Kenny the Shark is an American animated television series produced by Discovery Kids. The series premiered on Discovery Kids' Saturday morning block on NBC on November 1, 2003, and ended on February 19, 2005, spanning two seasons and 26 episodes in total having aired. The series is about an anthropomorphic tiger shark named Kenny, who was tired of being a predator, and wanted to live with a suburban family.
Contents
Production
Kenny the Shark was not Kenny's first appearance. In the late 1990s, a series of shorts featuring Kenny ran between regular programming. In the live-action film version, it starred male child actor Spencer Breslin. Kenny was not seen, as the camera was from his point of view. Unlike most animated television shows which take place in fictional cities or states, etc., this one takes place in the real-life town of Tiburon, California.
Theme music
The series' theme music was performed by PFFR, who would later produce MTV2's Wonder Showzen and Adult Swim's Xavier: Renegade Angel.
Characters
Main
Kenny (voiced by Jim Conroy) is a sarcastic tiger shark. He is a comical character with a happy-go-lucky attitude who was tired of life in the ocean and went to live on the surface, where he is able to walk on his tail fins and breathe air like humans. In some cases, he can't control himself when he hears or sees a seal. He lives with Kat and her family, and likes eating chum, fish, seal pops, seals and sushi. Like most anthropomorphic animals, Kenny is able to walk, using his tail fins as feet.
Katarina "Kat" Cassidy (voiced by Kelli Rabke) is a young school student who is the only one who speaks in Kenny's language. She is obsessed with sharks, is Kenny's owner and best friend, is optimistic and fun-loving, and possesses rather unrealistic characteristics. She usually wears sandals like her parents, but later in the series she wears tennis shoes. In the episode "I Love the Nightlife", it is revealed that her real name was Katarina. In "Goodbye, Ol' Chum", she turns 11.
Karl Cassidy (voiced by Karen Culp) is Kat's youngest brother. He thinks that Kenny is a dog. He is 1 1⁄2 years old.
Grace Cassidy (voiced by Karen Culp) is Kat and Karl's mother, Peter's wife, and Grandma Pat's daughter-in-law. She is a psychiatrist and runs her practice at her house. She is always kind and caring and she loves Kat, Karl, Kenny and her husband equally. Kenny sometimes accidentally scares off her patients, such as Mr. Luskerfish.
Peter Cassidy (voiced by Russell Horton) is Kat and Karl's father, Grace's husband, and Grandma Pat's son. He is an eco-sensitive hippie who owns a healthy grocery store. He gives Kat and Grace nicknames related to fruits and vegetables. He doesn't like Kenny because of his constant eating, shedding his teeth, and his tendency to break public property which costs him in fines. In the first season, Peter's hair is blond, but in the second season, his hair is brown.
Supporting
Oscar (voiced by Nicolas King) is Kat's best human friend. He is obsessed with the Mayans, from whom he is descended.
The Phoebes are a group of three popular girls that share the same name. Kat tries to be friends with them, but soon realizes they are mean, rude and sarcastic. They become Kat's rivals and refer to her as a "sea dweeb" because she likes sharks. They once "stole" the lead drummer for Kat and Oscar's band, whom Kenny replaced. At first, they are afraid of Kenny, but they like him for his cuteness after seeing a film called Finding Nimoy (a parody of Disney-Pixar's 2003 film Finding Nemo) about a baby shark named Nimoy on a journey to return to his parents. They are a parody of the Heathers.
Burton Plushtoy III (voiced by Oliver Wyman) is a British obnoxious rich English-accented kid and one of Kat's rivals. He wants Kenny to be in his own private collection of exotic pets. He has been foiled by Kat twice. He looks very much like Richie Rich, who is also a rich kid.
Merkins is Plushtoy's British-accented butler and henchman when trying to kidnap Kenny.
Marty (voiced by Rob Bartlett) is a dachshund and Kenny's other best friend who occasionally gives Kenny advice. Kat seems to understand Marty as much as she understands Kenny. Marty bears a resemblance to his human owner.
Elly (voiced by Amy Love) is a bull shark from the aquarium, on whom Kenny has a crush. She appreciates Kenny being himself, and doesn't like him when he's not. After Marty helps save her from becoming sushi, she is shown batting her eyes at him when Kenny was going to bring her flowers. He throws them in the trash and leaves the aquarium. She is not seen or spoken of outside these two episodes.
Captain Ahearn is the local, somewhat insane sailor captain who thinks all sharks are dangerous and tried to catch Kenny and kill him thinking that he is trying to protect Kat. After Kenny saved him from guard dogs, only because Kat commanded him to, they all become friends. He helps Kat and Kenny sometimes, and they helped him with a sleep-walking problem once in "Over the Ocean".
Episodes
Broadcast
The series aired on Discovery Kids and premiered in the United States on November 1, 2003. The final episode aired on February 19, 2005.
Home media
The series was released on DVD in the United States by Genius Products and Discovery Home Entertainment with 2 volumes in 2007, and a third volume in 2008.
Three DVD volumes from Magna Pacific in Australia entitled "First Bite" (with 10 short episodes), "Second Bite" (with 8 short episodes) and "Third Bite" (with 8 short episodes) were released in 2005.
The first 10 episodes became available for purchase in the United States on the iTunes Store in 2009.