They wander through Central Park and meet Emma. Gerry straight up says, “Have you seen my phone?” Emma replies, “You must have left it at one of your meetings.” Larry looks down in shame. Gerry continues: “Emma, tell me, what’s the fastest way to Radio City Music Hall?” Emma points silently in the right direction. Gerry leads the way, and Larry follows and looks at Emma with an apologizing look.

Both arrive at Rockefeller Plaza. They stand behind the barrier on the open air area next to the NBC Today Show Studio. Gerry is constantly ready. Al Roker, the nice weather frog, presents right next to Gerry and Larry. “That’s what’s going on in the country.” He speaks to Gerry live on TV: “What’s going on in your neck of the woods?” and holds the microphone to him. Gerry spontaneously says: “I’m Gerry from Frogtown, and I’m here to become an Animal Star.”

The storks sit on the couch in their base, eat cornflakes, and watch the morning show. They suddenly look at each other as if they want to ask something. Both answer: “No.”

Al Roker smiles and pats Gerry on the shoulder: “Little man, casting is over there.” He points to 50th Street. A colorful bunch of animals stand there in an endless line. Gerry sneaks away, intimidated. Al Roker calls after him: “Good luck my friend.” Then continues: “Let’s go straight over to Tom at the Radio City Music Hall.” Gerry and Larry disappear in the huge bunch of animals.

Tom, a sly hyena who has grown far too small for his huge ego, reports live: “Ladies and gentlemen, a rush of talents from around the world has arrived to convince our top-class jury. Our head juror can hardly wait…” Tom takes a breath: “…he once came to this city and did not let the neon lights distract him because he is a real predator. He knows exactly what it takes to rock the music business. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only: Pale Male!” Tom takes a deep breath as the director switches live to Pale Male at the jury desk. The famous New York red-tailed buzzard sits in his chair and makes a phone call. The production assistant, a vixen who constantly talks into her headset, waves to him excitedly. Pale overlooks her, just like the red light on the camera.

In front of Radio City Music Hall, Tom waves aggressively. He pushes the microphone to the side and shouts: “I’m talking to you, you old bird.” Even more aggressive: “Damn! Look at me when I talk to you. You’re only here because you have something to prove to your daughter.” He yells that his toupee is shaking: “Hello!”

In the studio, Pale is startled when he sees the red light on the camera. He quickly puts the phone away and smiles.

Tom also switches back to his professional mode and says: “Yes, he is our friend and role model Pale Male.” He blinks ironically and continues: “Let’s have a look at some of the promising talents.”

A donkey, dressed as a unicorn, with a party hat and rainbow mane, jostles into the picture. He throws glitter confetti and shouts: “Hui!” Tom walks on to a chicken with an egg and shakes the glitter out of its fur. The chicken announces: “A star is born.” Tom looks at her with disgust. She points to the egg that she is carrying in front of her chest and “beep,” there is a knocking in the egg. Mama chicken is moved. Tom walks on, bored. The shell breaks, and as in an old rock song, the chicken sounds loud and in a full voice: “Mama!” Tom is not interested in all this. Josef, a stinking plumber rat is standing in front of Tom, who tells him: “The delivery entrance is back there. Tom goes to Ramona, a real hippo diva with Pascal on her shoulder, a submissive maggot hacker. Her relationship status can be described with: “It’s complicated.” Tom: “Oh, a real lady. What will you perform for us today, my dearest?” Pascal screams: “Mine!” Ramona hammers a clichéd soul sound into the microphone. Tom’s hair is waved through, confetti remains are blown out, and the microphone cracks and scratches. A bat covers its ears, its eyes swell up and it falls over. Absolute silence takes over. More bats fall from the facades of the surrounding skyscrapers. Tom points his hair, taps on the microphone. “One, two. Test. Very nice. Very nice. Thank you.” He tries to get away from her.

A beatboxing sloth hangs and chills in a microphone cable on the barrier. Tom rears up in front of him within his possibilities and it falls asleep. Next to him are Carl and Heinz, two quarrelsome but inseparable turtles. Tom addresses them: “And who are you guys?” Both say their names in a delayed way but at the same time. Carl complains directly to Heinz: “He asked me.” Carl interjects: “But you are always too slow.” “Too slow? Me?” Tom can’t take it in anymore: “It’s okay. What do you do?” Carl tells Heinz, “Turn around.” Carl replies, “Why is it always me?” “Because I’m always too slow for you.” Tom tears his fur out and grits his teeth furiously. Carl pulls drumsticks out of the shell, stands on his hind legs, and drums on Heinz like on a hand pan. An elephant standing next to him trumpets and comes dangerously close to the two. Heinz drops the sticks and they retreat into their shells. The elephant looks down in horror: “Sorry!” Tom shouts: “Cowabunga,” and goes to Gerry and Larry.

The post Frogs – Episode 5 appeared first on FROGS.

It is getting dark in Central Park and the kings of the night are getting tired. Emma, a small, excited skunk, greets the two in ambush style: “Hey guys, where are you from? Where are you going?” A barely noticeable, nervous wind escapes her. She continues frantically: “What are you doing? May I join in? You’re an odd couple. Friends? Best friends? In love? Engaged? Married?“ Larry’s beak is wide open, and Emma is unstoppable: “Or simply relatives?” Emma lets one out. “I’m Emma.” She spells: “E-M-M-A,” and keeps talking: “Will you be my friends? Will you? Come on! Come on!” Larry’s face turns green. Gerry answers quite openly: “Sure, I’m Gerry and this is Larry, and we are…” Emma interrupts him and lets one out: “Tourists? Larry and Gerry? No, I got it. Gerry and Larry. Never mind.” She yells, “You’re my friends.” Gerry explains, “I want to win Animal Stars.” Emma forgets herself and waves her tail wildly: “Wohoooo!” Larry chokes discreetly: “Unfortunately, we have to go now.” Emma invites: “Why don’t you sleep at my place? Right over there. We can stay up all night, tell each other stories, and do all the things friends do.” Larry cuts her off: “Appointments!” Emma understandingly say, “Sure, Animal Stars. How silly of me. I’ll see you on TV.” Larry pulls Gerry away and Emma whispers, “If I only knew what friends do.”

Larry builds a nest of twigs, straws, and plastic waste. Gerry sits in the grass and admires the New York animals that do not behave like animals. They are styled, make selfies, have no predators, but eat packaged stuff and drink Coffee To Go. He discovers a duck swimming lonely on the lake and runs to it. That was close! Gerry almost collided with a jogging squirrel with big headphones. “Sorry!” But she doesn’t care about his apology and continues to run unwaveringly. At the lake, Gerry realizes that it’s just a plastic duck floating in the water along with other trash. He misses home and thinks of Frogtown, Mummy, and Daddy. He pulls out his cell phone, but only the battery symbol is flashing.

Rana is lying in her room, looking at Gerry’s profile picture. He is doing the crown move, but he is offline. Rana sighs: “Oh Gerry.”

It is bedtime in the straw nest, and Larry yawns: “Sleep well Gerry.” Gerry exhausted: “Tomorrow will be my big day.” He falls asleep. Larry takes off his scarf, covers Gerry, keeps him warm, and has only a newspaper for a blanket.

Larry is trapped in his worst nightmare. A dark, ominous tower in a desolate place, with holes all around like a dovecote, from which storks fly with babies in slings. It is the “delivery center for babies of all kinds and sizes.” A UFO hovers over the inner ring, and with the help of a tractor beam, it lowers babies onto pallets. The babies crawl wildly around. The colonel storks with their berets can no longer cope with the many deliveries. Hectically, they try with forklifts to move the pallets into the outer ring, where the vegetarian transport storks have to live. There they wait under constant surveillance for their next delivery. As soon as a stork is loaded and ready to leave, a gate opens and he begins the delivery. The colonel stork shakes violently at Larry’s bunk bed: “Get up Veggie. Line up!” Larry’s delivery is ready. Lovingly, he puts the baby chameleon into the sling, but suddenly, she disappears. Larry is frightened. Blink. Blink. Two big eyes blink at him with long lashes. Larry wakes up, rubs his eyes, and goes back to sleep. There is a yelling, “Get up, Larry.” A baby alien with a glowing finger and a return label with the words “Mars” is standing next to him, and with a jetpack. Just a dream! Larry tries to sleep. “Get up!” This time, a dragon with hiccups is waiting. Hiccup! Breathing heavily, Larry falls asleep again. “Get up,” Larry looks with burnt beak at a pallet with a baby elephant.

The post Frogs – Episode 4 appeared first on FROGS.

Al and Larry are sitting with bibs at the table in the stork base. Al hammers with the cutlery on the table top. Eddy blows the dust off a rusty fish tin. Squeak! The can opens. Eddy slaps three unappetizing fish on the plates and prettifies them frantically with seaweed. Al throws the cutlery: “What is this?” Eddy tries to calm him down: “Delicious Fish Boss.” Larry pushes his plate gingerly to Al: “I am not hungry.” His stomach growls. Al devours both portions and chews: “Well, so you are not hungry.” Larry sneaks away. Al looks at him suspiciously.

Larry stumbles after his greedy beak, hidden in the reeds. “Chomp, chomp, chomp.” Yummy duckweed. Until he hits Eddy’s feet. Caught looks up. Dark looks down. Larry begs, “No! Please don’t say anything.” Eddy blurts out, “Boss, you gotta see this.” Al steps up to them. He looks deep into Larry’s eyes. “Larry?” Eddy gossips, “Larry has…” He gets Al to say, “Who’s talking to you?” Duckweed dripping from Larry’s beak. He stares down intimidated. Al continues, “Again? Tomorrow you’ll prove you’re a frog eater. Otherwise, I’m gonna have to put you in baby delivery.” Eddy mocks, “Baby delivery.” Al sends Eddy dark stork looks and yells to Larry: “Get it?” Larry sheepishly says, “Yes.” Al bursts out, “Did you hear me?” Larry braces: “Yes, boss.”

Henry spills his morning coffee when Gerry takes him firmly in his arms. “I have to go, Dad.” Henry wonders, “But it’s Sunday? Okay. I’ll see you later.” Gerry runs away. Larry sits on a stone by the lake, his head hangs down, and he hits his reflection in the water. Al and Eddy admire the stork base within earshot. They marvel at the Pentagon made of sticks, with a helipad with S instead of H, and a flag with a stork instead of an eagle. Al explains: “We are a special unit and do not tolerate weaklings.” Al takes down the photo with the Pentagon. The real stork base comes to light: A shabby fishing hut. Al continues: “Let’s go. We have a mission. Where is this weakling?” Eddy triumphantly says: “Frog eating!” Larry sobs on the shore, “Weakling!” He shakes and flies away unnoticed.

Larry circles aimlessly over the forest and discovers Gerry among the trees. He encourages himself: “Weakling?” Nosedive! Larry pounces on Gerry. Snap! Just missed. Gerry runs away in panic and screams for help. Larry makes a sharp turn. Gerry gets caught in a spider web. His legs dangle in the air. The beak comes threateningly close. “No, please don’t. I am too small. Help Daddy.” Snap! Silence. Gerry disappears in the beak. Gulp. Larry spits him out. He lands hard at Larry’s feet, soaked in drool and wrapped in cobwebs. Larry comes up: “Ahh, that’s disgusting.” He wipes his tongue with his wings. Gerry asks carefully: “Am I dead?” Larry shakes his head, and Gerry shakes off the drool and cobweb. “What kind of stork are you?” Larry replies, embarrassed: “Vegetarian. A weakling.” Gerry enthusiastically says: “Veggie stork. That’s cool.” Larry says, “If I don’t eat frogs, I’ll have to deliver babies.” And Gerry says sensitively, “I heard about that.” “And you, what kind of frog are you?” “I’m running away,” Larry continues, “That sticky?” Gerry blames him, “This is all your fault! I’ll never make it to Animal Stars looking like this.” “You’re running away for a casting show?” “It’s a long story.” Larry asks him to sing, looks him straight in the eye, and says, “Please.” Gerry begins anxiously. Larry’s googly eyes get bigger and bigger. He starts to clatter to the rhythm and applauds at the end. Gerry is terrified when Larry’s beak comes too close. “All is well, little frog. I’m not going to hurt you.” Larry carefully leans over to him, caresses him with his beak, and says smilingly: “Veggiestork. No danger.” “What’s your name?” Gerry asks. Larry answers: “Larry,” and Gerry says “Gerry.” Larry laughs, “Gerry and Larry?” Both cheer, “Gerry and Larry!” Gerry swabs off the last cobweb remains. Thusnelda, the spider, coughs to get attention for herself and her destroyed web. Larry depressed: “Sorry, Thusnelda.” Gerry carefully puts her back into the web. Thusnelda attacks them both: “Rowdies!” Larry takes off his scarf, puts it in his beak, and shouts, “Please take your places. Your flight to Animal Stars will take off in a few moments.” Gerry jumps skeptically into the scarf and Larry takes off jerkily. Larry triumphantly says, “Animal Stars ahead.” Gerry enters “NYC” into his cell phone and notices: “I think you’re flying in the wrong direction.” Larry outraged: “Never. Storks are the kings of the air.” The voice in Gerry’s cell phone corrects, “Please turn around at the next possibility.” Larry suddenly turns around. Both call: “Animal stars ahead.”

The post Frogs – Episode 3 appeared first on FROGS.

Gerry sits in the Frogguard-Headquarters and yawningly has his eyes on the youngsters. A small frog drifts out onto the lake from the frog kindergarten. Gerry screams: “Dad! Steve!” No one answers. “Help! Dad!” Gerry dutifully grabs his buoy, takes a deep breath, and whispers Henry’s words: “You’re already a good frogguard.” He raises his head and storms to the lake.

Cordula and Bernhard, two chatty trouts, hang around the shore. “Tell me, Bernhard, my dear. Have you heard?” Bernhard looks at her attentively, as Gerry jumps on his back like on a jet ski. “Cough, ouch.” Cordula grumbles: “Not like that young man. Always these frogs. What are they thinking?” Gerry pushes: “Come on Bernie. Let’s go!” Bernard restrains him: “Just a moment, little man. Henry always says: ‘A rescue frog never swims out alone’.” Gerry jumps into the water and swims. Bernhard is speechless: “Those frogs, no, no, no.” Cordula joins in: “Outrageous.”

Eddy, in the sky, opens his eyes and alerts Al: “Frog legs and baby frog delicacy at 3 o’clock, boss.” Al gives the order to attack: “Get them!” Henry and Steve are back. Henry screams: “Gerry! No!” And he hits the red button that makes the stork alert sirens sound all over the village. Al looks down, irritated at Larry, and yells, “What are you waiting for? That is a direct order. Attack!” Larry fakes an attack. Chaotic croaking. The tadpoles crowd together. Albert, the weatherman, screws himself into his glass. The inhabitants throw themselves on the floor or disappear under parasols. Steve sprints to the lake with a buoy and Henry on the roof to the catapult. “Fire!” The spiky chestnut rustles through the air, but Eddy dodges easily. Henry reloads, pulls on the catapult, but doesn’t manage to pull it tight. He remembers Gerry as a baby, playing with a butterfly in a water lily and singing crookedly. Henry struggles. Charged. “Fire!” The spiky projectile flies. “Take that!” The little drifting frog looks helplessly into the sky at the plummeting Eddy. The water turns yellow. The chestnut hammers Eddy out of his flight path at the last moment and gets stuck in his beak. “Boss, I’m hit. Mayday, mayday. I’m going down.” He staggers through the air and catches himself just above the water. Larry breathes a sigh of relief and rises to Al. Eddy follows him. Steve jumps on Bernhard’s back. ” Ugh!” “Come on. Quickly over to Gerry!” Bernhard replies conscientiously: “But Henry always says…” Steve kicks him in the side like a horse, and they shoot to Gerry like lightning. Cordula: “But you can say that in a nicer way.” Steve pulls the two frogs towards him.

The storks gather at a safe height. Al plans the next attack. “Second attack on my command.” Eddy remarks: “Boss. I have limited visibility.” Al beats the chestnut from Eddy’s beak. “Birdbrain.” Larry cautiously replies, “Hey, guys, wouldn’t we rather fly home?” Al ponders, “Okay, men, I can’t stand the sight of you anymore anyway.” Larry takes a deep breath. “We still got some canned fish,” Eddy throws in. Al nods: “But tomorrow, we’ll get those little croaking bastards.” Al and Eddy scream triumphantly: “We are frog eaters!” Larry moans: “Yes, exactly. Frog eaters. Copy that, Boss.” Al gives the order to fly back to base. The storks fly away. The spectators gather on the beach and take selfies with their new heroes. Steve gives Gerry a high-five. “Good job, buddy.” Gerry enjoys the attention but searches the crowd for his father; unsuccessfully.

End of work at the frogguard headquarters. Gerry and Steve are expected by Henry in his executive chair, with folded arms. Steve wants to soften the situation a bit: “That was really brave.” Henry: “That was just reckless. And we’ll talk another time.” Steve sneaks away. “Dad!” Gerry replies incomprehensibly. Henry explains to him that he has to follow the rules of a frogguard under all circumstances. Gerry quotes praying mantra-like: “A frogguard never swims out alone!” Henry gets pictures from the drawer and slams them on the table. “Look, Herbert also believed that he could swim out by himself.” He shows him a photo with an empty water surface. “Oskar.” A photo of a stork with a couple of frog legs dangling from its beak. “Or Grandpa Toni, from whom I took over the office.” Gerry hooks in: “But Grandpa Toni didn’t come back from vacation, did he?” Henry pulls out a black-and-white photo, showing Toni with long swimming trunks, thumb outstretched, and cocktail. A perch with its mouth open jumps out of the water in the background. Henry warns: “What if this stork had caught you? With that attitude, you’ll never be a real frogguard.” Gerry gets up, leaves, and throws at his father: “And what if I don’t want to become a frogguard?” He slams the door. Henry whispers with a tear in his eye, “What if that stork had caught you.”

In the evening, Gerry sits on his bed and enjoys the posts about himself on his cellphone. A TV spot about Animal Stars, a new casting show, immediately draws him under its spell.

The post Frogs – Episode 2 appeared first on FROGS.

One house further on, Rana yawns in her bed. She wears round glasses and frizzy hair. Her mom is a teacher in the village school, and her name is Elisabeth. She puts on her lipstick, which underlines her styling.

In Gerry’s room, in the Frog House just across the street, complete chaos reigns. Gerry jumps with a golden microphone through his own world and sings to his karaoke machine. His bed is the stage, and the posters with his idols are the audience. Among them is a picture of Tiffy a Chihuahua-It-Girl dog with a toothpaste smile. Gerry hammers the last note into the microphone and jumps off the bed with a sweeping gesture that rattles one floor below.

There, as every morning, his daddy Henry is waiting for him, standing behind the open front door in his orange swimming trunks and whistle. He looks tensely at his wristwatch. Sophia, Gerry’s mom, calms him down and calls, “Come on, Daddy is waiting for you!” Gerry throws the microphone on the bed, stuffs a few school things in his satchel, and lets the karaoke machine roar.

“Yes, I’m coming,” he calls out to mom and dad halfway down the stairs. He turns around again. “Forgotten!” He yells and jumps into the room of his little sister, Flower, who is snoring gently, and gives her a big kiss. Slowly, she opens one eye and smiles at him.

Henry leaves the house with Gerry. He strides ahead and his son lingers behind. At the school gate, they meet Elisabeth and Rana. She greets Gerry shyly. Her mom nods wordlessly and disappears with Rana before Gerry notices her. Henry admonishes his son to behave himself, he replies, “You know me.” Henry reminds him with a raised forefinger that they have an appointment in the afternoon. This interferes with his plans, but Gerry reluctantly accepts it. Henry hugs him tightly and Gerry releases himself with all his strength. He checks briefly whether his classmates have noticed, and strolls purposefully cool into the school building.

Frantic and chaos in the classroom. The school bell rings. Gerry rushes to his seat and Elisabeth awaits him with a stern look. Rana adores him from the side, but his looks belong exclusively to Anna, the rich kid blonde who is not interested in him at all. Elisabeth takes a deep breath and takes a last sip from the coffee cup, “Good morning. Let’s start with the homework right away.” Silence fills the air as Gerry sinks into his chair. “The topic today is: Big goals need little dreamers.” Gerry looks innocently down while Elisabeth searches over her heads with her index finger. Arnold snaps into the air with an outstretched arm, but Elisabeth points purposefully at Gerry. Hectic activity breaks out at him. “Just a moment!” Rana pushes her homework discreetly over to him. “Ah, there they are.” He begins, “A little dreamer can achieve anything. I dream of singing, dancing…” The class drowns him out with laughter. Gerry replies, “It was only a joke.” Rana grabs her homework and turns her back to him, disappointed. He wants to apologize, but she ignores him. Elisabeth takes a big sip, shakes her head, and says, “Thank you, Rana. Next.”

End of school. Weekend finally. The students are running out of the school building. Rana’s big eyes are looking for Gerry’s gaze, but he runs past her to the cool classmates and asks, “Is anyone coming to the lake?” They shake their heads and Anna notices disparagingly. “You better go splash around alone with Daddy.” Gerry sneaks off in shame and Anna struts off to her mommy. She’s an established member of the chic and perfumed ladies club with big sunglasses. Anna pulls her glasses out of her satchel and hopes to be noticed.

All hell is breaking loose at the lake. Parasols, croaking, and splashing around. Henry has everything in sight through his pilot’s glasses from the frogguard headquarters. The headquarters is a wooden building on stilts, with a ramp and a balcony. On the roof is an anti-stork catapult loaded with chestnuts, and on a high metal pole, the Frogtown flag is hoisted. Gerry slurps up the ramp and welcomes Henry’s colleague Steve with a high five. Henry notes, “Well, here we are. How was school?” Gerry walks past him and his dad adds, “Grab your stuff!” Gerry disappears into the frogguard headquarters and Henry, in the meantime, whistles to a couple of boys who dunk a smaller frog.

Gerry comes back in orange swimming trunks and a whistle, hangs his lifebuoy on the wall, and joins them. Henry explains with a great gesture, “Concentrate. Look closely. You are already a good frogguard, but you lack discipline and experience. Every mistake can cost lives.” Gum bubble. Plop! Henry continues, “Okay, we have to load the catapult. Can you do it alone?” Steve answers for Gerry, “Sure he can, Henry.” They both disappear to the roof.

In the tadpole kindergarten, there is an exuberant atmosphere. Sophia demonstrates the swimming movements for the offspring from the shore. She waves to Gerry. The frogs in the water imitate her and sink for a moment. Flower also cavorts around with the little ones and shouts: “Gerry!” He greets back discreetly.

In the sky, three storks spy unnoticed on the villagers. Al and Eddy, with helmets like fighter pilots, and Larry, who prefers a leather hood, old aviation glasses, and scarf.

The post Frogs – Episode 1 appeared first on FROGS.