Waybuloo

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Waybuloo
Waybuloo logo.png
Created byDan Good
Voices ofGeorgia MacPherson
Sunday James-Ross
Finlay Christie
Oliver Dillon
Narrated by Dave Lamb (spin-off version)
ComposerJames Burrell
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes150
Production
Executive producersNigel Pickard
Vanessa Hill
Angus Fletcher
Steven DeNure
ProducerVanessa Hill
CinematographyKeith Reed
Running time
  • 20 minutes
  • 12 minutes (spin-off version)
Production companies The Foundation
DHX Media Toronto [a]
Original release
Network CBeebies (United Kingdom)
Treehouse TV (Canada)
Release11 May 2009 (2009-05-11) 
17 October 2012 (2012-10-17)

Waybuloo is a live-action animated children's television series created by Dan Good and Absolutely Cuckoo. [1] Set in the fictional land of Nara, it features four CGI creatures with large heads and eyes called Piplings who practise a form of yoga which they call "Yogo". They are visited in each episode by live action children who are referred to as "Cheebies". It was broadcast on CBeebies in the UK between 2009 and 2012.

Contents

Background and format

Waybuloo was commissioned by Michael Carrington at the BBC, and first aired on CBeebies in May 2009. The 150-episode show was head-written by Marc Seal (who worked on Bob the Builder), filmed by the Foundation in Glasgow [2] and animated and directed by Gallus Entertainment[ citation needed ]. Repeats of the show also aired on BBC Two and BBC HD. [3] [4]

The series is set in the fictional land of Nara. The main characters are the four Piplings, 3D CGI animated creatures with large heads and eyes and possessing the ability to fly and float around. They are made in Autodesk Maya, placed on a filmed background, with the second half of each twenty-minute show featuring human children (called the "Cheebies").

The Piplings practice yogo, a gentle form of exercise similar to yoga, [5] which the viewers and their parents can participate in. [6] The Piplings demonstrate several poses inspired by things they see in their homeworld, Nara, such as owls, trees, and insects. Each group of poses indicates a certain group of Cheebies. When the children (or Cheebies) arrive later during an episode, they then practice the same poses demonstrated by the Piplings at the start of the show. The cue for both the Piplings and the Cheebies to perform Yogo is an ancient machine, which activates when sunlight falls upon it.[ citation needed ]

Yogo was developed by the show's producers in association with a Paediatrician and a Health and Safety Consultant. The leaflet produced by the BBC warns parents not to practise Yogo with their children if they are or have been ill, and always to speak to a GP before starting the program.[ citation needed ]

The Piplings also play Peeka, a hide and seek game, when the Cheebies (live action children) arrive at Nara. At the end of every episode, when the Piplings find out their problems or are so happy, they experience Waybuloo, where all Piplings rise up towards the sky.[ citation needed ]

The program makers describe it as "...a philosophy for a happy life, and is like nothing adults will have ever seen before". [7] It was reported that some Christian groups complained that the program promoted Buddhist or Hindu practices. [8]

Production

Post-production, including audio, sound design and editing is done by Platform Post Production. [9] in Toronto, Canada. Line produced by Matt Porter and the series producer is Simon Spencer (who works for Thomas & Friends), part of the independent company, RDF Media's subsidiary The Foundation. [7]

Characters

The Piplings: (from top to bottom) Nok Tok (blue bear), Yojojo (orange monkey), De Li (pink cat), and Lau Lau (purple rabbit). Waybuloo-piplings.jpg
The Piplings: (from top to bottom) Nok Tok (blue bear), Yojojo (orange monkey), De Li (pink cat), and Lau Lau (purple rabbit).

Main characters

Lau Lau
Colour:   Purple
Lau Lau is a Pipling resembling a rabbit. She has a purple-coloured body, fair skin, green eyes, long ears on top of her head, and a white cottontail. She wears a two-piece white dress. Lau Lau loves painting and can often be seen behind her easel. She is best friends with Yojojo. She is voiced by Georgia MacPherson.
Yojojo
Colour:   Orange
Yojojo is a Pipling resembling a monkey. He has an orange-coloured body, fair skin, blue eyes, and has peach rounded monkey ears on the side of his head. He has four thick tufts rising above his right ear which flop over to his left and has a long tail. In Peeka, he is often seen hiding in a log with his tail peeking out. He wears a pair of blue underpants. Yojojo loves playing music and juggling. He is best friends with Lau Lau. He is voiced by Finlay Christie.
Nok Tok
Colour:   Blue
Nok Tok is a Pipling resembling a bear. He has a blue-coloured body, tan skin, brown eyes, and has a short tuft on top of his head. He wears a light yellow T-shirt and has a small tail. Nok Tok is the practical one who enjoys fixing and building things. He is best friends with De Li. He is voiced by Oliver Dillon.
De Li
Colour:   Pink
De Li is a Pipling resembling a cat. She has a pink-coloured body, fair skin, blue eyes, pointed cat ears on top of her head, and a white tipped tail. She wears a light pink dress and a white flower on top of her head. De Li is very fond of her garden. She is best friends with Nok Tok. She is voiced by Sunday-James Ross.

Supporting characters

Spin-off version

On September 8, 2011, Zodiak Kids announced a “Spin-Off” version of the series. This version would feature shortened 11-minute episodes with the addition of Dave Lamb as the narrator. The changes were said by the company as to be “constructed to work on multiple levels of humor in an effort to appeal to preschoolers and parents alike”. [10]

When this version premiered on CBeebies in January 2012, it was met with much criticism, with comments on the CBeebies Grown-Ups blog criticising Dave's narration. [11] The negative feedback was so strong, that CBeebies decided to pull the spin-off version in favour of the original version on the very next night.

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 5011 May 2009 (2009-05-11)14 August 2010 (2010-08-14)
2 5016 October 2010 (2010-10-16)25 September 2011 (2011-09-25)
3 5020 October 2011 (2011-10-20)17 October 2012 (2012-10-17)

Series 1 (2009–2010)

No. overallNo. in seriesTitlePlot/SummaryAir date
11Moving ThingsDe Li stands on a box to pick plumatoes, but Yojojo wants to store his instruments in it and the other Piplings want to use it to play hopsy. They decide it's better to share it.11 May 2009
22ShowtimeLau Lau wants to dance, but not everyone can fit on her stage, so the Cheebies make a larger space so everyone can dance.
33TrumpetYojojo and Nok Tok find a hollow branch that makes a good trumpet. They go around frightening everyone by blowing it but this frightens Lau Lau's Narabug away. Yojojo plays it softly instead and all the Narabugs come to listen.
44StrawberriesDe Li trains her Narabug to find a strawberry bush by smelling a strawberry. But the Piplings eat them all and have none left for the Narabug to smell. The Cheebies find the bush and pick all the strawberries. When De Li finds it too they're all gone. She's sad until her Narabug traces the strawberries back to the Cheebies and they all eat them.
55Snuggly NestLau Lau makes cushions from Narabug thread, one for each Pipling, but her own cushion goes missing. They trace the unravelled thread to a bird's nest and leave the cushion there.
66WhistleNok Tok wants to call his Narabug by whistling like the other Piplings but he can't. He practices and eventually works out how.
77Shy FlowerDe Li has a large plant in her garden that won't open its flower. She tries putting it in the sun and watering it but it won't flower. Eventually she works out it flowers by stroking it. It produces many seeds and soon the flowers are everywhere.
88Going BananasLau Lau wants to paint three bananas but when she's gone Yojojo can't resist and eats two of them. The Cheebies stop him eating the last one. When she's finished painting Lau Lau offers it to Yojojo but he wants to share it.
99Nok Tok's NaracarNok Tok offers to help the other Piplings carry some heavy things but there's too much to carry at once. So he makes a car to help transport them.
1010BubbleA huge bubble arrives in Nara and Yojojo tries to keep it from bursting. Eventually it disappears into the sky. Yojojo's sad until the Cheebies find a waterfall making hundreds of bubbles and they have fun bursting them.
1111Nok Tok's Happy PlantNok Tok's plant is sad, even though he gives it sun, soil and water. He doesn't believe the others when they say it likes music, bongleberries and Cheebies until he's proven wrong. He feels silly until they tell him it's alright to be wrong
1212Counting SeedsDe Li wants to count her jumpy seeds but they keep moving. The others don't help by putting her off her counting, but the Cheebies count with her. When they know how many pots they need they plant them, and they soon flower producing many more seeds.
1313Being BraveYojojo thinks he's brave until he's scared by the shadow of a big flappy thing. The Cheebies find out that it's the shadow of Yojojo's Narabug and Yojojo feels brave again.
1414CatchThe Piplings play catch but Nok Tok can't catch. After trying different ways to learn he realises he's been shutting his eyes, so he keeps them open and catches the ball.
1515Nok Tok Thinks BigDe Li builds a sandcastle but Nok Tok accidentally squashes it. So he builds a new bigger one and needs a lot of help. As it's her present he won't let De Li help, even though she wants to. He finishes it but De Li decides it's not quite finished, and decorates it with special stones.
1616Tricky KickyNok Tok wants De Li to play tricky kicky but she can't kick the ball into the goal even using the other Piplings' special techniques. A cheebie gives her a lucky pebble and suddenly she can do it. She loses the pebble and is worried she'll fail, but manages to do score without it.
1717Green MangoYojojo and Nok Tok want to eat a mango but it's green and doesn't taste good. De Li tells them it's not ready so they try to make it soft and yellow but that doesn't make it taste better. De Li tells them they can't do it, they have to wait for it to ripen. It does and it tastes much better.
1818SongbirdYojojo finds a bird singing a pretty song and puts it in his basket, but the bird won't sing again no matter what the Piplings do to make it happy. The Cheebies suggest taking it out of the basket and it sings but flies away. They call it back with whistles and Pipling pipes.
1919Fruity FunNok Tok gives Lau Lau his fir cones, so she wants to give him a present in return. De Li suggests giving him her mangoes, but now Lau Lau has to find De Li a present. Yojojo suggests his apples, but now Yojojo needs a present. So Nok Tok uses the Anything Machine to turn all the fruit into juice so everyone can have some.
2020HiccupsYojojo has the hiccups so the piplings and cheebies try to find a solution to cure the hiccups.
2121Cheep CheepWhile tending her flowers, De Li discovers a sad little bird in her garden. Concerned, she settles it somewhere safe before Yogo. De Li involves the other Piplings in her mission to make the bird happy. But nothing seems to cheer it up. Maybe the children will know what to do!
2222Echo CaveThe Piplings hear their voices echo in a cave and think they have found new friends that are shy and live in the cave.
2323Frog
2424WhizzcrackersThe Piplings spot whizzcrackers in the skies over Nara, but Yojojo is easily distracted and keeps missing them. Eventually he stays still long enough to see them.
2525Glitter Crystal
2626Missing SeedDe Li leaves her quick-grow seed with Yojojo to look after, but he's distracted and loses it. Nok Tok finds it and goes to cook it, but Lau Lau finds it and decides to paint it. It disappears again, but a Narabug finds it and plants it in De Li's garden.
2727Flittery Narabug
2828Perfect Picnic
2929Clever Tree
3030Mice
3131Bongleberry Juice
3232Jumping
3333Follow the PiplingDe Li is perfectly happy to play a copying game with her Narabug, but feels too shy to do the same with everyone else. When the Cheebies arrive, one is also shy and she and De Li work together to gain confidence.
3434Dancing FeetLau Lau loves dancing so much that she wants to paint it, but can't get it right until the cheebies arrive.
3535The Tallest Pipling in NaraNok Tok is very proud of the measuring stick he's made.
3636Pipling Rhythm
3737Narabug Chase
3838Catch the Plumato
3939Fireflies
4040Jumpybug
4141Leaf
4242Picnic
4343Treasure Hunt
4444Sad Narabug
4545Balancing
4646De Li's TrickTry as she might, De Li can't decide what to do in the Big Pipling Show. The others each have an entertaining physical trick, but De Li can't seem to match them with one of her own. When the children arrive, they try to inspire her by demonstrating all the things that they can do.
4747Ball
4848Clouds
4949Nok Tok Goes DrivingNok Tok is driving his Naracar so fast he destroys various things, first he cracks open Yojojo's Tricky Kicky ball, then De Li's flower Bed, and finally Lau Lau's beautiful thing she has built.
5050Tricky Stick14 August 2010

Series 2 (2010–2011)

No. overallNo. in seriesTitlePlot/SummaryAir date
511Magical MusicLau Lau hears some beautiful music. It makes her want to dance, but when the music stops, she looks for its source.16 October 2010
522A Surprise for YojojoYojojo breaks a drumskin. The others decide to surprise him by fixing it, but while they put him off the scent he thinks they don't love him. He cheers up when he finds out what they were up to.
533Cheebie TuneNok Tok makes a xylophone but one of his notes doesn't sound right. So everyone helps him find a bit of wood with the right pitch.
544De Li and the ShoehornsEveryone loves walking with Nok Tok's shoehorns except De Li, who's afraid she won't be able to use them. She overcomes her fear with the help of the others.
555StarLau Lau thinks she's found a star that grants her wishes until De Li points out it's only a flower. The Cheebies make her a new star and Nok Tok launches it into the sky with the Anything Machine.
566Singball StatuesYojojo's good at juggling singballs but eventually drops them. He's upset by this until the Cheebies use his mistakes to play musical statues.
577Go Get GameThe Piplings play a game where the first to go get a named fruit is the winner. De Li is upset she keeps coming last until they realise she picked all the best fruit to eat.
588PicturesLau Lau tries to paint the other Piplings but they won't sit still. To make up for it they make her presents but while they're doing that she's able to paint them. The Cheebies surprise everyone with a painting of Lau Lau.
599Snuggly SlideDe Li wants Yojojo to show her how to play lifty leaf but he wants to play on his slide with his snuggly. So the Cheebies get the snuggly its own lifty leaf and he can play with it and help De Li at the same time.
6010De Li's Garden
6111DanceNok Tok tries to dance like Lau Lau, but he can't. Instead he accidentally creates his own dance, which everyone wants to do.
6212LostDe Li wants to play her whistle stick but the others are playing their drums so loudly she can't hear it. She tries to find somewhere quiet to play but gets lost. Then she hears the drums and knows which way to go. The others agree to play quietly and they all play together.
6313The GiftLau Lau gives De Li a painting, so De Li wants to get her a gift in return. She gets her flowers but her Narabug eats them, then gets her bongleberries but squashes them. The Cheebies make a painting for Lau Lau but De Li wants to get her something herself, so gives her a huggle.
6414Loving LaughingThe Piplings try to make Nok Tok laugh but he wants to work on the Anything Machine. Soon they're worried he's lost his laugh but when he's finished working he gets the Anything Machine to make funny noises he can laugh at.
6515FeatherYojojo finds a feather and sets about finding out where everyone's ticklish. He tries to tickle himself but it doesn't work. He thinks he's lost his tickle until the Cheebies tell him he can't tickle himself, and tickle him all over.
6616Neepnip
6717Pipling Pegs
6818No Talk GameYojojo wants to play the No Talk Game. He tries not to say anything, but the other Piplings keep making him talk.
6919Dry Garden
7020Carrotbeet Day
7121Lau Lau's Story
7222Toot Toot
7323Statue
7424Choosy
7525Walking Backwards
7626String Goes PingYojojo plays his banjojo for the Narabugs, but breaks a string. The Cheebies help find a new string.
7727Where Have All The Narabugs Gone?
7828Singing BowlLau Lau finds a bowl in a cave and looks for a way everyone can use it together. The Cheebies discover it makes a sound they can dance to.
7929Bop Bop BatNok Tok makes bop bop bats but Yojojo breaks his. He tries to fix it himself without telling Nok Tok but in the end only Nok Tok can mend it.
8030Nok Tok's NarabugNok Tok's concerned his Narabug isn't good at anything. This makes it sad, so he decides it's good at being a friend. It cheers up enough to win the blow-leaf race.
8131Old Made NewYojojo breaks his special bowl and bongleberries just don't taste as good from any other bowl. So Nok Tok fixes the bowl with mud in the Anything Machine.
8232Pipling PlaydayLau Lau finds she's no good at any of the games because her long ears keep getting in the way. That's until she finds they make her the best at spinning.
8333Sssh!Nok Tok scares away the bird Lau Lau's trying to paint with sounds he's recorded on the Anything Machine. So he records the bird's song to attract it instead.
8434Enough!Yojojo collects many flowers for the Piplings. Then he realises he's picked them all and ruined De Li's favourite place. So the Cheebies make a giant flower picture instead.
8535Pod MenLau Lau and Yojojo make a pod man, fixing the head with mud. Nok Tok makes a pod man but the head falls off. He won't ask for help. His pride dented, he gets everyone to work together to make a pod face instead.
8636Too SlowDe Li keeps losing races and wants to go faster. But when she comes last in a race around Nara she decides being slow is good as it enabled her to collect some nice things.
8737Chimey LeavesLau Lau finds a plant whose leaves chime when they knock together. She takes the leaves home but then no one else can hear them chime. So they plant it in De Li's garden where everyone can hear.
8838Nok Tok's RockNok Tok finds a box full of useful objects and hands them out to the Piplings. Everyone's pleased except Nok Tok, who's left with a rock. The Cheebies show him he can use it to play games, but then it gets broken. So he uses the hollow halves to make clip-clop sounds like a horse.
8939SwappingLau Lau swaps her paintbrushes for Yojojo's banjojo, but neither of them are any good at the other's hobby. So Lau Lau paints the banjojo and Yojojo uses the brushes as drumsticks.
9040BluebellYojojo tricks everyone into thinking bluebells ring when they touch them. Soon everyone's tricking each other with sounds, so they decide instead to make noise together.
9141The Search For Lau Lau's GlowstoneLau Lau finds a glowstone, and immediately loses it. The Piplings help look for it but only find things they'd lost. The Cheebies suggest retracing her steps.
9242Yojojo's PlumpkinThe Piplings grow vegetables for soup, but Yojojo doesn't want to eat his huge plumpkin so it can grow bigger. The Cheebies tell him it might go off and get smaller, so he picks it straight away and plants the seeds for more plumpkins.
9343Fairy ThingDe Li finds a floaty, sparkly thing in her shed which the Piplings think might be a fairy. The Cheebies realise they are fireflies and build a new home for them in De Li's shed.
9444SurpriseNok Tok sets up the Anything Machine to give the Cheebies a bubble surprise. He leaves it with Yojojo to look after but he accidentally sets it off. Yojojo hides it in De Li's shed so the surprise isn't ruined, but the bubbles escape and the Cheebies see them. Nok Tok doesn't mind as the Cheebies love the bubbles anyway.
9545Round and RoundNok Tok finds a golden feather and puts it in a safe place. The other Piplings find it, not realising it's Nok Tok's, and hide it somewhere else. Soon none of them can find it. When they realise they're all looking for the same feather they search for it together, until a bird finds it.
9646Swapsy BoxThe Piplings each put presents in a box and swap them. De Li is puzzled by the stick in her box until she discovers it's for planting special seeds in her garden.
9747Den For TenLau Lau makes a den, but when the other Piplings join her it falls down. So they make the den bigger.
9848Shaker BreakerYojojo lets Nok Tok play with his shakers but he loses one. The Cheebies make new shakers but De Li finds Yojojo's in her bush.
9949Lau Lau's Quiet DayLau Lau and Jumpy Bug have a quiet day, but everyone else is too noisy. They decide to have a loud day instead.
10050Snuggly25 September 2011

Footnote 1: S02E38 does not have a title recorded, although it has been aired by the BBC.

Series 3 (2011–2012)

Series 3 aired on CBeebies beginning 3 October 2011. [12]

No. overallNo. in seriesTitlePlot/SummaryAir date
1011Crawly Caterpillar20 October 2011
1022Happiness ParadeYojojo wants everyone to do one thing together that makes them happy.
1033Nok Tok's Promise
1044Thirsty Day
1055Most Beautiful Thing
1066Yojojo's Twinkler Show
1077Lau Lau's PictureLau Lau makes a picture of Nara and gives it to Yojojo, but she is sad to see it go.
1088Narabug Games
1099Bye Bye Snuggly
11010Home Swapsy
11111Happy YojojoLau Lau, De Li and Nok Tok gather presents for the cheebies.
11212A Surprise For De Li
11313Feely Box
11414De Li's Harvest
11515De Li's Dance
11616Lau Lau's Bird
11717Flower Surprise
11818FlowerstringsNok Tok tries to make a flowerstring.
11919Cloud Gazing
12020Follow Nok Tok
12121Bell-buloo!
12222Froggy Rock
12323Nok Tok Builds a Follow Box
12424Bongleberry Bubble
12525Neither Nest
12626Glittery Narmole
12727Go Yojojo
12828De Li's Flower
12929The Plumpkin and the CaterpillarDe Li finds a caterpillar on her plumpkin.
13030Very Special Flower
13131Sneezy Nok Tok
13232Nok Tok's Talent
13333Yojojo's Big Music Day
13434Hop Chase Game
13535Narmole Trouble
13636Lau Lau's Special Day
13737Narmole Day
13838Puppet Show
13939Wobbly Wheelbarrow
14040Narabug and Songbird
14141Blossom Berry Hop
14242Everybody Happy
14343Needing Help
14444Yojojo Wants to Share
14545Being Happy
14646Everyone Play Together
14747Lost Leaf
14848Keep Trying
14949Trumpet Up Top
15050Can't Do It17 October 2012

DVD releases

United Kingdom

DVD releases of the series were released by 2Entertain. [13] Later DVDs were released by Delta Leisure.

Release nameUK release date
Meet the Piplings26 October 2009
Adventures in Nara30 November 2009
Piplings Love to Play29 March 2010
Hi-Hi Cheebies6 September 2010
Piplings Feel Buloo22 November 2010
1-5 Box Set6 December 2010
Piplings Love to Care23 May 2011
Piplings Love to Share19 September 2011
Piplings Love to Exercise5 March 2012
Piplings Love to Help24 September 2012
Piplings Love to Explore3 December 2012
Box Set Volume 210 December 2012
Being Brave & Four Other Stories24 February 2014
Going Bananas & Four Other Stories24 February 2014
Nook Took's Nara Car & Four Other Stories24 February 2014
Hiccups & Four Other Stories24 February 2014
Magical Music & Four Other Stories24 March 2014
Dancing Feet & Four Other Stories24 March 2014
Nook Took Rock & Five Other Stories23 June 2014
Pipling Pegs & Five Other Stories23 June 2014
Swapsy Boxes & Five Other Stories23 June 2014
Pipling Fun3 September 2014

Canada

In February 2010, DHX Media announced that Nelvana Enterprises would be the show's Canadian Home Video partner. [14]

See also

Notes

  1. Known as Decode Entertainment for the first season

References

  1. "AbsolutelyCuckoo.com". www.absolutelycuckoo.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. "Waybuloo, a TV show of delight and wonder", The Daily Telegraph, 30 September 2010, archived from the original on 20 August 2018, retrieved 13 April 2012
  3. "BBC Two England - Schedules, Thursday 11 March 2010". BBC. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  4. "BBC HD - Schedules, Saturday 1 January 2011". BBC. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  5. "Yoga for tots? Meet the new Teletubbies". independent.ie. 30 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  6. "Cbeebies GrownUps page about Waybuloo". CBeebies. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Waybuloo puts the kids back in kids' TV". The Guardian . 30 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  8. Freyberg, Annabel (30 September 2010). "Waybuloo, a TV show of delight and wonder". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  9. Platform Post Production, archived from the original on 14 March 2007, retrieved 20 September 2010
  10. "Zodiak Kids launches Waybuloo spinoff".
  11. "BBC - CBeebies Grown-ups: New Waybuloo!". Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  12. "Waybuloo - CBeebies - BBC". Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  13. "RDF Kids Signs First "Waybuloo" Deals | License Global". www.licenseglobal.com.
  14. "DHX Licensing scores new licensees, agents across portfolio".

External sources