The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue (also known as Les As de la Jungle à la Rescousse in French) is a French CGI animated television series. It was created by Jean-François Tosti, David Alaux, Eric Tosti and produced by TAT Productions, a French animation company and CGI studio.
The series is about Maurice, a penguin that thinks he is a tiger, and his misfit friends. Together, they are the defenders of the jungle. The series' 1st season premiered on December 29, 2013 in France and the second season aired on November 2, 2015.[1]
The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue won an International Emmy Award in Category Kids: Animation in 2014 and is aired in more than 180 territories.
Synopsis
Inside of the jungle, if there’s a problem or an injustice to fix, no worries: just pull the signal of the Jungle Bunch and they will rush to the rescue! Impossible to get bored with this bunch of heroes always ready for adventure and whose relationships are endless sources of comedy!
Characters
- Maurice: the penguin-tiger, whom everyone calls "the Great Warrior Tiger", is the leader of the Jungle Bunch and he never hesitates to drive the rest of the gang in new adventures.
- Junior: so named because it is the adopted son of Maurice (as evidenced by its stripes) is often in its bowl, under the arm of the Grand Warrior Tiger.
- Miguel: is the poetry of a child in a body of a... gorilla! Two things make him happy in life: eating bananas and type.
- Gilbert: Always a brain in a band, in the Jungle Bunch is the tarsier Gilbert. Easy to find: it is always on his branch, easy to understand: it is often very bad mood.
- Batricia: is the only girl in the band, but what describes the best is her big heart and a real tendency to make gaffes.
- Al and Bob: are distinct characters but share the same friends, the same pond, and the same passion for the untimely gobage flies and insects of all kinds.
- Fred: you never know if they will happen or not! Fred crooner of the band is often on tour at the other end of the Jungle, but as soon as we hear back his groove resonate at the foot of the volcano and everyone helps maintain its legendary look.
Season 1: The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue (2012–2014)
Episodes
1 Deep Into the Chasm The Professor Ernest a kiwi comes to the Jungle Bunch because an earth tremor has opened up a large crack right in the middle of his village! He needs the Jungle Bunch to repair it: they go deep inside the crack and, with the help of Ernest and Patrick succeed in "repairing" the village.
2 The Boulder of Fear Elephants are bullied by a so-called ghost. Hidden behind a rock, the ghost asks them to give him all their fruits as an offering. The Bunch will soon discover that the ghost is just a very special animal, a chameleon that appears and disappears.
3 Rubies Are Forever Melina, a former lover of Gilbert when he was young, hijacked the rubies of the jungle to create a malefic laser. She wants to take possession of the jungle and the Jungle Bunch lair. She is helped by an army of crabs, totally dedicated to her.
4 The Bloody Berry A strange illness hits a turtle: impossible to get her out of her deep slumber since she swallowed a beautiful red fruit, her friend comes to ask the help of the Jungle Bunch. Batricia on her side is looking for the best lipstick to seduce Gilbert. She believes she has found it with the magnificent red berry. The Jungle Bunch go searching the antidote that will save the turtle and Batricia.
5 The Invasion Has Begun Flamingos think horseshoe crabs are aliens who have invaded their lake. Because of a misunderstanding between Batricia and Gilbert, The Jungle Bunch find themselves divided into two opposing camps. After a battle Maurice realizes that this is all a big misunderstanding... the flamingos and the horseshoe crab have never tried to speak to each other, and the aliens have not yet arrived.
6 Mission Keep Calm The Jungle Bunch is called by peaceful otters to save their village ransacked by hamsters. At one condition not using violence. The Jungle Bunch leave to the village trying to parley but they do not succeed. They eventually attract the hamsters in a cage from which they escape. Finally, they suggest that everyone kisses... that will make the hamsters escape for good.
7 Captain Cahouete But who is this Captain Cahouete pretending to be as brave as the Jungle Bunch and challenging the Grand Furax? Will he take the place of the Jungle Bunch? Maurice worries. Fortunately the Five Flamboyants (the Jungle Bunch...) are there and will put things in order.
8 The Sand of Fire Maurice must repair his stripes, they are almost deleted. As they were playing "Jedi", Al and Bob overthrew the barrel containing the orange paint of Maurice. The Jungle Bunch goes to the painter Umberto to get the orange pigment, but he hasn't it anymore. They have to go in the desert where they meet Bud the nasty and crazy fennec. He thinks he is the guardian of the "sand fire". He will destroy the water supply of the Jungle Bunch...
9 The Great Evil Itch What is this Great Evil Itch that makes the meerkats crazy? Mama Dongo, an old meerkat, calls the Jungle Bunch to the rescue to find it out! They will soon discover that it is not a curse but an invasion of ... lices. They just need to find the right remedy...so the meerkat can become normal again.
10 Princess Groundhog The Jungle Bunch find a mother groundhog just in front of the cave, she's asleep, and with her, here's Lola, her little groundhog, she doesn't want to sleep... She is very active and she loves wrestling. The Jungle Bunch will have to take her back trying to make her sleep by telling her a nice story.
11 The Striking Cry Hyenas attract the Jungle Bunch in a false adventure, they want to get rid of them because they are too good: what makes the hyenas laugh is seeing other animals in trouble. The Jungle Bunch find themselves trapped in a cage overlooking an island surrounded by hungry crocodiles... fortunately Maurice is the master of the "Striking Cry."
12 Boiling Show Fred is taken to the Roc of the Lynx, by the lynx he has recruited as singers. They want to get rid of him and to become the only singers of the Jungle.
13 Free Fall Edward is a young flying fox, he comes to the Jungle Bunch: all his friends are making fun of his fear of heights! Gilbert who, apparently, has lived such humiliation in his childhood, took him under his protection and decides to teach him how to overcome his fear... by making him jump from the tallest tree in the jungle.
14 Old Jim's Treasure (Special part I) The Jungle cave is brutally attacked by a horde of rampaging pirates: Dirty Beard and his gang are searching for Suzy, a young raccoon pirate, they want to retrieve the treasure map of his father's the Old Jim... The Jungle Bunch go with Suzy in search of the treasure.
15 Old Jim's Treasure (Special part II) Al, Bob and Fred have been accepted on Dirty Beard's ship. He thinks they are cooks. Meantime the Jungle Bunch and Suzy follow them on a balloon... they must find the Isle of the Yellow Dragon before Dirty beard. Along the way, the Jungle Bunch face the terrible dragon and discover the traditions of the gerbils.
16 Old Jim's Treasure (Special part III) The Jungle Bunch and Suzy are stuck in a giant cake, made by the jerboas. Batricia is Dirty Beard's prisoner, she printed the map of the treasure on her body. Maurice, Gilbert, Junior and Miguel escape the jerboas. They free Fred, Al, Bob and Batricia. The yellow monster appears, he knows Suzy, and thanks to the lyrics of the song of Suzy, the Jungle Bunch find the Whale Rock, and the Snake cave. They are closer to the treasure, but so are the pirates.
17 Old Jim's Treasure (Special part IV) After a big fight against the pirates and a few traps, the Jungle Bunch reach the treasure!
18 The Little Plant of Horrors Marla, a crazy botanist, can't control anymore the carnivorous plant she has created... it doesn't stop growing. The Jungle Bunch have to destroy it.
19 The Devastation Termites have taken possession of the jungle, they destroy the trees and this causes a chain reaction: all the animals come together to complain to the Jungle Bunch. Termites are under the influence of an opossum Dimitri that has imprisoned the termites queen. He uses his people to enlarge its territory, he is a real megalomaniac.
20 The Jungle Bunch and the Lost Groove Fred has lost its groove, only Pelvis the koala, king of the rock, can help him find it, the only problem is that Pelvis is mostly king of the playback. Fred discovers it, it will put him into a lot of troubles... The Jungle Bunch must deliver him.
21 The Swamp A couple of toucans have lost their egg in the bottom of the swamp. They must recover it before it hatched. The Jungle Bunch build a crane, Maurice will appeal the crocodiles. Meanwhile Junior will grab the egg underwater. He is then attacked by piranhas. Finally he succeeds in throwing the egg out of the water, Batricia grabs it. The little chick hatches out. All is well, so is the mother.
22 The Five Taos of Thunder Hector, the old Kung Fu Master of Maurice, blind and deaf, comes to the Jungle Bunch : the mandrills want to rob the "five taos of thunder", five powerful and ancient techniques that will turn the warrior that will get them, into an invincible one. The Jungle Bunch follow Hector into the temple and will have to fight the Mandrills.
23 Flight Over a Lettuce Nest It's been a few weeks since lettuces disappear at the tortoises nursing home. The old Karapas, who is losing his memory, comes to the Jungle Bunch. After an investigation the Jungle Bunch discover that the robber is the colonel... an old friend of Karapas.
24 Daddy Miguel A hummingbird egg hatches right in front of the Jungle Bunch cave. Miguel becomes his daddy... just the time to bring him back to his parents.
25 Seven Minutes Flat Ernest, the kiwi bird, the genius inventor, just wanted to brew himself a cup of herbal tea, he devised a system to boil the water inside the volcano which is on the verge to explode, and the whole of the jungle is going to be destroyed... the Jungle Bunch has seven minutes left to solve the problem!
26 An Impossible Mission What if almost all the Jungle Bunch were so sick that Al and Bob have to replace them for a mission? That's what happens but the only problem is that the mission is not that simple and that Maurice, Gilbert, Batricia and Miguel don't even know about it...
27 The Night Monster A beaver pair come to the Jungle Bunch: every night a monster destroys their home's roof…the beaver thinks he is a real jinx... but the Jungle Bunch finds out that Miguel, somnambulistic, is the monster.
28 Possum Recall An opossum rings the signal of the Jungle Bunch: he can not remember who he is, he doesn't know either why he came to the Jungle Bunch... The Jungle Bunch will help Jason reconstruct its history and will free an oppressed people...
29 The Valley of Hundred Perils Nobody has ever reached the end of the Valley of Hundred Perils... The Jungle Bunch will however have to go there to find two lovers who ran away.
30 Dragon Mission The Jungle Bunch are called by mole rats because a dragon broke into their underground city. He also stole a treasure. The Jungle Bunch will have to fight like knights.
31 The Prophecy Mama Dongo comes to the Jungle Bunch: in her village they give all their food as offerings to the gods to avoid the end of the world... the prophecy will come true it has been announced by the Choo-choo!
32 Smoked Bananas A cockatoo comes inside of the Jungle Bunch lair and imitates their voice giving orders or contradictory instructions to each other. That creates a huge mess. Meanwhile a fire starts in the jungle The Jungle Bunch go to the rescue, but with the cockatoo, it's not easy.
33 Junior's First Catch With the complicity of Batricia, Al, Bob, Gilbert and Miguel, Junior is preparing a surprise for his father, he wants to show him that he has learned all his lessons to become a great warrior and tiger. He is going to try to grab his first prey alone (a crocodile). But nothing goes as planned, the JB are forced to hide to Maurice that Junior has disappeared... and during that time, he faces many dangers in the river.
34 Assault on the Jungle Bunch "Fat Tony" has launched a hunt throughout the Jungle, he is after the animal who had stolen his fruits on his trees. All the animals are very scared and take refuge in the Jungle Cave. The Jungle Bunch protect the animals and the little jerboa who took the fruits without knowing it was not allowed.
35 In Her Majesty Service Gilbert's cousin, Gildas, comes to the Jungle Bunch: the whole family of Gilbert is being held hostage by the king of the koalas. The king decided to offer the Jungle Bunch as a birthday present to his spoiled daughter. She will consider them as her toys... but the Jungle Bunch will find a way to free Gilbert's family and to escape.
36 The Fan Club All the bad guys of the previous episodes come to the Jungle Bunch as if they were members of a fan club. But they are competing to know who is the worst bad guy in the Jungle and who was the worst to fight with. We meet again with Captain Cahouete, Melina the otter, the two hyenas, two cuddly hamsters,the marabou, Vladimir the possum... at the end they all fight one against the other.
37 The Jungle Bunch's Nightmare A young Jerboa, Mickey has stolen dangerous flowers from his parents, they are botanists. He pretends he is an evil genius and that he will conquest the jungle. And for that he has the Jungle Bunch fall asleep (with the flowers) and carried them away in a terrible nightmare...
38 Jungle Bells Desperate parents come to see the Jungle Bunch, their children don't obey them at all, they do not know how to do, the Jungle Bunch discover that all children are in possession of a toy "the crabi-coco" which makes them do nonsense. This malefic game was given to all children by Melina. The JB exchange all the "crabi coco" with "traditional" toys, they distribute them with the sled driven by hyenas, all the children are happy again...
39 The Strongest Animal in the Jungle Miguel goes with Bob who found a Moscae Incredible. While Miguel is waiting for Bob, next to the tree where he’s climbing; Nostraminus, an usurper, pretends he can read in Miguel’s mind. He promises he will have a lot of bananas if he follows him. Miguel has to fight against hyenas, marmoset, mandrill, marabou and rhinoceros at the “tournament for the strooooongest animal in the juuuungle” to win a bunch of bananas and the title of “the strongest animal in the jungle”.
40 Desperately Seeking Bob Al and Bob quarrel a little more hardly than usually at the edge of the pond and bob, offended by a remark made by Al, decides to leave. Along the way, Bob eats as many mosquitoes as he can, and then he's considered as a savior by the koalas, who are harassed by mosquitoes. The koalas, who carry the attributes of finding lying intolerable, regard Bob almost as a god and make him a pasha, until Bob gets bitten by a mosquito that he did not have time to gulp down. Then, the koalas believe that Bob lied to them and put him in the swallower of lies, a huge carnivorous plant. The Jungle Bunch are already to the rescue to try to get back Bob, they reach him thanks to the necklace of resin that Al wears around his neck... the carnivorous plant is allergic to the resin!
41 Saving Al and Bob Al and Bob have been kidnapped! The Jungle Bunch go to save them. But there are many traps along the way. Actually, it was a false mission to take the Jungle Bunch away while a group of animals organize a thank-you party.
42 Jungle Eyes Leonard a jeorboa comes to the Jungle Bunch, because a peacock hypnotize all the animals to have the jungle painted in pink. Gilbert will have Al and Bob's paintings to stop the peacock and make him leave the jungle.
43 The Cyclone Eye Gilbert is the only one to anticipate the arrival of a huge Cyclone, and Gilbert is hurt, annoyed because nobody takes him seriously. A thunderstorm of hailstones bursts out, Maurice and the Jungle Bunch leave warning the other animals of the jungle and putting them under cover. But while they think of having saved everybody, a small marmot comes to see them because we forgot her grandfather. The Jungle Bunch look for him, in the cyclone, and discover that this old grandfather is really very bad-tempered. Episode natural disaster.
44 Shells and Shellfish The Jungle Bunch must go on holiday and try to rest. But this mission turns out more complicated than planned, all the animals around the beach come to see them to ask them to solve their problems.
45 Web of Fear A young female armadillo, Audrey, and Bibi, her little domestic spider, need help. All the spiders of the jungle are gone. Gilbert is afraid of the ecological loss of balance, so, the Jungle Bunch goes search the spiders. They find that it’s Vladimir, the opossum, who “diverts” them to spin a giant web. He also makes Salvador paint his giant portrait on it.
46 Trippleped Strikes Back Two young and panic kiwis, Mina and Nina, ring at the Jungle Cave door: They saw a scary freak with three legs in the Forbidden City which Gilbert seems to know very well. Actually, he used to build some machines, including the “Three-legs”. But now, it’s waking up and it’s really dangerous! The Jungle Bunch has to stop it before it destroys the kiwis’ village.
47 The Mystery of the Yellow Cave The Queen Esmeralda, a raccoon, come and gets the Jungle Bunch: Her diadem has been stolen! It was in the yellow cave and there is no break in mark. If she shows herself in front of her people, without her diadem, she will not be considered as her queen anymore! The Jungle Bunch makes his own inquiries and goes in the village, looking for some clues.
48 Jungle Bunch Tackles a Wedding The tortoise Marcel comes to see the Jungle Bunch: he is about to get married, but during the party which took place before its marriage he met a band of Mandrills, rugby players, who employed him as a "ball", as a result he is now very far from his future wife and risks to miss his marriage...
49 The Fireflies Night Mirabelles show up at the Jungle Cave, they are Batricia’s cousins. They want to bring Batricia back to her village for the Fireflies’ Night. She follows them, with Gilbert who wants to see the sparkling fireflies, a very rare species. They will save Batricia's grand-mother and find the fireflies.
50 Hic Hic Hiccups! A gerbil comes to ask the Jungle Bunch their help because she has a huge hiccup for several weeks. No problem, Maurice and his friends just have to frighten her... but even the Valley of Fear and its terrible legend doesn't scare the gerbil...
51 The Stars Stone Roger the gardener is looking for the Jungle Bunch: five reptiles invaded his garden. Dhoom and his gang are observing a big stone in the middle of Roger’s garden. The Jungle Bunch and Patrick, the olm who’s visiting his friends go to the garden. Dhoom is venerating the star stone which is actually a meteorite made of metal. Gilbert knows that, he is afraid by the coming storm, this could make the stone electric.
52 The JB Behind the Wheel The Mandrills are bad with the Koalas and don't leave them in peace: whoever wins the car race will stay. But as usual the Mandrills are going to cheat. The Jungle Bunch are called to help the Koalas win the race...
53 Funny Bird (Crossover with the series “The Owl & Co”) The Jungle Bunch goes about their day-to-day lives around their pond, when two characters appear: a caterpillar, followed by its regular predator, the Owl. The Owl, as unmoved as indestructible, quickly irritates the Jungle Bunch who tries to get rid of it by all means!
Season 2: The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue (in production)
The Jungle Bunch is back for 52 new episodes[2] of 11'. In this season there will be new challenges and risks for the Jungle Bunch and they will face their greatest enemies!
This season was released in France on November 2, 2015.
Film
The series has been adapted into a 52 minute animated film titled The Jungle Bunch: The Movie[3] (originally Les As de la Jungle: Opération Banquise; The Jungle Bunch: Back to the Ice Floe). The film aired on France 3, on December 31, 2011 and was released on April 10, 2013. This film was included as premium at the Kidscreen Awards.
TAT Productions is developing a feature film based on the Jungle Bunch licence.[4]
Awards & Nominations
- San Diego International Kids Film Festival 2015: Grand Jury Prize - Best Short[5] for the TV special The Great Treasure Quest
- New York Festivals 2015: Final Certificate[6]
- International Emmy Awards 2014[7]
- Cartoons on the Bay 2014: Pucinella Award for Best Children TV series[8]
- Kidscreen Awards 2013: TV Movie Award for The Jungle Bunch - Back to the Ice Floe[9]