Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist

Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist is a children's animated television series, which is an international co-production between March Entertainment in Canada and SLR Productions in Australia.

Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist
GenreScience fiction
Action
Comedy[1]
Created byMatthew Fernandes
Directed byJon Izen[2]
Voices ofDwayne Hill
Melissa Altro
Lyon Smith
Stephanie Anne Mills
Carter Hayden
Music byGuy Gross
Country of originAustralia
Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersDaniel Hawes
Suzanne Ryan
Regis Brown
Cherrie Bottger
ProducersDaniel Hawes
Suzanne Ryan
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesMarch Entertainment
SLR Productions
Original release
NetworkCBC Television (Canada)
Network Ten (Australia)
Release22 November 2008 (22 November 2008) –
16 May 2009 (16 May 2009)

Broadcast

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The series first screened on Network Ten in 2008 and is designed for kids aged 6 and older.

It began airing on CBC Television in Canada in January 2010 and aired 10:30am EST on Saturday mornings,[3] but had stopped by 2019 when the series was picked up by Toonavision.

Qubo aired the series in the United States until 27 December 2014.[4]

Episodes

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There are 26 episodes of 25 minutes duration each. Episodes are usually screened in a half-hour timeslot.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Is This Part of the Tour?"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Ava Wheelright22 November 2008 (2008-11-22)
When his vehicle breaks down during a safari tour inside Hamilton's Habitat, Dex must lead a group of kids to safety while being pursued by a fire-breathing alien insect.
2"The Real Deal"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes & Ava Wheelright23 November 2008 (2008-11-23)
Dex guides a young woman named Sally through the wild jungle planet of Titan 64; The two must come to the rescue when a mythical insect kidnaps the parents of a young boy named Henry.
3"The Dawn of Syrrus"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Dwayne Hill29 November 2008 (2008-11-29)
Stranded on a desert planet, Dex and the team accidentally free an ancient villain, Syrrus, who uses alien bugs to conquer worlds.
4"Return of the Stryder"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes & Ava Wheelright30 November 2008 (2008-11-30)
When a toxic alien insect infects Metro City's water supply, Dex and his team must find an antidote before the sickness can spread further.
5"Family Business"Jon IzenRyan Lussing & Doug Sinclair6 December 2008 (2008-12-06)
When a long-lost clone of Jenny 10 appears at the Habitat and joins Dex's team, Jenny becomes jealous of this overachieving charmer.
6"A Blast from the Past"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Jono Howard & Ava Wheelright7 December 2008 (2008-12-07)
Metro City is struck by a swarm of enormous dragonflies; Jenny 10 has knowledge of a porthole linked to the Carboniferous Period; chances of Dex and his team returning home safely are beginning to fade.
7"Rebirth"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Ava Wheelright13 December 2008 (2008-12-13)
When a rebellious Zap develops dangerous super-powers and flees the Habitat, Dex and the team must retrieve him before he becomes a threat to himself and others.
8"Youth is Wasted on the Tung"Jon IzenScott Albet, Ryan Lussing & Ava Wheelright14 December 2008 (2008-12-14)
Zap and Tung are bitten by a Methuselah Beetle, causing their attitudes to radically change, and Dex has to watch them while searching for who's responsible for the beetle.
9"Danger High Voltage"Jon IzenRyan Lussing20 December 2008 (2008-12-20)
There's a new insect sanctuary in town threatening to rival the Hamilton's habitat, but Dex suspects some villainy emanating from it.
10"There's No I in Team"Jon IzenShawn Bishop & Ryan Lussing21 December 2008 (2008-12-21)
Tung tries to prove he isn't lazy like his friends accuse him to be, but in doing so has put himself in danger of the Giant Solar Mantis.
11"Could This Be Love?"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes & Doug Sinclair27 December 2008 (2008-12-27)
The gang find an endangered species threatened by the dangerous Timber Tribe. Can Jane Goodchild and Dex compromise to save the day?
12"Hello... Is Anybody Out There?"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Jono Howard & Ava Wheelright7 February 2009 (2009-02-07)
Dex gets shipwrecked from an electrical storm, and the only company is the mind-controlling Cranium Cricket who stowed away.
13"Nature 3000"Jon IzenDavid Evans, Matthew Fernandes & Ava Wheelright14 February 2009 (2009-02-14)
A vicious arthropod has escaped captivity during a wildlife show taping, threatening Dex's reputation and his team.
14"A Fish Tale"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Ava Wheelright21 February 2009 (2009-02-21)
A water planet that's been overfished has caused a horde of starving imperial water scorpions to attack a local village out of hunger. Can Dex find a compromise for both?
15"The Rise of the Black Beetle"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Brendan Luno & Dwayne Hill28 February 2009 (2009-02-28)
The gang pay a visit to Egypt complete with a friend of Dex, but while exploring some ruins, said friend accidentally unleashes a spell and becomes a monster.
16"I've Got You in My Sites"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Jono Howard & Ava Wheelright7 March 2009 (2009-03-07)
Dex is hire by a multibillionaire named Regis Stone to be a guide on a safari on planet Gigantor, but it is really a disguise for Regis to catch the local fauna.
17"Black Widow"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Mark Van de Ven & Ava Wheelright12 March 2009 (2009-03-12)
Zap associates himself with the spider-themed punk rocker Black Widow, causing him to ignore his duties.
18"The Long Journey Home"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Ava Wheelright12 March 2009 (2009-03-12)
Tung takes the team to visit his homeworld Swamp Star-46, but when whip-tailed wasps threaten his village, he has to take charge of the populace.
19"The Return of Winston Hamilton"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Ava Wheelright28 March 2009 (2009-03-28)
The team find a clue about Dex's father Winston Hamilton, and they go to extreme lengths to track him down.
20"Oh Snap!"Jon IzenDavid Evans, Matthew Fernandes & Ava Wheelright4 April 2009 (2009-04-04)
A boy with strange powers named Snap joins the party, but it seems he's friends with Dex's rival Syrrus.
21"Say It Ain't So"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Doug Sinclair & Ava Wheelright11 April 2009 (2009-04-11)
Dex discovers his childhood hero laser ball champion Bobby Blitz is using Anabolic Tar Slugs to boost his performances, but it might get him killed.
22"Seeds of Destruction"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Brendan Luno & Ava Wheelright18 April 2009 (2009-04-18)
Giant alien flowers have suddenly grown on Earth, stealing water and blocking out the sun. Dex must find a way to remove them, but doing so isn't exactly safe.
23"Dex and the Whale"Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes, Mark Van de Ven & Ava Wheelright25 April 2009 (2009-04-25)
Dex and the team find an entire world within the belly of a Whale Strider while engaged in a dogfight with the villain Syrrus.
24"The Bog Squad"Jon IzenDavid Evans & Ryan Lussing2 May 2009 (2009-05-02)
When Tung infiltrates an evil amphibian gang of toad-men, he learns about their plot to invade the Habitat and kidnap one of Dex's prized insects.
25"Star Flies with That?"Jon IzenDoug Sinclair9 May 2009 (2009-05-09)
When the team sets out to collect Star-Flies to power the Habitat's generator, they're taken hostage by a trio of eccentric space-pirates.
26"Rumble in the Jungle"
"Hidden Assets"
Jon IzenMatthew Fernandes & Brendan Luno16 May 2009 (2009-05-16)
After a swarm of Syrrus' mutant bugs attack the team, Dex confronts him in his hidden lair and finally learns the truth behind his evil ways.

Series synopsis

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It is the year 3000. Dex Hamilton, a young entomologist and wildlife explorer is called into action when alien insects crawling through the galaxy create a dangerous rift between man and nature. Accompanied by his team of scientists, Zap Monogan, Jenny 10 and Tung "the fantastic frog boy", Dex sets out to observe and capture these strange specimens.

Meanwhile, a villain is genetically modifying super bugs to destroy all worlds.[5]

It is currently unknown whether there will be a follow-up season.

Characters

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Dex Hamilton Voiced by: Dwayne Hill – The titular protagonist. Dex is an intelligent alien entomologist with a great love for insects. He runs The Habitat, where he and the others maintain a large variety of different habitats in which they can observe insects they've captured for study. He has a Broad Australian accent.

Sally Keaner Voiced by: Melissa Altro – A wildlife explorer and reporter who occasionally allies with Dex and his team on different situations. She has a pursuit of beauty, and has a phobia towards some of the alien insects, notably the Devil Banshees. She has a Canadian accent.

Zap Monogan Voiced by: Lyon Smith – A human/insect hybrid found by Dex a few months before the series. He has a very laid-back attitude which can sometimes get on the others' nerves, but in a dire situation he'll always drop the act. He's the strongest in the group, and can grow insect wings that allow him to fly. He's also the group's pilot. It is eventually revealed that Zap was created to be a powerful weapon by an evil scientist who used his own DNA to create Zap's human side. When his insect side takes control and runs rampant in the city, Jenny 10 manages to calm him down and he returns to his human form. Zap appears to have fallen for Jenny 10, although he probably won't admit it.

Jenny 10 Voiced by: Stephanie Anne Mills – Created as part of the 'Jenny Project', Jenny 10 now works as Dex's mechanic at The Habitat. She maintains the insect's habitats and builds the weapons used by the team to capture new bugs. She's always known that she was part of the 'Jenny Project', but she only told the others when Jenny 8 showed up. The project was designed to create ten genetic clones each with their own unique ability. Jenny 10 has super intelligence and Jenny 8 can turn invisible, but the other eight Jenny's abilities were unknown. They appear to have perished in an accident at a young age, which Jenny 8 and Jenny 10 escaped. Over the series, Jenny 10 has developed strong feelings for Zap.

Tung Swampton Voiced by: Carter Hayden – A humanoid-frog like alien from another planet. Tung tends to have disgusting hygiene habits and strange taste in food. He can jump long distances and scale walls with little effort, and also has a long tongue, hence the nickname. He sometimes gets in trouble for eating the insects captured on a mission.

Syrrus Voiced by: Dan Chameroy – The show's main antagonist who is an alien bio-terrorist sealed in Planet Eltron for centuries. His goal is to assemble an army of deadly insectoid monsters so he can wipe out non-insectoid life from the galaxy to create a paradise for his army. He can transform into a swarm of insects and can control insectoid monsters with his own mind as well.

The Habitat

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The Habitat is a large technological complex that houses all of Dex's insects. It was funded by the Mayor of Metropolis. The Habitat is composed of a matrix of special holding cells that simulate the insect's natural environment. The technology that The Habitat runs on is cutting edge, managed, with efficiency, by Jenny Ten. Among these technology is a farm of high-end satellite arrays.

Film

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March Entertainment announced the release of Dex Hamilton: Fire and Ice,[1] a full-length prequel film released in 2D and cel-shaded 3D computer animation, scheduled to be broadcast late December 2009 on CBC, before the series' premiere on CBC in 2010 (having already premiered on Network 10 in 2008).

Game

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In 2010, March released Dex Hamilton's Bug Quest, a Flash-based online game featuring the show's characters. The game was hosted on the CBC's website[6] as well as the show's official site.

References

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  1. ^ a b Bambam Alegre (30 November 2009). "Dex Hamilton Goes Global with New Movie". Mediafreaks 3D animation studio blog. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  2. ^ Jon Izen (2008). "Jon Izen's website". Jon Izen. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  3. ^ "CBC.ca/Kids TV Shows .::. Dex Hamilton". CBC News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  4. ^ Arrant, Chris (6 March 2012). "Qubo Channel Launches New Slate of Children's Programming for Upcoming 2012-2013 Season". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist". March Entertainment. 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  6. ^ CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/kids/games/dexhamilton/. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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