About this season
Freaky Stories is a Canadian television series, which was originally broadcast by YTV in English and Canal Famille in French. It is an animated show about urban legends hosted by two animatronic puppets, Larry de Bug, a cockroach, and his gooey sidekick, Maurice the maggot in Ted's Diner - a 1940's era diner setting staffed by Rosie the waitress. The series, described as "a Twilight Zone for kids", centers on the kind of myths and legends that are told as scary campfire or bedtime stories. Every episode always starts with and finishes with the phrase: "This is a true story, and it happened to a friend of a friend of mine." and by the words of Larry, "Just because they never happened, doesn't mean they ain't true." Animation styles and musical scoring varied within each half-hour episode, incorporating 20 different looks in the first season alone. The short stories and changing styles were specifically designed to keep viewers' attention span.
Episodes (13)
1. Dog from Mexico/Mortician’s Daughter/Pigeon Dave/Hair Today, Gone…
Aired 23 October 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Dog from Mexico'- Pet puppy is not just a putrid pooch. 2. 'Mortician’s Daughter'- Snide snob is sprinkled in soot. 3. 'Pigeon Dave'- Whiny window watcher a witnesses to wickedness. 4. 'Hair Today, Gone…'- Freshman’s formula forms a fiesta of furry follicles!
2. Murray and the Rats/Safe At Home/The Gift/Maple Syrup
Aired 30 October 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Murray and the Rats'- Incompetent innkeeper’s inhabitance infested with irate rats. 2. 'Safe At Home'- Terrified teen’s toes the target of tongue tickling. 3. 'The Gift'- Prying pupils panic over a package of puppy poop. 4. 'Maple Syrup'- Sinister sibling finds himself covered in syrup and ants.
3. Last Cab Fare/Nude in the RV/Alligator in the Sewer/Do Unto Others
Aired 6 November 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Last Cab Fare'- Cabby confronts circus creature. 2. 'Nude in the RV'- Big rig boy basks in the buff. 3. 'Alligator in the Sewer'- Melancholy maintenance man reunites with reptile, Rocky. 4. 'Do Unto Others'- Selfish scout harasses senior citizens.
4. Stolen Lunchbox/Front Row Seats/The Vanishing/Dead Man Walking
Aired 13 November 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Stolen Lunchbox'- Big bad bullies get beaten at their own battle. 2. 'Front Row Seats'- Resourceful robber ravages rich residence. 3. 'The Vanishing'- Mysterious minor metamorphoses into mature maiden. 4. 'Dead Man Walking'- Nervous ninny nanny’s a napping narcoleptic.
5. Radar Benny/Battleship/Severed Digit/Photo Op
Aired 20 November 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Radar Benny'- Crusty cop gets crushed by a cannon. 2. 'Battleship'- Conceited Captain coerced to change his course. 3. 'Severed Digit'- Feisty fido fights thief and redefines “finger food”. 4. 'Photo Op'- Testy tourists torture benevolent bellboy.
6. Last Call/Identical Twins/Bat Girl/The Nosy Maid
Aired 27 November 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Last Call'- Fearful fellow with a phobia fights for freedom with a phone. 2. 'Identical Twins'- Two sets of tricky teen twins in a twisted tale. 3. 'Bat Girl'- Bad bat bite becomes a big bother. 4. 'The Nosy Maid'- Meddling maid manages her mangy mane.
7. Traders/Court in the Act/Furd and the VeeP/Mooching Roommate
Aired 4 December 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Traders'- Lunch mooch munches yummy maggots. 2. 'Court in the Act'- Slippery Sam skips from the slammer to serve a second sentence. 3. 'Furd and the VeeP'- VP plunges in poop at a pool party. 4. 'Mooching Roommate'- Dweeb discovers the dangers of dining in the dark.
8. The Need for Speed/Zit’s a Horrible Life/The Girl with the Hoary Cough/The Smell of Fear
Aired 11 December 1998 • 30 min
1. 'The Need for Speed'- An addiction goes airborne. 2. 'Zit’s A Horrible Life'- Pimple-popping prepubescent parches like a prune. 3. 'The Girl with the Hoary Cough'- Hoary hack harvests humongous hairball. 4. 'The Smell of Fear'- Crew cringes cause rotting rat reeks.
9. Apologies to Steinbeck/The Creeping Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb/A Fishy Story/Dumped in the Outback
Aired 18 December 1998 • 30 min
1. 'Apologies to Steinbeck'- Prestigious pastries produce ample profit. 2. 'The Creeping Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb'- Menacing Mummy makes moist maché. 3. 'A Fishy Story'- Clairvoyant consumes nostalgic crab cakes. 4. 'Dumped in the Outback'- Crazy Kangaroo keeps Jeeps keys.
10. The Iron Fist Principal/Field of Seeds/Last Laugh/The Immortal Osgood Toadworthy
Aired 25 December 1998 • 30 min
1. 'The Iron Fist Principal'- Disguising Dean as a dummy to deliver dismay. 2. 'Field of Seeds'- Ball players battle birdie by-product. 3. 'Last Laugh'- Arrogant athlete aims for approval. 4. 'The Immortal Osgood Toadworthy'- Old ogre opts for immortality.
11. The Boy Who Cried Alien/Did You Have Fun At the Party/The Rich Fart/Sewer Swimming Hole
Aired 1 January 1999 • 30 min
1. 'The Boy Who Cried Alien'- Curious kid and canine companion uncover conspiracy. 2. 'Did You Have Fun at the Party?'- Snooping spouse smooches with psycho. 3. 'The Rich Fart'- Flatulence finds the family fortune. 4. 'Sewer Swimming Hole'- Sweaty spectators swim in sewage.
12. The Man Who Picked His Brain/The Big Question/Smelly Kelly/Go Find Something to Do, Kid!
Aired 8 January 1999 • 30 min
1. 'The Man Who Picked His Brain'- Bottled brain finds bad body. 2. 'The Big Question'- Sly slackers pull sham at school. 3. 'Smelly Kelly'- Fancy filly falls for foul fellow whose foe is her father. 4. 'Go Find Something to do, Kid!'- Brilliant boy saves bus from bridge.
13. Pirates/Choc-Roaches/Femme Fatale/Dear Mother and Father
Aired 15 January 1999 • 30 min
1. 'Pirates'- Pesky pirates pull prank on unsuspecting partner. 2. 'Choc-Roaches'- Crunchy centred candies cause curiosity. 3. 'Femme Fatale'- Harmful hitchhiker hits the highway. 4. 'Dear Mother and Father'- Lazy learner lies in letter.