Dr. John Dolittle and his 14-year-old ward Tommy find themselves constantly doing battle with evil pirate Sam Scurvy. Dolittle possesses the ability to communicate with animals. With this power, Scurvy would be able to use the animal kingdom to rule the world, so he constantly torments Dolittle in an attempt to learn Dolittle's secret. The Grasshoppers are a rock-and-roll band that frequently assists Dolittle.