Planet Unicorn
Animated series about three unicorns created by an 8-year-old boy.
Planet Unicorn is an American animated web series made for Channel 101, a contest where creators screen their pilots for a live audience. Mike Rose and Tyler Spiers created the show, which follows three talking unicorns—Feathers, Cadillac, and Tom Cruise—brought to life by an 8-year-old gay boy named Shannon. Over six episodes, the unicorns meet Shannon, learn to express emotions, take a dangerous trip to the sea, struggle with vanity, deal with a new friend of Shannon’s, and even fill in for Santa’s reindeer. The series was canceled by the Channel 101 live audience and also appeared on MySpace. It received attention from NPR’s Day to Day, Out magazine (August 2007), Time Out New York (August 2007), and was named one of New York’s 20 Funniest Web Videos of 2007. The creators were interviewed on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld, and the show won Logo Channel’s 2008 “OMFG Internet” award.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Animated / Comedy
- Runtime
- Approx. 4 minutes
- Creator
- Tyler Spiers / Mike Rose
- Voices
- Tyler Spiers / Mike Rose / Drew Droege
- Composer
- Ryan Elder
- Editor
- Tyler Spiers / Mike Rose / Craig Morris / Rob Potter
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- First Aired
- 2007-02-28
- Last Aired
- 2007-07-29
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was produced for Channel 101, a web series-screening contest, where it ran for six episodes before being cancelled by the live audience. It was also distributed through MySpace. The show's fictional stories center on three talking unicorns—Feathers, Cadillac, and Tom Cruise—who were created by an 8-year-old gay boy named Shannon. Each episode reveals special abilities of the unicorns, such as Tom Cruise's ability in Episode 1 and Cadillac's in Episode 3, and explores themes like expressing emotions, friendship, and Christmas.
Reader's Guide
Planet Unicorn gained modest recognition in the mid-2000s web series landscape. It was featured on NPR's Day to Day show, in Out (August 2007), Time Out New York (August 2007), and was named one of New York's 20 Funniest Web Videos of 2007. The creators were interviewed on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. The series received the 2008 'OMFG Internet' award from Logo Channel. Its significance lies in its early web-based distribution model and its representation of a gay child protagonist, though the article provides no further details on broader cultural impact.
Did You Know?
- The series was created by Mike Rose and Tyler Spiers for Channel 101.
- The three unicorns are named Feathers, Cadillac, and Tom Cruise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Planet Unicorn?
Planet Unicorn is a six-episode American animated web series created by Mike Rose and Tyler Spiers. It originally aired on Channel 101, a platform where creators pitched pilot episodes to a live audience.
Who are the main characters in Planet Unicorn?
The series follows three talking unicorns—Feathers, Cadillac, and Tom Cruise—who are conjured into existence by an eight-year-old boy named Shannon. The unicorns spend the season bonding with Shannon and working through a variety of emotional and social challenges.
What do the six episodes of Planet Unicorn cover?
The episodes walk the unicorns through meeting Shannon, learning to express their feelings, braving a perilous ocean journey, wrestling with vanity, adapting to a new friend of Shannon's, and filling in as Santa's reindeer. Each installment tackles a distinct theme or obstacle for the group.
Why was Planet Unicorn canceled?
The show was voted off the air by Channel 101's live audience, which served as the platform's built-in cancellation mechanism. After that run ended, the series also appeared on MySpace for a wider online audience.
Did Planet Unicorn receive any notable recognition?
Yes—the series was awarded the 2008 'OMFG Internet' prize by Logo Channel. The honor recognized its standing within the early web-video and internet-culture community.
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