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'''LazyTown''' is a children's television program that originated in Iceland (where it is known as ''Latibær'') that features a cast and crew from both the United States and Iceland. It airs on Nick Jr. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also stars in the show. Repeats of Nick Jr. shows aired on CBS from September 18, 2004 to September 9, 2006. The show has been highly successful, airing in over 100 countries, and more than a dozen languages.^[1]
The show has been given the German EMIL award by the TV magazine ''Spielfilm''.^[2]
The series' second season debuted in the U.S. on Nick Jr. on September 25, 2006.^[3] According to a March 2007 article in Avid.com, LazyTown is in the planning stages of a third season.^[4]

Contents

Origin

Premise

Filming

Live Show

Characters

Sportacus

Stephanie

Robbie Rotten

Puppets

Others

Robbie Rotten's disguises

Episodes

Music

Merchandising

References

External links

Origin

The series originally started out in 1996 as a live-action play, under the title ''Áfram Latibær'' (''Go on Lazytown!''). After its success, a second play was made titled ''Glanni Glæpur í Latabær'' (''Robbie Rotten in LazyTown''). This second play introduced the character Glanni Glæpur (Robbie Rotten) as a villain. Instead of incorporating puppets, all characters were played by live actors, with the exception of a bird puppet in the second play. During the shift to the televised version many changes were made. For example, Pixel (Goggi Mega) in the first play was a white male child, who was bald and had electronic goggles on at all times. In the second play, his image was changed to be more like a standard technical addict, with green hair, a silver shirt, and dozens of various electronics at his disposal. Some characters did not make it to the TV version, or were drastically changed. They include:

★ Eyrún Eyðslukló - This character only appeared in the first stage version. She was designed to teach children the importance of thrift. Whenever she found money, she would spend it as soon as possible, and when she had no cash, she would beg other residents until they gave in.

★ Lolli Lögga - A local cop. Appeared in the first play and in parts of the second. Does not appear on the TV show.

★ Maggi Mjói - A musically talented boy who does not eat correctly. Instead of eating sweets like Ziggy, he eats cocoa puffs and chips, and as a result he has barely enough energy to walk. Having only appeared in the stage versions, he was initially slated to appear in the televised version as "Jives".

★ Íþróttaálfurinn - Sportacus in the televised version, this character underwent numerous changes. In the first live play version, his character was more elfish in form and possessed magical powers. He gained most of his current appearance from his form in the second stage version.

Premise

The main character is Stephanie (Julianna Rose Mauriello), who arrives in town and urges her new friends Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy, and Pixel to go outside and be active, instead of staying inside and playing video games all day. Her uncle, the bumbling Mayor Milford Meanswell, enlists the help of Sportacus 10 (Magnús Scheving), a self-described "slightly-above-average hero". It is Sportacus' job to inspire the kids to play outside, and to help solve low-key emergencies that occur from time to time. However, all this does not sit well with Robbie Rotten (Stefán Karl Stefánsson), a lazy man who lives in an underground lair hidden just on the edge of town. Many of the episodes involve Robbie Rotten dressing up in a disguise and trying to ruin the kids' fun and/or make Sportacus leave town forever.

Filming

''LazyTown'' is part live action, part puppetry, and part CGI animation. Stephanie, Sportacus, and Robbie Rotten were the only humans on the American show up until episode 32 (Dancing Duel), which was the first to include a fourth live actor to play the role of Rottenella. She was played by Mauriello's stunt double, Kristjana Olafsdottir. More recent episodes have extended the live cast as well. Such episodes include Little Sportacus, and The Lazy Genie. The rest of the characters are depicted as puppets. (In other countries, the cast is changed - for example, Stephanie is played by a puppet.) The show's puppets are made by the Neal Scanlan Studio and Wit Puppets. The show is produced in a 5067 m² studio in Garðabær, Iceland, which contains one of the most advanced HDTV facilities in Europe. The budget for each episode is approximately USD $1,000,000.^[5]

Live Show

The Times correspondent Richard Dyball writes, "Magnus Scheving, the creator of LazyTown, and some big-shot producers are searching for a Sportacus to star in their nationwide tour of LazyTown Live! Sportacus is the super-fit superhero from the hit TV show and icon to children all over the world. [...] LazyTown is shown in 109 countries and the live show will play in more than 50. [...] The show is on CBeebies and Nick Jr in the UK. Each 25-minute episode costs £500,000, making it probably the most expensive children’s television show in the world."^[6]

Characters

Sportacus

Main articles: Sportacus

Played by 'Magnús Scheving'. The super-healthy hero of the show, hailing from "an island in the North Sea" (a tongue-in-cheek reference to Iceland, ''LazyTown'''s country of origin). Sportacus encourages the kids of LazyTown to eat "sports candy" (his word for fruits and vegetables of all kinds), and to play outside instead of just sitting around indoors playing video games or eating junk food. He wants to make sure LazyTown is happy, and knows that they have to be healthy and fit to be so. Sportacus is constantly engaged in physical activity, and even does gymnastics just to get from place to place. Even brushing his teeth turns into an acrobatic feat. In the episode, "New Superhero", the children try to teach him how to relax by giving him a 'vacation' (despite his protests), but Sportacus just can't stand sitting still! Sportacus is always saving people. His crystal beeps to let him know that someone needs his help. He's patient and understanding. Sportacus doesn't think of himself as a Superhero, but rather, a Slightly-Above-Average Hero.

Stephanie

Main articles: Stephanie (LazyTown)

Played by 'Julianna Rose Mauriello:' The character who inspired the citizens (and most importantly, the children) of LazyTown to get up and go. She is an 8 year old whose hair, outfits and accessories are pink. She came to town to visit her uncle, the mayor of LazyTown. At first, Stephanie attempted to get the kids to go outside and play, but she was foiled by Robbie Rotten when he tempted the kids with "lazy" things. But when she asked for Sportacus' help, the whole town worked together to make LazyTown the best place to live. Stephanie loves to dance. Her motto is, "There's Always a Way!"

Robbie Rotten

Played by 'Stefán Karl Stefánsson:' The antagonist of the show. He is always trying to get the kids to eat junk food and is forever trying to banish Sportacus from LazyTown. He wants to make sure LazyTown stays quiet and lazy like it was before Sportacus' and Stephanie's arrival. Robbie creates all sorts of plans, and sometimes comes very close to winning, but Sportacus always manages to save the day with the help of Stephanie and her friends. The amount of effort that this champion of inactivity puts into his plots is ironic; he may be the most active person in LazyTown because of it. Although many think he's an evil villain, he refers to himself as "a simple, rotten guy who's just misunderstood." He lives in an underground lair where he often spies on the people of LazyTown through a periscope. Robbie is a master of disguise (at least in his own mind!), often fooling even Sportacus.

Puppets

★ 'Ziggy (puppeteered and voiced by Guðmundur Þór Kárason)' The character who loves to eat candy and sweets - particularly Taffy. After Stephanie came along he found that there is more to childhood than sugary treats. He is now active and participates in any sport the gang plays, but still enjoys candy. He can usually be seen holding a lollipop.

★ 'Stingy (puppeteered and voiced by Jodi Eichelberger)' As his name implies, the greedy and possessive character. He still plays with the gang, but he will always care about his stuff: especially his car and his prized piggy bank. He often says "It's mine!" and has his own song by that name (which names everything in LazyTown as his!). He can also play the harmonica.

★ 'Trixie (puppeteered and voiced by Sarah Burgess)' The trouble-maker character, though she does like to play with everyone else. Trixie refers to Stephanie as "Pinky" when trying to get her attention. She also likes to draw moustaches on the mayor's posters.

★ 'Pixel (puppeteered by Ron Binion and Julie Westwood, voiced by Kobie Powell)' The character (originally named 'Goggi Mega') who plays too much on the computer. Stephanie taught him not to play too many video games. He fixes up all sorts of gadgets to help him avoid doing something himself, such as a machine to tie his shoes or a remote that "does everything for you." He loves anything to do with computers, technology and gadgets.

★ 'Mayor Milford Meanswell (puppeteered and voiced by David Matthew Feldman)' A nervous wreck who has a crush on Ms. Busybody. He loves his niece Stephanie very much and calls Sportacus if she feels sad or depressed and doesn't want to express her feelings. He is also famous for saying "Oh my!" all the time if something is wrong.

★ 'Bessie Busybody (puppeteered and voiced by Julie Westwood)' Although patronizing, she tries her best to be motherly with the children. She is aware of every new trend, and is pompous but fashionable, and she loves to talk on her cell phone.

Others

★ 'Sportacandy' (in other regions known as 'Sweetacus') Ziggy's superhero alter-ego who's just like Sportacus, but he only saves sweets. He is seen for a short time in some episodes, but he did star in a whole episode called 'Hero For A Day'.

★ '#9 ' '''(not seen, only referred to)''' A superhero from an island in the North Sea, who served as LazyTown's protector and resident role model in times past. He is different from Sportacus, as he had a big number 9 on his chest, whereas Sportacus is number 10. When Stephanie was trying to think how to get the kids to play outside, Mayor Meanswell told her about #9 and how they could send messages to him through a tube that Robbie Rotten had plugged up. Stephanie tried it and Sportacus got her letter asking for help. He then came to LazyTown. At a recent press conference, Magnús Scheving indicated that the newest season of ''LazyTown'' will contain an episode revealing the mystery behind #9. He has said that #9 may have had some sort of relationship with Sportacus in the past.

Robbie Rotten's disguises

★ 'Rob U. Blind, The Traveling Salesman' (Episode 2: Defeeted)

★ 'Lazycus' (Episode 2: Defeeted)

★ 'Sherlock Foams, Private Eye' (Episode 6: Swiped Sweets)

★ 'Sportacus' (Episode 8: Sportafake)

★ 'The Birthday Fairy' (Episode 9: Happy Brush Day)

★ 'Scottie The Scoutmaster' (Episode 10: Lazy Scouts)

★ 'Dr. Rottenstein' (Episode 11: Dr. Rottenstein)

★ 'Rottenbeard' (Episode 12: Rottenbeard)

★ 'A Purple Dinosaur' (Episode 13: Cry Dinosaur)

★ 'A Royal Messenger' (Episode 19: Prince Stingy)

★ 'The Rotten Kid (A Cowboy) & A Gorilla' (Episode 21: Play Day)

★ 'Soccer-Bot 6000' (Episode 24: Soccer Sucker)

★ 'Miss Roberta, Manners Expert' (Episode 25: Miss Roberta)

★ 'Mayor Fordmil Meansbad' (Episode 27: Secret Agent Zero)

★ 'Santa Claus' (Episode 29: LazyTown's Surprise Santa)

★ 'A Purple Cow' (Episode 30: Robbie's Greatest Misses)

★ 'A Giant Carrot, Apple, and Banana' (Episode 31: Sports Candy Festival)

★ 'Zobbie, the Space Alien' (Episode 33: Ziggy's Alien)

★ 'Johnny B. Badd' (Episode 35: Rockin' Robbie)

★ 'A Giant Purple Bush' (Episode 36: Little Sportacus)

★ 'A Garbage Man' (Episode 37: Trash Trouble)

★ 'The Mayor' (Episode 38: Double Trouble)

★ 'A Ghost' (Episode 39: Haunted Castle)

★ 'A Snow Monster' (Episode 40: The LazyTown Snow Monster)

★ 'Roberto the Ringmaster' (Episode 41: The LazyTown Circus)

★ 'Professor H.R. Rottenein' (Episode 42: School Scam)

★ 'Rob R. Robley, Newsman' (Episode 43: Pixel TV)

★ 'The Purple Legend' (Episode 43: Pixel TV)

★ 'Chef Robert' (Episode 43: Pixel TV)

★ 'A Gorilla' (Episode 43: Pixel TV)

★ 'The Shaking Cup Man' (Episode 44: Friends Forever)

★ 'The Stamp Guy' (Episode 45: Energy Book)

★ 'The Giant Wall Builder' (Episode 46: Birthday Surprise)

★ 'Bob Wired, Technician' (Episode 47: LazyTown goes Digital)

★ 'The Big Bad Wolf' (Episode 49: Once Upon A Time)

Episodes

Main articles: List of LazyTown episodes

There are currently 52 episodes of ''LazyTown''; 30 for season one, and 22 have been made for season two.^[7][8][9]

Music

The popularity of ''LazyTown's songs and music has led to the production of soundtrack albums that feature music from the show, including ''LazyTown'' in the United States (2005) and ''LazyTown - The Album'' (2006), a CD and DVD set in the United Kingdom. One of the songs from the latter - "Bing Bang (Time to Dance)" peaked at #4 in the UK Singles Chart on December 10th 2006. ''LazyTown'' has also had soundtracks released in Germany, titled ''Los geht's!'', and a soundtrack in Iceland titled ''Líttu inn í Latabæ''.

Merchandising

In the United States, Fisher-Price has produced a line of toys including an activity mat, and Stephanie and Sportacus action figures. There is also a soundtrack, along with books and videos.
Over 50 ''LazyTown'' DVDs have been released worldwide. For a current list, see LazyTown DVDs
In the UK, a monthly magazine launched in March 2007. Each issue boasts a free cover-mounted gift, a large poster inside, along with various ideas for games, comic strips and dance instructions. Many features come with an inset explaining to parents the value of the activities being promoted.

References

1. http://lazytown.biz/partners/
2. http://www.lazytown.com/newsroom/news/nr/165
3. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060914/neth025.html
4. http://www.avid.com/profiles/070326_lazytown_creative.asp
5. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article623382.ece
6. Times online article ''Yes, I’m the real Sportacus'' by Richard Dyball published July 14, 2007
7. http://www.tv.com/lazytown/show/29257/episode_listings.html?tag=tabs;episodes
8. http://epguides.com/LazyTown/
9. http://www.viacom.com/view_release.jhtml?inID=6&inReleaseID=176929

External links

★ Official LazyTown Website

★ Official website for UK Live Theatrical Show

★ Lazytown Live Tickets at Ticketmaster

★ LazyTown at Nick Jr.

★ LazyTown at BBC

★

★ LazyTown at TV.com