Bear in the Big Blue House



Bear in the Big Blue House is a TV series that ran for five seasons, from 1997 to 2006. The show was developed by Mitchell Kriegman with The Jim Henson Company for Disney Channel. Eight additional five season episodes were broadcast in April 2006, after The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the program.

Show Structure and Content
Bear in the Big Blue House is aimed at teaching lessons to preschool and early school-age children. In each episode, Bear explores learning concepts such as feelings, the alphabet, nature, science and more with the kids of the Big Blue House and/or out in Woodland Valley. Throughout the majority of its run, the program was seen daily on Disney Channel. Currently, it is not broadcast in the United States, but can be seen in some other markets.

At the beginning of each episode, Bear welcomes viewers to his house and tells them that he thinks they smell good. After talking with one or more of the characters, he introduces the show theme, or "Word of the Day" and sometimes sings a song about it. This segment, in the first three seasons, is often followed by one in which real kids discuss the topic of the day. Afterwards, Bear usually explores the house or valley, talking with the kids and aiding/assisting them as necessary. He will also sometimes stop to find Shadow, who shares a story related to the theme of the day. At the end of each program, Bear heads to the attic of the house and talks with his friend Luna, the moon, about the day's events. The two sing "The Goodbye Song" and notable scenes from the episode are shown in brief. Bear then shares a final thought for the day.

Sometimes, at the opening of the program, Bear will have a talk with Ray. In the fourth season of the program, Woodland Valley, the community at large, is featured much more heavily. Tutter the mouse is shown attending school, many new characters are introduced and Ray the sun and real-kids segments are no longer featured.

Episode list

 * Season 1 (1997)
 * 101. Home Is Where the Bear Is
 * 102. Water, Water Everywhere
 * 103. Mouse Party
 * 104. Shape of a Bear
 * 105. Picture of Health
 * 106. Share, Bear
 * 107. Why Bears Can't Fly
 * 108. Falling for Fall
 * 109. What's in the Mail, Today?
 * 110. Dancin' the Day Away
 * 111. A Wagon of a Different Color
 * 112. Dirt, I Love You So!
 * 113. Music to My Ears
 * 114. All Connected
 * 115. Summer Cooler
 * 116. The Big Little Visitor
 * 117. A Winter's Nap
 * 118. Working Like a Bear
 * 119. Magic in the Kitchen
 * 120. Spring Fever
 * 121. A Plant Grows in Bear's House
 * 122. Eat, Drink Juice and Be Merry
 * 123. Need a Little Help Today
 * 124. Lost Thing
 * 125. Listen Up!
 * 126. Friends for Life
 * Season 2 (1998)
 * 201. Ooh Baby, Baby
 * 202. Raiders of the Lost Cheese
 * 203. The Big Sleep
 * 204. Clear as a Bell
 * 205. Good Times
 * 206. You Learn Something New Every Day
 * 207. Back to Nature
 * 208. The Ojolympics
 * 209. The Great Pretender
 * 210. It's All in Your Head
 * 211. Oops, My Mistake
 * 212. Bear's Birthday Bash
 * 213. Picture This
 * 214. The Big Blue Housecall
 * 215. Change Is in the Air
 * 216. Look What I Made
 * 217. If at First You Don't Succeed...
 * 218. All Weather Bear
 * 219. I Built That!
 * 220. Tutter's Tiny Trip
 * 221. Dance Fever!
 * 222. Afraid Not
 * 223. I Gotta Be Me!
 * 224. Buggin'
 * 225. Love Is All You Need
 * 226. It's a Mystery to Me
 * 227. As Different as Day and Night
 * 228. Grandparents Just Want to Have Fun
 * 229. The Way I Feel Today
 * 230. You Go, Ojo!
 * 231. Scientific Bear
 * 232. Boys Will Be Boys
 * 233. I Was Just Thinking
 * 234. Wish You Were Here
 * 235. And to All a Good Night
 * 236. Call It a Day
 * 237. We Did It Our Way
 * 238. What's the Story?
 * 239. When You've Got to Go!
 * Season 3 (1999)
 * 301. Friends at Play
 * 302. Nothing to Fear
 * 303. Lost and Found
 * 304. The Senseless Detectives
 * 305. Halloween Bear
 * 306. You Never Know
 * 307. It's All About You
 * 308. Woodland House Wonderful
 * 309. I've Got Your Number
 * 310. What's Mine Is Yours
 * 311. Bear's Secret Cave
 * 312. Smellorama
 * 313. I For-Got Rhythm!?
 * 314. Wait for Me
 * 315. Morning Glory
 * 316. That Healing Feeling
 * 317. The Tutter Family Reunion
 * 318. Bats are People Too
 * 319. Words, Words, Words
 * 320. Let's Get Interactive
 * 321. The Yard Sale
 * 322. The Best Thanksgiving Ever
 * 323. Read My Book
 * 324. Go to Sleep
 * 325. A Berry Bear Christmas (1)
 * 326. A Berry Bear Christmas (2)
 * Season 4 (2002)
 * 401. Welcome to Woodland Valley (1)
 * 402. Welcome to Woodland Valley (2)
 * 403. Step By Step
 * 404. The First Day at Mouse School
 * 405. Rockin' Rocko
 * 406. When Harry Met Hallie
 * 407. Show and Tell
 * 408. Tutter Gathers Some Moss
 * 409. History, Herstory, Bearstory
 * 410. At the Old Bear Game
 * 411. The Amazing Skippy
 * 412. Let's Hit the Road
 * 413. Great Ball of Firefighters
 * 414. Appreciation Day
 * 415. Show Your Stuff
 * 416. Grandma Flutter's 100th Birthday
 * 417. The View from You
 * 418. To Clean or Not to Clean
 * 419. The Great Bandini
 * 420. Volunteers of Woodland Valley
 * 421. Big Blue Home of the Brave
 * 422. A Trip to the General Store
 * 423. Tutter's First Big Sleepover Bash
 * 424. A Strange Bird
 * 425. Let It Go
 * 426. This Is Your Life, Bear


 * see also: unaired pilot

Cast

 * Noel MacNeal - Bear, Moss
 * Peter Linz - Tutter, Pip, Jacques the Beaver, Big Old Bullfrog, Jack the Dog, Shadow (puppetry), Luna, (puppetry), Ray the Sun (puppetry)
 * Vicki Eibner - Ojo, Etta Otter, Tally Otter, Grandma Flutter (1998-2003), Keisha, Lois, Annette
 * James J. Kroupa - Otto Otter, Jeremiah Tortoise, Benny the Bat, various
 * Tyler Bunch - Treelo, Pop, Doc Hog
 * Jennifer Barnhart - Miss Maxwell
 * Alice Dinnean - Grandma Flutter (1997-1998)
 * Geoffrey Holder - Ray the Sun (voice)
 * Tim Lagasse - Jet Setter Tutter, ensemble
 * Anney McKilligan - Rita Mouse
 * Tara Mooney - Shadow (voice)
 * Carmen Osbahr - Ursa
 * Lynne Thigpen - Luna (voice)
 * Victor Yerrid - Cousin Whiner, various
 * Eric Jacobson - Harry the Duck, Tucker Tutter

Crew

 * Creator: Mitchell Kriegman
 * Producers: Erica Levin, Andy Yerkes, Mitchell Kriegman, Alex Rockwell, Brian Henson, P. Kevin Strader, Claudia Silver, Deborah Mayer, James Sabatini
 * Associate Directors: Phil Alcabes, Andrea Giles-Rich, Dean Gordon
 * Editors: Tony Breuer, Rob Hall, Marybeth Benivegna
 * Stage Manager: Adam Matalon
 * Muppet Designer: Paul Andrejco
 * Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop: Lara MacLean, Anney McKilligan, Andrea Detwiler, Vanessa Gifford, James Wojtal (un-credited)
 * Graphics Designer: Chris Renaud
 * Production Designer: Cabot McMullen
 * Art Director: David B. Ellis
 * Lighting Designer: Randy Nordstrom
 * Animator: Jim Spieler


 * Score: Peter Lurye, Julian Harris, Brian Woodbury
 * Songs: Peter Lurye, Bill Obrecht, Brian Woodbury, McPaul Smith, Julian Harris, Bobby Lopez, Jeff Marx, Tyler Bunch, Tony Fennel, Michael Webster, David Yazbek, Steve Charney, Jon Ludwig, Mitchell Kriegman, Tara Mooney, Robert Cole, Deena Cole, Dave Kinnoin, Billy Cobin, A. Wyatt Blakemore


 * Opening Titles Sequence and Digital Compositing by Shadow Digital
 * Produced by Shadow Projects and Jim Henson Television
 * Taped at Silver Screen Studios at Chelsea Piers, NY