Burnnie the Bunnie: Tails From the Light Side
Encyclopedia
Burnnie the Bunnie: Tails From the Light Side is a Christian
non-profit television
ministry operating out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
. It features a troublemaking rabbit
named Burnnie who unwittingly gets into trouble all the time and learns about God
at the end of every episode. Despite being a troublemaker, Burnnie has lots of loyal friends. Burnnie lives in the fictional town of Celebration, South Dakota
, in the eastern part of the state, near Sioux Falls
, Garretson
, Brandon
, or Hartford
. He works at the local shopping mall
in a store called Tregglusions that sells illusions and magic tricks. The store is owned by Steve and Faith Treague, his friends who put on a magic show every week. He often visits Christy Creams, an ice cream
parlor and restaurant
run by another one of his friends, Christy Langman. The series currently consists of twenty-six episodes. Recently, dolls
depicting Burnnie have been produced. Burnnie has over 2000 Facebook fans.
show in Sioux Falls in 1990. They couldn't afford to be on television
, as television production was a very expensive and complex process at the time. Burnnie was on the show with his friends, Top Hat the Dog
, Gonzo the Gorilla
, and Riddles the Clown
, a mime
. Burnnie first went on television in 1997, in an episode
produced for children who are afraid of the hospital
. The Burnnie puppet was made in Florida
by a business named Puppet Planet.
2: Lookin' Good: Burnnie thinks everyone should treat him differently because he wears "cool" clothes.
3: Burnnie's Babysitting: Burnnie has no babysitting
experience, yet he takes on a babysitting job of five rowdy children.
4: The Camping Adventure: Burnnie wreaks havoc while camping
.
5: Burnnie's Band: Burnnie takes on a one man band
, but is not interested in practicing.
6: The Lemonade Stand: Burnnie gets angry when nobody cares for his overpriced and sour lemonade
.
7: Don't Just Do Something, Stand There: Burnnie learns to be still and pray if things aren't going his way.
8: Burnnie's Book: Burnnie tries to write a book
.
9: Burnnie's Christmas: Burnnie can't seem to realize that Christmas
isn't JUST about presents.
10: Burnnie's Radio Catastrophe: Burnnie tries to juggle his job at Tregglusions and filling in for a sick radio broadcaster.
11: Burnnie's Pet: Burnnie tries to find the right pet
, but doesn't realize pets are a BIG responsibility.
12: Burnnie's Newspaper: Burnnie makes his own newspaper
, but prints things that he doesn't know AREN'T true.
13: Burnnie the Borrower: Burnnie hosts a music festival
, but can't seem to remember borrowing DOESN'T mean keeping.
14: That's Not Yours: Burnnie takes things he doesn't think will matter if they're gone.
15: Burnnie's Banquet: Burnnie tries to make a thanksgiving
feast.
16: The Winner: Burnnie can't seem to learn to not be angry if he doesn't win something.
17: Junk Food Burnnie: Burnnie can't eat seem to eat healthy, or exercise.
18: Burnnie's Way: Burnnie wants everything to go HIS way, resulting in many problems when he tries to "help" and finally realizes that compromise and working together make a big difference.
19: Burnnie's Birthday: Burnnie wants special treatment because he is the birthday
bunny, and wants everything a certain way.
20: Burnnie's New Neighbor: Burnnie gets a new neighbor named Skylar. But then Skylar steals
several things from him and his friends. Burnnie then makes it HIS duty to apprehend Skylar, but he ends up on a moving freight train
with one of his friends while looking for him before he realizes Skylar has already been arrested
.
21: Boastful Burnnie: Burnnie begins to boast about his skills after he buys a trophy
. Burnnie then receives criticism from those around him for bragging any chance he can and he learns not to boast.
22: Any Color Will Do: Burnnie learns that all of the races on the planet
are unique and special in God's eyes, and not to judge
.
23: Say a Good Thing: After getting a book of insult
s from the local library
, he goes around insulting people, and he learns that being mean isn't fun for anybody. (Similar to Laughs and Giggles)
24: I Want That Too: Burnnie wants things other people have. (Similar to That's Not Yours)
25: Turn the Light On: Burnnie's pranks result in power outages across town. Note: Only episode so far to have a "director's cut".
26: Get the Job Done: Burnnie is on his way to get Johnny the dog to a grooming appointment at Mini Critters. However, he gets sidetracked and loses his focus on getting the job done.
27: Look What I Can Do!: Burnnie becomes a show off and learns that it is not right to try to be extravagant and learns to just be himself.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
non-profit television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
ministry operating out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
. It features a troublemaking rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
named Burnnie who unwittingly gets into trouble all the time and learns about God
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
at the end of every episode. Despite being a troublemaker, Burnnie has lots of loyal friends. Burnnie lives in the fictional town of Celebration, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, in the eastern part of the state, near Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
, Garretson
Garretson, South Dakota
Garretson is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,166 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Garretson is located at ....
, Brandon
Brandon, South Dakota
There were 1,909 households out of which 53.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 13.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone...
, or Hartford
Hartford, South Dakota
Hartford is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,534 at the 2010 census. The creators of the international Christian television show Burnnie the Bunnie: Tails From the Light Side live in Hartford.-Geography:...
. He works at the local shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in a store called Tregglusions that sells illusions and magic tricks. The store is owned by Steve and Faith Treague, his friends who put on a magic show every week. He often visits Christy Creams, an ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
parlor and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
run by another one of his friends, Christy Langman. The series currently consists of twenty-six episodes. Recently, dolls
Dolls
A doll is a model of a human being, usually a toy.Dolls may also refer to:*Dolls , short British film directed by Susan Luciani*Dolls , a 2002 film by Takeshi Kitano...
depicting Burnnie have been produced. Burnnie has over 2000 Facebook fans.
History
Steve Treague and his wife, Faith created Burnnie on a radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
show in Sioux Falls in 1990. They couldn't afford to be on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, as television production was a very expensive and complex process at the time. Burnnie was on the show with his friends, Top Hat the Dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, Gonzo the Gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
, and Riddles the Clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, a mime
Mime
The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
. Burnnie first went on television in 1997, in an episode
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
produced for children who are afraid of the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. The Burnnie puppet was made in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by a business named Puppet Planet.
Episodes
1: Laughs and Giggles: After playing "jokes" on almost everyone in town, Burnnie finds out a prank is only funny if EVERYONE laughs.2: Lookin' Good: Burnnie thinks everyone should treat him differently because he wears "cool" clothes.
3: Burnnie's Babysitting: Burnnie has no babysitting
Babysitting
Babysitting is the practice of temporarily caring for a child on behalf of the child's parents. Babysitting is commonly performed as an odd job by teenagers for extra money.-General:...
experience, yet he takes on a babysitting job of five rowdy children.
4: The Camping Adventure: Burnnie wreaks havoc while camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
.
5: Burnnie's Band: Burnnie takes on a one man band
Band
- Clothing, jewelry, and accessories :* Bands , two pieces of cloth fitted around the neck as part of formal clothing for clergy, academics and lawyers* Bandolier or bandoleer, an ammunition belt* Belt * Wedding ring or wedding band...
, but is not interested in practicing.
6: The Lemonade Stand: Burnnie gets angry when nobody cares for his overpriced and sour lemonade
Lemonade
Lemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
.
7: Don't Just Do Something, Stand There: Burnnie learns to be still and pray if things aren't going his way.
8: Burnnie's Book: Burnnie tries to write a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
.
9: Burnnie's Christmas: Burnnie can't seem to realize that Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
isn't JUST about presents.
10: Burnnie's Radio Catastrophe: Burnnie tries to juggle his job at Tregglusions and filling in for a sick radio broadcaster.
11: Burnnie's Pet: Burnnie tries to find the right pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
, but doesn't realize pets are a BIG responsibility.
12: Burnnie's Newspaper: Burnnie makes his own newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, but prints things that he doesn't know AREN'T true.
13: Burnnie the Borrower: Burnnie hosts a music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
, but can't seem to remember borrowing DOESN'T mean keeping.
14: That's Not Yours: Burnnie takes things he doesn't think will matter if they're gone.
15: Burnnie's Banquet: Burnnie tries to make a thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
feast.
16: The Winner: Burnnie can't seem to learn to not be angry if he doesn't win something.
17: Junk Food Burnnie: Burnnie can't eat seem to eat healthy, or exercise.
18: Burnnie's Way: Burnnie wants everything to go HIS way, resulting in many problems when he tries to "help" and finally realizes that compromise and working together make a big difference.
19: Burnnie's Birthday: Burnnie wants special treatment because he is the birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
bunny, and wants everything a certain way.
20: Burnnie's New Neighbor: Burnnie gets a new neighbor named Skylar. But then Skylar steals
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
several things from him and his friends. Burnnie then makes it HIS duty to apprehend Skylar, but he ends up on a moving freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
with one of his friends while looking for him before he realizes Skylar has already been arrested
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
.
21: Boastful Burnnie: Burnnie begins to boast about his skills after he buys a trophy
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
. Burnnie then receives criticism from those around him for bragging any chance he can and he learns not to boast.
22: Any Color Will Do: Burnnie learns that all of the races on the planet
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
are unique and special in God's eyes, and not to judge
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
.
23: Say a Good Thing: After getting a book of insult
Insult
An insult is an expression, statement which is considered degrading and offensive. Insults may be intentional or accidental...
s from the local library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, he goes around insulting people, and he learns that being mean isn't fun for anybody. (Similar to Laughs and Giggles)
24: I Want That Too: Burnnie wants things other people have. (Similar to That's Not Yours)
25: Turn the Light On: Burnnie's pranks result in power outages across town. Note: Only episode so far to have a "director's cut".
26: Get the Job Done: Burnnie is on his way to get Johnny the dog to a grooming appointment at Mini Critters. However, he gets sidetracked and loses his focus on getting the job done.
27: Look What I Can Do!: Burnnie becomes a show off and learns that it is not right to try to be extravagant and learns to just be himself.
Trivia
- Steve and Faith were teachersTeachersTeachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
before they created Burnnie. - The editing is done entirely by Steve Treague.
- The companyCompanyA company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
that makes Burnnie is RTC inc. RTC is an abbreviation for Reaching The Children, and earlier, Riddles The Clown. - They film most scenes on location at local businesses with volunteers as the cast. They film the Treggllusions shop at the church they go to, Abiding Savior.
- Christy Creams used to be Kupes Scoops. Kupe quit in episode four, giving the restaurant to Christy.
- An episode is produced every monthMonthA month is a unit of time, used with calendars, which was first used and invented in Mesopotamia, as a natural period related to the motion of the Moon; month and Moon are cognates. The traditional concept arose with the cycle of moon phases; such months are synodic months and last approximately...
. - All of the profits from the show go to producing more episodes.
- Christy, the owner of Christy creams, is Steve and Faith's daughterDaughterA daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. The male equivalent is a son. Analogously the name is used on several areas to show relations between groups or elements.-Etymology:...
. - It has won several awards, including the Telly Award, Covenant Award, Dove Award, and the Cinema in industry Award.
- the show has viewers in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, and BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. - Tails From the Light Side was partially based on tales from the darksideTales from the DarksideTales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
. - There used to be a "Tregglusions factory", that supplied tricks for the Tregglusions Shop, but it was cut out after episode three, because Steve felt it was pointless and it wasted time.
- Dialogue is improvised, and so are props.
- There were several titles for the episode Burnnie's New Neighbor, including Burnnie's Train Trip and Celebration Express.
- Steve and Faith have purchased a new Burnnie puppet from Puppet Planet. The new puppet has eyes that can blink, and other moving parts, similar to a ventriloquist dummyVentriloquismVentriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
. The puppet has been purchased because the old Burnnie was falling apart and the new one could be easier to operate. - Sunny radioSunny radioSunny Radio is a radio station in Brandon, South Dakota with the Call Letters KZOY. It broadcasts an eighties format. It is currently the third most popular radio station in the Sioux Empire.-History and Present State:...
is the only actual business where they regularly film. All of the rest are filmed on sets. - Although usually filming in South Dakota, they sometimes film in IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
(Orange CityOrange City, IowaAs of the census of 2000, there were 5,582 people, 1,719 households, and 1,285 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,808.5 people per square mile . There were 1,805 housing units at an average density of 584.8 per square mile...
) or MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. (Minneapolis)
Recurring Cast
The cast is made up of volunteers, many of them children. Many of the children's roles are not included in the cast, because there are too many extras to name. This list consists of the main or recurring roles:- Steve Treague as Burnnie the Bunnie
- Steve and Faith Treague
- Danny Bliss
- Christy and Aaron Langman
- Evan and Tyler Langman
- Kathy Osterloh
- Nicholas Tifft
- John, Troy and Taylor Small
- Luann Berkhoff
- Jordan Hoffman
- Dr. Yvonne and Gilbert DeWitte
- Clint Devries
- Mr. Twister (Bob Anderson)
- Mr. Kupe (episodes one through four)
- Jack Hansen
External links
- Website: http://www.burnnie.org/
- Burnnie's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000411387226&ref=ts
- Burnnie fan club on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?cropsuccess&id=1044701542#!/group.php?gid=61367178926&ref=ts
- Mr. Twister (Bob Anderson)'s website: http://www.mrtwister.org/My_Homepage_Files/Page15.html
- News story on Burnnie: http://archive.livingstonesnews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=976