Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop

Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop (known as Dr. Globule in France) is a 1994-1997 animated television series created by Tony Barnes and produced by Philippe Mounier PMMP and Fairwater Films and distributed in the UK by The Sleepy Kids Company Ltd (who also produced Potsworth & Co. and Budgie the Little Helicopter) which was later changed to SKD Media and Entertainment Rights and then dissolved into Classic Media (now DreamWorks Classics) and by PMMP and TF1 Intl in the rest of the world. 65 episodes were produced.
The show aired in the United Kingdom on ITV starting 20 June 1994 and finishing 21 August 1997, while in France it aired on TF1 from 4 September 1996. The show ran for four series. Music for the series was composed by Danny Chang and Tony Barnes.
A comic strip version of the show was included in Buster magazine from September 1994 to November 1996. The series was later repeated on Nickelodeon in the early 2000s until 2004, and had sporadic reruns on ordinary TV from 1999 until 2001 (it was put on hiatus in 2002).
It was also aired on cable television in Australia first airing on Nickelodeon and later on Cartoon Network.
Plot summary
Dr. Zitbag was a Pet Shop worker who wasn't very good at selling any pets at all and because of this he was fired from the local Transylvanian Pet Shop. So he decides to set up his own Pet Shop at an old Haunted Castle and finds out that he will have to share the place with a skeleton dog, Horrifido. With Horrifido now helping him out, the doctor begins use with his inventions to create Horrific Pets to gain his profit.
Characters
Dr. Sidney Zitbag (voiced by Christian Rodska) - The main character of the show, he is a mad scientist type of character who wants to become the world's best pet shop owner. After being fired from the only town pet shop he goes on to buy an old castle from the Exorsisters and sets up his own pet shop creating new and weird pets in his laboratory, but his plans don't always work and certain mishaps do tend to happen.
Horrifido (voiced by Kerry Shale) - Horrifido, or Fido as he was known in life, was the pet dog of the former owner of the old castle (Capt. Charles de Ghoul) where Dr. Zitbag sets up his pet shop. Initially haunting the castle as a ghost, the doctor inadvertently uncovers the dog's old bones and the ghoul reanimates them, giving him a physical form. Horrifido is thus a skeleton dog with green bat winged like ears, who becomes Dr. Zitbag's assistant. Sometimes Horrifido is seen wearing a pink bow collar around his neck.
The Exorsisters (voiced by Nicolette McKenzie) - The Exorsisters are Dr. Zitbag's neighbours. Both ladies are twins resembling the bride of Frankenstein. Every so often, Dr. Zitbag always tries to impress them both, but the two often argue with each other. Sinista, the sister with purple streaks in her hair, often dismisses Dr. Zitbag, whereas Bimbella, the sister with white streaks in her hair, is more willing to give him a chance.
Zombunny - Zombunny appears to be a zombified rabbit who never seems to move. Most of the time, he is seen with Dr. Zitbag and Horrifido, as Dr. Zitbag would use Zombunny as part of his experiments. Zitbag would often throw him aside while saying a cursory "Excuse me, Zombunny".
Officer Deadbeat (voiced by Kerry Shale) - Officer Deadbeat is the local police officer of Transylvania and Zitbag's antagonist. He appears to have no neck and so his head is floating at where his would be neck should be. He has a personal grudge against Dr. Zitbag, believing that the doctor is a con-artist. If he ever arrests the doctor for good, his ultimate goal is to claim the old Haunted House as a new police station, as the one he has got is very small and he often bumps his head off.
Professor Sherman Vermin (voiced by Kerry Shale) - Zitbag's rival. Sinistra and Bimbella sometimes call him to help them, eventually making Dr. Zitbag jealous.
List of episodes
Twelve of a total of 65 episodes were released on video.
Series One (Mondays)
Welcome To The Transylvania Pet Shop - first aired: 20/06/1994 (the pilot episode of the show)
Grime Does Not Pay - first aired: 27/06/1994There was no episode broadcast on 04/07/1994 due to a showing of Dragonslayer as a result of schedule changes regarding the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Horrybaby - first aired: 11/07/1994
Food Glorious Pet Food - first aired: 18/07/1994
Ants In Your Pants - first aired: 25/07/1994
Every Dog Has Its Show - first aired: 01/08/1994
Gorilla Thriller - first aired: 08/08/1994
Where Mouse - first aired: 15/08/1994
Pirate Parrots - first aired: 22/08/1994There was no episode shown on 29/08/1994 due to it being public holiday.
Bungle in the Jungle - first aired: 05/09/1994
Halloween Horse Race - first aired: 12/09/1994
Double Trouble - first aired: 19/09/1994
Triassic Lark - first aired: 26/09/1994 - The children were demanding dinosaurs for pets, which caused Dr. Zitbag and Horrifido to construct a time machine in order to travel to prehistoric times so to capture some baby dinosaurs. After minor setbacks such as travelling to before creation and the future, they have arrived, unbeknownst that Officer Deadbeat had snuck on board and had his hijinks with a cavewoman. This is the first episode (also applies to every episode beyond) that was only broadcast and never commercially released.
Series Two (Fridays)
Inspectre Spector - first aired: 09/06/1995
Pyramid Pandemonium - first aired: 16/06/1995
Computer Bugged - first aired: 23/06/1995
Kangaroo Caught - first aired: 30/06/1995
Orang-Utans and Lemmings - first aired: 07/07/1995
Medieval Dread - first aired: 14/07/1995
Easter Funny - first aired: 21/07/1995
Happy Horridays - first aired: 28/07/1995
Transylvania Excess - first aired: 04/08/1995
Do You Believe in Humans? - first aired: 11/08/1995
Loch Mess Monster - first aired: 18/08/1995
Hooray for Horrywood - first aired: 25/08/1995
The Show Mustn't Go On - first aired: 01/09/1995
Series Three (Tuesdays)
Don't Hoot, I'm Only the Piano Slayer - first aired: 11/06/1996
Pinball Wizard - first aired: 18/06/1996
From Transylvania with Love - first aired: 25/06/1996
Tele Nightmare - first aired: 02/07/1996
A Close Shave - first aired: 09/07/1996
Lost Wages - first aired: 16/07/1996
Son of Zitbag - first aired: 23/07/1996
Cranksgiving Chaos - first aired: 30/07/1996
Bride of Horrifido - first aired: 06/08/1996
Horrorgrammes Horrolympics - first aired: 13/08/1996
Slime Suspect - first aired: 20/08/1996
Moby Duck Billed Platypus - first aired: 27/08/1996
I Was a Teenage Zitbag - first aired: 03/09/1996
Series Four (Thursdays)
A True Fairy Tale - first aired: 29/05/1997
For Better or For Curse - first aired: 05/06/1997
Horrorlection Fever - first aired: 12/06/1997
Time is Big Money - first aired: 19/06/1997
Happy Mishmash - first aired: 26/06/1997
Tele-Zitportation - first aired: 03/07/1997
A Giant Problem - first aired: 10/07/1997
My Zister - first aired: 17/07/1997
The Seventh Art - first aired: 24/07/1997
Nothing There - first aired: 31/07/1997
Doc, What's Up - first aired: 07/08/1997
Terror in Transylvania - first aired: 14/08/1997
Dances the Hula - first aired: 21/08/1997
Series Five (Unaired)
The following episodes never aired on CITV.
End of Season
Rose Button
Scare Tactics
Hydrious Monster
Zlotys Galore
Bluebald
Dr. Zitbag Against Silly Holmes
Mad Scientific Shenanigans
The Ridiculous Journey
Horrible Horrorscopes
Anarchic Arctic Antics
Word of Horror
Forever Fiends
Transylvania Pet Shop is currently one of the most requested unreleased DVDs at TVShowsOnDVD.com.
Season 1 is currently available for download (In English) from Amazon UK.
In other languages
References
External links
Retro Junk
PMMP Philppe Mounier Marketing Production
British children's animated comedy television series
British children's animated horror television series
1994 British television series debuts
1997 British television series endings
1990s British children's television series
Carlton Television
DreamWorks Classics
Television series by Universal Television
ITV children's television shows
Nickelodeon original programming
Television series by ITV Studios
English-language television shows
1990s British animated television series