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My Gym Partner's a Monkey

My Gym Partner's a Monkey

Think your school's a zoo?

2005–2008Ended4 seasons55 episodes~22 min/epTV-Y7Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows

My Gym Partner's a Monkey is an American animated television series created by Tim Cahill and Julie McNally-Cahill and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The story revolves around Adam Lyon, a human who, after a clerical error listed his surname as "Lion," is forced to transfer to Charles Darwin Middle School, a school for local anthropomorphic zoo animals, where he is partnered with Jake Spidermonkey in gym, with whom he quickly becomes best friends.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch My Gym Partner's a Monkey?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists My Gym Partner's a Monkey to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about My Gym Partner's a Monkey?

My Gym Partner's a Monkey earns 3 badges, led by Overhyped and Feel-good.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is My Gym Partner's a Monkey worth watching?

My Gym Partner's a Monkey's Midcredits score is the 11th percentile of all shows, from 8K ratings across 2 sources. 43% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

11th percentile

Better received than 11% of shows

12th percentile among Animation10th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)14th
Approval (how many liked it)10th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

60 /100

14th percentile of all shows

16th percentile among Animation14th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

43% liked it

10th percentile of all shows

12th percentile among Animation9th percentile among 2000s
43% rated it 7–1057% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

86th percentile

7.9K ratings across platforms

86th percentile among Animation80th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • clever premise of a human in animal school
  • strong voice cast chemistry, especially Tom Kenny
  • creative school antics and visual gags

Detractors panned

  • excessive gross-out/toilet humor
  • mean-spirited treatment of the protagonist
  • boring/unlikable characters aside from Adam

What stands out

ActingDivisive68

strong voice cast but divisive; Tom Kenny and Nika Futterman praised

OriginalityDivisive55

human-in-animal-school concept interesting but executed derivatively

AtmosphereDivisive50

world of talking animals with humans underdeveloped

Plot and storyDivisive40

creative premise squandered on weak, silly plots

DialogueDivisive40

some quotable lines but mostly crude

HumorDivisive38

relies heavily on butt jokes and gross-out; fans find some funny

CharactersDivisive35

Adam sympathetic but Jake and others widely disliked; animals often unlikable

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Episodes

4 seasons

Season 4 · 2007 · 24 episodes

  • S4E1
    S4E1

    The Hyena and the Mighty

    Sep 14, 2007
  • S4E2
    S4E2

    Oh Henry

    Sep 14, 2007
  • S4E3
    S4E3

    My Feral Lyon

    Sep 21, 2007
  • S4E4
    S4E4

    A Mid Semester Life's Dream

    Sep 21, 2007
  • S4E5
    S4E5

    The Ivy League

    Sep 28, 2007
  • S4E6
    S4E6

    Robo Frog 3000

    Sep 28, 2007

Watch experience

What is My Gym Partner's a Monkey like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — an even-paced watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulAbsurd
Heaviest: throughout
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
PlayfulAbsurdist · 6% of shows: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Single location · 1% of shows: Confined to essentially one place throughout.Resets each episode · 10% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe show holds its absurd premise with cheerful commitment, playing the jokes and characters straight rather than winking.
The rideConsistently light and amusing, with a steady energy of silly gags and warm friendship that never sours or drags.
StructureEpisodes follow a conventional beginning-middle-end structure, typically set at Charles Darwin Middle School.
Episode formatEach episode is a self-contained comedic story with a premise that gets resolved by the end, restoring the normal school dynamic for the next episode.
Season formatThe show's seasons are interchangeable; there's no overarching plot, and viewers can start almost anywhere without missing context.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves viewers with a light, happy feeling, having enjoyed the absurd school antics and the friendship between Adam and Jake.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12% (this title): Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% (this title) · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Buddy comedy: A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).

12% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTypical episodes follow Adam and Jake's school misadventures, often hinging on Adam's human-ness among animals, framed as a mismatched buddy comedy.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

FriendshipComing of age · 9% of shows
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeA human boy in a zoo school highlights the importance of friendship and loyalty as he adjusts to a bizarre environment, while also navigating the awkwardness of growing up.
StanceThe series unapologetically affirms the value of friendship and the joy of finding your place, even in an absurd world.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanStylized realism
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Shawn K. Clement
SettingCharles Darwin Middle School, a school where all the students are talking animals except one human boy
MusicBouncy, energetic background score that underscores the show's playful tone.

Content guide

Is My Gym Partner's a Monkey okay for kids?

TV-Y7

My Gym Partner's a Monkey is rated TV-Y7. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (43/100), sexual content at mild (30/100), language at mild (22/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (17/100) and frightening material at moderate (38/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • CanadaG
  • Germany6
  • BrazilL
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoAA
  • Norway9
  • Spain7
  • TürkiyeGenel İzleyici
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (7 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (38 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does My Gym Partner's a Monkey have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in My Gym Partner's a Monkey?

Cast

Tom Kenny
as Jake Spidermonkey
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Nika Futterman
as Adam
Grey DeLisle
as Lupe
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Rick Gomez
as Slips
Maurice LaMarche
as Principal Pixiefrog
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Phil LaMarr
as Bull Sharkowski
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Cree Summer
as Kerry
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Brian Doyle-Murray
as Coach Gills
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Chris Edgerly
as Dennis Billy
John DiMaggio
as Amazon Kevin

Crew

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