WordGirl

WordGirl is a children's animated series produced by Soup2Nuts for PBS Kids GO!. It began as a series of shorts that premiered on PBS Kids GO! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel. The segment was spun-off into a new series which premiered on September 3, 2007 on most PBS member stations. The show is aimed at kids aged 6-10 and is designed to teach about the expansive English language. The first season has 31 episodes.

Plot

At the beginning of the series, we are introduced to Becky Botsford, a 10-year-old girl who is WordGirl in secret. Becky was born on the planet Lexicon. When she was an infant, her spaceship, which was being piloted by Captain Huggy Face at the time, crashed to Earth where she was adopted by Tim and Sally Botsford. She makes friends with "Scoops" (the school reporter) and Violet Heaslip at school.

WordGirl uses her great vocabulary to fend off villains such as Granny May, The Butcher, Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy and Dr. Two-Brains. She never reveals her true identity--"WordGirl"--to anyone, not even her own family.

Characters

WordGirl/Becky Botsford

A superheroine from the planet Lexicon. Her superpowers include flying at the speed of sound, bending steel, and an awesome vocabulary, as her name suggests. Her symbol is a star. As Becky Botsford, she spends her time reading, failing art class, and trying to hide her secret identity. No one knows who WordGirl really is except for Captain Huggy Face and, of course, the Narrator; and despite obvious similarities, no one else has made the connection until one episode in which Dr. Two-Brains does find out, but forgets when he is hit with his amnesia ray. Her parents once began to make the connection, but just when they were about to find out, Bob/Captain Huggy Face distracted them. Even though she may be a superhero, Becky has a love for ponies and other animals, just as any other 5th-grade girl might.

Captain Huggy Face/Bob

WordGirl's sidekick, a monkey who is also from Lexicon and is responsible for crashing WordGirl's spacecraft. Huggy Face has no superpowers and loves to eat almost anything, even the dreaded Beans a la Botsford (although he hates the repulsive Chicken Liver Fricassee the Butcher conjured once). Huggy is a surprisingly competent sidekick and can do martial arts, although he is always being mistaken for the wrong type of animal. His symbol is a lightning bolt. As Bob, he is the Botsford family pet.

Tim Botsford

Becky's adoptive father. He is cheerful and encouraging, though he is somewhat of an idiot. He makes "Beans a la Botsford", which only Bob will eat.

Sally Botsford

Becky's adoptive mother. She is also a constant optimist. She also works at city hall as a district attorney.

TJ Botsford

Tim and Sally's 7-year-old biological child. He was born after Becky was adopted. He is greatly annoyed by his older sister but idolizes WordGirl and is constantly talking about her.

The Butcher

A criminal with the ability to shoot any type of meat out of his hands. He has the strange habit of mixing up words (such as saying "sunbeam" instead of "supreme", or "robbifery" instead of "robbery") or even whole phrases ("So, WordGirl, we meet again for the first time!"). The Butcher's powers are counteracted by tofu. Also, in one episode, after getting tired of being beaten by WordGirl, the Butcher chooses a very unlikely ally to help him out, a kitten.

Dr. Two-Brains

Dr. Two-Brains is the result of a laboratory experiment fusing the brain of Professor Steven Boxleitner, a kind-hearted, ravenous, and distracted scientist, with the brain of Squeaky, an albino mouse. He is now out to steal all the cheese in the city. WordGirl was good friends with him before he became a supervillain, and once encouraged him to fight the mouse brain's control on him. Dr. Two-Brains seems to know all of the vocabulary words so far. In the episode "Mouse Army", Dr. Two-Brains temporarily teamed up with WordGirl to stop an army of super-intelligent mice he had created. In the end he betrayed her, but whether this was part of his plan or if his mouse brain took control is never clearly determined. Although on the web site Dr. Two-Brains' character is described as a Jekyll & Hyde, he hardly fights with himself, only doing it once.

Mr. Big

Head of Mr. Big Industries, Mr. Big is the inventor of the Thing and the Mega-Thing--cubic objects that do absolutely nothing. Despite their uselessness, they fly off the shelves, thanks to Mr. Big's mind-control device that makes people buy them. His sidekick and constant companion is his squishy toy rabbit, to which he confides his most dastardly plans.

Granny May

A senior supervillain who pretends to be a sweet, deaf, old grandma in order to deceive those she robs. Her main weapons are knitting needles that shoot yarn, strong-smelling perfume which she uses as a sort of stink gas, and her giant but timid grandson Eugene. Eugene stops working with Granny May and becomes friends with Violet. Granny May also has a metal suit and a jetpack. She may be the most clever of WordGirl's adversaries, once convincing nearly the entire city that WordGirl was mean-hearted and not to be trusted.

Theodore Tobey MacCallister The Third/Tobey

A 10-year-old genius kid inventor who uses his giant robots to destroy the city in hopes of getting WordGirl's attention. Tobey has a giant crush on WordGirl and has often demanded that if he beats her, she should tell her secret identity or go out for ice cream with him. Tobey's mother is aware of her child's intelligence, and he can't launch any of his schemes unless she is away on business. Tobey is not truly evil; he just does not understand how dangerous his mischief is. He is shown to be very nonathletic, which may explain why he feels the need to prove to everyone how smart he is.

Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy

A supervillain who definitely does not have a way with words, hence his name. His main weapons are squirt bottles of ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, and olive oil. Determined to prove to the world how important his sandwich powers are, he often commits small robberies for no real reason other than to show how "evil" he is. Chuck has tried to come up with better names for himself, such as "Destructo the Destroyer", "Amazo the Amazing Guy Who's Evil but Not Really That Bad When You Get to Know Him", or "Handsome Eddie". Chuck also has a tendency to forget vocabulary words a few seconds after they've been spoken.

The Birthday Girl

Otherwise known as "Eileen", this ten-year-old girl attempts to acquire the things she wants by using a falsely-polite manner, big eyes, and a lisping voice, along with the statement "Today is my birthday!" If those methods don't work, she simply yells "Mine, MINE, MINE!", growing in height and turning a deeper shade of green with each yell, until the owner of the coveted item hands it over in fear. The only way to reverse Eileen's transformation is to persuade her to give away something she values. (This was a trick discovered by Violet in the "Birthday Girl" episode; as a giant Eileen held WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face hostage, Violet declared herself Eileen's "bestest-westest fwiend". In gratitude, Eileen handed over a prized necklace, her greed-induced metamorphosis was reversed, and WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face were saved.) Eileen also greatly annoys WordGirl because she uses "w" in words instead of "l". (ex., "I wearned my wesson.")

Lady Redundant Woman

She is a former copy-shop employee, previously known as Beatrice Bixby. A job-site accident transformed her into "Lady Redundant Woman", a creature who is half woman, half copy-machine. By touching her nose, she can create duplicates of herself, forming an army which she sends to do her bidding.

The Whammer

Before he became "The Whammer", this character was a sidekick for Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy. The Whammer "whams" his fists together, sending out sonic waves to crush anything or anyone in his path.

Todd "Scoops" Ming

The reporter for the elementary school's newspaper the Daily Rag. Because very few people besides students (and the Butcher) subscribe to the Daily Rag, Scoops dreams of working for the Big City Times, although he has a long way to go. Even Becky, who has a secret crush on him, agrees that his articles can be rather dull. Scoops has a high opinion of himself and does not hesitate to take credit for anything he might possibly have had to do with. He is desperate to know WordGirl's secret identity.

Violet Heaslip

Becky's best friend from school. Violet is quiet, shy, and artistic. She can make up poems off the top of her head, even if there is a meteor hurling towards her. Although she will not defend herself against bullies, she will jump to the defense of her friends.

The Grocery Store Manager

A terrible communicator who is always trying to find people to work in the store. He has been known to try to hire villains when they come to rob him, such as the Butcher and Dr. Two-Brains.

Reginald

The pompous owner of Ye Old Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store.

Beau Handsome

The vain host of the game show "May I Have a Word?". His first name means "good-looking" in french. His least favorite contestant is probaly Emily, since she talks nearly non-stop about WordGirl.

Tommy

One of the contestants on the game show "May I Have a Word?". He likes to act superior to nearly everyone on the show and seems to have a crush on WordGirl. His I.Q. level is also very high. He, like everyone else, is extremely annoyed by Emily.

Phil

One of the contestants on the game show "May I Have a Word?". Phil usually has a worried and unsure look on his face and constantly utters "Oh No".

Emily

One of the contestants on the game show "May I Have a Word?". Emily is a constant annoyance to other characters since she talks nearly non-stop about WordGirl. Emily also has a great love for kittens.

Professor James Doohickey

A technology/gadget professional that introduces the audience to both the villains' and heroes' helpful gadgets. He also has a slight irish accent.

The Amazing Rope Guy

A minor evil villain who dresses in a tight dark blue otfit. He first appears in the beginning of the episode Mr. Big's Big Plan and has a goatee and a slightly squeaky voice.

Jeff

A man who always goes to the wrong place thinking it is the police station.

The Narrator

The Narrator is an unseen character on "WordGirl". He can interact with any character, although he most often converses with WordGirl, and can also hear her thoughts, as seen in the "Vocab Bee" episode. Occasionally, The Narrator telegraphs upcoming plot developments to viewers; for example, in the episode titled "When Life Gives You Potatoes...", Dr.Two-Brains captures WordGirl as part of a plot to turn gold into potato salad, and then into cheese. Once WordGirl is captured, The Narrator says: "Is this the end of WordGirl? Will Dr.Two-Brains turn her into potato salad?" Dr.Two-Brains replies, "Hey! Don't give it away!". The Narrator has also been known to intervene in the story's action, and his words and judgments during these circumstances generally lead the viewers to believe that the Narrator is not-so-secretly on WordGirl's side. For example, in the episode "Tobey or Consequences", the child villain Tobey proposes a game show, "Crash or Pie?" to settle the question of whether his robots would be allowed to destroy the city. The Narrator acts as show host, and his final judgment of the game's outcome shows his overall bias in WordGirl's favor.

Cast

• Dannah Feinglass - Becky Botsford/WordGirl
• Chris Parnell - The Narrator
• Tom Kenny - Dr. Two-Brains / TJ – Becky’s little brother
• Cree Summer - Granny May
• Patton Oswalt - Theodore McAlister/Tobey
• Fred Stoller - Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy
• Jack Ferraiolo - The Butcher
• Maria Bamford - Violet Heaslip/Mrs. Botsford
• Ryan Raddatz - Mr. Botsford
• Mike O’Connell - Grocery Store Manager
• James Adomian - Robber/Security Guard/Curator
• H. Jon Benjamin - Reginald
• Ron Lynch - The Mayor

Episodes

• Tobey or Consequences / High-Fat Robbery
• You Can't Flatten City Hall / Two-Brain Highway
• Coupon Madness / When Life Gives You Potatoes
• Jerky Jerk / Becky's Birthday
• Down With Word Up / Chuck!
• Book Ends / Mr. Big
• Super-Grounded / Mouse Army
• Tobey's Masterpiece/ Chuck the Nice Pencil Selling Guy
• The Birthday Girl / Granny-Sitter
• Mr. Big's Big Plan / Vocab Bee
• Shrinkin' in the Ray/ Department Store Tobey

Shorts

31 shorts were produced for PBS Kids GO!.

• WG101 "Catch as Catch Can"

Can WordGirl prevent a cumbersome meteorite from destroying the city?

• WG102 "Enter, the Butcher"

WordGirl meets the Butcher, master of meat and mangler of words, and tries to prevent him from robbing a bank. WordGirl also tries to convince the Butcher that he's not "a fender" but "offended" when she tells him he "butchers" the English language.

• WG103 "Re-enter, the Butcher"

WordGirl tries to stop the Butcher from robbing Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store. They also have to deal with a pompous store clerk.

• WG104 "What's Up, Doc?"

WordGirl pays a visit to Professor Steven Boxleitner (author of the book Superheroes and You: A Practical Guide) to figure out a way to stop the vicious Butcher.

• WG105 "Re-Re-enter, the Butcher"

WordGirl tries to prevent the Butcher from robbing a grocery store. She also tries to clear up a misunderstanding between the Butcher and the Grocery Store Manager, who believes that the Butcher is there for a job.

• WG106 "Yes Sir, That's My Butcher"

WordGirl and the Butcher face off for their big, big battle royale. WordGirl reveals her secret weapon: her always hungry ally, Captain Huggy Face.

• WG107 "The Crazy World of Doctor Two-Brains"

In a lab experiment that goes horribly wrong, Prof. Steven Boxleitner accidentally fuses his mind with that of his vicious lab mouse and becomes the villainous Dr. Two-Brains. Becky (WordGirl's secret identity) tries to distract her little brother TJ so she can transform into WordGirl and capture Dr. Two-Brains before he goes on a cheese-stealing rampage.

• WG108 "Two-Brains in the Grocers"

WordGirl tries to capture Dr. Two-Brains after he eats all the cheese in the grocery store, but Dr. Two Brains is able to escape by causing a ruckus.

• WG109 "The Times, They Are A-Cheesy"

The Botsford family (including Becky Botsford, a.k.a WordGirl) are flabbergasted when Dr. Two-Brains appears on television, threatening to turn the city into goop if he doesn't get every piece of cheese in the city.

• WG110 "Mouse Trap"

WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face confront Dr. Two-Brains at his secret hideout and witness part of his argument with himself. Dr. Two-Brains proves that their attacks on him would be futile by capturing them in his giant mousetrap.

• WG111 "Squeaky's Machine"

Dr. Two-Brains is about to use his Goop Ray to give WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face a one-way ticket to Goop Town, but is stopped by Mr. Botsford asking questions about what cheese is acceptable.

• WG112 "Driving Miss Granny"

A new villain's in town! Granny May and her timid (and enormous) grandson Eugene rob an armored car in broad daylight.

• WG113 "Kiss My Granny"

While trying to stop Granny May from robbing Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store, WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face are blinded by Granny's dazzling jewelry, then captured in her knitted Web of Yarn.

• WG114 "Living in the Granny's Paradise"

Although WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face are able to use their coordination to escape Granny's trap, they are soon caught in the unbreakable grip of Eugene.

• WG115 "Play Date"

After destroying a giant, rampaging robot as WordGirl, Becky returns home to find that she has an unexpected playdate with Theodore MacCallister III. When Becky discovers that Theodore is actually Tobey, the mischievous genius behind the giant robot's rampage, she risks revealing her secret identity.

• WG116 "Tobey or Not Tobey"

Tobey and Becky argue over whether Tobey's Robot caused real damage to the city or only a minor hullabaloo. Tobey decides to play a game with Becky to see if she's really WordGirl or not.

• WG117 "The Wrath of Tobey"

Tobey gives Becky an impossible choice: reveal herself as WordGirl and destroy the robot threatening her house, or do nothing and watch her house get demolished. Becky and Bob (a.k.a. Captain Huggy Face) initiate Emergency Plan #47, with mixed results.

• WG118 "Chuck, the Evil Sandwich Making Guy"

Chuck, the Evil Sandwich Making Guy threatens to squash the Grocery Store Manager with his giant sandwich press after the Owner calls the press extreme.

• WG119 "Name That Dude"

WordGirl and the Narrator have a hard time not laughing at Chuck, the Evil Sandwich Making Guy's name. Chuck captures WordGirl with his noxious Pickled Eggs. As WordGirl, Scoops, and the Grocery Store Manager head towards certain doom on the giant sandwich press, all of them try to think of a less absurd name for Chuck. Meanwhile, Captain Huggy Face races to the rescue.

• WG120 "Chucky and the Sandwich Factory"

WordGirl sends Captain Huggy Face to search for the "ultimate crowbar" in order to help them escape Chuck, the Evil Sandwich Making Guy's giant sandwich press.

• WG121 "Movie Trailer"

The origin of Captain Huggy Face and WordGirl.

• WG122 "WordGirl and the Butcher"

WordGirl tries to prevent the Butcher from setting off his "Steak Bomb" and ruining the day of vegetarians city-wide.

• WG123 "WordGirl and Dr. Two-Brains"

Dr. Two-Brains becomes frustrated with a malfunctioning trap.

• WG124 "WordGirl and Chuck, the Evil Sandwich Making Guy"

WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face struggle to break free from Chuck, the Evil Sandwich Making Guy's "Atomic Hot Dog Lasso."

• WG125 "WordGirl and Dr. Two-Brains, Part Two"

WordGirl tries to thwart Dr. Two-Brains' latest scheme but is distracted by a yummy mixed-fruit beverage.

• WG126 "Becky and Scoops"

Scoops ponders WordGirl's secret identity while Becky saves him from perils that he doesn't notice.

• WG127 "WordGirl and the Narrator"

WordGirl wants a new Super Hero name. She convinces the Narrator to put his reputation on hold and announce the new name she has in mind, just to see how it sounds.

• WG128 "WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, part one"

WordGirl makes Captain Huggy Face try on some new costumes because she feels his regular costume lacks pizzazz.

• WG129 "WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, part two"

When Captain Huggy Face is late for a robot battle because of the bus schedule, WordGirl suggests some other modes of transportation.

• WG130 "Becky and Mr. Botsford"

Despite certain clues, Mr. Botsford is oblivious about WordGirl's secret identity.

Funding

• Viewers Like You

• Wachovia Bank

• The Children's Place

See also

• WordGirl's Official Website
• PBS Kids GO!
• Soup2Nuts
• Scholastic Corporation