Donkey Kong Country (TV Series)

Donkey Kong Country (TV Series)

Donkey Kong Country is a French/Canadian computer-generated animated television series. It is based on the Nintendo franchise Donkey Kong as portrayed in the Donkey Kong Country video game series by Nintendo & Rare. Created by France 2 and Nelvana, it was originally titled La Planète de Donkey Kong (The Planet of Donkey Kong in English translation). Donkey Kong Country first aired in France on September 4, 1996; it premiered late in the United States on the Fox Kids block on Fox on August 15, 1997 but the show was not shown on the block for long, because of the impeachment of Bill Clinton. After only two episodes, the series moved to Fox Family. In Japan, Donkey Kong Country took over the TV Tokyo 6:30 P.M. timeslot from Gokudo and was later replaced with Hamtaro.

Donkey Kong Country was one of the earliest television series to be computer-animated to match an artistic style and garnered critical acclaim in France and Japan but only marginal success elsewhere. Several elements of the series like the crystal coconut, appeared in later Donkey Kong Country video games like Donkey Kong 64, which was released a year after the show began airing on Fox.