Pet Alien

Did You Know?

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released four compilations on DVD and VHS from October 18, 2005 to February 7, 2006, each containing four segment-episodes from the first season.
• A puzzle video game based on the series was released for the Nintendo DS on July 30, 2007, developed by Shin'en Multimedia and published by The Game Factory.

Synopsis

The series follows 13-year-old Tommy Cadle, whose life changes when five aliens accidentally crash into and invade his lighthouse at night. Despite the trouble they cause, Tommy appreciates their presence because they brighten his otherwise mundane existence. The aliens prefer to stay, and episodes center on the chaotic misadventures Tommy endures as he tries to live a normal life while dealing with his mischievous guests.

Characters

Tommy Cadle (voiced by Charlie Schlatter in English and by David Scarpuzza in season 1 and Hippolyte de Poucques in season 2 in French) was a normal, carefree, good student until the aliens arrived. He is often bullied at school because of the aliens' actions and finds them annoying, but generally accepts them and considers Dinko his best friend. Dinko (voiced by Charlie Adler in English and Frédéric Meaux in French) is a green Pterodactylus-like alien who is the group's leader and brains, and Tommy's self-proclaimed best friend. He is moody, upbeat, energetic, and charismatic, and is fascinated by Earth's ways, words, and rituals. Dinko is innocent and friendly but often goes to obsessive extremes to satisfy his curiosity, causing trouble for Tommy. Gumpers (voiced by Jess Harnell in English and Michel Hinderyckx in French) is a large, strong, gluttonous pink gorilla-like alien who is easily scared and does not know his own strength. He appears very dumb but can have flashes of intelligence when he strains his mind. He and Dinko try to help Tommy but always make things worse; Gumpers sometimes points out flaws in Dinko's plans, but Dinko ignores him. Swanky (voiced by Jess Harnell in English and Franck Dacquin in French) is a blue insect-like alien with a British accent, the most refined and sophisticated of the group. He is rude, egotistical, lazy, self-centered, arrogant, pretentious, and greedy, and shows little interest in the others. He enjoys fancy things, massages, and tea, and wants Tommy's room for himself.

Production

In the early-to-mid 1990s, Jeff Muncy conceived a line of stuffed alien plushes under the name Pet Alien, starting with keychains and plushies distributed by the Best Ever Company as premium items for gift shops. The keychains sold well, and by the late 1990s and early 2000s, at the request of sales representatives, the concept evolved into a story. Muncy self-published a picture book subtitled 'The Most Special Place' and created a website with a storefront. The brand emphasized Dinko as the main alien; the website hosted three Flash-animated shorts featuring him and three other aliens, produced around 2000 by Muncy under John Doze Studios and animated by Flinch Studio (now MightyPants Media). The second webtoon became inaccessible after a website retooling but can be seen in snippets on Flinch Studio's original site. Muncy originally intended the property for young children, with a more serialized premise where the aliens landed in Tommy's backyard and hid in his treehouse from the 'Big Union of Galaxies', and included more aliens from the toyline. The pre-show website also provided character backstories. The series' format shifted notably in season 2, which adopted a lighter tone and reduced the quirkier elements and worldbuilding of the first season.

Broadcast

After a test-run in foreign markets starting in late 2004, Pet Alien premiered in the United States on Animania HD on November 20, 2004 at 7:00 PM, followed by TF1 in France on January 3, 2005 (airing until 2010), Cartoon Network on January 23, 2005 at 10:00 AM, and on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom the next day at 5:30 PM. The first season ended on August 21, 2005, despite decent initial ratings, especially in Britain. It was reportedly the first Cartoon Network show to launch globally across all its channels. Executive producer Bill Schultz stated the series was created with Cartoon Network's audience in mind. The series performed better in Europe, and a second season was ordered on October 4, 2005. American viewers could access it via Kabillion on demand around late 2006 or early 2007, before it moved mostly to the website. It rebroadcast on Télétoon from December 2005 to 2017, on Gulli from August 2009 to 2014, and aired in full on Mango and Molotov TV. In Germany, it aired on Super RTL.