May 3, 2002 (2002-05-03) – April 9, 2020 (2020-04-09)
Max & Ruby is a Canadian children's preschool animated series based on the book series by Rosemary Wells and produced by Nelvana Limited. The series follows two young rabbit siblings in the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1988 and 1991, the books were adapted into short films. These shorts were later remade into episodes for the television series.
Max & Ruby first aired in Canada on Treehouse TV on May 3, 2002.[1] In the United States, the series first aired on Nickelodeon on the Nick Jr. block on October 21, 2002.[2] 130 half-hour episodes were produced. The final episode aired on April 9, 2020.
Premise
Max & Ruby follows two young rabbits: Max, a rambunctious and achievement-determined three-year-old and his older sister Ruby, a seldom-patient, goal-oriented and sometimes, annoyingly-restrictive seven-year-old.[3] The series takes place in a town called Eastbunny Hop, in a universe populated by bunnies and other creatures, in the 1940s and 1950s. According to Wells, the series shows the relationship between Ruby, Max and the universal nature of sibling relationships.[4]
The TV series premiered in 2002, but was preceded by a 1988[5] and 1991[6] short adapting the characters for the first times. The shorts were individually produced and later remade into broadcast episodes.
Characters
Main
Max Bunny (voiced by Billy Rosemberg in seasons 1-3, Tyler Stevenson in seasons 4-5[a], and Gavin MacIver-Wright in seasons 6-7) is a 4-years-old (starting off at three and a half-year-old) bunny and Ruby's younger brother. He has white fur and wears some clothes including some long overalls. Prior to seasons 3 & 5 and for the first few episodes of seasons 1 and 2, Max only says 1-3 words or phrases (with the exception of a few episodes like Max's Bedtime and Ruby's Candy Store and of voiceover on the title card for episodes featuring Ruby). He does this again in season 5 (voiceover on the episode's title card; except in just the ones featuring Ruby). In seasons 6 and 7, Max (along with Morris) is able to speak in full sentences.
Ruby Bunny (voiced by Samantha Morton in seasons 1-2, Rebecca Peters in seasons 3-5, and Lana Carillo in seasons 6-7) is an 8-year-old (starting off at 7 years old) white bunny, and is Max's older sister. She has white fur and has been considered the more level-headed of the siblings. She is also a member of the bunny scouts (a formula similar to the "girl scouts").
Recurring
Grace (voiced by Julie Lemieux) is one of Max and Ruby's new baby siblings and Oliver's older twin sister. Like Max, Grace likes getting dirty.
Lemieux also voiced Oliver (the other one of Max and Ruby's new baby siblings and Grace's younger twin brother who, like Ruby, likes being clean) and Louise (Ruby's best friend with tan/auburn fur who is also 7 years old).[7][8]
Mom (also known as Mrs. Bunny;[9] voiced by Carolyn Larson) is Max and Ruby's mother. She and Ruby are close and she trusts Ruby's ability to help out with Max. She is Grandma's daughter-in-law and Grandpa's daughter.
Dad (also known as Mr. Bunny;[9] voiced by Paul Bates) is Max and Ruby's father. He is Grandma's son and Grandpa's son-in-law.
Grandma (voiced by Kay Hawtrey) has grey fur and is the paternal grandmother to Max and Ruby. Max and Ruby sometimes compete as to whose ideas are better in order to impress her, but in the end she likes both of their ideas equally. She is Dad's mother and Mom's mother-in-law.
Louise (voiced by Julie Lemieux) is Ruby's best friend; she is 7 years old and have tan/auburn fur.
Baby Huffington "Baby H" (voiced by Julie Lemieux) is Mr. and Mrs. Huffington's baby son and Bunny Scout Leader's grandson.
Mrs. Huffington (voiced by Emily Scott in seasons 1–5 and Catherine Disher in seasons 6–7) is the wife of Mr. Huffington, mother of Baby Huffington and daughter of Bunny Scout Leader.
Mr. Huffington (voiced by John Torres) is the husband to Mrs. Huffington, father of Baby Huffington, and son-in-law of Bunny Scout Leader.
Valerie (voiced by Loretta Jafelice) is a friend of Ruby; she has brown fur.
Martha (voiced by Tabitha St. Germain) is a friend of Ruby; she has gold fur.
Morris (voiced by Cameron Ansell in seasons 1–5 and Nicholas Fry in seasons 6–7) is Louise's two-year-old cousin[10] and Max's best friend.
Roger Piazza[11] (voiced by Kenan Thompson in seasons 2–3 and Joanne Vannicola in seasons 4–7) is the son of Mr. Piazza. He is older than Ruby and Louise, standing at 7+1⁄2 years old.[8][12]
Bunny Scout Leader (voiced by Sarah Adams) is the leader of the Bunny Scouts and Mrs. Huffington's mother and Mr. Huffington's mother-in-law and Baby Huffington's maternal grandmother.
Mr. Piazza (voiced by Jamie Watson) runs the local market in East Bunnyhop and is the father of Roger.
Candi (voiced by Linda Ballantyne) is the owner of the candy shop in East Bunnyhop.
Rosalinda (voiced by Anne Hill) is the owner of a gift shop that sells jewelry and collectibles and a friend of Max and Ruby's grandmother, Mary.
Katie (voiced by Yvonne Craig) is the waitress at the diner in East Bunnyhop.
Miss Bunty (voiced by Judy Price) is Max's preschool teacher.
Winston (voiced by Ethan Tavares) is one of Max's classmates who is confined to a wheelchair. He is also Max's second best friend.
Lily (voiced by Isabella Leo) is one of Max's classmates who is also one of Max's love interests.
Priya (voiced by Labbiah Santos) is one of Max's classmates who is also another one of Max's love interests.
Mr. Estévez (voiced by Carlos Díaz) is Ruby, Louise, and Valerie's teacher in school.
Antônio (voiced by Emílio Virguez) is one of Ruby's classmates. He is Max and Ruby's new friend.
Production
Nelvana Limited produced the show in association with Silver Lining Productions for its first five seasons (in 2005, Silver Lining itself was acquired by Chorion).[13]9 Story Entertainment overtook producing the animation from Nelvana in season 3 (and continues animating the series for seasons 4 and 5 while Chorion co-produced at the same time); with season 6, Nelvana still handles production of the series and also for the rest of its run.
Shortly after Chorion and its division Silver Lining Productions both close their doors when season 5 finished production, Atomic Cartoons overtook co-producing the series, season 6 of which premiered on September 18, 2016,[14] with a new main voice cast and theme song, along with each episode now having 2 10-minute segments per half-hour, rather than having 3 7-minute segments as in the previous five seasons.
In an interview with Nickelodeon, Wells has stated about Max and Ruby's unseen parents that "we don't see Max and Ruby's parents, because [she] believe[s] that kids resolve their issues and conflicts differently when they are on their own. The television series gives kids a sense about how these two siblings resolve their conflicts in a humorous and entertaining way."[4] However, in season 6, the series finally introduced Max and Ruby's parents.[15]
Telecast and home media
Max & Ruby first aired on Treehouse TV in Canada on May 3, 2002.[1] In the United States, the series first aired on the Nick Jr. Channel on October 21, 2002.[2] The series also featured a British English dub that first aired on Nick Jr. in the UK and Ireland in February 2003.[when?]
DVDs
United States
Paramount Home Entertainment is the DVD distributor for the series in the United States. As of March 29, 2012, 2.9 million DVD units of the series from Nickelodeon have been sold in the U.S. These DVDs (see below) only have episodes from the first five seasons.[16]
^"Max & Ruby – Characters –". treehousetv.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018. Louise is Ruby's best friend and classmate, and part of Bunny Scouts. She's 7 years old and sits right next to Ruby at school.
^ ab"Roger's Choice". Max and Ruby. Ruby "He's nearly 7 1/2." Louise "A whole half year older than we are."
^ abCooper, Gael (September 19, 2016). "Hoppy news: Cartoon bunnies Max and Ruby's parents aren't dead after all". cnet.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018. on Sunday, "Max and Ruby" returned with new episodes for the first time since 2013, and who should show up at last but Mr. and Mrs. Bunny? .. It was a big weekend for "Max and Ruby." Not only were Mr. and Mrs. Bunny introduce, but Max, who could previously only spit out 1 or 2 words at a time, is suddenly speaking full sentences and attending preschool.
^in Roger's Choice, Louise says "we're going to play with Roger Piazza"
^"Max & Ruby – Characters – Roger". Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018. Roger Piazza is in Ruby and Louise's class at school. He is 7 1/2 years old, which gives him an elevated status in Ruby and Louise's eyes.
