Whoopi's Littleburg

Last updated

Whoopi's Littleburg
Nick-Jr-Whoopis-Littleburg.jpg
Genre Children
Preschool [1]
Created byJonny Belt [2]
Robert Scull [3]
Written byAlan Katz [4]
Directed byRobert Scull
Tim Hill
Starring Whoopi Goldberg
Josh Gustin
Sean Curley
Sofie Zamchick
Mary Birdsong
Dr. John
ComposersWhoopi Goldberg
Dr. John
Guy Davis
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producersJonny Belt
Robert Scull
Producer Whoopi Goldberg [5] [6]
Running time30 minutes [7]
Production companies Lil' Whoop Productions, Inc. [8] [9]
Shot in the Dark Productions
Nickelodeon Productions
(credited as Nick Jr. Productions)
Original release
Network Nickelodeon
ReleaseJanuary 18 (2004-01-18) –
June 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)

Whoopi's Littleburg is a musical puppet animated television miniseries of three specials produced for Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block. [10] It was created by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull, [11] the latter of whom co-directed the show along with Tim Hill and later made the more notable Bubble Guppies also for Nickelodeon. [12] The show uses a blend of puppetry and live-action characters.

Contents

The miniseries focuses on a five-year-old piglet named Spencer, who has recently moved to the town of Littleburg. Young children and puppets make up the majority of the population and hold the community's jobs, and very few adult characters are seen. The only major adult characters are Spencer's mother and Mayor Whoopi (portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg), whose behavior resembles that of a preschool teacher. [13] The setting was modeled after a nursery school classroom. Multiple original songs are woven into each story, normally in conjunction with the episode's moral. [14] Whoopi Goldberg, Dr. John, and Guy Davis composed the theme music. [15] [16] [17]

Characters

Main

Guest stars

Rosie Perez, [18] Mary Testa, [19] and Sandra Bernhard [20] made guest appearances on the show.

Episodes

Three specials [21] and a pilot episode were produced.

Pilot (2003)

TitleOriginal air date
"Pilot" [22]  2003 (2003-Fall) [23]
Spencer, a piglet, moves to a town inhabited by preschoolers. "Welcome to Littleburg" uses a similar plotline.

Season 1 (2004)

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Welcome to Littleburg"January 18, 2004 (2004-01-18) [24]
Spencer attempts to make new friends. [25] Guest star: Mary Testa as the Sock Lady
2"Tah-Dah! Day"March 19, 2004 (2004-03-19)
Spencer worries that he has trouble thinking of a talent to demonstrate at Littleburg's Tah-Dah! Day celebration, so his friends must help him find it. Guest star: Sandra Bernhard as the Macaroni Lady
3"But I Still Like You"June 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)
Spencer and TJ forget the importance of friendship after arguing and deciding to not speak to each other after TJ accidentally breaks Spencer's flashlight that his dad had given him. So Mayor Whoopi and Spencer's mother must help them understand that, even though friends and family members get mad at each other sometimes, that doesn't mean they won't love each other anymore. Guest star: Rosie Perez as the Flashlight Lady

Release

Whoopi's Littleburg was first announced at Nickelodeon's upfront presentation on March 24, 2003. [26] [27] In June, it joined the channel's 2004–05 programming slate. [28] It was advertised as a series of specials. [29] Episodes were aired sporadically throughout 2004, with reruns shown once weekly. [30] [31] During its run, VITAC representatives deemed Littleburg "educational enough" to receive free closed captioning and subtitling. [32] In 2006, the series' soundtrack was released to Nick Jr. Radio, a webcasting station featuring songs from preschool-oriented programs. [33]

Reception

The miniseries received positive reviews from critics, many of which praised its music and appeal towards multiple age groups. The Hollywood Reporter 's Marilyn Moss stated that Whoopi's Littleburg was "a lively and educational adventure into a friendly television space" and that the series was "likely to attract a wide audience." [34] Writing for The New York Times , Kathryn Shattuck called the series a "saga of empowerment" and dubbed the series' songs "fanciful." [18] Lynne Heffley of the Los Angeles Times praised the show's music, saying that it "is a standout component, woven deftly throughout." [20] In his review for The Christian Science Monitor , M.S. Mason noted that "this amusing, sweet-natured show for tiny tots will earn kudos from parents as well. Whoopi Goldberg has a wonderful ability to make kids giggle with the aid of puppets." [35] Jacqueline Cutler of the Hays Daily News lauded Goldberg's performance in particular and felt that "Goldberg emanates no-nonsense warmth. When she talks to the puppets, she neither camps it up or talks down, and that even approach makes the show work." [36]

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  4. ↑ Sparacino, Emily (April 4, 2016). "Author Alan Katz to speak at North Shelby Library". Shelby County Reporter .
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