Olivia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Olivia
Genre	Children, Animated
Created by	Ian Falconer
Written by	Jill Gorey
Starring	Emily Gray Jeremy Herzig Danny Katiana Michael Van Citters Ian Eagle Brianna McCracken Yvonne Craig
Opening theme	"Olivia!" Composed by Darren Hendley
Country of origin	United States United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	23 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	15-30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Milkshake! Nick Jr. Disney Junior Latin America Treehouse TV
Original run	January 26, 2009 – August 21, 2011

Olivia (also known as Welcome to the World of the Pig Olivia) is a British-American children's animated television series produced by media company Chorion and based on Ian Falconer's books. It is seen on Nick Jr. in the US, Milkshake!, Nick Jr. in the UK and Ireland, and Disney Junior in Latin America and Brazil, Treehouse TV in Canada. The show has won a silver Parents' Choice Award for its positive story lines and characters.^[1]

Plot

Taking place in a world where all people are pigs, Olivia revolves around the title character and her family. The plots are mostly everyday situations in which Olivia finds herself and her unique way of dealing with them. In almost every episode Olivia also dispenses her "Rules of Life". In each episode, Olivia dreams of having a job from the episode's experiences, such as being an artist after visiting the art gallery or being her mom's assistant after helping plan her friend's birthday party.

Episodes

Over two seasons, there have been 33 episodes of Olivia.

Rules of life

Olivia has a list called "Rules of Life" including:

• 3. If you have to sit next to a little brother eating spaghetti, you'd better wear a raincoat.
• 4. If you really want to hide your baby brother, change his diaper first.
• 5. Not everyone looks good in red, especially when you're pink.
• 7. Whatever the question, Costumes are always a good answer.
• 8. Never miss a very important party.
• 12. Sometimes other people's idea of fun is very different from your own.
• 14. If you wake your baby brother up from a nap, sometimes he'll get upset, and sometimes your mother will too.
• 19. Sometimes you just have to use your big voice.
• 21. Little brothers don't know anything about being a mommy.
• 24. If you have a pet that never, ever, ever moves, watch out 'cause one day he will.
• 24. Just because it's called a veggie loaf, it doesn't mean it can't be something more exciting, like a veggie castle.
• 27. One good thing about little brothers: sometimes they get how funny you are.
• 28. I know this is hard to believe, but more of something isn't always better.
• 30. Just because your brother eats like a wild animal doesn't mean he is one.
• 31. Most people think animals don't talk, but they do. They just talk very quietly.
• 36. If you are stuck being cow #2, make sure you have a moon to jump over.
• 38. Just because a dog looks cute in a nurse's hat doesn't mean he's a very good nurse.
• 41. What's the point of bringing kids to work if they can't help.
• 42. If it weren't for mothers, little brothers would be very stinky.
• 44. Sometimes children know better than their parent, but we never tell them.
• 47. Walking up things is harder than walking down them, but the view is beautiful.
• 47. School glue has many uses.
• 48. If you really really really want something, it helps to use triple please.
• 49. Little brothers always want the same thing you want.
• 51. Being a flying reindeer takes a lot of energy, so it's good to feed them vegetables.
• 52. If your mom is having a baby and she asks you whether you want a brother or a sister, that does not mean you're really gonna get the kind you ask for.
• 52. Never seat your customers under an angry squirrel with acorns, unless they insist.
• 53. When playing a cowbell, never underestimate the importance of enthusiasm.
• 55. If your teacher says 'no' to a sea lion or an elephant, a tiger is probably out of the question.
• 55. When you walk dogs, it is better if you only walk dogs.
• 65. For some reason, headbands make you feel faster.
• 68. If you build a really big solar system, make sure you have a really big bedroom door.
• 74. A crying baby is not always a bad thing.
• 88. A while can be a very, very, very long time when you're 6¾.
• 100. Red is the very best color for absolutely, positively everything.
• 110. It's important to use fancy French words when you're talking about ballet.
• 111. No matter what planet your brother is from, he's still going to have bad manners.
• 114. Be nice to your toys and stuffed animals, because one day they may end up helping your best friend.
• 129. A little parent appreciation goes a long way
• 147. Most of the time, little brothers ask silly questions, and sometimes they ask really good ones.
• 312. Even a plain old peanut and butter jelly sandwich tastes special when you pull a really good trick on your little bother.

The other characters do not seem to know about her Rules of Life except Oscar and Otto in one episode and Ian in one episode. Olivia breaks the fourth wall when she addresses the viewer with her rule for that episode.

Characters

Olivia (voiced by Emily Gray),^[2] a 6-year-old pig, is the main character of the show. She is imaginative and fantasizes about different roles, such as pop star or super hero. She displays good behavior and shows kids how to share, use their imaginations, be physically active, and be self-confident.^[3]

Olivia's family

Ian (voiced by Michael van Citters)^[4] is Olivia's 4-year-old younger brother. He looks up to Olivia and enjoys being included in her activities, but often becomes the typical annoying "little bother". He likes, among other things, dinosaurs, robots and baseball. In Season 2, he becomes less annoying, is on better terms with his sister, has a small planet on his t-shirt and a deeper voice.^[5]

William is Olivia's baby brother and typically sleeps, eats, and cries.^[6]

Mom, Olivia's mother (voiced by Joyce Beverley),^[7] who runs her own party-planning business from home.^[8]

Dad, Olivia's father (voiced by Danny Katiana)^[9] is an architect and occasionally absent-minded. He often provides his paternal wisdom to Olivia and her siblings in "little talks".^[10]

Grandma, Olivia's grandmother (voiced by Yvonne Craig).^[11] In her seventies, but still fun and adventurous.^[12]

Uncle Garrett, Olivia's uncle (her mother's younger brother) is a professional football player and is bit of a comedian. He performs ballet with Olivia in one episode.

Perry and Edwin, Olivia's dog and cat. Perry is energetic and loves to play with the children, while Edwin is generally lethargic and prefers to sleep.^[13]

Friends

Julian (voiced by Jeremy Herzig)^[14] is Olivia's male best friend. He's smart with a self-deprecating sense of humor, but shy and lets Olivia take the lead. While often reluctant to go along with Olivia's ideas, he finally always does.^[15]

Francine is Olivia's friend who can be snobby and mean at times. She acts more "girly" than Olivia and will not touch anything gross. Her birthday is eight months after Olivia's. In the second season, Francine gets better and nicer to Olivia and her classmates.

Gwendolyn is Francine's yellowish orange tabby. She is very talented and likes Edwin. In one episode Francine reveals that she sometimes dresses her in Barbie Fashions to have a tea party and makes Gwendolyn fish sticks.

Herman is Francine's dog, only seen in one episode. He can ride a skateboard and also knows tricks like Gwendolyn.

School

Mrs. Hoggenmueller (voiced by Susan Balboni), Olivia's teacher, is a dedicated educator, if a bit eccentric. She is an avid cat fancier and cowbell-playing virtuoso, with a penchant for the outdoors and a great enthusiasm for learning and life.

Alexandra is Olivia's classmate and female best friend. She often agrees only with Francine.

Sam, a classmate. He rarely talks. He has a pet opossum named Sally.

Harold Hockenberri, a classmate. Harold is allergic to parsley, wears glasses, and his mom does not like frogs. He can juggle but hiccups when nervous. He has a parrot that says things such as "Hi there," three times.

Oscar and Otto, identical twin classmates whose recurring catchphrase is, "It's cool."

Daisy, a small classmate who wears a purple dress. She gets meaner and tough in the second season. She kinda like Francine in the first season.

Connor (voiced by Alicyn Packard), a classmate similar to Sam but talks more.

Olivia 2, a one-time character. Olivia is a new student in Olivia's class, much to the original Olivia's annoyance. They reconcile having the same name at the end of the episode.

Shorts

The shorts are small, generally wordless segments in each episode (two per). They include the following:

William Eats (And Burps)

• William is hungry so Mom puts him in his highchair and goes to get him some baby food. While she is gone, everyone else gives him tidbits of food. At the end, Mom says she thought he was hungry, but it appears William does not want his baby food. She is surprised when he burps.

Olivia in the Bathroom

• While Dad is shaving, Olivia keeps taking her stool, getting up on it and doing something in front of the sink and mirror such as brushing her ears. At the end of the short she gets on her stool and kisses Dad.

Olivia and Her Toy

• Olivia tries to get her favorite doll to stand up straight, but it won't so she tapes it to the wall and the two have a tea party.

Olivia Scares Ian

• Olivia tries to scare her little 'bother' but she can't time it right. Later Ian scares her.

Olivia Builds a Tower

• Olivia is building a tower of random items and Ian, Perry, and William try to knock it down, but Mom and Dad forbid it. At the end Olivia knocks it down.

Olivia Cheers Up William

• William is upset. Olivia tries to cheer William up. At the end (when Olivia is in her cow costume) she hurts her leg and cheers him up.

Olivia's Bookbag

• Olivia is stuffing her bookbag for school with Perry and Ian taking her things then returning them each time she leaves the room. In the end, her bookbag becomes too heavy for her to carry and when she puts it on she falls over backwards.

William Goes for a Ride

• Olivia takes her brothers for a ride in her wagon. At the end all the kids are pulled in the wagon by Dad.

Ian Wants to Play

• Olivia and Julian are jumping rope and Ian wants to play, also. Throughout the entire short Ian is trying to get their attention but he is not successful. Finally at the end he gets their attention and Olivia and Ian jump rope.

Olivia's Hidden Talent

• When Olivia sees a bowl of oranges she discovers she has a hidden talent for juggling. When she throws four oranges in the air they disappear. When she looks up, she realizes Ian who is standing on the stairs above her has caught them.

Olivia Slides

• Olivia and her toys slide many different ways in the park.

Perry Plays Fetch

• Olivia throws three different balls to Perry. The first two he retrieves. The last, a beachball, he returns walking on. Olivia then throws a smaller ball and he walks on the beachball to fetch the smaller ball.

Olivia's Trivia

• Olivia gets three pails and a ball which she puts under the red pail. She mixes them up and finally Perry guesses which pail the ball is under and gets the ball and Olivia chases Perry for the ball.

Olivia's Many Sandwiches

• Olivia makes herself a sandwich and walks away. When she returns it is gone, and she blames it on Perry. After a couple of sandwiches Ian covers Olivia's favorite toy in peanut butter and at the end the toy falls to the floor and Perry licks it as Olivia chases Ian.

Olivia's Picture

• Olivia paints a picture of a pig with a blue background. The short ends showing the fridge filled with many copies of the same picture and Olivia replies "I think I'm done with my blue period," a reference to Pablo Picasso's blue period.

Edwin's Surprise

• Olivia is trying to draw a picture, but Edwin keeps laying on top of the picture resulting in Olivia moving him again and again. At the end the viewers see that the picture is of Edwin.

Olivia's Metamorphosis

• Olivia is about to go outside but Mom warns her it is about to get very cold. When Olivia opens the front door she imagines emperor penguins and snow. William flies away but Dad catches him. Olivia goes to her room and dresses for winter, but when she goes to the door again, it is hot outside. Olivia dresses like it is summer and Mom ask her why she keeps changing clothes. Olivia says it is the weather that's changing.

Olivia's Sculpture

• At the beach, Olivia finds a pile of sand and decides to make a sand sculpture of herself by shaping it and adding shells.

The Chase

• Olivia chases Perry.

Olivia's Magic Trick

• Olivia tries to make her cookie disappear.

Olivia's Inflated Pirate Ship The mailman brings a package for Olivia. He knocks on the door and walks away. Olivia opens the door and sees the package and opens it. When Olivia sees another box. She opens it and so on. 5 boxes are there and Olivia sees a purple flat cube. She pulls the string and it inflates into a inflated pirate ship. At the end, Olivia plays in the inflated pirate ship.

Pigs

The characters refer to themselves as people and act humanly, having dogs, cats, frogs and birds as pets. Instead of combing their hair, they comb their ears. They speak of their pets as if they are animals, but they never refer to themselves as animals. Different places and character names in the show play off the pig theme with terms such as hog and swine turning up again and again. Olivia's teacher and school name are just two examples.

See also

• Olivia (fictional pig)

References

External links

• Olivia on ABC 4 Kids
• Olivia on Milkshake!
• Olivia on Nick Jr.UK
• Olivia on Nick Jr. US
• Olivia on NRK
• Olivia on SVT
• Olivia on TF1
• Olivia on Treehouse
• Olivia on Z@ppelin
• Olivia at the Big Cartoon DataBase