Franklin (TV series)
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{{infobox television |
| show_name = Franklin
| image = [[Image:Franklin Turtle.jpg]]
| caption = I'M FRANKLIN
| format = [[Children's television series]]
| runtime = Two 15-minute stories
| country = [[Canada]]
| network = [[Canadian Broadcasting Company|CBC]] (1997), [[CBS]] (1997-1998), [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] (1998-2001, 2004), [[Family Channel]] (2001-2002), [[Treehouse TV]] (2002-2003)
| first_aired = November 1997
| last_aired = 2002
| starring = [[Noah Reid]] <br> [[Cole Caplan]] <br> [[Bryn McAuley]] <br> [[Elizabeth Brown]] <br> [[Richard Newman]] <br> [[Cody Jones]] <br> [[Luca Perlman]] <br> [[Mark McMulkin]] <br> [[Amanda Soha]] <br> [[Kristen Bone]] <br> [[Susan Roman]] <br> [[Taylor McMillan]] <br> [[Kyle Fairlie]] <br> [[Mitchell Eisner]] <br> [[Stuart Landrell]] <br> [[Scott Beaudin]] <br> [[Olivia Garratt]] <br> [[Vivien Endicott-Douglas]] <br> [[Annick Obonsawin]] <br> [[Ruby Smith-Merovitz]] <br> [[Jamie Haydon-Devlin]] <br> [[Sophie Lang]] <br> [[Marcia Bennett]] <br> [[Richard Binsley]] <br> [[Valerie Boyle]] <br> [[Donald Burda]] <br> [[William Colgate]] <br> [[Neil Crone]] <br> [[Amos Crawley]] <br> [[Diane D'Aquila]] <br> [[Frannie Diggins]] <br> [[Catherine Disher]] <br> [[Marc Donato]] <br> [[Shirley Douglas]] <br> [[Jill Frappier]] <br> [[Jake Goldsbie]] <br> [[Joyce Gordon]] <br> [[Paul Haddad]] <br> [[John Hagley]] <br> [[Elizabeth Hanna]] <br> [[Ellen Ray Hennessy]] <br> [[Kay Hawtrey]] <br> [[Marieve Herington]] <br> [[Coretta Jafelice]] <br> [[David Klar]] <br> [[Keith Knight]] <br> [[Gary Krawford]] <br> [[Janet Laine-Green]] <br> [[Dan Lett]] <br> [[Jonathan Malen]] <br> [[Judy Marshak]] <br> [[Stephen Ouimette]] <br> [[Eric Peterson]] <br> [[James Rankin]] <br> [[Wayne Robson]] <br> [[Sharai-Ann Ross-Laney]] <br> [[Tyrone Savage]] <br> [[Carolyn Scott]] <br> [[Nickolas Swan]] <br> [[Mari Trainor]] <br> [[Adrian Truss]] <br> [[Jared Wall]] <br> [[Chris Wiggins]] <br> [[Phillip Williams (actor)|Phillip Williams]]
| creator = [[Paulette Bourgeois]] (Writer) <br> [[Brenda Clark]] (illustrator)
| num_episodes = 78 & 3 specials (to date)
|}}
'''Franklin''' is a [[Canada|Canadian]] children's [[television program|television series]], based on a series of books by [[Brenda Clark]] (illustrator) and [[Paulette Bourgeois]] (writer). The television series was named after its main character, Franklin the [[Turtle]]. Translated into Canadian French, but not French of France, the cartoon shorts are presented with the title character of Benjamin and a similar theme song. DVDs, at least those sold in Canada, offer the option of watching them in French.
The series first aired in November, 1997; and originally ended its run in May of 1999. At one point, five seasons had been produced, but only the first four were widely available, as the fifth had only been available on Canada's Family Channel. The television series is produced by [[Nelvana]] Entertainment; the books have been published by [[Scholastic (publishing)|Scholastic]]. From 1998 to 1999, the program aired in the United States on [[CBS]]' Saturday-morning lineup before moving to [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] on [[January 11]], [[1998]]. In the fall of 2000, it returned to [[CBS]] in reruns until 2006. Airings on CBS were discontinued when CBS discontinued all airings of Nick Jr. programming in favor of their new programming block, [[Kewlopolis]]. Up until 2003, Nickelodeon was the main United States broadcaster for the series, but then the new [[Noggin (TV channel)|Noggin]] digital cable/satellite channel for preschoolers started to show all four seasons of Franklin, introducing the show to American preschoolers (many of whom were already familiar with the books). The show immediately became very popular in the U.S. and the fifth season was soon added to the Noggin line-up. This season had previously been available only in other markets, which the exception of a couple stories available on commercial video. Until recently, the sixth season has not aired on Noggin, but it began on [[New Year's Day]] 2006 with two episodes and a new one airing each day throughout the week. Airings of the program continue regularly as of 2008.
In October, 2000, Franklin's little sister Harriet was introduced in the direct-to-video and DVD movie ''[[Franklin and the Green Knight]]''. The two shared an adventure in 2001 in ''[[Franklin's Magic Christmas]]''. In 2003, Harriet had grown quite a bit and Franklin learned new things from a substitute teacher named Mrs. Koala in the new release ''[[Back to School with Franklin]]''. While Franklin was learning things in school, Harriet was learning how to make friends when she met Beaver's little brother, Kit. In May 2004, brand-new episodes of the series began airing on a Canadian network called Treehouse TV. Franklin and many of his friends had new voice actors in these new adventures, but many of the show's strongest writers and staff-members remained on board. These new stories saw Franklin facing a flood, worries about the old treehouse and earning a badge in a group called the Woodland Trailblazers. For the sixth season [[Funbag]] and other animation studios joined in the development of Franklin. The most recent movie for the series is ''[[Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure]]''. The film was written by [[John van Bruggen]] and directed by [[Dominique Monféry]]. The 75-minute long film premiered in theatres in 2006 and had its debut on Noggin on New Year's Eve, 2007, as part of a celebration of the network's conversion to a 24/7 format.
Franklin was also seen in two touring stage shows, "Franklin's Big Adventure" and "Franklin's Class Concert." Managed by [[Tanglewood Family Entertainment]], now known as [[KOBA Family Entertainment]] in association with [[Paqu!n Entertainment]], these stage shows feature a number of songs designed to delight both young and adult audiences including "Come See the World," "What I Do in the Morning" and "The Dinosaur Song." These shows are no longer touring, though references to and media from them are still available on the Internet. Additionally, music from "Franklin's Big Adventure" (along with music from the ''Franklin and the Green Knight'' film) is available on the album "Hey, It's Franklin."
Franklin is a growing young turtle who, as his television stories and books always begin, "...could count by twos and tie his shoes". He goes to school, lives in a small village with his friends, and has many adventures playing and learning in the world around him - sometimes with the helping hand of an adult or his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Turtle. Franklin likes swimming, arts and crafts (especially drawing), and loves [[shoofly pie]]. He's been known to be afraid of the dark, and of thunderstorms.
Many ''Franklin'' television stories are based on books in the original Franklin Adventure series, including ''[[Franklin in the Dark]]'' and ''[[Hurry Up, Franklin]]''. The practice of adapting television stories from books was dropped in the program's second season, though elements and dialogue from some of the books are incorporated into latter stories. On the flip side, many Franklin television stories have been made into books in the Franklin TV Storybook and Franklin First Readers series. Usually written by [[Sharon Jennings]], these adaptations are shortened versions of what's seen on TV and may contain non-canon material.
==Series philosophy==
According to the show staff, Franklin Turtle himself is a bit older than the members of the show's target audience. Franklin also generally teaches children how to argue in front of their children and always solve problems patiently and kindly. The creators hope parents also can see the characters on the show as role models for ideal behavior, even though they aren't always perfect. As for Benjamin Franklin, he exhibits a variety of behaviors that show kids that while there are good ways to behave, it's okay to be sad or mad sometimes, as long as you know good ways to deal with it. ([http://www.nickjr.com/shows/franklin/about_franklin.jhtml Nick Jr - "About Franklin"])
==Format==
''Franklin'' almost always airs with two 11-minute stories (specifically paired together, although usually for no special reason), except on Canada's [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]], which splits the stories apart and shows one at a time. The ''Franklin'' DVD and video releases include individual stories grouped together as part of a theme, rather than complete episodes. Unlike many animated children's programs, ''Franklin'' has no interstitial segments or end-tags featuring the characters. The scenes shown in the program's opening introduction were changed after the first season. Many of these scenes featured Otter, a character who left the series early in the first season and was only seen once more in latter seasons.
''Franklin'' is animated in traditional 2D animation, although likely with the aid of computers, especially in the later seasons. Differences in the coloring of the program can be spotted from season-to-season. The more recent features, most noticeably ''[[Back to School with Franklin]]'' have somewhat different look from the television series. The most recent feature, '''Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure''', upped the production value considerably, with more color differentiation between the various turtles, an overall brighter look, and beautifully painted background artwork. ''Franklin'' is usually [[Closed captioning|closed-captioned]].
''Franklin'' often tends to bounce timeslots on the various networks it airs on, so check listings. Since Noggin switched to a 24/7 format, the program has been seen at various times, sometimes in a mini-marathon format.
==Sports and games==
Franklin, his friends and his family enjoy playing a number of sports and games. The sports seen most often are baseball, soccer and hockey. Basketball is also seen. Baseball is seen more often in earlier seasons, with only sporadic appearances in later episodes. Hockey and soccer are favored in the program's more recent offerings. Bear in particular is very good at baseball and can play a number of positions. Baseball is seen in the first ever story of the show.
Soccer is another sport often enjoyed by Franklin and his friends. Franklin and his friends play fairly often, splitting into two teams under the tutelage of Coach Porcupine. Soccer is the main focus of the ''Back to School with Franklin'' special, in which replacement teacher Miss Koala makes them into one single team and has them play against some of her former pupils. Additionally, in an attempt to expand their skills, she has them try positions other than the ones they're used to.
Franklin and his friends are seen playing basketball in the sixth season. Coach Porcupine organizes a team, but when spaces run out, Franklin and Bear are signed up for dance lessons instead.
Finally, Hockey has an important place in the ''Franklin'' world. It is featured in several stories, including one in which Skunk is taught by Franklin and Bear how to play. Franklin also gets to meet a couple of his professional hockey heroes in the fifth and sixth seasons of the program.
In addition to sports, the characters enjoy a number of games and activities. Franklin becomes his school's chess champion. Harriet and Beatrice enjoy playing tag and hide-and-seek. And Franklin and most of his friends really enjoy playing knights.
==Music==
The music heard on ''Franklin'' (and associated specials) throughout all seasons is composed by [[Ray Parker]] and [[Tom Szczesniak]] of [[Parker Szczmith Music Inc.]] (http://www.parkerszczmith.com). There are a wide range of themes conveying a variety of moods and emotions. Sometimes the same basic musical cues may be heard at either the beginning or ending of a story, but their overall tone may vary based on the mood. The main title theme of the program was written and performed by [[Bruce Cockburn]] (In the U.S. release, he is joined by female vocalists.) As a rule, ''Franklin'' stories do not contain original song numbers performed by the characters. However, this convention does not apply to the specials and singing by the characters is heard in three out of the four ''Franklin'' films, the only exception being ''Back to School with Franklin''. Numerous vocal pieces are heard as well as in the ''Franklin'' stage shows, particularly "Franklin's Big Adventure," which includes songs such as "Friends," "Hello!," and "The Dinosaur Song."
==Locations in Woodland==
{{TV-in-universe}}
Franklin and his friends live in a small village known as Woodland. The village is small enough that most residents know one another and meet on a regular basis. There is a small shopping district, some roads (with very little traffic) and at least one community schoolhouse. Much of the furniture and such in the homes has a classic/antique feel and the Turtle family, at least, still has a rotary telephone. Technology seems to exist on a limited basis in the series. The characters clearly have electricity, but don't use much technology. A computer, a basic one only, is feature only once on the series. The characters are not normally seen watching television, though in one of the traveling stage shows, a character sings the line "Ride our bikes or watch TV / Carve our names on the old oak tree!" Some characters, however, do have access to a limited amount of magical power, seen only on the films.
*'''The Turtle Household''' - Franklin, his parents and his sister Harriet live in a house shaped somewhat like an igloo. It's partially covered with leafy vines. It's surrounded by a gated, white fence on all ends. It's a nice, comfy home for Franklin to grow up in. Franklin's home is known to have a kitchen / dining area and at least two bedrooms, as Franklin and Harriet do not sleep together. Franklin's parents may sleep in the kitchen. In the first season episode "Franklin Goes to School," they were shown sleeping on the floor in what appeared to be the kitchen. The only door in and out of Franklin's room connects to the kitchen, so it would seem that's where they sleep. The Turtle household also has a basement, which Franklin was once afraid of and has also flooded at least once. Franklin's room is decorated with artwork he has done, contains some of his favorite treasures and is also home to his stuffed dog Sam and his goldfish, Goldie. Franklin sometimes crawls inside his shell to go to sleep, although he has more recently been seen sleeping in a bed. Yet, in a sixth season story, he simply plops on the floor without even crawling into his shell. Again, the Turtle Household is not known to have a television or a computer --- nobody on the program has ever been seen watching TV and only a couple of characters are known to use a computer. However, the Turtles do have a radio. The Turtles also have a car, but it's not known where they park it. They don't appear to have a garage and it just mysteriously shows up from time to time.
*'''The Bear Household''' - Bear, his sister Beatrice and his parents live in a tree. Like Franklin and Harriet, Bear and Beatrice also each have their own room. The Bear family bathroom is also seen in the fifth season when Franklin and Bear have a bath there after getting covered in mud.
*'''The Beaver Household''' - Beaver lives here with her parents and her younger brother Kit. The Beaver household is actually built over water and fashioned in the same way as a beaver dam. This household is unique in that it is the only household in the series known to hold a computer within its walls. Beaver and Franklin both play games on it in a third season episode. Also, its basement is underwater --- one looking out the window can see fish swimming around.
*'''The Fox Household''' - Fox lives here with his parents. It has a fairly big backyard with some spare parts and other junk. Fox and his father use these items for various purposes. Mr. Fox may store his schoolbus here, since it's not known if he keeps it anywhere else.
*'''The Goose Household''' - Little is known about Goose's home. However, there is a blue bench just by the door and a plant hanging from the windowsill just above it.
*'''The Skunk Household''' - Not much is known about Skunk's home either. About the only thing known is that it isn't where it used to be, for Skunk, her little sister and her parents moved to another block recently. It may be located within in a tree.
*'''The School''' - In a throwback to past times, Franklin and his friends attend school in a one-room schoolhouse. It seems fairly well-equipped for their needs, with desks and tables for all of them, a chalkboard and other resources. However, it does not appear to have modern benefits such as computers and the like. Outside the school area, there is playground equipment and areas for playing soccer and other games. The school seems to be within easy walking distance of everyone's homes, but for unexplained reasons, the kids usually take the bus to and from school each morning.
*'''The Library''' - The library is one of the only two known places in Woodland with a computer, as the friendly librarian Mrs. Goose uses it to check out books. It's a great place for everyone in Woodland to find books about all sorts of subjects, even telling time or tying shoes. The library also holds a number of fun activities including storytimes and puppet shows for little kids and a reading club. It even held a Book Fest with costumes and book recommendations.
*'''The Shopping District''' - Woodland is known to have a robust shopping district with an ice-cream shop, Mr. Mole's hardware store, a pharmacy, a grocery market, a coffee shop, a bookstore, and more. Franklin and his friends sometimes travel here with their parents, with each other, or even by themselves.
*'''The Pond''' - Franklin and his friends often hang out by the pond, which is attached to a stream. They sometimes go swimming, sit by the pond, or participate in various activities.
*'''The Woods''' - Woodland is, appropriately, surrounded on at least one end by woods. A character named Gopher who appeared in "Franklin and the Green Knight" is known to live here. Franklin and Fox got lost here once. But in "Green Knight," Franklin and Snail had an adventure here. They journeyed deep into the woods where they met several characters and found magic cherry blossoms.
*'''Oakwood Ravine''' - This is somewhere within the woods. Connected to distantly to the Play Park. The only area in Woodland known to contain poison ivy.
*'''The Nature Trail''' - Somewhere within Woodland, perhaps somewhere in the woods. There is a picnic grounds within, as well as Monarch Meadow and Blueberry Hill Lookout. Franklin and Bear go on a hiking trip here once. They are disappointed when the Meadow is filled with caterpillars instead of monarch butterflies. The picnic grounds are loaded with other hikers and clouds block the view from the Lookout. There is a pond here as well. Franklin and Bear try to skip stones in it, but they all sink.
*'''Village Park''' - Kids go to skateboard here. Likely has other attractions as well.
*'''The Play Park''' - For the younger kids. Has a slide, swings and monkey bars. Harriet, Kit and Beatrice all enjoy playing here.
*'''Tamarack Point''' - An amusement park area never seen on the program, but referenced. When Franklin is unable to travel there with all his friends, he creates his own "Turtle Point."
*'''Faraway Farm''' - Franklin and his family pay a visit here in the special "Franklin's Magic Christmas." This location may not actually be within Woodland, as it is something of a drive to get there.
*'''Turtle Lake''' - An area featured only in the feature ''Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure''. Franklin's Granny lived in this area, but lost her home and parents in a fire.
==Characters==
{{TV-in-universe}}
{{split-section|List of Franklin characters}}
Please note that for all characters, the other shows that their voice actors have appeared on are usually only a small sampling of their overall work in animation and/or television in general.
===Franklin and Sister===
*'''Franklin Turtle''' - In some ways, Franklin is a bit of an "every" turtle, but he also has his own distinct personality. He tends to be very kind and he has a large circle of friends, but also tends to keep things to himself at times. Franklin's friends and his parents generally help to bring out the best in him, and he's also now a big brother (something he alleges to have previously claimed he wanted to be.) He takes good care of his pet goldfish, Goldie, and also has a stuffed dog named Sam who, despite growing older, he still hangs onto and communicates with. Franklin enjoys math. Bear, and to a lesser degree, Snail (below) are among his best friends. He is both afraid of and morbidly fascinated by thunder and lightning, although sharing this fear with his friends helped him marginally. [[Noah Reid]] provided the voice of Franklin for the first five seasons of the television program. In the sixth season and '''Back to School with Franklin''' movie, [[Cole Caplan]] (who previously had a small role as the one-shot guest voice of Squirrel) voiced him. [[Cameron Ansell]] replaced Caplan as the voice in the U.S.-language version of the '''Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure''' film.
*'''Harriet Turtle''' - She's Franklin's younger sister. She has a happy, outgoing personality and loves running around and playing fun games. She really looks up to Franklin and often doesn't understand when Franklin gets annoyed at some of the things she does. Still, she and Franklin generally get along most of the time and Harriet seems to picking up on Franklin's kindness. Franklin loves his little sister and spends time playing with her and teaching her. At one time, this leads him to overprotect her, but he stops altogether after receiving some helpful advice from his Mom. Her best friend is Beatrice, who recently started attending preschool, so now she also spends time with Beaver's new little brother Kit. It's not certain at this point exactly how old Harriet is. The evolution of her age is never fully explained on the series, and may never be. She is born when Franklin and his friends are still in kindergarten, yet in the sixth season and '''Back to School with Franklin''', she behaves at the physical and emotional level of a three-to-four year old, yet Franklin and his friends are only in first grade. In the fifth season and the "Franklin's Magic Christmas" special, Harriet speaks with a rather limited vocabulary and refers to Franklin as "Fwankin" or "Fwanklin." In "Back to School with Franklin" and the sixth season, her vocabulary has advanced some and she refers to Franklin by his proper name. In, "Franklin's Word," Harriet keeps repeating the word 'stupid' after she hears it from Franklin, even though Mrs. Turtle told him not to use it. Franklin then physically tries to stop her from using the word, but fails. Harriet is voiced by [[Bryn McAuley]] (''[[Caillou]]'', ''[[Toad Patrol]]'') and can be heard speaking on the show in the fifth season and all subsequent specials.
===Franklin's friends===
*'''Badger''' - A shy individual afraid of public speaking, Badger is a friend of Beaver and Skunk, and uses crutches to get around. It's never been officially said on the show, but according to the official Nelvana character description of her, Badger has [[cerebral palsy]]. Though afraid of public speaking, Badger is helpful, kind and loves to help out. Badger is voiced by [[Ruby Smith-Merovitz]].
*'''Bear''' - Franklin's best friend. Despite being a bear, he is very docile and friendly. It takes a lot to get him mad, but those few times when he does get mad, he can get very very angry. Has a large appetite, which earned him the derisive nickname "Snacks" in one television story. Bear can be described as very loyal to those he considers his friends. Honesty is also paramount with him --- he stops talking to Franklin for a fair amount of time after Franklin breaks a promise and spoils a secret. Bear is strong, and enjoys sports, particularly [[soccer]]. Bear is afraid of spiders. Beginning with the second season, Bear can usually be seen wearing a blue vest. This is in contrast to the other characters, who usually do not wear any sort of clothing (with the exception of Franklin, who is rarely seen without his cap and scarf.) Bear was voiced by [[Cody Jones]] in the first season of the show. [[Luca Perlman]] assumed the role for the second-fifth seasons. [[Mark McMulkin]] assumed the role for the Back to School with Franklin special and the sixth season.
*'''Beatrice "Bea" Bear''' - She's Bear's little sister and was introduced late in the first season. She's about a year older than Harriet and maybe about a year and a half younger than Franklin and his friends --- an age discrepancy similar to that of the Harriet Turtle character. She only rarely appears on the series, but is learning a lot from Bear and is also Harriet's best friend. She stands slightly taller than Harriet and is rather strong --- she is capable of lifting Harriet up. [[Kristen Bone]], who does the voice of Snail (see just below), provides the voice for Beatrice as well. Sometimes, though, Beatrice is voiced by [[Susan Roman]] (''[[Care Bears]]'', ''[[Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs]]'').
*'''Snail''' - Snail moves slowly, and consequently needs help from others often in order to get around, often by riding on Franklin's shell. In one episode it was stated that it took Snail an hour to cross a short bridge across a stream. Even though snails are in nature [[hermaphrodites]], Snail is a male character. He is often mistaken by viewers to be a female, due to being voiced by a female voice actor. In one of the television stories, Snail became annoyed by Franklin's constant assistance when he hadn't asked for help. He proved his capability by scaling a tall cliff to gather some crystals for the group. However, Snail usually appreciates Franklin's help and they are very good friends, with a lot in common. Their relationship was cemented even further when they had a falling out and subsequent making up after Franklin made him his Squire in "Franklin and the Green Knight" and then left him when he felt he was going too slowly. Snail considers Franklin to be his best friend, even though Franklin generally considers his best friend to be Bear. Snail is voiced by Kristen Bone (''[[Mean Girls]]'', ''[[Maggie and the Ferocious Beast]]''.)
*'''Beaver''' - Often overly sure of herself, Beaver sometimes shows hints of bossiness, boisterousness, and sarcasm, but is certainly one of the more intelligent of the group. Beaver is not overtly mean, though, and being with her generally more kind-tempered friends helps to keep her abrasiveness in check. Beaver likes to say things and then end with the line "everybody" knows that. She loves sports. Because of her personality, she can sometimes become self-conscious. She has buckteeth and can't help sometimes chewing on her pencils. Beaver has a pet hamster named Henry who appeared in the third season episode "Franklin and the Two Henrys." The writer of this story, John van Bruggen, received a [[Gemini Award]] nomination for his work on it. However, as of the sixth season, Henry has never been seen again on the program. Beaver is a know it all. Beaver is voiced by [[Taylor McMillan]] (''[[Elliot Moose]]'').
*'''Kit''' - Beaver's younger brother was introduced in the most recent special. He tends to be rather shy and clingy, but seems to have come out of his shell a bit after meeting Harriet. Although he hasn't been seen together with Beaver, he seems to look up to her, as her going to back to school after summer vacation put him somewhat out of sorts. Kit is voiced by [[Amanda Soha]], who can currently be heard currently as the voice of Harry's friend Charlie on ''[[Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs]]''.
*'''Fox''' - Sly and wily, Fox's daring nature sometimes causes him to get into trouble. In "Franklin is Lost," he led Franklin into playing a game of hide-and-seek with him in the woods and the two both became lost. [[Stuart Landrell]] voiced Fox in the first through all the seasons of the program.
*'''Goose''' - The best diver among Franklin's friends, Goose is outgoing but easily startled. Franklin learns a bit more about Goose and her family when he attends her family's migration party. Goose has a little brother who wears glasses, a character that has only appeared once on the series to date. [[Olivia Garratt]] was the voice of Goose for the first five seasons. [[Vivien Endicott-Douglas]] assumed the role in the sixth season and ''Back to School with Franklin'' movie.
*'''Otter''' - Otter was once Franklin's best friend. She moves away in a story shown early in the program's first season, based directly on one of the ''Franklin'' book releases. Otter comes for a visit in the second season, but the reunion is bittersweet, with the village not remaining the same as Otter remembered it. Otter was voiced by [[Sophie Lang]] in the first season of the show. Her return visit was voiced [[Marieve Herington]] (''[[The Famous Jett Jackson]]'').
*'''Rabbit''' - The best long jumper in the class, Rabbit is a jolly, somewhat goofy individual. He once stuck a piece of cardboard in his bicycle spoke to emulate the sound of a motorcycle. Rabbit is somewhat similar to Buster Baxter from ''[[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]]'' in that you can read his mood by watching his ears. When he is excited or alert, his ears are perked straight up. This is also usually true when he is angry. When he's relaxed or trying to look cool, his ears tilt slightly back. And when Rabbit is sad about something, his ears droop straight down over the back of his head. Rabbit also has buck-teeth, like Beaver. Rabbit was voiced by [[Kyle Fairlie]] in the first five seasons and all specials/movies to date, but is voiced by [[Mitchell Eisner]] in the program's sixth season. (The Rabbit character does not appear in the ''Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure'' film.)
*'''Jackrabbit''' - An older relation of Rabbit's, either in his pre-teens or teenage years. Enjoys skateboarding, though is rarely seen in the show. He is also sometimes simply called "Jack," for a nickname. He is voiced by [[Tyrone Savage]], whose animation roles include ''[[Goosebumps]]'' and ''[[Mythic Warriors]]''.
*'''Skunk''' - Very friendly and non-threatening, Skunk is frequently seen with Badger, Beaver, or Goose. Skunk once broke her arm riding a bicycle, and Franklin learned from her what it was really like to wear a cast. At one point, Franklin and his friends thought that Skunk was moving away. It turned out, though, that she was just moving a block from her old home. Skunk cannot swim and was upset when everyone learned about this. Since Skunk isn't part of Franklin's main group of friends, she's seen less often than some of the other young characters. She has a little sister who has only been seen once on the show. Her speaking roles are proportionally smaller. She is voiced by [[Annick Obonsawin]] (''[[Anatole]]'', ''[[Cyberchase]]'').
*'''Raccoon''' - Raccoon is sometimes a member of Franklin's class, but his appearances are rather infrequent. He doesn't even speak at all on the show until the third season and then has several appearances afterwards. He isn't part of Franklin's normal group of friends, but the two still sometimes play together. He has a little brother who has never been shown on the program. He is voiced by [[Jamie Haydon-Devlin]] (''[[Anatole]]'', ''[[Mythic Warriors]]'').
===Adults / Parents===
*'''Narrator''' - This "character" is never seen, but is nevertheless very important to the program. The Narrator opens the beginning of each television story with the line "Franklin could count by twos and tie his shoes." This is followed by a short description of something pertinent to the upcoming story. It's worth noting that while the "tie his shoes" line is lifted from the book series, this line does not appear at the beginning of every "Franklin" book, but is heard at the beginning of each television story. It's also notable that Franklin never wears shoes on the TV series, although he is seen wearing them sometimes in the books. The voice of the Narrator has changed since the program first aired. In the first season, [[Judy Marshak]] (''[[Dracula: The Series]]'', ''[[Jojo's Circus]]'') was the voice of the Narrator. She later returned as a guest voice in the third season. [[Shirley Douglas]] (''[[Corner Gas]]'', ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'') assumed the role in the second to fourth seasons. [[Janet-Laine Green]] (''[[Blue Murder (TV series)|Blue Murder]]'', ''[[This is Wonderland]]'') is the Narrator from the fifth season on. As a rule, the Narrator only speaks at the very beginning of a '''''Franklin''''' story. The only exception to date was in the special ''[[Franklin and the Green Knight]]'' in which the Narrator spoke again following the opening events.
*'''Mrs. Turtle''' - Wears a purplish pendant of unknown nature; Franklin's mother. Generally very kind and patient. Like Mr. Turtle (below), she has no known occupation. [[Elizabeth Brown]] has voiced Mrs. Turtle on all seasons and specials/movies to date.
*'''Mr. Turtle''' - Mr. Turtle's exact occupation is unknown, if he even has one at all. Since neither Mr. nor Mrs. Turtle seem to have any job, some viewers have speculated that they live off inherited/family money. He's known to fix things around the house. He always seems to be home when Franklin and Harriet are and can be seen in ''Back to School with Franklin'' doing gardening after Franklin has left for school. Franklin's father --- he provides advice to Franklin and his sister Harriet when needed and sometimes spends times with him on sports outings and such. In typical animated cartoon fashion, he sometimes exhibits behavior that is inexplicably doofy. This includes taking Franklin golfing and then watching him hack like crazy in a sand trap, rather than handing him the appropriate club --- a sand wedge. (Nevertheless, he is fairly good at golf, though Franklin finds the sport rather challenging.) However, he is generally looked up to and a good father for Franklin and Harriet. He is also good with a hammer and other tools and inspires Franklin when he gives him a toolbelt. Richard Newman (''[[Make Way for Noddy]]'', ''[[Dragon Tales]]'', among many others) has always provided the voice for Mr. Turtle. In a flashback episode, Noah Reid (the original voice of Franklin) also did the voice of Young Mr. Turtle.
*'''Grandma Turtle''' - Piano virtuoso; gave piano lessons to Beaver and Franklin in an episode. Loves Franklin and spends a lot of time with him, but also has other interested. Has worn glasses since she was a baby. She is voiced by [[Corinne Conley]] (''[[The Berenstain Bears]]'', ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'') and is featured prominently in the film "[[Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure]]." When she was roughly Franklin's age, both her parents died in their sleep in a nighttime house-fire, while she was camping in a nearby forest. After that, Granny moved away from her destroyed home at Turtle Lake and was raised by other family. Franklin also has a second Grandma on his mother's side, seen in the special "[[Franklin's Magic Christmas]]." This is Grandma Jenny Turtle (voiced by [[Joyce Gordon]]), who lives on a sort of ranch with Franklin's Grandfather on his mother's side. As Franklin's Grandfather on his father's side has never been shown, it can most likely be assumed that his Grandma on his Father's side is a widow.
*'''Grandfather Turtle''' - Franklin's Grandpa on his mother's side. He is a kind, warm personality and can make a strong bowl of chili. Has only appeared in the special Franklin's Magic Christmas. Voiced by [[Eric Peterson]].
*'''Mrs. / Dr. Bear''' - [[Physician|Doctor]] of the village and also Bear and Beatrice's mother. She's very kind and even makes the occasional housecall when needed. Usually wears a white doctor's coat when she's 'on duty'. She is voiced by [[Mari Trainor]] (''[[The Famous Jett Jackson]]'', who also provides the voices of Coach Porcupine and the one-shot guest character Mrs. Bat.
*'''Mr. Bear''' - Bear and Beatrice's father, he doesn't appear nearly as often as Mrs. Bear. He has a number of sayings that can often be heard being repeated by Bear. These include "look on the bright side" and "forgive and forget." He is voiced by [[Donald Burda]] (''[[Blue Murder (TV series)|Blue Murder]]'', ''[[RoboCop]]'')
*'''Mr. Beaver''' - [[Carpenter]]. Built the treehouse Franklin and his friends often play in, and is always seen with his toolbelt. Likes to see everyone busy, much to the dismay of Franklin's group. He is not seen quite as often as his wife, Mrs. Beaver. However, he and his wife are close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Turtle and he was a big help when Franklin's home flooded in the fifth season. He is voiced [[Adrian Truss]], whose extensive voice work includes the rabbit Nedley on ''[[Maggie and the Ferocious Beast]]'', as well as the villain Funnybone in the recent ''[[Care Bears]]'' CGI feature --- [[Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot]].
*'''Mrs. Beaver''' - She is the mother of Beaver and Kit. She can be a bit overbearing at times, particularly with Kit, but is generally a good Mom. She often wears heavy jewelry and a hat. She has a pleasing, musical voice, provided by [[Valerie Boyle]], who can currently be heard as the voice of Principal Amanda Durst on ''[[Strange Days at Blake Holsey High]]''.
*'''Mr. Fox''' - A junk collector and handyman, Mr. Fox stresses the value of hard work ("Elbow Grease"). Helped fix Franklin's toy truck in one episode. Mr. Fox also drives the school bus. He doesn't usually have any dialogue when doing this, but he did get a small bit of dialogue in the fifth season that confirmed that it is, in fact, him driving the bus and not another adult fox character. In the sixth season, Mr. Fox forms the Woodland Trailblazers, a sort of combination boy/girl scout group. Franklin and his friends all join. [[Paul Haddad]] (''[[Anatole]]'', ''[[Wish Kid]]'') is the voice of Mr. Fox.
*'''Mrs. Fox''' - Very little is known about Fox's Mom. In her one speaking appearance on the series, in the special ''Franklin and the Green Knight'', she was voiced by Elizabeth Hanna (Big Wish in ''[[Care Bears: Big Wish Movie]]''), who also provided the voice of Eagle in that film.
*'''Mrs. Goose''' - [[Librarian]]. Mrs. Goose is cheerful and tends to talk in an enthusiastic tone of voice. She is also Goose's Mom, although isn't generally seen in this role. Mrs. Goose is voiced by [[Catherine Disher]], who has extensive work in animation. Her roles in other series include [[Friend Bear]] (again in the recent Care Bears feature Journey to Joke-a-Lot) and Mother Moose in ''[[The Little Bear Movie]]''.
*'''Mr. Goose''' - [[Pharmacist]] In the sixth season, it's revealed that he's the pharmacist at the Woodland pharmacy. He dispenses some ointment for Franklin. It can be assumed that he is Goose's father, although he has never been shown in this role. Voice actor unknown, due to generic credits in the program's sixth season.
*'''Mr. Skunk''' - He runs the ice cream shop where Franklin and his friends sometimes stop in for cool treats. He is also Skunk's Dad. Since Skunk isn't seen much on the show, neither is he. The few times that he does speak, he is voiced by [[Shane McPherson]]. He's also one of the few fully-clothed characters; generally seen wearing blue overalls.
*'''Mrs. Skunk''' - Skunk's Mom and like Mr. Skunk, not seen very often. She is voiced by Catherine Disher (see Mrs. Goose just a little above).
*'''Mr. Groundhog''' - A veritable recluse but a [[meteorologist]], Mr. Groundhog is harassed when he enters the village for groceries by the inhabitants asking him for more or less snow. Franklin befriends the seemingly grumpy Mr. Groundhog and finds out he's not all that bad. Later, in the sixth season, Franklin spends more time with him and gains a desire to become a meteorologist. Mr. Groundhog is voiced by [[Chris Wiggins]], who was also the voice of Mr. Collie in the Franklin's Magic Christmas special.
*'''Mr. Mole''' - Rotund and spectacled, Mr. Mole possesses a cheerful optimistic nature. He owns a hardware shop which catches fire in one episode, and also tends to his garden. He has a grandson, Mole, who has only been seen once or twice. Mr. Mole is a long-time friend of Mr. Turtle. He is an important member of the community, helping out in a number of civic functions. He is voiced by [[William Colgate]]/Bill Colgate (''[[Anatole]]'', ''[[The Busy World of Richard Scarry]]''). In a flashback episode, Young Mr. Mole was voiced by [[Jared Wall]] (''[[Goosebumps]]'', ''[[Kids in the Hall]]'').
*'''Ms. Muskrat''' - Franklin's babysitter. Kind of like [[Mary Poppins]], she has a bag with all sorts of entertaining things. Having been babysat by Granny in the past, Franklin was shy of her at first, but quickly warmed up to her. She has a beautiful backyard decorated with things she made from broken glass, as Franklin found out when he paid a visit to her home in the fifth season. Mrs. Muskrat also sometimes drops in on the hockey games of Franklin and his friends to provide hot chocolate and watch. In the TV series, Franklin first met Mrs. Muskrat before Harriet was born. In the Franklin TV Storybook based on that story, Harriet is there too. Mrs. Muskrat's voice is done by Marcia Bennett, who is also known for her roles in adult dramas, including ''[[Blue Murder (TV series)|Blue Murder]]'' and ''[[Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye]]''.
*'''Mr. Owl''' - The [[schoolteacher]] of the village. Appropriately wise, Mr. Owl is patient and resolves conflicts peacefully in the classroom. Mr. Owl allows ample time for creativity with different projects. Mr. Owl is usually only seen teaching Franklin and his friends. However, he did play a fun trick on them once when he made them think he was a ghost at a Halloween party. Since it is known that there are older children in the village as well, it can only be assumed that there is another unshown teacher, as Franklin and his classmates let out from school in the afternoon, not leaving time for another class afterwards. Mr. Owl is voiced by [[James Rankin]] (''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', ''[[Dog City]]'', ''[[Noddy]]'').
*'''Miss Koala''' - A replacement teacher who filled in for Mr. Owl beginning on the first day of first grade in the special Back to School with Franklin. Mr. Owl had to leave due to a family emergency and so she came riding up on her motorbike. She has a vibrant personality and loves trying new things and doing things a different way. At first, Franklin doesn't like her, especially when she makes him give up his favorite seat next to Bear for a while because he was goofing off. After he learns more about her, such as that she's from Australia and learns to understand her Australian sayings such as "good on ya'" and "fair dinkum," he warms up to her. She creates a soccer team consisting of Franklin's entire class and has them play against another class she once taught. She is voiced by [[Carolyn Scott]] whose work ranges from the animated series ''[[JoJo's Circus]]'' to guest roles on shows such as ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]''.
*'''Coach / Ms. Porcupine''' - Soccer coach and troop leader. She normally coaches Franklin and his friends, and her absence in the ''Back to School with Franklin'' film is unexplained. She is voiced by Mari Trainor, who also voices Mrs./Dr. Bear and Mrs. Bat on the show.
*'''Mr. Badger''' - [[Postman]]. Not disgruntled at all and very friendly. Said the useful words, "These money back guarantees are not all that they're cracked up to be." Presumably Badger's Dad. [[Neil Crone]], who guest-starred as Terry T on ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' and stars Doc Render on ''[[The Red Green Show]]'' is the voice of Mr. Badger.
*'''Mrs. Badger''' - Little is known about Badger's Mom, Mrs. Badger. She is voiced by [[Coretta Jafelice]].
*'''Mr. Raccooon''' - See "Constable Raccoon" under Minor characters
*'''Mrs. Raccoon''' - See above.
At this point, really the only major character's parents that haven't been shown on the program are Snail's. They were referred to when Snail his cracked his shell --- Franklin said Snail needed to go see his parents. But they were not shown.
===Minor characters===
*'''Miss Lynx''' - She manages a historical village that Franklin and his parents visit in the second season. She tries to keep them busy with all sorts of activities. She was voiced by [[Diane D'Aquila]] (''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'', ''[[This is Wonderland]]'').
*'''Dynaroo''' - Franklin's hero, a masked and caped marsupial. She carries a golden lasso to catch evildoers, and is said to also have a rocket jetpack. Franklin drew clouds from her poster unconsciously, which in turn where copied by Rabbit, leading to much animosity. Appeared in person in one episode during a book signing, with no spoken dialogue. (Stitches on her thighs combined with her silence suggested that she may have been an actor in a mascot suit, as often seen at children's events.) Has a sidekick, like most superheroes.
*'''Mr. Coyote''' [[Journalist]] - A coyote (a member of the fox family), who tried his hardest not to photograph Franklin. Franklin was on a mission to do go deeds and make into the paper. He made it in, but there was no picture of him and Mr. Coyote incorrectly gave his name as "Frank." Mr. Coyote was voiced in his only appearance by [[Stephen Ouimette]] who recently voiced the new character ''[[Too Loud Bear]]'' in the ''[[Care Bears: Big Wish Movie]]''.
*'''Coyote''' [[Hockey player]] - Not the same person as Mr. Coyote. A hockey player who Franklin and Bear actually get to meet. He's a great player, but he tells them that the person they really should look up to is Mrs. Muskrat. Voice is unknown, as he appears in the fifth season which uses a generic credits screen.
*'''Bill Buffalo''' [[Hockey player]] A hockey player who inexplicably replaces Coyote as Franklin's favorite in the sixth season. Franklin also gets to meet him. He gives Franklin his very own Franklin rookie card. Voice is again unknown, due to generic credits.
*'''Constable Raccoon''' [[Police officer]] - The law-enforcement official of Woodland. To date, no crimes have ever been mentioned on the series, so the Constable's work focuses mainly on issues of safety. He is most likely Raccoon's Dad, although it's never been said for sure. [[Dan Lett]] (''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye]]'') provides the voice of Constable Raccoon.
*'''Mr. Heron''' [[Ecologist]] - He gives Franklin a small tree seedling and encourages him to look after it. When Franklin doesn't think much of it at first, Mr. Heron helps him to see its value. Mr. Heron planted the tree that now houses the tree fort which Franklin and his friends sometimes play in. Mr. Heron is voiced by [[Wayne Robson]], who is known to viewers in both Canada and the United States as Mike Hamar, the convict who went straight, on ''[[The Red Green Show]]''. His other animation work includes ''[[Anne of Green Gables]]'' and ''[[Pippi Longstocking]]''.
*'''Mrs. Heron''' - Very, very little is known about Mrs. Heron, but it can be presumed she is Mr. Heron's wife. It's possible that she may run a coffee shop, as she was seen coming out of one in the second season. She is voiced by [[Kay Hawtrey]] (''[[Max and Ruby]]'', ''[[The New Ghostwriter Mysteries]]'').
*'''Mrs. Periwinkle''' [[aviator|Pilot]] - She's the only adult snail character seen on the program to date. She helps Snail achieve his dream of flying high in the sky. Snail had been told that snails can't fly, but back when she was a kid, she was told that girls can't be pilots. Mr. Turtle introduces Snail to her when Franklin tells him about Snail's dream. She was voiced by [[Jill Frappier]] (''[[Anatole]]'', ''[[Sailor Moon]]'').
*'''Marten''' [[Magician (fantasy)|Magician]] - A performer who inspires Franklin to try his own magic tricks. Seen in only one story so far. His repertoire of tricks includes making things appear and making himself disappear.Although this is his only appaerence,he was mentioned once in the 5th period. [[Keith Knight]] ( ''[[Babar]]'', '' [[Rupert]]'', ''[[Richard Scarry]]'', ''[[Liberty Street]]'', ''[[JoJo's Circus]]'') did his voice.
*'''Bird, Duck, Polar Bear, Mr. Lion''' - A series of characters in a tale in the first season story "Franklin in the Dark," which was based on the first-ever Franklin book. The story is about a little turtle who meets all of these animals and learns about the things they're afraid of. The Bird was voiced by [[Richard Binsley]] (''[[Ace Lightning, Cyberchase]]''), the Duck by Elizabeth Hanna (Mrs. Fox, Eagle) , the Polar Bear by [[Phillip Williams (actor)|Phillip Williams]] (''[[Nikita (TV series)|La Femme Nikita]]'', ''[[Mythic Warriors]]'') and Mr. Lion by [[Gary Krawford]] (''[[Queer as Folk]]'', ''[[Totally Spies]]'').
*'''Moose''' - Appeared only in one episode, "Franklin's New Friend," Moose was a new kid in Franklin's class who is awkward and shy. Franklin eventually comes to befriend him after being upset at Moose for breaking his favorite colored pencil. He also helped Franklin with a bake sale. Moose seems to have more-or-less been shoehorned into the series from the original books and then forgotten about. He appears in pretty much all of the later ''Franklin'' books written by Paulette Bourgeois and was probably only included as a nod to the book series. It is probably safe to say that he will not be seen on the TV series again. He was voiced by [[Amos Crawley]] who was the voice of Owl on ''[[Little Bear]]'' and Simon on ''[[Girlstuff/Boystuff]]''.
*'''Mrs. Moose''' - Appeared as Moose's Mom in the same episode that Moose did. She is voiced by [[Ellen Ray Hennessy]], who has rather extensive work in animation. She can be heard currently as Nana in ''[[Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs]]'' and the Mayor on ''[[Dumb Bunnies]]''.
*'''Porcupine''' - Porcupine mysteriously shows up in a first-season episode and creates a [[childhood secret club|secret club]], but won't let Franklin join. Most likely Coach Porcupine's daughter. She was voiced by [[Sharai-Ann Ross-Laney]].
*'''Squirrel''' - Squirrel is a bit younger than Franklin and his friends. In the third season, Squirrel shows up while Franklin, Raccoon and Fox are playing and wants to know if they'll play with him. Franklin becomes a sort of surrogate big-brother to him. In this story, Squirrel was voiced by Cole Caplan, who would later assume the role of Franklin beginning with the special "Back to School with Franklin."
*'''[[Possum]]''' - Yet another little guy who becomes a good friend of Bear's when he and Franklin attend day camp. Franklin grows jealous of the friendship and acts goofy to try to get Bear's attention. Possum was voiced by [[Jake Goldsbie]] (''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'') in his only appearance on the show.
*'''Mole''' - Mr. Mole's grandson. Mole only shows up once or twice as a visitor to Franklin's town. He appears in the second season and is voiced by Jamie Haydon-Devlin, who later assumes the voice of Raccoon from the third season on. As shown in Mole's debut, he is a hard child to be friends with. Mole has a personality that is very similar to that of a [[brat]], as he wants whatever he can get, and disses and throws out all of Franklin's ideas in lieu of his own. Mole even goes as far as to turn down a soccer game invitation from Franklin's friends, because Mole would rather play with Franklin's toys (without Franklin's consent).
*'''Bat''' - He appeared in an episode called "Franklin and His Night Friend." Like any bat, he's most active at night and hangs upside down in trees. Franklin, however, learns that despite these differences, they can still be friends. In his only appearance to date, Bat was voiced by [[Jonathan Malen]] (''[[Angela Anaconda]]'', ''[[Girlstuff/Boystuff]]'').
*'''Mr. Bat''' - Bat's Dad. Voiced by Donald Burda, who is also the voice of Mr. Bear.
*'''Mrs. Bat''' - Bat's Mom. Voiced by Mari Trainor, who is also the voice of Mrs./Dr. Bear and Coach Porcupine.
*'''Bunny''' - A young rabbit who's been seen a few times. Whether he's related to Rabbit is unknown. Also voiced by Kristen Bone.
*'''Junior Marmot''' - A little boy who loses a puppy in the third season of the program. Franklin finds the puppy and is a bit sad to give it back at first. He changes his mind once he sees how happy Junior Marmot is to have the puppy back. Voiced by [[Frannie Diggins]] (''[[The Famous Jett Jackson]]'').
*'''Mrs. Marmot''' - Junior Marmot's Mom. Voiced by Judy Marshak, who was also the voice of the Narrator in the first season of the show.
*'''Mr. Marmot''' [[Safety inspector]] - Franklin and Bear meet him in the sixth season and find him working to reinforce a river bank. When he tells them that he's a safety inspector, Franklin starts becoming obsessive about safety. He annoys his friends with it, but saves them all when he discovers a problem with the treehouse. Later, Mr. Marmot is seen laying a telephone cable. Mr. Marmot may be Junior Marmot's father, although this is completely unknown. Voice is also unknown, due to generic credits.
*'''Ermine''' - A little boy in the fourth season who Franklin keeps seeing, but none of his friends spot him. They begin to think that Franklin is making him up. As it turns out, Ermine is just shy. Voiced by [[John Hagley]], who has no other known television work.
*'''Grandma Ermine''' - Ermine's Grandma. Voiced by Kay Hawtrey, who's also the voice of Mrs. Heron. She reappears in the sixth season briefly, pushing around a shopping cart.
*'''Possum''' - Another young boy, sometimes babysat by Franklin's Granny. Granny introduces him to Franklin and they try to play together, but Franklin becomes a bit jealous of all the attention Possum gets from Granny. He eventually gets over it once he learns that Granny brags about him a lot to Possum. Voiced by [[David Klar]] (''[[Tales from the Cryptkeeper]]'', ''[[Mythic Warriors]]'').
*'''Betty''' - Beaver's cousin. Could be mistaken for Beaver if she doesn't wear some sort of identification on her, though she is a slightly lighter shade of brown and doesn't have whiskers like Beaver. Additionally, she has light brown eyes, unlike Beaver's, which are black. She usually dons a purple sweater. She totally admires Franklin's sandcastle, and likes pretending to be a knight as well. She wears a unicorn pin, which she gave to Franklin. Has only appeared in one episode to date. Her friendship with Franklin caused Franklin to be teased about having a girlfriend. She is believed to be voiced by [[Britt McKillip]] (''[[Baby Looney Tunes]]'', ''[[Make Way For Noddy]]''), although due to the generic credits screen used in the fifth season, this has not been confirmed.
*'''Wolvie''' - a wolverine. A rough-playing fellow, Franklin and his friends didn't like how he plays rough at first. Franklin was also pretty much afraid that he'd hurt Harriet, but realizes that he was wrong after seeing Wolvie play nice with Harriet. Has only appeared in one episode so far. Wolvie's voice actor is unknown.
*'''Little and Big Crab''' - Two crabs who Franklin and Bear met during a trip to the seashore. After a misunderstanding, they ended up being friends. These two only showed up once. [[Marc Donato]] (''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Mutant X]]'') was the voice of Little Crab, while [[Nickolas Swan]] (''[[Code Name: Eternity]]'') was the voice of Big Crab.
*'''Great Aunt Harriet''' - Great Aunt Harriet has been mentioned on the TV show, but never seen. She has appeared in at least one Franklin book, ''Franklin's Christmas Gift'' and is rather old and wears glasses. She is known for giving great gifts filled with love. On both the TV show and the books, Franklin names his little sister Harriet in honor of her.
*'''Carbunkel''' - A museum tour guide who appeared only in the book ''Franklin's Class Trip'' and in the stage show ''Franklin's Big Adventure''. She thinks a lot of her abilities and enjoys greeting and being greeted with a cheerful "hello." Franklin doesn't think much of her somewhat wacky personality at first, but later warms up to her. The spelling of her name is unusual --- Carbunkel instead of Carbunkle.
*'''Dinosaur''' - An actual dinosaur that Franklin and Snail talk with and sing a song with in "Franklin's Big Adventure." He makes sure that they know he's a vegetarian and eats trees, but just the leaves.
Note that in the first, fifth and sixth seasons of the program, ''Franklin'' uses a generic voice credits screen that only lists some roles and appears at the end of every episode. In the second-forth seasons, voice actors/actresses were credited in the episodes that they appeared in. Most, if not all characters, that have speaking roles of any sort are now listed. Many of these, as well as many that have been mentioned, seem to flit on and off the series with little or no explanation. Special thanks to [http://www.tv.com TV.com] for reference on the various roles in other shows in which "Franklin" cast appear.
==Writers, directors and music==
Here is a list of many of the show's staff in order of the numbers of stories they have written or directed. A story reflects not an entire episode, but one of two 11 minute stories aired within an episode.
===Writers===
*'''[[Brian Lasenby]]''' - 32
*'''[[Nicola Barton]]''' - 21
*'''[[Ken Ross]]''' - 13
*'''[[John van Bruggen]]''' - 10
*'''[[Bob Ardiel]]''' - 8
*'''[[Bonnie Chung]]''' - 6
*'''[[Karen Moonah]]''' - 6
*'''[[Frank Diteljan]]''' - 4
*'''[[Laura Kosterski]]''' - 4
*'''[[Patrick Granleese]]''' - 4
*'''[[Bridget Newson]]''' - 4
*'''[[Betty Quan]]''' - 4
*'''[[Peter Sauder]]''' - 4
*'''[[Kim Thompson]]''' - 4
*'''[[Richard Elliott (II)]]''' - 3
*'''[[Maureen Paxton]]''' - 3
*'''[[Simon Racioppa]]''' - 3
*'''[[Bruce Robb]]''' - 3
*'''[[James Backshall]]''' - 2
*'''[[Lynn Mason]]''' - 2
*'''[[Mark Mayerson]]''' - 2
*'''[[Jennifer Pertsch]]''' - 2
*'''[[Dale Scott (II)]]''' - 2
*'''[[Paula Butorac]]''' - 1
*'''[[Neal Colgrass]]''' - 1
*'''[[Dave Dias]]''' - 1
*'''[[Sheila Dinsmore]]''' - 1
*'''[[Richard Jones (II)]]''' - 1
*'''[[Shawn Kalb]]''' - 1
*'''[[Nicole Keefler]]''' - 1
*'''[[Leah Lepofsky]]''' - 1
*'''[[Shane MacDougall]]''' - 1
===Directors===
*'''[[Gary Hurst]]''' - 52
*'''[[John van Bruggen]]''' - 15
*'''[[Dermot Walshe]]''' - 13
*'''[[Arna Selznick]]''' - 1
===Music===
*'''[[Bruce Cockburn]] Theme song
*'''[[Ray Parker]] all 94 episodes
*'''[[Tom Szczesniak]] all 94 episodes
== Trivia ==
{{Trivia|date=January 2008}}
*The episode ''Franklin's Music Lessons'' contained not one but two egregrious errors; 1. As Franklin plays the C /G C / G pattern on the piano, the G key plays a C note and vice versa. 2. Franklin sits on the right of Ms. Panda during the ''[[Row Row Row Your Boat]]'' duet, but he plays the lower notes, and Ms. Panda (on the left) plays the higher notes. A piano is designed with the lower notes at the left of the keyboard, and vice versa.
*In the UK, the series is shown on [[Five (TV)|Five]] with the voices dubbed over with British actors, though the episodes shown on [[Tiny Pop]] are shown with the original soundtrack.
*In the original French language books, all of the characters have non-species-related names: Benjamin (Franklin), Henrietta (Harriet), Martin (Bear), Basile (Rabbit), Lili (Beaver), Raffin (Fox), Béatrice (Goose), Arnaud (Snail), Aurélie (Otter), Eloise (Skunk), Ludo (Moose), Hubert (Eagle), Vermillon (Goldie), and Jacques (Jack).
==Episode list==
Franklin has six seasons of thirteen episodes each. There are also three specials and a new one possibly coming to theaters soon.
===Season 1===
*Franklin Plays the Game / Franklin Wants A Pet
*Hurry Up, Franklin / Franklin's Bad Day
*Franklin Goes to School / Franklin Is Lost
*Franklin Has a Sleepover / Franklin's Halloween
*Franklin Rides a Bike / Franklin Is Messy
*Franklin Fibs / Franklin's Blanket
*Franklin is Bossy / Franklin's Fort
*Finders Keepers for Franklin / Franklin's New Friend
*Franklin's School Play / Franklin and the Secret Club
*Franklin and the Red Scooter / Franklin in the Dark
*Franklin and the Tooth Fairy / Franklin Takes the Blame
*Franklin's Christmas Gift / Franklin's Granny
*Franklin and the Baby / Franklin Goes to Day Camp
===Season 2===
*Franklin's Visitor / Franklin's Not-So-Broken Bone
*Franklin's Gift / Franklin Growing Up Fast
*Franklin the Spy / Franklin's Library Book
*Franklin's Kite / Franklin and the Babysitter
*Franklin and the Broken Globe / Franklin's Valentines
*Franklin's Family Treasure / Franklin's Music Lessons
*Franklin Takes a Trip / Franklin's Bicycle Helmet
*Franklin's Birthday Party / Franklin's Nickname
*Franklin and Otter's Visit / Franklin's Collection
*Franklin Says Sorry / Franklin and the Fire
*Franklin's Garden / Franklin Runs Away
*Franklin's Gloomy Day / Franklin Tells Time
*Franklin's Test / Franklin and the Duckling
===Season 3===
*Franklin and His Night Friend / Franklin and the Two Henrys
*Franklin's Nature Hike / Franklin's Starring Role
*Franklin's Masterpiece / Franklin and the Computer
*Franklin the Trooper / Franklin's Fossil
*Franklin and the Fortune Teller / Franklin's Cellar
*Franklin Plants a Tree / Franklin the Hero
*Franklin's Day Off / Franklin's Homemade Cookies
*Franklin the Fabulous / Franklin Camps Out
*Franklin and the Puppy / Franklin Takes The Bus
*Franklin and the Copycat / Big Brother Franklin
*Franklin and the Grump / Franklin's Promise
*Franklin and the Thunderstorm / Franklin's Maple Syrup
*Franklin Helps Out / Franklin's Missing Snacks
===Season 4===
*Franklin's Good Deeds / Franklin's Submarine
*Mr. Fix-It Franklin / Franklin Has the Hiccups
*Franklin Delivers / Franklin's Shell Trouble
*Franklin's Sailboat / Franklin Snoops
*Franklin's Father / Franklin Plays Hockey
*Franklin and the Puppet Play / Franklin's Stopwatch
*Franklin Meets Ermine / Franklin's Funny Business
*Franklin and Sam / Franklin's Berry Patch
*Franklin's Rival / Franklin and the Trading Cards
*Franklin's Robot / Franklin the Detective
*Franklin the Fearless / Franklin's Lucky Charm
*Franklin at the Seashore / Franklin & Snail's Dream
*My Franklin / Franklin's Mom
===Season 5===
*Franklin the Teacher / Franklin's Allergy
*Franklin Loses a Book / Franklin and Betty
*Franklin's Pumpkin / Franklin's Jug Band
*Franklin and the Bus Patrol / Franklin and Wolvie
*Franklin Stays Up / Franklin's Bargain
*Franklin's Big Game / Franklin's Reading Club
*Franklin in Two Places / Franklin's First Star
*Franklin's Float / Franklin's Party Plans
*Gee Whiz Franklin / Franklin Can't Wait
*Franklin's Spring First / Franklin Plays Golf
*Franklin's Canoe Trip / Franklin's Interview
*Franklin's Crystal / Franklin's Advice
*Franklin's Cookie Question / Franklin's Picnic
===Season 6===
*Franklin Itching to Skateboard / Franklin Forgives
*Hockey Fan Franklin / Mother Hen Franklin
*Franklin's Badge / Franklin Stargazes
*Franklin's Swimming Party / Franklin's Soccer Field Folly
*Franklin the Weather Turtle / Franklin's Dance Lessons
*Franklin in Charge / Franklin's UFO
*Franklin Migrates / Franklin the Photographer
*Franklin's Word / Franklin's Pond Phantom
*Franklin the Coach / Franklin Plays it Safe
*Franklin's Favorite Card / Franklin's Expedition
*Franklin's Bike-A-Thon / Franklin's Candy Caper
*Franklin's Go-Cart Race / Sir Franklin's Squire
*Franklin Sees the Big Picture / Franklin Figure Skates
===Specials / Movies===
*''[[Franklin and the Green Knight]]: The Movie''
*''[[Franklin's Magic Christmas]]''
*''[[Back to School with Franklin]]''
*''[[Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure]]''
The first three specials are all available on video and DVD (though "Franklin's Magic Christmas" isn't generally available on DVD in the U.S.) They have also been shown on TV from time-to-time. The final special is was released in December 2006 in Canada and Europe. It has been released to DVD in the US on [[May 22, 2007]].
==External links==
*[http://franklin.treehousetv.com/ ''Franklin'' web page at TreeHouseTV.com]
*[http://www.noggin.com/shows/franklin.php ''Franklin'' (noggin.com)]
*[http://www.nickjr.com/shows/franklin/index.jhtml ''Franklin'' (nickjr.com)]
*[http://www.tv.com/franklin/show/7945/summary.html TV.com ''Franklin'' guide]
*[http://epguides.com/Franklin EpGuides - Episode Listings]
*[http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/FranklinTurtle Yahoo Group]
*[http://www.toronto.ca/parks/franklin/index.htm Toronto's Franklin Park]
*[http://www.scholastic.ca/editions/livres/benjamin/benjamin_amis.htm Les Amis de Benjamin], a French language page listing the characters' French names.
[[Category:Animated television series]]
[[Category:Children's television series in Canada]]
[[Category:Nick Jr. shows]]
[[Category:Fictional turtles]]
[[Category:Programs broadcast by Treehouse TV]]
[[Category:Television programs based on children's books]]
[[Category:Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters]]
[[fr:Franklin (série télévisée)]]
[[pl:Witaj, Franklin]]
[[fi:Franklin (animaatiosarja)]]