The Presentators

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The Presentators are a series of one-minute, 3D, computer-animated shorts made by Aardman Animations for Nickelodeon, featuring three animated (mentioned once or twice) characters of unknown origin who explain things like history, mind reading, chemistry, dinosaurs, or why not to press the tiny red button on their desk.

They were first seen in the short film 'The Deadline' - made for an Aardman Animations retrospective in New York. It was designed to show how the company's stop motion heritage was not lost in the newly developed CGI department. Like many of Aardman's films, it was predominantly a lip-sync piece with highly stylised characters, rich textures and snappy animation.

On seeing the short Nickelodeon commissioned 20 further episodes. Whereas the original film focused on three animated characters struggling to make a film while a deadline rapidly approached, the new series features them in a studio struggling to present a TV show (the series now has the Nicktoons Network logo in the background).

Creators, Stefan Marjoram, Dan Lane and Wee Brian, animated a character each, used their own voices and even wrote and performed the theme tune.

Brian, the yellow one normally on the left-hand side of the screen, is the cheeky one who is often obsessing over one subject like dinosaurs or why not to press the red button (he pressed it once and the lights went out). Dan, the red-orange one on the right, is more surly and argues with the others regularly. He also sometimes helps the gray one present. Stefan, the gray one, is the only one who concentrates on the presentation the entire 1-minute segment.

Nickelodeon has continued to air The Presentators, although they receive negative feedback from fans of the network.

There is a rumor that a video game starring the Presentators is in production, entitled Presentators Dreamy Adventures. The game features the trio as they attempt to stop the evil wizard McDunnel from taking over the land. If released, the game will be for the Xbox 360 console (some speculate Rare is the producer).

It is also said that Doreen Virtue will produce yet another new deck of Tarot cards. The latest edition will feature the Presentators as the theme.

[edit] Awards

The episode "Phone-In" won Best Script Award at Imagina 2003 and Monaco 2003 and was nominated for Interstitial & Best Music Video or Short Subject at the Broadcast Design Awards, USA 2003.