RoboRoach

RoboRoach is a Canadian animated television series which ran on Teletoon in Canada,[1] Animania HD in the United States,[3] and Fox Kids internationally.[4] It follows the story of a cockroach named Rube and his brother Reg. While scavenging for food, as seen in the opening, Rube is caught and experimented on. His brother saves him, but when they jump into an electrical outlet, Rube is transformed forever into a robot and cockroach cyborg called a roboroach. After that, he swears to use his powers only for the good of everyone and never for personal use, which is unfortunate for Reg.

RoboRoach
GenreAnimated television series
Created byJ.D. Smith
Lila Rose
Carolyn Hay
Developed byAndy Knight
Directed byDrew Edwards
Voices ofTed Dykstra
Scott Thompson
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes52
Production
Executive producersLisa Olfman
Joy Rosen
ProducerJulie Stall
Running time22 minutes
Production companyPortfolio Entertainment
Release
Original networkTeletoon
Original releaseJanuary 8, 2002 (2002-01-08)[1] –
June 14, 2004 (2004-06-14)[2]
External links
Production website

The series is based on true stories about Japanese scientists who implanted cameras and mini-computers in cockroaches and sent them into disaster zones to look for life signs.[5][6]

Characters

Main
  • Ruben "Rube" Roach has been turned into a "super-bug" thanks to being captured and experimented on before he hopped into an electrical outlet and transformed into RoboRoach and since that day he serves as the superhero of the fictional town of Vexberg. He always thinks of the others before himself and never accepts gifts of gratitude, and that's the reason why he and his brother live in poverty. Rube is also quite childish, naïve and believes almost everything anyone tells him. He has three pet lice and a "larvy" doll that he can't sleep without. His robotic superpowers include transforming into almost anything, from washing machines to scouters and from planes to toilets. He is voiced by Scott Thompson.
  • Reginald "Reg" Roach is Rube's older, and shorter, brother who always tries to get rich but always fails. He is overambitious and cares only about himself. Reg tries to use his brother's powers to obtain money but Rube always turns down reward offers because, as he says: "A good deed is its own reward!". That infuriates Reg as he is also quite selfish and hot-tempered. This often causes him a lot of trouble. However he is still Rube's big brother regardless and there are times he can cast his own greed and anger aside just for his big younger brother whenever he believes he might lose his brother and more, showing us he truly cares for his brother and loves him as much as Rube does for him. His catchphrase is "Why me? why me? Why all the time me?" with slight variations according to the episode. He could be described as an Ever-failing character. Reg is voiced by Ted Dykstra.
  • Mayor Mierworm is the mayor of Vexburg. she does not like Rube or Reg and thinks of them as menaces. Once she even tried to blame them for a crime they never committed, just to get rid of them. As a politician she is not very good but seemingly Mayor Mierworm gets re-elected quite often.
  • Skeeter Jettings is the main reporter in the series and can be found announcing the news on Reg and Rube's TV. His name is a spoof on Peter Jennings.
  • The Police Chief is Roboroach's friend and chief of the police station. Also known for his giggle.
  • Doc is the Roach brothers' personal physician.
  • Sterling Überbucks is CEO and owner of his company "Überbucks Dynamic Concerns". He and his helper Toadie are always trying to get richer at the cost of anything. Sterling has a nephew Stewie Jr., an evil twin brother named Carling and a great-great-great grandfather named Sterling Überrucks The Very 1st.

Villains
  • Mandible Lecter, a dangerous murderer, kidnaps innocent bugs and eats them.
  • Widow Black, a black widow, who marries bugs.
  • The Exterminator, a war-fanatic with a German accent is considered to be a mercenary.
  • F. Lee Brain, a mad scientist that is bent on conquering the world with the help of his henchman Slug.
  • The Disciplinarian/Ms.Conduct, a former teacher to Rube and Reg.

Episodes

The show Extermination! in the episode "Battling For Uberbucks / Death of a Salesbug" is a play of the reality show Survivor. The episode "Revenge of the Fleabrain" parodies Superman.

With Teletoon original airdates in parentheses:[2]

Season 1 (2002)
  1. Reg Bugs Out / Little Big Mouth (January 8, 2002 (2002-01-08))
  2. Pains, Drains, and Robomobiles / Jungle Bugs (January 15, 2002 (2002-01-15))
  3. Fitness Bug / Runaway Roaches (January 22, 2002 (2002-01-22))
  4. Popsicle Pest / Weakened Gladiators (January 29, 2002 (2002-01-29))
  5. Sugar Mommy / X-Pet (February 5, 2002 (2002-02-05))
  6. Bed- Ridden Bug / Robo Roach: The Movie (February 12, 2002 (2002-02-12))
  7. Two Bugs and a Baby / Überland (February 19, 2002 (2002-02-19))
  8. Santa's Bitter Helper / Flushed-Aways (February 26, 2002 (2002-02-26))
  9. Robo Watch / Sins of the Teacher (March 5, 2002 (2002-03-05))
  10. Rube Awakenings / Battling For Uberbucks (March 12, 2002 (2002-03-12))
  11. Bug Tusslers / Death of a Salesbug (March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19))
  12. Revenge of the Fleabrain / Ghost Bunglers (April 9, 2002 (2002-04-09))
  13. Mite Makes Wrong / Good Deed Day (April 16, 2002 (2002-04-16))
  14. The Flying Roachinis / Cowbugs (September 2, 2002 (2002-09-02))
  15. Political Partying / Bugfoot Tetish (September 6, 2002 (2002-09-06))
  16. Bugs With Gas / Insectizoids (September 9, 2002 (2002-09-09))
  17. Vexburg 500 / Guilty Please (September 13, 2002 (2002-09-13))
  18. Family Feud / Robo Reg (September 16, 2002 (2002-09-16))
  19. Under The Rainbow / Bed Bug Walking (September 20, 2002 (2002-09-20))
  20. Sluggies / Delivery Bugs (September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23))
  21. Jockey Shorts / The RoboRoach Show (September 27, 2002 (2002-09-27))
  22. The Big Bug Sleep / Prehistoric Pest (September 30, 2002 (2002-09-30))
  23. Ruby's Slippers / The President's Brain Is Missing (October 4, 2002 (2002-10-04))
  24. Club Dead / Omega Mites (October 7, 2002 (2002-10-07))
  25. The Great Reginini / Dustmites Come Home (October 11, 2002 (2002-10-11))
  26. The High Cost Of Laughing / Loco Hero (October 14, 2002 (2002-10-14))

Season 2 (2003–2004)
  1. Shuttle Bugs / Rememberizing Rube (September 6, 2003 (2003-09-06))
  2. Ship Of Foods / Pipe Reams (September 7, 2003 (2003-09-07))
  3. CopRoach Academy / Tooth For A Tooth (September 14, 2003 (2003-09-14))
  4. Überpops / Ballwashers Championship (September 21, 2003 (2003-09-21))
  5. Office Hours / Miss Vexburg (September 28, 2003 (2003-09-28))
  6. The Dapper Dandies Of Dusty Gulch / Of Lice And A Men (October 5, 2003 (2003-10-05))
  7. Spelunkheads / Giggling Island (October 12, 2003 (2003-10-12))
  8. Reggie's Hero / Gourmet Rude (October 19, 2003 (2003-10-19))
  9. Mystic Warbugs / X Hits The Spot (October 26, 2003 (2003-10-26))
  10. The Miracle Of Girth / The Purse Of The Mummy (November 2, 2003 (2003-11-02))
  11. A Pair Au Pairs / Shocking Tales (November 9, 2003 (2003-11-09))
  12. Reality Bytes / Debonairhead (November 23, 2003 (2003-11-23))
  13. Elves' Night Off / Loose Sleuths (November 30, 2003 (2003-11-30))
  14. Death Takes A Half Day / Übertrain (January 3, 2004 (2004-01-03))
  15. The Sacrificial Ham / Bug Brother Is Watching (January 4, 2004 (2004-01-04))
  16. Space Cadets / Love Bugs (January 11, 2004 (2004-01-11))
  17. WereRoach / Remote Control Roach (January 18, 2004 (2004-01-18))
  18. No Pain No Weight Gain / El Regidente (January 25, 2004 (2004-01-25))
  19. Sins Of The Teacher II / Robo Reunion (February 1, 2004 (2004-02-01))
  20. Opposites Detract / Robo Nurse (February 8, 2004 (2004-02-08))
  21. Night Of The Living Beds / Superhero Sampler (March 7, 2004 (2004-03-07))
  22. Reggie's Eleven / Easter Charade (March 14, 2004 (2004-03-14))
  23. It's A Mad Mad Mad Reg / Gold Fever (March 21, 2004 (2004-03-21))
  24. Spitting Images / Youth Juice (June 12, 2004 (2004-06-12))
  25. The Living Bro / The Fly Who Loved Me (June 13, 2004 (2004-06-13))
  26. Road To Ubugme / Ticking Time Bug (June 14, 2004 (2004-06-14))

Production

A third 26-episode season of the show was planned as of early 2003.[7]

References
  1. "www.teletoon.com". 2 February 2002. Archived from the original on February 2, 2002.
  2. "Television Program Logs". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. 2016-03-02. Alt URL
  3. "VOOM's Animania HD Acquires Original HD Series Produced by Portfolio Entertainment - AMC Networks Inc".
  4. Meza, Ed (16 April 2002). "Fox Kids Europe nabs 'Roboroach'".
  5. "Export Development Canada (EDC) -- ExportWise (Spring 2004) -- From Roaches to Riches". 20 June 2004. Archived from the original on June 20, 2004.
  6. Talmadge, Eric. "Ultimate Bugging Device Small Step For Roach Is Next Giant Leap For Science | The Spokesman-Review". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  7. "Portfolio Displays Carl Squared For NATPE | Animation World Network". Awn.com. 2003-01-17.
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