Captain Flamingo is a Canadian animated television series, which chronicles the adventures of the protagonist and main character Milo Powell (a.k.a. Captain Flamingo). The television series was produced by Atomic Cartoons, Breakthrough Films & Television, The Heroic Film Company and PASI Animation, and premiered on YTV in Canada on February 7, 2006 and it is shown on Jetix in the United Kingdom as well as Nicktoons and the ABC in Australia. Recent news says it will debut on JETIX in the United States in 2007,[1] although Toon Disney's new schedule has its premiere date on January 28, 2008 at 8:30AM. The titular character is of an unspecified young age. He has no real super-powers of note, just a desire to help "li'l kids" in trouble. His "super powers" take the form of novelty items, such as a whoopee cushion, among other things.
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Plot
Milo Powell is an ordinary young boy until a kid is in trouble. Any time a kid yells "Uh-oh! Flamingo!", Milo transforms into Captain Flamingo, whose mission is to help little kids who need assistance. Captain Flamingo is aided in his missions by his best friend Lizbeth Amanda Zaragoza, who apparently has a not so secret crush on him. CF also has a little brother named Thor. In trying to solve the simple problems of various little kids he encounters (such as, say, a lost pencil or a missing sock), Captain Flamingo often gets into tight spots. He has, in various episodes, gotten trapped in a bubble with a full bladder, gone underwater to battle an eel, and has gotten trapped in a deadly matrix of bouncing superballs. He eventually gets out of these situations by using his "Bird Brain" – which at times is Lizbeth and at others is his own instincts. This show seems to be a gigantic Batman parody, as evidenced by the basic concept of a male dressed as an animal using gadgets to help people. Some advanced concepts, such as their non-acceptance of relationships is further proof Captain Flamingo is parodying Batman. Running Gags: Milo is unaware that Lizbeth has a crush on him. The fourth wall is broken several times, usually through the use of characters talking to the narrator (like in one episode where the narrator kept saying things related to vomiting, whereupon Milo yells at him: "WE GET IT, ALREADY!!!"). Also, Milo seems to be clueless, as in one episode he was completely unaware that he wasn't wearing any trousers. A similar joke happened while he was packing up for YTV's Big BBQ Blowout; Milo finished packing his bags, but Ian pointed out that he wasn't wearing pants.
Main characters
Milo Powell/Captain Flamingo: Motivated, driven Milo Powell is equipped with the imagination and faith to become a superhero. He stands proudly in his homemade super-tights, his unwieldy flamingo-beak helmet and terry cloth cape, ready to take on an outsized world! With Milo, things rarely turn out as planned, but somehow they do always manage to turn out alright. He carries a heavy heroic burden because kids everywhere rely on him, so he approaches their problems with utmost seriousness—as if the fate of their world depended on it (and maybe it does!). Lizbeth Amanda Zaragoza: Lizbeth is focused and organized, however, she's just a puddle of emotions when it comes to Milo Powell, her favourite square shaped boy. She's a devoted follower and chronicler of his heroics, and, unbeknownst to him, is the voice of the "birdbrain" that often inspires the Captain to save the day. Lizbeth is strong and smart but a bit of a loner because of it. Her best friend, besides Milo, is her monocled stuffed elephant confidante, Chester. Lizbeth is secure in the knowledge that girls mature faster than boys, so she knows one day Milo will catch up and appreciate her. So, for now, she's willing to guide him along and wait patiently for that special day. She acts so because of Milo saved her life when they was little kids and never forgets about it. Thor Powell: Thor is Milo’s diaper-clad baby brother. Thor likes to crawl after Milo and ride his cape. And he likes to slobber on Milo’s tights. As Thor’s primary babysitter, Milo often has to juggle his little brother and his work—sometimes literally. Mrs. Powell (Milo's Mom): Short like Milo and little nasally and chirpy, Milo's mom has her own life as an ornithologist. She loves her boys, but adult schedules and family events come before little kid desires. She's very huggy and supportive, but also extremely practical and firm. If she's said 'no' twice, Milo knows asking a third time would be foolhardy. Mr. Powell (Milo's Dad): Deadpan, monotone and humourless, Milo's dad ironically runs a humour and novelty store where Milo gets his joke products from. With a voice that borders on deep-funereal, Dad is still somehow a warm guy, despite his overall stiffness. Max: Max is one of the smartest, most sophisticated kids on the block. It's not his fault he's two feet tall and has a ridicuwous Elmer Fudd-like speech problem where his r's turn into w's, and he often adds w's to his l's. Therefore, 'really' becomes 'reawwy' and 'small' becomes 'smawl.' Luckily, Captain Flamingo gets him out of trouble. A lot. Rutger: Rutger always bites off more than he can chew. He's excitable, kind of like a puppy, and has no lack of confidence. But with his maverick attitude, he's always getting himself into trouble by taking stuff on before he's ready or big enough to do it. For instance, rather than ride a dumb little dinghy in the wading pool, he'll construct a massive Titanic-like behemoth out of random floatie toys—only to have it sink dramatically, with him onboard. The only kid who thinks as big as he does is the Captain; good thing, as Rutger frequently requires his services. Owen-Only: Owen-Only is an over-protected only child. He's been padded, helmeted and parentally locked out of most of the thrills of being a kid. And pop-culturally, he's way behind. This character has never tasted junk food, or felt the wind in his hair while riding his scooter, or told a joke where the punch line was “poo.” So alyou have to forgive him for not getting stuff, or always stating the obvious, to the point of being really annoying sometimes. Given what he's up against, you gotta love the guy. Avi: Avi, aka 'The Avalanche Kid' has a real knack for disaster. Is it a bad moon that hangs over his head or just the overlong bangs that hang in his eyes? Whatever the cause, Avi is seriously dexterity-challenged. All it takes from him is one “uh-oh” move to start off an inevitable chain of mounting disasters. Captain Flamingo doesn't mind cleaning up Avi’s messes, usually, but sometimes he wishes Avi would plan and call ahead, because, let's face it: if he's going with his mom to the china shop on Monday, Milo really should book the week off. Wendell: Wendell is Milo’s cousin and nemesis. He and Milo are always competing against each other. Wendell loves to point out how much better he is than Milo at everything (due mostly to the fact that he is, as he never lets Milo forget, an eighth of an inch taller than Milo but that is the only way he is superior to him). A bit of a geek, Wendell always looks for a mathematical and/or scientific way to gain the upper hand over Milo. He later invents his own superheroic alter ego, Commander Whooping Crane who almost succeeded Milo until he got into trouble and had to be saved by CF. Tabitha: Tabitha has two settings: freaked out, and really freaked out. She's on life’s fast track; every moment of every day is scheduled, and she plans to finish university and have an established medical career by the time most of us are just finishing breakfast. Tabitha's many playdates, lessons and various 'opportunities for growth' keep her busy, frazzled and close to implosion. But when someone's life moves as fast as hers does, things eventually slip—and the Captain is always there to pick up the pieces. Her bright yellow frizzy hair is a simple indicator of her stress-level. The more stressed she is, the wilder it gets - much to her dismay. She a brother who loves drums, and a toddler brother into streaking! Sanjay: Easily distracted, Sanjay is the kid voted “Most likely to walk into a tree while following a bird call,” or “Most likely to trip into a manhole while reading and jogging at the same time.” In fact, he may not even notice that he's in the middle of being saved by the fearless yet focused Captain! Otto: Otto could well be a genius. Or he could be a complete wacko. We'll only know for sure after he's grown up. But for now, he builds robots that go bad, constructs alternate universes that spin out of his control, and collects rocks that include most of the planet's ore supply. But the Captain saves Otto frequently and unquestioningly—and might even consider him his favourite customer! Otto has a crush on Tabitha, but unfortunately, she finds him disgusting! Kirsten: Kirsten is a sweet girl who really believes in Captain Flamingo, and is even doing a project on him for school. Whenever she gets near Milo, she peppers him with fan-type questions, always proceeded by, “I was just wondering…and like Lizbeth she has a crush on Milo.” Ruth-Ann: Ruth Ann is Lizbeth's doppelganger-like rival; her blonde hair is even parted on the opposite side to Lizbeth. Where Lizbeth is spunky, Ruth Ann is a shrinking violet. Where Lizbeth is straightforward, Ruth Ann is the queen of the backhanded compliment. Worse yet, Ruth Ann has Milo wrapped around her finger, and she strings him along like she does all the other boys in town. Ruth Ann makes Lizbeth seethe, and more than once Lizbeth has voted not to rescue her nemesis because Lizbeth knows if Ruth Ann runs off with Milo's heart, she'll just break it. So she fights Ruth Ann for her square-shaped boy every time.
Voice cast
- Tabitha St. Germain as Milo Powell/Captain Flamingo
- Melanie Tonello as Lizbeth
- Peter Keleghan as "The Narrator"
- Demetrius Joyette as Rutger
- Scott Beaudin as Owen-Only
- John McGrath as Incidental Characters
- Cole Caplan as Wendell/Commander Whooping Crane
