Jack's Big Music Show

Last updated
Jack's Big Music Show
Jack's Big Music Show title card.png
Genre Children's music
Puppetry
Created by
Written by
  • Emily Rudman (#1-3, 6-26)
  • Carrie Torn-Fisher (#4-5)
Directed byDavid Rudman
Starring
Voices of Cathy Richardson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersDavid Rudman
Todd Hannert
Adam Rudman
Production location Chicago, Illinois
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Noggin
ReleaseSeptember 12, 2005 (2005-09-12) 
October 13, 2007 (2007-10-13)

Jack's Big Music Show is an American musical children's television series produced for the Noggin channel. It was created and executive produced by David Rudman, Todd Hannert, and Adam Rudman through their company Spiffy Pictures. The premiere episode was simulcast on both Noggin and its sister channel, Nickelodeon, on September 12, 2005. The show ran for two seasons and 26 episodes in total, which finished airing on October 13, 2007.

Contents

The popularity of the show made the idea of appearing on it attractive to musicians. An executive from Noggin in 2006 said that they were "clamoring to get onto Jack's Big Music Show." [1] In 2008, the show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series.

In May 2007, production was suddenly cancelled and it was announced that no more episodes would be produced. The last episode aired on October 13, 2007. However, it continued to rerun on the Nick Jr. Channel until December 26, 2014. The last episodes to air as a part of the show's final rerun were "Snow Day" and "The Grumpy Squirrel" as part of the Nick Jr. Holiday Party.

Premise

The series focuses on music-loving Jack, his best friend Mary, and his drum-playing dog Mel, all of whom are puppets. The show takes place in Jack's backyard clubhouse and centers on the characters' passion for music. The characters play music in every episode and are often accompanied by other puppets or human musicians. Each episode starts with Jack's off-screen mom calling him that he has to leave for an activity soon. Each episode also usually features two music videos by children's musical artists and a performance by the Schwartzman Quartet about the episode's theme. At the end of each episode, a big "finale" song is played. Sometimes, Jack leaves and tells his mom what they did today, while other times they continue to play music in the clubhouse. Mel can be seen popping up during the credits.

Characters

Main

The main characters are Jack, Mary, Mel, and the Schwartzman Quartet. [2]

Guests (puppets)

Guests (humans)

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 13September 12, 2005 (2005-09-12)February 13, 2006 (2006-02-13)
2 13January 6, 2007 (2007-01-06)October 13, 2007 (2007-10-13)

Season 1 (2005–2006)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleGuestsSongsOriginal air date
11"Little Bad Wolf" Laurie Berkner
The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
"Mary Had an Accordion" (tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"), "The Little Bad Wolf Had a Tuba" (also sung to the tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"), "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "My Energy", "Music Everywhere"September 12, 2005 (2005-09-12)
22"How Mel Got His Groove Back" Cathy Richardson
Laurie Berkner
Sweet Honey in the Rock
"Listen to the Animals", "Every Animal Has Its Groove", "Mel the Meowing Dog" (sung to the tunes: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "The Alphabet Song", and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep"), "Mister", "I Like It That Way"September 13, 2005 (2005-09-13)
33"The Music Genie" Anne Harris
Hot Peas 'N Butter
Laurie Berkner
"Mel's Musical Trunk" (tune: "99 Bottles of Beer"), "Prudence", "Yodel", "Number 1", "Under a Shady Tree"September 14, 2005 (2005-09-14)
44"The Bongo Bird" Laurie Berkner
Jamia
"Yeah Yeah Yeah", "The Song of the Bongo Bird", "Bongo Bird Beat", "Bongo Bird Lullaby" (tune: "Brahms' Lullaby"), "I Know a Chicken", "Bongo" (sung to the tune Bingo)September 19, 2005 (2005-09-19)
55"Marching Band" Cathy Richardson
Laurie Berkner
Milkshake
"Marching Song", "Rain Rain Go Away", "Rhythms Around You", "Boots", "Bottle of Sunshine"September 26, 2005 (2005-09-26)
66"Bug Love"Rebecca Frezza
Laurie Berkner
"Loud Sound/Soft Sound", "A Pretty Good Bug", "Bugs Are Really Swell" (tune: "The Farmer in the Dell"), "B3", "I'm Me and You're You"October 3, 2005 (2005-10-03)
77"Mel's Super Swell Dance Party"Tracey Ellert
Cathy Richardson
Yolanda Adams
The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Laurie Berkner
"Dance How You Like", "The Mel Polka", "Rock and Roll Freeze Dance", "The Me Dance", "Dino-Sauring", "I Really Love to Dance"October 10, 2005 (2005-10-10)
88"Space Opera" Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town
Laurie Berkner
"Mary's Opera" (3 songs; one of the songs is sung to the tune of the Toreador Song from Carmen), "Space Explorer", "Space Opera", "What Are They Gonna Do About That?", "I'm Glad", "I'm Not Perfect"October 10, 2005 (2005-10-10)
99"Grow Daddio" Cathy Richardson
Rebecca Frezza
Laurie Berkner
"Where is Mary?" (tune: "Ten Little Indians"), "What Will Arthur Grow Up to Be?", "Playin' Jazz", "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary", "H2O + O2 + Sun", "Running Down the Hill"October 17, 2005 (2005-10-17)
1010"The Grumpy Squirrel"Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals
Laurie Berkner
"It's Fun to Invent Your Own Instrument", "Brahms' Lullaby" (instrumental), "Music is the Best", "Grumpy" "I'm Gonna Catch You", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"October 24, 2005 (2005-10-24)
1111"The Music Monster" Laurie Berkner
Milkshake
"This Song", "If You're Scary and You Know It" (tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"), "Monster Boogie", "Scared"October 31, 2005 (2005-10-31)
1212"King of Swing" Buddy Guy
Laurie Berkner
Guy Davis
"The Welcome Song" (sung to the tunes "Let's All Go to the Lobby" from Regal Cinemas, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow", and "The Bear Went Over the Mountain"), "List", "Shama Lama", "Clean It Up", "New Shoes"February 6, 2006 (2006-02-06)
1313"Silly Show" Laurie Berkner
Hot Peas 'N Butter
"Silly Song" (sung to the tunes "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "The Alphabet Song", and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep"), "Bologna Sandwich", "Silly Things" (sung to the tunes "Turkey in the Straw", "The Parade of the Tin Soldiers" and "Do Your Ears Hang Low?"), "Googleheads", "Deep Down"February 13, 2006 (2006-02-13)

Season 2 (2007)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleGuestsSongsOriginal air date
141"Snow Day" Anne Harris
Laurie Berkner
The Quiet Two
"Beach Party", "Wiki Wiki Hele Hele", "Sing a Winter Song", "Mahalo", "Polar Bear"January 6, 2007 (2007-01-06)
152"Leonard the Country Squirrel" Laurie Berkner
The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
"Found Sounds", "We're a Jugband", "Jugband Jamboree", "I Am a Sad Squirrel", "I Am a Happy Squirrel", "Farm Song", "No Good Reason Party"January 7, 2007 (2007-01-07)
163"Spunky the Alien"The Mighty Weaklings (featuring Matt Vogel)
Laurie Berkner
"Yo Yo Yo", "Gotta Power Up", "Spunky's Lament", "Fleeber", "Rocketship", "Rocketship Run"January 13, 2007 (2007-01-13)
174"Jack Bunny" Anne Harris
Laurie Berkner
Angélique Kidjo
"Mel the Musical Magical Magician", "The Hop", "Bugle Bunnies", "Magic Box", "Wombo Lombo"January 14, 2007 (2007-01-14)
185"Phil the Coo-Coo Bird"Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals
Laurie Berkner
"The Twisty Twist", "The Dance", "Phil, Phil, Keep On Trying", "Move Your Feet", "Who's That?"January 20, 2007 (2007-01-20)
196"Jack's Big Oops!" Andrew Bird
J. Walter Hawkes
Nuttin' But Stringz
"Strings", "Dr. Strings", "Just Tell the Truth", "What Else Have I Got to Lose?", "Thunder"January 21, 2007 (2007-01-21)
207"Jack's Big Orchestra" Laurie Berkner
Dirty Sock Funtime Band
"Being a Conductor Would Rock", "Sneaks", "Can-Can", "Super Spies", "La gazza ladra (overture)"January 27, 2007 (2007-01-27)
218"Scat Cat" Laurie Berkner
Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
"I Have a Friend (Super Swell Friends)", "Scat-Scat-a-Tat-Tat", "The Wiggle Dance", "The Cat Came Back", "You're the One Who's Made for Me and I Was Made for You"January 28, 2007 (2007-01-28)
229"Groundhog Day" Steve Burns and Steven Drozd
Jon Stewart
Laurie Berkner
"Hip Hip Hooray for Groundhog Day", "First Day of Preschool", "When Will Spring Be Sprung?", "I Hog the Ground", "I Had a Friend"February 2, 2007 (2007-02-02)
2310"Jack's Super Swell Sing-Along" Laurie Berkner & Susie Lampert
Rebekah Jordan
Justin Roberts
Lisa Loeb
"Sing-Along Song", "Let's Samba", "Just Stopped By", "Down at the Barbershop", "Kelly Green", "I Like to Rap", "This Is Zydeco", "Jenny Jenkins"February 3, 2007 (2007-02-03)
2411"Laurie's Big Song" Laurie Berkner
Comic Book Heroes
Leon Thomas
"Get on the Train", "A Little Bitty Rhythm", "You Can't Call an Elephant Without an Elephant Call", "Purple People Eater", "Duck 4"February 4, 2007 (2007-02-04)
2512"Mel's Bath Day" Cheryl Hines
Laurie Berkner
AudraRox
"You Must Take a Bath", "Super Sudsy Bubblestein Bubbles" (to the tune of "London Bridge"), "I'm a Mess", "I Hope My Mama Says Yes", "A Bath is Alright"February 10, 2007 (2007-02-10)
2613"Jack and the Beanstalk" Tyler Bunch
Laurie Berkner
David Pleasant
"Up", "Shala-La-La", "Anyone Can Make a Song", "In the Clouds", "Deegah Joyah"October 13, 2007 (2007-10-13)

Influences

In an interview on the Nick Jr. website, Rudman says that The Jack Benny Show was an influence on Jack's Big Music Show (along with The Little Rascals ). [3]

The names Jack, Mary, Mel, and the "Schwartzman Quartet" are references to characters on The Jack Benny Program (Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Mel Blanc, and the Sportsmen Quartet). Other possible name references to Jack Benny Program regulars include Sheldon and Leonard (Sheldon Leonard), Phil the Coo-Coo Bird (Phil Harris), and Gertrude the Groundhog (Bea Benaderet's recurring character Gertrude Gearshift).

Hannert says that the music is influenced by Chuck Berry and the whole history of rock and roll.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrangement</span> Musical adaptation of a previous work

In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestration in that the latter process is limited to the assignment of notes to instruments for performance by an orchestra, concert band, or other musical ensemble. Arranging "involves adding compositional techniques, such as new thematic material for introductions, transitions, or modulations, and endings. Arranging is the art of giving an existing melody musical variety". In jazz, a memorized (unwritten) arrangement of a new or pre-existing composition is known as a head arrangement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Blanc</span> American voice actor and radio personality (1908–1989)

Melvin Jerome Blanc was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy radio programs, including those of Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, Judy Canova and his own short-lived sitcom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Goodman</span> American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1909–1986)

Benjamin David Goodman was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Benny</span> American comedic entertainer (1894–1974)

Jack Benny was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing the violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with a highly popular comedic career in radio, television, and film. He was known for his comic timing and the ability to cause laughter with a long pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated summation "Well! "

The Two-Headed Monster is a comical, light purple Muppet monster on the television show Sesame Street, first appearing in season 9, 1978.

<i>The Jack Benny Program</i> US radio–TV comedy series

The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio and television comedy series. The show ran for over three decades, from 1932 to 1955 on radio, and from 1950 to 1965 on television. It won numerous awards, including the 1959 and 1961 Emmy Awards for Best Comedy Series, and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.

<i>Oswald</i> (TV series) American-British animated childrens cartoon series

Oswald is a preschool educational children's animated television series created by Dan Yaccarino and developed by Lisa Eve Huberman. The show was co-produced by HIT Entertainment and Nickelodeon. The main character is a thoughtful blue octopus named Oswald who lives in an apartment complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Day</span> American actor, comedian and singer (1916–1988)

Dennis Day was an American actor, comedian and singer. He was of Irish descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rudman</span> American puppeteer (b. 1963)

David Rudman is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and Sesame Street. Rudman currently performs the roles of Scooter, Janice, and Beaker for The Muppets Studio, which were all originated by Richard Hunt, as well as Cookie Monster and Baby Bear on Sesame Street.

<i>The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show</i> American comedy radio program

The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, was a comedy radio program which ran on NBC from 1948 to 1954 starring Alice Faye and Phil Harris. Harris had previously become known to radio audiences as the band-leader-turned-cast-member of the same name on The Jack Benny Program while Faye had been a frequent guest on programs such as Rudy Vallée's variety shows. After becoming the breakout stars of the music and comedy variety program The Fitch Bandwagon, the show was retooled into a full situation comedy, with Harris and Faye playing fictionalized versions of themselves as a working show business couple raising two daughters in a madcap home.

"Almost Like Being in Love" is a show tune with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was written for the score of their 1947 musical Brigadoon. The song was first sung by David Brooks and Marion Bell, in the Broadway production. It was later performed in the 1954 film version by Gene Kelly.

<i>Big Bag</i> American childrens television series

Big Bag is an American live-action/animated puppet children's television series created by Nina Elias-Bamberger for Cartoon Network and Sesame Workshop. It was targeted at preschool viewers. The show was co-produced by Cartoon Network and Sesame Workshop, with Muppet characters created by the Jim Henson Company. It aired from 1996 to 1998, with reruns airing through 2001, alongside another program titled Small World. Localized versions of Big Bag aired on Canal J in France and Yorkshire Television in the UK.

Alvin Stoller was an American jazz drummer. Though he seems to have been largely forgotten, he was held in high regard in the 1940s and 1950s. He was best known for playing drums on both Mitch Miller's recording of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and Stan Freberg's parody of Miller's recording.

CityKids is an American television series that aired late Saturday mornings on ABC from 1993 to 1994. The show consists primarily of live action performances, interspersed with Muppet segments, courtesy of Jim Henson Productions. These Muppets were original characters designed specifically for the show, not ones taken from Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. These original characters often served as the Greek chorus for the show, commenting on the situations of the human characters, but not actually interacting with them.

Clarence Francis Cherock known professionally as Shorty Sherock was an American swing jazz trumpeter.

Alice Dinnean is an American puppeteer, writer and voice actress who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as The Puzzle Place, Sesame Street, Big Bag, Bear in the Big Blue House, Cousin Skeeter, Jim Henson's Pajanimals, Sid the Science Kid and Jack's Big Music Show. She also did work on various non-Muppet productions such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

<i>Secret Squirrel</i> TV series

Secret Squirrel is a cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera for The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show, which debuted in 1965 on Saturday mornings. The character was given his own show in 1966, titled The Secret Squirrel Show, but was reunited with Atom Ant for one more season in 1967. The half-hour The Secret Squirrel Show included three individual cartoon segments: "Secret Squirrel", "Squiddly Diddly" and "Winsome Witch". Secret Squirrel first appeared in a prime-time animated special called The World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant, which aired on NBC on September 12, 1965.

<i>The Mouse That Jack Built</i> 1959 American film

The Mouse That Jack Built is a 1959 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodie cartoon short starring Jack Benny and the regular cast of The Jack Benny Program as mice. The short, released on April 4, 1959, was written by Tedd Pierce and directed by Robert McKimson.

The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos is a 1937 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on December 4, 1937.

Joseph Mazzarino is an American puppeteer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his roles on Sesame Street as Murray Monster, Stinky the Stinkweed and other Muppets, and being Head Writer and Director on Sesame Street, winning 22 Emmy Awards for his work.

References

  1. Kindie Rock, Scott Lamb, Salon.com, June 24, 2006
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). biz.viacom.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Meet the Creators of Jack's Big Music Show Nick Jr. Website