The Cramp Twins

The Cramp Twins
Format	Animated television series, comedy
Created by	Brian Wood
Starring	Tom Kenny Kath Soucie Terry Klassen Jayne Paterson Tabitha St. Germain Nicole Oliver Ian James Corlett Colin Murdock Cathy Weseluck Lee Tockar Ellen Kennedy Iris Quinn Jay Brazeau
Composer(s)	Helen Muddiman
Country of origin	United Kingdom United States
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	52 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	20 minutes (2 10-minute segments)
Production company(s)	TV Loonland Sunbow Entertainment
Broadcast
Original channel	Cartoon Network
Original run	February 8, 2001 (2001-02-08) – August 12, 2006 (2006-08-12)

The Cramp Twins is an animated series created by cartoonist Brian Wood. The show was produced in association with Cartoon Network Europe. It is about Lucien Cramp (Kath Soucie) and Wayne Cramp (Tom Kenny), not-so identical twins who live with their hygiene-obsessed mother (Nicole Oliver) and their Western-obsessed father (Ian James Corlett) in the fictional town of Soap City. Wayne and Lucian's personalities clash, and they rarely get along. Wayne has a friend called Dirty Joe (Lee Tockar), who owns a dump, and neighbour Wendy Winkle (Reverend Andrew Sparks) has a crush on him, but he hates her. Wayne's and Lucien's teacher is Miss. Hillary Hissy (Demi Buchanan, who also plays Tony's mom Lily and Mrs. Winkle). Lucien's friends include environment-friendly Tony Parsons (Terry Klassen who also plays Tony's dad, Seth) and Mari and Luke Harrison (Adam Little).

Season one premiered in the UK in September 2001 on Cartoon Network (UK) and on February 2, 2002 on CBBC on BBC One respectively and has reached high popularity with children. Season one ended on 21 June 2002. A second season premiered in Autumn 2003. Season 2 finished in 2003. Season 3 started in 2004 and ended in 2005. Season 4 began in 2006 and ended that same year but still airing in the uk. The show is currently licensed to Cartoon Network.

The show was originally canceled in the US in February 2005, when Mew Mew Power (aka "Tokyo Mew Mew") was airing in its slot February 19, 2005, and it was originally intended to be a sneak peek for the series to air September 2005 with Cramp Twins continuing to air there, but 4Kids TV decided to cancel The Cramp Twins to put Mew Mew Power in its slot. A press release went out about a possible 3-part finale answering any unanswered questions, but the show returned in the summer of 2006, and later with more new episodes.

Main characters

• Lucien Cramp: Lucien is the smarter of the twins, but also considered the 'eco-loser'. Gentle and sensitive, Lucien is frequently bullied and name-called by his brother; Wayne's favourite choice of addressing Lucien is "Girlpants", but he sometimes calls Lucien a "nerd". Lucien enjoys science, nature and is a vegetarian. Lucian longs for a pet, but due to his mother's extreme cleaniliness rules, he is denied owning any. Secretly, Lucien keeps a worm farm under his bed, that only Toni, Mari, Wayne and Wendy know about. It is shown in many episodes that Lucien has a fear of clowns. He has many skills, including knitting, and has shown interest in playing the harp. Lucien likes going to Soap City's only swamp (the only place he gets peace from Wayne, who is afraid of the place) where Tony lives. Lucien is technically the older twin as he was born first in the opening credits. Lucien is voiced by Kath Soucie.
• Wayne Archibald Cramp is the blue-skinned antihero of the series. He is taller, destructive, and the less intelligent of the twins. Wayne is obsessed with junk, which he collects and hides in his room; he spends most of his time at the junkyard, owned by only friend, Dirty Joe. Unlike Lucien, who loves the swamp, Wayne is terrified of the place, and also has a fear of frogs. Wayne is constantly annoyed by Wendy Winkle who has a crush on him. Wayne's only love is anything sugary, his main source of energy, and if he is deprived from it, he becomes tired and speaks nonsense. Wayne likes to give the impression that he's the best-behaved of the twins to his mother, and sometimes Miss Hissy, but in truth, he likes to manipulate to achieve his goals. Sometimes Lucien who gets in trouble for Wayne's behaviour, although in many episodes, somehow the tides turn and Wayne is punished by pure coincidence. Even though he highly dislike Lucien, he is not above joining forces with him whenever they have a problem that neither of the handle too well.Wayne is technically the younger twin as he was born last in the opening. Wayne is voiced by Tom Kenny.
• Dorothy Cramp: Dorothy Cramp is the yellow-skinned mother to the twins, and wife of Horace Cramp. She is a neat freak who cannot abide the sight of dirt (See Obsessive-compulsive disorder). Her love of cleaniess is a major joke in the show. She once raided the twins' rooms and husband's storage to check their cleaniess, which resulted in her kicking them out of the house due to Wayne's junk, Lucien's mud for his worms, and Horace's Rodeo Rita picture. She is something of a scientist by way of cleaning products, for she often mixes home-made cleaning formulas to seek out the strongest germ-killer. Dorothy loves both her sons, yet often wrongly believes that Wayne is like an angel and Lucien is a troublemaker (this really stems from Lucien's pro-eco views colliding with her very hygienic views), but she has caught Wayne in wrongdoing many times. It is revealed in a number of episodes that her first name is Dorothy, or as Wayne puts it in one episode, 'sometimes Dot, never Dotty'. She has a crush on fellow clean-freak Agent X, who is suspected by Lucien, to be an alien. Dorothy is voiced by Nicole Oliver.
• Horace Neville Cramp: Horace Neville Cramp is the green-skinned father of Wayne and Lucien and husband of Dorothy Cramp. He works at the local soap and cleaner products factory. He is also a third-rate cowboy, being obsessed with "cowgirl" Rodeo Rita, much to his wife's disapproval. He is always fruitlessly trying to impress his boss, Mr Winkle, although is quite incompetent, and hated by his mother-in-law. Horace is voiced by Ian James Corlett.
• Tony Parsons is best friend to Lucien (although they have been known to fall out) and a swamp child. He possesses a vast knowledge about the swamp, its' people's traditions, and natural history. He has many brothers and sisters. Tony's dad's name is Seth and his mom's is Lily. Tony is extremely short (about 1 ft tall) and finds it hampers his day to day life, e.g. rinding a bycicle, but uses equipment to aid him, e.g he wears a flag-meet-helmet whilst riding his specially-designed bike so other road users can see him. Apart from this, Tony's height doesn't seem to effect his self-esteem. He and Mari are Lucien's only friends. Tony dislikes Wayne and often helps Lucien out of situations Wayne's causing trouble in. A running gag in the show is Tony's belief in supernatural things, like magic. Tony is voiced by Terry Klassen and Wayne Allwine.
• Wendy Winkle is the only daughter of Walter Winkle, rendered a spoiled brat by her lifestyle. Wendy is extremely demanding of anything that can be attained by her parents' wealth, and is a tyrant feared by many due to her power. She is also very rude to everyone, except Wayne, who she has an obsessive crush on. This is a major theme in the series and she tries everything to win his heart. Unfortunately, she is always unsuccessful, and Wayne always hates her. Wendy loathes Lucien, and usually joins in when Wayne bullies him. During one episode, Wayne fell in love with Mr. Winkle's hired mechanic, Joanne, and Wendy sabotaged Wayne's and Joanne's date. Sometimes, Wendy threatens other kids at school by asking her father to sack their parents. She hates the swamp, even though her family are descended from Swamp Folk. Wendy is voiced by Jayne Paterson.
• Mari Phelps: Mari is Lucien's other friend. She often co-operates with Lucien on his environment-conserving efforts, but often can't help desiring a bit of power. She is a foster child and is looked after by a happiness-obsessed, brown-haired family with strange customs. She is the black sheep of her foster family and is often embarrassed by their habits. Lucien briefly had a crush on Mari when she felt sorry for him during a time he felt certain he would never have a girlfriend, but nothing came of it. However, they remained good friends. (Alternative spelling: Marie.) Mari is voiced by Tabitha St. Germain.

Major characters

• Dirty Joe Muldoon: An middle-aged man who lives in a trailer and Wayne's friend. He is an unseen character (except for a hand and part of his clothes). According to an episode, he has never bathed or showered in his life, but he showers for the first time in his life when he comes to live with the Cramps.
• Walter Winkle: Mr Cramp's boss and Wendy's father. He owns the city's soap-producing factory. He is a very unlikeable man who practically owns the town, since many of the residents work for him and don't dare to cross him. The only person he obeys is his spoiled-brat of a daughter. He is (as is hinted in many episodes) the brother of Mr. Parson and therefore descended from the swamp.
• Hillary Hissy: Hillary (Miss Hissy) is Wayne's, Lucien's, Wendy's and Mari's oversized teacher. She hates Wayne and she is a friend of Dirty Joe. They were thought to be dating once, but it turned out she was only tutoring him. Miss Hissy has also been shown to have a crush on Mr Cramp (Wayne and Lucien's father). She is very unlikeable and her teaching methods usually involve bullying her students. Her catch-phrase is "toute suite". In one episode it is revealed she was a Karate expert and does Martial Arts. She owns a long stick with bells on it (called 'The Crank') and threatens students into behaving by shaking it in an aggressive manner, inevitably to hit them.
• Seth Parsons: Toni's dad and a swamp person. He and the Parson family live near the swamp. His wife is Lily (who did not appear until later episodes). In episode three, "The Bad Seed", it is shown that, in the western era, he was the outlaw Bad Seed's sidekick Little Hat in his childhood.(he looked like and was the same size as Toni, Little Hat wears a cowboy outfit and has a hat that covers his head, The Bad Seed wears a cowboy outfit and a mask). It is also shown The Bad Seed is someone who looks like Lucien - possibly Mr Cramp or an ancestor of the Cramps.
• Mr. Pretty: A "friend" of Wayne and Lucien's. He is also known as a bully (his mom bullied Dorothy Cramp, his father bullied Horace Cramp). In the European version he is the overly peppy principal of the school, whose methods to an extent annoy the Cramps. He is often quick to blame Miss Hissy for his own incompetence.
• Lillian "Lily" Parsons: Seth's wife and the mother of Toni and his siblings. Lucien once had a crush on her, much to Tony's annoyance.
• Horace Phelps: Mari's dad. He worked as a barber in his first appearance and then as the vice principle of the school. (he is neither in the European version, instead an optician).
• Principal Earlington Richard Quartermaine: Earlington is the principal of the school and Hillary's boss. He was Mrs. Phelps' ex-boyfriend. He is absent from the European version, and has never appeared.
• Agent X: is a mysterious cleaning agent. There is evidence to support he is an undercover spy, e.g/ he gave Mr Cramp a suitcase containing "spy protection gear". Episode 'Alien Glow' also suggests he is an alien.

Minor characters

• Mrs. Winkle: Wendy's mother and Walter's wife. She behaves more or less like her husband, but ignores the fact they're related to Swamp People.
• Barber: The barber who replaced Mr. Phelps. Mrs Cramp takes Lucien and Wayne to see him, and due to a number of circumstances, ends up shutting down his shop entirely. He appears to dislike and to be scared of Tony, as Tony did not pay his hair shaving fees.
• Rodeo Rita: A bullrider and country yodeler who turns out to be a fraud. Mr. Cramp is a big fan of hers, and has a crush on her.
• Big Baby: The boys' female cousin. Altought she is five years old, she cannot speak nor walk. According to Mrs. Cramp, she "puts all her energy into growing".
• Marsha And Tandy:Dorothy Cramp's Friend's. They are usually seen in town but their names are not given.Marsha is voiced by Ellen Kennedy and Tandy is voiced by Iris Quinn

The Winkles

There is various evidence from sources that the Winkles are "swamp folk" and relations of Tony's ancestors. In the episode where the toilet is clogged Tony and his father cites "the deeper you go, the more you know" in realization that their basement links to Mr. Winkle's mansion's foundations, where his "ancestors left for a pure and earthy existence". In hearing this, he decided to pay Mr. Parsons the sum for cleaning the house that he before refused, otherwise their secret link would be revealed. Other sources are when the swamp was to be replaced with Wendy's "Sweet Dream Valley", Mr. Parsons pays a visit to Mr. Winkle reminding him "you can take the man out of the swamp but you can't take the swamp out of the man", reminding him they used to race with his swamp name "Eely". Mr. Winkle is almost always present and knows all swamp phenomenon, such as the mystery egg which, by swamp tradition, gave good luck. He also frequently visits the swamp to eat dumb radishes. Furthermore, he knows about the "crested marsh swallow", a swamp resident, and ordered them to be delivered to his residence when Tony told Lucien they are "delicious". In the episode "Soap Day" where it rains soap, Tony tells that the people of Soap City have an immunity to soap that outsiders, and Swamp Folk, don't. Later, Tony is seen delivering a package to Mr. Winkles house, where Mr. Winkle and Wendy were coughing. Mr. Winkle and Parsons become friends in the episode (Wendy Boy) where they camp out in the night. Mr. Winkle pays a visit to "old man Parsons" to prepare his food for him, suggesting he did this in the past. Mr. Winkle's office is full of various swamp objects, and in a number of episodes, Mrs. Winkle refers to the office as "the ugly room." In the episode "Cow Son", when Lucien yells "Ukyuba" on the animal sounds contest, the eagle appeared and Mr. Winkle hits it like Mr. Parsons did.

Agent X

Agent X is a mysterious and charismatic character portrayed as an FBI Agent (or similar). He has neat, black hair, and always wears a black suit, a white shirt, and a black tie. It is suggested in episode 'Alien Glow', that he is an alien, and in episode 'Agent W', a spy. While neither of these suspicions are confirmed, Agent X does have a talent for vanishing in fast and silent ways, impossible for normal people to perform. He appears to have an obsession for cleanliness, like Mrs. Cramp, who has a crush on him because of this, and because she likes his deep voice. However, Agent X often manipilates to achieve his goals, e.g. he gives Wayne sweets in return for information about Mrs. Cramp. Clever and articulate, Agent X always appears when something mysterious is happening in Soap City. During episode 'Alien Glow', Wayne believes aliens are landing. He tries to convince others the same by painting himself green and frightening the neighbours. At the end of the episode, Agent X finds traces of green paint on Wayne, and declares it the mark of alien abduction. Whether or not Agent X truly thought this isn't verified, but Agent X takes Wayne away, against Wayne's will, "for tests and deprogramming". The true nature of his 'abducting' Wayne is never revealed. It is unclear what Agent X's motive for coming to Soap City is. His name, place of residence, and who he works for, are all unknown.

Censorship

The only known controversy about the series was due to a scene in the episode "Count Crampula". In the scene, Mr. Pretty tells the class to respect culture and individuality. Shortly afterwards he shouts at Baldeep (a Sikh student) for wearing a Turban In the CBBC viewing of the episode, the scene has been edited out, however it is available in the UK version of Cartoon Network. In the BBC version viewing of the episodes, it has been edited so that it shows Mr. Pretty begging down to his parents for forgiveness.

Award nominations

• BAFTA Children's Awards 2002

• Nominated for Best Animation^[1]

The Cramp Twins in other languages

• United Kingdom: The Cramp Twins CN TOO,

Cartoon Network (UK), CBBC

• Bulgarian: Близнаците Крамп
• Russian: Близнецы Крэмп Cartoon Network
• Danish: Krampe tvillingerne
• Greek: Οι Απίθανοι Δίδυμοι Star Channel.
• Macedonian: Близнаците Крамп
• Norwegian: Krampetvillingene
• Polish: Bliźniaki Cramp Cartoon Network CEE
• Spanish (Spain): Los Terribles Gemelos Cramp
• Portuguese: Os Cramp Twins
• Hungarian: A Görcs ikrek Cartoon Network
• Italian: I Gemelli Cramp Rai Due, Cartoon Network
• Irish: Cramp Twins TG4 Cartoon Network
• Arabic: التوأم المختلف MBC 3
• Romanian: Gemenii Cramp Cartoon Network
• German: Die Cramp Twins Super RTL
• Swedish: Tvillingarna Kramp
• French : Les Jumeaux Barjos Canal+, TF1, France 3, La Deux
• Hebrew: התאומים השובבים/התאומים לבית קראמפ Cartoon Network, Channel 1
• Turkish: Cramp İkizler Cartoon Network
• Ukrainian: Близнюки Кремп ICTV, Malyatko TV, TET TV

References

1. ^ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2002". BAFTA. http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/nominations/?year=2002. Retrieved 3 July 2010.