Pingu (1986– )

Pingu is a clay penguin who is very mischievous and playful. He lives in the Arctic where he plays with his family and his friend the seal. His signature sound is something like "mweep mweep".

Stars:

Marcello Magni, David Sant

Cast

Series cast summary:
Marcello Magni		(5 episodes, 2004-2005)
David Sant		(5 episodes, 2004-2005)

Storyline

Pingu is a clay penguin who is very mischievous and playful. He lives in the Arctic where he plays with his family and his friend the seal. His signature sound is something like "mweep mweep".

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Plot Keywords:

penguin | claymation | famous opening theme | character name in title

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Genres:

Animation | Family

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Details

Country:

Switzerland UK

Release Date:

3 June 1990 (Netherlands)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HIT Entertainment, HOT Animation Production, Pygos Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

5 min 5 min (105 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Pingu" has been broadcast in more than 150 countries. He has been used as a spokes-character for UNICEF in several countries.

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Connections

Referenced in The Fast Show: Cinc-cinci-cinquenta-cinquanta-chanco-chaucachauca-cinquento-pentos (1996)

User Reviews

Excellent and very unique kids' entertainment!

It appears that this animated kids' show from Switzerland came along the year I was born, but I first saw it many years later, when I was around eight years old. Eventually, I got hooked, watching it every day after school! In Canada, the station to see it on was TVO. I have so many memories of watching kids' shows on that station for a good chunk of the 1990s, but "Pingu" was probably my favourite of them all, at least for a while, despite the fact that most of the other programmes I saw had much longer episodes!

The show took place at the South Pole, with anthropomorphic penguins living in igloos, and speaking gibberish, possibly using bits of different languages occasionally. The main character was Pingu, a young mischievous penguin who lived in an igloo with his parents, and eventually, his younger sister. Pingu was very cheeky and often poorly behaved, which could often get him into trouble. He experienced various kinds of problems, sometimes at home, and sometimes in other places. At home, he often got in trouble with his parents, and didn't always get along with his sister. Outside, he sometimes met other adults, and also found himself on adventures with peers.

I recently re-watched some episodes of "Pingu" and found that I didn't really enjoy it that much anymore, which didn't surprise me. However, I can't forget how much I loved it when I was a kid! Without a doubt, the show was very entertaining for many younger kids, with its excellent animation, characters, humour, and probably even the gibberish dialogue! Did it have any educational value? Well, definitely not as much as some kids' shows, and kids definitely couldn't learn anything from the words, but there may have been some mild lessons to be learned from Pingu's experiences, often about getting along with others. Despite the gibberish dialogue, viewers could always tell what was happening and understand the emotions of the characters. With all these qualities, I'm sure "Pingu" is still entertaining for many kids today, regardless of what language(s) they speak!