Donkey Kong Country (television series)

Donkey Kong Country
General information
Format	Children's television series
Developers	Jacques Goldstein Philippe Percebois
Director	Mike Fallows
Theme composer	Pure West
Opening theme	"Donkey Kong Country Theme" "Ashita ni Nattara..." (Japanese)
Closing theme	"Donkey Kong Country Theme" (instrumental) "Banana Tengoku" (Japanese)
Composers	Timothy Foy Paul Koffman
Countries of origin	Canada France (seasons 1–2) China (season 3)
Original language	English
Translations	Basque Cantonese Danish Dutch Finnish French German Greek Hindi Icelandic Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Mandarin (Taiwan) Norwegian Polish Portuguese (Brazil) Portuguese (Europe) Sinhala Slovak Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe) Swedish Thai Turkish Valencian
Ratings	TVPG: - Youth seven years and older CHVRS: - Guidance MCC: - General Eirin: - Guidance[?] BBFC: - Parental guidance IFCO: - Guidance FSK: - All ages Kijkwijzer: - All ages ACB: - General
Number of seasons	3
Number of episodes	40
Production
Production companies	Nelvana Medialab (seasons 1–2) Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) (season 3) WIC Entertainment SMDE (Japanese) TV Tokyo (Japanese)
Runtime	30 minutes
Broadcast
First aired	September 4, 1996[?] September 8, 1997[?] October 17, 1997[?] 1997[?] 1997 1997 April 5, 1998 August 9, 1998[?] August 15, 1998 1998 1998 1998 January 18, 1999 February 21, 1999 September 13, 1999 October 1, 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 2000 2000 2000 September 30, 2001 October 9, 2001 2001 March 23, 2002 2002 2006[?] 2011 2015 2010s October 8, 2024
Last aired	2000 June 30, 2000[?] July 7, 2000 July 7, 2000[?] 2000[?] 2001 June 23, 2002 2008[?] 2015
Status	Ended
Chronology
Related programs	DKTV

“It's the wildest, hairiest, most fur-ocious adventure yet, as the popular Nintendo character swings into his own 3-D animated full-length feature!”

—The first few lines of the description of the VHS The Legend of the Crystal Coconut

Donkey Kong Country (fully titled the Donkey Kong Country Animated Series) is a computer-animated musical television series based on the video game series of the same name. The show first aired in France on France 2 on September 4, 1996. The cartoon chronicles the adventures of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, who must protect the Crystal Coconut from King K. Rool and his minions.

Donkey Kong Country ran for three seasons with 40 episodes in total. Like the television series based on the Super Mario franchise before it, the show generally followed an episodic format. During the run, however, some episodes were aired out of order from the original airing, such as "Bad Hair Day" being aired as the third episode in its run in the United States despite airing first in France. While the first two seasons were produced by Medialab, the third season was instead produced by Chinese company Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) and switched to a newer and sleeker style of computer animation, as well as dropping the use of title cards to introduce each episode. Also similar to the earlier Super Mario cartoons, each episode (excluding "Message in a Bottle Show") features one or two original songs based on events in the episode, performed by the cast.

Donkey Kong Country was one of the earliest television series to be entirely computer-animated, similar to the artistic style of the video games. The computer animation style of the series was met with critical acclaim in France and Japan but with mixed reception elsewhere. Despite this, the series has managed to gain a cult following.

Some elements of the series would go on to appear in later video games of the Donkey Kong franchise such as Donkey Kong 64, which was released a year after the show had started airing on ABC Family (Fox Family). There was also a commercial for the Game Boy Color game Donkey Kong Country featuring Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Rambi fighting General Klump and Krusha over a giant Game Boy Color, in which all of the characters are depicted with retooled versions of their designs from the series' third season (besides Rambi, who does not appear in the series).

Synopsis

The show stars Donkey Kong, a gorilla-like Kong living in the jungle who happens to stumble upon a magic orb called the Crystal Coconut in the temple of Inka Dinka Doo. After finding the artifact, Donkey Kong is named the future ruler of Kongo Bongo Island. As he and his friends wait for the day when the Crystal Coconut will proclaim him the ruler of the island, they strive to keep it safe from the clutches of the villainous King K. Rool and his minions, who desire the coconut so that K. Rool may conquer the island using its power.

Broadcast history

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The program first debuted in France on September 4, 1996 on France 2, and then premiered in Canada on Télétoon on September 8, 1997 as a launch program. The English version made its worldwide debut in Canada on Télétoon's English counterpart Teletoon on October 17, 1997, once again as a launch program. The show then began airing in the United States on the Fox Family Channel on August 15, 1998 (occasionally airing on Fox Kids), and the original run finished on July 7, 2000. In Japan, the series began airing with a Japanese dub on TV Tokyo on October 1, 1999, and finished its run on June 30, 2000.

North America

United States

• Fox Family (including Apes of Wrath) (1998–2000)
• Fox Kids

Canada

• Teletoon (1997–2000)
• Télétoon (1997)

South America

Brazil

• Fox Kids
• HBO Brasil
• Record

Europe

United Kingdom

• Fox Kids (1998)
• Channel 4
• KidsCo (2009–2013)
• Video Game Heroes (2024–present)

Belgium

• RTL Club

Denmark

• Canal+ (1997)

Finland

• Canal+
• MTV3

France

• France 2 (1996)
• Canal+ (1998)
• Gulli (2005)
• Game One (2010)
• ADN (2021)

Germany

• Super RTL (2001–2004)
• Das Vierte (2007)
• Your Family Entertainment (2008–2013)
• Anixe+ (2012–2013)
• RiC (2012–2025)

Greece

• Alter Channel (2001)

Iceland

• Stöð 2 (1999)

Italy

• Italia 1 (canceled)
• Video Game Heroes (2024–present)

Norway

• Canal+ (1997–2000)

Poland

• Canal+ (1999)
• RTL 7

Portugal

• SIC (2000)

Spain

• Club Super3
• Fox Kids
• Video Game Heroes (2024–present)
• ETB 1 (Basque Country; 2002)
• ETB 3 (Basque Country)
• Punt 2 (Valencia; 2001)

Slovakia

• TV RiK (2015)
• Ťuki TV
• Lepṣ̌í.TV
• SledovaniTV

Sweden

• Canal+ (1998)

Asia

Hong Kong

• ATV Home (1999)

India

• Disney Channel (2006–2008)

Indonesia

• ANTV (1998)

Japan

• TV Tokyo (1999)

Malaysia

• TV2 (2002)

Philippines

• Studio 23 (2000)

Sri Lanka

• TV Derana (2010s)

South Korea

• Daekyo Kids TV (1999)

Southeast Asia

• Disney Channel

Taiwan

• KidsCo (2011)

Turkey

• Star TV (1999)

Oceania

Australia

• KidsCo (2009–2013)

New Zealand

• TV3 (2000)

Cast

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) voice actors

• Richard Yearwood – Donkey Kong
  • Sterling Jarvis – Donkey Kong (singing voice)
• Andrew Sabiston – Diddy Kong
• Joy Tanner – Candy Kong, Candy Clone
• Aron Tager – Cranky Kong
• Louise Vallance – Dixie Kong
• Damon D'Oliveira – Funky Kong
• Donald Burda – Bluster Kong
• Ben Campbell — King K. Rool
• Adrian Truss — General Klump
• Len Carlson — Krusha, Eddie the Mean Old Yeti

Characters

The cast of the main Kongs. Clockwise from the top left: Funky Kong, Donkey Kong, Bluster Kong, Candy Kong, Cranky Kong, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong.

The main antagonists of the show. From left to right: Krusha, King K. Rool, and General Klump.

Kaptain Skurvy (center), one of the secondary antagonists of the show, with his crew mates Green Kroc (left) and Kutlass (right)

The series features all of the Kongs from Donkey Kong Country, as well as Dixie Kong from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. However, the show also features several original characters that do not appear in the games, such as Bluster Kong, Eddie the Mean Old Yeti, and Kaptain Skurvy and his crew.

Main protagonists

Name	Description
Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong is the main protagonist of this show and the future ruler of Kongo Bongo Island. In this show, he is depicted as somewhat of a dim-witted slacker who loves bananas above all else, much like his portrayal in later games in the franchise. Most episodes of the show consist of Donkey Kong and his best friend Diddy Kong protecting the Crystal Coconut from King K. Rool and the lizards.
Diddy Kong	Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong's best friend and sidekick. Despite being a lot smaller and less capable of fighting when compared to Donkey Kong, Diddy is a much smarter character, having much more common sense.
Candy Kong	Candy Kong is the girlfriend of Donkey Kong and the sole employee of Bluster Barrelworks, where she appears to be the quality inspector. She is shown to be a very short-tempered character, often blaming matters on her boyfriend, even when it is not his fault. Candy's boss, Bluster Kong, is shown to be romantically interested in her, but Candy does not feel the same way back to him.
Cranky Kong	Cranky Kong is Donkey Kong's old, grouchy, and bitter mentor. Unlike the games, there is no family relation between the two. Unlike the games before this show's release, Cranky is shown to be a genius, showing an interest in both chemistry and machinery, making various items and objects in those subjects. Despite Cranky being shown to be very bitter, he does generally care for most of the apes, even considering Donkey Kong to be like a son to him.
Dixie Kong	Dixie Kong makes sporadic appearances throughout the show, appearing much differently to how she does in the games. She is shown to a very innocent and friendly ape, even befriending Klump, King K. Rool's general, on one occasion. Dixie's clothing is also different, consisting of a teal singlet with a flower on it, somewhat resembling what her sister Tiny Kong would later wear. Her ponytail is also smaller than it is in the games.
Funky Kong	Funky Kong is the adventure-loving owner of Funky's Flights and one of Donkey Kong's best friends. A running gag throughout the show involves him being incompetent at maneuvering his plane. In addition to enjoying surfing and dancing, Funky is portrayed as exceptionally spiritual in the show, known to talk about subjects such as karma quite often.

Main antagonists

Name	Description
King K. Rool	K. Rool is the king of the lizards and the main antagonist of the series. K. Rool is bossy, loud, megalomaniacal, flamboyant, dramatic, and slightly clumsy; despite this, however, he is not without a soft side, as seen in episodes such as "Baby Kong Blues" and "Four Weddings and a Coconut". K. Rool often disrespects his minions, insulting and showing a lack of care towards them.
General Klump	Klump is King K. Rool's second-in-command and general. While he is often constantly berated and disrespected by his king, he still remains faithful to K. Rool. Despite his tough military man-like exterior, Klump has a kind personality in reality; he even befriends some apes in certain episodes, like Dixie and Funky.
Krusha	Krusha is a minion of King K. Rool. He is the strongest of the group, but is shown to be very dimwitted and childish. Krusha is shown to not be able to do simple tasks such as swimming and telling the time, and Krusha even watches a television series meant for young children, the Sing Along With Uncle Swampy Show.

Other characters

Name	Description
Bluster Kong	Bluster Kong runs Bluster Barrelworks, Kongo Bongo Island's resident barrel factory, although the factory is actually owned by his mother. He is constantly flirting with Candy Kong, his lone employee, despite the fact that she is dating Donkey Kong. Bluster is depicted as a stereotypical rich, spoiled coward. He is the antagonist of several episodes, though he is more of a nuisance than a genuine threat such as King K. Rool.
Eddie the Mean Old Yeti	Eddie the Mean Old Yeti is the sole resident of the White Mountains, an area consisting of nothing but snowy mountains. Due to how distant he is from the rest of the island, Eddie does not understand many simple concepts. Earlier episodes portray Eddie as a threat, while later episodes portray Eddie to be less harmful.
Inka Dinka Doo	Inka Dinka Doo is a living stone temple that resides in his temple on Kongo Bongo Island. Long ago, Kaptain Skurvy's great-great-great-grandfather hid the Crystal Coconut in Inka Dinka Doo's eye. Years later, however, it fell out and Donkey Kong came and picked it up, thus making him the future ruler of the island. Donkey often visits Inka Dinka Doo's to ask him for advice on his current situation or help him solve a dilemma.
Kaptain Skurvy	Kaptain Skurvy is the captain of the pirates and a major secondary antagonist of the show. In a few episodes of the show, Skurvy and the pirates arrive to Kongo Bongo Island by their ship in search of the Crystal Coconut, Skurvy's birthright. One episode revealed that Skurvy is the older brother of Klump.
Kutlass	Kutlass is a member of the pirates, and Skurvy's first mate. He is shown to be a much more knowledgeable pirate than Green Kroc, as he is shown to know more about the Pirate Handbook than him.
Green Kroc	Green Kroc is a member of the pirates and one of Skurvy's shipmates. Due to his lack of knowledge about being a pirate, he sometimes questions the purpose of pirate rules, and he does not understand burying stolen treasure if they are going to dig it back up again.
Polly Roger	Polly Roger is a villainous talking parrot who makes a few appearances in the series. While originally being a member of the pirates, later episodes see Polly working for King K. Rool and the lizards instead.
Jr. Klap Trap	Jr. Klap Trap is a Klap Trap character who is much larger than the rest of his species, being around the size of Diddy Kong. Jr. also has dentures, and they are usually removed by whomever he works for whenever he annoys them. After this, he complains about his hunger, though the words come out slightly slurred.
Candy Clone	Candy Clone is a villainous robotic double of Candy Kong that works for King K. Rool. Despite her robotic voice, her appearance is identical to Candy Kong, so much so that the apes cannot tell her apart from the real Candy Kong.
Kong Fu	Kong Fu was a mercenary hired by King K. Rool and was set to challenge Donkey Kong in the Annual Donkey Kong Challenge. However, during the challenge, after his fear of the dark got mocked by King K. Rool and the lizards during the solar eclipse, he forfeited the challenge, making Donkey Kong the victor.
Baby Kong	While originally appearing as the baby form of Donkey Kong in "Ape Foo Young", Baby Kong later appears in "Baby Kong Blues" as a separate character. During the latter episode, Baby Kong is lost while being babysat by DK and Diddy. King K. Rool later finds Baby Kong, and he attempts to raise him for an heir (renaming him Prince Junior Croc), but Donkey Kong eventually manages to convince him otherwise.
Robot	A robot created by Cranky for Bluster's barrel factory that does whatever it is told to do, though it proves to be literal-minded. Donkey Kong accidentally switches bodies with the Robot with a brain transfer helmet that was also created by Cranky.

Species

Name	Description
Kritters	Kritters are armed soldiers of King K. Rool, often being equipped with Klap-Blaster weapons.
Klap Traps	Klap Traps are ammunition for the Klap-Blaster weapon in the series, and they are bipedal and capable of speech, unlike their counterparts in the games. Klap Traps often make sarcastic comments about their job or what they had just eaten.

Episodes

Two conflicting season numbering schemes exist for the show. Nelvana considers the show to have three "cycles" (13x13x14), and this is the numbering used for the show's release on services such as Pluto TV and Tubi. The show's official DVDs and release on Apple TV, however, identify two seasons, the first being made up of the 26 Medialab-produced episodes and the second being made up of the 14 Hong Guang-produced episodes. The list below follows the former scheme.

The episodes are listed by default by their first airing in any region, which differs from their order of production. The first and second seasons first aired in France, while the third season first aired in North America.

Episode	Season and episode number	First aired (France)	First aired (North America)
"Bad Hair Day"	Season 1, Episode 1