PAW Patrol
PAW Patrol is a Canadian CGI–animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman. It is produced by Spin Master Entertainment, with animation provided by Guru Studio. In Canada, the series is primarily broadcast on TVOKids, which first ran previews of the show in August 2013. The series premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 12, 2013.
The series focuses on a young boy named Ryder who leads a crew of search and rescue dogs that call themselves the PAW Patrol. They work together on missions to protect the shoreside community of Adventure Bay. Each dog has a specific set of skills based on emergency services professions, such as a firefighter, a police officer, and an aviation pilot. They all reside in doghouses that transform into customized vehicles for their missions. They are also equipped with backpacks called "pup packs" that contain tools that relate to the pups' jobs.
Spin Master has developed the show into a media franchise and released an ongoing line of toys based on it. PAW Patrol toy sales have generated millions of dollars in revenue for the corporation and increased Spin Master's presence in the preschool toy market. The show, and its associated products, have received a variety of awards and nominations from associations such as the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
On June 4, 2019, the series was renewed for a seventh season of 26 half hour episodes. In the United States, select episodes are available to stream on Noggin, for free with TV Everywhere authentication on Nickelodeon's app and with a public library card through the Hoopla app.
On February 19, 2020, the series was renewed for an eighth season of 26 half hour episodes. A theatrical feature film, titled , is scheduled for an August 20, 2021 release.
Format
Each episode of PAW Patrol follows a similar pattern and features recurring topics. Episodes normally open with a scene depicting the dogs going about their everyday lives, often playing with dog toys or engaging in activities at the local playground. Ryder, a ten-year-old boy, is advised of a problem by receiving a call for help or by witnessing a situation himself. His most frequent caller is an accident-prone marine biologist named Cap'n Turbot, who knows much about Adventure Bay's wildlife. Ryder always alerts the dogs via their blinking pet tags. The team members report to their base, the Lookout, and enter its elevator. Marshall typically arrives last causing a humorous mishap that makes the other dogs laugh as the elevator rises. When they reach the top floor, they arrange themselves in a line. Chase announces that the team is ready for action as Ryder tells the pups what has happened. He chooses several members of the team, normally two first responders, to help solve whatever problem has emerged. They ride a slide down to their vehicles and complete their mission. When they have finished, Ryder says his catchphrase: "Whenever you're in trouble, just yelp for help!", and congratulates the pups.Episodes
Characters
PAW Patrol members
Original members
- is a 10-year-old boy and the leader of the PAW Patrol. He was voiced by Owen Mason from 2013 to 2015, by Elijha Hammill from 2015 to 2016, Jaxon Mercey from 2016 to mid-2019, and by Joey Nijem from mid-2019 onward.
- is a clumsy but competent Dalmatian who serves as a firefighter and paramedic dog. He was voiced by Gage Munroe from 2013 to 2014, by Drew Davis from 2014 to 2019, by Lukas Engel from 2019 to 2020, and by Kingsley Marshall from 2020 onward.
- is a bulldog who serves as a construction dog. He is voiced by Devan Cohen from 2013 through 2019, and by Keegan Hedley from 2019 onward.
- is a German Shepherd who serves as a police and spy dog. He was voiced by Tristan Samuel from 2013 to 2014, by Max Calinescu from 2014 to 2018, and by Justin Paul Kelly from 2018 onward.
- is a grey-and-white mongrel who serves as a recycling and handyman dog. He was voiced by Stuart Ralston from 2013 to 2015 and by Samuel Faraci from 2015 onward.
- is a chocolate Labrador retriever who serves as an aquatic rescue pup. He was voiced by Alex Thorne from 2013 to 2017, by Carter Thorne from 2017 to 2019, and by Shayle Simons from 2019 onward.
- is a cockapoo who serves as an aviator. She is voiced by Kallan Holley from 2013 through 2019, and by Lilly Bartlam from 2019 onward.
Later members
- is the PAW Patrol's most frequent caller, who serves as an occasional member of the team in the Merpup-themed special episodes. He is a smart marine biologist who frequently speaks in alliterations. His main vehicle is a boat called the Flounder. He is voiced by Ron Pardo.
- is a robotic dog introduced in "Pups Save Ryder's Robot". He serves as the driver for the PAW Patroller and the pilot for the Air Patroller.
- is a Siberian Husky who serves as a snow rescue dog in emergencies relating to snow or ice. She was introduced in the season two episode "The New Pup". Her vehicle is a snowmobile. She is voiced by Berkley Silverman.
- is a brown-and-white Chihuahua who serves as a jungle rescue pup. His vehicle is a Jeep. He is voiced by David Lopez.
- are two Golden Retrievers who are siblings and serve as the "Mighty Twins". Their vehicle is a "Mighty Car" that splits into two "Mighty Motorcycles".
- is a bernise Mountain Dog who serves as an expert in dinosaurs. He is also the first handicapped pup to appear in the show.
Recurring characters
- Mayor Goodway is the mayor of Adventure Bay who lives at the City Hall. She is very competitive with Mayor Humdinger of Foggy Bottom, can be very panicky at times, and has a pet chicken named Chickaletta whom she carries in her purse. She is voiced by Deann Degruijter.
- Chickaletta is Mayor Goodway's pet chicken that she carries around in her purse, even getting into mischievous antics. She usually prefers to just do her own thing and generally ignores what's going on, especially if she is too busy sleeping or eating.
- Francois Turbot is Cap'n Turbot's cousin and research partner, who lives with him in the Seal Island lighthouse. He works as a zoologist, artist, and nature photographer. He has a thick French accent and often uses French phrases in place of English words. He is voiced by Peter Cugno.
- Mayor Humdinger is the mayor of Foggy Bottom and the main antagonist of PAW Patrol. He is the arch-rival of Mayor Goodway and will do anything to be "on top". But underneath, the mayor can be humble and kind. He is voiced by Ron Pardo.
- The Kitten Catastrophe Crew are the villainous feline counterparts of the PAW Patrol. They are owned and led by Mayor Humdinger and will do what they are asked, but sometimes they can be stubborn and disobey or outsmart Mayor Humdinger.
- Mr. Porter is a restaurant owner in Adventure Bay as well as the grandfather of Alex Porter. He is voiced by Blair Williams.
- Alex Porter is a young boy who lives in Adventure Bay and is Mr. Porter's grandson. He is rather impatient. He is voiced by Christian Distefano and Wyatt White.
- Katie is a young girl about Ryder's height who works at the Adventure Bay pet parlor. She is loving and caring and also has a pet cat named Cali, whom she is usually seen with. She is voiced by Katherine Forrester.
- Jake is a snowboarder from Adventure Bay who operates the snowboarding resort and is the caretaker of Everest. He is voiced by Scott McCord.
- Farmer Yumi is a farmer in Adventure Bay. She is the wife of Farmer Al. She cares greatly for her animals such as Bettina, Garbie, and her chickens. She is voiced by Hiromi Okuyama and Stephany Seki.
- Farmer Al is the farmer of Moo Juice Dairy Farm in Adventure Bay. He is the husband of Farmer Yumi. He is voiced by Ron Pardo.
- Carlos is a young boy. He is Ryder's pen pal from the Jungle, and is the caretaker of Tracker. He is voiced by Lucius Hoyos and Jaiden Cannatelli.
Production
Chapman's original pitch focused on the idea that the six PAW Patrol dogs were rescued by Ryder before joining the team. Scott Kraft, the show's first writer, and Jamie Whitney, the show's first director, decided to abandon the rescued dog theme in 2012. The name of the series' protagonist, Ryder, was changed multiple times during production; he was originally called Raffi, Roddy, and Robbie before Spin Master settled on Ryder.
According to a 2017 Spin Master interview, "everything pup-related was debated endlessly: names, sizes, ages, breeds." The pups' designs underwent major changes after Chapman's pitch; they were originally very realistic, with unique fur and textures based on their breeds, but they were later simplified and made more cartoonish. The visual appearance of Cap'n Turbot, mainly his distinctive bead eyes and large nose, was based on the design of Chapman's Bob the Builder character. Ryder's hairstyle was based on that of Ronnen Harary.
In January 2012, Spin Master began approaching television broadcasters. The company negotiated a broadcast partnership with Nickelodeon, and the network first announced that it had picked up PAW Patrol at the 2013 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. The series became Spin Master's first solely-owned intellectual property once it was released in August 2013.
Since it began production, the show's animation has been provided by Guru Studio. In a 2016 interview with Maclean's Magazine, Guru president Frank Falcone stated that his studio's animators were originally suspicious of the show's "toyetic" concept. The series' rock-inspired original score was composed by the Ontario-based group Voodoo Highway Music & Post. The opening theme song and the ending song used in each episode include vocals performed by Scott Simons.
With each season of the show, new supporting characters and themes are introduced in its episodes. In a May 2016 interview for the Toronto Star, Spin Master president Ben Gadbois stated that his company would continue to introduce additional characters and concepts to increase the franchise's longevity and to expand upon the success of tie-in merchandise. In August of the same year, Ronnen Harary explained that these changes were intended to keep the show's content "fresh" and "relevant".
Release
Broadcast
The series has been sold to TV networks in over 160 countries.In the United States, the series is aired on Nickelodeon as well as the Nick Jr. channel. In Canada, the series is primarily shown on TVOKids, Knowledge Kids, Tele-Quebec, and City Saskatchewan.
As required for Canadian programs aired on federally-funded networks, PAW Patrol has been dubbed in French for Quebec broadcasts and for its broadcast in France on TF1. Canal Panda airs a European Portuguese dub. and it aired on MBC3 in the Middle East. A British English dub, which uses the same scripts as the Canadian version with minor changes, is shown on Channel 5 and Nick Jr. UK. :ko:애니원|Anione, :ko:재능TV|JEI TV, and KBS have all broadcast the Korean-dubbed version. The show has been aired in the Icelandic language on Iceland's public broadcaster RÚV since 2015. The first two seasons were shown in Finnish on Yle TV2. The video on demand platform Le.com obtained broadcast rights for a Mandarin Chinese-dubbed version of PAW Patrol in April 2016. It aired on MiniMini+ in Poland, e-Junior in the United Arab Emirates, and Clan TVE in Spain. On April 6, 2019, TV Tokyo premiered a Japanese dub of the show, starring Megumi Han as Ryder, who is renamed "Kento".
Video services
Seasons of PAW Patrol are available on variety of streaming or direct purchase video services.Streaming
| Streaming service | Country availability | Content |
| 10 Play | Australia |
|
| Foxtel Now | Australia | |
| Stan | Australia | |
| Vudu | United States |
Direct purchase
| Direct purchase service | Country availability | Content |
| Apple TV+ | Worldwide |
|
| Google Play | Worldwide | |
| Microsoft Store | Worldwide |
Home media
DVD releases
As with a majority of Nickelodeon shows, Paramount Home Entertainment distributes DVDs of the series in the United States. They also release the show onto DVD in most international regions, through a distribution deal with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Universal-Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in Europe and Australia respectively.| Title | Episodes | Release date |
| PAW Patrol |
| |
| Winter Rescues | ||
| Marshall and Chase on the Case! | ||
| Meet Everest! | ||
| The Great Pirate Rescue! |
| |
| Brave Heroes, Big Rescues | ||
| Sports Day! Game On! |
| |
| Air Pups | ||
| Pups Save Christmas |
|
|
| Pups Save the Bunnies Spring into Action |
| |
| Easter Egg Hunt | ||
| All Wings on Deck | ||
| The Great Pirate Rescue! | ||
| The Great Snow Rescue Snow Patrol |
| |
| Sea Patrol |
| |
| Mission Paw | ||
| Summer Rescues |
| |
| Halloween Heroes Spooky Adventures |
| |
| Safety Pups | ||
| Mighty Pups | ||
| Pups Save Puplantis |
| |
| Ultimate Rescue |
| |
| Jungle Rescues |
| |
| Ready Race Rescue | ||
| Pups Chase a Mystery |
| |
| Robo-Dog Rescues! | ||
| Mighty Pups, Super Paws |
Paw Patrol episodes feature as bonus episodes in the DVD releases, the releases Nickelodeon produced in Region 2 with Paramount and in Region 4 with Universal / Sony, of other animated television series, including "Shimmer and Shine", "Nella the Princess Knight" & "Rusty Rivets"
Reception
Critical reception
PAW Patrol has received largely positive reviews from critics. Common Sense Media reviewer Emily Ashby gave the show a four-star rating, stating that "perhaps the show's best attribute is how it demonstrates the value of thoughtful problem-solving". Randy Miller of DVD Talk recommended the show, calling it "packed with all the harmless action and cornball jokes that kids can't help but snicker at". Stuff.co.nz reviewer Pattie Pegler also wrote favourably of the series, but felt that some of the characters "seem rather arbitrary, like Rocky the Recycling Pup". The About Group's Carey Bryson gave the series a mixed review, criticizing its "formulaic" nature but affirming that the "show is not without funny moments".A research study, commissioned by Sky in March 2016, reported that 16 per cent of surveyed British and Irish children named PAW Patrol as their favourite program.
Criticism had been directed toward the show's unequal gender representation, because initially the team of dogs is primarily male and included only one female character. Brandy King of the Center on Media and Child Health "found the gender imbalance immediately noticeable" while watching the program. Today's Parent noted in April 2015 that PAW Patrol images appeared frequently on Twitter with the hashtag "#IncludeTheGirls". In response to these criticisms, the writers added an additional female character named Everest, a Siberian Husky and snow rescue dog, starting in season 2.
Some of the pups were accused of behaving manipulatively towards younger viewers in a 2018 study which focused on app-based advertising techniques.
In a 2020 paper published in the journal Crime, Media, Culture, PAW Patrol is criticized for sending the message that corporations are more capable of providing social services than the state. Author Liam Kennedy argues that the show "encourages complicity in a global capitalist system that produces inequalities and causes environmental harms." Kennedy suggests that PAW Patrol echoes the "core tenets of neoliberalism" by depicting the state and politicians as either unethical or incompetent while the PAW Patrol corporation is entrusted with crimefighting and conservation.
Ratings
PAW Patrol has received consistently high ratings on Nickelodeon. Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman cited the series as a source of Nickelodeon's 2014 ratings growth. It ranked as the highest-rated, preschool TV program in the United States in November 2013 and held that position throughout the spring 2014 season. The spot was briefly overtaken by Team Umizoomi reruns in July 2016, but PAW Patrol reclaimed the title later the same month. Bloomberg L.P. described PAW Patrol as part of a "creative resurgence" that increased the Nick Jr. channel's viewership in 2016. At Nickelodeon's 2016 upfront presentation for future advertisers, Cyma Zarghami named PAW Patrol one of two preschool shows to have significantly helped boost ratings for the network.In March 2015, two back-to-back premieres of the show ranked among the top twenty weekday showings in Australia. In May 2015, it was reported that PAW Patrol broadcasts on TF1 had been viewed by 45 per cent of households in France with preschool-aged children.
Cultural impact
The show has received recognition from public figures and celebrities. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his children are fans of the show; Trudeau mentioned the characters by name in a 2017 speech. After performing at the Super Bowl LII halftime show, Justin Timberlake filmed a segment for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in which he named Chase as his favourite PAW Patrol character and held a Chase plush toy. During his opening monologue for the 90th Academy Awards, host Jimmy Kimmel joked that a young nominee was missing PAW Patrol to attend the ceremony.The show was satirized by The Onion in a 2018 parody article; referencing police brutality in the United States, the article claimed that the show's writers defended police dog Chase for shooting an unarmed black lab.
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, the show was criticized for presenting a "good-cop archetype" after a post on the show's Twitter account announcing that they would go dark in memory of Floyd received negative backlash.
Awards and nominations
In 2014, the series' theme song was nominated for Outstanding Original Song – Main Title and Promo in the 41st Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In 2016, the season two episode "Pups Save a Mer-Pup" was nominated for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children in the 43rd Annie Awards. As of 2018, PAW Patrol has received seven Canadian Screen Award nominations with six wins.| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
| 2014 | 41st Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Original Song – Main Title and Promo | |||
| 2014 | Parents' Choice Foundation | "Fun Stuff" Award | Spin Master | rowspan=2 | |
| 2014 | Environmental Media Awards | Environmental Media Award in Children's Television | Spin Master | - | |
| 2015 | Toy of the Year Awards | Property of the Year, 2015 | Spin Master | rowspan=5 | |
| 2015 | Toy of the Year Awards | Preschool Toy of the Year, 2015 | Spin Master | - | |
| 2016 | Toy of the Year Awards | Property of the Year, 2016 | Spin Master | - | |
| 2016 | 43rd Annie Awards | Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children | Spin Master | - | |
| 2016 | 4th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Pre-School Program or Series | Spin Master | - | |
| 2016 | 4th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series | Jamie Whitney | rowspan=3 | |
| 2016 | Licensing.biz People Awards | Licensee Team of the Year | Spin Master | - | |
| 2016 | Australian Toy Association | Preschool License of the Year | Spin Master | - | |
| 2016 | Canadian Cinema Editors Awards | Best Editing in Animation | Tom Berger | ||
| 2016 | SOCAN Awards | International TV Series Music Award | Voodoo Highway Music & Post | rowspan=6 | |
| 2017 | 5th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Pre-School Program or Series | Spin Master | - | |
| 2017 | 5th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series | Jamie Whitney | - | |
| 2018 | 6th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Pre-School Program or Series | Spin Master | - | |
| 2018 | 6th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Direction in an Animated Program or Series | Charles E. Bastien | - | |
| 2018 | 6th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Sound in an Animated Program or Series | Spin Master | - |
Related media
Feature film (2021)
In November 2017, Ronnen Harary confirmed that Spin Master is "currently considering whether to extend the PAW Patrol franchise into feature films at some point in the next 12 to 24 months." Animation tests were conducted in 2017 to measure how the characters "would translate onto the big screen" and the company is currently in the process of developing a film script.On May 9, 2019 it was confirmed during Spin Master's First Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call that an animated theatrical film based on the series, titled PAW Patrol: The Movie is in the works with an August 2021 release date. Animation for the film will be done by Mikros Image. With development of the film later confirmed on February 21, 2020, the film will be directed by Cal Brunker who directed both and Escape From Planet Earth. Spin Master Entertainment would produce the movie with association with both Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures. On April 24, 2020, the release date was announced to be August 20, 2021.
Video game
In June 2018, Nickelodeon and Outright Games announced a game based on the series, titled PAW Patrol: On a Roll. It was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows in North America on October 23, 2018.Merchandise
On May 18, 2014, Spin Master introduced a toy line based on the television series at Toys "R" Us locations across Canada. The line was not distributed to international markets until June 22 of the same year. Dion Vlachos, a representative from Nickelodeon, was in charge of the U.S. product launch.PAW Patrol has since become one of Spin Master's most profitable brands. Analysts for the National Bank of Canada reported that toys and games based on the show accounted for approximately $245 million U.S. of Spin Master's gross product sales for 2015. Spin Master chairman Anton Rabie noted in August 2016 that the "continuing strength" of PAW Patrol toys, in addition to new acquisitions and movie licenses, made up 40.5 per cent of the firm's second quarter revenue. Marketing manager Emma Eden said that the toys were responsible for increasing the company's presence in the preschool market. Throughout 2016, Spin Master's revenue grew more in this market than in any other toy category. PAW Patrol has been cited as the sole reason for this.
The NPD Group named PAW Patrol the top new toy brand of 2015 in the United Kingdom. The group also reported that it was the best-selling preschool license in France in the first quarter of 2015. Dave Brandon, the chief executive officer of Toys "R" Us, listed the PAW Patroller vehicle toy as one of the 2015 holiday season's "hottest" items. Argos the U.K. catalogue retailer included the PAW Patrol Air Patroller vehicle on its list of the toys it predicts will be bestsellers during the Christmas 2016 season. In 2018, it was estimated that total retail sales to date were approximately.
Live events
In April 2016, a stage show titled PAW Patrol Live: Race to the Rescue was announced. The show features the PAW Patrol characters competing in a race. It toured Canada, the United States, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines. A sequel show, titled PAW Patrol Live: The Great Pirate Adventure, was announced in June 2017. It follows the PAW Patrol as they rescue Cap'n Turbot from a cavern, and it will tour the same countries as its predecessor. The shows are produced by VStar Entertainment Group, which is best known for producing the popular Sesame Street Live touring shows for 37 years.Mascots based on the PAW Patrol characters have appeared at events across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. They joined an "Etch A Sketch Day" celebration at Spin Master's office in Toronto on July 26, 2016. The characters, along with replicas of the Lookout tower from the program, were included as part of the Nick Jr. Play Date Tour in autumn 2015. Marshall and Chase made appearances at shopping malls throughout Nottingham, Suffolk, and Somerset in the U.K. in the summer of 2016. Multiple meet-and-greet events attracted far more attendees than expected, with some reaching over 5,000 visitors. They appeared for the first time in Northern Ireland at Glenarm Castle on July 13, 2016. They are scheduled to appear regularly in a Nickelodeon-themed area of the Thurrock's Lakeside Shopping Centre located on the outskirts of London, England.
Like many children's properties, unauthorized productions and events using copyright infringing costumes featuring the show's characters have attracted the attention of Spin Master and Nickelodeon. In February 2016, several Greene King pubs in the U.K. scheduled breakfast events with costumed characters modelled after the pups. Nickelodeon forced the chain to stop every event by threatening a lawsuit if they went ahead. There was some consumer backlash as a result, but the events were not held.