Nostalgic Field Trip

 

Madeline Fretz - I know this post isn't Sprout-related, but this is one of the best things that's ever happened to teenage me, and felt impossible not to write about here, on a Sprout blog. Enjoy!

Once we moved in 2018, I've spent most of my life depressed. I seemed to miss the good old days and still do. In fact, my original song "2007," which I wrote and sung WITHOUT music (like most of my songs) is about the amazing things that happened that year and how I long to revisit them. Nowadays, I'm in high school, have classes with mean teachers, and seem to escape from or skip them almost every day. As I said earlier, I spend my depressing life taking my mind to my memories.

Sometimes I wish to go to my old elementary school or my old house. In fact, today, I emailed my teachers about my "wish trip." Just tonight, Mom asked if I wanted to go to Superstars Pizza and the old Mary Munford playground before picking up my sister and her friend from ballet. Who was I to say no? Of course I would! I couldn't wait, and I started a vlog. I abandoned and eventually deleted the vlog since I didn't have enough storage, errors occured when the video was loading. and the video had me playing on the old playground to "We Built This City." If I did make it,  I would post it on Vimeo and Dailymotion (like my Baby Einstein "Grinch Night" and "Thriller" music videos) due to copyright strikes and then on YouTube without the music. 

On the way to Superstars, I told my Mom that I wanted to make a movie about my old friends with now-retired teacher Mr. Bennett - about us getting back together and trying to save the school. She said some of them would not to get back together, and that I should come up with an original plot, so I had a brief meltdown, and eventually calmed down, took deep breaths, and drank water. A great ending to a great day shouldn't start off like this! Unfortunately, Superstars was closed (probably for the night?), so we decided to do the next best thing and go to Gelati Celesti. On the last day of third grade, the power went out, so instead of going to school, we went there, and my old friends Betsy (RIP) and Tillie(sp?) were there. I had birthday cake ice cream, and it was so good, but I eventually threw it away because I didn't feel like eating it anymore.

After ice cream, we went to Libby's to buy a few water bottles, and then it was off to nostalgia! Getting out of the car and getting some fresh air brought back so many memories! I played on the old playgrounds for a little while, made my video that never was (see above), and Mom caught up with some old friends. I was hoping to go inside the building AND my old house, but maybe we'll go there another day. There was even a "Welcome Back" sign ... were they expecting me or something?! I took my picture in front of the school, and then we were off to Richmond Ballet.

It was a great day, and the best thing to ever happen since that video. It was like I was a recipient of Make-a-Wish, except I didn't have cancer. Life can be depressing, but great things can happen at times, and this was one of them. It's safe to say that I've had the time of my life!

The good old days

Click here to become a little kid again on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Sprout and Autism

Image from 2018

Madeline Fretz - You know me, but one thing you don't know about me is that I'm an autistic girl, which may explain why I love little kids' shows. I'll admit, I've loved little kids' shows ever since I was a toddler, but having autism may be the reason why I'm a big fan even to this day. Autism is amazing, it means you see the world differently.

Having autism also means you behave differently. I'm good-mannered, but, like Caillou, I sometimes throw tantrums and cry like a little kid, which is probably why, over the years, I've used chewy necklaces and went to speech and occupational therapy classes (and had some at my own house) (as for the former, I bite my fingers a lot, so that could be why). In addition, we were not alone, as several children's shows, including those I like, have introduced characters with autism. With characters like these, kids like me were represented.

As I said, like other people I know, I'm autistic and I love kids' shows, which could be the reason why I stay inside and spend a lot of time on screens (I'm more of an indoors person, though I usually go outside), which may lead to lack of sunlight. Sprout is something I've loved ever since I was little ... or have I? As you probably know, I had "Sproutophobia" as a "Sproutlet" - I was afraid of whenever The Sunny Side Up Show had guest appearances from characters, but calmed down and overcame my fears as I got older.

I have four of the same picture on each wall in my room, and it's THIS ONE. No, seriously!

Sprout was hugely impactful on children with special needs, including those like me on the autism spectrum. The hosts made the children feel safe, comfortable in a troublesome world, and, like Mr. Rogers, were very gentle and understood their viewers, treating them like real people. Serenity.

In this post, you'll find out why Sprout was a place for kids with autism. Read on!

The Sunny Side Up Show was like any other children's show, except it was live, unscripted, and the hosts never talked down to kids. Unlike Play School, the hosts of The Sunny Side Up Show behaved like real people rather than actors. They were sweet, calm, and made kids feel welcome in their own little world. Sunny was also a place where kids could learn about a different educational topic each week and could get to send in fun stuff related to the week's theme. I'd have to say, very autism-like.

The Good Night Show was like The Sunny Side Up Show (I even made a piece about which one of the two was better), except it was slower, calmer, and, like most of Sprout's other programming, pre-recorded. It was probably better for me since I'm a calm girl most of the time. Like Sunny, it was also a place where children could learn about a different topic through various fun activities and segments of their favorite shows - both old and new. The scenarios between Nina and Star were a bit little kid-like. Star asks Nina to stay up late, the two engage in banter for the rest of the night, and Star finally goes to bed. When I was in preschool, I went to bed around the same time, slept through the whole night, and probably got up at different times.

Even though kids watched The Good Night Show, it did not put them to bed. A Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood study in early 2009 showed that the show kept kids awake. Sandy Wax, president of Sprout at the time, explained that The Good Night Show, which launched when Sprout did in 2005, fulfilled the social function of reminding "Grown-Up Sprouts" that it was time to put their Sproutlets to bed after a busy day, which is probably why they had that Nina/Star banter. That study may have led to two things - 1. The Good Night Show was better off watching at daytime. 2. The Sunny Side Up Show was probably better for kids.

Nina also understood the viewers and treated them like they were actually there. Again, hugely impactful on the autism spectrum.

The Sprout Sharing Show. The hosts on the block were all puppets, their mouths didn't move (ala Yo Gabba Gabba!), and their voices were kind of annoying. Despite all these, I kind of enjoyed the block, even if I may not have watched it as a Sproutlet. The Sharing Show was like a talent show in a way, as the characters showed off their talents and sang songs, and viewers were encouraged to send in videos of them showing off their talents like swimming or ballet dancing. Characters' family members often appeared to encourage Grown-Up Sprouts to join in the fun. Autistic kids like me love to draw, and one of the key parts of The Sprout Sharing Show was that Sproutlets were encouraged to send in their drawings and see them on TV as animated shorts. This I would've loved, as you know two things about me. 1. I love to draw. 2. I sent in content to Sprout via both SproutOnline.com and the Send to Sprout app, including videos. This was around the time The Sharing Show dissolved, so I never got to send videos or artwork in to Patty, Ricky, and Curtis, though I still sent in videos to Sprout, hoping to someday make a guest appearance on The Sunny Side Up Show. The closest I ever came was this.

Aside from show segments of course, The Let's Go Show had songs, crafts, recipes, planting seeds, and kid-friendly science experiments. Kids with autism love music, and The Let's Go Show was full of fun songs to sing, dance, and clap along to. As a foodie myself, boy were the recipes Miles and Banjo made, which were also available on SproutOnline.com, made for me! Aside from those, I don't think they had any other autism-friendly features.

The programming. While both Sesame Street and Caillou had autistic characters, only two Sprout shows were aimed at autistic kids or had characters on the autism spectrum. Bounce, which aired on Sprout as part of Musical Mornings with Coo, was aimed at children on the autism spectrum, and thus was also known as Spectrum Connections. Pablo, which came from the UK's CBeebies and aired on the Sprout block on Universal Kids, had a titular character with autism who would draw his own adventures, and the cast was entirely autistic. Pablo was the final show to air under the Sprout name.

Not only that, but I, for one, believe Chica has autism. She only speaks through squeaks, and I believe her way of communicating is echolalia, an unsolicited repetition of vocalizations made by another person. Chica may have selective mutism and echolalia, she plays autism-like games, and interacts with soft-spoken people, so she could have autism, thus making her a character I can really relate to.

It may not be autism acceptance month, but I just wanted to let you know I have autism. Sprout was full of amazing, autism-approved programming. I, as well as other kids, was represented. Isn't that the most amazing thing?

Click here to see amazing in all children on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Two Years of Parents and Kids Share Together: A word from Madeline Fretz

Aside from Sprout (of course), Yo Gabba Gabba! is one of my other main obsessions. Picture from 2020, the year I started this blog.

Madeline Fretz - Dear friends, two years ago today, I created a blog. Not just any old blog, one where you could share your pictures, videos, stories, memories, and whatnot of PBS Kids Sprout (now Universal Kids), the only 24-hour preschool channel that parents and kids share together for shows, activities, and adventure. I used the blog as a tool to link the children's television from when I was little to the children's television nowadays. Fast-forward to two years later. More than 300 posts. I've been spending almost every day of my life writing about a channel I was once scared of as a little girl, but am a superfan of nowadays.

As you found out in my Top Ten Moments post, a huge inspiration in starting my blog was the Sesame Place blog Big Bird Bridge, founded by theme park historian Guy Hutchinson. Sesame Place is a theme park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania based on Sesame Street. At first, I stole, copied and pasted from Big Bird Bridge (my first post was even a rip-off of Hutchinson's first post), as well as other websites, but rarely do so nowadays. In fact, some of my posts were direct rip-offs, I deleted them from my blog, with some exceptions. Even though Groundbreaking is a copy of the first Big Bird Bridge post, it's too special, that I don't want to delete it, and "Caillou Leaves PBS Kids," while a rip-off of a Dora the Explorer update from a Nick Jr. petition, is also too memorable to delete. Enough said. Sure, as a Muppet fan, I take inspiration from ToughPigs and The Muppet Mindset with series like "My Week" and "Weekly Character Wednesdays," but write them in my own words.

As I said earlier, there are more than 300 posts on this blog, and I have a few favorites I like to read over and over again (the likes of My Life as a Sprout Fan (obviously), CBeebies and Sprout, and even Overthinking It: Where are Star's parents? come to mind, amongst others). In one memorable blog post I've written this year, I discussed possibilities for Sprout's future. I feel like NBCUniversal doesn't do anything with the Sprout name nowadays, so I wrote about what they could do with the name in the future. These ideas may not happen, but, as I always say, "never say never."  Oh, and one more thing. Remember when I said I was said there should be a Sprout movie? Well, as I said in both my end of Arthur post and Top Ten Moments post, I contacted NBCUniversal and several people who worked at Sprout, so it could happen for real. If it does happen, I hope it's more Follow That Bird/Dora and the Lost City of Gold and less The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland/Barney's Great Adventure - have it be more of a family film and less of a kiddie film, have it be like The Muppets (2011) and throw in some references to the past for longtime fans. Another thing: if it does happen, as I said in previous posts, make the plot identical to my Sprout fic - have it be about the Sprout gang going around in essence "getting the band back together," a plot of many, many movies. Now, we don't allow or promote fanfic at Parents and Kids Share Together (as with other fansites), but still, I write about my fanfic to keep people in the know.

Being a Sprout fan, if not the world's biggest, I've experienced some of the best things in my life, such as that one holiday video message (thanks a lot, Steven), writing my fanfic and finishing my coloring book to critical acclaim(?), getting likes from my Sprout heroes on Instagram and my long-gone Twitter, them following me on Insty, and becoming friends with them on Facebook. I'm quite a lucky girl!

Lastly, I'd like to thank some people who made this blog a huge success. Special thanks to…

• Steven Binnig. Without him, the Sprout gang wouldn't know I exist.
• Everyone on the Sprout Discord server (I'm known on there as cbeebiesfan) - especially P09 Tech Guru Guy, Boomer (who thinks he's a bigger Sprout fan than me), Rolex, JaysonCarney, approximateostrich, and Peanut. They're all nice people who share and uncover their Sprout secrets and memories, and I'm lucky to have known them. Thanks a lot!
• PBS Kids Sprout TV Wiki for containing everything you need to know about Sprout. I'm quite happy I'm an admin on there now, inheriting the site from founder NeptuneID13 and eventually making the most edits on there. I also run the wiki's social media pages.
• Alison Clarke and James Fletcher, for taking inspiration from me and following me throughout almost my whole Sprout fan career.
• Jack (Rare Noggin Stuff) for uncovering rare Sprout stuff I wrote about here
• Julie Engel (ajskippytoes) for being as big a Sprout fan as I am, sharing her Sprout memories, and I even got to inherit her "Sprout-vent Calendar" on Instagram.
• Lillian Alexia, amongst other fans, for participating in my recurring series The Great Sprout Survey and When I Was a Sproutlet.
• Matthew Hiltner (Jumpman256) and Agent0042 for inspiring me to find the Sprout History Video (I haven't found it yet, but I'm going to one day)
• The cast of Sprout, my heroes, my idols. Kevin Yamada, Melanie Martinez, Stacia Newcomb, Noel MacNeal, Michele Lepe, Milton Barnes, Ali Eisner, Kelly Vrooman, Forrest Harding, Sean Roach, Brendan Gawel, Dennisha Pratt, Liz Filios, Catherine Missal, Carly Ciarrocchi, Darryl Williams, Tim Kubart, Kaitlin Becker, Emily Borromeo, Chris Palmieri, Donnell Smith, the list goes on and on. You people are amazing! Keep it up and keep reading this blog!
• Oh, and one more, you! You're the reason why I started this blog - for fans to share their Sprout memories and rare stuff. Thanks again for all your help.

Click here to read this post and weep on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

So ... What Now?

Madeline Fretz - For the past few years now, we've been running around in circles and chewing nervously on random objects, waiting for NBCUniversal to do something with the Sprout brand (or at least the name). I doubt these will ever happen, but hey - those are suggestions. Enjoy!

App

(please note that this video is from Let's Grow, a Sprout fan account I talk about A LOT on this blog. He(she?) should upload more videos, something He(she?) hasn't been doing since 2018)

NOGGIN, the preschool cable channel owned by Nickelodeon and formerly Sesame Workshop (one of Sprout's original founders), became Nick Jr. (formerly the name of Nickelodeon's preschool block) on September 28th, 2009, but in 2015, it was announced that the educational brand would be returning as a subscription app, even bringing back former mascots Moose A. Moose and Zee, who were sadly dropped from Nick Jr. in 2012 (almost ten years ago). As of 2019, the app is now known as NOGGIN in name only, with a new Nickelodeon-style logo, even though Moose and Zee content remain on the app.

This is where we come in. Why not Sprout? I believe NOGGIN was revived thanks to fan demand and in order to appeal to nostalgia. Kids are using screens a lot nowadays (including myself), so that's probably why they chose to reintroduce kids to the brand in app form. I believe the kind(?) people at NBCUniversal should do the same with Sprout - like the NOGGIN app when it launched, this new app should have classic shows and programming blocks from the past seventeen years, while even being hosted by Sprout's old characters and hosts! How great would that be?

Nighttime block

You know those retro nighttime blocks on TV such as The Splat/NickRewind? Even NOGGIN had one when it launched in 1999! Why not convince NBCUniversal to launch a retro nighttime block on Universal Kids with the Sprout name? The block can have old Sprout shows like Noodle and Doodle, Pajanimals, The Chica Show - a great way to introduce kids nowadays to these shows we enjoyed as kids. Now, I know Universal Kids had a preschool block with the Sprout name when it launched, airing from 3AM - 6PM ET, but they say I can do anything!

Reunion

On Christmas Day 2021, I received the surprise of my life (though I never felt this way before, yes I swear, it's the truth) as Steven Binnig, a former Sprout crew member whom I'm friends with on Facebook, sent me a video of former Sprout talent wishing me merry Christmas, and they even knew I was their biggest fan. I even sang about that video in my song "Childhood," which is mainly about my history as a Sprout fan. It seems to me like they miss the good old days and really want Sprout back, just like I do. A reunion show could work. 

A reunion show would give fans to chance to meet their idols. There would also be autograph signings, Q&A, screenings, an area for little kids etc. And yep, I posted something similar on my "Possibilities for SSU's 15th" post. If there was one, I'd DEFINITELY be going! It may not happen given Sprout's small fanbase, but I always say "never say never."

New movie?

In a previous post on this blog, I wrote about possibilities for a Sprout movie, which would be a great mode of comeback for the brand. A lot of childhood icons have been revived as movies, and Sprout would really fit in! Plus, with the new Barney and Sesame Street movies, that's not to be ignored! As I said in the movie post, I believe if a Sprout movie happens, it should be akin to my Sprout fanfic, which was the plot of many movies prior. Don't aim it squarely at little kids, aim it at us - the fans. Include references to Sprout's early days only we would get. But please don't make it a horror movie like the Banana Splits, we all know how THAT turned out...

New show

Good ideas that never caught on!

Several Sprout fans have been making shows focused on old characters. For example, Sprout fan Bella created Crossovia, which has brought back many old channels like Sprout and NOGGIN and has a Nick Jr. parody called "Freak Jr." One of the shows on "Freak Jr." is Banjo and Mandolin, which is about Banjo from The Let's Go Show moving to Crossovia, making friends with a cat named Mandolin, and catching up with her old Sprout friends from time to time (as well as characters from other channels). Another fan, Kate (who might as well be the same person as Bella), created The Sprout Hangout for a fanmade Universal Kids rebrand. The series focuses on Sprout characters (mainly Meeka and M'Goats from Sprout Control Room) working on a TV show hosted by Tony Biscardi and co-host Spencer Breslin that has animated segments like "Kiki Meow" and a different theme every episode. I, for one, like both of these ideas.

A TV series would be another great way to reintroduce old Sprout characters to the world, whether it be kiddie or more adult-ish (*cough* The Muppets (2015) *cough*). To me, if there was ever a new series, make it aimed at both, but mainly at old Sprout fans. The premise should be a mix between The Muppet Show, The Muppets (2015), Season 1 of The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, and Kate's "Sprout Hangout" (I am a Muppet nerd) and have it be about the Sprout gang putting on a show and their backstage lives. Either that or a Muppets Now/Fraggle Rock: Rock On!-like show with the Sprout gang video chatting and interacting with celebrity guest stars. And yes, both are also great premises.

So ... what do you think? What should be next for the Sprout brand? Now, I know that some (most?) of these ideas may never happen, but remember, "never say never." Peace "Sprout!"

Click here to do something new on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

When I Was a Sproutlet: Madeline "Maddie" Fretz

In 2014, SproutOnline.com had a Sunny Side Up Show "Host Corner" that had videos of and information about the show's hosts. The Host Corner had a series of articles called "When I Was a Sproutlet," in which the hosts would talk about their lives when they were little. As of today, I'm thinking of starting a similar series here on Parents and Kids Share Together. This new series works the same way as The Great Sprout Survey: the questions are at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UfoQDuYAqvh5nbSkDkLSvUKMiSNq5bJULBmFKuEw_Po/, write your answers to those questions on a seperate document and email them to me at @energeticjustinmaddiellabie@gmail.com, and I may post them here on the blog. Anyways, let's start with my own answers. Enjoy!

Answers from Madeline "Maddie" Fretz:

My first pets were

My family didn't have any pets back then and we still don't today.

I loved to eat

Lots of stuff, especially healthy stuff.

My nickname was

I don't remember. Maybe "Mads" (which my mom calls me even to this day). 

My favorite Sesame character was

Elmo, Ernie, and Cookie Monster, especially the latter. We carried those dolls of the three characters EVERYWHERE and watched Sesame DVDs nonstop. Ahh, those were the days!

My grandparents used to

I remember going to my grandparents' old house. A few years later (circa 2012?), they moved away and currently live in Williamsburg.

My favorite thing to wear was

When I was in preschool, I LOVED to wear a cute pink dress with polka dots.

I refused to go anywhere without

My white blanket, Baby Einstein, which I still have to this day. My Mom's friend Lisa made it for me, and I named it after a series of videos I watched as a little girl and am still a big fan of today.

I wanted to be a

My sisters and I would always play dress up, but I didn't know what I wanted to be. Maybe a Disney princess?

My most memorable birthday was

Over the years, my sisters and I would have themed birthday parties - Sesame Street (2nd), Dora the Explorer (3rd), Minnie Mouse (4th), Fun Bus (5th and 6th), Frozen (7th). Nowadays, I get Yo Gabba Gabba! and CBeebies presents since I'm a big fan of both brands.

When I was older, I got great grades in

Similarily, I won an award(?) for my science fair project in second grade, which used M&Ms and Gobstoppers. Does that count?

My favorite color was

Orange, and still to this day. We used to have this book about colors using pictures of my sisters and I and our favorite things. I wonder if we still have it...

My Sprout Art

 As many of you know, besides running this blog and PBS Kids Sprout TV Wiki, I am also an artist in my own right. I thought I’d share some of my Sprout drawings here.

Anyways, I started out as simply drawing humans and humanoid characters with stick arms and legs, one of the many things people have criticized me for. As time went on, I started adding sleeves, pants, and shoes, as well as ears, eyebrows, and teeth. Which picture do you like best?

Sprout Fan Confessions

Image from YouTube

Madeline Fretz - Being a Sprout fan, I have thought many things were right that I learned were wrong years later, was scared of several things, and pretended to host my own Sprout-inspired children's shows. Here are some of my confessions. Again, like the previous My Life as a Sprout Fan and Sprout Memories posts, but only about the confessions.

• I used to think Chica was a boy, even though her name is Chica. It wasn't until I watched a Chica Show promo I learned she was actually a girl. Despite this, Chica has been played by guys several times.
• Now for a confession I’ve talked about a lot. I used to be afraid of The Sunny Side Up Show as a "Sproutlet" since they would have guest appearances from Sprout characters. I’m no longer afraid nowadays.
• When I first saw Tim in the "We Try, We Don't Cry" music video on the Sprout Tunes section of the Games and Videos app, I assumed that was Sean despite the hair. You see, Tim Kubart and Sean Roach were two of the four male Sunny Side Up Show hosts along with Kevin Yamada and Darryl Williams. It didn’t take me long to embrace that it was Tim and not just a new Sean.
• When I first saw a picture of Kevin and Chica on the original Sunny Side Up Show set, I assumed it was a UK version of the show even though Kelly and Sean were in the host picture on set. I assumed the host's name was Kevin, as that was the name of the host of the British version of Blue's Clues. It didn’t take me until I watched a Birthday Show video on YouTube to learn that I was right about his name, except that the set was the original. The UK never had their own Sprout, though they did and still do have similar series to Sprout's programming.
• When I first saw the Sunny Side Up Show hosts, I assumed they were "farmers" given that the show took place in the Sunshine Barn in Sprout Farm.
• Now for a confession about one of Sprout's original series, and its first full-length one - I originally thought that Noodle McNoodle, the puppet co-host of Noodle and Doodle, was named Jose. The puppet has eyelashes, so I assume it's a female.
• I always assumed that after 9PM, when The Good Night Show ended its first nightly broadcast, the Snooze-a-Thon would come on. Years later, I was proved wrong. The Snooze-a-Thon, also known as Nina Sleeps, aired annually on Christmas Eve and was otherwise exclusive to on-demand, and The Good Night Show would air in two repeats at 9PM and midnight.
• In 2015-2016, I pretended that The Good Night Show would be hosted by a new character named Min. Before PBS Kids Sprout TV Wiki, there was the Sprout wiki. NeptuneID13 founded the former because the latter was a false information wiki, and Min is still mentioned there, as well as a wiki for a fanmade Sprout show. There’s been a reason why Nina's been the Goodnight Guide since 2006, so letting her go would be ridiculous. 😉
• I think I drew Sprout pictures in elementary school. No, I don’t think you can read them, and the drawings are a bit little kid-like.

Sprout also inspired me to pretend to host TV over the years, and here are the instances where I did.

• Back in 2015, I was so obsessed with both Sprout and The Wiggles, that one time I "started" my own Sprout sequel channel called Sprout 2. You see, in the UK, Nickelodeon has a channel called Nick Jr. 2, which they often rebranded several times. One of the videos you see above is me hosting a promo for the pretend channel and singing "Sprout Around the Clock," the song The Wiggles sang in 2009 to promote Sprout's Wiggly Waffle.
• As you found out in my Sprout Memories post, I made a Sunny Side Up Show audition video after watching Host Hunt audition videos from 2013. The first video is the one I’m talking about, and yes, it is a bit out of context.
• Also in Sprout Memories, I mentioned hosting a Sunny Side Up Show-like morning show with a toy robot co-host.
• In 2020, I returned to my Sprout fan roots by creating and hosting a Good Night Show fan series called The Good Night Show & Maddie, starring me and an OC of mine named Kaitlin McKreckson. McKreckson also appears in my Sprout fanfic, but only in silent cameos. I abandoned the concept shortly after I turned thirteen. This was inspired by the fact that Blue's Clues fans were hosting their own fanmade series on YouTube. Nowadays, many people are inspired by me and host their own Good Night Show series (such as Alison Clarke and James Fletcher).

So there you have it, some of my Sprout fan confessions. If I remember any others, I'll update this post. 

Click here to be played by guys several times on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Sprout Memories

Madeline Fretz - This post is kind of like My Life as a Sprout Fan, except only with some of my favorite Sprout memories, even some that were in the post. Last month, I hosted a series on my Instagram account (@Playtimeallthetimecbeebiesfan) called Sprout-vent Calendar, in which I would share some Sprout memories on the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas, and some of those memories are posted here. Anyways, enjoy!

The Sunny Side Up Show:

Image from the Wayback Machine

If you read My Life as a Sprout Fan, you know that I went on SproutOnline.com on the computers in preschool (it was the 2011 website). I remember going on the Sunny Side Up Show website that had Kelly and Chica in the Sunshine Barn on the Flash(?) menu. This menu was also used in the Games and Videos app. Judging from a picture I remember seeing years ago (on Pinterest maybe?), there was also a variant of this menu that had Sean. I also recall seeing some Sunny videos and clips on the website and on-demand (and maybe on the channel?) as well, and here are several.

• Dennisha and Chica's Mom (who would later appear on The Chica Show and be given more of a character) singing "Five Little Chicas," a cute little variant on "Five Little Ducks." We don't have any footage or pictures of this segment yet, but we do have one of Kelly's version.
• Wasn't Chica's Mom also in a Hooray for Mother's Day Sweepstakes promo?
• Kelly (or was it another host?) and Chica played with a Sprout character spinning wheel and pretended to do the Baby Bop Hop, dive like Olly, and climb up a beanstalk like Super WHY!.
• Sean and Chica singing "If You're Kind and You Know It" with Baby Chick. I remember watching this with my dad and using a Barney plush as Baby Chick. The song has also been sung by Kaitlin twice, Tim and Ruth B, and in a Sprout music video.
• Barney the Dinosaur was on The Sunny Side Up Show in August 2010 for Dinosaurs Week, and answered viewers' phone calls with Kelly and Chica. I remember seeing a video of the appearance years ago at my house (well, my old one. We moved away in 2018) and Kelly mentioned a girl named "Sarah."
• Liz and Chica playing with real-life baby chicks.
• From 2007 to maybe 2011, the hosts also did "All This Week" videos where they would explain what they would be talking about all week on the show. I remember seeing one of them(?) on the computer in preschool in which Chica and "First Mate" Sean were pirates, presumably for Pirates Week.
• I don't remember Liz that much prior to becoming a Sprout historian, but I remember seeing her and Chica once at the end of a Wiggly Waffle broadcast. You see, at the end of each Wiggly Waffle, the Wiggles would talk to Chica and the hosts about what they're doing today in the barn.
• I remember seeing a TV promo for Elmo's appearance on The Sunny Side Up Show (2011 maybe?). Man, 2011 was the world's biggest year!
• I also remember seeing a promo for Noodle and Doodle that had Noodle in the Sunshine Barn with Sean and Chica.
• According to My Life as a Sprout Fan, I owned most of the mobile apps Sprout made (under Children's Network LLC). One of my favorites was Games and Videos, which had a Sprout Tunes section based on both the TV segments of the same name and the "Music Maker" online game. The section featured songs from Sprout shows and blocks, including The Sunny Side Up Show.
• Some of the Sunny songs that I remember were on "Tunes" were the following: "Jim Along Josie and "All Around the Kitchen" (Carly and Chica with Dan Zanes and Sonia de los Santos, "We Try, We Don't Cry" (Tim and Chica), "Numbers in the Ocean" (Carly and Chica), and "Where is Chica?" (Kaitlin and Chica with Rico). "We Try, We Don't Cry" was a song about trying new things, and opened with Tim telling Chica that they're going to play with Kaitlin next week.
• There was one segment in which a girl named Yori Honablue showed Tim and Chica a story she made using paper.
• I remember seeing a promo for Emily's debut on the 2013-2015 website.
• Speaking of the 2013-2015 website, they had a Sunny Side Up Show section called The Host Corner which had videos and articles about the hosts. There were several articles in which hosts Dennisha, Carly, Darryl, Tim, Kaitlin, and Emily talked about their lives as kids ("When I was a Sproutlet").
• I remember seeing a video on SproutOnline.com in either 2015 or 2016 (the latter is probably more likely) in which Emily and Chica encouraged Sproutlets to send in birthday wishes for Baby Chick. The video was released prior to Sprout's anniversary on September 26th, so I believe that was the reason why it was made.
• I watched The Sunny Side Up Show one day in 2015. Carly and Chica were hosting and I remember seeing Bob the Builder that day, shortly before Sprout got rid of the series and other remaining PBS and HiT Entertainment content. I remember that day Carly and Chica sang a song called "We're a Couple of Cowgirls" before linking into Ruff-Ruff. Tweet, and Dave. I don’t know what the theme was for that week, but I believe they were dressed as superheroes and cowgirls, so it could be Dress Up Week.
• Okay, now for something I've said many times on this blog and my Instagram in the past, but I remember sending in content such as Sproutlet Stories games and even birthday cards and wishes to The Sunny Side Up Show via SproutOnline.com and the Send to Sprout app. They told me to watch Sunny every day to see my submissions on TV. I never did, and I was only 7-9 years old when I submitted content, so I don’t know if they got on. 
• Host Hunt was a contest held in 2013 to search for new Sunny Side Up Show hosts. I watched the videos a lot even after 2013 ended, and I made my own audition video in 2016(?) with a ladybug pillow pet as my "Chica" and I mentioned ZOOM, which wasn't a Sprout show. I have the video uploaded on my YouTube channel, and I will talk about it on here later.
• And lastly for one of my own inspired memories. At the start of 2017, I pretended to host my own Sunny Side Up-inspired morning show also taking place in a city apartment with a toy robot co-host.

The Good Night Show:

Image from Facebook

• I remember watching the Sunny Side Up Show "Today's Birthdays" segments during the block, and remember that one time Nina hosted the segment. I couldn't get enough that I demanded more once Thomas & Friends and the other shows came on.
• I remember watching the one and only broadcast of 2011's live A Sweet Goodnight Treat. I remember the Kipper ghost episode aired that night, and that Chica was dressed as a ghost.
• I first discovered Sprout's Snooze-a-Thon one night after watching Barney & Friends, which I had already watched that day. Mom turned it on-demand and I found it a bit weird, but am mesmerized nowadays.
• I remember watching The Good Night Show at a friend's house in 2015. You see, I was a big Wiggles fan at the time, and requested we watch The Wiggles Show (or was it Lights Camera Action?) on demand, but after a while I wanted to watch the Sprout channel, and The Chica Show was on. I remember the split-screen credits telling me The Good Night Show was next, a Sprout Control Room segment followed, and then the Good Night broadcast. I don't know what the "adventure" (what Nina and Star were talking about) was that night. I remember seeing The Berenstain Bears, Today's Birthdays, and Ruff-Ruff, Tweet, and Dave that night, and turned off the TV after the second Today's Birthdays airing (Carly and Chica were hosting that night). You see, I was afraid the Snooze-a-Thon would come on at 9PM after The Good Night Show ended, but after I became a Sprout historian I was proved wrong. I have also written about this experience on my answers to the Great Sprout Survey.

SproutOnline.com:

• I remember seeing a version of "If You're Kind and You Know It" on the website, and I remember it had Olive the Ostrich.
• I remember that Barney the Dinosaur was one of the characters on the 2011 website, and he said "Hi, Sproutlets! It's me, Barney!"
• I remember that at the bottom the 2015 website, a character on a trampoline (usually one from a new show) would take you back up to the top.

Other:

• Remember the Sprout Diner Time to Create digital podcasts on iTunes? I sure hope you do. I remember watching them long after Sprout Diner was discontinued, and that one episode had a Sprout Sharing Show promo and maybe Sprout is Always Here for You.
• Back in 2015, I created and hosted a new sequel channel called Sprout 2, and sang Sprout Around the Clock.
• Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies was a PBS show that aired on Sprout during The Sprout Sharing Show, The Let's Go Show, and The Good Night Show from 2009 to 2012. I remember said show had a character named Barney, and that the "Barney" variant of the Rain opening played before Mirabelle once.
• I remember seeing a video of a Sprout Please commercial on some website, but it wasn't YouTube, and I remember it had Cookie Monster from Sesame Street saying "Sprout Please" slowly.
• I remember seeing a video of Pajanimals on (again) a non-YouTube website, and it opened with the 2005 Bedtime ident and a female announcer's voice.
• I believe watching Sprout on Demand is how I first discovered Sprout. Two of the shows I remember seeing on there were Caillou and Sesame Street. Both shows ended with a promo about the show on Sprout's three ventures (On Demand, on TV, and online). The promos also aired on the channel after the shows were over (i.e, Barney & Friends, Bob the Builder, OG Angelina Ballerina). The Caillou one we have, but the Sesame one we don't. All we have is a promo for the latter show's Spanish co-production Plaza Sesamo, which aired on Sprout on Demand.
• There was a promo for Christmas/Winter happenings on Sprout, including Cheer in the New Year, which I mentioned here. It was basically this promo except with Cheer in the New Year.
• I remember the Live Sprout and Sprout Viewer Circle promos, and thinking they were the same thing. They may be how I was first exposed to Sprout's blocks.

And there you have it! Some Sprout memories of mine.

Click here to be mesmerized nowadays on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Let's Grow: My old Sprout blog

 

Image from YouTube

Madeline Fretz - If you read my post about my life as the world's biggest Sprout fan, you know that I grew up with Sprout but became a fan in 2014/early 2015. In 2015, I discovered a Sprout fan YouTube channel called Let's Grow, which uploaded rare Sprout videos from Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, and clips from YouTube. Nowadays, I’m doing the same thing with my Playtime, All the Time: CBeebies Utopia channel. Apparently I liked the channel so much I started a Sprout blog also called Let's Grow, in 2016.

Like Parents and Kids Share Together, Let's Grow was named after the original Sprout slogan, and chronicled important things in Sprout's history like idents, old webseries, image spots, the Sprout Channel Cubby, the Snooze-a-Thon, and The Sunny Side Up Show. Here, I also shared my thoughts on certain stuff like the 2009 rebrand. I even started a petition to bring back the 2005 branding shortly before the launch of Universal Kids. If you read my blog, one thing you noticed is that I misspelled certain words, names, or phrases (i.e. Alfalfa is "Aldelpha"). I was nine in 2016, now I'm fourteen.

Anyways, 2016 was the only year I was on this blog, with the final post being about the sleepovers Gabi had on Sesame Street. After that, the blog would never be touched again, and I wonder if anyone still reads it. It wouldn’t be until 2020 I would start another Sprout fan blog, and that one is the one you're reading right now. Noticeably, back in 2020 and the years before it, I copied from other blogs and websites, something many people criticized me for. Nowadays, I mostly write original content.

I have mentioned Let's Grow several times here on Parents and Kids Share Together, such as here. I have always wanted to right about my previous blog on a post here, and now here I am. Man, being a Sprout fan still in elementary school was good.

Click here to write original content on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Maddie Takes Manhattan

 

Madeline Fretz - I knew what would happen once I saw this puzzle on Christmas Day. I've been to the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, New York City twice prior (once for Spring Break 2018, once at the start of 2020), but now I would be going again. On my first trip, we took a train, on our second, we took a bus, but this time we'd be going on an airplane. I have previously been on planes to Orlando in 2013, Key Largo in 2016, and Las Vegas in April, but this would be the first time I’d fly to NYC. Santa gave my sisters and I headphones, suitcases, and jackets since we would be flying there anyways.

I just got home, and I’m sharing some pictures from this trip just for you, I know this is a Sprout blog, but don’t worry, there’s a bit of Sprout in this post. I promise.

We stayed in the Lotte New York Palace, which is where Season One of the show Gossip Girl was filmed. Here’s the amazing view from our room!

Holding up the world!

This is Radio City Music Hall. Barney LIVE! in New York City filmed here in 1994 and Elmopalooza, the Sesame Street 30th anniversary special, in 1999.

At an iconic train station I don’t know the name of.

Me with the huge ornaments by Radio City.

Pizza!

Me with a milkshake at Max Brenner.

This is me with my mom with a light show.

My sisters and I saw the Statue of Liberty on a ferry to Staten Island.

This is me with a sign at the largest store ever(?) and the home of the thanksgiving day parade - Macy's. I had to go to the bathroom, so we went there, and even rode the world's oldest escalator.

Us with the pretty views of city lights at Roosevelt Island, where took a tram both to and from.

…and finally this is me with 30 Rockefeller Center, where they filmed The Sunny Side Up Show as of 2014.

Other things my family did on the trip were the following: Dad and my sisters saw The Music Man on Broadway (on my first trip, we saw Wicked, on our second, we saw Frozen) while Mom and I went to the M&Ms Store, Dad and my sister Abbie went to trapeze school while Mom, Ella, and I went to Strand and Max Brenner's, and we went ice skating, though I didn’t want to, and I had hot chocolate. 

Overall, great trip, even though New York is not my kinda place. Ya know, too cold, too many people, a lot of walking…