Silverwing (TV series)

Silverwing is a 2003 Filipino–Canadian animated series based on Kenneth Oppel's novel of the same name. The traditional animated series has elements of computer animation.^[2][3]

Silverwing
DVD cover[1]
Genre	Animation Fantasy
Based on	Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel
Written by	Gary Jones Richard Side
Directed by	Keith Ingham
Voices of	Bill Switzer Sharon Alexander Randall Carpenter Richard Newman Michael Dobson Pam Hyatt Shirley Millner Richard Ian Cox Ian James Corlett Matt Hill Lee Tockar Candus Churchill Stevie Vallance
Composers	Brian Carson Ari Wise
Country of origin	Philippines Canada
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Producer	Cathy Schoch
Editor	Don Briggs
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	Philippine Animation Studio Bardel Entertainment
Original release
Network	Teletoon
Release	September 6 (2003-09-06) – December 14, 2003 (2003-12-14)

Synopsis

Years before the migration, the animals started the Great Battle for the balance of nature and territories to all species. The bats were exiled from choosing sides, but Shade goes on a journey to reason them.

Characters

Bats

• Shade: (Bill Switzer) A travelling Silverwing bat separated from the colony.
• Marina: (Sharon Alexander) An exiled Brightwing bat whom Shade befriended.
• Goth: (Michael Dobson) A cannibal bat. He and Throbb escape the laboratory.
• Throbb: (Richard Newman) Goth's brother in-law.
• Frieda: (Pam Hyatt) The banded chief elder of the colony.
• Bathsheba: (Shirley Millner) A selfish member of the Silverwing elders. She later betrays the colony.
• Ariel: (Randall Carpenter) Shade's mother whose mate, Cassiel left the colony.
• Mercury: (Ian James Corlett) Frieda's loyal guardian and the leader of female bats.
• Chinook: (Matt Hill) One of Shade's friends.
• Zephyr: (Richard Newman) A blind albino bat living in the cathedral spire.
• Scirocco: (Ian James Corlett) The charismatic shapeshifting leader for the colony of banded bats in the mountain cabin.
• Penelope: (Randall Carpenter) One of the banded bats, whom Shade rescued.
• Hector: (Lee Tockar) Chinook's father and one of the Silverwing elders. He reunites with the colony at Hibernaculum.
• Breeze: (Stevie Vallance) One of Shade's friends.

Others

• Brutus: (Richard Newman) The leader of the owls. He later renounces the war.
• Orestes: (Richard Ian Cox) Brutus' son. He later helps the bats redeem other animals.
• Atlas: (Michael Dobson) Brutus' owl assistant.
• Ursa: (Candus Churchill) The spirit bear who later becomes the leader of beasts opposing the wolves.
• Luger: (Lee Tockar) The leader of the wolves whom Goth recruited.
• Remus: (Richard Ian Cox) The selfish king of the rats and Romulus' brother.
• Romulus: (Lee Tockar) Remus' brother. He later replaces the latter as king.

Differences from the novel

• In the novel, Orestes is King Boreal's son, but is changed for Brutus for the series.
• In the novel, Throbb dies in a thunderstorm, but he survives throughout the series.
• In Sunwing, King Boreal forgives the colony of bats. In the series, Brutus does the same thing.
• In the novel, Throbb is Goth's traveling companion, but they are brothers-in-law in the series.
• In the novel, the beasts do not become embroiled in the owl-bat conflict, except in the series.
• Shade cannot echo project in the novel, but makes a similar ability in Sunwing.
• In the novel, Marina's band gets removed near the end, while it is kept throughout the series

Episodes

Note: The episodes were released in the miniseries format as three television films, with new endings created for the first two parts.^[4] They included A Glimpse of the Sun, Towers of Fire and Redemption.^[5]

No.	Title	Original air date (Teletoon) [6]
1	"A Glimpse of the Son"	September 6, 2003 (2003-09-06)
When Shade inadvertently breaks the law, the owls destroy Tree Haven.
2	"No Bat is an Island"	September 7, 2003 (2003-09-07)
After being separated from the colony while migrating, Shade ends up on an island and meets Marina. He asks her to meet Frieda.
3	"Pigeon Court"	September 14, 2003 (2003-09-14)
Shade and Marina evade the pigeons at the city.
4	"Bat in the Belfry"	September 21, 2003 (2003-09-21)
Zephyr teaches Shade how to use echo projection.
5	"Dark Alliance"	September 28, 2003 (2003-09-28)
After meeting Goth and Throbb, Shade and Marina learn that the two are killing animals.
6	"Friends in Deed"	October 5, 2003 (2003-10-05)
Orestes frees Shade and Marina, and escape from the group of owls. After Orestes drives the bats from the power station, Goth gets electrocuted and falls unconscious.
7	"Everything Is Not Black and White"	October 12, 2003 (2003-10-12)
Shade and Marina ask Ursa to defend the animals from the wolves after a bear cub's mother is killed. Meanwhile, Goth regains consciousness.
8	"Deception"	November 2, 2003 (2003-11-02)
Shade and Marina continue evading Goth and Throbb, while Bathsheba briefly becomes the leader.
9	"I'm with the Band"	November 9, 2003 (2003-11-09)
At the mountains, Shade and Marina save a group of banded bats from Goth and Throbb, who steal the rest of the bands. Meanwhile, the colony arrives at the airport.
10	"Rats"	November 23, 2003 (2003-11-23)
After Romulus defeats Remus at the junkyard, Shade and Marina reunite with Orestes. As the colony and Bathsheba leave, Ariel, Frieda and Mercury survive the airport.
11	"Strange Batfellows"	November 30, 2003 (2003-11-30)
After distracting Goth and Throbb, Shade and his allies leave the mine.
12	"Hibernaculum"	December 7, 2003 (2003-12-07)
After arriving at Hibernaculum, Shade reunites with the colony, and Goth and Throbb recruit the wolves.
13	"Day of Judgment"	December 14, 2003 (2003-12-14)
After the bears defeat the wolves and Goth is killed by collapsing icicles, the animals congratulate the bats and permit them to fly outside night or day.

Production

The series was produced by Bardel Entertainment, with additional work done by the Philippine Animation Studio.^[3] It was originally distributed by Bardel and B Wooding Media.^[4][7][8]

Early plans as of 2001 consisted of a theatrical movie with a budget of US$25–30 million to be co-produced with the UK's Melwood Pictures, followed by a US$5 million TV series developed with participation from an unspecified American broadcaster.^[9]

A second season of 13 episodes was announced to be in development in 2003, along with an online video game website with 13 levels to match the episodes.^[10] The website had over 20 games available by mid-2004,^[8] while the planned season was quietly shelved later that year.^[11]

Release

Broadcast

Silverwing was commissioned by and first aired on Teletoon in Canada in fall 2003.^[7]

In the United States, the series was shown on Toon Disney's Jetix block in autumn 2005,^[12] with Jetix later airing the show internationally.^[13]

Home media

The full series has been released on DVD in the United States^[1] and the United Kingdom.^[14]

Reception

Silverwing has had mostly positive reception.

Animation Magazine ran a six-part series about the show in 2003,^[10][15] viewing it as "a grand miniseries" that "really raises the bar in TV animation".^[1] Common Sense Media described Silverwing as a "great kids' series" and gave it 4 out of 5 stars, adding however that its "complex, political story themes" may present difficulties for younger children.^[16]

An encyclopedic review considered the series to be relatively accurate to the text, despite minor changes. "The program conducted its affairs well without stumbling and therefore stands as a high point in the often creatively checkered world of Canadian television animation."^[5]

In contrast, one reviewer found the show to have poor animation and significant differences from the source material, particularly in terms of darker elements, while only praising the voice acting as "fantastic".^[17]

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2004	Gemini Awards	Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series	Brian Carson, Ari Wise	Nominated	[18]
2004	Vancouver International Digital Festival (Vidfest[19])	Interactive Design: Entertainment	Website: silverwing.tv	2nd	[20]