Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop (known as Dr. Globule in France) was an animated television series created by Tony Barnes and produced by Philippe Mounier's PPMP and Fairwater Films and distributed by The Sleepy Kids Company Ltd (who also produced Potsworth & Co. and Budgie the Little Helicopter) which was later changed to SKD Media and Entertainment Rights and then dissolved into Classic Media (later DreamWorks Classics in 2012 and now Hartnett Classics since 2022). The show originally aired on TF1 and it was later dubbed for English audiences as well; even the show's title got a name change. It aired in the United Kingdom on ITV; starting 13 June 1994 and finishing 21 August 1997, the show ran for four seasons.
A comic strip version of the show was included in Buster magazine from September 1994 to November 1996. The series was later repeated on Nickelodeon in the early 2000s until 2004, and had sporadic reruns on ordinary TV from 1999 until 2001 (it was put on hiatus in 2002).
It was also aired on cable television in Australia first airing on Nickelodeon and later on Cartoon Network.
Plot summary
Dr. Zitbag was a Pet Shop worker who wasn't very good at selling any pets at all and because of this he was fired from the local Transylvanian Pet Shop. So he decides to set up his own Pet Shop at an old Haunted Castle and finds out that he will have to share the place with a skeleton dog, Horrifido. With Horrifido now helping him out, the doctor begins use with his inventions to create Horrific Pets to gain his profit.
Characters
- Dr. Sidney Zitbag (voiced by Kerry Shale) - The main character of the show, he is a mad scientist type of character who wants to become the world's best pet shop owner, but his plans don't always work and certain mishaps do tend to happen.
- Horrifido (voiced by Kerry Shale) - Horrifido is the actual owner of the old Haunted Castle where Dr. Zitbag has now set up his pet shop. He is a skeleton dog with green bat winged like ears, who now works as Dr. Zitbag's assistant. Sometimes Horrifido is seen wearing a pink bow collar around his neck.
- The Exorsisters (voiced by Nicolette McKenzie) - The Exorsisters are Dr. Zitbag's neighbours, both ladies are twins resembling the bride of Frankenstein. Every often Dr. Zitbag always tries to impress them both, but the two often argue at each other. Sinista, the sister with purple streaks in her hair often dismisses Dr. Zitbag whereas Bimbella, the sister with white streaks in her hair is more willing to give him a chance.
- Zombunny - Zombunny appears to be a zombified rabbit who never seems to move. Most of the time he is seen with Dr. Zitbag and Horrifido as Dr. Zitbag would use Zombunny as part of his experiments. Zitbag would often throw him aside while saying a cursory "Excuse me, Zombunny".
- Officer Deadbeat (voiced by Christian Rodska) - Officer Deadbeat is the local police officer of Transylvania and Zitbag's antagonist, he appears to have no neck and so his head is floating at where his would be neck should be. He has a personal grudge against Dr. Zitbag, believing that the doctor is a con-artist, if he ever arrests the doctor for good, his ultimate goal is to claim the old Haunted House as a new police station, as the one he has got is very small and he often bumps his head off.
- Professor Sherman Vermin (voiced by Kerry Shale) - Zitbag's rival. Sinistra and Bimbella sometimes call him to help them, eventually making Dr. Zitbag jealous.
List of episodes
Twelve of a total of 65 episodes were released on video.
Series One
- Welcome To The Transylvania Pet Shop - first aired: 13/06/1994 (the obvious pilot episode of the show)
- Grime Does Not Pay - first aired: 20/06/1994
- Food Glorious Pet Food - first aired: 27/06/1994
- Bringing Up Horribaby - first aired: 04/07/1994
- Every Dog Has Its Show - first aired: 11/07/1994
- Ants In Your Pants - first aired: 18/07/1994
- Bungle in the Jungle - first aired: 25/07/1994
- Pirate Parrot - first aired: 01/08/1994
- Double Trouble - first aired: 08/08/1994
- Halloween Horse Race - first aired: 15/08/1994
- Where Mouse? - first aired: 22/08/1994
- Gorilla Thriller - first aired: 05/09/1994 (most sources say 'Double Trouble' and 'Halloween Horse Race' are the last two episodes, but the last two episodes in series one are actually 'Where Mouse?' and 'Gorilla Thriller') [though these are only the last two episodes in series one; not the last two episodes of the whole show]
- Triassic Lark - first aired: 12/09/1994
Series Two
- Inspector Spector - first aired: 09/06/1995
- Pyramid Pandemonium - first aired: 16/06/1995
- Hooray for Horrywood - first aired: 25/08/1995
Series Three
- Don't Hoot I'm Only the Piano Slayer - first aired: 11/06/1996
Series Four
- A True Fairy Tale - first aired: 29/05/1997
- What's Up Doc? - first aired: 07/08/1997
- Dances the Hula - first aired: 21/08/1997