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| Network | CBC Television |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1987; 38 years ago (1987) |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Formerly known as |
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| Format | Children's programming |
| Running time |
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| Official website | https://www.cbc.ca/kids/ |
CBC Kids is aCanadianchildren'sblock onCBC Television. The block was launched as Hodge Podge Lodge in 1987 and contains programming targeted at children. The block airs on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to noon and Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Its French-language counterpart isZone Jeunesse onICI Radio-Canada Télé, which airs on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
From 1987 to 1992, the CBC's two-hour morning block of children's programs was calledHodge Podge Lodge (not to be confused with the earlierAmerican series of the same name). The CBC's afternoon children's programs during this time were presented under generic CBC branding instead. CBC Children's Publicist Barbara Chernin and Producer Stephen Wrigh came up with the "Hodge Podge Lodge" moniker. Angela Bruce, Head of CBC Children's Programming, consented to the name for the lineup.[citation needed] The Hodge Podge Lodge interstitials featured animated multi-coloured geometric shapes, art supplies, and blocks moving around to music.
Following the CBC's rebrand in November 1992, theHodge Podge Lodge interstitials were replaced with new ones featuring a group of animated animals. A new character was introduced and a contest was held to name the character.
Former theatre director Peter Moss became the CBC's head of children's programming in 1993, and the following winter, the CRTC complained about the CBC's lack of children's programming and presence of U.S. shows on weekday afternoons. On October 24, 1994, the lineup was renamedCBC Playground; the block expanded to 9:30 a.m. with a half-hour block of children's series from around the world. European series requiring narration were recorded in Toronto with the voices ofMartha Henry,Colm Feore andAlbert Schultz. The CBC said all programs between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. would be Canadian within two years, as twelve shows for the block's first half-hour went into development.
In 1998, Adrian Mills became the CBC's new head of daytime programming, andCBC Playground was relaunched and expanded by an hour. Two presenters, Lisa Richardson and Drew Carnwath, were added to the block, and virtual sets began to be used. The CBC became a partner in theGet Set For Life campaign, which aimed to share information on development in preschoolers, alongside non-profit parenting organization Invest in Kids andCanadian Living magazine.CBC Playground's "Parenting with the Zap Family" interstitials were produced as part of the campaign.
In 2000,CBC Playground was replaced withGet Set For Life, a block named after the campaign of the same name. This iteration hadAlyson Court and Michael Clarke as its hosts.
By 2002, Cheryl Hassen had replaced Mills as the CBC's head of children's programming.
Kids' CBC replacedGet Set For Life in 2003. While Court and Clarke remained until December 2005, the main focus was on five regional hosts from various parts of Canada. The hosts werePatty Sullivan (Ontario), Joyce Quansah (Quebec), Kush Uppal (British Columbia/Western Canada),Hayley Gene (Manitoba/Prairies), and Dashi Malone (Newfoundland and Labrador/Atlantic Canada). The look and the studio sets had also been drastically changed. The girl seen in theGet Set For Life logo was redesigned into an animated girl named Dot. Malone and Gene were eventually replaced byMark O'Brien and Holly Bernier. Kim Wilson took over from Hassen as the CBC's children's programming head in 2005.
On December 24, 2005, a new set featuring agarden within a geometric dome replaced the previous animated interstitials in which the presenters would appear.
On September 3, 2007, the garden set was replaced with a Canadian village-themed set with a circular floor and a treehouse. Due to CBC budget constraints, Quansah, Uppal, Bernier, and O'Brien were removed, and hosting duties were centralized in Toronto with Sullivan andSid Bobb. This revamp introduced new characters that each represented a different region of Canada.
Each of the puppets were used in a variety of scenes in their local setting, typically educational in nature. Mamma Yamma would frequently host cameos by visitingcelebrities such as musicians or Canadian television personalities; a compilation album of live performances,Mamma Yamma and Friends, was released in 2008.Joel Plaskett appeared on this segment in 2012, performing a rewritten version of his song "Fashionable People" about children playing dress-up. Plaskett performed this version of the song in concert on one occasion.[1]
In 2013, Kids' CBC underwent another stylistic change, removing Drumheller, Saumon, Captain Claw, and Canada. A new theme song, "You and Me and Kids' CBC", was also introduced.
In 2016, it was announced thatKids' CBC would be rebranded asCBC Kids the following winter. This rebrand included the removal of Sullivan, Bobb, and Mamma Yamma.[2]CBC Kids debuted on January 2, 2017, with hosts Janaye Upshaw and Tony Kim. Victor Verbitsky was a host until 2018. The current puppet characters are Gary the Unicorn, Cottonball the Cat, Mr. Orlando the Moose, Mosey Monster (known as Makeup Monster), and Putter the Computer.
The block's current format blends scripted children's programming with live-action segments featuring Upshaw, Kim and the puppet characters, calledThe Studio K Show.
Currently, Marie McCann is the head of children's content at CBC.