Description:  Cro was an educational American animated series that ran in the 1990s, inspired by The Way Things Work by David Macaulay, which featured a talking woolly mammoth named Phil who recounts stories of his Ice Age friend, Cro, a Cro-Magnon boy, to modern-day scientists Dr. C and Mike. The show's premise involved Phil narrating how prehistoric problems were solved through basic principles of physics, mechanical engineering, and technology, which were inspired by contemporary engineering or science challenges presented in the show.

Premise and plot

Modern-day setting: The show begins with Dr. C, an eccentric scientist, and her assistant Mike thawing out a woolly mammoth named Phil, who was frozen in a glacier.

Prehistoric flashbacks: Phil, now able to speak English, tells stories of his Ice Age adventures with his friend Cro, a young Cro-Magnon boy who lives with a family of Neanderthals.

Educational structure: Each episode presents a modern-day problem, and Phil's story about how Cro and the mammoths solved a similar situation in the past serves as a lesson in basic engineering and science principles.

Characters: Phil: An orange woolly mammoth who was frozen during the Ice Age and later thawed out by Dr. C and Mike. He is the narrator and guide for the educational content. Cro: A Cro-Magnon boy who is the titular character of the flashbacks. He is intelligent and often works with the mammoths to solve problems. Dr. C: A scientist who, along with her assistant Mike, thaws out Phil. She and Mike are the audience's window into the present-day stories. Mike: Dr. C's young assistant who helps her with the experiments and is a listener to Phil's stories.