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Zoobilee Zoo

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Children's television series

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

Zoobilee Zoo
Cast ofZoobilee Zoo
Developed by	Hallmark
Presented by	Ben Vereen
Opening theme	"Zoobilee Zoo" byHaim Saban andShuki Levy
Ending theme	"Zoobilee Zoo"
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	65 (plus three direct-to-video episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Steve Binder Jean Chalopin Andy Heyward
Producer	Mary Jo Blue
Running time	21–22 minutes
Production companies	DIC Group Production Hallmark Cards BRB Productions
Original release
Network	First-run syndication
Release	September 15, 1986 (1986-09-15) – March 27, 1987 (1987-03-27)

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

Hosted byBen 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 DerBeaver 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 asJem), he was replaced by Sandey Grinn.
Forrest Gardner as Van GoLion, who enjoys art.
Karen Hartman as TalkatooCockatoo, who enjoys reading, writing, and speech.
Michael B. Moynahan as LookoutBear, who enjoys adventuring and travel.
Gary Schwartz as BravoFox, who enjoys performing.
Louise Vallance (Stevie Vallance) as WhazzatKangaroo, the youngest Zooble who encourages kids to enjoy music and dance.
Ben Vereen as Mayor Ben, asnow 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 PeterPossum
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 thegorilla in "A Camping We Will Go" (revealed in a blooper reel) and Grinn played Bravo'sVaudeville 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 bySteve Binder. The show's concept was developed byHallmark Entertainment, which partnered with children's production companyDIC Enterprises.^[2]

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

Episodes were released on a wide array ofVHS tapes—the most recent series released in 1997—but not yet released toDVD. In 2000, three newdirect-to-video episodes and soundtracks were released, and the stage showZoobilee 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 theNational Education Association (NEA), theAmerican Federation of Teachers and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. In addition, it was endorsed by theAction 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.

A Star is Born
Two's A Crowd
Blue Ribbon Zoobles
Bravo, Come Home!
Land of Rhymes*
The Genie
When You Wish Upon a Tooth Fairy
The Robot Zoobles
Trading Places
The Great Trash Mystery*
Strike Up the Band
Mystery in Zoobilee Zoo
Popular Bill
The Cockatoo/Fox Report
Grown Up for a Day*
Winter Wonderland
Fox in Wolf's Clothing
Vaudeville Star
Is There a Doctor in the House?
Backwardville
Speak to Me, Bill
A Sticky Situation
To See or Not to See
Just in Time
Cave Zoobles
The Bear Behind the Badge
One Touch of Van Go
Job Hunting
The Great Game #1
Lookout, Super Zooble
Invisible Zooble
Lookout's Dog
Endangered Zoobra
Bravo's Puppets
The Witch's Spell
Talkerella
The Great Game #2
Van Go, Master Painter
The Ghost of Zoobilee Woods
Pigment Puzzle
Whazzat the Clown
The Great Zooble Tryouts
Gotta Dance
Close Encounters of a Zooble Kind
Laughland
Lady Whazzat
The Zooble Book of Records
Sing Along #1
The Magic Ring
A Trip to Memoryland
The Zooble Hop
Attack of the Giant Potatoes
The Teleportation Machine
Simon and the Leprechaun
Pictures to Remember
Smart Dummy
The Zoobadoobas
Sing Along #2
Without a Sound
Bill Sees Stars
A Time for Laughs
A Camping We Will Go
Surprise, Surprise
Bravo's Party
Piano Man Bill

Awards and recognition

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The series was awarded the1987 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design.

References

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^Hyatt, Wesley (1997).The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 487.ISBN 978-0823083152. RetrievedMarch 22, 2020.
^^a ^b ^c ^dRossen, Jake (May 19, 2016)."The Lost Magic of 'Zoobilee Zoo'".Mental Floss.Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. RetrievedDecember 26, 2016.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eMargulies, Lee (December 31, 1986)."'Zoo'—Will It Pass Syndication Test?".Los Angeles Times.Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. RetrievedDecember 26, 2016.
^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.
^Mendoza, N.F. (December 27, 1992)."Disney offers lullabies for the toddlers while the Learning Channel prepares kids for the classroom".Los Angeles Times.Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. RetrievedDecember 26, 2016.

External links

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Former PBS Kids original programming

1960s–1980s debuts

PBS

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968–2001)
The Electric Company (1971–1977)
Zoom (1972–1978)
Rebop (1976–1979)
Once Upon a Classic (1976–1980)
Studio See (1977–1979)
3-2-1 Contact (1980–1988)
Reading Rainbow (1983–2006)
Don't Look Now (1983)
Newton's Apple (1983–1999)
WonderWorks (1984–1992)
OWL/TV (1985–1990)
Square One Television (1987–1992)
Shalom Sesame (1988–1992; 2010–2011)
Zoobilee Zoo (1988)
Ramona (1988–1989)
Shining Time Station (1989–1995)
Long Ago and Far Away (1989–1993)

Syndicated¹

Hodgepodge Lodge (1970–1984)
Inside/Out (1972–1973)
Villa Alegre (1973–1980)
Big Blue Marble (1974–1983)
Vegetable Soup (1975–1978)
Readalong (1976–1979)
Polka Dot Door (1981–1988)
Powerhouse (1982–1983)
Size Small (1982–1990)
Today's Special (1984–1994)
Storylords (1984)
The Voyage of the Mimi (1984)
The Secret City (1985–1993)
Captain Kangaroo (1986–1992)
Learn to Read (1987–1988)²
Writer's Realm (1987)
Saludos (1987)
The Second Voyage of the Mimi (1988)

1990s debuts

PBS

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991–1995)
Barney & Friends (1992–2010)
Lamb Chop's Play-Along (1992–1995)
Ghostwriter (1992–1995)
Behind the Scenes (1992)
Kino's Storytime (1992–1997)
In the Mix (1993–2012)²
Bill Nye the Science Guy (1994–1999)
The Magic School Bus (1994–1997)
The Puzzle Place (1995–1998)
Plaza Sésamo (1995–2010)
Wishbone (1995–2001)
Katie and Orbie (1995–1997)
Kratts' Creatures (1996)
Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (1996–1997)
Adventures from the Book of Virtues (1996–2000)
Tots TV (1996–2002)
Arthur (1996–2022)
Theodore Tugboat (1996–2002)
Wimzie's House (1997–2001)
The Charlie Horse Music Pizza (1998–1999)
Teletubbies (1998–2004)
Noddy (1998–2000)
Zoom (1999–2005)
Zoboomafoo (1999–2001)
Dragon Tales (1999–2005)

Syndicated¹

The Wind in the Willows (1990–1993)
Mark Kistler's Imagination Station (1991–1998)
Gerbert (1993–1997)
Math Vantage (1993)
Whirligig! (1993)
Jack Houston's ImagineLand (1994–2000)
Pappyland (1994–1997)
Kidsongs (1994–1998)
The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon (1994–1999)
The Huggabug Club (1995–2000)
The Big Comfy Couch (1995–2009)
Preschool Power (1995)
The Shelley T. Turtle Show (1995–1997)
The Swamp Critters of Lost Lagoon (1995–1997)
Get Real! (1995–1997)
Bloopy's Buddies (1996–1998)
The Reppies (1996)
Animal Tales (1996–1998)
Crossroads Cafe (1996)
Groundling Marsh (1997–2000)
Skinnamarink TV (1997–1999)
The Slow Norris (1997–1999)
Salty's Lighthouse (1997–1998)
Backyard Safari (1997–1998)
Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories from My Childhood (1998–2001)
Someday School (1998–2001)
Salsa (1998–2002)
Once Upon a Tree (1998–2000)
Reading Allowed (1998–2001)
NASA Connect (1998–2005)
Standard Deviants (1999–2000)
Adventures with Kanga Roddy (1999–2001)
Wish*A*Roo Park (1999–2001)
Hello Mrs. Cherrywinkle (1999–2001)
Ricky's Room (1999–2000)

2000s debuts

PBS

Between the Lions (2000–2010)
Caillou (2000–2013)
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000–2003)
Corduroy (2000–2001)
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse (2000–2002)
George Shrinks (2000–2004)
Seven Little Monsters (2000–2004)
Timothy Goes to School (2000–2001)
Jay Jay the Jet Plane (2001–2005)
Anne of Green Gables (2001–2002)
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (2001–2002)
DragonflyTV (2002–2008)²
Angelina Ballerina (2002–2006)
Liberty's Kids (2002–2003)
The Berenstain Bears (2003–2004)
Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (2003–2007)
Clifford's Puppy Days (2003–2006)
Boohbah (2004–2006)
Thomas & Friends (2004–2017)
Maya & Miguel (2004–2007)
Postcards from Buster (2004–2012)
Bob the Builder (2005–2012)
Make Way for Noddy (2005–2007)
It's a Big Big World (2006–2010)
Franny's Feet (2006–2010)
Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman (2006–2010)
Curious George (2006–2022)
Design Squad (2007–2012)
Super Why! (2007–2016)
WordGirl (2007–2015)
WordWorld (2007–2011)
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies (2007–2008)
Animalia (2008)
Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures (2008)
Martha Speaks (2008–2014)
Sid the Science Kid (2008–2013)
Lomax, the Hound of Music (2008)
The Electric Company (2009–2011)
Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps (2009–2010)
Dinosaur Train (2009–2020)

Syndicated¹

The Dooley and Pals Show (2000–2003)
Lil' Iguana (2000–2001)
Elliot Moose (2000–2001)
Redwall (2001–2002)
Reading Rockets (2001–2009)
MythQuest (2002)
Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop (2002)
The Toy Castle (2003–2004)
Real Wheels (2003–2004)
My Bedbugs (2004–2005)
Curiosity Quest (2004–2015)
The Biscuit Brothers (2004–2012)
Auto-B-Good (2005–2006)
Ribert and Robert's Wonderworld (2005–2008)
The Shapies (2005–2007)
Mustard Pancakes (2005–2007)
Danger Rangers (2005–2006)
The Zula Patrol (2005–2008)
Signing Time! (2006–2008)
Nanalan' (2006)
The Saddle Club (2006–2009)
Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works (2006–2007)
SeeMore's Playhouse (2006–2008)
Peep and the Big Wide World (2007–2011)
Miffy and Friends (2007)
Biz Kids (2008–2017)
Raggs (2008–2009)
Jonathan Bird's Blue World (2008)
Wunderkind Little Amadeus (2008–2009)

2010s–2020s debuts

PBS

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (2010–2018)
SciGirls (2010–2023)
Peg + Cat (2013–2018)
Bob the Builder (2015–2018)
Nature Cat (2015–2024)
Ready Jet Go! (2016–2023)
Splash and Bubbles (2016–2018)
Let's Go Luna! (2018–2022)
Esme & Roy (2019–2021)
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019) (2019–2022)
Hero Elementary (2020–2022)
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (2023)
Mecha Builders (2024)

Syndicated¹

Pocoyo (2010–2011)
Scientastic! (2010)
Wild Animal Baby Explorers (2010–2012)
Space Racers (2014–2015)
Mixed Nutz (2014)
Thomas Edison's Secret Lab (2015–2016)
Bug Bites (2016)
Ruby's Studio (2016)
Mack & Moxy (2016)
Young Voices for the Planet (2016–2019)
Kids for Positive Change (2021–2024)

Current original series template
All programs were distributed by PBS unless noted.
¹ Aired on select public television stations viaAmerican Public Television (APT) or another program distributor.
² Instructional program.