Pikwik Pack is a Canadian Adobe Flash-animated Preschool Show produced by Guru Studio. The series was the collaborative brainchild of Mary Bredin, Frank Falcone, and Rachel Reade Marcus, with animation direction being handled by the Canadian animator duo of Todd Kauffman and Mark Thornton, the creators of Grojband and directors for the first two seasons of Total Drama.
The series is set in the town of Pikwik, which is populated by all manner of colorful talking animals. Central to the series focus is the town's package delivery service, which is run by four young but eager animals known as the Pikwik Pack — made up of a green hedgehog named Suki, a blue raccoon named Axel, an orange cat named Hazel, and a pink hippo named Tibor. Every episode, the Pikwik post office receives a new package that must be delivered to Pikwik's residents on time. Thus, the Pikwik Pack must use their teamwork and problem-solving skills to make a successful delivery (often with their own special delivery vehicle), overcoming obstacles and learning lessons along the way.
The show debuted on the Disney Junior digital channel on November 7, 2020, later arriving in its native Canada on Treehouse TV on December 26, 2020. Unfortunately, the show ran for only a single 26-episode season, with the final episode airing on November 1, 2021.
Watch the trailer here
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Pikwik Pack provides examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: Downplayed; Tibor is a less common name than Suki, Hazel, and Axel.
- Alliterative Family: The Polar Bears are called Polly, Peter, and Patrick.
- Alliterative Title: Pikwik Pack.
- Amazing Technicolor Wildlife: A purple hippo, a mint-green hedgehog, and a blue raccoon.
- Big Eater: Hazel, she's got a big appetite for such a tiny kitty.
- Catchphrase: Axel has a tendency to "Axel-lent!". The whole team also has one, usually spoken before they start their deliveries in their vehicles of choice. Axel himself has a few, though others' are more specific:
- Suki's "Full paddle ahead!"
- Tibor's "Clickety-clack, this train's on track!"
- Hazel's "Up, up, and a YAY!"
- Cheated Angle: Tibor and Suki are always shown at a 3/4 angle.
- Cute Kitten: Hazel the cat is the smallest, youngest, and a very cute member of the pack.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble:
- Hazel (sanguine) is cheerful and silly.
- Axel (choleric) is passionate and a go-getter.
- Tibor (phlegmatic) is caring and rather timid.
- Suki (melancholic) is organized and insistent.
- Furry Confusion: Kip the dog, who acts like a regular pet dog in a world of anthropomorphic animals. Regular seagulls and geese are also seen.
- Gender-Equal Ensemble: Suki and Hazel are both girls, and Axel and Tibor are both boys.
- Go-to-Sleep Ending: "Hazel's Naptime " ends with everyone, except the episode's titular character falling asleep.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Suki and Hazel are relatively smaller than Axel and Tibor.
- Ironic Fear: "Timid Tibor" shows that Tibor, a hippo, has fear of water. He gets over it eventually.
- Lost Voice Plot: In "You Don't Say", Professor Hoot strains his voice while trying to imitate a Melody Lark.
- Meaningful Name: Axel's vehicle of choice is a truck with a huge set of wheels.
- Rhymes on a Dime: All the things the main characters say Once an Episode:
- Whenever the main characters hear a sound that a package is incoming: "Hip hip hooray! There's a package on the way!"
- Once they gather up and find the package:Hazel: Yay, the package is here!Tibor: Who is it for?Axel: Where does it go?Suki: The tag will tell us what we need to know.
- In the middle of a delivery, especially if something gets in their way: "To say on track, the tag will chime, when it's Pikwik check-in time!"
- Once the package is finally delivered:"Together we travel,""By land, sea, and air,""To deliver you this package,""Delivered with care." (usually by the main in focus)
- Then,"A package for me, what would it be?" -The receiver."Just tug on the magical tag and see!" -The Pikwik Pack.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: The cautious Tibor is the sensitive guy to go-getter Axel's manly man.
- Strictly Formula: An episode usually goes as follows: We see several characters having a problem. The scene then goes to Pikwik Post, where the pack gets a signal from the top of the post. The scene transitions to short footage of them on their way to the briefing area, which involves Hazel tripping and Tibor picking her up. A package is then summoned in front of them. The tag tells us to whom the package is sent, where to send, and the conditions of delivery. Suki then briefs on a roadmap to the destination, with everyone deliberating on how to deliver it. Then at least one of them goes to deliver the package, sometimes uttering their catchphrase. A few characters greet the deliverer(s), and asks who are they delivering the package to. Two characters also have a look at the package passing by and each make a guess on what it is by looking at the shape. One of them then thinks it is a combination of both things. Somewhere along the line there will be obstacles during the delivery. It is also around this point the package's tag will shine as a reminder to the directions of the delivery. Eventually, they have the problem fixed. The rest of the Pack also have joined in the delivery if they started with less. They finally reach the recipients, the characters shown on the first scene. We then see the package unravel: it is something that finally solves the receivers' problems. The episode ends with them enjoying their package and the Pikwik Pack joining themselves in the fun.
- Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Females have eyelashes, except for Hazel.
- Title, Please!: The show doesn't have title cards. The characters still announce the episode titles out loud, though.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Tacos for Hazel.
- Vague Age: The main characters seem to be children based on their voices, but they operate a package delivery service all on their own.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: Captain Kate in "Suki's Hero" has an accent that modulates from Irish to French to Scottish to American.
- World of Funny Animals: All of the characters are anthropomorphic animals.
