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| Network | PBS |
|---|---|
| Launched | September 30, 2000; 25 years ago (2000-09-30) |
| Closed | September 5, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-09-05) |
| Country of origin | |
| Owner | |
| Running time | 3 hours (2000–01) 2 hours (2001–04) |
| Original language | English |
ThePBS Kids Bookworm Bunch was a Saturday morning preschool television block co-produced by Canada-based studioNelvana that aired onPBS from September 30, 2000, until September 5, 2004. It typically aired on weekend mornings, depending on station preference and scheduling. The six animated programs that aired on theBookworm Bunch were all based on children's books:Corduroy (byDon Freeman),Elliot Moose (byAndrea Beck),Timothy Goes to School (byRosemary Wells),Seven Little Monsters (byMaurice Sendak),George Shrinks (byWilliam Joyce), andMarvin the Tap-Dancing Horse (byBetty andMichael Paraskevas).
In August 1999, PBS partnered with Nelvana to create the network's first-ever animated weekend programming block.[1] It was created to increase viewership of the preschool audience on weekends, specifically on Saturday mornings when that attention was shifted elsewhere; many PBS stations devoted their Saturday morning schedules to general audience programming, including crafting or do-it-yourself shows, meanwhile commercial networks had extensive lineups for Saturday morning cartoons. A proposed series calledJunior Kroll and Company was part of original plans for the new block, but that idea was eventually canceled and replaced byMarvin the Tap-Dancing Horse.[2] This and the other five series were all based on children's books, a theme that was inspired by a PBS-commissioned study from the University of Kansas that demonstrated the idea that children can learn to read from television programs.[3] Upon its launch on September 30, 2000, thePBS Kids Bookworm Bunch became the second preschool-oriented, Saturday morning block on broadcast television afterNick Jr. on CBS, which premiered two weeks before and replaced CBS Kidshow. Although PBS intended on the block to be broadcast on Saturdays.[4]
During the block's first season, all the shows (with the exception of the first 15-minuteCorduroy episode) were shown either 15 or 45 minutes past the hour, in an effort to discourage "channel surfing" to other competing children's animated programming. Another 15-minuteCorduroy episode then ended the block, making its total runtime three hours. ThePBS Kids Bookworm Bunch proved to be extremely popular in its first season, and weekend viewership increased dramatically.[citation needed] The first season ended on February 24, 2001, with reruns continuing until October 27, 2001.
In the first season, the six shows on the weekend lineup aired in reruns and continued until October 27, 2001. The second season premiered on November 3, 2001,[5] and with this premiere came with some changes.Corduroy andElliot Moose were both removed from the lineup entirely, thus shortening the block to two hours. The four remaining series (Timothy Goes to School,Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse,Seven Little Monsters, andGeorge Shrinks) were instead seen on the hour and half-hour.Timothy Goes to School andMarvin the Tap-Dancing Horse both ended production by late 2001. The second season ended on January 26, 2002.
Following the second season of the block, two shows became separate, standalone series. This included new episodes ofSeven Little Monsters andGeorge Shrinks starting on January 6, 2003, in addition to the 2002 version ofThe Berenstain Bears. The new episodes ofSeven Little Monsters were 15 minutes, instead of the original 30 minutes, and were aired immediately afterThe Berenstain Bears in the same half-hour timeslot.[6] However,Seven Little Monsters was canceled not long after and PBS eventually aired two 15-minute episodes ofThe Berenstain Bears back-to-back beginning on September 15, 2003.[7]George Shrinks was given its own half-hour timeslot,[8] in which it also proved to be hugely popular. Given the success of these shows, many PBS stations carried them on their weekday schedule.
Reruns of the second season of thePBS Kids Bookworm Bunch block continued airing on weekends on select PBS stations and the PBS Kids Channel until September 5, 2004. Around this time, there were many new additions coming to the PBS weekend morning lineup (such as two British series:Thomas & Friends andBob the Builder) and the new, preteen-aimedPBS Kids Go! block premiered in 2004. That is, in addition toThe Berenstain Bears. All of them effectively replaced thePBS Kids Bookworm Bunch. Meanwhile, many PBS stations continued airing reruns of the individual standalone series on the weekday lineup (includingSeven Little Monsters until the end of 2004,George Shrinks until 2009, andThe Berenstain Bears, which continued to air reruns on a limited number of PBS stations until early fall 2025).
After thePBS Kids Bookworm Bunch block was discontinued, most of the series (with the exception ofCorduroy) aired on other commercial networks internationally. In the United States, cable channelDiscovery Kids aired reruns ofTimothy Goes to School from 2004 until 2006, andIon's 24-hourQubo channel aired reruns ofElliot Moose,Timothy Goes to School, andMarvin the Tap-Dancing Horse as part of its daily programming. In Canada,BBC Kids aired reruns ofGeorge Shrinks until its closure on December 31, 2018, andYTV formerly aired reruns ofSeven Little Monsters until 2005. TheUK channelTiny Pop aired reruns ofTimothy Goes to School until 2017.
Music videos aired at the end of each program before the credits.[9] These music videos featured scenes from all of the shows with musical accompaniment. Each of the songs was performed by American children's music artist Nancy Cassidy, appearing on three albums released between 1986 and 1992 byKlutz (purchased by Nelvana in April 2000).
The first season (2000–2001) of theBookworm Bunch block ran for three hours, and the second season (2001–2002) ran for two hours.
| Title | Premiere date | End date | Notes | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corduroy | September 30, 2000 | October 27, 2001 | ||
| Elliot Moose | ||||
| Timothy Goes to School | September 5, 2004 | |||
| Seven Little Monsters | ||||
| George Shrinks | ||||
| Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse |
The most successful series from the weekendBookworm Bunch block aired separately five days a week, and joinedBerenstain Bears as standalone programs.[13]
| Title | Premiere date | End date | Notes | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berenstain Bears &Seven Little Monsters[note 1] | January 6, 2003 | September 14, 2003 | Reruns of this 30-minute program continued on select stations until 2004.[14] | |
| George Shrinks | January 23, 2003 | Reruns continued on select stations until 2009. | ||
| The Berenstain Bears[note 2] | September 15, 2003[7] | September 10, 2004 | Reruns continued on select stations until 2025. |
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| See also | |
