My Big Big Friend Explained

My Big Big Friend (pt|'''Meu Amigãozão''' / fr|'''Mon grand grand ami''') is an animated children's television series created by Andrés Lieban and Claudia Koogan Breitman, co-produced by Brazilian studio 2D Lab and the Canadian company Breakthrough Animation.^[1]

It had its first showing on July 19, 2010 on Discovery Kids Latin America in Spanish as Amigazazo or Mi amigazazo and on May 9, 2011 on TV Brasil. It also premiered in Canada on Treehouse TV on September 5, 2011. It was financed with the laws of federal tax incentives, the Procult (BNDES) and the Audiovisual Sector Fund – FSA.

The show centers around the friendships of three children, Yuri, Lili and Matt, each of whom has a "Big Big Friend" who is invisible to adults and other children but seen by all three friends.^[2]

The show is flash-animated with Toon Boom Harmony. A feature-length film based on the series titled: Meu AmigãoZão - O Filme, was released on May 12, 2022 in Brazilian theaters while an English dub version is yet to be released.

Characters

Main

• Yuri is a 5-year-old boy, very smart, independent and happy, and has a very fertile imagination. He is an only child, and as a result is sometimes lonely, and can be a little selfish, yet shy at times.
• Lili is a 6-year-old girl, very determined and loyal, and often speaks before she thinks. She often tries to help take care of her three baby brothers; this has given her a tendency towards bossiness, which her friends do not always like, especially when she attempts to assign control of their games.
• Matt is a 7-year-old boy who loves to play sports, and is very energetic in everything he does. He is the oldest of the three children and is very curious, full of ideas and opinions, and very mischievous, which means he is often getting into trouble. He has an older sister named Nina who often teases and bullies him.

Big Big Friends

• Golias is Yuri's Big Big Friend, a large, round, blue elephant. He is affectionate, likes to act, dress up, try new things and play outdoors. He is also very timid, and gnashes his teeth in fear if the lights are out. He loves to give Yuri trunk rides, and is quite sad if he ever feels left out. In Spanish, he is called Goliat.
• Nessa is Lili's Big Big Friend, a pink giraffe. She can make friends with anyone, and is optimistic and cheerful. She also lets Lili ride on her neck. She is agreeable and mediates conflicts.
• Bongo is Matt's Big Big Friend, a green kangaroo. Like Matt, he is athletic, energetic and constantly jumping. He has a great sense of humor and an infectious, uncontrollable laugh. Bongo is afraid of being ignored and likes attention. Bongo is also very fearful. He has a pouch that Matt rides in despite the fact he is a male kangaroo (in real life, only female kangaroos have pouches). His pouch is apparently in more than one spot, since Bongo can be seen pulling things out or putting things into different pouches in various locations, such as, up by his neck, down at his sides (almost like pockets).

Cast

Canada

• Yuri – Nissae Isen
• Matt – Gage Munroe
• Lili – Addison Holley
• Golias (Goliat) – Scott McCord
• Bongo – Rick Miller
• Nessa – Tajja Isen
• Lobster (Beach Blast!) - Stacey DePass
• Rose (Flower Power!) - Catherine Disher
• Daisy (Flower Power!) - Stephanie Anne Mills
• Pansy (Flower Power!) - Hannah Endicott-Douglas
• Yuri's Dad - Neil Crone
• Yuri's Mom / Bushy the Dog - Susan Roman
• Lili's Mom - Linda Ballantyne
• Lili's Dad - Martin Roach
• Matt's Mom / Otto the Penguin - Julie Lemieux
• Matt's Dad - Richard Waugh
• Oyster (Beach Blast!) / S Magnet (Everyone's A Critic) - Sean Cullen
• Ms. Carrol - Julie Pinto
• Ms. Martin - Athena Karkanis
• Grandmother - Corinne Conley
• Mother Hen - Ellen-Ray Hennessey
• Lisa - Alyson Court
• Soccer Ball - Bruce Dow

Brazil

• Yuri – Fernanda Ribeiro
• Matt – Eduardo Drummond (Season 1) and João Victor Granja (Season 2)
• Lili – Anna Rita Cerqueira
• Golias (Goliat) – Márcio Simões
• Bongo – Sérgio Stern
• Nessa – Lina Mendes (Season 1) and Christiane Monteiro (Season 2)

Episodes

Season 1 (2009-2011)

• Season 1 premiered in Canada on August 9, 2010 and in Brazil on September 9, 2009.

Interstitials

• s2e2 Ice Cream ^[3] 11 December 2014
• s2e8 Princess^[4] 12 December 2014
• s2e5 Finding You^[5] 18 December 2014
• s2e21 Golf Partners^[6] 30 May 2015
• s2e24 That Way^[7] 27 December 2016

External links

• Amigãozão site oficial
• Amigãozão at discoverykidsbrasil.com
  • My Big Big Friend at the Big Cartoon Database

Notes and References

1. Book: Crump . William D. . Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film . 2019 . McFarland & Co . 9781476672939 . 266.
2. Web site: "Animação 'Meu amigãoZão' mostra amizade de crianças e 'superanimais'". G1, 9 de agosto de 2010. 9 August 2010.
3. https://archive.today/20161226061058/http://www.treehousetv.com/clocal_schedule/nojs/20161228/eastern 6:30 AM My Big Big Friend Shorts S2 Eps #035 The Best Butterfly9:55 AM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #006 One and Only/Sand and Flowers3:09 PM My Big Big Friend Interstitials S2 #002 Ice Cream8:35 PM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #007 Love Potion/The Pink Princess Nightgown
4. https://archive.today/20161226061806/http://www.treehousetv.com/clocal_schedule/nojs/20161230/eastern 6:30 AM My Big Big Friend Shorts S2 Eps #037 I Can Do That9:55 AM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #010 Amazing Matt/Don’t Give Up3:09 PM My Big Big Friend Interstitials S2 #008 Princess8:35 PM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #011 Into the Dragon’s Den/What About Me?
5. https://archive.today/20161226061245/http://www.treehousetv.com/clocal_schedule/nojs/20161229/eastern 6:30 AM My Big Big Friend Shorts S2 Eps #036 The Missing Snack9:55 AM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #008 Let’s Play Forever/Can’t Wait 3:09 PM My Big Big Friend Interstitials S2 #005 Finding You8:35 PM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #009 Toughen Up, Nessa/More Like Matt
6. https://archive.today/20161226060258/http://www.treehousetv.com/clocal_schedule/nojs/20161226/eastern 6:30 AM My Big Big Friend Shorts S2 Eps #033 Cowboy Fair9:55 AM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #002 Toybreaker/Stuck3:09 PM My Big Big Friend Interstitials S2 #021 Golf Partners8:35 PM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #003 Ready, Set… NO!/ Orange and Purple
7. https://archive.today/20161226060726/http://www.treehousetv.com/clocal_schedule/nojs/20161227/eastern 6:30 AM My Big Big Friend Shorts S2 Eps #034 Way Down the Hall9:55 AM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #004 Hooray for You!/No Way, Karate3:09 PM My Big Big Friend Interstitials S2 #024 That Way8:35 PM My Big Big Friend S2 Eps #005 Teacher Trouble/A Knightly Thing to Do