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Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaAction & Adventure

Shoebox Zoo

Believe.

7.7(6)
First Aired:September 21, 2004
Seasons:2 seasons
Episodes:26
Status:Ended

Shoebox Zoo is an urban fantasy TV series made in a collaboration between BBC Scotland and various Canadian television companies. It is mostly live-action, but with CGI used for the animal figurines. The show centers on the story of a young girl named Marnie McBride, who is given a shoebox containing four toy animals by a mysterious old man at a junk shop, as a gift for her 11th birthday. These magical toys have the power to come alive on Marnie’s command, and they’re on a quest to find an ancient book that once belonged to a great and powerful wizard.

Cast

Vivien Endicott Douglas

Vivien Endicott Douglas

Marnie McBride

Simon Callow

Simon Callow

Wolfgang the Wolf (voice) / Hunter the Horse (voice)

Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall

Edwin the Eagle (voice)

Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming

Bruno the Bear (voice)

Siobhan Redmond

Siobhan Redmond

Ailsa the Adder (voice)

Jason Connery

Jason Connery

Ross McBride

Peter Mullan

Peter Mullan

Michael Scot

David McKay

David McKay

William McTaggart

Bill Paterson

Bill Paterson

The Storyteller (voice)

Gordon Tootoosis

Gordon Tootoosis

Nathaniel Stone

Natascha Girgis

Natascha Girgis

Aurora Dexter

Tony Donaldson

Juan Roberto Montoya de Toledo

Yudii Mercredi

Kyle Stone

Paul Cœur

Paul Cœur

Bobby Campbell

Valerie Pearson

Dorothy Campbell

Seasons

On her 11th birthday, Marnie McBride goes to a junk shop with her father to pick out a present. There, the mysterious shopkeeper eagerly gifts her a shoebox containing four animal figurines, all of whom have the ability to magically spring to life. Marnie now has to deal with the struggles of balancing her life between adventuring with the collectively named “Shoebox Zoo” animals on a quest to find an ancient book of magic, and her day-to-day life as a schoolgirl, on top of having to deal with the grief stemming from the loss of her recently deceased mother.

The Magic Is Awakened

E1The Magic Is Awakened

25m

Sep 21, 2004

On her 11th birthday, still grieving over her recently deceased mother and uncomfortable with being moved from Colorado to Scotland, Marnie discovers that she is able to make a group of four old toy animals come alive.

Friend or Foe?

E2Friend or Foe?

25m

Sep 28, 2004

It's Marnie's first day of school at her new home in Scotland. She has an encounter with a bully but makes a new friend in Laura. Back home, she receives a package from America containing a necklace that belonged to her mother. She also discovers that her shoebox animal friends were once human, and that only a lost book can return them to their original form.

Echoes of the Past

E3Echoes of the Past

25m

Oct 5, 2004

When a mysterious problem causes school to be cancelled for the day, Marnie and Laura visit the nearby St. Giles’ Cathedral in order to find clues about the shoebox animals, as John Roberts said he saw a depiction of them on a stained glass window there.

A Guide for the Perplexed

E4A Guide for the Perplexed

25m

Oct 12, 2004

Marnie manages to get the red book she was looking for from the library, after which a familiar old man appears before her and says that she must make use of a peculiar looking map that’s within the contents of the book.

The Inner Sanctum

E5The Inner Sanctum

25m

Oct 19, 2004

Since Marnie's suggestion to go to Tantallon Castle was agreed on by majority vote, her class goes there for a field trip. While exploring the castle, Marnie goes off the beaten path and finds herself face to face with the great wizard Michael Scot.

A Strange Birthday Party

E6A Strange Birthday Party

25m

Oct 26, 2004

Marnie is reluctant to go to John Roberts' birthday party until she has a dream revealing that he was really the evil shapeshifter Toledo all along, and so she plans to confront him. However, things take a strange turn when Michael Scot appears at the party as a stage magician.

A Little Knowledge

E7A Little Knowledge

25m

Nov 2, 2004

Marnie leaves school in the middle of the day to try to get in touch with Michael Scot, while Toledo tries to convince Marnie's father that she needs to be brought in for therapy, as he plans to manipulate her into giving him the Book of Forbidden Knowledge while masquerading as the school psychologist.

Mother’s Footsteps

E8Mother’s Footsteps

25m

Nov 9, 2004

Marnie is on a class trip to visit a "stately home," and uses her new powers to defeat a bully, but the shoebox animals become separated from her and find themselves trapped in the basement.

Where the River Flows

E9Where the River Flows

25m

Nov 16, 2004

Marnie hopes to find the archway shown on the clue she just received, and plans to do so while on a camping trip to the Eildon Hills with the help of Dougie and Laura, but things go awry when Toledo interferes.

The Sign of the Unicorn

E10The Sign of the Unicorn

25m

Nov 23, 2004

The shoebox animals plead with Marnie to continue the quest, but she insists on trying to catch up on her schoolwork after largely neglecting it. Despite her efforts, she gets falsely accused of cheating during a test, leading to further drama with the school principal.

Where Four Elevens Meet

E11Where Four Elevens Meet

25m

Nov 30, 2004

Marnie and Wolfgang confront Michael regarding the events that lead to the creation of the Shoebox Zoo. Meanwhile, the other animals decide that they must find the book on their own, without Marnie's help, and so they head to the University Library in an attempt to solve the next clue.

Los Contrarios

E12Los Contrarios

25m

Dec 7, 2004

Toledo hypnotizes Edwin and orders him to open the Book of Forbidden Knowledge. The dark energy released from inside the book awakens the shapeshifter’s devious creations, which are shadowy dopplegangers of the Shoebox Zoo made to destroy them.

The Day of Reckoning

E13The Day of Reckoning

25m

Dec 14, 2004

Marnie makes one last attempt to stop Toledo from taking the book, and comes out victorious after realizing that the book was a fake created to seal the evil shapeshifter’s magic all along. She then learns that the location of the real book is somewhere back home in Denver, and that she must return there in order to continue the Quest.

Marnie, with the Shoebox Zoo animals in tow, travels from Edinburgh to her hometown of Denver. Now accompanied by her best friend Kyle, the quest for the Book of Forbidden Knowledge continues as the two friends must piece together several clues in order to find the true location of the book, all the while having to once again stop the evil plans of Toledo, who is seemingly back from the dead as a ghostly apparition. Will Marnie and Kyle be able to find the book and turn the Shoebox Zoo back to their human forms? Or will the nefarious shapeshifter prevail?

Across The Great Ocean

E1Across The Great Ocean

25m

Oct 16, 2005

Marnie, with the Shoebox Zoo in tow, flies to Denver for the summer in order to search for The Book of Forbidden Knowledge. After being picked up by her grandparents, she meets up with her best friend Kyle Stone and plans to show the shoebox animals to him. However, a mysterious figure has stolen the bag in which they were contained, on top of seemingly following her around wherever she goes.

The Balance Of Power

E2The Balance Of Power

25m

Oct 23, 2005

Kyle finds Marnie’s bag on his way to visit her for breakfast. With the proper bag now on hand, Marnie introduces Kyle to the shoebox animals and tells him about the Quest. Later, they’re taken a TV studio where they meet Aurora Dexter, a medium who aspires to become a TV star.

Snakes Alive

E3Snakes Alive

25m

Oct 23, 2005

After settling in a hideaway that’s owned by the Campbells, Marnie and Kyle go to investigate the first clue, a snake rune, at the nearby Snake Creek Trail. After an argument causes the two to split up, Marnie has an encounter with the ghost of Toledo, the shapeshifter.

The Pow Wow

E4The Pow Wow

25m

Oct 30, 2005

Marnie and Kyle go to a Native American festival called “The Pow Wow”. While there, Marnie comes face to face with the mysterious figure who’s been following her around since she arrived back in Denver.

Hunter To The Rescue

E5Hunter To The Rescue

25m

Oct 30, 2005

Marnie and Kyle go bike riding in the woods in order to investigate the next clue, a bear claw rune, but things go awry when the shoebox animals fall out of Marnie’s backpack and are spotted by a wild bear. Meanwhile, Toledo puts his plan to bring about the second prophecy into motion.

Coming Of Age

E6Coming Of Age

25m

Nov 6, 2005

It’s Kyle’s 12th birthday, and so Marnie attends his birthday party. Toledo, now possessing Aurora’s body, spies on Marnie at the party and encourages her to find the book, attempting to allure her with the prospect of unlimited power.

Wild Horses

E7Wild Horses

25m

Nov 6, 2005

Marnie and Kyle go to watch a rodeo. While there, Kyle confides in Marnie regarding his self-doubts as well as his reluctance to keep going with the quest, which leads to an argument between the two.

Bumps In The Night

E8Bumps In The Night

25m

Nov 13, 2005

Marnie goes to Camp Healing Bow along with Kyle and some of her former classmates. Following their arrival, they partake in several fun activities, but Marnie suddenly starts exhibiting hostility towards everyone around her and no one seems to know why.

The Eagle Has Landed

E9The Eagle Has Landed

25m

Nov 13, 2005

The stay at Camp Healing Bow continues. Marnie’s odd behavior seems to worsen, which puts a strain on her friendship with Kyle. Despite this, the two agree to investigate the next clue, an eagle rune, together. Meanwhile, Marnie’s father arrives in Denver to visit her, but things take an unexpected turn when Aurora picks him up at the airport.

The Arrow of Truth

E10The Arrow of Truth

25m

Nov 20, 2005

It’s the last day of camp, and Marnie’s father comes to visit her. However, happiness quickly turns to anger when Marnie sees that he’s brought Aurora along with him, and that they’ve seemingly fallen in love with one another.

The Cry Of The Wolf

E11The Cry Of The Wolf

25m

Nov 20, 2005

The Quest’s conclusion draws near, with only one clue remaining unsolved, the wolf rune. Marnie, now fully consumed by her anguish and grief as a result of the book’s corruption, is desperate to take the book so she could revive her deceased mother, and uses any means necessary in order to reach it.

The Falls Of Faith

E12The Falls Of Faith

25m

Nov 27, 2005

All hope seems lost as the book has fallen into Toledo’s hands. However, upon receiving some encouraging words from a fallen ally, Marnie comes to the realization that the book must be destroyed in order to save the world, and so she ties up some loose ends in preparation for the impending final battle.

Beyond The Beyond

E13Beyond The Beyond

25m

Nov 27, 2005

Marnie, Kyle and the Shoebox Zoo all band together in order to put an end to the Dawn Queen’s evil plans once and for all. Can they truly destroy the book before it plunges the world into chaos? And what will become of the shoebox animals if they succeed?

Storyline

Shoebox Zoo is an urban fantasy TV series made in a collaboration between BBC Scotland and various Canadian television companies. It is mostly live-action, but with CGI used for the animal figurines. The show centers on the story of a young girl named Marnie McBride, who is given a shoebox containing four toy animals by a mysterious old man at a junk shop, as a gift for her 11th birthday. These magical toys have the power to come alive on Marnie’s command, and they’re on a quest to find an ancient book that once belonged to a great and powerful wizard.

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