June 29 (2009-06-29) – August 23, 2009 (2009-08-23)
Bunny Maloney is a computer-animated television series created by Studio Tanuki and directed by Stéphane Stoll. The series is produced by MoonScoop Group, in co-production with France 2 and Telegael. It was based on a Flash-animated pilot called The Attack of the Giant Red Octopus[2] (French: Pinpin le Lapin: L'attaque de rouge geant). The series chronicles the adventures of a pink anthropomorphic rabbit named Bunny Maloney and his friends. The series was canceled after one season, due to low ratings and highly negative criticism over the show's inappropriate themes.
Synopsis
The series stars the titular Bunny Maloney, who is a pink anthropomorphic rabbit, and he is often blundering and over-confident. He lives in an apartment with his friends Candy Bunny (another pink rabbit, and his girlfriend), and Jean-François (a blue dog-like creature). Sometimes, they are accompanied by a badger called Stan Ookie. They live in Bunnyville, a town that is the target of their sworn enemy, the infamous Professor Débilouman, along with his companion, Modchi.
Bunny Maloney - A rabbit, with pink fur and large, black eyes. Bunny is mischievous and dim-witted, usually goofing around without any further thought, which usually makes Candy unhappy. He also can be really petty and selfish. Bunny indulges in a mundane, lazy lifestyle and has an affinity for junk food, mainly pizza. While he is Candy's boyfriend, he sometimes gets scared of her if she were to be angry, and won't hesitate to fight her if given the chance. He owns four pet fish, which he sometimes would interact with.
Candy Bunny - A pink rabbit, with small black eyes, a red scrunchie and prominent blush. Candy is temperamental and fussy, having a presumptuous attitude, and is only happy to receive gifts if it's what she specifically wants. She is extremely petty, even moreso compared to Bunny. With a high temper, she's hostile at Bunny for a majority of episodes (sometimes to physically abusive extents), even if it is for something relatively minor or if it's not his fault. While she is Bunny's girlfriend, she is often aggressive towards him and barely can ever be happy, especially in his presence. She owns a pet (of an unnamed species) called Potchi.
Jean-François - A blue creature who can only speak his own name (a la Pokémon), having droopy ears, blank black eyes and a long tail. Jean-François is naive and kind, being rather emotionally stable and optimistic throughout the series (compared to Bunny and Candy) – though he also appears to be emotionally vulnerable, as he would either cry, or (other times) cower, if he gets too uncomfortable. His docile nature is also an opportunity for Bunny to sometimes be dragged into Bunny's selfish, obtuse plans. He is skilled at playing the fictitious rhythm game, "Bust-a Para Dance".
Professor Débilouman - A man who is short, wears a white lab coat, has spiky black hair and has a long, oni-like nose. Débilouman's name is derived from "débile", which means "stupid" in French, befitting his comically idiotic demeanor. He is the main antagonist of the series, though he always comes up with ridiculous schemes that work, at first – but always get foiled at the end. He hates Bunny, and is sometimes shown to crush on Candy. As a running gag, he would say "oh, poop" whenever his submarine would sink.
Modchi - Débilouman's sidekick, who resembles Potchi in appearance but is light purple instead, with bumps, a scar and large red eyes. In spite of being on Débilouman's side, he never bothers to actively participate in his schemes or have much of a grudge (let alone, a petty one) against the opposing ProtecTeam. Even if Modchi stays on the sidelines, he mostly responds to Débilouman with snarky and condescending remarks, though he can be comical other times (e.g. if he and Débilouman were to cackle evilly together).
Recurring characters
Stan Ookie - A brown badger, who can also communicate within the form of a small, blue hologram. Stan is the easygoing, straight man of the group, and he is also quite smart in a nerdy sense (as he can still be oblivious to Débilouman's schemes), but also has a sillier side (e.g. role-playing as his two figurines, being romantic towards each other). He talks to the ProtecTeam within a holographic form as he lives in the building for the Bunnyganger (the ProtecTeam's mech). He often uses the word "dude" while he speaks. His name is a pun on the tanuki.
Potchi - A bulbous, light blue creature. Sometimes, he's seen roaming around the ProtecTeam's apartment, acting like a stereotypical, innocuous dog. He is only capable of saying "onyo", but at times, pants like a dog. He may be named after the Japanese word "pocchi" (ポッチ).
Bunny's fish - Bunny's pet fish, who have different colors and appearances – one red, one yellow, one teal and one purple, respectively. who reside in one tank. Bunny sometimes may drag them into his selfish plans, or they may support him and fuel his dim-witted desires (e.g. encouragement to train himself).
The Amazing Secret Spies - Débilouman's spies, who can only say one word and all look the exact same, wearing opaque black shades. Although they are simply referred to as "spies", their actual name is seen in the show's pitch bible.
Charlotte - Candy's best friend, she is a white spotless cow. Charlotte has a ditzy outlook, and can end up irritating others due to her behavior, and (usually obtuse) solutions to problems. She also has a lustful side that she doesn't hesitate to show off unprompted, which only ends up alienating people like Bunny. She mainly has a crush towards Bunny, even though he'll refuse to like her back.
Louis Picollin - A fat fly who casually wears a green and orange superhero outfit. Louis idolizes Bunny, much to the latter's chagrin. He wants to join the ProtecTeam, but Bunny and Candy say otherwise. He also cleans out poop around the city.
Noacak - A short man with a green military outfit and a large white moustache. Noacak is the general of Bunnyville's militia, standing out amongst his troops. In spite of his gruff voice and serious expression, he is incompetent at his job, sometimes leading to being at others' expense. He is similar to Major Monogram from the Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb.
Secretary Octopus - A purple octopus. The Secretary Octopus is the news reporter for Bunnyville, and she usually is seen on the ProtecTeam's television to discuss something that is relevant to an episode.
Marc and Ting - A duo of tall men who wear matching suits and glasses. Marc and Ting are two quirky salesmen who don't have a distinction beyond looks and voices. They usually show up for any sort of business opportunity, and appear in Bunnyville's commercials. Their names appear to be a play on the word "marketing".
Episodes
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A Wrinkle in the ProtecTeam ("Ô ride, ô désespoir")
Polterabbitgeist ("Nos ancêtres les lapins")
Bunny's Fish Go Off ("Mes chers poissons")
Bunny's Big Hit ("Bunny rebondit")
Carrots Are a Girl’s Best Friend ("Les carottes sont éternelles")
Germ-Free ("Ménage de printemps")
Spouse or Louse ("Moitié ou minable")
The Dispense-Sense 9000 ("L'interprétator 9000")
Dawn of the Shrimp ("La Nuit des Crevettes Zombies")
Jean-François: Super Model ("Jean François top modèle")
Bunnies Are From Mars ("Les lapins viennent de Mars")
Community Service ("Travaux d'intérêt général")
Stuck With Me (“Sauve qui peut”)
Free Potchi ("Libérez Potchi")
Stupid ("Stupide Machine")
Oh! Busta Para-Dance ("Le marathon de Java-Danse")
Fishing For Trouble ("En queue de poisson")
Raucous Caucus ("Votez Bunny!")
OnYooo
Bunny Story ("De mémoire de Bunny")
Stan's Perfect Match ("Stan, cœur à prendre")
Doctor Ookie ("Docteur Ookie")
Charity ("Charité bien ordonnée")
Sick Bunny ("Bunny est malade")
Lost and Found ("Candy tombe des nues")
It's on the Cards ("Mystique en toc")
Heavenly Scent ("Bunny au parfum")
Hypochondriac ("Alerte à l'haleine verte")
The Good, the Bad, and the Cookie ("Cookie folies")
Carrots Are Health ("Les carottes, c'est la santé")
Promo ("Sauvetage en promo")
Passport to Bunnyvania ("Viva Bunnyvania")
Cold Turkey ("Pas de burgers pour Bunny")
Think Extinct ("Un problème de taille")
Rabbit vs. Rabbit ("Lapin contre lapin")
The D-Fixitup ("D-Répare-Tout")
We Come in Peace ("Nous arrivons en paix")
Dead Bunny ("Feu Bunny")
Full House ("Gros comme une maison")
Judgement Day ("Jugement dernier")
A Computer’s Love ("Mon ordi a du cœur")
Trading Spaces ("Vis ma vie")
Bunny Burns the Boards ("Bunny brûle les planches")
Made For TV ("Echec et audimat")
The Legend of Bag Man ("La légende de Sac Man")
Production
Pinpin le Lapin: L'attaque de rogue geant, a Flash-animated pilot originally published on Studio Tanuki's website, was published in the early 2000's. Aimed at an older audience, the pilot parodies anime tropes, has gags based on fighting games, and references specific anime, like Sailor Moon and Doraemon. It was greenlit by MoonScoop for a kids' show, and production started in 2007.[3]
The show was originally intended to air on March 29, 2009, but was cancelled at the last minute, due to the leaders of Canal+ Family finding the show unsuitable to air on Cartoon+ – a block aiming for young audiences.[4] The show was later delayed to a new premiere date at June.[5]
A Microsoft PowerPoint presentation[6] can be found on MoonScoop's official website.[1] The presentation was likely intended to be a pitch bible, as it has several differences compared to the show itself.
In France, Bunny Maloney was broadcast for the first time on June 29, 2009, on the TV channels Canal+ and Canal+ Family during the Cartoon+ programming block. An English dub aired on Kabillion in the United States. However, any trace of the show had been removed later on, likely due to the series' themes, as it is more explicit compared to adult humor in other kids' shows.
Italy
United States
Portugal
Spain
United Kingdom