My Week with 2008: Sprout and Bright House

 

Back in 2008, Sprout launched in Tampa, Florida on Bright House Networks (now Spectrum) as Channel 121, and two commercials, the videos you see above, were made to promote.

These promos used the cliché purple television branding from the "We Share" campaign as well as the music from that promo, and featured both clips from The Good Night Show, The Let's Go Show, The Sunny Side Up Show, The Sprout Sharing Show, Barney & Friends, Sesame Street, Caillou, Bob the Builder, Make Way for Noddy, Sprout Diner, and Fifi and the Flowertots, and footage of real kids and their parents goofing out and having fun (the clip of the kids and their mom having breakfast was used in both a Great Sprout Tuck-In PSA and the "Cereal" bumper).

According to Sprout's Jenni Glenn, Sprout previously launched on Time Warner Cable in California and Texas under an affiliation agreement with Time Warner Cable that also extends to Bright House Networks.

My Week with 2011: He's Awake!

 It's not every day you see Barney and Elmo in the same room.

The red monster and purple dinosaur only appeared together once, and that was in the above commercial, made just for Sprout in 2011 (I don't know if the two were really in the same room or if it were green screen). The commercial also featured appearances by Super WHY!, Fireman Sam, Kelly Vrooman and Chica, Roary the Racing Car, and Caillou, plus The Good Night Show is seen on TV at the end. In the commercial, Barney, Elmo, Super WHY!, and Fireman Sam are in a boy named Brody's room, waiting for him to wake up. When he does, Super WHY! alters his mom and flies by Vrooman and Chica, ruining their craft in the process.

Another similar commercial was made featuring Barney, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Kelly Vrooman, Sean Roach, and Chica, and a clip from The Good Night Show on TV.

In addition, several tie-in online banner ads were made, featuring the same characters from the two commercials.

Why It's Called That

You ever wonder why the blog is called "Parents and Kids Share Together?" Well, today I’m here to tell you.

Back in the first and second generations, Sprout was often called "the 24-hour preschool channel that parents and kids share together" in promos, commercials, bumpers, and other material. This term was used as early as 2007:

At the end of the above video, a female announcer says "Sprout, the only 24-hour preschool channel parents and kids share together"

The term was used at the end of both Sprout Please commercials…

In "A Lot Happens When You Sprout" and "Showtime"…

…And in both "Live Sprout" commercials.

A new version of the term was used in a promo for The Chica Show. "Parents, kids, and chickens share together." LOL!

And finally, some banner ads:

So now you know why "Parents and Kids Share Together" is called that.

My Week with Kindness Counts: PSAs

 Hello friends. This week I’m going to be covering a promotion Sprout had about kindness: Kindness Counts. Because small acts matter big!

The promotion started in 2011, launching with four PSAs featuring Sprout talent and characters.

Let's start off with this one. Big Bird from Sesame Street is on the swings, all alone. Two kids (including actress Adriana Camposano) invite him to play with them (which adds to the Kindness Counter), and Ann Curry interviews them. Brian Williams adds "Kindness, how touching." Go Ann and Brian!

In this one, our friend Barney the Dinosaur is at a family's house for dinner, but has trouble reaching a slice of bread. A girl named Kaylee hands him the bread, and Barney tells her that doing something kind adds to the Kindness Counter.

In this one, Kelly Vrooman watches as Chica plays with her friends.

Some more Kindness Counts PSAs were made for NBC's "The More You Know" in 2014. These new PSAs featured Nina, the Sunny Side Up Show hosts, and characters from Astroblast!.

The Sproutonline.com Song

Like I said in one of my previous posts, Sprout has had many jingles over the years, with one of them promoting the Channel's website. It noticeably had the same tune as Another jingle I posted about previously.

So, without further ado, ere are a few lyrics to the Sproutonline.com song over the years.

Here is the first version from 2008. It is noticeably incomplete.

Get on More (Get on More) 

Get on your way (Get on your way) 

Get your Dad, Get your Mom 

Get on Sproutonline.com.

Click on Fun (Fun)

Click on Games (Games)

Click on a Brand new place where you belong at Sproutonline.com.

All your favorite friends are here to say hi, 

Morning, noon, and nighttime too

Here is a more-well-known version from 2009 (the next year).

Get on more (Get on more)

Get on your way (Get on your way)

Get on sproutonline.com

All your favorite friends are here to say hi

So much to see and do

With just a click or two Get on the bar (Get on the bar

Get in the know (Get in the know)

Get on the go, everybody come along to

sproutonline.com

And finally ... the final version from 2011 or 2012!

There's a place (There's a place)

Just for you (Just for you)

And your Dad, and your Mom

Here on Sproutonline.com.

Your favorite friends (Favorite friends)

Favorite shows (Favorite shows)

Play a game and sing a song

Go to Sproutonline.com

And for you big Sprouts, there's so much to do

Easy search for what you please, make crafts or recipes

Send to Sprout (Send to Sprout)

Give us a shout (Give us a shout)

Find your friends to shine along,

And go to Sproutonline.com.

And there you have it folks! The lyrics to all 3 versions of the Sproutonline.com song! Do you remember it? What was your favorite version?

Besides ... where's the full version of the 2008 song?

Sprout Jingle - Always Here For You

Over the years Sprout has had several different jingles for TV and radio. One of the earliest ones featured the lyrics:

On Demand,

Or On TV,

Day or Night and Online too,

Sprout is always here for you

We really gotta watch Sprout,

it's the place to be

'Cause there's so much to do,

And there's so much to see

Fun and Games

And your favorite shows

We're good to grow the whole day through

Sprout is always here for you

Come On, Let's Grow now with Sprout!

Here is an interesting music video from launch, and one of Sprout's many jingles on TV and radio. You see a few Sproutlets and their parents, a few Primal Screen elements, Pingu, Sprout Diner (even though it launched the next year), Barney, Caillou, and Angelina Ballerina. What struck me as interesting was Birthday Show (later Sunny Side Up Show) presenter Kevin Yamada.

The song aired from 2005 until 2007. It was replaced by...

Very interesting to see a music video like this because it reminds you how different Sprout was in the first generation.

It's about Families

It's about memories

It's about hugging a pet

The feeling you get

Knowing you belong.

It's about big days

Parties and birthdays

It's about cousins and more, hugs galore, wherever love is strong

Come on let's grow, Come on let's grow

Come on let's grow now with Sprout!

Sprout!