PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch

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PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch
PBSKidsBookWormBranch.jpeg
NetworkPBS Kids
LaunchedSeptember 30, 2000; 20 years ago (2000-09-30)
ClosedSeptember 5, 2004; 17 years ago (2004-09-05)
Country of origin
Owner
Original language(s)English

The PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch is a former preschool television block produced by Canada-based animation studio Nelvana that aired on PBS from September 30, 2000 to September 5, 2004. It typically aired on weekend mornings, depending on station preference and scheduling. The shows that formed the Bookworm Bunch were all based on well-known children's books. The initial lineup consisted of six shows: Corduroy, Elliot Moose, Timothy Goes to School, Seven Little Monsters, George Shrinks, and Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse.

History[]

In August 1999, PBS and Nelvana teamed up to create the network's first-ever animated weekend programming block.[1] It was essentially created to boost viewership of the preschool audience on weekends, specifically on Saturday mornings when that attention was shifted elsewhere. A proposed series called Junior Kroll and Company was set to premiere, but that idea was eventually shelved and replaced by Marvin.[2] News of the block's expansion was paired with the release of a study from the University of Kansas that demonstrated the idea that children can learn to read from television programs.[3] Upon its launch on September 30, 2000, the Bookworm Bunch became the second preschool-oriented Saturday morning block after Nick Jr. on CBS, which premiered two weeks before.[4]

During the block's first season, all the shows (with the exception of the first 15-minute Corduroy episode), were shown either 15 or 45 minutes past the hour. A final 15-minute Corduroy episode then ended the block, making its total run three hours. Bookworm Bunch proved to be extremely popular in its first season, and weekend viewership increased dramatically. The season finale (the finale of Season 1) premiered on February 24, 2001. Starting from February 25, 2001, reruns of Season 1 --including reruns of Elliot Moose and Corduroy-- aired until October 27 of that same year. For reasons most likely due to cancellation and/or waning interest in programming, PBS is not aired first season reruns after the aforementioned date. Interstitials and other materials from this season were considered to be lost media for almost 16 years until footage eventually surfaced online.[5]

The second and final season premiered one week later on November 3, 2001,[6] and with this premiere came a drastic revamp: Corduroy and Elliot Moose were removed from the block entirely, thus shortening it to two hours. The four remaining series were instead seen on the hour and half-hour, and Marvin and Timothy both ended production by late 2001. The second season finale premiered on February 23, 2002.

Some PBS stations began to gradually phase out the weekend block a year later in favor of an unbranded weekday edition, which premiered on January 6, 2003. This included a revival of Berenstain Bears, and new episodes of Seven Little Monsters and George Shrinks. Although originally a half-hour program, PBS commissioned new 15-minute episodes of Monsters that aired alongside Bears in the same half-hour timeslot.[7] This did not last long as Bears eventually became a half-hour show beginning September 15, 2003,[8] thus permanently removing Monsters from the PBS lineup. George Shrinks was given its own half-hour timeslot,[9] in which it also proved to be extremely popular. Select member stations, including the former PBS Kids Channel, continued to air the two-hour weekend block until September 5, 2004. As for the Bookworm Bunch, the show --after the second and final season-- (with the four remaining shows; Timothy Goes to School, Marvin the Tap Dancing Horse, Seven Little Monsters, and George Shrinks) aired reruns after Sept. 5, 2004 until the end of 2004. At the end of 2004, the Bookworm Bunch TV show was dropped altogether in order to make room for more other programs aimed at preschoolers.

After the cancellation of the Bookworm Bunch, cable channel Discovery Kids aired reruns of Timothy from 2004 to 2006. Now-defunct Qubo also aired reruns of Elliot, Marvin, and Timothy as part of its daily programming.

Interstitials[]

One of the staples of the Bookworm Bunch were music video interstitials that aired at the end of each program before the credits. These spots initially replaced promotions for Elliot Moose, which are the only materials as of late that are still considered to be lost. These music videos were essentially montages of scenes from all of the shows with musical accompaniment. Each of the songs was performed by American musical artist Nancy Cassidy, appearing on three albums released between 1986 and 1992.

First Season (2000–2001)[]

  • Corduroy (first half) – "Boom, Boom, Ain't It Great to Be Crazy" (shortened version) (Appears on the 1988 album Kidssongs 2)[10]
  • Elliot Moose – "You Gotta Sing" (Appears on the 1986 album Kidssongs)[11]
  • Timothy Goes to School – "Rig a Jig Jig" (Appears on Kidssongs 2)[10]
  • Seven Little Monsters – "La Bamba" (shortened version) (Appears on Kidssongs 2)[10]
  • George Shrinks – "You Gotta Sing" (reprise)
  • Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse – "Rig a Jig Jig" (reprise)
  • Corduroy (second half) – "Skidamarink" (Appears on the 1992 album KidsSongs: Sleepyheads)[12]

Second Season (2001–2002)[]

  • Timothy Goes to School – "Friends Are Special" (Appears on KidsSongs: Sleepyheads)[12]
  • Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse – "La Bamba" (extended version)
  • Seven Little Monsters – "This Little Light of Mine" (Appears on Kidssongs)[11]
  • George Shrinks – "Boom, Boom, Ain't It Great to Be Crazy" (extended version)

Programming[]

  • 1 Debuted individually as a separate PBS program.

Former programming[]

Original programming[]

Title Premiere date End date
Corduroy September 30, 2000 October 28, 2001
Elliot Moose
Timothy Goes to School September 5, 2004
Seven Little Monsters1
George Shrinks1
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse

References[]

  1. ^ Elber, Lynn. "PBS launching Saturday series for preschoolers". OnlineAthens. Archived from the original on 2015-10-29. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  2. ^ "Kidscreen » Archive » what's developing in kids production". Kidscreen. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  3. ^ Zurawik, David. "PBS gives kids new Saturday morning shows". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  4. ^ Bedford, Karen E. "PBS debuts 'Bookworm Bunch,' 2000 - Current.org". Current.org. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  5. ^ "PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch Interstitials (2001)". YouTube. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  6. ^ "'PBS KIDS BOOKWORM BUNCH' Returns to PBS For a Second Season on Saturday, November 3" (Press release). Nelvana Limited. Archived from the original on 2014-08-05. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  7. ^ "The Berenstain Bears(R) Bring 40 Years of Literary History to 'PBS KIDS' With Premiere of 15-Minute Animated TV Series" (Press release). Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  8. ^ "Award-Winning PBS KIDS® Launches New Programming This Fall 2003" (Press release). Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  9. ^ "George Shrinks Grows to Five Days a Week With All-New Episodes on 'PBS KIDS'" (Press release). Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Kidssongs 2 by Nancy Cassidy". Apple Music. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kidssongs by Nancy Cassidy". Apple Music. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "KidsSongs: Sleepyheads by Nancy Cassidy". Apple Music. Retrieved January 22, 2021.

External links[]

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