Project G.e.e.K.e.R.

*Project G.e.e.K.e.R.*
Project G.e.e.K.e.R.
Genre	Action; Adventure; Comedy; Science fiction
Created by	Douglas TenNapel; Doug Langdale
Voices of	Billy West; Cree Summer; Brad Garrett; Jim Cummings; Charlie Adler
Theme music composer	Terry Scott Taylor
Composer	Shawn Patterson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producers	Douglas TenNapel; Doug Langdale
Producer	Audu Paden
Production companies	Doug²; Adelaide Productions; Columbia TriStar Television
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	September 14 –; December 7, 1996
Related
	Earthworm Jim; Catscratch; The Weekenders; Dave the Barbarian; Phineas and Ferb

Project G.e.e.K.e.R. is an animated television series that premiered on CBS on September 14, 1996. It was created by Douglas TenNapel, creator of Earthworm Jim, and Doug Langdale, the developer of Earthworm Jim the animated series, and was a production of Columbia TriStar Television under Adelaide Productions, with original music by Shawn Patterson (main title theme by Terry Scott Taylor).^[1] TenNapel and Taylor also collaborated on the video games The Neverhood, Boombots and Skullmonkeys, and in 2005, re-united for the Nickelodeon cartoon Catscratch.

The show was cancelled after only one season, as CBS cancelled all of their Saturday morning schedule in 1997 to stop their downward-spiraling ratings.^[2]

The Federal Communications Commission also rejected CBS's attempt to classify the show as educational and informational under that fall's strengthened requirements for children's programming.^[3]

Synopsis

The titular character, Project GKR (Geno-Kinetic Research), is an artificial shapeshifting being created by Mister Moloch and Dr. Maston of Moloch Industries and intended to be used as a weapon. However, the cyborg Lady MacBeth and her Tyrannosaurus rex companion Noah rescue him before he can be finished, leaving him a moronic, cartoonish being with little control of his powers. Subsequently, the three must work together to evade capture and prevent Moloch from re-obtaining GeeKeR.

Cast

Billy West as G.e.e.K.e.R., Additional Voices
Cree Summer as Lady MacBeth, Nanny, Sonny, Additional Voices
Charles Adler as Dr. Maston, Jake Dragonn, Gene Damage, Additional Voices
Jim Cummings as Mister Moloch, Will Dragonn, Cosmotto, Additional Voices
Brad Garrett as Noah, Captain Wormhole

Additional voices

Danny Mann as Redjack
Ed Gilbert as Dinosaur Leader
Jeff Bennett as Larry the Virus
Charity James
Kath Soucie
Dee Dee Rescher as Female Junker
Joe Alaskey
Jason Marsden as Kid Dinosaur
Kevin Michael Richardson as Stonebender/"Mr. Smiley", Additional Voices
Joe Lala
Michael Bell as Toxic Moose
Lisa Kaplan

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Destruct Sequence"	Audu Paden	Doug Langdale	September 14, 1996 (1996-09-14)
Premiere Episode. After stealing GeeKeR from Dr. Maston, GeeKeR's self-destruct mode initiates, a feature Dr. Maston put in to keep him from falling into the wrong hands. Becky and Noah have no choice but to seek Maston's help to save his life.
2	"In Space, No One Can Hear You Sneeze"	Rafael Rosado	Doug Langdale	September 21, 1996 (1996-09-21)
GeeKeR, Becky and Noah go into hiding on Space Station Zebra, but Mister Moloch sends his most insidious operative, Larry the Virus, after them. Larry uses his mind-control abilities to manipulate everyone on the station into attacking GeeKeR.
3	"Nightmare Park"	Llyn Hunter	Doug Langdale	September 28, 1996 (1996-09-28)
GeeKeR, Becky and Noah are on the run from the Junkers, bio-engineered street thugs hired by Mister Moloch. The chase leads them into Nightmare Park, an abandoned amusement park full of still-functioning systems which are programmed to respond to any aggressive act with deadly combat games. Becky must control her raging temper or the park's mechanisms will destroy them all.
4	"Geekasaurus"	Toshiyuki Hiruma	Jan Strnad	October 5, 1996 (1996-10-05)
When GeeKeR morphs into a dinosaur and finds himself unable to change back, Noah must hide him in Dinopolis, a hidden city of dinosaurs where no humans are allowed. But this brings the wrath of Mister Moloch down on dinosaurs everywhere, and soon Noah must choose between protecting his friend and saving his people.
5	"Smell of the Wild"	Rafael Rosado	Richard Stanley	October 12, 1996 (1996-10-12)
GeeKeR starts emitting a hideous stench which draws an attack from Mister Moloch's goons, as well as the ire of Becky and Noah. Feeling rejected by his friends, GeeKeR runs away to the Wildlife Refuge, declaring that "animals like stinky things." But in the Refuge, GeeKeR faces a danger even greater than Mister Moloch: hordes of mutant animals led by the mighty Toxic Moose.
6	"23"	Audu Paden	Doug Langdale	October 19, 1996 (1996-10-19)
Doctor Maston finally succeeds in creating another artificial human, GKR 23. GKR 23, equipped with a computer brain, is even more powerful than GeeKeR. 23 soon breaks free of Mister Moloch's control and sets out to destroy all humanity and repopulate the earth with superior, artificial beings like himself. Now it is up to GeeKeR to defeat the virtually indestructible 23.
7	"Thing Called Love"	Llyn Hunter	Richard Stanley	October 26, 1996 (1996-10-26)
GeeKeR experiences love at last, falling hard for Sirena, a tentacled alien woman. Becky is suspicious; it seems as if this alien has some strange power over men. But even when it becomes obvious that Sirena is working for Mister Moloch, GeeKeR refuses to abandon his "true love" and walks willingly into Moloch's clutches. Can GeeKeR break the chains of love and do the right thing?
8	"In the GeeK of the Night"	Audu Paden	Jan Strnad	November 2, 1996 (1996-11-02)
Due to being affected by a satellite signal, GeeKeR periodically transforms into a monster while sleepwalking and wreaks havoc on Neo-Denaire. This forces him to stay awake to avoid transforming, which causes troubling sleep deprivation-induced hallucinations.
9	"Independence Daze"	Toshiyuki Hiruma	Richard Stanley	November 9, 1996 (1996-11-09)
Mister Moloch sets hundreds of ravenous, mechanical Cyberplants loose on Neo-Denaire to capture GeeKeR and his friends. When Becky and Noah are captured, the fuzz-brained GeeKeR must prove that he can be independent and track them down by himself.
10	"Worm"	Rafael Rosado	Thomas Hart	November 16, 1996 (1996-11-16)
GeeKeR gets a pet alien worm, which Becky cannot stand and ultimately has him release it into a series of underground tunnels. In this environment, it grows to an enormous size, and Moloch uses it to track down GeeKeR. Soon, both GeeKeR and Noah are captured, and the only way Becky can save them is to overcome her revulsion and team up with the worm.
11	"Noble Savage"	Llyn Hunter and Audu Paden	Jan Strnad	November 23, 1996 (1996-11-23)
Doctor Maston implants a tracer in Noah so that Mister Moloch can track him and capture GeeKeR. However, this affects his brain and gradually causes him to lose his intelligence. Noah soon goes off on a berserk rampage, and Becky and GeeKeR have to track him down.
12	"GeeKMan"	Audu Paden and Rafael Rosado	Doug Langdale	November 30, 1996 (1996-11-30)
GeeKeR gets hold of a bunch of old comic books and decides that the best way for him to be accepted by normal people is to become a superhero. Donning a garish costume with huge inflatable muscles, he becomes GeeKMan, Champion of Justice. Unfortunately, "GeeKMan's" rather destructive heroics turn the people of Neo-Denaire against him.
13	"Future Shocked"	Rafael Rosado	Doug Langdale	December 7, 1996 (1996-12-07)
GeeKeR, Becky and Noah travel a hundred years into the future and discover that Mister Moloch has gained control of GeeKeR and used his powers to conquer the galaxy. An elderly, imprisoned Noah gives them a few murky tips on how to foil Moloch's plan, and they return to the present to fight a seemingly doomed battle to change the course of history and save the galaxy.

Credits

Executive Producers: Douglas TenNapel and Douglas Langdale
Supervising Producer: Richard Raynis
Producer: Audu Paden
Associate Producers: Monique Beatty and Greg Chalekian
Production Coordinator: Luke Wasserman
Original Music: Shawn Patterson
Theme Song: Terry Scott Taylor
Color Designer: Don W. Kim
Music Editor: Bradford Cox
Dialogue Editor: Thomas Kearney
Digital Compositor (Opening Titles): Andy Jolliff
Background Designers: Vince Toyama and David James
Storyboard Revisor: Charles Garcia
Dialogue Director: Ginny McSwain

Music

Terry Scott Taylor (friend of creator Doug TenNapel) was contracted to write the main title theme for the show, while Shawn Patterson was selected to be the series score composer. Two days before the show was set to air, Columbia TriStar discovered a licensing issue with Terry and Patterson was asked by the producers to compose and produce a main title theme to go on the air. Shawn completed this and Project GeeKeR aired with Shawn's original main title music. Weeks into the series, the licensing problem with Terry Scott Taylor was cleared up and the show's creator Doug TenNapel requested that Terry's original main title theme be reinserted into the series. Patterson's main title music was then removed from the remainder of the series.

References

^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 481. ISBN 978-1538103739.
^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 644. ISBN 978-1476665993.
^ Mifflin, Lawrie (December 4, 1996). "News Instead of Cartoons". New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

External links

Project Geeker at the Wayback Machine (archived 1996-12-19) at Sony
Project Geeker at the Wayback Machine (archived 1996-12-20) at CBS
Project G.e.e.K.e.R. at IMDb ^{[dead link]}
Project Geeker on Retrojunk

[Perlmutter-1] Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 481. ISBN 978-1538103739.

[2] Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 644. ISBN 978-1476665993.

[3] Mifflin, Lawrie (December 4, 1996). "News Instead of Cartoons". New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Doug TenNapel
Comic books	Gear (1999) Creature Tech (2002) Iron West (2006) Ghostopolis (2010)
Film and television	Earthworm Jim (1995–1996) Project G.e.e.K.e.R. (1996) Push, Nevada (2002, associate producer) Catscratch (2005–2007) Sockbaby (2004–2008, director and actor) VeggieTales in the House (2014–2016) VeggieTales in the City (2017)
Video games	Earthworm Jim (1994) Earthworm Jim 2 (1995) The Neverhood (1996) Skullmonkeys (1998) BoomBots (1999) Armikrog (2015)
Music and covers	BibleLand (1994) Our Newest Album Ever! (1997) Quantity Is Job 1 (1998) Proof That the Youth Are Revolting (1999) When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos (2002) The End is Near/The End is Here (2003/2004) Imaginarium: Songs from the Neverhood (2004) Engine of a Million Plots (2013)

v t e Children's programming on CBS in the 1990s
First-run animated series	Dink, the Little Dinosaur (1989–91) Muppet Babies (1984–91) The California Raisin Show (1989–90) Garfield and Friends (1988–94) Rude Dog and the Dweebs (1989–90) The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy (1988–90) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990–97) Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990–91) Mother Goose and Grimm (1991–93) Back to the Future (1991–93) Where's Waldo? (1991–92) Fievel's American Tails (1992–93) The Little Mermaid (1992–95) Raw Toonage (1992–93) Marsupilami (1993–94) The All-New Dennis the Menace (1993–94) Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1993–94) Conan and the Young Warriors (1994) Beethoven (1994–95) Aladdin (1994–96) Skeleton Warriors (1994) Wild C.A.T.s (1994–95) Stickin' Around (1994) The Adventures of Hyperman (1995–96) Timon & Pumbaa (1995–97) Santo Bugito (1995–96) The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–97) The Mask (1995–97) Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1995–97) Project G.e.e.K.e.R. (1996–97) Franklin (1998–99; 2000-02) Anatole (1998–2000) Dumb Bunnies (1998–99) Flying Rhino Junior High (1998–2000) Birdz (1998–99) Mythic Warriors (1998–2000) New Tales from the Cryptkeeper (1999–2000) Blaster's Universe (1999–2000) Rescue Heroes (1999–2000)
First-run live-action series	Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–91) Riders in the Sky (1991) The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys (1992) Beakman's World (1993–98) Fudge (1995–96) Really Wild Animals (1995–96) Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. (1996–97) Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House (1996–97) The New Ghostwriter Mysteries (1997–98) Wheel 2000 (1997–98) The Weird Al Show (1997–98) The Sports Illustrated for Kids Show (1997–98) In the News (1997–98)
Rebroadcasts	Inspector Gadget (1991–92) Cyber C.O.P.S. (1993) CBS Storybreak (1993–95, 1996–98) Rupert (1999)
Related topics	Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990) Modern animation in the United States

v t e Adelaide Productions
1990s	Jumanji (1996–1999) Project G.e.e.K.e.R. (1996) Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) Men in Black: The Series (1997–2001) Channel Umptee-3 (1997–1998) Godzilla: The Series (1998–2000) Dilbert (1999–2000) Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (1999–2000) Dragon Tales (1999–2005) Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (1999–2001)
2000s	Max Steel (2000–2002) Sammy (2000) Jackie Chan Adventures (2000–2005) Heavy Gear (2001–2002) Harold and the Purple Crayon (2001–2002) Phantom Investigators (2002) Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl (2002) Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) Stuart Little (2003) Astro Boy (2003–2004) The Boondocks (2005–2014) The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009) Sit Down, Shut Up (2009)
See also	Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Animation Sony Pictures Imageworks Silvergate Media Screen Gems Cartoons United Productions of America