{{Short description|Irish children's television show}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2023}} {{Multiple issues| {{Update|date=January 2019}} {{Lead too short|date=January 2019}} }} {{Infobox television | image = | caption = | runtime = 5 minutes | genre = Preschool<br/>Interactivity<br/>Children's animation | country = Ireland | language = English | company = JAM Media | num_episodes = 104<ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.hitentertainment.com/hitcatalogue/picme.html |title=HIT Entertainment Limited 2005/2006 Catalogue: PICME |website=www.hitentertainment.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811234630/http://www.hitentertainment.com/hitcatalogue/picme.html |archive-date=11 August 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | voices = Alan Stanford<br />Flo McSweeney | narrator = Alan Stanford | network = RTÉ | first_aired = {{start date|df=yes|2005|8|1}} | last_aired = {{end date|df=yes|2012|8|23}} }}
'''''Pic Me''''' (or '''''PICME''''') is an Irish interactive preschool children's animated television series that premiered on 1 August 2005 on RTÉ, later airing on TG4 and Nick Jr. channels throughout Europe.<ref name=dexigner>{{cite news|first=Levent|last=Ozler|url=http://www.dexigner.com/news/7862|title=Jam Media: Dublin Animation Company Wins Nickelodeon Deal|date=19 April 2006|access-date=19 April 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409205952/http://www.dexigner.com/news/7862|archive-date=9 April 2015}}</ref> HIT Entertainment held worldwide distribution rights.<ref>{{cite news|first=Samantha|last=McCaughren|url=http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/jam-media-signs-two-global-cartoon-deals-26355383.html|title=Jam Media signs two global cartoon deals|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=15 November 2006|access-date=15 November 2006|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065138/http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/jam-media-signs-two-global-cartoon-deals-26355383.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Since mid-2008, episodes of ''Pic Me'' have aired in the United States on Animania HD<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=1534&tpl=archnews&force=1|title=Monster Announce Sales to Animania HD | The Irish Film & Television Network|website=www.iftn.ie|access-date=19 May 2019|archive-date=26 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126132831/http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=1534&tpl=archnews&force=1|url-status=live}}</ref> and Sprout. Also, in the United States, a Spanish-dubbed version airs on V-Me.
==Format== Episodes of ''Pic Me'' last for approximately five to ten minutes. ''Pic Me'' is an innovative show in that it allows its viewers to star in each episode. Every episode has one viewer's photograph superimposed on a cartoon child's body. These characters then roam around the story, walking, running, jumping, and physically interacting with the main cartoon characters. The viewer characters neither speak, nor do the characters refer to them by each of their names. Instead, they are referred to as "Little Boy" (if the avatar is male) or "Little Girl" (if the avatar is female) as is relevant.
Since the start of 2005, many new episodes of ''Pic Me'' have involved two viewers, instead of just one. These "best friends" type episodes have the main star viewer holding, or looking at, a picture of their real-life "best friend". Another episode starring the "best friend" is shown at a later date, with the situation regarding the pictures mirrored.
==Characters== The 6 main characters in ''Pic Me'' include: *Juno – a male lion with a nasal voice. He is generally insecure and often seen to be frightened of confrontation. He is very forgetful, but loves having fun with his friends. *Gerty – a female reticulated giraffe. She is quite intelligent and loves to cook, but is very fussy and likes things to be clean. *Banjo – a male spider monkey. *Umi – a red female scarlet macaw. She is clever and fun-loving, but can have a brash attitude towards other characters, although not the "Little Boy" or "Little Girl". She is very talkative, but friendly. She enjoys carrying her friends into the air to "look at the sky". Presumably they enjoy this. *Clarence – a male Nile crocodile with an inferiority complex. He is proud of his ability to swim, but otherwise can get very nervous around other characters. *Neville – a blue male African bush elephant (the mistake is the absence of tusks). He is the most intelligent character and is the character who gives everyone else good advice. They all ask him questions and – after screwing up his eyes – he will eventually give the right answer. He is a moral character and teaches the others right from wrong.
==DVD releases== A DVD release of the series titled: "Pic Me: You're the Star!" was released by HIT Entertainment in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2006. It contained twelve episodes of the show in its original widescreen format, alongside a bonus CD-ROM containing Microsoft Windows software to create your own ''Pic Me'' cartoons.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pick-Me-You-Are-Star-PICME/dp/B000H1QQYG | title=Pick-Me - You Are the Star | website=Amazon UK | date=23 October 2006 | access-date=5 October 2022 | archive-date=5 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005152656/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pick-Me-You-Are-Star-PICME/dp/B000H1QQYG | url-status=live }}</ref> A similar DVD - titled "Pic Me: Personalised Early Learning", was released in Ireland by RTÉ, however, the episodes featured were shown in a cropped fullscreen ratio.
The episode "Journey into Space" was included as a bonus episode on several HIT Entertainment DVDs in the United Kingdom in January 2007, such as "Incredibubble Children's Favourites", ''Angelina Ballerina - Angelina Sets Sail'', and ''Fireman Sam on Stage''.
==Video Games==
The app ''Pic Me Moviebook'' is an interactive storybook and animated movie app designed for preschoolers, allowing them to star in their own personalized adventures, based on the Irish TV Series, PIC ME. While it doesn't focus on traditional gaming, it incorporates game-like elements to enhance engagement, literacy, education, learning, numeracy, problem-solving and social-emotional learning. It is an iPad app that has been released for somewhat early 2013 and it got discontinued in the early 2016.
==Awards== * Best digital storytelling category (2005 Digital Media Awards)<ref name=dexigner/> * Best Youth Programme (2005 Irish Film and Television Awards)<ref name=dexigner/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:2000s preschool education television series Category:2010s preschool education television series Category:2005 Irish television series debuts Category:2012 Irish television series endings Category:Animated preschool education television series Category:Television series with live action and animation Category:Animated television series about birds Category:Animated television series about children Category:Animated television series about elephants Category:Animated television series about lions Category:Animated television series about monkeys Category:Animated television series about giraffes Category:Parrots in art Category:Irish animated television series Category:English-language Irish television shows Category:Irish flash animated television series Category:Irish preschool education television series Category:PBS Kids Sprout original programming Category:Television series by Mattel Television Category:Children's television series about talking animals