Pepper Ann
Pepper Ann | |
---|---|
Created by | Sue Rose |
Starring | Kathleen Wilhoite Clea Lewis Danny Cooksey Pamela Adlon April Winchell |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 65 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes with commercials (mostly two 15-minute segments, with some double-length 22-minute segments) |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | September 13, 1997 – November 23, 2001 |
Pepper Ann is an animated series created by Sue Rose and shown in the United States on ABC. It debuted on Saturday, September 13, 1997.
Pepper Ann starred cartoon adolescents and charted their ups and downs at Hazelnut Middle School. It aired as part of the Disney's One Saturday Morning block. Sue Rose originally pitched the series to Nickelodeon.
Description
The show centers on the title character, a 12-year-old girl whose emotions come out in fantasies. Pepper Ann usually receives advice from her conscience in the form of her reflection.
Pepper Ann's best friends are Milo Kamalani, a quirky artist; and Nicky Little, an aspiring violinist. Other fellow students at Hazelnut Middle School include rich and spoiled Trinket, German boy Dieter Liederhosen, popular airhead Cissy, gossipy twins Tessa and Vanessa, Nicky's boyfriend, the RC car-racing "nerd" Stewart Walldinger, and the cool 8th-grader, Craig. Pepper Ann has no real enemies except Principal Hickey, a tough disciplinarian with zero tolerance for Pepper Ann's shenanigans, and Alice Kane, an uppity snob who refers to her as "P. Ann".
At the end of the opening sequence, she always finds something different under her desk (similar to The Simpsons' couch gag), such as a mood ring or maracas; in season one, she always finds "five bucks".
The show's plots were generally typical of the developing format that has risen out of federal E/I requirements: Pepper Ann is presented with a moral dilemma, chooses the wrong decision, faces the consequences and learns a moral lesson. The series was mostly rated TV-Y. However, the Season 1 finale, "In Support of," raised controversy. In the episode, Pepper Ann is told she would need "support" to jump on the trampoline. Thinking the teacher meant "breast support," a paranoid, still flat-chested and seemingly unready Pepper Ann is convinced she now needs a bra. When at the trampoline, and asked where her "support" was, Pepper Ann flashes the class, although it is only seen in shadow. (The gag is that by "support," the instructor meant a "support buddy.") That episode was rated TV-Y7.
One of the original segments of "One Saturday Morning", Pepper Ann was a hit with audiences. Pepper Ann was formerly shown on Toon Disney.
Pepper Ann and her mom make a cameo appearance at the House of Mouse episode The Stolen Cartoons. So far, they're the only Disney Television Animation characters to ever appear on House of Mouse. Pepper Ann's mother says "Don't touch the villain, dear," to Pepper Ann after Pete falls out of the sky.
Characters
Main
- Pepper Ann Pearson: An outgoing, headstrong seventh-grader. She is generally well-liked at school, where she usually hangs out with best friends, Milo and Nicky. Her favorite music band is "Flaming Snot." She is half-Jewish, and in the episode "A Kosher Christmas," she tries to choose between celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas. She also has the habit of talking to her own reflection, which acts as her conscience.
- Milo Kamalani: One of Pepper Ann's best friends, a video game- and pizza-loving artist of Hawaiian ancestry. He wears shorts even in the winter and is almost never seen without his beanie hat on. It's implied that "Milo" is not his real name; in one episode he says that once he "forgot his name and started telling everyone to call him Milo. Pepper Ann says, "Your name is Milo," to which he replies, "Sure, now it is."
- Nicky Little: Pepper Ann's other best friend. A meek straight-A student and upstanding voice of reason. She is a foil to the impulsive Pepper Ann and laid-back Milo. When Pepper Ann and Milo were in kindergarten, Nicky had been skipped into first grade and was an aggressive girl who bullied a meek and dorky Milo. Her last act of bullying was to force Milo to accept her beanie, which Milo has worn since. She plays the violin, hates the auto-harp, has recently gotten over an intense fear of swans, and is prone to seemingly-random fits of intense rage.
- Lydia Pearson: Pepper Ann's divorced mother, with whom she lives. Lydia is an outgoing, funny feminist who works at a clothing boutique; she is Jewish. Lydia marries Alex Trebek at the end of the series.
- Margaret Rose "Moose" Pearson: Pepper Ann's deep-voiced and rather tomboyish younger sister. She was nicknamed Moose at birth by Dieter. Her hero is Evel Knievel.
Supporting
- Janie Lilly Diggety: Pepper Ann's liberal activist aunt.
- Henry James Pepper Ann's cousin.
- Chuck Pearson: Pepper Ann's dad. A blimp pilot who divorced Lydia.
- Grandma Pearson: Pepper Ann's passive-aggressive paternal grandmother, who sometimes babysits and loves telenovelas.
- Jo Jo Diggety: Pepper Ann's policeman uncle.
- Principal Hickey: Her school's principal, a tough disciplinarian with zero tolerance for Pepper Ann's shenanigans.
Schoolmates
- Alice Kane: Pepper Ann's enemy; she is condescending and considers herself smarter than everyone else. She calls Pepper Ann "P. Ann".
- Trinket St. Blair: A rich, pretty, and snobby girl who often insults Pepper Ann.
- Dieter Lederhosen: A German boy who is obsessed with food and a popular German race car driving Uber-Monkey named Klaus.
- Cissy Rooney: A popular airhead who is obsessed with her own looks.
- Tessa and Vanessa James: Gossipy twins that always finish each other's sentences.
- Stuart Walldinger: Nicky's boyfriend who races RC cars. He is something of a nerd.
- Craig Bean: The cool eighth-grader who has his own band. He is the object of Pepper Ann's affections.
- Pink-Eyed Pete: A kid who has never-ending pink eye.
- Gwen Mezzrow: Milo's on-and-off girlfriend. They can never seem to like each other at the same time. Usually referred to by her full name.
- Constance Goldman: A girl who strives to be as "cool" as Pepper Ann.
- LaMar Abudabi: Constance's boyfriend.
Voice actors
- Kathleen Wilhoite: Pepper Ann Pearson
- Clea Lewis: Nicky Little
- Danny Cooksey: Milo Kamalani
- April Winchell: Lydia Pearson / Grandma Lilly / Ms. Stark
- Pamela Segall: Margaret Rose "Moose" Pearson
- Don Adams: Principal Hickey
- Susan Tolsky: Aunt Jainie Lilly Diggety
- Tino Insana: Uncle Jo Jo Diggety
- Jeff Bennett: Dieter Lederhosen /Pink-Eyed Pete/ Craig Bean
- Jenna von Oy: Trinket St. Blair
- Kath Soucie: Cissy Rooney / Mrs. Little
- Cree Summer: Tessa & Vanessa James
- Luke Perry: Stewart Waldinger
- Kimmy Robertson: Gwen Mezzrow
- Candi Milo: Constance Goldman
- Adam Wylie: Crash
- Karen Duffy: Sketch
- Jim Cummings: Mr. Carter
- Don Lake: Mr. Finky
- Kathy Najimy: Coach Doogan
- James Avery: Mr. Clapper
Episodes
Season 1: 1997-1998
- Ziterella (Originally Aired 9/13/1997)
- Romeo and Juliet / Food Barn (Originally Aired 9/20/1997)
- Old Best Friend / Crunch Pod (Originally Aired 9/27/2002)
- Psychic Moose / Doll and Chain (Originally Aired 10/4/1997)
- Megablades of Grass / Family Vacation (Originally Aired 10/11/1997)
- The Big Pencil / Sani-Paper (Originally Aired 10/18/1997)
- Uniform Uniformity / Snot Your Mother's Music (Originally Aired 10/25/1997)
- The Environ Mentals (Originally Aired 11/8/1997)
- Crush and Burn / Soccer Season (Originally Aired 11/15/1997)
- Thanksgiving Dad (Originally Aired 11/22/1997)
- Sketch 22 / Manly Milo (Originally Aired 1/10/1998)
- Have You Ever Been Unsupervised / The Unusual Suspects (Originally Aired 1/17/1998)
- Nicky Gone Bad / In Support of (Originally Aired 1/24/1998)
Season 2: 1998-1999
- Quiz Bowl / License to Drive (Originally Aired 9/12/1998)
- Cocoon Gables / Green-Eyed Monster (Originally Aired 9/19/1998)
- Hazelnut's Finest / Cat Scan (Originally Aired 9/26/1998)
- An OtterBiography / GreenSleeves (Originally Aired 10/3/1998)
- Vanessa Less Tessa / Peer Counselor P.A. (Originally Aired 10/10/1998)
- A 'Tween Halloween / Mash into Me (Originally Aired 10/31/1998)
- Presenting Stewart Waldinger / Pepper Ann's Life in a Nutshell (Originally Aired 11/14/1998)
- Like Riding a Bike (Originally Aired 11/28/1998)
- Smacky McSmackbitch comes to town (Originally Aired 12/1/1998)
- Radio Freak Hazelnut / Framed (Originally Aired 12/5/1998)
- Portrait of the Artist as a Young Milo / The Sisterhood (Originally Aired 12/12/1998)
- Impractical Jokes / Cold Feet (Originally Aired 12/26/1998)
- Doppelganger Didi / Pepper Ann's Day Off-Kilter (Originally Aired 1/9/1999)
- A No Hair Day / That's My Dad (Originally Aired 1/16/1999)
Season 3: 1999-2000
- You Oughta Be in Musicals (Originally Aired 9/11/1999)
- Dances with Ignorance / Girl Power (Originally Aired 9/18/1999)
- Beyond Good and Evel / One of the Guys (Originally Aired 9/25/1999)
- The Wash-Out / Def Comedy Mom (Originally Aired 11/6/1999)
- The First Date Club / Unicycle of Life (Originally Aired 11/13/1999)
- A Kosher Christmas (Originally Aired 12/18/1999)
- Effie Shrugged / Mama Knows What Pepper Ann Did Two Nights Ago (Originally Aired 1/15/2000)
- The Spanish Imposition / Single Unemployed Mother (Originally Aired 1/22/2000)
Season 4: 2000
- Burn, Hazelnut, Burn / Career Daze (Originally Aired 2/6/2000)
- G.I. Janie / Miss Moose (Originally Aired 2/7/2000)
- Pepper Shaker / Flaw and Order (Originally Aired 2/8/2000)
- Baggy Bean Buddies / The Beans of Wrath (Originally Aired 2/9/2000)
- The Velvet Room (Originally Aired 2/10/2000)
- One Angry Woman (Originally Aired 2/11/2000)
- The Sellout / The Telltale Fuzzy (Originally Aired 2/12/2000)
- A Valentine's Day Tune (Originally Aired 2/14/2000)
- Sammy's Song / Permanent Record (Originally Aired 2/15/2000)
- Live and Let Dye (Originally Aired 2/16/2000)
- Remote Possibilities / Considering Constance (Originally Aired 2/17/2000)
- To Germany with Love (Originally Aired 2/18/2000)
- Bye, Bye Trinket / P.A.'s Pop Fly (Originally Aired 2/19/2000)
- My Mother, Myself (Originally Aired 2/21/2000)
- The Amazing Becky Little (Originally Aired 2/22/2000)
- The Untitled Milo Kamalani Project / Guess Who's Coming to the Theater (Originally Aired 2/23/2000)
- The Great Beyond / Jaybirds of a Feather (Originally Aired 2/25/2000)
- The Way They Were (Originally Aired 2/25/2000)
Season 5: 2000-2001
- The One with Mr. Reason / Sense and Senselessness
- Forging Ahead / Reality Bytes
- Carmello / Strike It or Not
- Complementary Colors
- The Merry Lives of Pepper Ann
- A Is for Average / Alice Kane Went Down To Calcutta
- Spice of Life / T.G.I.F
- Dear Debby / Too Cool to Be Mom
- Moose in Love / Two's Company
- Zen and the Art of Milo
- Unhappy Campers / The Search for Pepper Ann Pearson
- The Word / The Perfect Couple
- The Finale
[1] Pepper Ann on OpenStreetMap
- 1997 television series debuts
- 2001 television series endings
- 1990s American television series
- 2000s American television series
- American Broadcasting Company network shows
- Animated television series
- Disney Channel shows
- Television series by Disney
- Family Channel shows
- Television shows set in Pennsylvania
- ABC Kids