Ned's Newt

Synopsis

Nine-year-old Ned Flemkin saves enough money to buy a pet but can only afford a newt, which he names Newton. Disappointed that Newton only lies on a rock, Ned complains to the pet store owner, who gives him a can of Zippo pet food with a warning not to overfeed it.

After Ned leaves the can by the bowl, Newton eats too much Zippo, grows tall, gains the ability to talk and shape-shift, and becomes Ned's best friend. The Zippo's effects are temporary, and Newton often gets Ned into trouble before reverting to his small form, leaving Ned to face his parents' anger. The series follows Ned's attempts to live normally while keeping Newton hidden.

Plot and themes

Episodes create outrageous plots from ordinary situations. In one, Ned and Newton build a time machine to relive a weekend and end up in the age of dinosaurs. In another, Ned's friend Doogle digs a hole and discovers subterranean trolls planning world domination. Ned carries Zippo food to restore Newton's powers when needed, but Newton's poor understanding of society usually worsens problems, forcing the pair to fix the mess before Newton changes back.

The series makes extensive references to celebrities, with Newton shape-shifting into newt versions of figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Humphrey Bogart, and Clark Gable, similar to Robin Williams' Genie in Aladdin. Newton frequently breaks the fourth wall, especially in season 3, commenting on his own animation. For the final four episodes of season 3, Ron Pardo replaced Harland Williams as Newton's voice. In one third-season episode, Newton states his exact species name as vittercensis, which is not a cataloged member of the genus.

Broadcast and home media

The series aired on Teletoon from its launch to December 31, 1999, with reruns into the early 2000s. In the United States, Fox Kids aired only the first season, starting February 7, 1998, on Saturday mornings, then weekday mornings from October 6 to December 31, 1998. In Germany, it debuted on Super RTL in September 1999.

Teletoon Retro aired reruns of all 39 episodes from September 2011 until early 2012. Three VHS tapes—Home Alone with Newt, Jurassic Joyride, and Saturday Night Fervor—were released in the U.S. by Paramount Home Entertainment on March 23, 1999, each containing two episode pairs. As of 2023, the series streams on Tubi and Pluto TV and airs on PKTV in Indonesia.

Did You Know?

• The series won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for the episode "Back to the Futile".
• Author and cartoonist Edward Gorey called Ned's Newt the 'greatest' animated show in a 1998 Newsday interview.