Editing Donkey Kong Country (television series)

{{italic title}}
{{TV series infobox
|image=[[File:Donkey Kong Country Title Screen (TV Show).PNG|200px]]
|devel=Jacques Goldstein<br>Philippe Percebois
|direct=Mike Fallows
|seasons=3
|episodes=40
|prodcompany=[[Nelvana]]<br>[[Medialab]] (season 1-2)<br> [[Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou)]] (season 3) <br>[[WIC Entertainment]]
|runtime=30 minutes
|firstair={{flag list|France|September 4, 1996|Canada|October 17, 1997|USA|August 15, 1998<ref>{{Cite|url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0149447/|title=Donkey Kong Country|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=January 25, 2025}}</ref>|Japan|October 1, 1999}}
|lastair={{flag list|Japan|June 30, 2000|USA|July 2000<ref name=epguides>http://epguides.com/DonkeyKongCountry/</ref>|Canada|July 7, 2000}}
}}
{{quote|It's the wildest, hairiest, most fur-ocious adventure yet, as the popular [[Nintendo]] [[Donkey Kong|character]] swings into his own 3-D animated full-length feature!|The first few lines of ''[[Donkey Kong Country: The Legend of the Crystal Coconut|The Legend of the Crystal Coconut]]'' VHS description}}
'''''Donkey Kong Country''''' (also known as the '''''Donkey Kong Country Animated Series''''')<ref>{{cite|quote=Donkey Kong Country Animated Series ©️1999<br>Nelvana Limited/Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) Co.Ltd.<br>All Rights Reserved.|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' season 3 end credits}}</ref> is a computer-animated musical television series based on the [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|video game series of the same name]]. The program first debuted in France on September 4, 1996, on [[France 2]], and then premiered in Canada on {{wp|Télétoon}} on September 8, 1997, as a launch program. The English version made its worldwide debut in Canada on Télétoon's English counterpart {{wp|Cartoon Network (Canadian TV channel)|Teletoon}} on October 17, 1997, once again as a launch program. The show then began airing in the United States on the {{wp|Freeform (TV channel)|Fox Family Channel}} in August 1998<ref name=epguides/> (occasionally airing on {{wp|Fox Kids}}), and the original run finished in July 2000.<ref name=epguides/> In Japan, the series began airing with a Japanese dub on {{wp|TV Tokyo}} on October 1, 1999, and finished its run on June 30, 2000.{{ref needed}}

''Donkey Kong Country'' ran for three seasons with forty episodes in total. Like the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]''-based television series before it, the show generally followed an episodic format. During the run, however, there were some episodes aired out of order from the original airing, such as "[[Bad Hair Day]]" being aired as the third episode in its run in the United States despite airing first in France. While the first two seasons were produced by [[Medialab]], the third season was instead produced by Chinese company Hong Guang and switched to a newer and sleeker style of computer animation, as well as dropping the use of title cards to introduce each episode. Also similar to the earlier ''Super Mario'' cartoons, each episode (excluding "[[Message in a Bottle Show]]") features one or two [[List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) songs|original songs]] based on events in the episode, performed by the cast.

''Donkey Kong Country'' was one of the earliest television series to be entirely computer-animated, similar to the artistic style of the video games. The computer animation style of the series was met with critical acclaim in France and Japan but with mixed reception elsewhere.{{Ref needed}} Despite this, the series has managed to gain a cult following.

Some elements of the series would go on to appear in later ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' video games such as ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', which was released a year after the show had started airing on ABC Family (Fox Family). There was also [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEtPo0_ccP0 a commercial] for the [[Game Boy Color]] game ''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' featuring [[Donkey Kong]], [[Diddy Kong]] and [[Rambi]] fighting [[General Klump]] and [[Krusha]] over a giant Game Boy Color, in which all of the characters are depicted with retooled versions of their designs from the series' third season (besides Rambi, who does not appear in the series).
==Synopsis==
The show stars [[Donkey Kong]], a gorilla-like [[Kong]] living in the jungle who happens to stumble upon a magic orb called the [[Crystal Coconut]] in the temple of [[Inka Dinka Doo]]. After finding the artifact, Donkey Kong is named the future ruler of [[Donkey Kong Island|Kongo Bongo Island]]. As he and his friends wait for the day when the Crystal Coconut will proclaim him the ruler of the island, they strive to keep it safe from the clutches of the villainous [[King K. Rool]] and his minions, who desire the coconut so that K. Rool may conquer the island using its power.

==Voice cast==
[[File:DKCTV Kong family.png|thumb|230px|The cast of the main Kongs. Clockwise from the top left: [[Funky Kong]], [[Donkey Kong]], [[Bluster Kong]], [[Candy Kong]], [[Cranky Kong]], [[Diddy Kong]], and [[Dixie Kong]].]]
[[File:Kaptain Skurvy DKCTV group.png|thumb|Kaptain Skurvy (center), one of the main antagonists of the show, with his crew mates [[Green Kroc]] (left) and [[Kutlass (character)|Kutlass]] (right)]]
The series features almost all of the [[Kong]]s from ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', the exceptions being [[Swanky Kong]] and [[Wrinkly Kong]]. However, the show also features several original characters that do not appear in the games, such as [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]], [[Kaptain Skurvy]] and his [[Pirates (group)|crew]], and [[Bluster Kong]].
===English voice actors===
*[[Richard Yearwood]] &mdash; [[Donkey Kong]]
**[[Sterling Jarvis]] &mdash; [[Donkey Kong]] (singing voice)
*[[Andrew Sabiston]] &mdash; [[Diddy Kong]]
*[[Joy Tanner]] &mdash; [[Candy Kong]], [[Candy Clone]]
*[[Aron Tager]] &mdash; [[Cranky Kong]]
*[[Louise Vallance]] &mdash; [[Dixie Kong]]
*[[Damon D'Oliveira]] &mdash; [[Funky Kong]], [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]]
*[[Donald Burda]] &mdash; [[Bluster Kong]], [[Leo Luster]]
*[[Ben Campbell]] &mdash; [[King K. Rool]]
*[[Adrian Truss]] &mdash; [[General Klump]]
*[[Len Carlson]] &mdash; [[Krusha]]
*[[Lawrence Bayne]] &mdash; [[Inka Dinka Doo]], [[Kritter]]s
*[[Rick Jones]] &mdash; [[Polly Roger]]
*[[Ron Rubin]]<ref>https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/3fdfac_72b9d6c25c3940f8b3244bdea8528dd5.pdf</ref> &mdash; [[Kaptain Skurvy]], [[Jr. Klap Trap]]
*[[John Stocker]] &mdash; [[Kutlass (character)|Kutlass]]
*[[Richard Newman]] &mdash; [[Kong Fu (character)|Kong Fu]]

===Japanese voice actors===
*[[Kōichi Yamadera]] — [[Donkey Kong]]
*[[Megumi Hayashibara]] — [[Diddy Kong]]
*[[Mika Kanai]] — [[Candy Kong]]
*[[Ryūsei Nakao]] — [[Cranky Kong]]
*[[Becky]] — [[Dixie Kong]]
*[[Banana Ice]] — [[Funky Kong]]
*[[Daiki Nakamura]] — [[Bluster Kong]]
*[[Jūrōta Kosugi]] — [[King K. Rool]]
*[[Keiichi Sonobe]] — [[General Klump]], [[Inka Dinka Doo]]
*[[Tomohisa Asô]] — [[Krusha]]
*[[Katsuhisa Hōki]] — [[Kaptain Skurvy]]
*[[Kenyu Horiuchi]] — [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]]

==Episodes==
Two conflicting season numbering schemes exist for the show. [[Nelvana]] considers the show to have three "cycles" (13x13x14),<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060328013320/http://www.nelvana.com/shows/episodes_template.asp?sid=16 "Episodes : Donkey Kong Country" on Nelvana's official website circa 2006]. Retrieved Sunday, June 26, 2021</ref> and this is the numbering used for the show's release on services such as {{wp|Pluto TV}} and {{wp|Tubi}}. The show's official DVDs and release on {{wp|iTunes}},<ref name="iTunes"> [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/donkey-kong-country/umc.cmc.6xhbt8gczd8a24krkj6ac7anl ''Donkey Kong Country'']. iTunes. Retrieved March 24, 2024.</ref> however, identify two seasons, the first being made up of the 26 [[Medialab]]-produced episodes and the second being made up of the 14 Hong Guang-produced episodes. The list below follows the former scheme.

The episodes are listed in production order,<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Donkey-Kong-Country/dp/B00G4E0CBS/ Donkey Kong Country on Amazon Video]</ref> which differs from the order of the original North American air dates.<ref name=epguides/>
;Season 1:
#"[[Bad Hair Day]]"
#"[[Ape Foo Young]]"
#"[[Booty and the Beast]]"
#"[[Barrel, Barrel... Who's Got the Barrel]]"
#"[[Kong for a Day]]"
#"[[Raiders of the Lost Banana]]"
#"[[From Zero to Hero]]"
#"[[Buried Treasure (episode)|Buried Treasure]]"
#"[[Cranky's Tickle Tonic]]"
#"[[Get a Life, Don't Save One]]"
#"[[Orangutango]]"
#"[[Double Date Trouble]]"
#"[[The Curse of Kongo Bongo]]"
;Season 2:
#"[[Speed (episode)|Speed]]"
#"[[Klump's Lumps]]"
#"[[Bluster's Sale Ape-Stravaganza]]"
#"[[Legend of the Crystal Coconut]]"
#"[[Kong Fu (episode)|Kong Fu]]"
#"[[I Spy With My Hairy Eye]]"
#"[[Bug a Boogie]]"
#"[[Watch the Skies]]"
#"[[Baby Kong Blues]]"
#"[[Ape-Nesia]]"
#"[[The Big Chill Out]]"
#"[[To the Moon Baboon]]"
#"[[A Thin Line Between Love & Ape]]"
;Season 3:
#"[[Hooray for Holly-Kongo Bongo]]"
#"[[The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights]]"
#"[[Speak No Evil, Dude]]"
#"[[The Day the Island Stood Still]]"
#"[[Monkey Seer, Monkey Do]]"
#"[[Four Weddings and a Coconut]]"
#"[[Follow That Coconut]]"
#"[[Vote of Kong-Fidence]]"
#"[[The Big Switch-a-Roo]]"
#"[[Hunka Hunka Burnin' Bluster]]"
#"[[Best of Enemies]]"
#"[[It's a Wonderful Life]]"
#"[[Just Kidding]]"
#"[[Message in a Bottle Show]]"

== Differences from the ''Donkey Kong Country'' games ==
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' television series is different in comparison to its respective video game series. The series uses elements from the first ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' game and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', though the show differs heavily from the source material. It also introduces elements that were not seen in previous games such as the inclusion of Bluster Kong and Eddie the Mean Old Yeti.

*None of the musical themes from the games appears; the soundtrack either consists of original music or public domain tracks.
*Donkey Kong is depicted as bipedal rather than walking on fours.
*The [[banana hoard]] never appears in the series. The [[Crystal Coconut]] serves a similar [[Wikipedia:MacGuffin|MacGuffin]] as K. Rool and his minions attempt to steal it in a similar way.
*Cranky is never stated to be DK's [[Cranky Kong#Identity confusion|grandfather]], with the latter referring to Cranky by his name, rather than a family title. Likewise, the series never states him to be the [[Donkey Kong#Donkey Kong series|original Donkey Kong]]. "[[Ape Foo Young]]" depicts a [[Cranky Kong (young)|younger Cranky]], not resembling any previous youthful appearance of him.
*Cranky does not have hair on his head and instead, has white eyebrows.
*Candy Kong looks different from her appearance in the [[Donkey Kong Country|first game]], not wearing a pink bikini, but instead a tank-top with shorts, sandals (rather than being barefoot), and having a different hairstyle that is shorter with a headband and orange hair, rather than being blonde and having a bow.
*Funky Kong has blonde fur rather than brown, wears black goggles instead of sunglasses. He has no necklace.
*Dixie Kong has a different design than she does in her [[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest|first appearance]]. Her fur is brighter to a yellow-like color rather than brown and wears a green blouse with a daisy on it. She also lacks eyelashes and her face shape appears is closer in design to Diddy's; Dixie's face in the games has a different shape from Diddy's. Her beret lacks the [[Rare]] logo.
*[[Swanky Kong]] and [[Wrinkly Kong]] do not appear.
*Kremlings are never referred to by name, being generically referred to as "lizards", "gators", and similar terms. [[Kritter]]s and [[Klaptrap|Klap Traps]] are properly referred by their names, however.
*Klap Traps are depicted as bipedal, rather than on fours like an actual crocodilian. They are also depicted as ammo, being shot from [[Klap-Blaster|guns]]; Klaptraps and [[Klampon|similar]] [[Krimp|entities]] walk on the ground and are not shot. They also have a habit of eating, which aside from their biting attacks, is a trait that did not happen in prior games.
*Not all Kremlings are part of K. Rool's [[Kremling Krew|group]], with [[Kaptain Skurvy]] and his [[Kutlass (character)|two]] [[Green Kroc|minions]] being separate from the group and being occasional enemies of K. Rool, rather than allies.
*No other enemies appear such as [[Gnawty|Gnawties]] or [[Necky|Neckies]].
*The [[Animal Friends]] are absent.
*[[Donkey Kong Island]] is named Kongo Bongo Island or simply, Kongo Bongo.
*The series has various locations that are vaguely inspired by the ones in the first game. 
**[[Monkey Mines]] and [[Kremkroc Industries, Inc.]] appears to serve as inspiration for K. Rool's base.
**The White Mountains appears to be inspired by [[Gorilla Glacier]].
*The [[Gangplank Galleon]] never appears in the series, with K. Rool lacking a pirate motif. [[Kaptain Skurvy's ship]]  appears to take inspiration from said ship.
*[[Cranky's Cabin]] takes place in a forest and does not resemble the cabin that appears in any previous game.
*King K. Rool does not wear a gold chestplate and has a regular chest, similar to his later appearances. Neither one of his eyes are bloodshot by default, although they do enlarge depending on his emotions and become bloodshot in "Ape Foo Young". He also has no tail.

==''Donkey Kong Planet''==
{{main|Donkey Kong Planet}}
In addition to the animated series, Donkey Kong hosted on [[France 2]] ''Donkey Kong Planet'' (also known as ''La planète de Donkey Kong'', ''DKTV'', and ''DKTV.cool''), which was a mix of children's programming and original content featuring part of the cast of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series. The original segments featured Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, and Candy Kong performing musical numbers, parodies of contemporary movies and television shows, and comedic sketches. It debuted on September 4, 1996, the same day the ''Donkey Kong Country'' TV series premiered, and the block continued its run on the channel until September 1, 2001.

==Production==
{{quote|What could be more hip than turning the most popular 3-D game into a computer-animated series? Not only did "Donkey Kong" have a ready-made audience, but the lovable chimp lived in a cool place we'd all like to escape to- the jungle.|Computer Animation: A Whole New World}}

''Donkey Kong Country'' was the first full-length television series to be primarily animated using motion capture,<ref>Ron Fischer, [http://www.motioncapturesociety.com/resources/industry-history The History and Current State of motion capture]. ''Motion Capture Society''. Retrieved October 8, 2015</ref> using [[Medialab]]'s proprietary technology which allowed the animators to see the performance play out in real time.<ref>Legrand, Fabienne (November 11, 2011). ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rcNu8rrLXg L'aventure Donkey Kong chez Medialab]''. YouTube. Retrieved January 25, 2016</ref> Due to this attribute, the company prefered to use the term "Performance Animation" to refer to the animation style of the show.<ref>''Computer Animation: A Whole New World'' (1998, Rockport Publishers). "''Medialab'' Donkey Kong Country". p. 88</ref> This caused controversy when the show was rejected for an {{wp|Emmy Award}} nomination, the reasoning being that the TV academy did not consider the then-new motion capture technique to be a form of animation.<ref>Solomon, Charles (June 1, 1999). [http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jun/01/entertainment/ca-42903 An Emmy Awards Debate: What Makes 'Donkey Kong' Run?]. ''L.A. Times''. Retrieved January 25, 2015</ref>

After writers finalized the characters' roles and personalities, artist Phil Mendez worked on the concept sketches, taking care to keep the characters' appearance simple and geometric to make them easy to convert into three-dimensional models.<ref>''Computer Animation: A Whole New World'' (1998, Rockport Publishers). "''Medialab'' Donkey Kong Country". p. 89</ref> The 3D modellers grouped characters with similar bodies into "families" and used the Alias/Wavefront modeling software to build the digital skeletons, using the "families" as a base to create the individual model.<ref>''Computer Animation: A Whole New World'' (1998, Rockport Publishers). "''Medialab'' Donkey Kong Country". p. 91</ref> Characters' heads were modeled in clay and then digitized.<ref>''Computer Animation: A Whole New World'' (1998, Rockport Publishers). "''Medialab'' Donkey Kong Country". p. 92</ref>

Though groundbreaking, the use of motion capture came with many challenges. As the models had to work for both live motion capture and traditional keyframe-based animation, Medialab had to optimize the models to keep the polygon count low.<ref>''Computer Animation: A Whole New World'' (1998, Rockport Publishers). "''Medialab'' Donkey Kong Country". p. 93`</ref> Writer Simon Racioppa explained that due to the format's limitation, the series bible heavily discouraged new locations and characters, and characters could not be animated picking up objects (although them holding objects was possible). Animating water was also considered "next to impossible".<ref>Matt Paprocki (June 5, 2020) [https://www.polygon.com/features/2020/6/5/21280650/nintendo-movies-based-on-mario-pokemon-donkey-kong-the-wizard-detective-pikachu Inside Nintendo’s weird attempts at making movies and TV shows]. ''Polygon''. Retrieved June 7, 2020.</ref> Speaking of the differences between ''Donkey Kong Country'' and ''{{wp|ReBoot}}'', a 3D animated series that did not employ motion capture, producer Maia Tubiana explained that making the models required "experimentation, discipline, and the ability to live with a few compromises", an example being having to shorten King K. Rool's cape to not interfere with the animation.<ref>''Computer Animation: A Whole New World'' (1998, Rockport Publishers). "''Medialab'' Donkey Kong Country". p. 89</ref> 

According to a post on a fan page by [[Nelvana]] writer [[Erika Strobel]], Medialab had originally obtained the rights to create an animated series from [[Nintendo]]. After thirteen episodes were written, Medialab asked Nelvana for assistance after firing the original writers (who, according to Strobel, had produced scripts "with racist/sexist jokes and just sooo bad for a kiddie show").<ref name="Retrojunk">[http://web.archive.org/web/20081227060342/http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/430-donkey-kong-country/ Retrojunk page for Donkey Kong Country] (August 5, 2008). Erika Strobel's comment is under the username "canuckgirl1966" (Retrieved April 24, 2016)</ref> As storyboards had already been produced for ten of the original scripts, Nelvana decided to write new stories around these storyboards to save money.<ref name="Retrojunk"/> The songs, however, were included at the request of Medialab; all of the show's songs, as well as the title theme, were written by Pure West Music.<ref name="Retrojunk"/><ref>[http://purewestmusic.com/ Pure West Music's website] (information is under the "Credits" tab). Retrieved April 24, 2016.</ref> Nelvana purchased the rights to the show after Medialab's license lapsed.<ref name="Retrojunk"/>

In a YouTube short by video game channel Nintendo Life, former [[Rare]] developer [[Steve Mayles]] claimed that the development team for ''Donkey Kong Country'' games was not involved in the show's production.<ref>Nintendo Life (November 26, 2023). ''[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Tn0Aox2LbhA Showing Donkey Kong Country’s Creator the 90’s TV Show]''. YouTube. Retrieved January 19, 2025</ref>

===Early ideas===
Early reference sketches for production depict multiple concepts that were considered but ultimately unused in the show proper, including the [[Animal Friends]] characters [[Rambi]], [[Expresso]], and [[Winky]], a more game-accurate appearance for Candy Kong and a desert-like area for Kongo Bongo Island.
<gallery>
Dkc cartoon character lineup.png|Character size chart showing the Animal Friends and a different design for Candy Kong
Dkc cartoon wrap around.png|Reference sheet for Donkey Kong and the Kremlings
Dkc cartoon treehouse concept art.png|Concept art for [[DK's Tree House]]
Dkc cartoon kongo bongo concept art.png|Partially-covered concept art for Kongo Bongo Island
</gallery>

==Songs==
{{main|List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) songs}}
In addition to the [[Donkey Kong Country Theme|opening theme song]], most episodes in the series feature two unique songs each, performed by one or more characters to illustrate certain points in the story. The Japanese version has two unique theme songs: [[Ashita ni Nattara...]] as the opening theme and [[Banana Tengoku]] as the ending theme.

==Background music==
The background music for the show was created by [[Pure West]] (Paul Koffman and Timothy Foy). The following songs appeared on albums released by Nelvada.
{|class="wikitable"
!Tracks
!Composer(s)
!Albums
|-
|Guava Nectar
|rowspan="18"|Paul Koffman<br>Timothy Foy
|''NLV 115 - Sunny Day Sounds Vol. 2''
|-
|Edsel
|''NLV 126 - Music for Silly Moments''
|-
|-
|Paisley Man
|''NLV 127 - Funkytown''
|-
|Marching Orders
|''NLV 131 - Clash of the Titans Vol.2''
|-
|Tiny Czar
|''NLV 141 - Just For Laughs Vol. 4''
|-
|Three Piece Suit
|''NLV 148 - Peaceful Jazzy Feeling Vol. 2''
|-
|House Of Frights
|''NLV 151 - Big Top Adventure''
|-
|Meditation Fire
|''NLV 155 - Global Bazaar''
|-
|Jump In
|''NLV 165 - Techno Town''
|-
|Techno Cowboy
|''NLV 166 - Cowboy Camp''
|-
|Quick Con
|rowspan="6"|''NLV 169 - Spy vs Spy''
|-
|Hover Car
|-
|Helicopter Heist
|-
|Sneakers
|-
|The Line Up
|-
|Ragtag Chase
|}

==Staff==
{{main|List of Donkey Kong Country (television series) staff}}
''Donkey Kong Country'' was produced by Nelvana. It was co-produced with [[Medialab]] for the first two seasons and with Hong Guang Animation (Su Zhou) for the third season. The first two seasons were animated by Medialab and the third by an uncredited CGCG Inc.<ref>[http://www.cgcg.com.tw/profile_history.html CGCG Production History]. ''CGCG Inc.''. Retrieved July 01, 2016.</ref>. The soundtrack of the series was composed by the music production company Pure West.

==Gallery==
{{Main-gallery}}
<gallery>
Donkey Kong Country Title Screen (TV Show).PNG|The title screen.
BadHairDayTitleCard.png|Title card of [[Bad Hair Day]].
DKC TV Group Artwork.jpg|The main characters of the series.
</gallery>

==Releases and other merchandise==
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' show is available on iTunes.

Four episodes were released together in North America on a VHS cassette titled ''Donkey Kong Country: The Legend of the Crystal Coconut''. Said episodes were edited together to make them seem like one continuous storyline. However, these episodes were not put together in the proper order; for example, a flashback shown in the third episode actually happened in the fourth episode of the tape. It was released in Canada by Seville Pictures and Nelvana themselves, while in the United States, it was released by Paramount Home Entertainment. Advertisements and the videotape's packaging neglected to mention the program the episodes originated from, with it instead marketed as a standalone film (leading to some confusion among newer viewers of certain content, such as [[Eddie the Mean Old Yeti]]'s brief appearance in "[[Ape-Nesia]]").

The DVDs ''Donkey Kong Country Vol.1'' (released in Australia) and ''Donkey Kong Country - Bad Hair Day'' (released in the United Kingdom) feature several episodes of the series. Two other Australian DVDs, ''Donkey Kong Country: Hooray for Holly Kongo Bongo'' and ''Donkey Kong Country: The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights'', each only feature one episode. Three years after the release of the previous DVDs, an additional DVD titled ''I Spy With My Hairy Eye'' was released in England. There have been over 30 ''Donkey Kong Country'' DVD releases. Starting in 2013, Phase 4 Films, under its Kaboom! Entertainment label, began releasing the series on DVD in North America. On May 12, 2015, the company released the first season of 26 episodes in a 3-disc set. Nelvana once had the entire series available for free streaming on its official YouTube channel until it was turned into the official [[wikipedia:Wayside (TV Series)|Wayside]] channel.

The series had a large line of merchandise in Japan, including playsets, a [[Donkey Kong Board Game|board game]], and a [[Donkey Kong Card Game (trading cards)|collectible card game]] by [[Nintendo]] and [[Ahomaro Games]]. A subsequent release of the card game featured characters and gimmicks based on ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''. The television series took over the TV Tokyo Friday 6:30 PM timeslot from ''{{wp|Gokudo}}'', and was later replaced by ''{{wp|Hamtaro}}''. As with most programs in Japan, the series has received home releases through rental tapes.
<gallery>
DKTV Rental Volume2.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 2
DKTV Rental Vol5.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 5
DKTV Rental Vol6.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 6
DKTV Rental Vol7.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 7
DKTV Rental Vol8.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 8
DKTV Rental Vol9.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 9
DKTV Rental Vol10.jpg|Japanese Rental Volume 10
DKCcartoon Japanese rental vol13.jpeg|Japanese Rental Volume 13
</gallery>

DVDs and one VHS were also released:
<gallery>
DKC Legend of the Crystal Coconut VHS.jpg
DKC Complete First Season DVD.jpg
DKC Raiders of the Lost Banana DVD.jpg
DKC He Came, He Saw, He Kong-quered DVD.jpg
DKCCrystalCoconutDVD.jpg
</gallery>

The television series also received a dedicated two volume manga, ''[[Uho'uho Daishizen Gag: Donkey Kong]]''. It was serialized in the [[Shogakukan]]'s [[CoroCoro Comics]] in 2000 to 2001.

==Legacy==
===''DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle''===
'''''DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle''''' is an animation based on the show that was created by [https://youtube.com/@alexhendersonanimation?si=OI9ktog-tI6zifX- Alex Henderson Animation] and released on May 8, 2023.<ref>{{Cite|url=https://youtu.be/1eggzBAzCZg?si=491WlBddeloIyGcV|title=DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle - Animated Short|author=Alex Henderson Animation|publisher=YouTube|date=May 8, 2023|accessdate=February 8, 2025}}</ref> The animation is about King K. Rool's return to his crew after a ten year absence, during which he was assumed to be dead. He makes his return in musical form by singing "Tip the Scale," which is in reference to the songs featured in the show. Various voice actors from the show; [[Ben Campbell|Benedict Campbell]], [[Adrian Truss]], [[Ron Rubin]], and [[Richard Yearwood]] all reprise their roles as King K. Rool, General Klump, Kaptain Skurvy and Donkey Kong, respectively. A [[Klinger]] is also voiced by Campbell. While Donkey Kong is not voiced in the main video, he does speak in the post-credits scene.

==References in later media==
*''[[Super Mario-kun]]'': One volume features appearances by Bluster Kong and the series' interpretation of Candy Kong.
*''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'': Cranky Kong's chemistry hobby is retained in this game. Crystal Coconuts are used to power the [[Kong Barrel]] powers and the Klump in the intro is stated by the manual to be General Klump.
*''[[Donkey Konga 3 JP]]'': The Japanese [[Ashita ni Nattara...|opening]] and [[Banana Tengoku|ending]] themes of the series are featured as songs that can be played.
*''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]'': For the game's marketing campaign, Nintendo UK's {{wp|Facebook}} page posted {{file link|DKC Returns 3D DKC cartoon reference.jpeg|an image}} titled "What is your Donkey Kong name?". Two of the names listed are "Bluster" and "Eddie", referencing Bluster Kong and Eddie the Mean Old Yeti.
*''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'': In the [[Nintendo Switch]] version of the game, [[Tawks]] will sometimes tell [[Funky Kong]] to "give 'em the old banana slamma, dude",<ref>Nintendo Life (April 25, 2018). [https://youtu.be/K_yaJjLiS_8 Weird Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Switch TV Show Easter Egg]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved April 25, 2018.</ref> which is a reference to Donkey Kong's catchphrase in the series.

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn=ドンキーコング
|JpnR=Donkī Kongu
|JpnM=Donkey Kong
|JpnC=<ref>{{Cite|url=https://youtu.be/byZ3wEeVqMQ?si=PGsI_qsHARG5fUbB|title=Donkey Kong Country TV Show Japanese Opening|author=Japancommercials4U2|publisher=YouTube|date=March 6, 2009}}</ref>
|Dut=Donkey Kong Country
|DutC=<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1usSWESaPTw Donkey Kong Country Dutch Dub - Bad Hair Day, Kong for a Day, Barrel, Barrel... Who's Got the Barrel]</ref>
|Fre=Donkey Kong
|FreM=Donkey Kong
|FreC=<ref>{{Cite|url=https://youtu.be/pRN1F6bIWbc?si=JBjXKCoEBWgxrmS7|title=Donkey Kong Country TV Show French Intro|author=Japancommercials4U2|publisher=YouTube|date=March 6, 2009}}</ref>
|Ger=Donkey Kongs Abenteuer
|GerM=Donkey Kong's Adventure
|GerC=<ref>Donkey Kong Country Forever (September 3, 2020). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmSwaB8FcBo&list=PLwpK-VGAzSVQZZUlU5naklddi64dG8qfM Donkey Kong Country Deutsch S2E1 - Der Große Film <nowiki>[HD-Breitbild]</nowiki>]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved November 9, 2024.</ref>
|Gre=Ντόνκυ Κονγκ
|GreR=Dónki Konng
|GreM=Donkey Kong
|GreC=<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqV0PWkLbtA Ντόνκυ Κονγκ - Η εξαφάνιση της κρυστάλλινης καρύδας]</ref>
|Ita=Donkey Kong Country
|Kor=동키콩<ref>레오. (January 1, 2020). [https://youtu.be/tST3woj47-U?si=MZLJvSmE94Aqbo_t (고화질) 동키콩 OP]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved November 9, 2024.</ref>
|KorR=Dongki Kong
|KorM=Donkey Kong
|Por=Donkey Kong Country
|PorC=<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXQkqhrvnZM&list=PLwzf4mOPE8BmkSmu1Uhw1ZoWkng0f3wLf Donkey Kong Country - Um Dia Ruim]</ref>
|Svk=Gorila v červenej kravate
|SvkM=Gorilla in a red tie
|SvkC=<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip_SyA-ZY7A Donkey Kong Country - Season 2 Episode 8 (SLOVAK)]</ref>
|Spa=El país de Donkey Kong
|SpaM=Donkey Kong's Country
|SpaC=<ref>Donkey Kong Country Forever (June 20, 2020). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZMVPAvpiSs&list=PLwpK-VGAzSVQTFVLMJDiinHrkGytMXjc0&index=1 El país de Donkey Kong S1E1 - Dia Nocivo Para El Pelo <nowiki>[HD de pantalla panorámica]</nowiki>]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved November 9, 2024.</ref>
|Snh=Donkey Kong
|SnhC=<ref name=Sinhalese>{{Cite|url=https://youtu.be/MZ_2dws3rIc?si=NJpOrlNGjixlfvRY|title=Donkey Kong Country - Intro (සිංහල/Sinhalese, Undubbed)|author=ABTube27|publisher=YouTube|date=October 7, 2019|accessdate=December 6, 2024}}</ref>
|SnhM=Donkey Kong
}}

==Notes==
*In the Japanese dub, the voice actors for Donkey Kong and Candy Kong, Kōichi Yamadera and Mika Kanai, were married to each other during the series' run.
*The villains in the show are never referred to as [[Kremling]]s, only as "lizards", "gators", and similar terms. However, enemies like [[Kritter]]s and [[Klaptrap|Klap Trap]]s are still referred to by their names from the games.
*All non-Kremling enemies from the first game ([[Zinger]]s, [[Gnawty|Gnawties]], [[Manky Kong]]s, etc.) are omitted and the Kremlings' military force is mostly simplified to Kritters and Klap Traps (the latter of which is considered ammunition for weapons instead of troops). Other Kremling enemies appear as individualized characters, with the exception of [[Rock Kroc]], which does not appear at all. Additionally, none of the [[Animal Friends]] appear, though three of them were considered. The only character to neither be a Kong nor a Kremling to have a model in the series is [[Polly Roger]], while [[Inka Dinka Doo]] is part of the scenery.
*In multiple episodes, Donkey Kong admits to being a fan of [[King Kong]]; this is ironic considering that {{wp|Universal Studios}} [[List of controversies#Universal Studios|attempted to sue Nintendo]] for a copyright dispute based on the similarities between ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' and King Kong.
*Though the series is based on the first three ''Donkey Kong Country'' games, its {{wp|Apple TV}} listing background is artwork from ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'', which released a decade after the series ended. As such, the background shows [[Rambi]] and members of the [[Tiki Tak Tribe]], despite them not appearing in the series.<ref name="iTunes" />
*In the Sinhalese dub, the opening includes the {{file link|DKandDiddy DKCR.png|artwork}} of DK and Diddy from ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''.<ref name=Sinhalese/>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBZNlAa1UKF6GYKmHuyuMktX3nVwuw_aE All full episodes of the show in English] officially uploaded on YouTube, courtesy of [[Nelvana]]'s [https://nelvana.fandom.com/wiki/Retro_Rerun Retro Rerun] channel
{{DKC TV}}
{{TV series and films}}
[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country (television series)|*]]
[[de:Donkey Kongs Abenteuer]]
[[it:Donkey Kong Country (serie animata)]]