The Secret Saturdays

The Secret Saturdays (originally called Cryptids) is an American animated television series created by Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens (creator of the Emmy-winning cartoon, Tutenstein) for Cartoon Network. The series is about a family of secret agents that work to keep the truth about cryptids from getting out, to protect both the human race and the creatures themselves. It premiered in Fall 2008.

A feature film was originally planned for this series to officially end it, but due to the many new shows being introduced to Cartoon Network during the time, it was canned.

History
When Stephens first pitched the show, it was called Cryptids, after the monsters undiscovered by science. It involved a crack team of globe trotting cryptozoologist that were uniquely qualified for the job because they were once cryptids themselves. Okapi, Komodo, and Megamouth, along with their nine-year-old human mascot, Francis, served as a sort of anti-detective team. They scooted across land, sea, and air in what is called Campercopter, and their goal is to preserve the mystery of the world’s strangest creatures before they are exposed by humans or destroyed by the Cryptids' nemesis, Monsieur Dodo. When this version got him nowhere with many networks — though they did show interest for some time — he went "back to the drawing board".

Months later, the show was picked up by Cartoon Network with its current format and name. Nine-year-old Francis became 11 and 13-year-old Zak Saturday, and many of the original characters were canned. For a time, the network wanted the show's name to be The Secret Adventures Of Zak Saturday, but it was later re-decided. Unlike other mystery shows, the goal of 'The Secret Saturdays' aren't to expose the truth about cryptids, but to keep them secret.

In July 2008, Cartoon Network started a viral campaign for the show. Several commercials for a website called 'Cryptids Are Real' aired on Cartoon Network. Each commercial featured a pet of the Saturday family: One showed Fiskerton, another Komodo, and a final one showed Zon. On one area of the website held a 'secret' document. While most of the words were blacked-out, the names of Drew and Doc (two of the main characters) were revealed. The website also showed a blueprint of the Saturdays family's airship. During San Diego Comic-Con 2008, booklets about a show called Weirdworld (the show-within-a-show) were given out, with the website for it on the back of them. Unlike the previous website, this one couldn't be traced back to Cartoon Network. On July 29, Gawker showed a photo of a supposed dead monster that washed ashore in Montauk, Long Island. However, it was later revealed to be part of Cartoon Network viral campaign for The Secret Saturdays. Later, commercials for Weirdworld aired on Cartoon Network for a few weeks before a commercial for the Secret Saturdays was aired on August 14.

Premise
Doc, Drew and Zak Saturday are a family of world-saving scientists called "The Secret Saturdays". Living in a hidden base, they are part of a network of cryptozoologists who protect mankind against all the hidden and terrifying things in this world. In this show, ordinary folktales aren’t just legends, but real-life mysteries and adventures. Traveling from the hot Gobi Desert to the icy Marianas Trench, they explore ancient temples and bottomless caves and tangle with twisted villains, all in the attempt to keep the existence of cryptids secret, to protect mankind and the creatures themselves.

Heroes

 * Doc Saturday: Solomon "Doc" Saturday is the father and the "Indiana Jones"-like character who spent his whole life studying cryptids and builds many of the gadgets the family uses. Voiced by Phil Morris.


 * Drew Saturday: Drew Saturday is the mother and the one who "believes in the magic". Thus, she is willing to believe in something before the evidence is found. Being raised by gypsies, she is used to traveling around the world. Voiced by Nicole Sullivan.


 * Zak Saturday: Zak Saturday is their 11 and 13-year-old son who jumps right away into every adventure. Zak has a special bond with cryptids, and may have the power to communicate with them. Also, he is the reincarnated form of Kur, a lendendary cryptid thought to bring the ending of days to humans. Voiced by Sam Lerner.


 * Doyle : Van Rook's former apprentice and Drew's long-lost younger brother, Doyle had previously helped Zak at the end of "The Ice Caverns of Ellef Ringnes", starting a stable relationship with him. In "Van Rook's Apprentice", his mask was removed while he and Drew were fighting, revealing his identity to her. Drew is initially distrustful of him when it appears as if he set her up in order to steal an artifact from their home, but he earns her trust by stealing a piece of the Kur Stone from V.V. Argost. He now lives with the Saturdays, but unlike the other Saturdays, Doyle uses street smarts, has a tough attitude, and rushes into things head-first. He uses a jetpack and concusion grenades. Voiced by Will Friedle.


 * Fiskerton: Fiskerton is an seven-foot-tall "gorilla-cat" with glowing red eyes called a "Fiskerton Phantom" that was adopted by the Saturday family when he lost his home in Nottinghamshire, England. Voiced by Diedrich Bader.


 * Zon: Zon is a surviving member of a thought to-be-extinct Pterosaur species who lives in a nest near the Saturday Headquarters. Voiced by Fred Tatasciore.


 * Komodo: Komodo is a 250-pound komodo dragon owned by the Saturday family that can turn invisible. Voiced by Fred Tatasciore.

Villains

 * V.V. Argost: The series' main villain and host of the show Weirdworld. He is obsessed with finding the powerful cryptid, Kur. Though it is usually thought that Argost is a villain, Argost (after learning of Zak being the human form of Kur) helped Zak control his powers. Though in the end, Argost (like usually) betrayed Zak. It remains unclear if he actually felt some type of caring for the young Saturday or if it was purely a plan from the begining. Voiced by Corey Burton.


 * Munya: Munya is Argost's manservant can inject himself with the DNA of a Papuan Giant Spider to transform into a half-human/half-cryptid monster in battles. Voiced by Fred Tatasciore.


 * Van Rook: A rival cryptozoologist, Leondias Van Rook is solely interested in proving the existence of cryptids for money. Similar to Doc Saturday, he is an inventor and has many high-tech gadgets. Helping Van Rook is his sidekick Doyle.

Appearances in other media
Zak, Doc, Drew, Fiskerton, and V.V. Argost appeared as NPCS in Birthday Bash update of the MMO online game, Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall. A nano of Zak Saturday also appeared.

Zak and Argost was seen in Cartoon Network's 20th anniversary poster/wallpaper.

Zak appeared in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes series finale, Thank You For Watching the Show. He was in CN City, about to attacked by Strike (the main antagonist of Crossover Nexus), along with Sunny Bridges (from Class of 3000), and Randall P. McDuff (from the failed Cartoon Network TV movie pilot, Party Wagon), most likely due to the three of them making up for their absence in Crossover Nexus.

USA
Cartoon Network (2008-2010, original-run; 2010, reruns)