Added by Scarecroe

Pajanimals is an original short-form musical series produced by the Jim Henson Company and 4KIDS Entertainment. The series was created for PBS KIDS Sprout's evening block, The Good Night Show. Pajanimals features the musical adventures of four young animals preparing for bed. Pajanimals premiered on November 2, 2008. The song "La La Lullaby" is aired nightly as part of The Good Night Show, while the other segments are aired on a rotating basis.

The series is designed to help comfort preschool viewers with bedtime themes and transitional issues such as separating from mom at the end of the day, healthy routines, sleeping through the night and being comfortable with the lights out.

In 2011, PBS Sprout ordered new episodes in a half-hour timeslot, consisting of two eleven-minute segments, for a total of 26 broadcast episodes. The episodes debuted in October 2011.^[1].

The characters were designed by Jeff Muncy and built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

CharactersEdit

Apollo (John Kennedy)Apollo is a purple and lime green dog, and the leader of the gang. He's very interested in space travel and often fantasizes about traveling though space in his own rocket ship. As a testament to this dream, he has the insigna of Project Apollo (the NASA program that landed a man on the moon) over his bed.

Squacky (Victor Yerrid)Squacky is a very excitable blue and yellow duck. He is very hyper, loves to play practical jokes and is often seen bouncing off the walls (literally). He does, however, have a passion for reading, which is one of the only things that helps him settle down. He has a Daffy Duck-esque lisp.

Sweet Pea Sue (Donna Kimball)Sweet Pea Sue is a pink and orange pony with a Southern accent. She loves nature and the outdoors. She is a bit of a leader type (and possibly Apollo's second-in-command) and can get the other Pajanimals on-track when they want to stay up late at night and play.

CowBella (Alice Dinnean)CowBella is a pink, purple and white cow with an Italian accent, who sometimes speaks using Italian phrases such as "Buon giorno" or "Mamma mia!" She is a very well-mannered cow and loves elegance. She also enjoys playing dress-up. Her name is a pun on the Italian phrase "Ciao bello". In the new series, it appears she has lost her Italian accent.

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CrewEdit

Executive Producers: Halle Stanford, Jeff Muncy, Alex Rockwell, Brian Henson, Lisa Henson

Created by: Jeff Muncy

Directed by: David Gumpel

Produced by: Chris Plourde; Colin Williams (half-hour version)

Content Consultant: Sleepy Planet/The Sleepeasy Solution

Music Composed by: Michael Silversher and Patty Silversher

Musical Arrangements by: Dino Herrmann

Production Designer: Jim Dultz

Director of Photography: Dave A. Barrett

Associate Director: Chris Plourde

Stage Manager: AJ Johnson

Set Construction: Paul Riley

Leadman: Erin Eagleton

Puppeteers: Alice Dinnean, Donna Kimball, John Kennedy, Victor Yerrid

Puppet Captain: John Kennedy

Puppet Wrangler: Marian Keating

Puppets by the Jim Henson Creature Shop: Connie Peterson, Rollie Krewson, Tom Newby, Jason Weber

Production Coordinator: Stephanie James

Script Supervisor: Iwana Kanclerz

Cameras: James Atkinson, Chris Ferugson, Bryan McKenzie

Audio: Dino Herrmann, Lothar Bellutta

Gaffer: Rubin Diaz

Key Grip: Paul Lambiase

Production Staff: Andrew Nielsen, Sam Molleur

Business Affairs: Dan Scharf, Allyson Smith

Accounting: Brittan Brown

Assistants to the Producers: Joe LeFavi, Robert Fewkes

Editor: David Gumpel

Post Sound: Dino Herrmann

Assistant Editor: James Atkinson

EpisodesEdit

ShortsEdit

PBS Sprout produced a series of Pajanimals shorts consisting of ten three-minute segments which aired on a rotating basis. An additional short, "La La Lullaby," aired nightly as part of The Good Night Show. Five 10-minute Video-On-Demand companion segments were produced for caregivers, featuring interviews with experts who address common sleep issues for preschoolers.

• Episode 101: Stick to the Plan
  Sweetpea Sue helps her fellow Pajanimals to follow the steps in getting ready for bed -- first taking a bath, then brushing their teeth and finally putting on their pajamas.
• Episode 102: Stay in Bed, Put on Your Sleepy Head
  Squacky has the squirmies and wants to get out of bed, but his fellow Pajanimals remind him that nighttime is for sleeping.
• Episode 103: I Love to Love My Lovies
  The Pajanimals sing about their "lovies" that help them to get to sleep at night.
• Episode 104: How Do I Know It's Morning Time?
  Squacky wants to get out of bed and play, but can't because it's not yet morning (which annoys all of the other Pajanimals).
• Episode 105: Goodnight to Mom
  The Pajanimals sing fondly of their moms and imagine what they might be doing at night. (YouTube)
• Episode 106: Sleeping Makes Me Feel Alright
  The Pajanimals sing a song about how sleeping at night help gives one enough energy for the next day.
• Episode 107: What's That Sound?
  When Apollo is bothered by nighttime sounds, his friends help him to hear how the noises can become a soothing lullaby. The Pajanimals sing about sounds they hear at night. Squacky sings about water dripping in the bathroom, Sweetpea Sue sings the wind blowing through the leaves, and Apollo gazes out at the moon singing about the sounds all around them.
• Episode 108: Lights in the Dark
  Apollo is afraid of the dark, so his fellow Pajanimals share with him the things that light their way at night. Squacky shows how he makes shadow puppets with his night light, while Sweetpea Sue sings about how the dark help calms and comforts her.
• Episode 109: Let's Make Our Bodies Tired
  The Pajanimals do fun exercises to tire themselves out before bedtime - including a song where they "jiggle, jumble and jump".
• Episode 110: A Scary Dream
  When Cow Bella has a nightmare, the other Pajanimals try to calm her though song by explaining that it's just a dream, a "story in your head".
• The Good Night Show: La La Lullaby
  The Pajanimals sing a soothing lullaby song before laying down for bed.

SeriesEdit

PBS Sprout ordered new episodes in a half-hour timeslot, consisting of two eleven-minute segments, for a total of 26 broadcast episodes. The episodes debuted on October 11, 2011.

• Episode 101: Blankie in the Laundry
  Squacky's blankie accidentally gets stained and has to be washed overnight. When Squacky doesn't know what to snuggle with while blankie is in the wash, the Pajanimals turn to Bedtime Bunny for help.
• Episode 102: A Super Sweet Night
  
• Episode 103: Tomorrow is a Brand New Day
  
• Episode 104: Super Squacky
  
• Episode 105: The Not-So Great Outdoors
  
• Episode 106: Dream a Happy Dream
  
• Episode 107: A Colorful Problem
  Apollo and Cowbella each like the color purple and want a purple crayon. When Apollo and Cowbella don't want to share the same color, Squacky and Sweetpea Sue turn to Jerry Bear for help.
• Episode 108: Night Will Sing Us to Sleep
  Sweetpea Sue is bothered by loud noises like Squacky playing his drums too loud. When a thunderstorm at night bothers Sweetpea Sue, the Pajanimals turn to Jerry Bear for help.
• Episode 109: Missing Mom and Dad
  
• Episode 110: Light in the Sky
  Squacky has developed a fear of the dark even in his mind. When Squacky has a hard time sleeping because of this, the Pajanimals turn to the Moon for help.
• Episode 111: Home Sweet Home
  The Pajanimals are preparing to go on a airplane to Aunt Tilly's house for a week tomorrow. When Sweetpea Sue is worried about leaving home, the Pajanimals turn to the Moon for help.
• Episode 112: The Rocket Ride
  The Pajanimals are anxious to go to the Fun Park tomorrow. Apollo is the only one tall enough to ride the rocket ride when the others aren't close to his height. When this starts to bother him, the Pajanimals turn to Bedtime Bunny for help.
• Episode 113: A Present for Mom
  
• Episode 114: Happy Birthday, Sweetpea Sue
  The Pajanimals celebrate Sweetpea Sue's birthday
• Episode 115: Apollo's Special Day
  Cowbella was jealous when Apollo's birthday is tomorrow and doesn't feel like attending. The Pajanimals turn to Mr. Happy Birthday for help.
• Episode 116: An Octopus Hug
  Sweatpea Sue is afraid of octopi. To help her get over her fear of octopi, the Pajanimals take Squacky's bed to the sea where they meet Ellie Octopus.
• Episode 117: No Bath for Me
  Cowbella doesn't feel like taking a bath tomorrow. To help convince Cowbella change her mind, the Pajanimals turn to Ellie Octopus for help.
• Episode 118: Share Day
  Share Day is at school tomorrow and Sweetpea Sue is nervous about sharing Daisy Puff with the class. When this continues to bother Sweetpea Sue, the Pajanimals turn to Ellie Octopus for help.
• Episode 119: Puppy Love
  The Pajanimals are given a job by their parents to take care of the dog Fluffy for the next day. When the Pajanimals are unsure of how to take turns taking care of Fluffy, they turn to Coach Whistler for help.
• Episode 120: Winning Isn't Everything
  Apollo is disappointed that he keeps losing every race. When this continues to bother Apollo, the Pajanimals go to Coach Whistler for help.
• Episode 121: Try Try Again
  The Pajanimals are going to be taught how to play baseball tomorrow by their father. The problem there is that Apollo is nervous at the fact that he won't do well at baseball. To help Apollo with his problem, the other Pajanimals turn to Coach Whistler for help.
• Episode 122: Game Day
  Squacky finds himself addicted to a hand-held video game. This proves to be a problem when the others Pajanimals want Squacky to play with them tomorrow, and Squacky has a hard time sleeping. The Pajanimals turn to Coach Whistler for help.
• Episode 123: Under the Bed
  Squacky's new ball "Ballie" rolls under his bed, but he's afraid to go under the bed to get it due to a "monster living under the bed." He can't sleep, so the Pajanimals go to see Edwin (who is pretending to be a knight) to learn about facing their fears.
• Episode 124: Queen for a Night
  Cowbella has been a little bit bossy lately yet claims that she wants the others to listen to her. The Pajanimals end up turning to Edwin (who is pretending to be a King) for help.
• Episode 125: House of Pancakes
  Sweetpea Sue can't wait for pancakes on Saturday until the Pajanimals' mom announces at the last minute that they will have waffles tomorrow. When Sweetpea Sue is bothered by this, the Pajanimals end up turning to Edwin (who is pretending to be a chef) for help.
• Episode 126: I'm Sorry, Really Sorry
  Cowbella accidentally gets paint on Sweetpea Sue's Daisy Puff which angers Sweetpea Sue. When Sweetpea Sue doesn't want to forgive Cowbella for this incident, Apollo and Squacky end up turning to Edwin (who is pretending to be the Royal Magician) for help and see that Edwin also has a problem when he accidentally turned the Royal Baker into a frog.

SongsEdit

The series features original songs written by Michael and Patty Silversher with lyrics by Michael and Patty Silversher, Alex Rockwell and Judy Rothman.

The theme song for the series features the Pajanimals and Mom singing about the fact that they are "ready for beddy-bye". Each character is introduced as the song shows them getting ready for bed -- Apollo is looking forward to a goodnight hug, Cow Bella is in bed "snug as a bug", Squacky has picked out a book to share, and Sweetpea Sue is getting ready to put on her pajamas. The program's theme song is not aired on Sprout, but was made freely available online. It is also included on the program's soundtrack album and the DVD release.

MerchandiseEdit

SoundtrackEdit

Added by BradFraggle

On August 3, 2009, the soundtrack was released exclusively on Amazon.com on CD and for digital download.^[2] The songs were rerecorded for the official soundtrack, featuring additional instrumentals and vocals not heard on the versions of the songs aired on television.

Track Listing:

1. Pajanimals Theme Song
2. Night Will Sing us All to Sleep
3. Lights in the Dark
4. La-La-Lullaby
5. Jiggle Jumble Jump
6. Scary Dream
7. Stick to the Plan
8. Sleepy Head
9. Nighttime Playtime
10. Goodnight to Mom
11. Ode to Sleep

DVDEdit

The DVD Pajanimals: Good Night, Pajanimals! was released December 1, 2009 by NCircle Entertainment.

DVD back cover

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ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Northern Ireland Screen
2. ↑ "Jim Henson's Pajanimals Soundtrack (Amazon.com Exclusive)", Amazon.com, August 3, 2009.

External linksEdit

• Press release
• Video Preview