The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! is a Canada–UK co-produced animated television series that premiered August 7, 2010 on Treehouse TV in Canada, on September 6, 2010 on PBS Kids in the US and also in the UK on CITV and Cartoonito. The award-winning series is based on Random House’s Beginner Books franchise, The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, and is developed by Portfolio Entertainment, Random House Children Entertainment and Collingwood O’Hare Productions. The first season has 40 half-hour episodes. PBS Kids renewed it for a second season of 20 episodes which premiered on September 10, 2012.

Each episode features The Cat in the Hat (voiced by Martin Short), who leads six-year-old neighbours Nick and Sally, the Fish, and Thing One and Thing Two on a variety of adventures in his "Thinga-ma-jigger", a Seussian contraption that can sprout wings, pontoons, booster rockets, change size, and do just about anything else necessary to further the adventure. The adventures are prompted by a question posed by either Nick or Sally at the beginning of each episode, which will inevitably lead them around the globe to "make natural science discoveries." Similar to other PBS Kids series such as Curious George and Sid the Science Kid, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! focuses on introducing preschoolers to various science and learning concepts.

Major characters

 * The Cat in the Hat – Voiced by Martin Short. An adventurous cat who knows a lot, but doesn't know everything. He loves to explore the world and act as Nick and Sally's guide, and he frequently speaks in rhyming patterns reminiscent of the Dr. Seuss character on which he is based.


 * Nick – Voiced by Jacob Ewaniuk. A seven-year-old boy. He is Sally's next door neighbor and best friend, though he is not the same boy seen in the book. He appears to be a replacement for Sally's brother (the original book's unnamed narrator, later named Conrad in the movie).


 * Sally – Voiced by Alexa Torrington. A six-year-old girl, the same girl seen in the book. She is Nick's next door neighbor and best friend. Apparently based on the Sally from the books.


 * Fish – Voiced by Rob Tinkler. A moderately pessimistic fish who is loosely based on the fish in the original story. Unlike the fish in the book, however, he is red and appears to belong to the Cat instead of Sally or Nick. He is also much more cooperative in the Cat's adventures.


 * Thing One and Thing Two – Also voiced by Rob Tinkler. The Cat's two zany, energetic helpers.


 * Sally's mom – Voiced by Tracey Hoyt. Whenever Sally asks permission to go on an adventure with the Cat, her voice is heard responding. In some episodes, she is seen.


 * Nick's mom – Also voiced by Tracey Hoyt. Whenever Nick asks permission to go on an adventure with the Cat, her voice is heard responding. In some episodes, she is seen. She talks with a Jamaican accent.

Animals

 * Zhu Zhu – Voiced by Natsuko Ohama. Zhu Zhu is a Giant Panda enlisted by the Cat, Sally, and Nick to find a present for their panda. She appears in "Bamboozled" where she lives in the forest of Bamwamabooboo.
 * Dahpne - A dolphin.
 * Fifi - A red mouse.
 * Ralph - Sometimes called a reindeer and sometimes called a caribou who has gray fur. In the Christmas episode, he wins the candy cane hunt and also has been stowed away in the Thingamajigger.
 * Buster and Brenda - Booby Birds
 * Betty the Beaver - Unknown Voice Actor. A Beaver who has large teeth, just like a real beaver. The Things destroyed her dam.
 * Betty's Friend - Voiced by Jeffery Tambor. Betty's Friend helped fix her dam. He appeared later in "The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About Christmas".

Cast

 * Martin Short
 * Jacob Ewaniuk
 * Alexa Torrington
 * Rob Tinkler
 * Tracey Hoyt

Awards

 * 2012 Parents' Choice Award - Winner in Television
 * 2012 Cynopsis: Kids !magination Awards - Winner, TV Series based on books
 * 2012 Cynopsis: Kids !magination Awards - Winner, Song for a TV Series
 * 2012 Kidscreen Awards - Recognized, Best Integrated Promotion
 * 2012 Teachers' Choice Awards - For the Classroom: "Wings and Things" (DVD NCircle Entertainment)
 * 2012 Young Artist Awards - Nominated, Best Performance in a Voice-Over, TV or Feature Film Young Actor
 * 2012 Parents' Choice Award - Best Website
 * 2012 Kidscreen Awards - Finalist, Best Companion Website
 * 2012 Cynopsis: Kids !magination Awards - Honorable Mention, Website for a TV Series or TV Special
 * 2012 Webby Awards - Website, Official Honoree
 * 2011 - Nomination, Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (Martin Short)
 * 2011 Daytime Emmy Awards - Nomination, Outstanding Original Song in Children's & Animation
 * 2011 NAPPA Awards - "Told from the Cold" (DVD NCircle Entertainment)
 * 2011 WGC Screenwriting Awards - Winner, Animation
 * 2011 Young Artist Awards - Nominated, Best Performance in a Voice-Over, TV or Feature Film Young Actor
 * 2011 Young Artist Awards - Nominated, Best Performance in a Voice-Over, TV or Feature Film Young Actress
 * 2011 Youth Media Alliance - Nomination, Award of Excellence, Animation Three to Five Years
 * 2010 Parents' Choice Awards - Recommended Seal

Home videos
Various DVDs were released by NCircle Entertainment beginning in late October 2010 where every DVD is in Region 1, subtitled in English and Spanish, approximately 60 minutes except for a few, in Dolby Digital, in 5.1 surround and Dolby Surround stereo in Spanish. Every DVD has the bonus segments from the show.

DVDs

 * Wings and Things
 * Show Me the Honey
 * Migration Vacation
 * I Love the Nightlife
 * Oh Give Me a Home
 * Many Ants Make Light Work


 * Up and Away
 * A Plan for Sand
 * Whale Music
 * Flower Power
 * Dress Up Day
 * Bathtime


 * Tales About Tails
 * A Tale About Tails
 * Sticky Situation
 * Trees Company
 * Rain Game
 * You Should Be Dancing


 * Told from the Cold
 * Snowman's Land
 * Flight of the Penguin
 * A Long Winter's Nap
 * Reindeer Games


 * Surprise, Little Guys
 * Super Secret Digger
 * Night Lights
 * Along Came a Spider
 * Teeny Weeny Adventure
 * Hold On Tight


 * Trick and Treats
 * Batty for Bats
 * Aye Aye
 * Trick or Treat


 * Breeze from the Trees
 * Nest Best Thing
 * The Lost Egg
 * The Tree Doctor


 * Miles and Miles of Reptiles
 * Now You See Me
 * Be Cool
 * Itty Bitty Water


 * Ocean Comotion
 * Reef Magic
 * Digging The Deep
 * King Cecil the Seahorse
 * Ice Is Nice
 * Help with Kelp

Production

 * Canadian Television Fund
 * The Shaw Rocket Fund
 * The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit

PBS telecasts

 * Wonder Bread (2010–2011)
 * Viewers Like You (2010–present)
 * Pottery Barn Kids (2012)
 * The Children's Place (Late 2013–2014)