Pajanimals



Pajanimals is a musical children's television series produced by the Jim Henson Company and PBS Kids Sprout. The show centers around the musical adventures of four young animals preparing for bed. The characters were designed by Jeff Muncy and built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

Series History
thumb|300px|right Pajanimals, originally a Henson co-production with 4KIDS Entertainment, was created for PBS Kids Sprout's evening block, The Good Night Show. Premiering on November 2, 2008, the series originally consisted of ten three-minute segments that aired on a rotating basis. The song "La La Lullaby" was aired nightly as part of The Good Night Show.

The shorts were designed to help comfort preschool viewers with bedtime themes and transitional issues such as separating from mom at the end of the day, healthy routines, sleeping through the night and being comfortable with the lights out.

In 2011, PBS Sprout ordered new episodes in a half-hour timeslot, expanding the series to two eleven-minute segments, for a total of 26 broadcast episodes. The episodes debuted in October 2011. Henson and Sprout now co-produce the show with Sixteen South Limited in Northern Ireland. Since the premiere of these episodes, the original shorts have not aired.

The full series focuses on issues of more general concern to a young audience, such as nervousness about a dentist's visit, or learning to share comfortably, but retains a backdrop of bedtime rituals.

On July 7, 2012, the show made its broadcast premiere in the US as part of NBC Kids, a Saturday morning programming lineup programmed by Sprout.

Additional Characters (Series)

 * Bedtime Bunny (Donna Kimball) - A bunny who oversees the Land of Hush; she often falls asleep in the middle of conversations
 * Mr. Happy Birthday (Josh Elwell) - A porcupine who lives in Birthday Land and whose job is to oversee the birthdays of all the children in the world; he sometimes inadvertently pops balloons with his quills. He can never remember the collective name of the Pajanimals, referring to them by names such as "Pajalopies."
 * Moon (Michael Winsor) - A personification of the moon; the Pajanimals sometimes visit him and he performs the song "I'm Your Light in the Night Sky"
 * Jerry Bear (Victor Yerrid) - A friendly bear who lives in the Friendly Forest; he loves to give bear hugs and is always very excited to see the Pajanimals
 * Otis the Owl (Paul Currie) - A very smart owl in the Friendly Forest, he can't help but give a loud hoot when he gets excited.
 * Coach Whistler (Paul Currie) - A coach from the Land of Play who is big on team spirit
 * Ellie Octopus (Sarah Lyle) - An octopus who lives under the sea; she loves to give "octopus huggles," but is a bit scared of the Pajanimals at first
 * Edwin the Magician (Paul Currie) - A magician who is always seen in a different job each time the Pajanimals visit him
 * Granny Pearl (Donna Kimball) - A turtle who lives under the sea and enjoys bowling and tap-dancing.
 * Hank and Frank (Victor Yerrid and Paul Currie) - Beavers who live in the Land of Built It. They work together to build amazing wood structures.
 * Mom and Dad- The off-screen parents of the Pajanimals, heard in voice only. Mom performs the "La La Lullaby" song to help them fall asleep.

Songs
The series (and shorts) feature original songs written by Michael and Patty Silversher, with lyrics by Alex Rockwell and Judy Rothman.

The program's theme song features the Pajanimals and Mom singing about the fact that they are "ready for beddy-bye". Each character is introduced as the song shows them getting ready for bed. The theme song did not air as part of the original shorts, but a modified version, sung only by the mother, is included in the series.

The series features a number of new songs, including "I'm Your Light in the Night Sky" by The Moon, and in some cases repurposed versions of the ones from the original shorts, customized to fit the themes of the series.

Merchandise
A scheduled 2013 50-city stage show, Pajanimals Live, produced by Red Light Management, was cancelled.

Soundtrack
On August 3, 2009, the soundtrack was released exclusively on Amazon.com on CD and for digital download.

Track Listing:
 * 1) Pajanimals Theme Song
 * 2) Night Will Sing us All to Sleep
 * 3) Lights in the Dark
 * 4) La-La-Lullaby
 * 5) Jiggle Jumble Jump
 * 6) Scary Dream
 * 7) Stick to the Plan
 * 8) Sleepy Head
 * 9) Nighttime Playtime
 * 10) Goodnight to Mom
 * 11) Ode to Sleep

Plush Toys
Plush toys of each of the main characters, manufactured by Tomy, are now available in multiple sizes, including 15".



Miscellaneous

 * Snuggle Up Story Mat - A mat that features each of the characters, includes a soft book that transforms into a pillow

Books
A total of six different book releases are slated for August 27, 2013-- Cowbella and the Bad Dream, Sweet Pea Sue Misses Mom and Dad, It's Apollo's Special Day, Apollo Has a Bad Day, Squacky Is Afraid of the Dark and Sweet Pea Sue Makes a New Friend. An additional title, Squacky and the Gift of Christmas, is scheduled for release on September 24.

Credits

 * Executive Producers: Halle Stanford, Jeff Muncy, Alex Rockwell, Lisa Henson; Brian Henson (shorts)
 * Created by: Jeff Muncy and Alex Rockwell
 * Directed by: David Gumpel (shorts)
 * Sprout Executive Producer: Andrew Beecham (series)
 * Executive in Charge of Production: Lisa O'Brien (series)
 * Produced by: Chris Plourde (shorts); Colin Williams (series)
 * Music Composed by: Michael and Patty Silversher
 * Lyricists: Patty Silversher, Alex Rockwell, Judy Rothman Rofè
 * Musical Arrangements/Audio/Post Sound by: Dino Herrmann (shorts)
 * Puppeteers:
 * shorts: Alice Dinnean, Donna Kimball, John Kennedy, Victor Yerrid
 * series: Donna Kimball, Sarah Lyle, Michael Winsor; Victor Yerrid (season 1), Olly Taylor (season 2)
 * Puppet Captain: John Kennedy (shorts), Victor Yerrid (series)
 * Puppet Wranglers: Marian Keating (shorts); Mike Smith, Anna McCaughtry (series)
 * Creative Supervisor: Jason Weber (series)
 * Puppets by Jim Henson Creature Shop:
 * shorts: Connie Peterson, Rollie Krewson, Tom Newby, Jason Weber
 * series, puppet build: Rollie Krewson, Ann Marie Holdgruen, Tom Newby, Tim Legasse, Anney Ozar, Heather Asch, Constance Peterson, Polly Smith
 * Character Design: Jeff Muncy (series credit only)
 * Assistant Puppeteers: Paul Currie, Lesa Gillespie, Francine Woods (series)
 * Content/Curriculum Consultants: Sleepy Planet/The Sleepeasy Solution (shorts); Jill Spivack and Jennifer Waldburger (series)
 * Vocal Director: Neil Martin (series)
 * Story Editor: Alex Rockwell (series)
 * Production Designer: Jim Dultz (shorts), Shane Bunting (series)
 * Art Department: Nigel Pollock, Lauren Young, Sian Alaw Jones, David Carson, Sarah Speers (series)
 * Director of Photography: Dave A. Barrett (shorts), Peter Jones (series)
 * Editor: David Gumpel (shorts)