Boo! (TV series)

Boo! is a children's television series shown in the United Kingdom on the CBeebies channel,^[1] and originally on BBC Two, and produced by Universal Studios. It features several cartoon characters who play a game similar to hide and seek in a variety of settings. The commentary is performed by an adult narrator and a chorus of children. The series was produced by the independent production company Tell-Tale Productions, which was also responsible for Tweenies.^[2] From 2007 to 2012, reruns of the show were broadcast in the USA on Qubo.

The series ran for a total of 104 episodes and one Christmas special and was nominated for a BAFTA in 2002-03.

At the end of the programme a song is sung, usually about matching characters or objects to their shapes or colours.

The visual style of Boo! is very distinctive, using 3D CGI with rounded shapes and cel-shading. The music and songs are generally in an early-70s funk/R&B idiom.

Characters

• Boo - a pear-shaped patchwork creature with orange spiky hair. His feet are red with white spots on them. The main object of the programme is to find Boo in his various hiding places. Half-way through each episode, Boo magically adopts attributes of his surroundings (e.g. becomes "Penguin Boo" in the Antarctic). Boo cannot talk, although he whistles at the beginning of each episode and dances during every song.
• Laughing Duck (voiced by Kate Harbour) - a yellow soft-toy duck, who laughs when "found". She has a red-orange beak that matches her legs and has abilities to fly and swim. In some episodes, she meets some people who happen to be employees. In the hospital, she has been found sad because her laugh is lost, but it is regained when Boo tickles her flipper.
• Sleeping Bear (voiced by Justin Fletcher) - a brown teddy bear who is usually asleep, yawning or stretching when "found". His blankie is red with white-printed hearts on it. The catchphrase associated with him is "Shhh... I'm taking a nap right now."
• Growling Tiger (also voiced by Justin Fletcher) - a friendly soft-toy tiger with fluffy white ears. Despite his name, he says "Roar!" (not "Growl!") when found. His associated catchphrase is "I am fierce! Run away! Run away!"

Other characters, both human and animal vary from one episode to another. The people who have speaking roles in this show are the artists, Chatty Hairdresser, Helpful Nurse, Caring Doctor, Helpful Teacher (the ice-skater), Helpful Waitress, Happy Customers (one man and one woman), Busy Chef, the woman in high stilts, the ringmaster, Careful Grownup, Graceful Teacher (the ballet dancer), Gentle Vet and Cheering Dad. The Blue Squawking Parakeet with a red crest on it appears in a birdcage (being taken home by a customer) when we are about to enter the veterinarian.

Episodes

• 1. Rock Pool - 4 June 2003
• 2. Supermarket - 11 June 2003
• 3. Pond - 18 June 2003
• 4. Art Gallery - 25 June 2003
• 5. Desert - 2 July 2003
• 6. Harbor - 9 July 2003
• 7. Bedroom - 16 July 2003
• 8. Prehistoric Land - 23 July 2003
• 9. Theater - 30 July 2003
• 10. African River - 6 August 2003
• 11. Cave - 13 August 2003
• 12. Coral Reef - 20 August 2003
• 13. Train Station - 27 August 2003
• 14. Canadian River - 4 September 2003
• 15. Indian Jungle - 11 September 2003
• 16. Café - 18 September 2003
• 17. Deep Blue Sea - 25 September 2003
• 18. Castle - 1 October 2003
• 19. African Waterhole - 7 October 2003
• 20. Kitchen - 14 October 2003
• 21. Arctic - 21 October 2003
• 22. Fun Fair - 28 October 2003
• 23. Space - 4 November 2003
• 24. Garden - 11 November 2003
• 25. Hospital - 18 November 2003
• 26. Woods at Night - 25 November 2003

Season 2 Episodes

• 27. Library - 5 February 2004
• 28. Canadian Mountain - 12 February 2004
• 29. Australian Bush - 19 February 2004
• 30. Swimming Pool - 26 February 2004
• 31. Forest Floor - 22 April 2004
• 32. Circus - 12 March 2004
• 33. Swamp - 19 March 2004
• 34. Fun House - 26 March 2004
• 35. Playgroup - 2 April 2004
• 36. Antarctic - 9 April 2004
• 37. Ski Resort - 16 April 2004
• 38. Jungle - 25 April 2004
• 39. Farm - 30 April 2004
• 40. Bathroom - 13 May 2004
• 41. Park - 20 May 2004
• 42. Zoo - 27 May 2004
• 43. English Riverbank - 4 June 2004
• 44. American Ranch - 11 June 2004
• 45. Bamboo Forest - 18 June 2004
• 46. American Prairie - 25 June 2004
• 47. Junior Gym - 2 July 2004
• 48. Meadow - 9 July 2004
• 49. Tropical Island - 16 July 2004
• 50. City at Night - 23 July 2004
• 51. Pirate Ship - 30 July 2004
• 52. City Farm - 6 August 2004

Season 3 Episodes

• 53. Fire Station - 1 March 2005
• 54. Dentist - 7 March 2005
• 55. The Pyramids - 14 March 2005
• 56. Athletics Track - 21 March 2005
• 57. Airfield - 28 March 2005
• 58. Kite Festival - 4 April 2005
• 59. Ballet - 11 April 2005
• 60. Veterinarian - 18 April 2005
• 61. Car Factory - 25 April 2005
• 62. Pottery - 2 May 2005
• 63. Carpenter's Workshop - 9 May 2005
• 64. Sports Day - 16 May 2005
• 65. Cheese Market - 23 May 2005
• 66. Tennis Court - 30 May 2005
• 67. Post Office - 6 June 2005
• 68. Diwali Party - 16 September 2005
• 69. Fishing Dock - 20 June 2005
• 70. Fancy Dress Shop - 27 June 2005
• 71. Garden Center - 4 July 2005
• 72. Police Station - 11 July 2005
• 73. Pop Concert - 18 July 2005
• 74. Chinese New Year Party - 1 February 2006
• 75. Tea Plantation - 3 August 2005
• 76. Basketball Court - 10 August 2005
• 77. Hairdressers - 17 August 2005
• 78. Ice Skating Rink - 24 August 2005

Season 4 Episodes:

• 79. Bus Station - 16 February 2006
• 80. Chicken Farm - 23 February 2006
• 81. Street Market - 2 March 2006
• 82. Bakery - 9 March 2006
• 83. Building Site - 16 March 2006
• 84. Baseball Stadium - 23 March 2006
• 85. Children's Party - 30 March 2006
• 86. Football Stadium - 6 April 2006
• 87. Surfer Beach - 13 April 2006
• 88. Race Track - 20 April 2006
• 89. Roman Villa - 27 April 2006
• 90. Orange Grove - 4 May 2006
• 91. Venetian Canal - 23 May 2006
• 92. Play - 30 May 2006
• 93. Crazy Golf - 6 June 2006
• 94. Galapagos Islands - 13 June 2006
• 95. Luau - 20 June 2006
• 96. House Being Decorated - 24 June 2006
• 97. Seaside - 27 June 2006
• 98. Halloween - 30 October 2006
• 99. Campsite - 10 July 2006
• 100. Film Set - 7 September 2006
• 101. Snowy Garden - 8 December 2006
• 102. Rainforest Canopy - 23 December 2006

Networks that air Boo!

• Italy: Disney Junior
• Spain: Clan TVE, Canal Panda
• Latin America: Discovery Kids (Latin America)
• United States: Qubo
• United Kingdom: CBeebies
• Canadian English: Treehouse TV, YTV, Playtime Krumeater
• Canadian French: TFO, Disney Junior France
• Germany: Disney Junior

Production credits

The show was created by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan, who have created and produced Fun Song Factory, BB3B, and Jim Jam and Sunny in addition to Tweenies. Brenton also designed the characters.

The series was directed by Mark Taylor and produced by Teresa Reed. Animation was handled by the Bristol-based studio A Productions.

The voices of Growling Tiger and Sleeping Bear were provided by Justin Fletcher; the voice of Laughing Duck was supplied by Kate Harbour. The children's voices were supplied by a group of junior school children including Daniel Hardoon, Franklin Taylor Moore (son of Mark Taylor), Corey Lewis and Laura Reed. The male narrator is ex-Freak Power singer Ashley Slater and the female narrator is Sharon D. Clarke.

The original design was created by Rebecca Elgar, a children's author and illustrator.

Broadcast

"Boo!" can be seen in the United Kingdom on CBeebies (formerly on CBeebies on BBC2),^[1] formerly in the United States on Qubo's digital channel until 2012.^[3] (with two episodes in a half-hour format), and Australia's ABC.^[4] "Boo!" is also available in Canada on the French educational public broadcaster TFO.^[5]

References

External links

• Variety story from MIPCOM 2002: BBC goes 'Boo!'