Narrator: Many of us know that characters of one of the hottest shows on TV
today, Pokemon. There's Ash and Misty, Brock, and the ever-present Team
Rocket. But few people know what goes on behind the scenes of Pokemon, and
today, you'll get your first look, on "Pokemon: Behind the Cartoon".
The story of Pokemon began as an idea of an established TV scriptwriter, Samuel Oak. He had written in the past for several sitcoms, including the popular "Leave it to Snorlax", and "I Love Lickitung", but what Samuel really wanted to do was write a story; a story about a boy and his Pokemon.
Narrator: He pitched the pilot to many networks.... only to be rejected time and time again. Finally, he found one, and the man behind it, Giovanni Valencia. He agreed to go ahead with the series on one condition: he would get a character in the show based on him. And so, that's how Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, was born.
Anyway, back to the point. Tryouts for the main characters (who were not even given names in the script, as Oak liked to name his characters after the real names of their actors) began. Auditions for the lead role brought out thousands of kids. The boy who would eventually be cast was a kid from the nowhere town of Pallet, a boy by the name of Ash Ketchum.
Samuel Oak: Ash was perfect for the part.... it just took some, uh, convincing, on the part of his girlfriend to get it.
Ash's girlfriend, a beginning actress by the name of Misty, urged him to tryout for the part. He did, and was immediately rejected. However, the producers loved Misty, and she was cast as the role of the main character's female companion. Misty, however, wanted Ash for the part of the main character, and when she threatened to quit, the producers caved, on account of they just loved her.
Ash: I was so happy I got the part. I was finally gonna show up all those people in the past who said I was a loser.
Narrator: So, with the main character cast, the rest soon followed. The characters of Brock, Pikachu, Jessie, James, Meowth, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were found, and production of the show was ready to begin. But the new cast members soon found problem with their star.
Jessie: The twerp? Boy, is that guy ever a loser! He couldn't act if his life depended on it!
James: The kid was always messing up his scenes and his lines. It took him five days just to get down saying, "I choose you!"
Brock: That Ash guy was a nobody right from the start, but thanks to my expert acting abilities, I more than made up for it, and showed him a thing or two along the way.
Samuel Oak: The genius behind Ash was that the kid was such a loser, everyone either loved or hated his antics! And those who hated him always tuned in again and again so they'd have something to complain about!
Narrator: So, as time went on, Ash became a better actor, and the show exploded in popularity. But problems still loomed over the cast, and one of the biggest ones early on was the other star of the show, the electric rodent you either love or hate, Pikachu. We'll explore that when we come back on "Pokemon: Behind the Cartoon".
The story of Pokemon began as an idea of an established TV scriptwriter, Samuel Oak. He had written in the past for several sitcoms, including the popular "Leave it to Snorlax", and "I Love Lickitung", but what Samuel really wanted to do was write a story; a story about a boy and his Pokemon.
Narrator: He pitched the pilot to many networks.... only to be rejected time and time again. Finally, he found one, and the man behind it, Giovanni Valencia. He agreed to go ahead with the series on one condition: he would get a character in the show based on him. And so, that's how Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, was born.
Anyway, back to the point. Tryouts for the main characters (who were not even given names in the script, as Oak liked to name his characters after the real names of their actors) began. Auditions for the lead role brought out thousands of kids. The boy who would eventually be cast was a kid from the nowhere town of Pallet, a boy by the name of Ash Ketchum.
Samuel Oak: Ash was perfect for the part.... it just took some, uh, convincing, on the part of his girlfriend to get it.
Ash's girlfriend, a beginning actress by the name of Misty, urged him to tryout for the part. He did, and was immediately rejected. However, the producers loved Misty, and she was cast as the role of the main character's female companion. Misty, however, wanted Ash for the part of the main character, and when she threatened to quit, the producers caved, on account of they just loved her.
Ash: I was so happy I got the part. I was finally gonna show up all those people in the past who said I was a loser.
Narrator: So, with the main character cast, the rest soon followed. The characters of Brock, Pikachu, Jessie, James, Meowth, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were found, and production of the show was ready to begin. But the new cast members soon found problem with their star.
Jessie: The twerp? Boy, is that guy ever a loser! He couldn't act if his life depended on it!
James: The kid was always messing up his scenes and his lines. It took him five days just to get down saying, "I choose you!"
Brock: That Ash guy was a nobody right from the start, but thanks to my expert acting abilities, I more than made up for it, and showed him a thing or two along the way.
Samuel Oak: The genius behind Ash was that the kid was such a loser, everyone either loved or hated his antics! And those who hated him always tuned in again and again so they'd have something to complain about!
Narrator: So, as time went on, Ash became a better actor, and the show exploded in popularity. But problems still loomed over the cast, and one of the biggest ones early on was the other star of the show, the electric rodent you either love or hate, Pikachu. We'll explore that when we come back on "Pokemon: Behind the Cartoon".