King

King is a Canadian animated television series produced by Decode Entertainment and Funbag Animation Studios that aired on Family Channel between August 15, 2003, and March 19, 2005. Plot Russell Wright is a young boy who finds a portal under his bed that leads to an alternate universe called Under. As he is from 'Up' (i.e., the regular world) and acquires the crown of Under, he is proclaimed the King. Most episodes have multiple subplots, and deal with villain Bob Wire's attempts of stealing the crown and becoming king himself; however, he is regularly foiled by Russell and/or his friends. Other recurring themes are the attempts of Cliff, who was the former king of Under, to bully Russell into handing over the crown while he's in Up; and various confrontations between Under and the neighboring country of Near Under. Added to this are issues involving monsters, money, environmental issues, and even time travel.<ref>{{IMDb title|id=tt0405560|title=King (TV Series 2003– )'}}</ref> Characters Russell Wright (voiced by Mark Rendall) moves into a new house with his family, comprising his older sister Lou, and his parents (the father was only seen briefly in short scenes throughout the series). Thanks to Gus (and Cliff, technically), Russell discovers the passageway beneath his bed in the turret room (which he chose after unknowingly seeing Vernon's eye-looker probe in the window) and uses it to descend to Under. There he befriends Loopy and Vernon, and challenges Bob Wire for the crown, subsequently becoming Under's new king. Surprisingly, he is a smart and righteous ruler of Under in contrast to other former rulers, despite the fact he's only 12 at the onset of season 1. The crown confers upon the wearer certain abilities, at least one of which is the ability to breathe underwater, as long as the crown is being worn. It is assumed these abilities only work in Under. Gus (voiced by James Kee) is a West Highland White Terrier, who can talk with a Scottish accent in Under (where dogs, cats, and possibly other Up animals are sapient). He is "doggedly" loyal to Russell and his friends, and is very brave, sarcastic, blunt, and gutsy, often taking on (and usually scaring away) much larger foes. Loopy (Adam Greydon Reid) is one of Russell's subjects, who displays effeminate and cowardly tendencies, such as being obsessed with butterflies, Shoosh-Bangs (fireworks), and the name "Gack" (which he wishes to name everything from pet animals to Up).