Tutenstein
Tutenstein
American TV series or program
Tutenstein is an American animated television series, produced by Porchlight Entertainment for Discovery Kids based on the comics by Jay Stephens. The series was first premiered on Discovery Kids' Saturday morning block on NBC on November 1, 2003. It ended on October 11, 2008.[1] The series features young mummy Tutankhensetamun (based on real-life Tutankhamun and usually called "Tutenstein" as in the title) who is awakened about 3,000 years after his accidental death and now must face the fact that his kingdom is gone.[2] The name is a portmanteau of Tutankhamun and Frankenstein.
| Tutenstein | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Jay Stephens |
| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Composer | Guy Michelmore |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 39 + 1 film |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Editor | Tony Mark |
| Running time | 18–22 minutes per episode |
| Production company | PorchLight Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Discovery Kids |
| Release | November 1, 2003 (2003-11-01) – October 11, 2008 (2008-10-11) |
Beginning in August 2020, Yippee TV, the current owners of the series, made the series officially available for streaming on YouTube.[3]
In October 2022, it was announced that a reboot is currently in the works.[4] It will have a completely new look.
Tutankhensetamun was an impulsive but kindhearted young Egyptian Pharaoh who lived a luxurious but short life. He died because back in Ancient Egypt he saved a friend of his from being smashed by rocks from a collapsing temple, so he himself was crushed to death. He carries the mighty Sceptre of Was, and the circumstances of his death are unknown at first.
In the 21st century, 12-year-old middle school student Cleo Carter accidentally witnesses his awakening after a bolt of lightning hits the mummified body of Tut that is on display at the local museum. She with her anthropomorphic pet cat Luxor must now help Tut to find his way around in the modern world. During the whole series, Set, god of disorder and violence, attempts to destroy Tut and gain possession of the Sceptre to become the ruler of all.
Main
- Tut Ankh En Set Amun ("Tutenstein") (voiced by Jeannie Elias in the first two seasons and early season 3 and Donna Cherry in the last four episodes) is a very impulsive but kind-hearted mummified 10-year-old mummy that lives in the museum. His nickname, Tutenstein, is a play on words on Frankenstein. He is often visited by Cleo and Luxor.
- Cleo Carter (voiced by Crystal Scales in the first two seasons and early season 3 and Leah Lynette in the last four episodes) is a 12-year-old African-American girl who wants to become an Egyptologist. After chasing her cat, Luxor, she accidentally brought Tut back to life. Her father is a well experienced Egyptologist/Archeologist.
- Luxor (voiced by Daran Norris in the first two seasons and David Lodge in season 3) is Cleo's pet cat and was possibly named after the Luxor Temple. When Tut was brought back to life, he was compelled to be ever loyal to his new "master" and has gained the ability to talk.
Supporting
- Walter Jacobs (voiced by Joey Simmrin) is the easily frightened, friendly yet dimwitted, young security guard at the museum.
- Professor Horace Behdety (voiced by Lex Lang) is a haughty professor and the cranky director of the museum. Throughout the series, he's shown to be self-centered and fiercely proud of the Egyptian display at the museum, and there are hints that Horace is also possibly the archeologist who discovered Tutankhensetamun's tomb.
- Dr. Roxanne Vanderwheele (voiced by Jeannie Elias in the first two seasons and early season 3 and Cindy Robinson in the last four episodes) is the Professor's colleague, a bright young scholar and thoroughly modern archaeologist.
- Rosalie Rivara (voiced by Candi Milo in the first two seasons and Wendee Lee in the third season) is a vain, publicity hungry TV news reporter.
- Natasha (voiced by Liza Del Mundo in the first two seasons and Wendee Lee in the third season) is Cleo's best friend with a bad habit of lying and she does not appear to be very bright.
- Kyle (voiced by Debi Derryberry in the first two seasons and Cindy Robinson in the third season) is one of Cleo's friends and has a crush on Natasha.
- Jake (voiced by Justin Cowden) is one of Cleo's friends and her secret crush.
- Iris Carter (voiced by Louella Narcisus) is Cleo's mother and a construction engineer.
The Egyptian Gods
The almighty and responsible gods of ancient Egypt are often overseers of all the events of the immortal world and the underworld.
- Set (voiced by David Lodge) is the Egyptian god of chaos, destruction, and disorder, who is the main antagonist. For thousands of years, he has been condemned to the darkest pit of the Egyptian underworld and he's the Egyptian mythical counterpart of Satan.
- Sekhem (voiced by Jess Harnell) and Khesef (voiced by Lex Lang) are two of the many demons who happen to work for Set.
- Apep (voiced by Cam Clarke) is a demon of the Egyptian underworld, in the form of a giant water snake.
- Ammut (voiced by Wendee Lee) is the Devourer who is an Egyptian deity and demon that devours the hearts of the dead.
- Osiris (voiced by Daran Norris) is the Egyptian god of the afterlife, the underworld and rebirth who judges humans after their death.
- Isis (voiced by Cindy Robinson) is the Egyptian goddess of magic, motherhood and wisdom. She's the wife of Osiris.
- Ra (voiced by David Lodge) is the Egyptian god of the Sun. He's one of the most important figures in ancient Egyptian religion, since the Sun was sacred to them.
- Horus (voiced by Jess Harnell) is the Egyptian god of kingship and the sky. He's the gods' greatest and most revered warrior.
- Anubis (voiced by Lex Lang) is the Egyptian god of mummification, preparations and ceremonies for the dead. He works along with Thoth under Osiris to ensure order and bring balance to all the worlds.
- Bastet (voiced by Wendee Lee) is the Egyptian goddess of cleanliness, the household and protector of cats.
- Thoth (voiced by Michael Bell) is the Egyptian god of science, knowledge and writing. He works along with Anubis under Osiris to ensure order and bring balance to all the worlds.
- Maat (voiced by Wendee Lee) is the Egyptian goddess of the concepts of truth, law, justice, order, balance, and harmony.
- Nut (voiced by Michelle Ruff) is the Egyptian goddess of the sky and stars.
- Geb (voiced by Javus Van Dervort) is the Egyptian God of Earth.
- Bennu is a sacred bird in ancient Egyptian mythology linked with the sun, creation, and rebirth.
- Hathor (voiced by Kate Higgins) is the Egyptian goddess of joy, beauty, music and feminine love.
- Sekhmet (voiced by Kate Higgins) is the Egyptian goddess of battle, warfare and revenge. She is Hathor's wrathful alter ego.
- Khnum
- Mut
- Bes is a minor ancient Egyptian deity worshipped as a protector of households, and in particular, of mothers, children and childbirth.
- Hemsut
- Ptah
- Serket is the Egyptian goddess of nature, animals, medicine and healing from venom/poison.
- Sobek is the Egyptian god of the Nile river, associated with pharaonic power, fertility, and military prowess.
- Wadjet is the Egyptian goddess of protection. Her symbol is used by royalty to guard them from evil both during their mortal life and in the afterlife.
- Imhotep is an Egyptian chancellor to the pharaoh Djoser, probable architect of the step pyramid, and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis.
- Atum is the Egyptian god of creation and life, said to have made the first humans out of clay.
Minor
- Thomas (voiced by Crystal Scales) is Cleo's 5-year-old cousin.
- Nubkar (voiced by Jason Marsden) is Tut's best friend from ancient times who is becoming - with Tut's help - released from the destiny of being a restless ghost in the underworld.
- Buzz (voiced by Jason Marsden) and Shakey (voiced by Laraine Newman) are two young teen delinquents Tut befriended for a short while, because he is impressed by their questionable actions short-termed.
- Katie (voiced by Kate Higgins) is Cleo's childhood enemy and briefly became a rival for Jake's attention.
- Hassan El Zabkar (voiced by Michael Bell) is an old Egyptian American man who summoned Ammut.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 13 | November 1, 2003 (2003-11-01) | March 6, 2004 (2004-03-06) | |
| 2 | 13 | September 4, 2004 (2004-09-04) | November 19, 2005 (2005-11-19) | |
| 3 | 13 | September 9, 2006 (2006-09-09) | January 13, 2007 (2007-01-13) | |
| Television film | 1 | October 11, 2008 (2008-10-11) | ||
Season 1 (2003–2004)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Awakening" | Bob Richardson | Mark Seidenberg | November 1, 2003 (2003-11-01) | 101 |
| Lightning strikes museum mummy Pharaoh Tut-ankh-en-set-Amun's sarcophagus and brings him back to life in the 21st Century, where he meets his friends Cleo, a 12-year-old girl, and her pet cat Luxor and struggles to adapt to the strange modern world. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Curse of the Pharaoh" | Rob LaDuca | Mark Seidenberg | November 8, 2003 (2003-11-08) | 102 |
|
When mysterious stranger El Zabkar accidentally sees Tut at the museum, he unleashes the goddess Ammut from the underworld to destroy the living mummy. It's up to Tut, Cleo and Luxor to figure out how to get rid of her. Guest star: Michael Bell as Hassan El Zabkar | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Clash of the Shabitis" | Bob Richardson | Mark Seidenberg | November 15, 2003 (2003-11-15) | 103 |
| Cleo asks Tut to help clean the museum, but he decides to bring his shabtis (wooden tomb servant figurines) to life to do the job for him. When the shabtis get out of control, Tut must stop them before anyone realizes magic is afoot. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "I Did it My Way" | Rob LaDuca | Brooks Watchel | November 22, 2003 (2003-11-22) | 104 |
| Frustrated by modern life's complications, Tut uses the Bennu Bird to make the world like it was in ancient Egypt. But ruling the ancient world is harder than Tut remembers, and he must decide what's best for his people before the spell is irreversible. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Boat of Millions of Years" | Rob LaDuca | Mark Seidenberg | December 6, 2003 (2003-12-06) | 106 |
| Tut has so much fun watching movies at Cleo's house, he wishes it would never end. He calls upon the sun god Ra to delay sunrise so he can stay up longer. But Tut's wish stops time and puts Ra in danger, so Tut must help Ra and save the day. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Powerful One" | Bob Richardson | Kevin Hopps | January 3, 2004 (2004-01-03) | 105 |
| When Tut's unknowing subjects fail to build him a pyramid on demand, his complaints accidentally summon lioness goddess Sekhmet, protector of pharaohs, who begins a vengeful rampage against humanity. It's up to Tut, Cleo and Luxor to stop her. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "There's Something About Natasha" | Rob LaDuca | Julie & Timothy Cahill | January 10, 2004 (2004-01-10) | 108 |
| Tut gets a crush on Cleo's best friend Natasha and summons Bes, the ancient Egyptian patron god of children, to help him win her heart. But the spell's results aren't what Tut expected, and he must decide whether Nat's his true love or just a love zombie. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "The King of Memphis" | Bob Richardson | Gordon Bressack | January 17, 2004 (2004-01-17) | 107 |
| Tut is furious that the Kingland amusement park is dedicated to a king other than him. Mistaking costumed park patrons for multiples of the "imposter" king, Tut endangers his life by separating the two parts of his soul (Ba & Ka) to compete with his rival. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Roommates" | Rob LaDuca | Brian Swenlin | January 24, 2004 (2004-01-24) | 112 |
| Tut has trouble finding peace and quiet at the museum, so he decides he will move in with Cleo. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Ghostbusted" | Rob LaDuca | Brooks Wachtel | January 31, 2004 (2004-01-31) | 110 |
|
Tut is up to his old tricks again, but this time he gets caught cheating while playing Senet with the Goddess Isis. Furious with Tut's behavior, she summons the ghost of Nebkar. Guest star: Jason Marsden as Nubkar | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Near Dead Experience" | Rob LaDuca | Ken Koonce & Michael Merton | February 21, 2004 (2004-02-21) | 109 |
| Since Tut is not used to the advancement of modern day medicine, he fears for Cleo's life when she develops a cold. Tut tries to make Cleo feel better, but things get out of hand when his doctor Imhotep tries to Mummify her. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "The Unsafety Zone" | Bob Richardson | Kevin D. Campell | February 28, 2004 (2004-02-28) | 111 |
| When the alarm system sets off in the new Geb exhibit, Tut is awoken from his sleep. Furious that someone would allow such noise in his royal slumber, Tut decides to turn off the alarm only that allows two thieves to take the Crown of Geb. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Happy Coronation Day, Tutenstein" | Rob LaDuca | Nick DuBois | March 6, 2004 (2004-03-06) | 113 |
| Tut feels unappreciated when Cleo and Luxor throw a Coronation Day party for him that doesn't meet his expectations. While Tut is preoccupied with his needs, demons of the underworld prepare to steal the Sceptor of Was. | ||||||
Season 2 (2004–2005)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Old Man Tut" | Bob Richardson | Brian Swenlin | September 4, 2004 (2004-09-04) | 208 |
| Tut hates being young, so when he breaks his ankh, the next day he turns into a teenager, then the next day he turns into an old man. | ||||||
| 15 | 2 | "Cleo's Catastrophe" | Rob LaDuca | Brooks Wachtel & Cynthia Harrison | September 11, 2004 (2004-09-11) | 209 |
| Luxor becomes overwhelmed splitting his time hanging with Cleo and finishing all of the Tut's chores. Tut tries to solve the problem by casting a "perfect spell", but accidentally switches Cleo's and Luxor's bodies. | ||||||
| 16 | 3 | "The Shadow Gobbler" | Bob Richardson | Brooks Wachtel | September 25, 2004 (2004-09-25) | 203 |
| Tut, Cleo, and Luxor all lose their shadows when Tut messes with the powers of ancient magic scrolls. | ||||||
| 17 | 4 | "Tut Jr." | Bob Richardson | Kevin Hopps | October 2, 2004 (2004-10-02) | 204 |
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Tut convinces Cleo that he is full of responsibility and is more than able to watch her little cousin Thomas for the day until Tut loses Thomas to the underworld. Guest star: Crystal Scales as Thomas | ||||||
| 18 | 5 | "Something Sphinx" | Rob LaDuca | John Behnke & Rob Humphrey | October 9, 2004 (2004-10-09) | 205 |
| Luxor feels insignificant when Tut hires a new assistant named Hedgewere who is a baboon servant to help him out. After feeling useless to the pharaoh, Luxor packs up and leaves after he has departed that Tut and Hedgewere run into a deadly scorpion. | ||||||
| 19 | 6 | "The Supreme Tut" | Bob Richardson | Mark Seidenberg | October 16, 2004 (2004-10-16) | 206 |
| When Tutenstein decides that his afterlife as a pharaoh couldn't get any worse, it does when Cleo refuses him creamed ice. Not being able to handle rejection of his whims, Tut convinces the higher ups to turn him into a god. | ||||||
| 20 | 7 | "The Day of the Undead" | Rob LaDuca | Mark Seidenberg | October 30, 2004 (2004-10-30) | 213 |
| Tut learns about Halloween and decides he wants to go trick-or-treating. But when Cleo explains that she and her friends are going to a haunted house, Tut tries to impress everyone by summoning a real ghost. | ||||||
| 21 | 8 | "Friends" | Bob Richardson | Mark Seidenberg | November 27, 2004 (2004-11-27) | 201 |
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Tut meets with Buzz and Shakey who are two young teen delinquents and ignores Cleo and Luxor's warning about them. Instead, Tut stirs up trouble that ultimately leads him to the Hall of Two Truths in the underworld, where the gods will decide Tut's fate. Guest starring: Jason Marsden as Buzz and Laraine Newman as Shakey | ||||||
| 22 | 9 | "Green-Eyed Mummy" | Bob Richardson | John Behnke & Rob Humphrey | December 4, 2004 (2004-12-04) | 202 |
| Tut becomes jealous when Cleo starts spending her time at the new mammoth exhibit. After Tut sends the mammoth to the underworld to regain Cleo's attention, he realizes how much he has hurt Cleo. | ||||||
| 23 | 10 | "Queen for a Day" | Rob LaDuca | Mark Seidenberg | January 15, 2005 (2005-01-15) | 211 |
| Cleo and Luxor realize that Tut has been kidnapped when they find only his Scepter of Was left behind. Meanwhile, Cleo must learn how to use the Scepter and transport her and Luxor to the underworld to save Tut from the god of chaos and destruction. | ||||||
| 24 | 11 | "Procras-Tut-nation" | Rob LaDuca | John Behnke & Rob Humphrey | October 1, 2005 (2005-10-01) | 207 |
| Tut decides that skateboarding is more important than completing the Ancient Egyptian Sed Festival. If Cleo doesn't find Tut in time and get him to go to the festival, he could lose all his power. | ||||||
| 25 | 12 | "Behdety Late Than Never" | Bob Richardson | John Behnke & Rob Humphrey | October 22, 2005 (2005-10-22) | 210 |
| Bedhety gets blamed when Tut cranks up the heat and the bills in the museum. After being framed by a conman, Bedhety is sent to jail. Tut, Cleo, and Luxor must prove Bedhety's innocence before the museum shuts down. | ||||||
| 26 | 13 | "Walter the Brain" | Bob Richardson | Mark Seidenberg | November 19, 2005 (2005-11-19) | 212 |
|
Tut feels guilty for almost getting Walter fired by Bedhety. To make up for it, Tut uses the magic Scroll of Thoth and grants Walter intelligence. Unfortunately, Thoth isn't happy that the secret scrolls were used. Note: This is the last episode where Daran Norris voices Luxor. | ||||||
Season 3 (2006–2007)
Note: All episodes in this season were directed by Norton Virgien.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "The Comeback Kid" | Kelly Ward & Cliff Macgillivroy | September 9, 2006 (2006-09-09) | 301 |
|
Tut's desire to be human again leads him to carelessly cast a spell without giving thought to the entire process. The spell backfires, bringing a T-Rex skeleton back to flesh-and-blood life, and giving Set a chance to possess the Scepter of Was. Note: This is the first episode where David Lodge voices Luxor, replacing Daran Norris. | |||||
| 28 | 2 | "Rest in Pieces" | Charlotte Fullerton | September 12, 2006 (2006-09-12) | 304 |
| Tut wants to do too much at once, so he divides up his body to let his separate pieces enjoy different activities all at the same time. Set orders a hippo demon to hide Tut's pieces, just as Set did to his own brother Osiris in real Egyptian mythology. | |||||
| 29 | 3 | "Irresistible You" | Brooks Wachtel & Cynthia Harrison | September 13, 2006 (2006-09-13) | 306 |
|
Cleo really wants to be liked by Jake, but involving Tut in her problem only leads to chaos, as Tut orders the goddess Hathor to cast a love spell on Cleo and make her irresistible... with disastrous results. Guest star: Kate Higgins as Katie | |||||
| 30 | 4 | "Sleepless in Sarcophagus" | Howard Rabinowitz | September 14, 2006 (2006-09-14) | 308 |
| Tut gets a pet snake named Fang to keep him company and help him sleep. But the snake becomes possessed by Denwen, a demon snake god, sent by Set to steal the Scepter of Was. When Cleo becomes suspicious, Denwen tries to turn Tut against her. | |||||
| 31 | 5 | "The Truth Hurts" | Scott Peterson | September 16, 2006 (2006-09-16) | 302 |
| Tut's tendency to be blunt insults the Ancient Egyptian gods, who cut him off from their protection and his own powers, and leave him vulnerable to the evil serpent Apep. | |||||
| 32 | 6 | "Was Not Was" | Pamela Hickey & Dennys McCoy | September 23, 2006 (2006-09-23) | 303 |
| Tut neglects the Scepter of Was and misplaces it. Unfortunately, Walter finds it, and thinks it's a promotional toy, leaving Walter fair game for an attack by Set and his demons. | |||||
| 33 | 7 | "Tut the Defender" | John Behnke & Rob Humphrey | October 14, 2006 (2006-10-14) | 305 |
| Tut wants to be a great military leader like his father, but when he brings two museum statues of Viking warriors to life to do battle with him, Tut finds that it's harder to emulate his father than he thought it would be. | |||||
| 34 | 8 | "Spells and Sleepovers" | Anne D. Bernstein | October 28, 2006 (2006-10-28) | 309 |
| Cleo plans an all-girls slumber party and she doesn't invite Tut. Tut can't stand being left out and decides to crash the party. When Cleo dresses Tut up like a girl, to sneak him in, Tut ends up humiliated and storms off vowing to throw a rival all-boy party. | |||||
| 35 | 9 | "Fearless" | Scott Peterson | October 29, 2006 (2006-10-29) | 307 |
|
Tut tries to prove he is fearless by taking on more and more dangerous tasks until he descends into the Underworld where he finds more fearsome danger than he bargained for. Note: This is the last episode where Jeannie Elias and Crystal Scales voice Tut and Cleo. | |||||
| 36 | 10 | "UnPharaoh" | Charlotte Fullerton | November 25, 2006 (2006-11-25) | 310 |
|
Set uses his scorpion minion to possess Dr. Vanderwheele into discrediting Tut's Pharaoh title. Cleo struggles to support her friend Tut and find a way to prove his identity, despite having doubts herself about his validity as Pharaoh. Note: This is the first episode where Donna Cherry and Leah Lynette voice Tut and Cleo, replacing Jeannie Elias and Crystal Scales. | |||||
| 37 | 11 | "Into the Past" | John Behnke & Rob Humphrey | December 2, 2006 (2006-12-02) | 313 |
| The Mirror of Isis whisks our heroes back to Ancient Egypt, where Tut discovers things weren't quite as perfect as he remembered them. Meanwhile, Cleo is led on a wild goose chase for her missing father by Set and his minions. | |||||
| 38 | 12 | "Tut's Little Problem" | Brian Swenlin | December 9, 2006 (2006-12-09) | 311 |
| Fed up with being short, Tut unleashes a spell to increase his size but, when it backfires, Tut first becomes a giant and then dangerously small. Tut learns to accept who he is - just because his height is small doesn't mean he's lacking. | |||||
| 39 | 13 | "Keep Your Wandering Eye to Yourself" | Philip Morton | January 13, 2007 (2007-01-13) | 312 |
| Tut becomes jealous of Cleo's life beyond the museum and Cleo's new friend Kara. He decides that spying on them is the obvious answer to his problems of feeling left out and enlists "the wandering eye" to spy on Cleo. | |||||
Television film (2008)
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clash of the Pharaohs | Charles M. Grosvenor | Rob Humphrey & John Behnke | October 11, 2008 (2008-10-11) | |
| In the series finale, Tut has nightmares about his death so he uses the mirror of Isis to go back to ancient Egypt to prevent his death from happening, but the artifact is stolen by a thief. Cleo, Luxor and Tut go back to Egypt only finding out that it is a thousand years after Tut's death so he, Luxor, and Cleo get followed by a stranger named Kwmonwati, who crowns Cleo after mistaking her for a pharaoh. Kwmonwati plans to take the mirror of Isis with him but fails. Cleo meets the real Cleopatra and Luxor, Cleo, and Tut finally get home. Tut now knows how he died. | ||||
ABN reported "with regard to the ongoing theme of ancient temples and history found in his animated shows Tutenstein and The Secret Saturdays, [Jay] Stephens quips, "I'm a nerd. I like reading about history and mythology. And the past is full of surprises."[5] Stephens spent many years developing the show for television, coming up with the new setting and cast of characters that diverged significantly from the original comics. Stephens became the creative consultant of the show, with character designer Fil Barlow reinterpreting the look of the entire series. Barlow was the production designer until his contracted 20 episodes expired and was fired. His successor was his student, Thomas Perkins.
The production company, PorchLight Entertainment, which is based in Los Angeles, California, has won Emmys for the first and second seasons of the series. Irish TV production company Telegael, which is based in An Spidéal, Co Galway, also won an Emmy Award for the second season.
Many of the gods portrayed in the series resemble their historical portrayals and all the Egyptian myths mentioned in the show are genuine.[citation needed] The Scepter of Was being portrayed as an all-purpose magic wand is fictional, though the Was itself is a genuine Egyptian symbol. Unlike Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19, Tut (Tutahnkensetamun) died when he was 10. On the other hand, Tutenstein is drawn with a cleft lip, just like the real Tutankhamun. The ancient game senet did exist, but as no precise rules for the game have been preserved, the rules as shown in the series are not accurate.[6] Egyptologist Kasia Szpakowska served as a consultant to the series.
Common Sense Media gave the show a rating of 3 stars out of 5, saying "The character of Tut is amusing, with his combination of childishness and egotism, and his interaction with Cleo and Luxor can be quite funny. The resolutions of the stories are fairly predictable – Tut uses his powers for good to help his friends, and harmony is restored – but the situation is unusual enough to keep the show fresh."[7] DVD Verdict said "To be fair, as a product of the Discovery Channel, the producers have tried something slightly different with Tutenstein. Its educational children's programming, the attempt of an educational station to compete with more popular stations. Each episode incorporates some educational tidbits: explaining aspects of ancient Egyptian mythology and history. Unfortunately, the learning gets a bit mixed up with all the other nonsense."[8] The Sydney Morning Herald wrote "It's The Mummy for kids... There's no Brendan Fraser or Rachel Weisz here, but the humorous dialogue – and the inclusion of a talking cat – should be a winner among younger viewers."[9]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Tutenstein | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program | Won |
| 2006 | Tutenstein | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program | Nominated |
| 2007 | Tutenstein | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program | Won |
The series aired on Discovery Kids and premiered in the United States on November 1, 2003 (along with Kenny the Shark). The final episode aired on January 13, 2007. A TV movie entitled Tutenstein: Clash of the Pharaohs aired on October 11, 2008, ending the series. After the series ended, reruns continued to air on The Hub until December 30, 2012.
In August 2003, Fox Kids Europe acquired the show's television, home video and consumer products rights for Europe, Israel, India and French-speaking Africa, with Buena Vista International Television servicing television distribution. Following the rebrand of the company as Jetix Europe in 2004, the series premiered on the European Jetix networks around that time.[10]
In 2004 the series had its British terrestrial television debut on ITV – first as part of the Saturday morning children's program Ministry of Mayhem, and later in a weekday afternoon slot on CITV, where it was one of the highest-rating shows for kids aged 4–15.
It also aired on Nickelodeon and ABC in Australia, and Maxi TV in Turkey.
Beginning on August 18, 2020, the series was officially made available for streaming on YouTube without charge by Yippee TV.[11][12][13]
The series, with the exception of the third season, and television special are also available for streaming on Hoopla. The series is also available on the Common Sense Media-owned streaming service Sensical.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 875. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 665. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- Lanham, Megan (13 May 2021). "Cartoon Callback: Tutenstein". The Bridge. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- "Pre-MIPCOM Round-Up: New Titles & Fave Toons from Mondo, Guru, FuturumKids, Winsing, TAG & Toonz". 5 October 2022. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- "Secret Origins of 'The Secret Saturdays'". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- Piccione, P. A. (1980), 'In search of the meaning of Senet', Archaeology, 33, 55–58.
- "Tutenstein - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. January 7, 2011. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- "DVD Verdict Review - Tutenstein: Volume 1: The Beginning". Archived from the original on 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
- "Tutenstein". The Sydney Morning Herald. September 7, 2004. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- "Tutenstein". Jetix Europe. June 9, 2004. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- Tutenstein - Official Channel (August 18, 2020). "Tutenstein: The Awakening (Full Episode)". YouTube. YouTube, LLC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Tutenstein - Official Channel (August 18, 2020). "Tutenstein: Curse of the Pharaoh (Full Episode)". YouTube. YouTube, LLC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Tutenstein - Official Channel (August 19, 2020). "Tutenstein: Clash of the Shabitis (Full Episode)". YouTube. YouTube, LLC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Tutenstein at IMDb
