Bunnytown
Encyclopedia
Bunnytown is a children's television series
that airs on Playhouse Disney
's block in the United States
and Canada
, as well as more than seventy other countries. It is Disney's first large-scale international production.
The program, created by David Rudman
, his brother Adam and Todd Hannert, under their Spiffy Pictures banner, began airing in Canada on November 3, 2007, and in the USA a week later. It is produced by Bill Barretta
, who currently worked for Jim Henson Productions. UK viewers got a premiere of this program on January 13th, 2008 on the Playhouse Disney channel sublet of pay-broadcaster Family. In France, the series began on January 27, 2008, and kept its original title Bunnytown. The show is produced in Ontario, Canada with many of the outdoor segments done at Clarence Park
and Verulamium Park
in nearby St Albans
. The final episode was scheduled to air sometime in 2009. It is slated to return in February 2012 on the new 24-hour Disney Junior
channel.
) and his archnemesis Little Bad Bunny, Spacebunny Suzi who rides a rocket-powered scooter, two "cave bunnies" and their dinosaur, Inventor Bunny (an Einstein-like bunny), and Farmer Gramps. Other original bunnies include Underwear Bunny and Norbert.
Most of the action takes place in Bunnytown itself, but other locations include the King's castle, the high seas, outer space, and a jungle landscape complete with Great Wall of China.
Bunnytown is neighboured by Peopletown, inhabited by humans. A bunny journeys through underground tunnels to view the entertainment from the safety of the burrow. Regularly appearing Peopletown humans include Red and Fred, a silent slapstick or pratfall duo in the vein of Laurel and Hardy
. Red is the tall, fat man (Andrew Buckley), and Fred is the shorter, thin one (Ed Gaughan). Pinky Pinkerton (Polly Frame
) is the host of the "Super Silly Sports" segment who has a penchant for pink clothes. Her signature exclamation is "Oh me, oh my!".
On the English soundtrack, the characters are voiced in various English-language accents, most notably North American.
's Muppets. Many leading crew members have experience with Henson's characters. They are made from foam rubber and covered in fake fur, with wire supports in their ears. They can take up to eight puppeteers to operate. Their mouths are moved by a trigger at the bottom, and invisible marionette strings work from above on other parts, such as hands and feet.
The visual design of the bunnies is a simple "bunny with an overbite". They have one tooth, or two in some cases, and a large, round, blue nose.
The puppets do not interact with humans directly, so the scale can be smaller than other puppet shows which do, such as The Muppet Show
. This smaller scale allows the sets to become quite elaborate, on a par with stop-frame animation sets.
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
that airs on Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
's block in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as more than seventy other countries. It is Disney's first large-scale international production.
The program, created by David Rudman
David Rudman
David Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
, his brother Adam and Todd Hannert, under their Spiffy Pictures banner, began airing in Canada on November 3, 2007, and in the USA a week later. It is produced by Bill Barretta
Bill Barretta
Bill Barretta has been performing with the Muppets since 1991, when he performed the body of family father Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs...
, who currently worked for Jim Henson Productions. UK viewers got a premiere of this program on January 13th, 2008 on the Playhouse Disney channel sublet of pay-broadcaster Family. In France, the series began on January 27, 2008, and kept its original title Bunnytown. The show is produced in Ontario, Canada with many of the outdoor segments done at Clarence Park
Clarence Park (St Albans)
Clarence Park is a park containing a multi-use stadium in St Albans, England. It is located close to St Albans City railway station.The park was laid out in early 1894, and comprises a municipal sports ground and a public park and pleasure ground...
and Verulamium Park
Verulamium Park
is a park in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Set in over of beautiful parkland, was purchased from the Earl of Verulam in 1929 by the then City Corporation. Today the park is ownered and operated by...
in nearby St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
. The final episode was scheduled to air sometime in 2009. It is slated to return in February 2012 on the new 24-hour Disney Junior
Disney Junior
Disney Junior is a current program block on Disney Channel and an upcoming American basic cable and satellite television network intended to replace SOAPnet in February 2012. It began airing on February 14, 2011, replacing Playhouse Disney....
channel.
Characters and locations
The animated bunny characters are mostly archetypes found in pop culture and storybooks. Among others are the King and his court, pirates, Superbunny (performed by David RudmanDavid Rudman
David Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
) and his archnemesis Little Bad Bunny, Spacebunny Suzi who rides a rocket-powered scooter, two "cave bunnies" and their dinosaur, Inventor Bunny (an Einstein-like bunny), and Farmer Gramps. Other original bunnies include Underwear Bunny and Norbert.
Most of the action takes place in Bunnytown itself, but other locations include the King's castle, the high seas, outer space, and a jungle landscape complete with Great Wall of China.
Bunnytown is neighboured by Peopletown, inhabited by humans. A bunny journeys through underground tunnels to view the entertainment from the safety of the burrow. Regularly appearing Peopletown humans include Red and Fred, a silent slapstick or pratfall duo in the vein of Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
. Red is the tall, fat man (Andrew Buckley), and Fred is the shorter, thin one (Ed Gaughan). Pinky Pinkerton (Polly Frame
Polly Frame
Polly Frame is a Scottish actress who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and is best known to children as Pinky Pinkerton, the hyperactive sports announcer on Disney Channel's pre-school television series Bunnytown....
) is the host of the "Super Silly Sports" segment who has a penchant for pink clothes. Her signature exclamation is "Oh me, oh my!".
On the English soundtrack, the characters are voiced in various English-language accents, most notably North American.
Format
Each episode features between ten and twelve segments as follows:- A problem, played out in four parts.
- One example has bunnies getting ready to race, but instead discoDiscoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
dancing in the first part, sleeping in the second part, followed by flying in the third part, and finally racing in the last part; with the payoff that instead of a finishing tape, the bunnies run into a rubber band, and they rebound to the starting point.
- One example has bunnies getting ready to race, but instead disco
- A song.
- A journey to Peopletown to watch Red and Fred.
- Another skit or song.
- The Bunnytown Hop, done by a rock-and-roll band inspired by mega-groups such as Earth, Wind and Fire and Sly and the Family Stone.
- Another journey to Peopletown to watch Super Silly Sports, hosted by Pinky Pinkerton.
- This is a spoof of sports contests and their telecasters. One example is a staring contest between an 11-year-old boy and an Idaho potato.
- Another skit, followed by a song.
- Following the payoff of the running gag, all the bunnies gather to sing the closing song, It's a Bunnytown Life.
Puppets and sets
The bunny puppets are rod puppets similar to Jim HensonJim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's Muppets. Many leading crew members have experience with Henson's characters. They are made from foam rubber and covered in fake fur, with wire supports in their ears. They can take up to eight puppeteers to operate. Their mouths are moved by a trigger at the bottom, and invisible marionette strings work from above on other parts, such as hands and feet.
The visual design of the bunnies is a simple "bunny with an overbite". They have one tooth, or two in some cases, and a large, round, blue nose.
The puppets do not interact with humans directly, so the scale can be smaller than other puppet shows which do, such as The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
. This smaller scale allows the sets to become quite elaborate, on a par with stop-frame animation sets.
Credits
- Producers: David RudmanDavid RudmanDavid Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
, Brian HensonBrian HensonBrian Henson is an Academy Award-winning puppeteer, director, producer, and technician. The son of puppeteers Jane and Jim Henson, Brian was born in New York City, New York....
, Bill BarrettaBill BarrettaBill Barretta has been performing with the Muppets since 1991, when he performed the body of family father Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs... - Writers: Emily Rudman, Alice Dinnean Vernon
- Puppeteers: Bill BarrettaBill BarrettaBill Barretta has been performing with the Muppets since 1991, when he performed the body of family father Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs...
, Pam ArcieroPam ArcieroPam Arciero is puppeteer and voice-over artist who portrays Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend, Grundgetta, on Sesame Street.-Career:Arciero earned her Master's in Puppetry from the University of Connecticut....
, Terry AngusTerry AngusTerence "Terry" Angus is a retired English professional footballer who played for VS Rugby, Northampton Town, Fulham, Slough Town and Nuneaton Borough. Despite a series of injuries, Angus was still active as a player up to the age of 40. He is particularly a legend at Nuneaton Borough, known as...
, Lee ArmstrongLee ArmstrongLee Armstrong is an American actress. She starred in two movies in 1995, Magic Island and Leprechaun 3. She had an uncredited role in the 40 minute family short "Classic Stories for Children" in 1992. According to IMDB she appeared in a commercial for Ocean Spray. She also served as an intern on...
, Anthony Asbury, Larry Basgall, Julianne BuescherJulianne BuescherJulianne Buescher is an actress who performs in film, television, and on stage and radio. As a voice artist, she is known for many roles including Anko Mitarashi on Naruto. Buescher is also a skilled puppeteer and has worked for both Sesame Street and The Muppets...
, Tyler BunchTyler BunchTyler Bunch is a puppeteer, puppet designer, director and actor. In addition to his work for the Jim Henson Company, Mr. Bunch has created and performed puppets for PBS, Nickelodeon, and Disney. He has acted in a few Off Broadway productions and has made appearances on American television shows...
, Kevin Carlson, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Frankie Cordero, Stephanie D'AbruzzoStephanie D'AbruzzoStephanie D'Abruzzo is an American actress and puppeteer.-Early life:D'Abruzzo grew up in McMurray, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb she has described as a "plastic bubble kind of town." She graduated from Peters Township High School, where she was active in the theater program, and attended the...
, Alice Dinnean VernonAlice DinneanAlice Dinnean-Vernon is a puppeteer and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean-Vernon has performed on many children's television shows such as Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, Cousin Skeeter, and Jack's Big Music Show...
, Myra Fried, James GodwinJames GodwinJames Basil Godwin III, a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, is the Program Executive Officer – Enterprise Information Systems of the Department of the Navy...
, Tim GosleyTim GosleyTim Gosley is a Canadian puppeteer who is primarily known for his work on numerous Muppet productions. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Alberta and studied puppeteering with Richard Hunt from 1981-1983. He began his career portraying several minor characters on the...
, Brian HensonBrian HensonBrian Henson is an Academy Award-winning puppeteer, director, producer, and technician. The son of puppeteers Jane and Jim Henson, Brian was born in New York City, New York....
, Eric JacobsonEric JacobsonEric Jacobson is a puppeteer and Muppet performer, who has been the primary replacement puppeteer for Frank Oz's characters since 2001.-Career:...
, John KennedyJohn Kennedy (puppeteer)John Kennedy is a puppeteer who has worked with The Jim Henson Company since 1990. From 1991 until 2003, Kennedy took over Jim Henson's role of Dr. Teeth, after which Bill Barretta took over in 2005. Kennedy has also voiced Kermit the Frog in Disney Cruise Lines.-Characters:* Dr. Teeth * Multiple...
, Jim Kroupa, Tim LagasseTim LagasseTimothy Lagasse is a puppeteer, puppet designer, and filmmaker. He earned his BFA from the University of Connecticut. Lagasse acts as a puppeteering consultant, and creates puppet films for stations like PBS, MTV, HBO, and Nickelodeon...
, Bruce LanoilBruce LanoilBruce Lanoil is a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company who frequently works with puppeteer David Alan Barclay and hails from Brooklyn. He voiced The Cat in the Hat and Fox in Socks in the first season of The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. He is also the new voice double for Timon from The Lion King...
, Trish Leeper, Peter LinzPeter LinzPeter Linz is an American puppeteer. He is perhaps best known as the voice of Snook in It's a Big Big World and Theo Lion in Between the Lions....
, Drew MasseyDrew MasseyDrew Massey is a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company for the Muppets and has performed in many TV shows, movies, and TV commercials. He also lends his voice for commercials and video games. His film credits include The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, The Producers, Dr. Dolittle, Cats & Dogs, Team...
, Frank MeschkuleitFrank MeschkuleitFrank Meschkuleit is a voice actor who plays the voice of Toopy and Binoo, a flagship cartoon of Treehouse TV. In addition to this role, Meschkuleit has appeared as a voice actor and puppeteer on many other shows, such as Internet Slutts, Don't Eat The Neighbours, and Dragon. His original...
, Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
, John Pattison, Michael Petersen, Gord Robertson, David RudmanDavid RudmanDavid Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
, Mike SchwabeMike SchwabeMichael Scott Schwabe is a retired American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1989 and 1990. Prior to being drafted in the 1987 amateur draft, Schwabe played for Arizona State University.-References:...
, Joe Selph, Sandra ShamasSandra ShamasSandra Shamas is a Canadian comedic actress and writer.The oldest of three children born to Lebanese immigrants, Shamas left home at age 17 and moved to Toronto, where she held a variety of jobs before a workshop at The Second City inspired her to pursue a career in performing arts...
, Michalan Sisti, Bob StuttBob StuttBob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer/writer, who has starred in various children's television programs throughout his career.He has appeared in the following television series:* Canadian Sesame Street – Basil...
, Nikki TilroeNikki TilroeNikki Tilroe was an Emmy Award-winning American puppeteer. She is best known for her work as the "Mime Lady" on the children's television series Today's Special...
, Karen Valleau, Tom Vandenberg, Matt Vogel, Cheryl WagnerCheryl WagnerCheryl Wagner, the creator of The Big Comfy Couch, is a Gemini Award and Emmy award- winning Canadian children’s television writer, showrunner and producer who began her career as a performer in both theatre and on the screen...
, Victor YerridVictor YerridVictor Yerrid is a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many TV shows, movies, TV commercials. Yerrid is best known in the Muppet World for his work on the online series Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony in which he performed Waldorf along with an... - Music & Lyrics: Todd Hannert
- Music Composition & Arranging: Terry Fryer
- Puppet Shop: Gene BarrettaGene BarrettaGene Barretta is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator, animator and character designer. He graduated from New York University: Tisch School of Arts with a BFA in film studies. He currently lives with his family outside of Philadelphia...
, Larry Basgall, Jane Gootnick, Scott JohnsonScott JohnsonScott Johnson may refer to:In music:* Scott Johnson , American composer* Scott Johnson , instructor for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps* Scott Johnson , guitarist for Gin BlossomsIn sports:...
, Marian Keating, Rollie KrewsonRollie KrewsonRollie Krewson is a puppet designer and builder known for her work on various Muppet productions. She interned with Jim Henson's company in the mid 1970s...
, Mike SchwabeMike SchwabeMichael Scott Schwabe is a retired American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1989 and 1990. Prior to being drafted in the 1987 amateur draft, Schwabe played for Arizona State University.-References:...
, Polly SmithPolly SmithFrances Sutah Smith was an important Texas photographer whose work showcased Texas life to the world during the 1930s-1940s. Though not as critically acclaimed as contemporaries Margaret Bourke-White or Dorothea Lange, her work broke new ground in Texas.-Biography:After growing up in various...
, Jean-Guy WhiteJean-Guy WhiteJean-Guy White is a Canadian sculptor and puppet builder who has worked on numerous Henson projects.-Movie Credits:*The Muppet Christmas Carol: puppet designer/builder*Muppet Treasure Island: puppet designer, prototype builder...
, Julie Zobel