Katbot (partially found unreleased Disney Channel animated series; 2005)

The title card for Katbot.

Status: Partially Found

Katbot was an animated series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Funny Garbage that was set to premiere on Disney Channel in September 2005, but was never released. The show was based on a web cartoon of the same name, created by Angela Martini.

According to tv.com, Disney's Katbot is a comedy series about a curious, somewhat naïve, fun-loving cat robot named Katbot, from the planet Katatonia, who, as part of her schooling is sent to Earth to study tween culture. By using her Hypno-façade, she disguises herself as Katerina Botenski, a foreign exchange student from a small Eastern European country. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend, Junior Lebore, the son of her host family. Through her friendships with an eclectic group of earthlings, Katbot experiences life on Earth with a unique and comic perspective.

Cancellation

On June 18th, 2005, Angela Martini, creator of the Katbot comic, posted a (now deleted) entry on her blog in which she revealed her distaste with Disney working on the show. Stating,

"A few years ago Katbot was optioned by Disney. We made a pilot. It got shelved for a while, then resurrected into some horrid caricature of what it originally was. To top it off, I was pushed out of the picture. I got the shaft, while all these strangers came in to make my show. It was a very painful time for me."

Katbot was cancelled before its set release date of September 2005, and no episodes were ever aired. Besides 3 short clips, including a few minutes of the pilot, and the intro, no other footage has been released. It is very unlikely that any full episodes will ever surface, due to Angela Martini’s disapproval with the final production.

Episode List

Six episodes are recorded online, all with plots.

#	Episode Title	Synopsis	Status
1	"Funny Garbage" (Pilot)	This episode begins with Katbot getting ready to take off from her home planet Katonia. Katbot is sent to Earth to learn about "tweenhood. Everyone at school finds her weird.	Lost
2	"Mission Report" (also known as "First Day")	Katbot Finds She has to go to earth to learn about human life. While on earth, Katbot wonders about June's attitude towards her. At school, all the kids seem more interested in the lunch than her, and they think she's weird. Since she's smarter than most of them. At her old planet, she got all the degress in school, so she is very smart.	Lost
3	"Rockin' Meow."	Kat is just begging to adjust to the new setting. She gets into the influence of Rock at her school. Because her two best friends just happen to be in a Rock Group called "Rockin On" Kat begins to follow, thinking this causes her to be known. But soon, she gets so caught up that she finds herself in the Principal’s office.	Lost
4	"Runaway Feline."	After getting totally embarrassed by the school's bully, Latches, Kat thinks over her stay here on earth. She decides to run away. She does, and she finds new friends who are also undercover as earth people. She thinks she and her new friends can actually survive running away until a rule is enforced that every runaway animal must go to a shelter. And before it can get any worse, Kat wakes up and finds it all was all a dream.	Lost
5	"Mission Report (Code #001)"	Ms. Labore thinks it'd be a good idea if Kat and June got to know each other a little better, so she sends the two to a concert, but when the performer, who June totally adores, talks to Kat instead of her, jealousy comes about.	Lost
6	"Why Do Kats Fall in Love?"	June must bring Katrina along with her to a concert. Katrina could care less but goes along anyway. After seeing who's performing, Katrina immediately falls for him, secretly enraging June. However, when Kat gets lucky, and the performer asks her out, June gets mad and accuses her of being a "Man-Stealer."	Lost

Cast

• Anneliese van der Pol - Katbot/Katerina Botenski
• Mayim Bilik - Paula
• Charlie Schlatter - Junior Lebore
• Melissa Greenspan - Marcella Curd

Crew

• Sherri Stoner - executive producer
• Bart Jennett - executive producer
• John Carlin - executive producer
• Melissa Johnson - associate producer (3 episodes)
• Kristin Ellington - co-executive producer
• Sue Hollington - producer
• Stuart Wenschlag - storyboard slugging (one episode)
• Amy Keating Rogers - writer
• Randy Myers - director
• Stephen DeStefano - art director
• Greg Lidstone - animation director
• Tim Shankweiler - background artist
• Lynda Nettleship-Carraher - background artist
• John Giordani - artist

The theme song was performed by indie rock musician John Schmersal, who is best known for his work in bands such as Brainiac, Enon, and Caribou.

Gallery

One of the few known clips from the show.

Another short clip taken from the show.

Opening intro to Katbot.

Web cartoon pilot.

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  Unused logo for the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  Background art from the show.

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  A killer whale design from the show.

See Also

Disney Channel

• 101 Dalmatians: The Series (partially found pitch pilot of Disney animated TV series based on animated film; 1996)
• The All-New Mickey Mouse Club (partially found revival of Disney variety TV series; 1989-1994)
• Amazing Animals (found Disney Channel educational animated series; 1996-1999)
• Amphibiland (found pitch pilot of "Amphibia" Disney Channel animated series; 2018)
• Arwin! (partially found pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" Disney Channel sitcom; 2007)
• Bonkers "Fall Apart Bomb Squad" (found episode of Disney Channel animated series; 1993)
• Country Club (partially lost test pilot of "Big City Greens" Disney Channel adventure-comedy animated series; 2015)
• Disney Channel Interactive (lost Dish Network game channel; late 2000s)
• Disney Channel "Disney's One Too" (partially lost "Recess" gags of TV channel block; 1999-2003)
• Disney Channel "Wand Idents" (partially found bumpers from TV channel; 2003-present)
• Disney's Coyote Tales (found Disney Channel extended version of "The Coyote's Lament" animated short; 1991)
• Disney's Doug (found episodes of animated TV series; 1996-1999)
• Dreamfinders (unproduced Disney Channel series based on "Journey Into Imagination" Epcot ride; 1983)
• Dumbo's Circus (partially found Disney Channel live-action puppet series; 1985-1986)
• Fish Hooks (partially found test pilot of Disney Channel animated series; 2009)
• Going Wild with Jeff Corwin (partially found Disney Channel documentary series; 1997-1999)
• Gravity Falls (found Comic Con 2012 promo of Disney Channel animated mystery comedy series; 2012)
• Gravity Falls (found pitch pilot of Disney Channel animated mystery comedy series; 2010)
• Hannah Montana (lost production material of cancelled anime adaptation of Disney Channel teen sitcom; 2009-2010)
• Herbie the Lovebug (lost Disney Channel animated pilot; late 1990s-2000s)
• The Jersey (partially lost Disney Channel sports-themed comedy series; 1999-2004)
• J.O.N.A.S. (partially found original pilot of "Jonas" Disney Channel comedy series; 2007)
• Lizzie McGuire "Season 3" (lost production material of cancelled season of Disney Channel comedy series; 2020)
• Minnie Takes Care of Pluto (found Mickey Mouse Works animated short; 2000)
• Mousercise (partially found Disney Channel exercise series; 1983-1996)
• Mouseterpiece Theater (partially found Disney Channel cartoon compilation series; 1983-1990)
• The Owl House (found test animation of Disney Channel animated series; 2017)
• Pepper Ann (found Disney animated TV series; 1997-2000)
• Pepper Ann (partially found Nickelodeon pitch pilot of Disney animated series; 1996)
• Phineas and Ferb "Delivery of Destiny" (partially found Simon Pegg version of Disney Channel animated series episode; 2013)
• Phineas and Ferb: Spot the Diff (found Disney Channel animated special; 2008)
• The Proud Family (partially found Nickelodeon pitch pilot of Disney Channel animated sitcom; 1999)
• Recess "The Break In" (partially found pitch pilot of Disney animated TV series; 1996)
• Shooting Star Milkshake Bar (found full version of "Phineas and Ferb" song; 2008)
• Star and the Forces of Evil (found pitch pilot of Disney Channel animated series; 2011)
• Talespin (lost Phil Harris audio recordings from Disney Channel animated series; 1990)
• Teen Angel (partially found Disney Channel serial drama; 1989)
• Welcome to Pooh Corner (partially found Disney Channel live-action puppet series; 1983-1986)
• What's Stevie Thinking? (lost pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "Lizzie McGuire" Disney Channel comedy series; 2005)

Playhouse Disney

• Adventures in Nutrition with Captain Carlos (found Playhouse Disney animated short series; 2004-2007)
• Bear in the Big Blue House (found unaired pilot of Disney Channel puppet series; 1997)
• Bear in the Big Blue House (found Playhouse Disney puppet series; 1997-2006)
• The Book of Pooh (found Playhouse Disney puppet series; 2001-2004)
• Breakfast with Bear (partially found spin-off of "Bear in the Big Blue House" Playhouse Disney puppet series; 2005-2006)
• Handy Manny (partially found DKP Studios pilot of Playhouse Disney CGI animated series; 2005)
• Imagination Movers (found pitch pilot of Playhouse Disney series based on children's music group; 2006)
• JoJo's Circus (partially lost Playhouse Disney stop-motion animated series; 2003-2007)
• Little Einsteins (partially found British dub of Playhouse Disney animated series; 2005-2010)
• Little Einstein (partially found pitch pilots of Playhouse Disney animated series; 2003-2004)
• My Friends Tigger & Pooh (partially found test pilots of Playhouse Disney CGI animated series; 2005/2006)
• Out of the Box (partially lost Playhouse Disney children's series; 1998-2004)
• PB&J Otter (found original credits sequences of Playhouse Disney animated series; 1998-2000)
• Playhouse Disney UK (partially found interstitial material of TV channel block; 1999-2006)
• Stanley (found pitch pilot of Playhouse Disney animated series; 1999)

Disney Junior

• Beverly Hills Chihuahuas (found pitch pilot of cancelled Disney Junior animated adaptation of film series; 2012)
• Jake's Team Pirate (found pitch pilot of "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" Disney Junior animated series; 2009)
• Jungle Junction (lost pitch pilots of Disney Junior CGI animated series; 2003-2008)

Toon Disney

• Teamo Supremo (partially lost Toon Disney animated series; 2002-2004)
• Toon News (partially found Toon Disney CGI animated interstitial series; 2004/2005)

Disney XD

• The 7D (found pitch pilot of Disney XD animated series; 2012)
• Billion Dollar Freshmen (lost pitch pilot of "Lab Rats" Disney XD live-action comedy series; 2010)
• Commando Crash (lost pitch pilot of cancelled spin-off of "Crash & Bernstein" Disney XD sitcom; 2014)
• DXP (partially lost Disney XD video game block; 2017)
• Power Rangers Animated Series (lost Disney XD pilot of animated adaptation of live-action superhero series; existence unconfirmed; 2007-2009)
• Very Important House (found Disney XD animated pitch pilot; 2016)

Other

• Green Monkeys (lost Disney animated pitch pilot; 1999)
• Kingdom Hearts (found animatic of cancelled Disney animated TV adaptation of game series; 2003)
• La Chambre Folle (lost French Disney children's TV block; 1998)
• Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (found English dub of anime series; 2015)
• The Mouse Factory (found Disney live-action/animated TV series; 1972-1973)
• Robodz (partially found Disney Toei animated TV series; 2008)
• The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show (found episodes of Disney animated TV series; 1995)
• X-Heart (partially found unreleased English dub of "X-Coração" Brazilian animated TV series; 2014)

External Links

• IMDb page for Katbot.
• tv.com page for Katbot.
• Archived link to Angela Martini's blog post.
• John Schmersal's portfolio, where the opening credits to Katbot were found.
• Forum thread covering the cancellation of the show.
• Forum thread with Fall 2005 Programming Info for Disney Channel.