Pirate Express

Lore & Background

In the present day, they are released by Poseidon's younger son, Newt, who takes control and goes on adventures with them. The cast includes James Higuchi as Newt, Lee Tockar as Captain LaPoutine, Alessandro Juliani as Armando, Charon, and Johnnie Bermuda, Matt Cowlrick as Burt, Doron Bell as Booli, Ian James Corlett as Poseidon, Gordon, and Geoffrey, Ian James Corlett as Zeus, Garry Chalk as Ted, Kelly Sheridan as Marie Celeste, Scott McNeil as Hades, Colin Murdock as Skulldidgery, and Trevor Devall as Davy Jones.

Reader's Guide

Pirate Express is notable as a co-production between Canadian and Australian studios, reflecting a shift in international animation partnerships. The series' premise—a pirate crew shrunken by Poseidon and released by his son—offers a comedic take on mythological and pirate tropes. Its legacy is primarily as a minor entry in Canadian and Australian animation history, with 26 episodes produced but little sustained broadcast presence.

Production & Co-Production Journey

Pirate Express underwent a lengthy and somewhat circuitous development path before reaching audiences. Teletoon first picked up the project in 2011, with the original plan being a Canada-France collaboration between Atomic Cartoons and Ellipsanime. At that early stage, episodes were expected to be completed by March 2012. However, the project did not immediately move forward. It was not until July 2013 that the series received its official greenlight for production, and by then the co-production partner had shifted: Australia's Sticky Pictures stepped in to replace Ellipsanime. The revised plan called for a fall 2014 debut on both Teletoon and Australia's Nine Network. In the end, that timeline slipped, and the show ultimately launched in both markets in 2015. The final product was a 26-episode animated series born from a three-year development process and a transcontinental partnership between Canadian and Australian studios.

Premise & Mythological Comedy

The central conceit of Pirate Express is built on a comedic misunderstanding with mythological consequences. Three centuries before the present-day storyline, Captain LaPoutine and his crew—Armando, Burt, Booli, and Spewey—set out to steal a princess's tiara. Their heist went catastrophically wrong when they ended up with Poseidon's underwear instead. The god of the sea, understandably furious, shrank the entire pirate crew and sealed them inside a bottle. Fast-forward to the modern era, where Poseidon's younger son Newt accidentally frees the miniature pirates from their long confinement. Rather than returning them to their tiny prison, Newt seizes the opportunity to command the crew himself, dragging them along on a series of adventures. The premise blends nautical comedy with Greek mythology, giving the show a distinctive tone that sets it apart from more conventional pirate-themed children's programming.

A Brief Broadcast Window

Despite a full 26-episode order, Pirate Express enjoyed a remarkably brief window on its home channels. On Teletoon in Canada, the series aired for a single week in April 2015 and has not been broadcast on that network since its premiere. In Australia, the show found a slightly longer but still limited audience, debuting on 9Go! on July 4, 2015. Internationally, the series did travel beyond its two production markets. In the United Kingdom, it found a home on Kix, while in South East Asia it premiered on Disney XD on September 5, 2015. The contrast between the substantial episode count and the extremely narrow broadcast footprint is one of the most notable aspects of the show's reception. For many viewers, the series exists as a brief flash in the pan of mid-2010s animated programming, a complete but largely forgotten entry in the landscape of children's television.

A Wall of Canadian Voice Talent

The voice cast of Pirate Express reads like a who's who of Canadian animation talent. Lee Tockar, a veteran of countless animated and live-action roles, brought gravitas to the role of Captain LaPoutine. Ian James Corlett, another industry stalwart, voiced both Poseidon and the characters Gordon and Geoffrey, showcasing his range. Dee Jay Jackson lent his voice to Zeus, while Scott McNeil took on Hades, giving the Greek pantheon a distinctly Canadian flavor. The pirate crew was brought to life by Alessandro Juliani as Armando (who also voiced Charon and Johnnie Bermuda), Matt Cowlrick as Burt, and Doron Bell as Booli. Newt, the young son of Poseidon who drives the present-day plot, was voiced by James Higuchi. Additional cast members included Kelly Sheridan as Marie Celeste, Garry Chalk as Ted, Colin Murdock as Skulldidgery, and Trevor Devall as Davy Jones. The ensemble approach ensured that even minor characters carried the weight of recognized voices.

Gallery