Oscar's Oasis
Oscar's Oasis is an animated comedy television series consisting of 78 7-minute episodes. It was produced by TeamTO and Tuba Entertainment, in co-production with Cake Entertainment and Synergy Media, with the participation of TF1, Canal+ Family, Télétoon+, EBS, BENEX, and Carrimages 5, and the support of National Center of Cinematography and the moving image, the Rhône-Alpes Region, the Poitou-Charentes region and Korea Creative Content Agency. Although the series contains no dialogue, it features the voices of Marie Facundo, Sly Johnson, Martial Le Minoux and Jérémy Prevost. The show takes heavy inspiration from the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner shorts from the Golden age of American animation.
Originally, the series started out as a short called Oasis, which then later became a series that was called Ooohhh Asis, and was composed of seven one-minute-and-a-half episodes, which were broadcast on 26 March 2008 from TF1. Oscar's Oasis debuted in its new format at the 2010 MIPTV Media Market. The series premiered on Canal+ and Canal+ Family in September 2010, and was broadcast on TF1 since late summer 2011. In July 2011, the series was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 3D. The show started airing on Gulli on July 2, 2019.
Synopsis
Oscar is a lizard who lives in a non-specific desert that has features from several different real deserts, like the Sahara, Kalahari Desert, and North American deserts. An asphalt concrete highway runs through the area, used from time to time by various cargo trucks. Oscar is generally searching for food or water; he sometimes discovers liquid, in bottles or elsewhere, but is usually frustrated from recovering it for drink. An oasis supplies the only fresh water in the area, but its large population of crocodiles renders it inaccessible. At considerable personal risk, Oscar occasionally manages to steal an egg from a nearby hen coop, and he sometimes explores one of the piles of trash that litter the parched landscape. The Trio, which consists of a vulture named Buck, a hyena named Harchi, and a fennec fox named Popy, inhabit an abandoned school bus situated on a neighboring hill, but they mostly race about on a cast-off bed or grocery cart driven by Harchi and directed by Popy. Like Oscar, the Trio constantly searches for food and water - often competing with him, and sometimes abusing him as a means, but occasionally cooperating with him when it suits their purpose. The characters often find themselves falling off cliffs similar to Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, wherein the law of gravity is briefly suspended while the character comes to realize their imminent doom.Characters
Main characters
The four main characters are:Oscar - a lizard and the main character of the show who often gets into trouble with Buck, Harchi, Popy, and even the chickens. He often tries to catch flies and find some water, but most of the time, it backfires on him. Whenever Oscar has something interesting, the Trio always tries to take it from him, while he in turn often tries to steal their food. In Oasis and Ooohhh Asis, he had no name.Popy - a fennec fox and the leader of the Trio, who strategizes and gives directions. She is clever and sneaky, tricking the other animals as well as the two others in the trio. As shown in the episodes "Pronto Express", "Forbidden Paradise", and "Bad Seed", she is also greedy. In Oasis and Ooohhh Asis, she was originally male and called Panic.Harchi - a hyena and the brawn of the Trio, who is unintelligent and given the physical jobs. He normally acts as the driving force behind the makeshift cart that he and his friends use to chase Oscar or the chickens. In the event of them taking a collective tumble, Harchi typically catches everyone so that they avoid the ravine. In Oasis and Ooohhh Asis he is the only character to have his name consistent.Buck - a vulture and the brains of the Trio, who tolerates when Harchi gets chastised by Popy. In Oasis and Ooohhh Asis, he was originally called Burk.Minor characters
Manolo - a truck driver who transports various items in the series. He is always asleep at the wheel while his dog, Roco, drives.Roco - Manolo's loyal and faithful dog. He always tries to keep their cargo safe and frequently chases Oscar and the trio or tries to deter them from the contents of the truck. He is generally more friendly with Oscar than with the trio.Lizardette - a female lizard to whom Oscar's heart belongs, though they sometimes compete with each other over things. In the episode "Corn to Be Wild", she has babies, but it is unknown who her mate is.The Chickens - their half-closed eyes give them a nonchalant, blasé appearance. They fall blindly into the traps laid for them, and get out of them without realizing they have escaped any kind of danger. They always try to eat Oscar.The Crocodiles - the most feared animals of the desert and the top predators.The Skunk - He doesn't smell good. He uses his smell to terrorize the other denizens of the desert, however Oscar is unaffected by his smell and often unwittingly scares him off instead. He often takes the trio's fruit.The Meerkats - The "thieves" of the desert who sometimes steal stuff from the trio as they compete with Oscar. In some episodes, however, they work together with Oscar against the trio.The Dung Beetles - Oscar's friends who occasionally help him out of tough predicaments. In the episode "Revenge of the Small Fry", Oscar once helped them roll up a large ball of dung, which they have never forgotten.Junior - Oscar's adopted son who made only one appearance in the show.- The Fly - Oscar's prey which he sometimes eats, but is quick and is not always eaten by him.