup and Go:
6. On the Drums:
7. Pause For a Moment:
8. Beatbox:
9. Sunshine:
10. ZingZilla Rock N Rollin':
11. To the Beat of a Drum:
12. Brush Your Teeth:
13. Let's Play:
14. Listen to the Wind:
15. Panzee's Family Show:
16. Cooking in the Kitchen:
17. Like a Firefly:
18. Tiny or Tall:
19. It's Fun to Be a One Man Band:
20. Granite's Glasses:
21. I'll Grow Flowers for You:
22. Orangutango:
23. My Lazy Afternoon:
24. Chugging On a Train:
25. Shake It:
26. Counting the Pennies:

Series 4

Series 4 started airing on CBeebies from 23 April 2012.^[7]

1. Electric Guitar: Justin & Dan Hawkins
2. New Banana Car: Urban Strawberry Lunch
3. Spread the Word: Melanie Oesch
4. Never Mind: The Grimethorpe Colliery Band
5. You Need a Hat: Mariachi El Mexicano
6. You Can Really Do It If You Try: Bond
7. The Little Pigs Saved the Day: Mukul Acharya
8. All the Fun of the Fair: Boggart's Breakfast
9. Flying to the Moon: Kojo
10. Shopping: Paul Patrick
11. Statues: Sharon Shannon, Jim Murray, Dezi Donnelly, Michael McGoldrick & The North West Celtic Dance Ladies
12. Belle of the Ball: Bond, Tom Malone & Natalie Patel
13. Why Don't You Copy Us Too?: Nuline Dance Cumbria
14. Echo On the Island: Michele Montolli
15. Good to Be Me
16. Hangin' Loose
17. Everyone's Different: Julian Smith
18. Jogging Day: Justin and Dan Hawkins, Paul Patrick
19. Robotic Beat: Rie Fujii
20. Fall Asleep: George Panda
21. Washing Up: Mahatma Skiffle Orchestra
22. Zak Loves Dancing: Valentino & The Grecian Dancers
23. Everybody Bogle to the Island Beat
24. Magical Carpet Ride: Hassan Erraji
25. Staying Up Late: Simon Finch
26. Picnic Day: Urban Strawberry Lunch, Mariachi El Mexicano, Bond

DVD releases

Welcome to the Island

This DVD contains five episodes^[8] (note that it's not the first five of the series, although there's a lot of overlap):

1. Didgeridoo Hullabaloo
2. Operatic Todd
3. Rock Guitar
4. Auntie Dot's Dash
5. A Great Place to Live

Extras: Musical instrument game and character profile.

World Music Tour

This DVD contains five episodes:^[9]

1. Bhangra Beats
2. Welcome Beach Byrds
3. Keep your Castanets
4. Disappearing Drum
5. Bam-boo!

Extras: Interactive game

References

External links

• ZingZillas at the Internet Movie Database
• ZingZillas official website
• Banks & Wag official website
• Do You Didgeridoo? EP