Zou
Written by
Directed byOlivier Lelardoux
Voices of
  • Roisin Gadd
  • Kannon Gowen
  • Kate Harbour
  • Teresa Gallagher
  • Christopher Miltiadoli
  • Paul Painting
  • Maisie Jack
  • Jimmy Hibbert
  • Aaron Stewart
  • Rob Rackstraw
  • Eden Gamliel
  • Amanda Root
  • Jo Wyatt
  • Emma Tate
Composers
  • Ian Nicholls
  • Riccardo Mullhall
Country of origin
  • France
  • Australia
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes156
Production
Executive producerHélené Maret
Producers
  • Billy "Frédéric" Richardson
  • Pierre Sissmann
  • Seng Choon Meng
  • Wong Chi Kong
Running time11 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFrance 5 (formerly)
Disney Junior
M6 (formerly)
Télé-Québec
TiVi5 Monde
MBC (formerly)[1]
ReleaseMay 2012 (2012-05)[2]-present

Zou is an animated children's television series inspired by the books of French author Michel Gay. The show was produced by the French company Cyber Group Studios for Disney EMEA. It premiered on Disney Junior (UK & Ireland) in May 2012.

Premise and format

Zou is about the day-to-day life and adventures of a young anthropomorphic zebra, Zou (Bizou), and his family and friends. Most episodes contain Zou's name in the title and usually take place at Zou's house or in his backyard. Zou lives with his mother, father, grandparents, and great-grandmother. Each episode features some simple problem or issue that Zou must deal with, usually with the assistance of his family and friends.

Characters

  • Bizou David Stripeman (Zou): A 5-year-old, fun-loving zebra. Zou is generally clad in a white T-shirt under yellow overalls. He is the main protagonist of the show, and shows interest in many career paths. His next-door neighbor is Elzee. A running plot of the show is that Zou exits school at the beginning of the episode. Then Zou mentions interest in a certain career. He is then countered by neighbor Elzee stating "I thought you wanted to be a (other career path)." Zou responds by saying "That was last week, now I want to be a (new career path.)" Voiced in the U.S. version by Kannon Gowen.[3]
  • Poc: A Quaker parakeet, and Zou's constant companion. It is unclear whether Poc is considered a pet or a "person", since several signs of anthropomorphism are shown in Poc's character, and yet Poc cannot talk. Also, it seems like the show's conception of "humans" is reserved to zebras only. Poc lives inside what looks like a cuckoo clock in Zou's bedroom.
  • Elzee Blackhoof: Zou's next door neighbor. The same age as Zou, Elzee is generally clad in a long purple dress. Her ears seem to be rather large, in comparison to the other characters, and even make her slightly taller than Zou. She is far more sensible than Zou and often contradicts his outrageous ideas, but still joins in. She seems to harbour a romantic attraction to Zou, often acting shy or giggling with rembarrassment when he compliments her. She is a bit more of a tomboy than Zinnia, and seems to enjoy soccer, often taking part in Zou's extravagant activities. In the British English version of the show her voice is portrayed by Roisin Gadd (Seasons 1 & 2) and Maisie Jack (Season 3).
  • Zinnia Stripeman: Zou's cousin. She's a budding ballerina who sometimes tends to be snooty and stuck-up. She is never seen without dance clothes on and is more feminine in comparison to Elzee who is a bit more tomboyish. It seems that she is an unofficial antagonist of the show. Zou does not seem to like her very much and often makes excuses to avoid having to play with her. She often tries to engage Zou in girlish pastimes such as playing princesses or playing with dolls / stuffed toys, apparently unaware he has absolutely no interest in such things. Despite being a snob, Zinnia is sometimes shown to care for Zou.
  • Zak A. Zoey, Jr.: An eager and chubby young zebra, and another of Zou's friends. He is slightly younger than Zou and Elzee and is generally clad in a red T-shirt, with what appears to be a lime green letter "J" on it, and khaki shorts. His father is Mr. Zoey. No mother of Zak has ever been mentioned.
  • Dad: Zou's father.
  • Mum ("Mom" in the U.S. version): Zou's mother, who often calls him by his full name, "Bizou." She works at a local hospital.
  • Grandpa: Zou's paternal grandfather. He is a rather handy zebra, usually found in the garage, building something.
  • Grandma: Zou's paternal grandmother. She is often found baking cakes and other confections.
  • Nana: Zou's great-grandmother. She often gives Zou big, sloppy kisses on the cheek. She is talented on the piano, able to play the show's theme song among other songs, and also sings. According to the show's official website, she is slightly deaf.
  • Uncle Zavier Stripeman: Zinnia's father. He is a wealthy businessman and owns the largest house in the neighborhood. Though you never see this in the show.
  • Aunt Zelda Stripeman: Zinnia's mother. She runs the family's high-end boutique alongside Uncle Xavier.
  • Mr. Zoey: The local shopkeeper/postman, and Zak's father. He is friendly and helpful.
  • Mrs. Brenda Zolli: The school crossing guard.

Broadcast

The series airs on Disney Junior channels in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, and Disney Junior (Latin America), as well as Super RTL. The program premiered in France on December 22, 2012, on France 5. It premiered in the U.S. on Universal Kids (then called PBS Kids Sprout) on September 2, 2013,[4] and has been shown on NBC Kids until 2016, complete with a dub into American English. The American dub was available in the United States on Hulu Plus until December 10, 2019, and can still be watched on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube via the official "ZOU in English" channel.[5]

The episodes, lasting 11 minutes each, are generally transmitted two at a time, the second immediately after the first one, except on some channels such as PBS Kids Sprout, NIKI Junior in Ukraine, and Clan in Spain, where the episodes are shown individually. In Wales it is shown on S4C in Welsh as Stiw And TG4 In Ireland.

Episodes

No.Title [6]Written byOriginal air date
1"Zou the Chef"Jimmy Hibbert4 May 2014 (2014-05-04)
It was written by Jimmy Hibbert. Zou helps Grandma bake a cake for Mother's Day, but Dad accidentally eats it. Zou decides to make another cake on his own, with disastrous consequences.
2"Zou Goes Camping"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson2 September 2013 (2013-09-02)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou and Elzee prepare to go on a camping trip in Zou's back yard.
3"Zou Goes Mountaineering"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson8 September 2013 (2013-09-08)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou and Grandpa pretend that they are mountaineers, and that the stairs are a mountain to climb with.
4"Zou's Ant Farm"Ross Hastings9 September 2013 (2013-09-09)
It was written by Ross Hastings. Zou decides he wants a pet and tries his luck at owning an ant farm.
5"King Zou"Darren Jones4 September 2013 (2013-09-04)
Zou declares the house "Zouland", and makes himself king. Mum and Dad set him some challenges before he can officially become king.
6"Zou the Postman"Lee Pressman5 September 2013 (2013-09-05)
It was written by Lee Pressman. Zou tries his luck at delivering mail to his family and neighbours.
7"Zou's Drum"Unknown10 September 2013 (2013-09-10)
It was written by Darren Jones. On his birthday, Zou gets a drum from his uncle Ziggy. His loud playing disturbs the family.
8"Zou's Teething Ring"Unknown7 September 2013 (2013-09-07)
It was written by Darren Jones. Zou tries to hide his old teething ring before Zinnia discovers it and makes fun of him.
9"Zou Leaves Home"Jimmy Hibbert and Darren Jones3 September 2013 (2013-09-03)
It was written by Jimmy Hibbert and Darren Jones. Zou is told he's making too much noise, so he decides to leave home.
10"Zou's Mission to Mars"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson12 September 2013 (2013-09-12)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou and Elzee, with Grandpa's help, pretend they are astronauts on their way to Mars.
11"Goldie the Sunflower"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson11 September 2013 (2013-09-11)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou brings home his classes' sunflower, Goldie, to take care of over the weekend, but then he worries that Goldie is sad. Zou makes Goldie the Sunflower is happy again sometimes.
12"Zou the Detective"Unknown6 September 2013 (2013-09-06)
It was written by Marie Beardmore. Inspired by his favorite TV show, Zou plays at being a detective, apart from Nana's missing dentures.
13"Zou and the Camera"Unknown26 October 2013 (2013-10-26)
Zou borrows his dad's camera to complete a school assignment.
14"Zou and Elzee's Fashion Show"Unknown23 June 2012 (2012-06-23)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. When Elzee shows Zou her new dress, she and Zou decide to have a fashion show.
15"Zou and the Doctor"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson15 September 2013 (2013-09-15)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Poc is sick, and needs to go to the doctor. Zou tries to calm down the terrified bird, only to be scared himself when he learns he needs an injection.
16"The Daily Zou"Unknown14 September 2013 (2013-09-14)
Zou makes his own newspaper, but has trouble finding a good story.
17"Zou the Artist"Unknown13 September 2013 (2013-09-13)
It was written by Darren Jones, Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou attempts to enter an art competition at the park, but when he copies his friends' arts, he makes his arts into a collage.
18"Zou's Scarecrow"Unknown16 September 2013 (2013-09-16)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou and Grandpa decide to make a scarecrow to protect his seeds, but when they do, they upset Poc by scaring him.
19"Zou's Promise"Darren Jones18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
It was written by Darren Jones and Ross Hastings. Zou makes a number of promises, but finds it hard to keep them.
20"Zou's Walkie Talkie"Unknown19 September 2013 (2013-09-19)
It was written by Jimmy Hibbert, Darren Jones, Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou gets a pair of walkie talkies, and uses them to communicate with his family members.
21"Super Zou"Unknown21 September 2013 (2013-09-21)
It was written by Darren Jones. Zou becomes a superhero and helps Nana, who is stuck up the stairs in the middle of the night.
22"Zou and the Rainbow"Unknown17 September 2013 (2013-09-17)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou and Elzee try to find the end of a rainbow and create an original surprise when they attempt to find a pot of gold.
23"Zou's Cherry Pie"Unknown20 September 2013 (2013-09-20)
Zou bakes a cherry pie for a contest, but Grandpa loses his garage keys among the cherries.
24"A Halloween Hunt"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson27 October 2013 (2013-10-27)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Unable to go to the town's Halloween costume party because of rain, Zou, Elzee and Zinnia hunt for the ingredients for Grandma's Halloween cookies and Zou's Family, Elzee and Zinnia toffee apples.
25"Zou and the Caterpillar"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson27 September 2013 (2013-09-27)
While helping Grandpa harvest potatoes, Zou and Zinnia find a caterpillar. Zinnia is scared at first, but Grandpa shows her how a caterpillar can become a butterfly.
26"Zou and Zonk, the Giant Dinosaur"Patrick Gallagher and Craig Ferguson24 September 2013 (2013-09-24)
It was written by Patrick Gallagher and Craig Ferguson. Zou, Elzee and Grandpa build a dinosaur out of cardboard boxes, pillows and a sheet.
27"Zou's Soccer Match"Unknown25 September 2013 (2013-09-25)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. When Zou, Elzee and Zak are playing a game of football in the park, Poc feels left out because he's been mixing up the players by whistling.
28"Zou's Bicycle"Unknown26 September 2013 (2013-09-26)
After seeing Elzee on her new bike, Zou asks for one too. Grandpa fixes up his old bike and gives it to Zou, who learns that new things aren't always better.
29"Zou's Dance"Unknown22 September 2013 (2013-09-22)
It was written by Diane Redmond, Jimmy Hibbert, Darren Jones, Marie Beardmore, Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zinnia talks Zou into a entering a dance contest. He partners up with Elzee, with surprising results.
30"Zou's Pantomime"Darren Jones28 September 2013 (2013-09-28)
After a pantomime in the park is cancelled, Zou decides to make one of his own, with a little help from his friends and family.
31"Zou's Circus"Darren Jones29 September 2013 (2013-09-29)
Zou, Elzee and Zak decides to make a circus. Zack has trouble finding an act that suits him, until he discovers his skill as a clown.
32"Zou Up High"Unknown14 October 2013 (2013-10-14)
Grandpa gets Zou and Elzee tickets for a hot-air balloon ride. Zou is scared at the idea of being up so high, until Grandpa helps him see otherwise.
33"Zou's Bucket"Unknown3 October 2013 (2013-10-03)
Zou suggests the family have a water-saving "bucket day", but things don't go quite as planned.
34"Zou's Rainy Day"Unknown18 October 2013 (2013-10-18)
When the family's trip to the seaside is cancelled due to rain, Zou must find another way to have fun.
35"Zou and the Easter Bunny"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson14 April 2014 (2014-04-14)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Zou and Elzee decide to go looking for the Easter Bunny. Zou, Elzee and Zak are going to find some easter eggs sometimes.
36"Zou and the Elephant Trap Rescue"Unknown1 October 2013 (2013-10-01)
It was written by Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. After watching a news report about an escaped elephant, Zou sets out to trap the animal.
37"Zou and the Stripey Things"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson6 October 2013 (2013-10-06)
It was written by Darren Jones, Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. After learning about "stripey things" in school, Zou becomes scared of anything with yellow-and-black stripes.
38"Zou the Clown"Unknown15 October 2013 (2013-10-15)
After hearing about circuses from Mr. Zoey, Zou becomes a clown, and tries to cheer up a sad Elzee.
39"The Big Race"Unknown9 October 2013 (2013-10-09)
Zou's hopes for having a pedal-car race with Elzee are dashed when his dad twists his ankle, and Zou has to help look after him.
40"Pirates and Fairies"Unknown13 October 2013 (2013-10-13)
While the friends are playing at the park, Zou and Zinnia disagree about what are "boy's games" and "girl's games".
41"Zou's Garage Sale"Unknown8 October 2013 (2013-10-08)
Zou decides to sell some of his old toys at the family's garage sale, but regrets doing so afterwards.
42"The Fancy Dress Party"Unknown2 October 2013 (2013-10-02)
Zou's plans to win a fancy dress contest at Elzee's keep getting dashed, as each costume he tries is already being worn by someone else.
43"Zou's Robot"Lee Pressman12 October 2013 (2013-10-12)
Zou rushes to gather enough cereal box tokens to win a toy robot.
44"The Very Windy Day"Unknown4 October 2013 (2013-10-04)
Zou and Grandpa use an old windcheater to fix Zou's kite.
45"Zou's Magpie"Unknown30 September 2013 (2013-09-30)
When one of Mum's silver earrings goes missing, Zou searches for the culprit.
46"Zou's Trip"12 October 2013 (2013-10-12)
Zou makes a pretend car of the new washing machine's box, and, together with Elzee, Zinnia and Zak, takes a pretend trip to the seaside.
47"Zou's Comet"Marie Beardmore and Darren Jones5 October 2013 (2013-10-05)
It was written by Marie Beardmore and Darren Jones. Zou and his family prepare a party to celebrate the passing of the Zebra Comet,
after they make our telescope, while they starting on the party food, which only comes by once every eighty years to come sometimes.
48"Zou's Aquarium"Unknown10 October 2013 (2013-10-10)
Elzee gives up going to the aquarium in order to look for her lost bear, Gizmo. Zou & Grandpa make Elzee a pretend aquarium to cheer her up sometimes.
49"Zou and the Power Cut Outage"Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson16 October 2013 (2013-10-16)
It was written by Marie Beardmore, Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson. Inside Zou's house, Zou, Elzee and family was very, very, very, very,
very busy. Zou and Elzee cannot play video games "Master Zine Ruled of Universe" to no electricity and must find other things to entertain
themselves with all. Now they play the instruments, then cleaning the room, then Simon says, then they need get some sponges and some
bucket of water to washing the car, and then shadow puppets two little zebras and power comes back on now they finish the video games.
Then Zou is turns off TV, and lights off, they have power cut just for a little bit longer. And they saving money on the electric bill sometimes.
50"Zou Owns Up"Marie Beardmore and Darren Jones17 October 2013 (2013-10-17)
It was written by Marie Beardmore and Darren Jones. When Zou is accidentally
breaks Zak's toy red race car and is looks like too scared to tell him sometimes.
51"Zou the Magician"Unknown23 September 2013 (2013-09-23)
Zou accidentally makes Poc disappear.
52"Zou Says Sorry"Lizzie Ennever and Dave Ingham7 October 2013 (2013-10-07)
It was written by Lizzie Ennever and Dave Ingham. When Zou accuses Poc of breaking his plane, but forgets to say sorry sometimes.
53"Tic Toc"TBATBA
Excited for his play date with Elzee, Zou changes the time on his clock one hour forward so she can come over, unaware that the rest of the family have important things to do at the same time, too, creating total confusion and chaos.
54"Zou Plays Hide and Seek"Unknown1 April 2015 (2015-04-01)
Zou, Elzee, and Grandpa play hide and seek, and Zou and Elzee are hiding. But Grandpa soon forgets they're playing when he helps Elzee's mom with some problems.
55"Zou's Alien Hunt"TBATBA
56"Zou the Inventor"TBATBA
57"Zou and the Best Present"TBATBA
58"Zou and Nanna's Hat"TBATBA
59"Zou and the Mystery Box"TBATBA
60"Zou the First Aider"TBATBA
61"Zou's Igloo"TBATBA
62"Zou the Waiter"TBATBA
63"Zou and the Abominable Snowman"Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew JonesTBA
64"Zou the Repairman"TBATBA
65"Zou and the Football"TBATBA
66"Zou and the Baby Bird"TBATBA
67"Zou's Boat Race"TBATBA
68"Zou and the Hermit Crab"TBATBA

International versions

References

  1. ↑ "MBC 1 | Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation". Archived from the original on 21 June 2020.
  2. ↑ Zahed, Ramin (25 July 2013). "Sprout Adopts Cyber Group's 'Zou'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Kannon Gowen is the voice of Zou in the new PBS Sprout series". Double 19 Productions. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "TV Program". sproutonline.com. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  5. ↑ "Zou on Hulu". Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "All Seasons - Zou". digiguide.tv. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  7. ↑ "MBC 1 | Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation". Archived from the original on 21 June 2020.
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