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Pajanimals

The Pajanimals

Pajanimals is an original short-form musical series produced by the Jim Henson Company and 4KIDS Entertainment. The series was created for PBS KIDS Sprout's evening block, The Good Night Show. Pajanimals features the musical adventures of four young animals preparing for bed. Pajanimals premiered on November 2, 2008. The song "La La Lullaby" was aired nightly as part of The Good Night Show, while the other segments were aired on a rotating basis.

The series is 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, consisting of two eleven-minute segments, for a total of 26 broadcast episodes. The episodes debuted in October 2011.[1]. Since the premiere of these episodes, the original shorts have not aired.

The characters were designed by Jeff Muncy and built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

On July 7, 2012, the show made its broadcast premiere in the US as part of NBC Kids, a new Saturday morning programming lineup programmed by Sprout. [2] Episodes broadcast on NBC Kids are presented in high-definition where available.

On October 6, 2012, a new season of The Pajanimals began airing on NBCKids.[3]

Characters

Additional Characters (Full 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
  • 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 - A magician who is always seen in a different job each time the Pajanimals visit him

Crew - Original Shorts

Executive Producers: Halle Stanford, Jeff Muncy, Alex Rockwell, Brian Henson, Lisa Henson
Created by: Jeff Muncy
Directed by: David Gumpel
Produced by: Chris Plourde; Colin Williams (half-hour version)
Content Consultant: Sleepy Planet/The Sleepeasy Solution
Music Composed by: Michael Silversher and Patty Silversher
Musical Arrangements by: Dino Herrmann
Production Designer: Jim Dultz
Director of Photography: Dave A. Barrett
Associate Director: Chris Plourde
Stage Manager: AJ Johnson
Set Construction: Paul Riley
Leadman: Erin Eagleton
Puppeteers: Alice Dinnean, Donna Kimball, John Kennedy, Victor Yerrid
Puppet Captain: John Kennedy
Puppet Wrangler: Marian Keating
Puppets by the Jim Henson Creature Shop: Connie Peterson, Rollie Krewson, Tom Newby, Jason Weber
Production Coordinator: Stephanie James
Script Supervisor: Iwana Kanclerz
Cameras: James Atkinson, Chris Ferugson, Bryan McKenzie
Audio: Dino Herrmann, Lothar Bellutta
Gaffer: Rubin Diaz
Key Grip: Paul Lambiase
Production Staff: Andrew Nielsen, Sam Molleur
Business Affairs: Dan Scharf, Allyson Smith
Accounting: Brittan Brown
Assistants to the Producers: Joe LeFavi, Robert Fewkes
Editor: David Gumpel
Post Sound: Dino Herrmann
Assistant Editor: James Atkinson

Crew - Full Series

Executive Producers: Lisa Henson, Halle Stanford, Alex Rockwell, Jeff Muncy
Sprout Executive Producer: Andrew Beecham
Executive in Charge of Production: Lisa O'Brien
Starring: Donna Kimball, Sarah Lyle, Michael Winsor, Victor Yerrid
Music by: Michael and Patty Silversher
Produced by: Colin Williams
Created by: Jeff Muncy and Alex Rockwell
Puppets by: Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Creative Supervisor: Jason Weber
Production Manager: Jason Seck
Puppet Build: Rollie Krewson, Ann Marie Holdgruen, Tom Newby, Tim Lagasse (as Tim Legasse), Anney Ozar, Heather Asch, Constance Peterson, Polly Smith
Character Design: Jeff Muncy
Puppet Captain: Victor Yerrid
Assistant Puppeteers: Paul Currie, Lesa Gillespie, Francine Woods
Puppet Wranglers: Mike Smith, Anna McCaughtry
Lyricists: Patty Silversher, Alex Rockwell, Judy Rothman Rofè
Vocal Director: Neil Martin
Story Editor: Alex Rockwell
Curriculum Consultants: Jill Spivack and Jennifer Waldburger
Production Finance: Brittan Brown
Legal Affairs: Dan Scharf
Script Coordinator: Michael Foulke
Creative Affairs Coordinator: Meghan Sheridan
Associate Producer: Fiona Keane
Head of Production: Julie Gardner
Production Manager: Carol Moorhead
Production Assistant: Jonathan Keatings
Production Coordinators: Noleen Stevenson, Cristin Ruddy
Production Designer: Shane Bunting
Art Department: Nigel Pollock, Lauren Young, Sian Alaw Jones, David Carson, Sarah Speers
Director of Photography: Peter Jones
Camera Department: Angus Mitchell, Steven Roach, Conor Rotherham, John Fitzsimmons
Assistant Directors: Darren Fee, Paul McPolin
Sound: Marty Harrison, Jonny Waite
Electrical: Brian Livingstone, Seamus Lynch, Steve Livingstone
Construction Manager: Eammon Twomey
Script Supervisor: Andrea Bamford
Publicist: Sarah Young
Catering: Simply Good Food
Legal: Industry Media
Security: Goldcard Security
Post Production Supervisor: Ivan Rawlings
Editing: Brian Philip Davis, Roger Ford-Hutchinson, Chris McGeown, Leanne Andrews
Sound Post Production: Ka-Boom
Song Recording: Start Together Studio

Episodes

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Shorts

PBS Sprout produced a series of Pajanimals shorts consisting of ten three-minute segments which aired on a rotating basis. An additional short, "La La Lullaby," aired nightly as part of The Good Night Show. Five 10-minute Video-On-Demand companion segments were produced for caregivers, featuring interviews with experts who address common sleep issues for preschoolers.

  • Episode 101: Stick to the Plan
    Sweetpea Sue helps her fellow Pajanimals to follow the steps in getting ready for bed -- first taking a bath, then brushing their teeth and finally putting on their pajamas.
  • Episode 102: Stay in Bed, Put on Your Sleepy Head
    Squacky has the squirmies and wants to get out of bed, but his fellow Pajanimals remind him that nighttime is for sleeping.
  • Episode 103: I Love to Love My Lovies
    The Pajanimals sing about their "lovies" that help them to get to sleep at night.
  • Episode 104: How Do I Know It's Morning Time?
    Squacky wants to get out of bed and play, but can't because it's not yet morning (which annoys all of the other Pajanimals).
  • Episode 105: Goodnight to Mom
    The Pajanimals sing fondly of their moms and imagine what they might be doing at night. (YouTube)
  • Episode 106: Sleeping Makes Me Feel Alright
    The Pajanimals sing a song about how sleeping at night help gives one enough energy for the next day.
  • Episode 107: What's That Sound?
    When Apollo is bothered by nighttime sounds, his friends help him to hear how the noises can become a soothing lullaby. The Pajanimals sing about sounds they hear at night. Squacky sings about water dripping in the bathroom, Sweetpea Sue sings the wind blowing through the leaves, and Apollo gazes out at the moon singing about the sounds all around them.
  • Episode 108: Lights in the Dark
    Apollo is afraid of the dark, so his fellow Pajanimals share with him the things that light their way at night. Squacky shows how he makes shadow puppets with his night light, while Sweetpea Sue sings about how the dark help calms and comforts her.
  • Episode 109: Let's Make Our Bodies Tired
    The Pajanimals do fun exercises to tire themselves out before bedtime - including a song where they "jiggle, jumble and jump".
  • Episode 110: A Scary Dream
    When Cow Bella has a nightmare, the other Pajanimals try to calm her though song by explaining that it's just a dream, a "story in your head".
  • The Good Night Show: La La Lullaby
    The Pajanimals sing a soothing lullaby song before laying down for bed.

Series

PBS Sprout ordered new episodes in a half-hour timeslot, consisting of two eleven-minute segments, for a total of 26 broadcast episodes. The episodes debuted on October 11, 2011. Michael Winsor and Sarah Lyle took over from John Kennedy and Alice Dinnean for the series.

  • Episode 101: Blankie in the Laundry
    Squacky's blankie accidentally gets stained and has to be washed overnight. When Squacky doesn't know what to snuggle with while blankie is in the wash, the Pajanimals turn to Bedtime Bunny for help.
  • Episode 102: A Super Sweet Night
    When the Pajanimals go out trick-or-treating, they return home with bags full of sweets. Their parents have told them to eat only once a day, but Cowbella can't resist temptation and consumes her entire bag in one go. Now Cowbella is so full of energy that it seems he may never get to sleep, so the Pajanimals visit Bedtime Bunny to try to find a way to calm her down.
  • Episode 103: Tomorrow is a Brand New Day
  • Episode 104: Super Squacky
  • Episode 105: The Not-So Great Outdoors
  • Episode 106: Dream a Happy Dream
  • Episode 107: A Colorful Problem
    Apollo and Cowbella each like the color purple and want a purple crayon. When Apollo and Cowbella don't want to share the same color, Squacky and Sweetpea Sue turn to Jerry Bear for help.
  • Episode 108: Night Will Sing Us to Sleep
    Sweetpea Sue is bothered by loud noises like Squacky playing his drums too loud. When a thunderstorm at night bothers Sweetpea Sue, the Pajanimals turn to Jerry Bear for help.
  • Episode 109: Missing Mom and Dad
  • Episode 110: Light in the Sky
    Squacky has developed a fear of the dark even in his mind. When Squacky has a hard time sleeping because of this, the Pajanimals turn to the Moon for help.
  • Episode 111: Home Sweet Home
    The Pajanimals are preparing to go on a airplane to Aunt Tilly's house for a week tomorrow. When Sweetpea Sue is worried about leaving home, the Pajanimals turn to the Moon for help.
  • Episode 112: The Rocket Ride
    The Pajanimals are anxious to go to the Fun Park tomorrow. Apollo is the only one tall enough to ride the rocket ride when the others aren't close to his height. When this starts to bother him, the Pajanimals turn to Bedtime Bunny for help.
  • Episode 113: A Present for Mom
  • Episode 114: Happy Birthday, Sweetpea Sue
    The Pajanimals celebrate Sweetpea Sue's birthday
  • Episode 115: Apollo's Special Day
    Cowbella was jealous when Apollo's birthday is tomorrow and doesn't feel like attending. The Pajanimals turn to Mr. Happy Birthday for help.
  • Episode 116: An Octopus Hug
    Sweatpea Sue is afraid of octopi. To help her get over her fear of octopi, the Pajanimals take Squacky's bed to the sea where they meet Ellie Octopus.
  • Episode 117: No Bath for Me
    Cowbella doesn't feel like taking a bath tomorrow. To help convince Cowbella change her mind, the Pajanimals turn to Ellie Octopus for help.
  • Episode 118: Share Day
    Share Day is at school tomorrow and Sweetpea Sue is nervous about sharing Daisy Puff with the class. When this continues to bother Sweetpea Sue, the Pajanimals turn to Ellie Octopus for help.
  • Episode 119: Puppy Love
    The Pajanimals are given a job by their parents to take care of the dog Fluffy for the next day. When the Pajanimals are unsure of how to take turns taking care of Fluffy, they turn to Coach Whistler for help.
  • Episode 120: Winning Isn't Everything
    Apollo is disappointed that he keeps losing every race. When this continues to bother Apollo, the Pajanimals go to Coach Whistler for help.
  • Episode 121: Try Try Again
    The Pajanimals are going to be taught how to play baseball tomorrow by their father. The problem there is that Apollo is nervous at the fact that he won't do well at baseball. To help Apollo with his problem, the other Pajanimals turn to Coach Whistler for help.
  • Episode 122: Game Day
    Squacky finds himself addicted to a hand-held video game. This proves to be a problem when the others Pajanimals want Squacky to play with them tomorrow, and Squacky has a hard time sleeping. The Pajanimals turn to Coach Whistler for help.
  • Episode 123: Under the Bed
    Squacky's new ball "Ballie" rolls under his bed, but he's afraid to go under the bed to get it due to a "monster living under the bed." He can't sleep, so the Pajanimals go to see Edwin (who is pretending to be a knight) to learn about facing their fears.
  • Episode 124: Queen for a Night
    Cowbella has been a little bit bossy lately yet claims that she wants the others to listen to her. The Pajanimals end up turning to Edwin (who is pretending to be a King) for help.
  • Episode 125: House of Pancakes
    Sweetpea Sue can't wait for pancakes on Saturday until the Pajanimals' mom announces at the last minute that they will have waffles tomorrow. When Sweetpea Sue is bothered by this, the Pajanimals end up turning to Edwin (who is pretending to be a chef) for help.
  • Episode 126: I'm Sorry, Really Sorry
    Cowbella accidentally gets paint on Sweetpea Sue's Daisy Puff which angers Sweetpea Sue. When Sweetpea Sue doesn't want to forgive Cowbella for this incident, Apollo and Squacky end up turning to Edwin (who is pretending to be the Royal Magician) for help and see that Edwin also has a problem when he accidentally turned the Royal Baker into a frog.
  • Episode 201: Mom is Amazing
  • Episode 202: Accidents Can Happen
  • Episode 203: Sing a Pajanimal Song
  • Episode 204: Time Out for Two

Songs

The series features original songs written by Michael and Patty Silversher with lyrics by Michael and Patty Silversher, Alex Rockwell and Judy Rothman.

The theme song for the series 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 -- Apollo is looking forward to a goodnight hug, Cow Bella is in bed "snug as a bug", Squacky has picked out a book to share, and Sweetpea Sue is getting ready to put on her pajamas. The program's theme song was not aired on Sprout in the original shorts, but was made freely available online. It was also included on the program's soundtrack album and the DVD release. An instrumental version of the theme was used for the closing credits, which was again not presented on Sprout.

The full series uses a new version of the theme song, performed only by the mother, with slightly modified lyrics. The closing credits feature the mother performing a shortened version of "La La Lullaby." This series features a number of new songs, and in some cases repurposed versions of the ones from the original shorts, customized to fit the themes of the full series and to be performed in part by the program's new guest characters. New songs include "I'M Your Light in the Night Sky" by The Moon" and "In the Land of Hush" by Bedtime Bunny.

Merchandise

Soundtrack

File:Pajanimals-Soundtrack.jpg

On August 3, 2009, the soundtrack was released exclusively on Amazon.com on CD and for digital download.[4] The songs were rerecorded for the official soundtrack, featuring additional instrumentals and vocals not heard on the versions of the songs aired on television.

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

DVD

The DVD Pajanimals: Good Night, Pajanimals!was released December 1, 2009 by NCircle Entertainment.

References

External links

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