Big news!

Madeline Fretz - Hi, Sproutlets. It's me, Maddie. Today, I have some news - since 2020, this site has been a part of Blogger/Blogspot. All that changes today, as this is my last Blogger post.

Don't despair! 

You heard me right, folks! As of today, we'll be on Wordpress (https://sprouttvfans.wordpress.com/). Our new Wordpress website will have almost all of my more-than-400 posts over the past two years, plus, as I've heard, will be easier for sharing and posting. Pretty soon, this URL will redirect to our new Wordpress site.

As always, you can still contribute to Parents and Kids - either (or both) take part in one of our series or write your own, Sprout-related article. I run this blog alone, but would definitely love more writers! In addition, the Parents and Kids Share Together forum (I'm one of their only members right now) will still be up, and I'll still link you to their discussions. I'll also love it if you join me there!

Oh, and one more thing. I was originally going to launch Parents and Kids on Wordpress to commemorate 400 posts, but found it hard to do it. Well, here we are, a few days later and time to welcome our newly-launched Wordpress site to the world!

Special thanks to everyone who helped me make Parents and Kids Share Together a success on Blogger - that includes everyone who engaged in my series, fellow Sprout fans, including those on the Discord fan server, and of course, you, the readers. No, I wasn't kidding when I said you. Without you, there wouldn't be a Sprout blog on the internet - even Let's Grow would have not existed! Thank you!

Well people, it's been two years on this blog. Two years and we're just getting started! I'll admit. Moving to Wordpress and starting writing there is a bizarre feeling - if your site, like mine, started out on Blogger but moved to Wordpress, you've probably had this feeling too. Most blogs are associated as being Blogger sites, but other sites, and that goes to Wordpress, are sometimes called "blogs" as well. Despite the changes, Parents and Kids Share Together will always (forever?) be associated as a Blogger blog. I love Parents and Kids, and I bet you do too. This blog has allowed me to meet new Sprout fans-turned-friends, show off my writing skills, and most importantly, write about my childhood. I thank you all for making the past two years of my life an adventure.

New logo

Click here to pack your bags on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

R.I.P Leo Eaton, co-creator of Zoboomafoo

 

Madeline Fretz - We are saddened to learn that Leo Eaton, the man responsible for bringing the Kratt Brothers to TV, has passed away. Preschool Show Fan Page (Preschool Series News and Galore on Facebook), an Instagram page that posts pictures, videos, and news of preschool shows, said so. 

What do Eaton and the Kratt Brothers have to do with Sprout? Chris and Martin's second show, Zoboomafoo, aired on the channel from 2005 to 2012 - the PBS era. The brothers' first show, Kratt's Creatures, which premiered in the 90s, aired on Sprout when it launched in 2005, but was probably exclusive to Sprout on Demand. Eaton was the co-creator of both shows.

Leo Eaton was the sweetest man, and without him, there would've been no Kratt's Creatures, Zoboomafoo, or Wild Kratts. We are incredibly grateful that he brought these series, which taught animals and "creatures," to life and introduced them to us.

UPDATE (3/24/2022): According to Preschool Show Fan Page, Eaton was 76 when he died. He was vaccinated and boosted.

Click here to help us remember Leo Eaton on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

R.I.P. Emilio Delgado, Sesame Street’s Luis

Madeline Fretz - If you’re a Sesame Street fan, chances are, you probably know of Luis, who was on the show from 1971 to 2015, was married to Maria, and worked in the Fix-It Shop. Actor Emilio Delgado, who played Luis, passed away at the tender age of eighty(!!!).

Outside of the Street, Delgado has also appeared in Law and Order and I Will Fight No More Forever, amongst others. His character has also appeared in the likes of 1985's Follow That Bird and 1999's Elmo in Grouchland.

The Last of Arthur

 

(Two things - 1. I know I'm copying from my "Caillou Leaves PBS Kids"  post from a year ago, about another animated CINAR show that aired on PBS, and 2. Arthur never aired on Sprout, but still, there’s a bit of Sprout in there. Despite these statements, please enjoy)

Madeline Fretz - Dear friends, today is the day kids of the 90s and 2000s cry. For a show they have watched and cherished for years is ending its almost unstoppable 25 year run, and all the memories it created are fading away. Arthur Read, a lovable bespectacled aardvark, and his family and friends, brought us on their many adventures in the all-anthropomorphic animal community of Elwood City, learning about such serious topics such as death, cancer, and asthma.

Now, I have heard of the show and the books beforehand, but it was when I was five years old(?) when I became a fan of the series. How? Well, one day, I was searching for "tooth fairy"-related videos on YouTube when I came across the episode "Attack of the Turbo Tibbles/D.W. Tricks the Tooth Fairy," and decided to watch it. As time went by, I started watching more episodes, both on YouTube and on PBS, and read the books more. Needless to say, I was hooked. It was also the place where I first heard of one of my favorite shows and another WGBH-produced PBS show - ZOOM. You see, stars Caroline Botelho and Kenny Yates from the third season gave a behind-the-scenes tour of their show in one episode. And while we're at it, please check out my ZOOMBlog, which I haven't posted on for months, but still.

As time went by, I abandoned Elwood City and moved on to these guys.

I entered first grade later that year and still admired the show. However, as time went by, I discovered an episode of the original Muppet Babies, leading to my obsession with the regular Muppets from The Muppet Show, and I rarely watched or read Arthur again. This was perfect timing, since it was around the time The Muppets released their eighth movie, Muppets Most Wanted.

But this post isn’t about The Muppets, so let’s move forward (or should I say, movin' right along?).

In 2019, back when I was in a CBeebies and Yo Gabba Gabba!-heavy phase, I decided to watch episodes of the show. In fact, I watched a lot of episodes and went on the wiki a lot, I felt like I was five again. I regularly quoted episodes, and even declared "Crazy Bus" as my favorite song.

I'm no longer obsessed with Arthur as I was back then, but I still occasionally check the series out. My favorite episode is "The Last of Mary Moo Cow" from Season 5. In that episode, D.W. starts a petition to bring back her favorite show when it gets taken off the air, she gets to visit its old studio, and it starts airing again in rerun form. Now, Sprout is to me what Mary is to D.W., so I'm sure a few people who used to work at Sprout have noticed my many petitions, will invite me to Comcast Center and/or Rockefeller, and bring back the channel or at least the brand. I talked about ways to make Sprout relevant again in a previous post. I'm working on a Sprout movie and have already contacted NBCUniversal as well as a few former Sprout employees, so it could actually happen.

To promote the 25th and final season, PBS Kids went out with a bang and aired a marathon of almost every episode ever of the series, leading up to four new episodes. Fear not. According to sources, new content outside of the main show featuring the characters will still be produced, so that will probably make old fans, some of whom have been with the show since the beginning, happy.

And I say hey, it's always a wonderful kind of day, thanks to Arthur and his friends. Where you can learn to walk and play, and get along with each other. Isn't it all that really matters?

Click here to have an original point of view on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Preschool Musical on a Stick: Finally Found?

 

Madeline Fretz - In 2008, Sprout aired a Christmas special called "Sprout's Preschool Musical on a Stick." The special featured stick puppet versions of Sprout's popular characters and hosts, and featured songs about holiday topics (most of these songs were reused instrumentally in promos and split-screen credits as time went by). The special was remade the following year (2009), this time as "Preschool Musical on Two Sticks" and featuring The Wiggles, who had joined the network that year. We don't have the full special yet - until now?

A year ago, a Sprout fan started a website called PMOAS Quest which was a journey to find the full special. The same year, someone discovered the songs from the show - Sprout and Duracell released a soundtrack CD in 2008. This website was a huge inspiration in making my new website Sprout Most Wanted, which is about finding rare Sprout content.

Meredith Halpern-Ranzer, who worked on Sesame Street and at Sprout when it launched, served as the special's creative director. More recently, JaysonCarney from the Sprout Discord server has been searching for Halpern-Ranzer's, as well as other crew members, email address, as he was one of many fans who wanted to find Preschool Musical in its entirety. Just yesterday on Discord, he announced he found the special. Is that true?

A few months ago and a few days before I started high school, Tas playz (Lucas) from the Sprout Discord server announced he had the final broadcast of The Let's Go Show, as well as all eight(?) Sprout's Snooze-a-Thons and (I think) Tim's first Sunny Side Up Show. Unfortunately, it turned out he was lying, and he was banned from the server. If that news isn't true, Jayson is being yet another Tas, and we don't want that, as he's now the leader of the server, after founding member Peanut.

As I said, he was searching for Sprout people's emails, so probably he got in contact with them and was able to find the whole special. Hopefully he'll (or someone else) give us the chance to see the full Preschool Musical, or maybe one day.

Click here to find something rare you've been begging to find for years on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

300 Posts!

 

Madeline Fretz - Well, Sproutlets, guess what? We've reached 300 posts on this blog! Woo-hoo! That's right - 300 posts chockful of Sprout history. This blog also turns two in February this year, so that's another reason to celebrate.

Our blog has the likes of fan art, Weekly Character Wednesdays, My Week, posts about Sprout shows and idents, rare stuff, and news. When I first started this blog, I copied from other blogs and websites, one of the many things people criticized me for, but rarely do that nowadays.

Parents and Kids Share Together isn't just a blog, it's a treasure trove of Sprout content - from the most ubiquitious to rare gems, a place to share Sprout pictures, stories, and memories. Paul Rudd recalls what Jennifer Aniston said after filming the last episode of FRIENDS - "Well, we've done it. What a ride!" Who's not to say the same thing about this blog?

I'd like to thank everyone who has read and contributed to this blog, and to everyone who made Sprout great over the past seventeen years. And to all of you Sproutlets, I couldn't have started this blog without you in mind! Thank you.

Click here to copy from other blogs and websites on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Yet Another Sequel

Madeline Fretz - Yep, that's right! I'm writing another sequel to my first Sprout fanfic, as in November I announced the first one was in the works. This time, we're going on an RV road trip to the canyons in Arizona and Utah, inspired by my family's Spring Break trip of 2021. 

Stay tuned. Coming to a fanfic site near you!

R.I.P Sesame Street's Stephen Lawrence

 

It was established that former Sesame Street composer Stephen Lawrence died on New Year's Eve. Like Mike Renzi, you may not know his name but you might know his songs, and here are several examples.

Anyways, Lawrence is gone, but not forgotten. His music will also stay alive. Rest in pace, Mr. Lawrence. At least you’re reunited with the likes of Mike Renzi, Joe Raposo, and Jeff Moss now, and you’re making great Sesame Street music together.

Click here to remember Stephen Lawrence on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Guess what?

 

Madeline Fretz - This is Steven, one of my Facebook friends and a former Sprout worker. I became friends with him when he commented on one of my posts on a Sprout fan group on Facebook. This Christmas I got the Goodnight Stories DVD and it was established I was going to New York City tomorrow. But you know what my biggest present was this year?

I’m talking about THIS! Steven sent it to my Mom, she sent it to me, and I uploaded it to my YouTube channel. It has some of the old gang (Kelly Vrooman, Sean Roach, Kevin Yamada, Carly Ciarrocchi, Michele Lepe, Forrest Harding, and Stacia Newcomb) wishing me a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Plus, Forrest showed me what they used for Chica's squeaks and made a reference to "Nothing Better," Kelly sang a Christmas version of the Birthday Song, Stacia did a Star impression, and Carly showed a painting of her and Chica. OMG! These guys know my name, and even know I’m the world's biggest fan! I’m lucky! All my friends will be jealous! 

Thanks a lot, Steven. Merry Christmas to all!

Click here to show a painting of you and an old friend on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Fanfic sequel in the works

 

Madeline Fretz - I’ve finished my upcoming fanfic coming Tuesday (the 23rd) and edited a few bits and bobs. In fact, I think it was so successful that yesterday I started working on a SEQUEL! That’s right, Sproutlets. You’ve heard me right - a sequel, and I started working on it yesterday.

"Always Famous" is a loose parody of "Almost Famous," combining elements of that movie with the Phineas and Ferb episode "Ready for the Bettys." Taking place after the events of the previous story, Miles and Nina are going on a tenth anniversary trip to Los Angeles, but then have to spend the whole week helping Banjo and Star tour with the Wiggles (now including Tsehay), while everyone else sets off on a cross-country road trip to find them to start shooting new material for Apple TV+, as they agreed to revive Sprout.

I haven’t decided on the release date, but I promise it’s coming soon.

Click here to tour with The Wiggles on the Parents and Kids Share Together forum!

Upcoming fanfic trailer

 

Sprout domination November 23rd!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13990477/1/Sprout-trailer

I wanted Apple TV+ to revive Sprout so bad after hearing that it's reviving Yo Gabba Gabba!, so I recently came up with a fanfic where Muno, my mom, and I, Sprout's biggest fan, reunite the Sprout team for one last show to get Apple TV+ to bring Sprout back. Now, I know what you’re thinking, this idea may sound a little like the likes of The Muppets and The Country Bears. That’s because I have difficulty writing original stories, but I’m still working on it. Besides, there’s a lot about this fic that’s original.

Coming November 23rd, the tenth anniversary of The Muppets, the movie that inspired most of the fic.

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

My Week with Sesame Street: Season 52 coming for you

Madeline Fretz - It’s almost Sesame Street's 52nd birthday, so I decided to dedicate a week to the iconic show. I thought I’d open it with a trailer for the upcoming season released TODAY! It has been announced to premiere on November 11th on HBO Max and next fall on PBS.

This season, like the last one, is about "I Wonder, What If, Let's Try!". It also introduces a new character introduced in an animated special, Elmo's puppy Tango, and the two star in a segment called "Elmo and Tango's Mysterious Mysteries." Guest stars include Jon Batiste, Mae Jemison, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish, Anderson.Paak, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Gorman, and Keke Palmer.

I was SO excited for this season, and seeing a trailer gets me even more excited.

200 posts!

 

Note: That's me

That's right, Sproutlets! Today this blog has reached 200 SQUEAKIN' PAGES! It seems like yesterday I started writing about kiddie shows I grew up with. 200 pages is like graduating school or seeing your favorite show return.

I started this blog with my first post in February 2020, and named it after an old Sprout tagline "the only 24-hour preschool channel parents and kids share together." This was because I liked Muppet fansites like ToughPigs and the Muppet Mindset and a Sesame Place blog called Big Bird Bridge, and yet there weren't any Sprout fan blogs on the internet, and I have already started a few blogs under my past Google accounts, but none of my posts on there mentioned Sprout, although I did mention a few Sprout shows. Remember, a few months ago I started uploading Sprout and CBeebies videos on my YouTube channel and discovered PBS Kids Sprout TV Wiki, which I became an admin on and still edit to this day. 

I settled down and I made a blog and watched it grow - time after time I introduced My Week and Weekly Character Wednesdays. Both are based on series from ToughPigs and the Muppet Mindset, respectively. Back then, I copied from other blogs and posted fanfic and false information. Nowadays, I write original stuff and most of them are true information.

Months passed. I abandoned the blog for other stuff (mainly the wiki) and only posted occasionally. All that changed in July, when I introduced the My Week series, inspired by Muppet fansite ToughPigs. Weekly Wednesdays was introduced not long after.

Special thanks to everyone who's read all 200 posts on this blog. Kudos also to everyone who's made Sprout great - especially Melanie Martinez and Hush and Helping Hand and Star and Leo and Lucy and Nina and Kevin Yamada and Mr. Mailman and Brussel and Bean and Alfalfa and Miles and Banjo and Carla the Car and Coo and Elizabeth Balzano and Chica and Kelly Vrooman and Sean Roach and Dennisha Pratt and Liz Filios and Carly Ciarrocchi and Tim Kubart and Kaitlin Becker and Emily Borromeo and Mrs. C and Rico and Chica's nana and Patty and Ricky and Curtis E. Owl and the Stage Mice and Sharon and Reginald and Otis and Sam and Anthony and Jeff and Murray and JB and Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur and Bean and Sportacus and Mayor Meanswell and Meeka and M'Goats and Snug and TJ and Noodle McNoodle and Doodle and Doggity and Lola and Cap'n Tony and Deedelee Dee and Mr. C and Stitches and Bunji and Jett and Apollo and Cowbella and Squacky and Sweetpea Sue and Comet and Halley and Sputnik and Jet and Radar and Sal and Ruff-Ruff and Tweet and Dave and Hatty and Fleeker and Flo and Boomer. Thank yooooooooooou!!!!

Sprout YouTube channel URL changed

 

Madeline Fretz - Sprout became Universal Kids in 2017, and its YouTube channel became Universal Kids Preschool after a while, and once again became Peacock Jr. when the Peacock streaming service launched. Even with those channel changes, its URL hasn't changed a bit. Until now.

Apparently, according to a user on Discord's Sprout fan server, the Sprout channel's URL has been changed to PeacockJr. The Sprout URL, like I said earlier, has been there for years, even after the Universal Kids switchover.

Anyways, despite this, some Sprout videos are still up on the Peacock Jr. YouTube channel … for now. They might become private or get deleted someday. A few months ago, the Peacock Jr. channel has made some Sunny Side Up Show videos private. Don’t despair, some of us may reupload them.

Five CGI Caillou Specials in the Works

Look at Caillou's new look … LOOK AT IT!!!

Caillou was on Sprout throughout its entire run, making it the channel's longest running show. The show quit Universal Kids and PBS on March 31, 2019 and 2021 respectively, but it has been announced that Cartoon Network is bringing the show to its Cartoonito block, which is set to begin this month.

Caillou's owner WildBrain today announced five new original CGI specials based on the show, which ended in 2010. They will debut on Canada's Family Jr. channel in Summer 2022. Like him or hate him, this is breaking news for Sprout fans young and old.

The Let's Go Show UPDATE

Hi Sproutlets. Today I've got some surprising news - the last broadcast of The Let's Go Show may have been finally found. A fan named Lucas on Sprout's Discord server says the following:

I believe that he posts so many fake stuff and lies on the server, so we don't know. Maybe we'll find it someday… fingers crossed!

Clips from Wiggly Waffle launch day FOUND!

 Attention all Sproutlets and Wiggles fans alike! I’ve found a YouTube video from a Wiggles fan and, since it's a temporary upload, I decided to upload it on my ow channel! Do you have any idea what it is?

No. Well, I’m gonna tell you. Are you sitting down?

Sitting down on a moon couch with a star-shaped pillow puppet? Laying eggs? Driving a cardboard car or the Big Red Car?

Because...

Wait for it...

IT CONTAINS CLIPS FROM THE VERY FIRST BROADCAST OF WIGGLY WAFFLE!!!

That's right folks! That was the video I was talking about earlier. It contains split-screen credits after a Wiggle and Learn episode and Sam, age 4, Bethesda, Maryland as the fifth wiggle dancing to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." The Wiggles were also on The Sunny Side Up Show that day with Kelly Vrooman and Chica. Noticeably, there is a first generation scroll with a message about the block's launch.

I hope we'll find clips from The Sunny Side Up Show's, The Let's Go Show's, and/or The Sprout Sharing Show's launch days, since they’re too good to be lost. Maybe we'll even find Sprout clips from its launch day in 2005! Fingers crossed.

EDIT: I deleted the video and replaced it with a full launch day clip that was uploaded today.

The Sunny Side Up Show YouTube videos from Peacock Jr. made private

 

Attention everyone. I have news. The Peacock jr. account has made most Sunny Side Up Show videos on their YouTube channel private, meaning they’re now unavailable. Now, before you get all grouchy, take a deep breath, maybe count to ten, they may become unlisted or even public again someday. In the meantime, you can check out SSU videos from my channel, Let's Grow, jackiempayton, and some other accounts. Those channels may get terminated someday. And while we’re at it, we're waiting for more classic Sunny Side Up Show segments, cause there's a big market for them. Who knows, maybe someone like me will find them someday?