Between the Lions

Between the Lions is a children's puppet series that aired on PBS from 2000 to 2011, designed to promote reading skills. The basic philosophy of the program is to get kids "wild about reading"; this is literalized through the use of a family of lions running a library: Theo and Cleo and their children Lionel and Leona.

Although it is not affiliated with The Jim Henson Company or Sesame Street, it does share many similar characteristics, along with some similarities to The Electric Company. It also features many cast and crew commonly involved with Muppet productions.

Appearances

• Several Sesame Street Muppets made special guest appearances during the second season:

• In "Tweet! Tweet!," which aired on May 1, 2001, Theo and Cleo scoff at the possibility that birds and dinosaurs could be related. They change their minds when Big Bird enters the library, and introduces himself. As he leaves, the camera pans to Ernie, looking up from a book on Humongous Duckies, and Bert, reading about Humongous Pigeons. Both utter their trademark laughs.
• Bert and Elmo also appeared, as celebrity guests, in "Dance with Smartypants" inserts from that season. Credited guest performers for the collective appearances were Caroll Spinney, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Kevin Clash, and John Tartaglia.

• Principal characters from Between the Lions joined Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, and The Muppet Show characters in the "We Are Family" music video.
• Several 2006 and 2007 PBS interstitials for the Ready To Learn Service feature Between the Lions characters interacting with Sesame Street characters:
  • ”Star Finder" spoofs American Idol with Ernie demonstrating his rhyming skills. The judges are Theo, Emily Elizabeth from Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Oscar the Grouch.
  • Another one stars Leona and Theo. The segment takes place outside the normal realm of the show, and instead is set in a family living room, spoofing the sitcom genre, complete with laugh track. A brief set of credits appear under a voice over making references to other PBS shows including Sesame Street. The credits include: Camera Operator - Grover; Art Direction - Prairie Dawn; Leona's Body Double - Elmo Monster; Second, Third and Seventh Unit Director - The Count; and, Gaffer - Big Bird.
  • In a Mission: Impossible spoof, Cookie Monster recives instructions from Arty Smartypants, a Between the Lions character.
  • Grover was paired with Cleo in spoofs of Casablanca and Superman.
  • In a West Side Story spoof, Theo and Ernie sing a variation of "The Jet Song." Oscar makes a cameo.

Connections

Between the Lions title card

• 14 Karat Soul performed in inserts
• Pam Arciero plays Leona (third season and on)
• India.Arie appeared to sing letter sounds.
• Anthony Asbury plays Lionel
• Heather Asch plays Click, Clay Pigeon and Smarmy Marmy
• Carin Greenberg Baker was a regular writer for the series
• Jennifer Barnhart plays Cleo
• Paul Benedict played Fay's Father in "Hay Day"
• Lou Berger co-created and served as staff writer
• Cheryl Blaylock puppeteers various roles
• Lisa Buckley puppeteers various roles
• Tyler Bunch played Walter Pigeon, Heath the Thesaurus (in the first season) and Dr. Nitwhite
• Christopher Cerf co-created, served as executive producer, and composed songs
• Emilio Delgado voiced the Ram in "The Ram in the Pepper Patch."
• Sarah Durkee co-wrote the theme song and songs
• Melissa Etheridge played herself in inserts
• Judy Freudberg was a regular writer
• Michael K. Frith co-created the series, executive produced, and provided voices for the first two seasons
• Tony Geiss was a regular writer
• Louise Gikow served as staff writer
• James Godwin puppeteered various roles
• Denyce Graves appeared as a recurring guest, singing operatic letter sounds.
• Tom Guadarrama served as technical staff
• Paul Jacobs was the music director and co-wrote the theme song and songs
• Larry King appears regularly
• Jim Kroupa puppeteers various roles
• Tim Lagasse plays Barnaby B. Busterfield, Arty Smartypants, Watson the Duck, Gus the Bunny and Theo (Third season only)
• Sharon Lerner was a regular writer
• Peter Linz plays Theo, Announcer Bunny, Gawain and Heath the Thesaurus (second season on)
• Rick Lyon puppeteers various roles
• Noel MacNeal performed Lionel in season 9 and onward.
• Carmen Osbahr perfomed Sierra Lion in "Earl's Too Cool" and "The Goat in the Coat"
• Jim Martin directed certain episodes
• Brian Muehl wrote episodes of the series and puppeteered background roles
• Kathryn Mullen co-created, directed, wrote, played Leona, Information Hen, The Vowells, and served as puppet captain for the first two seasons.
• Fred Newman wrote, voiced Chicken Jane and others, and appears in "Fred Says" segments
• Oliver Platt played himself in various segments
• Martin P. Robinson plays Grandpa Lion in "Out in Outer Space"
• Al Roker played himself in inserts
• Marilyn Sokol played The Strange Old Lady in "Sausage Nose"
• Jon Stewart played himself in inserts
• Norman Stiles co-created, executive produced, and served as head writer
• Meredith Vieira played herself in an insert
• Matt Vogel puppeteers various roles
• Belinda Ward co-wrote some of the songs
• Vanessa Williams played herself in inserts
• Tom Whedon was a regular writer