Calling Cat-22
Calling Cat-22 is a short-lived flash animated comedy series created by Matthew Schwartz through Turner Studios for the Cartoon Network Wedgies series, and was produced by Steve Patrick, and directed by Jai Anthony-Lewis Husband. Schwartz and Patrick share the rights to the series.[1] The title of the series is a parody of the 1961 novel Catch-22.[2]
| Calling Cat-22 | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy Spy fiction Slapstick |
| Created by | Matthew Schwartz |
| Directed by | Jai Anthony-Lewis |
| Voices of | Garrett Fisher David Markus |
| Theme music composer | Nova Social |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Steve Patrick |
| Running time | 2 minutes approx. |
| Production companies | Cartoon Network Studios Turner Studios |
| Release | |
| Original release | June 1, 2008 |
The series theme was performed by electronic pop duo Nova Social.[3] The series debuted on June 1, 2008 on the Cartoon Network channel in the intervals of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack; and was used thereafter as an interstitial until 2010, when it was moved to Cartoon Network's sister-network Boomerang, where it ran till 2015.
The series consists of five two-and-a-half-minute episodes.[4]
Summary
In form, the series is a parody of spy thrillers of the James Bond variety, in which the eponymous Cat-22, an agent for a secret organization of cats directed by Gato Primo (voiced by Garrett Fisher),[5] seeks to discover the mysteries associated with the life of dogs (who, despite their oblivious imbecility in the series, are treated by the cats like agents of a hostile superpower or enemy agency).
Each episode's plot follows a set formula. 22,[6] (a rail-thin black cat in a stereotypical "men-in-black"-style secret agent suit) is found relaxing in some foreign venue, until given a briefcase containing an assignment by Agent Andrew (a short, stout black cat with a poncy English accent); the briefcase conveys a communication from Gato Primo to investigate some (usually disgusting) feature of canine life, invariably concluding with a Mission: Impossible-like warning from Gato that "This briefcase will self-destruct..." and 22's subsequent resulting injury.
Thereupon, 22 is seen in "disguise" (a brown beanie with doggie ears), attempting to gain information from his moronic canine friend, Guthrie (David Markus) (and, on occasion, the brutal bulldog, Percy); invariably, complications follow, involving comic injury and humiliation, which are generally only heightened by Gato's attempts to extract him from the situation. Typically, Andrew generally reappears at the end of the episode to reassure 22 that he will soon be back on assignment, whereupon 22 attempts to escape (often resulting in further injury).
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hydrant" | Jai Anthony & Lewis Husband | Steve Patrick & Matthew Schwartz | June 1, 2008 | 101 |
| 2 | "Bones" | Jai Anthony & Lewis Husband | Steve Patrick & Matthew Schwartz | June 1, 2008 | 102 |
| 3 | "Flying Discs" | Jai Anthony & Lewis Husband | Steve Patrick & Matthew Schwartz | June 1, 2008 | 103 |
| 4 | "Stink" | Jai Anthony & Lewis Husband | Steve Patrick & Matthew Schwartz | June 1, 2008 | 104 |
| 5 | "Sniff" | Jai Anthony & Lewis Husband | Steve Patrick & Matthew Schwartz | June 1, 2008 | 105 |
References
- "Calling Cat-22!" Bones (TV Episode 2008) - IMDb, retrieved 2023-05-13
- The title is a pun on Joseph Heller's novel, Catch-22, referring to the impossibility of the title character's avoiding humiliation in each episode.
- "Nova Social - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- "Calling Cat-22! - TheTVDB.com". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- The name "Gato Primo" comes from Matt Schwartz's original sketch for the character. In the series itself, Gato Primo's name appears only as "Gato." It is possible that "Gato Primo" may be his title or code name as chief of the organization, and the organization itself may be called "Gato." Strictly speaking, "Gato Primo" is Spanish for "Cat Cousin," but it may simply be a mistake for "Primer Gato," which would mean "first cat" or "Cat Number One" (or even "Cat-1").
- He is called "Cat-22" by Gato once (in "Hydrant") and simply "22" thereafter.