TV Series Review: Rayman: The Animated Series (1999 – 2000)

Did you know that a Rayman TV show exists? If not, you can’t be blamed as not only did it begin airing at the end of December 1999, but it only lasted 4 episodes. Yes, Rayman: The Animated Series was cancelled before it had even begun.

Based off the Rayman platform gaming series by Ubisoft, Rayman: The Animated Series came about following the release of Rayman 2: The Great Escape. It was supposed to be run for 26 episodes, but was cancelled after only 4, with a 5th episode reportedly near to completion. The first aired on December 20th, 1999, and the final episode aired on January 10th, 2000, with only the likes of France, Germany and the Netherlands actually seeing them.

Well, times and have changed, and thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, interested viewers can easily watch the four-episode run, and be left to speculate on just why it was cancelled so suddenly.

The over-arching plot of the show surrounds Rayman and his friends, Betina, Cookie, Flips,
And Lac-Mac. They are fugitives being hunted by Inspector Grub on orders of Sir Rigatoni. The latter had enslaved the group in his galactic circus and had treated them cruelly. Having had enough, Rayman encouraged the others to rise up, and together they were able to escape into a sprawling city.

This is what plays out in the first episode, with the next set of episodes focusing on the group having to avoid Inspector Grub and ending up in various different locations and situations. One that involves them having to rescue Flips from a junkyard, rescue Cookie from an asylum, and secretly help Grub have a great date. Even though the show ends after the latter episode, it’s clear the direction that Rayman: The Animated Series was going to go in.

Yet, it also showed promise, with these 4 episodes having a certain amount of continuity, even if it also has time jumps that are confusing and initially jarring. When compared to other shows in this vein, Rayman: The Animated Series was doing nothing particularly wrong.

In fact, the computer animation looks quite nice (even by modern standards) and the world is colourful and odd, showing some creativity in designs. Alongside that, it also boasts a solid English dub cast, with the likes of Billy West, Lacey Chabert, Danny Mann, and Carlos Alazraqui giving the characters plenty of life.

It really is puzzling as to why the rug was pulled out from under Rayman: The Animated Series so suddenly. It can’t have been about cost, as the show was funded by the government of Quebec, Canada. Its place in history is solidified though because of these four episodes.

Is it good? Not particularly, but it’s not a bad show either. Check them out, each is only around 13-minutes long, so it will only take you an hour to see the entirety of Rayman: The Animated Series.