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Zoobilee Zoo

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This article is about the television series. For the toyline by Spin Master, see Zoobles! For the anime, see Zoobles! (anime).

Zoobilee Zoo
Cast of Zoobilee Zoo
Cast of Zoobilee Zoo
Developed byHallmark
Presented byBen Vereen
Opening theme"Zoobilee Zoo" by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy
Ending theme"Zoobilee Zoo"
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes65 (plus three direct-to-video episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMary Jo Blue
Running time21-22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFirst-run syndication
ReleaseSeptember 15, 1986 (1986-09-15) –
March 27, 1987 (1987-03-27)

Zoobilee Zoo is a children's television series featuring actors dressed as animal characters that originally aired from 1986 to 1987.[1] It continued to run in syndication until 2000[2] on several television channels including commercial network television stations, PBS stations, The Learning Channel, and Hallmark Channel. The original 65 episodes are currently owned by Hallmark Properties and were produced by WQED Pittsburgh.

Hosted by Ben Vereen, the show revolves around a group of six creative animal friends who live in a magical land called Zoobilee Zoo. Each possess a unique artistic skill and they frequently break into song and dance.[3]

Plot

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Each episode is opened by a greeting from host Ben Vereen, dressed as a spotted snow leopard, who plays the mayor of Zoobilee Zoo.[2] Speaking directly to viewers that he refers to as "Zoobaroos", Vereen usually appears throughout each episode to summarize the main themes or to perform a song and dance.[3]

The plot in each episode revolves around the main characters, called Zoobles,[4] as they play together and encounter difficulties common to young children. The primary themes are cooperation, making friends, and creativity.[3]

Cast and characters

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Each Zooble character has a certain artistic talent that shapes the way they approach different scenario:[3]

  • Sandey Grinn as Bill Der Beaver in all but 2 episodes, who likes to invent and fix stuff.
    • Michael Sheehan as the original Bill Der Beaver in 2 episodes. When Sheehan decided to leave the show for other interests (such as Jem), he was replaced by Sandey Grinn.
  • Forrest Gardner as Van Go Lion, who enjoys art.
  • Karen Hartman as Talkatoo Cockatoo, who enjoys reading, writing, and speech.
  • Michael B. Moynahan as Lookout Bear, who enjoys adventuring and travel.
  • Gary Schwartz as Bravo Fox, who enjoys performing.
  • Louise Vallance (Stevie Vallance) as Whazzat Kangaroo, the youngest Zooble who encourages kids to enjoy music and dance.
  • Ben Vereen as Mayor Ben, a snow leopard who stars as the host of the show explaining what kind of adventure the Zoobles will be having. Apart from the opening he rarely interacts with any of the other characters.

Minor characters

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  • Roger Behr as Limerick Leprechaun and Peter Possum
  • Roger Peltz as Rhymin' Simon and the Genie
  • Crosby the Dog as Crosby
  • Suzy Gilstrap as Sandy
  • Robert Shields as Elmo the Clown
  • Patty Maloney as Ergo
  • Helen Lambros as The Witch
  • Vinson Crump as Vince
  • Norman Merrill as Dr. Feelright
  • Caleb Chung as Bert Backtrack

In addition, Grinn, Schwartz and Vallance have also played some minor characters. Schwartz played the gorilla in "A Camping We Will Go" (revealed in a blooper reel) and Grinn played Bravo's Vaudeville friend Charlie Google in "Vaudeville Star". Due to this, in the respective episodes, neither Bravo nor Bill appear. Vallance voiced Gilda the Tooth Fairy in "When You Wish Upon a Tooth Fairy".

Background and production

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Premiering on September 15, 1986, Zoobilee Zoo was produced and directed by Steve Binder. The show's concept was developed by Hallmark Entertainment, which partnered with children's production company DIC Enterprises.[2]

In 1992, The Learning Channel picked up the show as part of its Ready Set Learn lineup for preschoolers.[2][5]

Episodes were released on a wide array of VHS tapes, the most recent series released in 1997, but not yet released to DVD. In 2000, three new direct-to-video episodes and soundtracks were released, and the stage show Zoobilee Zoo Live! toured briefly.[citation needed]

Reception

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Zoobilee Zoo was well-received critically, but earned only modest viewer ratings. It was praised by the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. In addition, it was endorsed by the Action for Children's Television (ACT).[3]

Episodes

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Episodes with an asterisk (*) contain Michael Sheehan as Bill Der Beaver. All other segments feature Sandey Grinn in the role.

  1. A Star is Born- Whazzat battles stage fright when she steps in as Talkatoo's understudy.
  2. Two's A Crowd- Bill's dam breaks and his shop gets flooded, so Bravo offers to share his home.
  3. Blue Ribbon Zooble- Whazzat desperately wants to win a blue ribbon in the Zooble County Fair. So when Van Go accidentally submits Whazzat's cousin's cookies under Whazzat's name, she has a hard time deciding whether or not she should tell the truth.
  4. Bravo, Come Home!- Bravo pretends to be his temperamental cousin in an attempt to get the Zoobles to appreciate him.
  5. Land of Rhymes*- Talkatoo and Whazzat need a rhyme to finish their musical.
  6. The Genie- Feeling creatively stifled, Talkatoo, Whazzat, and Van Go wish for magic items to do their jobs for them.
  7. When You Wish Upon a Tooth Fairy- Whazzat loses her first baby tooth, but the tooth fairy is on vacation and does not show up.
  8. The Robot Zoobles- Bravo, frustrated with his Zooble actors, casts robots in his new play.
  9. Trading Places- Bill thinks painting is easy while Van Go thinks building is easy, so they switch jobs for a day.
  10. The Great Trash Mystery*- It's garbage day in Zoobilee Zoo.
  11. Strike Up the Band- Whazzat thinks that everyone has forgotten her birthday, but they are really planning a surprise parade.
  12. Mystery in Zoobilee Zoo- Lookout puts his detective skills to work when Van Go's painting goes missing.
  13. Popular Bill- Bill is overworked with demands from the other Zoobles.
  14. The Cockatoo/Fox Report- The Zoobles are putting on a live news broadcast, but there doesn't seem to be a role for Lookout.
  15. Grown Up for a Day*- Youngest Zooble Whazzat becomes an adult for the day.
  16. Winter Wonderland- Talkatoo and Lookout have a winter adventure.
  17. Fox in Wolf's Clothing- Talkatoo puts Bravo on a diet when he cannot fit into his old wolf costume, but Bravo has a hard time sticking to it when the other Zoobles offer him sweets.
  18. Vaudeville Star- Bravo's old pal from Vaudeville comes to visit and announces that he has retired from show business to be a waiter.
  19. Is There a Doctor in the House?- Bravo refuses to admit that he has a terrible cold because he is afraid of seeing the doctor.
  20. Backwardville- The Zoobles start doing everything backwards when Backwardville's water supply starts leaking into Zoobilee Zoo.
  21. Speak to Me, Bill- Through a misunderstanding, Bill and Van Go each think the other has stood him up and they stop speaking to one another.
  22. A Sticky Situation- Bill invents a new kind of glue that can stick to anything, which creates a lot of chaos once the Zoobles get stuck together.
  23. To See or Not to See- Van Go's paintings are beginning to look rather sloppy, but Van Go refuses to admit that he might need glasses.
  24. Just in Time- Bill invents the time and space machine and accidentally sends Lookout and Whazzat to the North Pole.
  25. Cave Zoobles- Van Go, Lookout, and Whazzat try to take a trip in the time and space machine to the future. However, they wind up in the stone age and do not have the tools to fix anything.
  26. The Bear Behind the Badge- Lookout becomes Zoobilee Zoo's first police officer.
  27. One Touch of Van Go- Van Go dreams that his statue comes to life and the two of them dance all night.
  28. Job Hunting- Lookout's runabout breaks down and he can't go on any adventures, so he decides to try some of the other Zoobles' jobs.
  29. The Great Game #1- Bravo hosts a game show on ZOOBC-TV.
  30. Lookout, Super Zooble- When Lookout receives a Super Zooble costume in the mail, he begins to think he may actually have magical powers.
  31. Invisible Zooble- Bill invents invisible paint.
  32. Lookout's Dog- Lookout finds a dog but does not want to return him to the owner.
  33. Endangered Zoobra- Lookout takes in a stray animal.
  34. Bravo's Puppets- Bravo does not listen to any of the other Zoobles' suggestions.
  35. The Witch's Spell- A witch makes mischief in Zoobilee Zoo.
  36. Talkerella- While telling Whazzat a bedtime story, Talkatoo dreams that she is Cinderella.
  37. The Great Game #2- Bravo and the other Zoobles once again appear on a game show on ZOOBC-TV.
  38. Van Go, Master Painter- Talkatoo submits one of Van Go's paintings into an art show. When it wins first prize, a famous art store owner takes over Van Go's social schedule.
  39. The Ghost of Zoobilee Woods- It appears as though a ghost has been stealing Bravo's food as well as his trophy.
  40. Pigment Puzzle- A man from the Land of Black and White steals items from Zoobilee Zoo in hopes that they will still be colorful when he gets home.
  41. Whazzat the Clown- When Whazzat wants to leave Zoobilee Zoo to be a clown, the others come up with ideas to get her to stay.
  42. The Great Zooble Tryouts- When Bravo gets a chance to work in Zooblewood, he holds auditions to see which Zooble will take over his plays.
  43. Gotta Dance- Sandy wins a contest to visit Zoobilee Zoo, but her wheelchair makes the other Zoobles uncomfortable.
  44. Close Encounters of a Zooble Kind- A clumsy alien crashes into Zoobilee Zoo and fixes all of the Zoobles' broken items.
  45. Laughland- Bravo's new play is a comedy, but unfortunately everyone in Zoobilee Zoo has already heard his jokes.
  46. Lady Whazzat- Bravo gives Whazzat the chance to put on her own musical recital, but first she has to become more ladylike.
  47. The Zooble Book of Records- Lookout realizes that he is the only Zooble absent from the Zooble Book of Records and he tries to set a record.
  48. Sing Along #1- The Zoobles have a sing-along show for ZOOBC-TV.
  49. The Magic Ring- Whazzat wishes on a magic ring that she could dance forever, but she soon regrets it when she gets tired and the ring goes missing.
  50. A Trip to Memoryland- Whazzat wants to relive her last birthday, so she and Lookout go to Memoryland, where all of their memories are stored on a computer.
  51. The Zooble Hop- After the Zoobles plan a sock hop, they take a trip to the Land of a Thousand Dances to request a special Zooble Hop dance step.
  52. Attack of the Giant Potatoes- Whazzat thinks that giant potatoes are taking over Zoobilee Zoo.
  53. The Teleportation Machine- Bill Der Beaver invents a teleportation machine that sends Van Go Lion on an adventure.
  54. Simon and the Leprechaun- Rhymin' Simon and Limerick Leprechaun send a willow tree to the Zoobles, but it cannot stop weeping out of homesickness.
  55. Pictures to Remember- Talkatoo makes photo albums for all the Zoobles.
  56. Smart Dummy- Bravo decides to host a dance marathon, but Talkatoo is nervous about her dancing ability.
  57. The Zoobadoobas- Van Go, Lookout, and Whazzat start a band called the Zoobadoobas, but a big producer only wants Van Go to be a famous rockstar!
  58. Sing Along #2- The Zoobles host another sing-along on ZOOBC-TV.
  59. Without a Sound- The Zoobles can't understand why the new kid in town doesn't talk to them.
  60. Bill Sees Stars- Bill gets hit on the head and thinks he's a Martian.
  61. A Time for Laughs- The Zoobles are hosting a comedy competition show on ZOOBC-TV!
  62. A Camping We Will Go- When Lookout gets sick Talkatoo steps in to take Whazzat on a camping trip they will never forget.
  63. Surprise, Surprise- It's Van Go's birthday and all of the Zoobles throw him the best surprise birthday party ever!
  64. Bravo's Party- The Zoobles throw Bravo an anniversary party and reminisce about their favorite moments from the past year.
  65. Piano Man Bill- Whazzat teaches Bill how to play the piano.

Awards and recognition

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The series was awarded the 1987 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 487. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Rossen, Jake (May 19, 2016). "The Lost Magic of 'Zoobilee Zoo'". Mental Floss. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e Margulies, Lee (December 31, 1986). "'Zoo'—Will It Pass Syndication Test?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  4. ^ Berry, Gordon L.; Asamen, Joy Keiko (May 25, 1993). Children and Television: Images in a Changing Socio-Cultural World. SAGE Publications. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-1-4522-5374-9.
  5. ^ Mendoza, N.F. (December 27, 1992). "Disney offers lullabies for the toddlers while the Learning Channel prepares kids for the classroom". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
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