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!

My Week with Promotions and Initiatives: Produce for Kids

 Happy October, Sproutlets! Today is also the first day of Sprout-tober, so stay tuned for Instagram posts in the intervening thirty-one days. Anyhoo, let's get into today's topic.

In 2012, Sprout partnered with the website Produce for Kids to share healthy kid-friendly recipes.

Image from Weekly Bite

In addition, Sprout and Produce for Kids partnered for "Get Healthy, Give Hope" signs in grocery stores featuring characters from LazyTown, Noodle and Doodle, and Chica herself (she's in the above picture), and characters would make appearances in stores IN PERSON.

Sprout and September 26

Madeline Fretz - As we all know, PBS Kids Sprout launched as a video-on-demand service on Comcast in April 2005, and as a digital cable channel on September 26, 2005. Every year since then, Sprout has done something to celebrate, and here's a list:

As mentioned in a previous post, Sprout has done a series of things to celebrate its first birthday in 2006, but most of them were prior to September 26.

The next year, in 2007, Sprout had launched two new blocks, two new shows, and the fourth season of The Good Night Show on the 26th. Musical Mornings with Coo premiered at 6AM ET with Bounce, a direct-to-video series aimed at the autism spectrum, and The Sunny Side Up Show, a LIVE successor to The Birthday Show, premiered at 9AM ET with Play with Me Sesame, which was carried over from NOGGIN.

When the clock struck 6PM ET, it was time for Season 4 (or two, if we're not counting Melanie and Leo's tenures) of The Good Night Show. This new season introduced Lucy Light the Way, a game starring Lucy the Firefly, and real kids took part in stretches and interviews.

On September 26th, 2008, Chica celebrated her birthday, which I'll get to later today. On the same day, Sprout debuted HiT Entertainment's Roary the Racing Car.

In 2009, Sprout didn't do anything on the 26th, but rather then 21st. It rebranded with new graphics and bumpers and Season 5 of The Good Night Show premiered. This new season, which Nina appeared on The Sunny Side Up Show to promote, introduced Rubbadubbers.

In 2010, Sprout celebrated its fifth anniversary on the 25th. It introduced weekend editions of The Sunny Side Up Show, which took place in a refurbished Sunshine Barn set, and its first long-form original series, Noodle and Doodle, which aired on weekends.

In 2015, Sprout hit the big 1-0. And what did it do to celebrate? As celebrity Alyssa Milano became the channel's new "mom-bassador," the channel once again rebranded with new graphics and bumpers, dropping a few of its launch day shows. In addition, Nina's World premiered and The Sunny Side Up Show became Sunny Side Up, "moving" to an apartment in the big city.

My Week with The Sunny Side Up Show: When a Celebrity Comes to Visit

 

Images from 2015

Madeline Fretz - Back in the early days, The Sunny Side Up Show often had guest appearances from Sprout characters. According to this Sprout for Parents article, when Team Sprout came up with the theme for each week, they brainstormed the guest ideas they would like to have. They tried to book a guest as far in advance as possible, usually a few months before their actual appearance, because their schedules tended to fill up very quickly.

Let's start with the Sesame Street appearances. Sesame Street had the most guest appearances on the block.

Image from Muppet Wiki

Image from Nolan Hong

Image from Jeremy Wintroub

• Big Bird (Matt Vogel, who currently plays him to this day) was the first guest. He appeared in the pilot from September 2007 and in a few promo pictures.
• Prairie Dawn (Fran Brill, who played her until 2014) appeared for Valentine's Day 2008 with Kelly Vrooman and Chica. Viewers could get to call her live.
• Oscar the Grouch (Caroll Spinney, who played him until 2018) appeared for Earth Day 2008 with Sean Roach and Chica. The character returned for Oscar Weekend 2014 where he and Chica gave Dennisha Pratt a manicure, and again in 2015 with Kaitlin Becker and Chica (he was performed by Eric Jacobson, who currently plays him to this day, here). The latter was the last time a Sesame Muppet appeared on the block, as the show stopped airing later that year.
• Super Grover (Eric Jacobson, who currently plays him to this day) appeared for New Year's Eve 2008 and Day 2009 with Kelly Vrooman and Chica. They sang a song to the tune of "Turkey and the Straw" about New Year’s resolutions - Grover's included discovering a new breed of blue apple, tying his shoes, dancing with a penguin, and eating hot chocolate with a dove. He thanked his family when he was given the "Super" Good Egg Award.
• Elmo (Kevin Clash, who played him until 2012) appeared on December 15, 2009 with Sean Roach and Chica, where he answered viewers' phone calls, read birthday cards, played in a color game show and sang songs such as "Blue Kazoo Blues" and "Kwanzaa Candles." The character returned on November 30, 2010 for Food and Cooking Week with Kelly Vrooman and Chica, and again on Christmas Eve that year. He once again returned on December 13, 2011 with Liz Filios and Chica, where a dreidel hit his puppeteer. The character returned in 2016 with Cookie Monster to promote their new show The Furchester Hotel.
• Abby Cadabby (Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) appeared on January 4, 2012 for Weather Week with Liz Filios and Chica.

Now for Barney.

• The big purple dinosaur himself appeared for Thanksgiving 2007 with The Good Night Show's Nina (Michele Lepe) and Chica, and later that day he hosted a marathon of his show where he presented hand turkeys from Sprout characters. The character returned for Valentine's Day in 2009 with Sean Roach and Chica, Dinosaurs Week in August 2010 with Kelly Vrooman and Chica, Valentine's Day 2011 with Roach and Chica, and Thanksgiving 2011 with Liz Filios and Chica.
• Riff (Michaela Dietz (who also voiced Amethyst from Steven Universe)) appeared for Friends Week on March 31, 2011 with Liz Filios and Chica to promote Season 10 episodes of the show coming to Sprout.

The Wiggles also appeared, but I'm not counting them since they're performers with a children's show and direct-to-videos, not a fictional world.

Now for LazyTown.

• Sportacus (Magnus Scheving, the creator of the show) appeared for Good Sports Week on July 27th, 2012 with Sean Roach and Chica.
• Stephanie (Chloe Lang) appeared in 2012 with Kelly Vrooman and Chica. They sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and made a healthy pizza.

Zack from Zerby Derby appeared in 2014 with Tim Kubart and Chica, and again in 2015 with Carly Ciarrocchi and Chica.

Noodle from Noodle and Doodle appeared to promote the show in 2010 with Sean Roach (who hosted the show) and Chica, again the same year with Liz Filios and Chica. She was also present at a pajama party with Filios and Chica the same year. 

Mr. and Mrs. C from The Chica Show appeared several times - once together to promote the show in 2012 with Sean Roach and Chica. Mr. C often appeared for Father’s Day, and Mrs. C made appearances before The Chica Show even began, albeit with a yellow necklace.

Now for Pajanimals.

• Squacky appeared for Fall Week 2011 with Kelly Vrooman and Chica, and again in 2012 with Dennisha Pratt and Chica.
• Sweetpea Sue appeared for Valentine's Day 2013 and helped Sean Roach and Chica make Valentine's Day cards.
• Granny Pearl appeared for Grandparents' Day 2012.

Now for the blocks.

• Nina (Michele Lepe) from The Good Night Show has guest hosted several times, probably a lot more before they hired Sean Roach (who I’m friends with on Facebook). A few instances were Thanksgiving 2007 with Barney (see above), New Adventures Week on September 21st, 2009 (to promote her fifth season), and for Scrambled April Fun Day 2011, where she and Star played a Sink and Float Game with Kelly Vrooman and Chica. Star himself also appeared multiple times - once for Space Week 2010 with Kelly Vrooman and Chica, and at a pajama party the same year with Liz Filios and Chica.
• The characters from The Sprout Sharing Show appeared in 2008 and again in 2010 with Dennisha Pratt and Chica. Patty appeared alongside Elmo in 2010, and at a pajama party with Liz Filios and Chica. Curtis E. Owl and Otis appeared in 2012 for Chica's birthday party.
• Miles (Milton Barnes) from The Let's Go Show appeared for New Year's Eve 2007 and Day 2008.
• Bean from The Super Sproutlet Show appeared for Valentine's Day 2012 with Liz Filios and Chica, which was also the day the block premiered (SURPRISE!)
• Meeka and M'Goats from Sprout Control Room appeared in 2014 to promote the premiere of Astroblast!.

Animated characters also appeared, but rarely. From what I have heard, Super WHY! appeared in 2011 to promote his show with Liz Filios and Chica, and the titular characters from Ruff-Ruff, Tweet, and Dave appeared to promote their show in 2015 with Emily Borromeo and Chica.

My Week with 2010: Let's Cook and Craft!

 

Madeline Fretz - Hi, my name is Maddie, and welcome to a week where we're covering 2010, a great year! This was not an ordinary year for Sprout, as the channel let go of The Let's Go Show to have LIVE weekend broadcasts of The Sunny Side Up Show. What did it do to promote?

When Sprout launched, its original series were all interstitials - The Many Adventures of Mr. Mailman, Sprout Diner, and Jim Henson's Pajanimals (the latter would get its own half-hour series in 2011). Sprout executives decided to try something different, something they have never done before… a full-length, half-hour series!

What was the half-hour series called? Noodle and Doodle. The series taught viewers how to make crafts and recipes that also got their own pages on Sproutonline.com - in fact, the show also got its own website on Sproutonline.com. The new show aired on weekends on The Sunny Side Up Show.

The series was hosted by actor Sean Roach, who joined The Sunny Side Up Show in early 2008. Roach was joined by a new female puppet character named Noodle McNoodle, played by an unknown actor. The duo was joined by real kids who would help out with the lessons.

The show also had its own animated segment called Doggity's Diner, which was basically Sprout Diner with dogs. That also got a page on Sproutonline.com.

The show proved very popular and continued to air daily on Sprout until Summer 2017.

NYTimes article

Here is a great NYTimes article (mostly) about Sprout, but mentioning other shows like Sid the Science Kid (which aired on Sprout a few years later) and Yo Gabba Gabba!, written by Ginia Bellafante.

A NEW mother, who is also a television critic, is inevitably asked whether she will permit her child to share her public pleasure. Friends and strangers have posed this question to me repeatedly since my son was born a year ago, and I have yet to formulate a position. I understand how addictive the medium is, but refusing it (as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for children under age 2) feels too sanctimonious and unrealistic. A baby getting increasingly mobile does not sit still during a changing of clothes unless, according to studies conducted in my living room, he’s put in front of a TV for a minute or two whether it’s “iCarly” or Harry Reid on “Morning Joe.” And fathers who love sports tend to feel that ESPN does not count as actual television. There may be toddlers who, though they have never watched a single second of “Dora the Explorer,” could hand you a nacho and talk third-down conversions. 

But is it fair to force a child to live on Crimson Tide football alone? With this in mind, I approached an informal critical survey of Sprout. Begun five years ago by PBS, Sesame Workshop and several private media companies, Sprout is aimed at 2- to 5-year-olds and competes with channels like Nick Jr. It borrows programming previously shown on the air the still odious “Barney & Friends,” the still unsurpassable “Sesame Street,” and so on for some part of the day and devotes the mornings, a portion of the afternoon and the evening to original blocks of shows that are meant to correspond with the rhythms of the hour. The channel has a cheerful, earnest Yankee sense of industry about it, in line with the current fashion in parenting for scheduling. 

Sprout bills itself as the first “24-hour preschool destination available on TV.” Assuming that 24/7, quasi-educational television for small children was a plan to create a nation of super creatures who could best their Beijing peers, I asked a Sprout representative whom the intended 2 a.m. viewer might be. Apparently it is a child with a runny nose or a fever or anxieties about making potholders who cannot return to sleep. Sprout must be commended for ensuring that no American mother will be forced to confront her child’s insomnia with viewings of Cindy Crawford’s Skin Care Secrets infomercial ever again. 

“The Sunny Side Up Show,”which runs each morning, for instance, is meant to be a kind of “Today” show for toddlers. Just like “Today,” it is live and has its own versions of Willard Scott, positioned on sets seemingly forged from Play-Doh who say things like, “Milo is 4 and Milo is from Peru, Ind., and it is windy there.” Why this is better than subjecting a child to an actual NBC weather map is unclear. Later in the day, “The Sprout Sharing Show,” a kind of show-and-tell that features videos submitted by viewers, feels less like mini-adult television. But “The Good Night Show,” intended to help children decompress, returned this viewer to a state of confusion. The emphasis on activity and knowledge acquisition didn’t necessarily seem compatible with the effects of a glass of zinfandel on an exhausted mother. In one bit a mama bear instructed her child in the virtue of exercise. There were lessons in foreign words and echolocation (that’s animal sonar, for you adults). 

By far the most interesting of the series is Sprout’s new live-action program, “Noodle and Doodle,” on weekend mornings. It too has an idle-hands-and-minds-are-the-devil’s-workshop feel about it. The emphasis is on making things bird feeders out of yogurt containers and ketchup-bottle lids, bricks from milk cartons. The food revolution has extended its tentacles here, too, resulting in a recipe for spiky, rice-infused meatballs. All right, you won’t find this on “The Barefoot Contessa.” 

But no matter how well meaning the intent of any given “educational” series, you have to wonder whether learning (and quite possibly quickly forgetting) the concept of echolocation right before bedtime is any more valuable than letting a child finger-paint on an iPad instead. “Sid the Science Kid” on PBS devotes entire episodes to lethargically unpacking concepts like elasticity and friction when a few punchy minutes on rubber bands or hair scrunchies would seem to do. 

Programs like these, and the popular series “Yo Gabba Gabba!” on Nick Jr., make you appreciate the extent to which the Pixar and “Sesame Street” empires work on two levels, speaking intelligently to children and parents. What distinguishes “Yo Gabba Gabba!” from the mindless “Teletubbies” of a decade ago, I’m not so sure. Both seemed forged in a hazy, psychedelic reverie. The host of “Yo Gabba Gabba!” is a character called DJ Lance Rock, who talks to children as though he has never met one, which is possible given that he seems to be living inside a Dee-Lite video. 

“Sesame Street” began its 41st season last week, with simple ideas like comfort explained by guests like Jason Bateman. A lot of television for small children is so earnestly listless it seems almost intended to keep parents away. That leads to the unintended effect of making television that most evil of all possible things, a de facto baby sitter. For better or worse, moms on the second shift require a little more. Or at least this one does. We may just hold out until the kid can watch “Dexter.” 

 This article also provides us with some Sprouteriffic information. First, it came out in 2010, and mentions PBS and Sesame Workshop, The channel was also founded by two other companies -- HiT Entertainment (now owned by Mattel) and Comcast (the owner of NBCUniversal, which acquired Sprout in 2013).

Bellafante also said Sprout "competes with channels like Nick Jr.," but has gained the most viewers out of its competitors in mid-2012.

Also, a picture confirms that Barney did appear on The Sunny Side Up Show with Kelly and Chica that year, supposedly for Dinosaurs Week.