Dryer Straits
| "Dryer Straits" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Thumbnail | |||
| Episode information | |||
| Episode number | 1 | ||
| Release date | Jun 22, 2009 (web)
Apr 2, 2010 (air) | ||
| Credits | |||
| Writers | Dor Mivel | ||
| Storyboarding | Gersh Waf | ||
| Chronology | |||
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"Dryer Straits" is the first episode proper of the Wordle KIDZ web animation series.
Summary
Just as Joshle and Timle get settled into Wordle City, they must save the city after everything goes dry!
Characters
- Joshle
- Timle
- Green Tile
- Yellow Tile (background, non-speaking)
- Freshwater Whale
- Lotus
- Mayor Tiley
- Flower King (mentioned)
- Townsfolk
Plot
Joshle, Timle, and Green Tile are playing with water guns and enjoying their summer, when suddenly they hear a loud sound coming from the lake. They go to investigate and are shocked to see all the water has dried up, leaving a young whale beached. Joshle's Wordle-o-Matic resonates, displaying the word WHALE. Timle asks the whale what has happened, and it points towards the pipe that takes water from the lake and supplies it to the city. The three heroes promise the whale that they will solve its predicament and venture inside the pipe to find where the water has gone. A few droplets remain, forming a trail right to the town hall.
The three pop out of a manhole and see that the city has turned into a desert, with tumbleweeds hopping abound. Realizing that this situation is worse than they thought, they usher into the town hall. There they find that the place is overgrown with plants. Green Tile remarks that it is like an oasis in there. The Wordle-o-Matic displays the word OASIS. Timle asks what an oasis is, and Green Tile says that it is basically a wet area in the middle of a dry area. Joshle points out that if this is the only place in the city that's not a desert, then the water must be going here. And if there are plants involved, then the Flower King can't be far behind.
The three manage to make their way to the mayor's office. They find Mayor Tiley being attacked by a monster, an emissary of the Flower King. Timle pulls out his Botany Book and deduces that based on the flower on the monster's head and the seed pods at the end of its arms that the monster must be a lotus. The Wordle-o-Matic displays the word LOTUS. They manage to free the mayor and lock the Lotus in the room. Green Tile suggests that in order to free the town hall and save the city, they must stop whatever is supplying the water.
After pondering, they conclude that the most likely destination for the water is the bathroom. Once there, they see that the bathroom sink was left running. However, they cannot reach it, as thick vegetation blocks their way. Joshle comes up with a plan to use the vines around them as a lasso and rope the faucet to turn it shut. The Wordle-o-Matic displays the word VINES. This plan works, and the water is shut off. However, Green Tile points out that everywhere else is still dry. Luckily for them, they see the sun shine through the glass dome of the town hall. The sun heats up the water inside the building and converts it into vapor. Wordle-o-Matic says VAPOR. Green Tile is relieved, remembering that water is part of a cycle, and the water that evaporates turns into clouds, which brings rain. As rain falls on Wordle City, the desertification is undone and the lake is refilled. The plants subside from the town hall, including the Lotus. The three heroes return there to find the whale happy. For their final guess, Joshle and Timle type in the word WATER. They discuss how they will always make sure to never leave faucets running and to not waste water.
Words
| W | H | A | L | E |
| O | A | S | I | S |
| L | O | T | U | S |
| V | I | N | E | S |
| V | A | P | O | R |
| W | A | T | E | R |
Nyehh... if y'see any dots between these tiles... Yer mind's playin' tricks on ya! Nyahahaha!
Production
"Dryer Straits" was made only in 5 months, according to its animator on Twitter. It was a very rushed production, as the decision to actually create the animated series was made late into Wordle's contract with the Ohio Department of Education. And despite being conceived of as animated shorts, the first episode ran for around 11 minutes. This poor planning is what would ultimately doom Wordle KIDZ as a series, as the remaining episodes were only finished after the education contract was not renewed, thus rendering them useless.
Television airing
The executives at Wordle realized they had vastly overspent on the episode, while it was not likely to see much usage in schools. Thus, for a brief period, it was taken off the Wordle KIDZ website and aired for one day on PBS Kids. It received low viewership and some complaints from parents. The animation quality was described as lacking and crude and some of the voices grating. It took a few weeks for the episode to return to the Wordle KIDZ website following this airing. This response is likely what led to the animation being outsourced for to a professional studio that could make it faster and cheaper while not looking like an indie project.
Trivia
- Moral: Conserve water.
- This episode presumable takes place a while after the events of the Introduction video, as Joshle and Timle appear to have fully moved into Wordle City.
- This is the only episode to not directly feature the Flower King.
- The Wordle-o-Matic is voiced by a different person this episode than in any other.
- Timle's Botany Book has a different cover compared to the rest of the series.
- This is the longest episode of the series.
- The title may be a pun on "dire straits."