The Creature Cases

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

The Creature Cases
Season 1 promotional poster; featuring Kit Casey (left) and Sam Snow (right)
Genre
Created byGabe Pulliam
Developed by
  • Adam Idelson
  • Bryan Korn
  • Amy Koudelka
  • Kurt Mueller
  • Gabe Pulliam
  • Alex Red
Directed by
  • Jérémie Guneau
  • Sébastien Le Nevé
Voices of
Theme music composer
ComposerRichie Kohan
Country of originUnited States
China
France
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes20 (36 segments)
Production
Executive producers
  • Adam Idelson
  • Kurt Mueller
Producers
  • Rachel Simon
  • Michelle Papandrew
  • Guillaume Hellouin
  • Caroline Souris
Editors
  • Etienne Jeantet
  • Malek Mroueth
Running time28–29 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseApril 12, 2022 (2022-04-12) –
present

The Creature Cases[1] is an animated preschool children's television series created by Gabe Pulliam for Netflix. Produced by Silvergate Media,[2] the series premiered on April 12, 2022.[2] A holiday special, labeled as Chapter 2, was released on November 30, 2022.[3] The third chapter was released on May 22, 2023.[4] The fourth chapter is expected to release in 2024.[5]

Plot[edit]

The series takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals and follows the adventures of Sam Snow and Kit Casey, two agents employed by the Covert League of Animal Detective Experts (or C.L.A.D.E. for short), as they travel around the world solving many mysteries while using their expertise in problem-solving and animal facts.

Characters[edit]

  • Sam Snow (voiced by Shash Hira) - a Snow Leopard with an English accent and Kit's partner. A neat freak by nature and always out for clues and gizmos, Sam is a master detective and tends to be the one to analyze the situation at hand. True to his species, Sam hates getting wet and thrives in cold, snowy weather, though unlike Kit he is less than agile and often stumbles during most chases, despite being the most cautious of the two. Sam's main gadget is a glove that performs similarly to Kit's visor, but he is also responsible for carrying the Clu-Bots: small spherical robots that can transform for many different purposes. His catchphrases are "Whiskers, that's it!" and "Whiskers!".
  • Kit Casey (voiced by Nneka Okoye) - a yellow Kit Fox with an American accent and Sam's partner. Unlike her partner, Kit is naturally a total slob and never misses a chance to snack when possible, though despite being a worse detective than Sam she more than makes up for it with her vast knowledge of the various animal species they encounter. Unlike Sam, Kit doesn't mind getting wet and is far more reckless, reveling in hot tropical weather. Kit's main gadget is a visor that performs similarly to Sam's glove, but she also carries around a pen and notebook to draw out details on the latest suspect. Her catchphrases are "What in the woolly world?", "Twist my tail", "Don't get your tail twisted", and "Ain't that something."
  • Peggy Scratch (voiced by Teresa Gallagher) - a brown chicken and the director of C.L.A.D.E. While she puts up a serious and professional front, Director Scratch is just as eccentric as her employees, and not above their levels of fun and frivolities. Although she rarely leaves HQ on missions, Scratch is very accomplished and very competent in the field, being an accomplished egg bowler on top of managing case files in her office. Her catchphrase before sending the two agents down is "C.L.A.D.E. is counting on you!".
  • Bill and Jill - a pair of mice who make up a duo known as the Mice Squad. Typically based in a miniature news van, the Mice Squad is responsible for alerting C.L.A.D.E. agents of missions requiring intervention. The pair are also professional musicians, with many followers due to the quality of their soundtracks. Both of them also feature in the end-of-episode "Fact File" segments alongside R.O.N., where they examine facts about the episode's featured animals.
  • Hans and Harold Stinkwell - two German-accented skunk brothers who serve as C.L.A.D.E.'s mechanical experts. In addition to maintaining equipment around HQ, the Stinkwells are responsible for developing new inventions that allow the agents to carry out their missions as best as possible. A running gag in the series is that as skunks, a number of their inventions tend to smell bad, and typically, at least one of the brothers will fart whenever they appear on screen. Unlike Sam, Kit, R.O.N., Director Scratch, and the Mice Squad, the Stinkwells do not appear or speak in every episode, appearing only as semi-regulars.
  • Wally Bungler (voiced by Rob Rackstraw) - a brown flying squirrel and self-proclaimed "Nature Ranger" who travels around the world to help out wherever he can. While Sam and Kit usually employ and appreciate his help, Wally has a tendency to arrive uninvited, while neither he nor the C.L.A.D.E. agents are appreciative of his mother making unexpected calls at inopportune moments. Wally is less organized and more egotistical than Sam or Kit, but he is very competent in the thick of things, and his ability to reach higher elevations makes him a useful asset to the team. Like the Stinkwells, Wally only appears on an infrequent basis.
  • R.O.N. (voiced by Rob Rackstraw) - an artificially intelligent jet plane who serves as Sam and Kit's primary transport. R.O.N. stands for Reconnaissance Organized Navigator and is an advanced flying machine equipped with various features to aid in their missions. R.O.N. has its own personality and often engages in playful banter with Sam and Kit. It has a dry sense of humor and tends to provide witty remarks during their adventures. R.O.N. can transform into different modes, including a jet mode for high-speed travel, a stealth mode for undercover operations, and a surveillance mode for gathering information. It possesses advanced technology like holographic displays and state-of-the-art navigation systems. R.O.N. is a reliable and valuable asset to the team, ensuring that Sam and Kit reach their destinations quickly and safely.
  • Junior Agent Cubby - a female dog who is top of her class at the academy. First named in the third-season finale, Cubby was first seen in the first season as an unnamed background character who appeared sporadically until her first named appearance.
  • Barb - A bark scorpion who debuted in the third season. Sharp-tongued and sarcastic but fierce and loyal, Barb and Sam started off at odds before they bonded just as much as she did with Kit.

Episodes[edit]

Series overview[edit]

SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally released
Chapter 12312April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
Chapter 201November 30, 2022 (2022-11-30)
Chapter 3147May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)

Chapter 1 (2022)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"The Mystery on the Monsoon Express"Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Gabe PulliamApril 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)

An average day in the Asian Jungle turns dangerous when a snake bites the driver of a train. Now, Sam and Kit have to find the culprit so that they can heal the driver enough to prevent a crash.

Fact File(s): The Big Four
Note: The Russell's Viper is continually referred to as the Chain Snake in this episode.
22"The Riddle of Raging Rhinos"Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Gabe Pulliam
Shakira Pressley
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Trouble in the Tundra"
Sam and Kit are sent to the African Grasslands to investigate rampaging rhinos at a watering hole gathering, and a bug-loving genet is caught in the act.
When the Mice Squad go missing in the Arctic Tundra, Sam and Kit go on a long-winded search and discover that despite what it may seem, a nearby herd of musk oxen are likely involved.
Fact File(s): Rhinos; Musk Oxen
33"The Puzzle of the Plummeting Eggs"Sébastien Le Nevé
Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Gabe Pulliam
Gabe Pulliam
Conner McCune
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Missing Mole Rat Princess"
Sent to the European Wetlands to investigate falling bird eggs, Sam and Kit are given unexpected help from Wally Bungler as they race to stop a sneaky cuckoo bird.
Sam and Kit are sent to the African Desert to locate a missing mole rat- the princess of the current kingdom. With time running short, however, the duo have to hurry before a hungry owl finds her first.
Fact File(s): Cuckoo Bird; Naked Mole Rat
44"The Hunt for the Hidden Hive"Jérémie GuneauMelinda LaRose
Miden Wood
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Trouble of the Toppled Trees"
Sam and Kit are sent to the African Grasslands to help a lost honeybee find her hive and family, with Director Scratch assigning Indy, a nearby field agent, to assist in the search.
Trees are falling over in a mysterious fashion in the North American Forest, and Sam and Kit have to find the culprit before the entire forest is destroyed. However, the burrowing suspect is hard to catch.
Fact File(s): Honey Guides; Pocket Gophers
55"The Mysterious Fruit Thief"Jérémie GuneauChristian Marsh Reiman
Adam Felber
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Riddle of the Wrestling Lizards"
An orangutan is struck by a thief who has been stealing fruit from her island in the Asian Jungle, but even when Sam and Kit cover all their bases, the mystery bandit keeps slipping by their sights.
Sam and Kit are dispatched to the North American Desert to try and break up a fight between a pair of gila monsters. However, they manage to bite and poison Kit, forcing Sam to work on the case by himself before the lizards leave the town in ruins.
Fact File(s): Mouse Deer; Gila Monsters
66"The Disappearing Dung Ball"Sébastien Le NevéGabe Pulliam
Morgan von Ancken
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Search for the Spotted Frog"
Sam and Kit are sent to find a missing ball of giraffe dung on the African Grasslands. Sam, however, is less than enthused, particularly due to his germophobic nature.
Wally Bungler joins Kit and Sam in the South American Jungle as they search for a tarantula's pet dotted humming frog. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is full of frogs, and finding the one they're looking for is a real challenge.
Fact File(s): Dung beetles; Tarantulas
77"The Case of the Big Chomp"Jérémie GuneauCharley Feldman
Michael Rodriguez
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Secret of the Salt Cave"
The Mice Squad van's satellite dish is chomped off by a mysterious creature, and both Sam and Kit are at odds at who the culprit is.
Sam and Kit are sent to the African Grasslands to help find a noisy animal keeping some bats awake, but the clues don't indicate an obvious culprit.
Fact File(s): Alligators and Crocodiles; Elephants
88"The Case of the Blue Bandit"Sébastien Le Nevé
Jérémie Guneau
Nick Confalone
Ruth Morrison
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Honey Badger Break-In"
Sam and Kit search the Australian Jungle for a large blue seashell for a land hermit crab, but as the search goes on, it becomes clear that the shell isn't the only lost object in the area.
While set to return to HQ after a mission in the Africa Grasslands, Sam and Kit find R.O.N. has been taken over by a hive of bees, and the reason dawns upon them when a determined honey badger offers to help them.
Fact File(s): Bowerbirds; Honey badgers
99"The Unidentified Shiny Object"Sébastien Le NevéMorgan von Ancken
Nick Confalone
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Case of the Crying Monkey"
A mysterious object emitting several bright lights calls Wally Bungler to join Sam and Kit as they try to prevent it from ruining a firefly prom in the North American Forest.
Sam and Kit uncover a mystery while training in the South American Jungle; a baby monkey cry not from the monkey it sounds like.
Fact File(s): Fireflies; Margay
1010"The Search for the Silver Ant Hill"Sébastien Le NevéShakira PressleyApril 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Search for the Swamp Snapper"
Sam and Kit follow the clues to help a silver ant return to her nest in the African Desert; but the time they have before she overheats is running out fast.
A mysterious creature is causing panic in the North American Wetlands, and Sam and Kit are sent to set things right.
Fact File(s): Saharan Silver Ants; Snapping Turtles
1111"The Puzzle of the Poisonous Leaves"Jérémie GuneauCharley Feldman
Conner McCune
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Mystery of the Missing Hare"
A case involving howler monkeys getting poisoned by the leaves they feed on leads Sam and Kit to team up with Philip Night, a nocturnal monkey who works as a private eye in the South American Jungle.
Sam and Kit set out to return a lost snowshoe hare to a campsite in the North American Forest. However, a hungry wolf is set on devouring the hare.
Fact File(s): Night Monkeys; Snowshoe Hares
1212"The Secret of the Sand Serpent"Sébastien Le NevéNick Confalone
Ruth Morrison
April 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
"The Disappearance of Peggy Scratch"
Sam and Kit are sent to the South American Desert to investigate a burrowing creature terrorizing a small town, but the locals are all too afraid to think sensibly.
While on a training exercise, R.O.N. crashes on inaccessible island and Director Scratch vanishes not long afterwards, forcing Sam and Kit to put aside their current argument in order to save the head of CLADE.
Fact File(s): Pink Fairy Armadillos; Inaccessible Island Rails

Chapter 2 (2022)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
131"The Missing Mammoth: A Holiday Mystery"Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Gabe PulliamNovember 30, 2022 (2022-11-30)

After solving a reindeer mystery, Sam and Kit are about to head back to HQ for the holiday celebration, but accidentally travel back in time in the Ice Age. There, they must find the missing mammoth Grammy, who has disappeared while picking out moss for her family's celebration. The other C.L.A.D.E. agents, including a visiting Wally Bungler, set out to help their friends home, but with problematic results.

Fact File(s): Woolly mammoths

Chapter 3 (2023)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
141"The Forest Food Bandit"Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Ruth Morrison
Veronica Pickett
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Case of the Absent Giraffe"
A series of thefts in the North American forest is under investigation by Sam and Kit, but when similarities to her old case show up, Director Scratch joins them to tie up loose ends.
Sam and Kit are on the hunt for a young giraffe in the African Grasslands, but he is proving to be a hard find.
Fact File(s): Raccoon, Giraffe
152"The Frozen Stowaways"Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Halcyon Person
Veronica Pickett
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Puzzle of the Empty Pond"
The Stinkwells find three frozen creatures in R.O.N., and when they get loose in C.L.A.D.E. HQ, Sam and Kit have to find them and bring them home.
When a pond in the North American wetlands doesn't fill up like usual, Sam and Kit are sent to investigate, but the creatures are increasingly rigid to all of their solutions.
Fact File(s): Arctic woolly bear moth, Frosted flatwoods salamander
163"The Undercover Hyena"Sébastien Le Nevé
Jérémie Guneau
Adam Idelson
Melinda LaRose
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Stranger in the Burrow"
A mission to rescue Wally in the African desert requires Sam to disguise himself as a hyena, but the case quickly hits a roadblock.
Sam and Kit are sent to the North American grasslands to investigate a mysterious creature in a shared gopher tortoise burrow, but the creature proves to be a hard catch.
Fact File(s): Spotted hyena, Burrowing owl
174"The Bat Cave Crisis"Sébastien Le Nevé
Jérémie Guneau
Gabe Pulliam
Halcyon Person
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Mysterious Ant Circle"
Wally is sent to the North American forest to find out why a number of bats are suddenly sneezing after waking up from their winter sleep, as every C.L.A.D.E. agent, including Sam and Kit, has tail-itis, an uncontrollable tail disease.
After a family of capybaras is bitten at a birthday party, Sam and Kit are sent to the South American jungle to find the culprit. They turn out to be lost army ants, but leading them is proving to be problematic.
Fact File(s): Bats, Army ants
185"The Lost Capybara Kids"Jérémie GuneauMorgan van Ancken
Ruth Morrison
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Case of the Curious Keas"
Two capybaras can't be found after a game of hide-and-seek in the South American wetlands, forcing Sam and Kit to try and find them before an anaconda does, which their divided approaches could complicate.
Sam and Kit are stranded in the Arctic tundra when a mysterious creature tampers with their snow cycles, but the culprit is soon found to have friends.
Fact File(s): Anaconda, Kea
196"The Legend of the Night Howler"Jérémie Guneau
Sébastien Le Nevé
Michael Rodriguez
Miden Wood
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Haystack Stakeout"
Sam and Kit track a legendary creature who's spreading an unstoppable itch among prairie dogs in the North American desert, but even with the help of Barb, a local scorpion, the creature proves to be tricky to catch.
A mass flower theft in the North American forest leads Sam, Kit, and the Mice Squad to investigate, but the local pikas won't do anything but blame each other.
Fact File(s): Grasshopper mouse, Pikas
207"The Case of the Scorpion's Sting"Sébastien Le Nevé
Jérémie Guneau
Melinda LaRose
Connor McCune
May 22, 2023 (2023-05-22)
"The Case of the Constant Dripping"
When a prairie dog gets stung in the North American desert, Kit is sent to help while Sam assists in filling out paperwork, but she also has the help of Barb the Scorpion.
Sam and Kit, now Senior Agents, head to the North American wetlands with Junior Agent Cubby to solve the case of a mysterious sound, but when they find the culprit they soon find they have other matters to deal with.
Fact File(s): Scorpions, American bittern

Production[edit]

The series was first announced in September 2021 as part of four Netflix Original Preschool shows targeted at 2-6 year olds.[1]

Release[edit]

The Creature Cases was globally released on April 12, 2022, on Netflix.[6] A trailer was released on March 29, 2022.[6][7]

Reception[edit]

The series received a 5/5 rating on Common Sense Media where Diondra Brown praised it for being both educational and entertaining, especially for those that love learning about animals.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Expanding Our Preschool Programming With Two Renewals and Four New Series Orders". Netflix Media Center (Press release). September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Silvergate Media announces a new animal detective children's series 'The Creature Cases' for Netflix". Animation Xpress. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  3. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (November 9, 2022). "Netflix Adds 'My Little Pony,' 'Action Pack,' 'Creature Cases' & More Specials to Holiday Lineup". Animation Magazine. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  4. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (April 25, 2023). "Trailer: 'The Creature Cases' Cracks 3rd Season of Animal Mysteries on Netflix". Animation Magazine. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  5. ^ "Netflix Announces Hot Wheels, 'Wizard of Oz' and Universal Monsters-Inspired Preschool Series, Sets 'CoComelon Lane' Premiere (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. September 28, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Silvergate Cracks New Series 'The Creature Cases'". Animation Magazine. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  7. ^ The Creature Cases NEW Series Trailer | Netflix Jr. YouTube. March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Brown, Diondra (April 27, 2022). "The Creature Cases TV Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media. Retrieved April 27, 2022.

External links[edit]