Bobby's World | |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy Fantasy Children's television series |
Created by | Howie Mandel |
Developed by | Jim Staahl Jim Fisher |
Voices of | Howie Mandel Gail Matthius Susan Tolsky Tino Insana Edie McClurg Kevin Michaels Pamela Adlon Rob Paulsen Gary Owens Frank Welker Debi Derryberry Pat Fraley |
Theme music composer | John Tesh |
Composers | John Tesh (1990–1993, seasons 1–3) Mark Koval (1993–1998, seasons 4–7) |
Country of origin | United States Canada |
No. of seasons | 7 |
No. of episodes | 81 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Phil Roman Howie Mandel (1991–1998, seasons 2–7) |
Producers | Mitch Schauer (1990–1991, seasons 1–2) Gary Conrad (1991–1998, seasons 3–7) |
Production companies | Film Roman Alevy Productions Fox Children's Productions |
Original release | |
Network | Fox Kids (United States) Global Television (Canada) |
Release | September 8, 1990 – February 23, 1998 |
Bobby's World (originally known as The World According to Bobby) is an American animated comedy children's television series that aired on Fox Kids from September 8, 1990, to February 23, 1998. [1] The show was created by Canadian actor/comedian Howie Mandel, who also performs the voices of both Bobby and his father Howard Generic. [2]
It was produced by Film Roman in association with Mandel's company Alevy Productions and Fox Children's Productions. The theme song for Bobby's World was composed by John Tesh and Michael Hanna.
The series follows the daily life of Bobby Generic ( /ˈdʒɛnərɪk/ JEN-ər-ik), with his very overactive imagination and how he sees the world.
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 13 | September 8, 1990 | January 19, 1991 | |
2 | 8 | September 7, 1991 | November 16, 1991 | |
3 | 13 | August 29, 1992 | May 8, 1993 | |
4 | 13 | September 18, 1993 | February 26, 1994 | |
5 | 13 | September 12, 1994 | February 20, 1995 | |
6 | 11 | September 11, 1995 | November 4, 1996 | |
7 | 10 | September 6, 1997 | February 23, 1998 |
The Generic family's surname is pronounced "JEN-uh-rik", but mispronounced as "juh-NEHR-ik" by other characters as a running gag.
Howie Mandel explained that he accidentally created the voice that would be later used to voice Bobby when he was choking on a piece of cake. [3] Two of Mandel's friends Jim Fisher and Jim Staahl signed an agreement with the Fox Broadcasting Company's then newly created children's division in 1989. Fisher and Staahl asked Mandel to join them in creating a show based on Mandel's Bobby character and voice. Mandel explained that he believed Fox did not think his stand-up routines were "family entertainment". He, Fisher, and Staahl (co-producers) recalled stories from their childhoods as they discussed the formation of the show. Mandel said "that was the seed of Bobby's World". Later stories from the childhoods of writers Dianne and Peter Tilden along with Mitch Schauer were used as the basis of many of the stories. The other characters on the show were mixes of characteristics of the creators' parents' friends and relatives. Specifically, Uncle Ted was based on Fisher and Staahl's former comedy partner in a comedy trio formed by the three after leaving Chicago's Second City, called The Graduates. Ultimately, that partner Tino Insana read for and won the part of Uncle Ted. [4] [5]
Mitch Schauer drew the designs for the main characters. [6] Bobby's character design was based on Schauer's then-4-year-old son. [7]
On February 12, 2007, the character Bobby made a surprise appearance on an episode of Deal or No Deal . [8]
Episodes often consist of a short live-action segment either before or after the main story (and sometimes both before and after). The segment would include Mandel describing some aspect of the story and often relating it back to his personal childhood. Sometimes during these segments, the character of Bobby would appear in animated form and converse with Mandel. Other times, a live action child would appear and exchange words with Mandel. Endings of the show also featured Mandel breaking the "fourth wall" by talking to viewers about the preceding episode. In some part of the episode, Bobby will break the fourth wall by telling the audience his perspective on life.
The series' music was by Mark Koval. The theme music was by John Tesh and Michael Hanna. [9]
In an April 2006 online interview, Mandel expressed his desire for a possible reboot of the series. [10]
In November 2014, it was announced that Mandel told a crowd at Comikaze that plans to revive the series were in motion. [11]
In May 2018, Mandel again made reference to his efforts to get the series revived in an interview with Entertainment Weekly's Dave Quinn. [12]
During its original run, Bobby's World was seen on Fox Kids. After it was cancelled in 1998, reruns began airing on Fox Family until 2001.
The series was available in its entirety on Netflix instant streaming and Kabillion as well. It was available on Amazon Prime Instant Video. Episodes can occasionally be seen in syndication, on a variety of websites, on Netflix or on Comcast's OnDemand service.
In the United States, starting in 1996, the show was open-captioned; this was intended as an aid to help younger children learn to read.
In Brazil, it was aired on SBT, being known as one of the most well known cartoons in the 90s.
In Canada, it aired on YTV and later, Teletoon Retro.
In Russia, it aired on REN-TV, TV-3 and Jetix Play.
In Kazakhstan, is aired on Raisovka Television.
From 1994 to 1998, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released VHS titles of the series.
In 2004, Anchor Bay Entertainment released two best-of compilations, Classic Scratch 'n' Sniff Episodes and The Signature Episodes, on DVD in Region 1.
On December 15, 2011, it was announced that MoonScoop Group had acquired the distribution rights to the series and planned to release all seven seasons of Bobby's World on DVD in early 2012 [13] All seasons were made available for purchase on March 13, 2012. [14]
A video game adaptation of Bobby's World was made for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. It was developed by Riedel Software Productions and published by Hi Tech Entertainment. A Version for the Sega Genesis was in development, but never released. [15]
In the game, Bobby's mother tells him to clean his room. As he is cleaning his room, Bobby starts daydreaming about a toy. After beating a level, Bobby has another daydream about another toy that he puts away. [16]
Bobby's World is a platform game. In some stages, the gameplay changes to something similar to a shoot 'em up. The player is asked to control Bobby and make him jump, squat, walk, run, and throw objects at the enemies – the objects often change according to the level's thematic – and use Webbly to defend Bobby. On some stages, Webbly can be used to do other things too, like reach higher platforms, throw it at their enemies or even using it as a mount.
A Game Boy game based on the series was also planned, developed by Unexpected Development and published by Hi Tech Entertainment. The game was originally based on Home Alone 2: Lost in New York , taking place in Kevin McCallister's dreams, before being retooled into a Bobby's World game during development, retaining the same premise but replacing the characters with those of Bobby's World. However, the game was never released. [17]
Abraham Jay "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.
Jeff Albertson, commonly known as the Comic Book Guy (CBG), is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and Eisner-nominated spin-off comic book series Comic Book Guy. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the second-season episode "Three Men and a Comic Book", which originally aired on May 9, 1991. Comic Book Guy is the proprietor of a comic book store, The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop. He is based on "every comic book store guy in America" and represents a stereotypical middle-aged comic-book collector with a supercilious attitude and obsessive knowledge of pop culture minutia. He is known for his distinctive accent, disagreeable personality, and his catchphrase, "Worst [thing] ever!"
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is an American fantasy television series filmed in New Zealand, based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles. Starring Kevin Sorbo as Hercules and Michael Hurst as Iolaus, it was produced from January 16, 1995, to November 22, 1999. It ran for six seasons, producing action figures and other memorabilia as it became one of the highest-rated syndicated television shows in the world at that time. It has aired on Once Channel, Sky1, five/5, Heroes & Icons, and Horror.
The Angry Beavers is an American animated sitcom created by Mitch Schauer for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around the zany hijinks of Norbert and Daggett Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have moved out of their parents' home to become bachelors in the forest near the fictional Wayouttatown, Oregon. The series premiered in the United States on April 19, 1997, and ended its initial run on November 11, 2003. 4 episodes would not premiere in the United States on Nickelodeon during its initial run and would premiere in that country on Nicktoons in 2006, with the last episode airing on August 27. The complete series has also been released on DVD in Region 1 by Shout! Factory.
Dungeons & Dragons is an American animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is a co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, with the Japanese Toei Animation. It ran on CBS from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons, for a total of twenty-seven episodes.
Howard Michael Mandel is a Canadian comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel is known for voicing Gizmo in the 1984 film Gremlins and the 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch, playing rowdy ER resident Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere, and creating and starring in the Fox children's cartoon Bobby's World. He has also been a judge on NBC's America's Got Talent since 2010, and Citytv's Canada's Got Talent since 2022. He hosted the American NBC and later CNBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts.
The Basil Brush Show is a British children's television sitcom series, starring the glove puppet fox Basil Brush. It was produced for six series by The Foundation, airing on CBBC from 27 September 2002 to 25 December 2007. The show is a spin-off from the original 1960s–1970s BBC television series, but without any of the original cast.
The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a sadistic mouse named Itchy who repeatedly maims or murders a black cat named Scratchy. It is typically presented as 15- to 60-second sketches that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence, unsuitable for children, that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.
Taz-Mania is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991 to 1995, broadcast in the United States on Fox Kids where it stars the Tasmanian Devil.
The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1990.
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is an American animated mystery comedy series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is the eighth incarnation of the studio's Scooby-Doo franchise and depicts younger versions of the title character and his companions as they solve mysteries, similar to the original television series. The series was developed by Tom Ruegger and premiered on September 10, 1988, airing for three seasons on ABC and during the syndicated block The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera until August 17, 1991.
Little Bill is an American animated educational children's television series created by Bill Cosby. It is based on the Little Bill book series, written by Cosby with illustrations by Varnette P. Honeywood. Cosby also composed some of the theme music, appeared in live-action in the show's intro sequence, and voiced the recurring character of Captain Brainstorm. It was Cosby's second animated series, after Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
King of the Hill is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in syndication from May 3 to 6, 2010. The series also got moved to Adult Swim nine months before Fox canceled the series. The series centers on the Hills, an American family who live in the fictional city of Arlen, Texas, as well as their neighbors, co-workers, relatives, classmates, friends, and acquaintances. The show's realistic approach seeks humor in the conventional and mundane aspects of everyday life, such as blue-collar workers, substitute teachers, and the trials of puberty.
"Whistle While Your Wife Works" is the fifth episode of season five of Family Guy, the last episode produced for Season 4. The show originally aired on Fox on November 12, 2006. The plot follows Peter losing his fingers after an accident while holding fireworks. Behind on his work and threatened with the possibility of dismissal, he asks Lois to catch up on his work for him, to which she agrees. However, he repeatedly attempts to seduce her, eventually succeeding, distracting her from the work. Meanwhile, Brian begins dating a woman named Jillian who, much to Stewie's delight, lacks general knowledge and intelligence.
Silvio Peter "Tino" Insana was an American actor, producer, writer, and comedian.
Better Off Ted is an American satirical sitcom series, created by Victor Fresco, who also served as the show's executive producer. The series ran on the ABC network from March 18, 2009, to January 26, 2010.
Dan Vs. is an American animated television series created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson for the cable channel The Hub. The series stars Curtis Armstrong, Dave Foley and Paget Brewster.
The Dating Guy is a Canadian adult animated sitcom that originally aired on Teletoon at Night from September 17, 2008, to May 8, 2010.
Family Guy is an American animated comedy franchise created by Seth MacFarlane and originally developed for Fox. Consisting of two television series: Family Guy (1999–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–2013), the franchise primarily focuses on the Griffin family and their friends and associates. The franchise also shares a fictional universe with American Dad! (2005–present), another series developed by MacFarlane with the same art style, to which it features numerous crossovers and shared characters.
But things really took off for Schauer in the early 90s. At that time he was working at Film Roman, where he was put in charge of design for their new series, Bobby's World. In fact, the character of Bobby is actually based on Schauer's then-4-year-old son, not series co-creator Howie Mandel.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)