Bunnytown

Last updated
Bunnytown
Bunnytown.jpg
Genre Children's television series
Created by David Rudman
Adam Rudman
Todd Hannert
Developed by The Walt Disney Company
Directed byDavid Rudman
Starring Alice Dinnean-Vernon
Eric Jacobson
Mark Jefferis
Nigel Plaskitt
David Rudman
Victoria Willing
Mak Wilson
Opening themeBunnytown
Ending themeIt's a Bunnytown Life
ComposersTodd Hannert
Terry Fryer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersDavid Rudman
Adam Rudman
Todd Hannert
Production location Elstree Studios
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time24 minutes
Production companies Spiffy Pictures
Baker Coogan Productions
Original release
Network Playhouse Disney
ReleaseNovember 10, 2007 (2007-11-10) (November 3 in Canada) 
November 8, 2008 (2008-11-08)

Bunnytownis an American children's television program that aired on Playhouse Disney. It premiered in the United States on November 10, 2007. The series received generally positive reviews from critics.

Contents

Format

The basic format features between ten and twelve segments as follows:

Cast

The bunny rod puppets (which take up to eight puppeteers to operate with a trigger at the bottom to move their mouths and invisible marionette strings to work from above on all other parts) are made from foam rubber and covered in fake fur.

Characters include the many types of characters found in pop culture and storybooks. Included are a king and his court (supposedly the leaders of Bunnytown as they live in a castle), pirates, a superhero bunny, a female bunny who is an astronaut, two cave bunnies and their pet dinosaur, an inventor, a farmer and his helpers and many more.

Puppeteers

Live-action cast

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air date [4] Prod.
code [5]
US viewers
(millions)
1"Hello Bunnies"November 10, 2007 (2007-11-10)101N/A

  • Running Gag: Runners - The Runners are getting ready for a race, but they end up disco dancing in the first part, sleeping in the second part and flying in the third before finally running the race in the fourth part. However, there is a rubberband at the end of the finish line which flings them back to the start of the race, but they failed again.
  • Song: Makin' Music in Bunnytown
  • Super Silly Sports: The 3 Clowns Race
2"Bunny Funnies"November 11, 2007 (2007-11-11)102N/A

  • Running Gag: Artistic Bunny trying to start painting an apple, but ends up with a worm going inside an apple as a spaceship in the first part, a fruit dancing bunny in the second
  • The Adventures of Super-Bunny: Bunnytown Carrot Festival
3"Bunny Giggles"November 17, 2007 (2007-11-17)103N/A
4"Barrel Full of Bunnies"November 18, 2007 (2007-11-18)104N/A
5"Bunny Shenanigans"November 24, 2007 (2007-11-24)105N/A
6"Wintertime In Bunnytown"December 1, 2007 (2007-12-01)116N/A
7"Bunny Ha-Ha's"December 8, 2007 (2007-12-08)106N/A
8"Hiya Bunnies"December 15, 2007 (2007-12-15)108N/A
9"Bunny-A-Go-Go"January 5, 2008 (2008-01-05)109N/A
10"G'Day Bunnies"January 19, 2008 (2008-01-19)107N/A
11"Carrot Giving Day"February 9, 2008 (2008-02-09)113N/A
12"Bonkers for Bunnies"February 23, 2008 (2008-02-23)112N/A
13"Bunnytown Pets"March 1, 2008 (2008-03-01)114N/A
14"Bunnytown Fun"March 24, 2008 (2008-03-24)110N/A
15"King Bunny's Birthday"March 25, 2008 (2008-03-25)115N/A
16"Those Wacky Bunnies"March 26, 2008 (2008-03-26)117N/A
17"Bunny Blankie Blues"March 27, 2008 (2008-03-27)118N/A
18"Bunnytown Follies"March 28, 2008 (2008-03-28)111N/A
19"Bunnytown Babbles"April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05)120N/A
20"Bumbling Bunnies"May 24, 2008 (2008-05-24)121N/A

  • Farmer Bunny attempts to grow a flower but it ends up becoming a pizza in the first part, a clock in the second part and a disco dancing ball in the third part before finally becoming a squirting flower in the fourth part.
  • The Adventures of Super Bunny: The Picnic Disaster - Little Bad Bunny strikes again stealing carrots from the picnic of some nearby bunnies when he realizes he forgot his carrot lunch at home in the fridge.
  • Cave Bunnies - The Cave Bunnies' pet dinosaur is feeling dirty so they decide to give him a bath
  • Red and Fred
  • Song: Making Music in Bunnytown (rehashed from episode 1 "Hello Bunnies")
  • Super Silly Sports: The Tortoise and the Hare Race
  • King Bunny the 4th's Crazy Castle - Royal Rap
21"Bunnies Bunnies Bunnies"June 21, 2008 (2008-06-21)119N/A
22"Groovy Bunnies"July 5, 2008 (2008-07-05)122N/A
23"Bunny-A-Rama"August 16, 2008 (2008-08-16)125N/A
24"What a Bunnytown Hoot"September 27, 2008 (2008-09-27)124N/A
25"Bunnytown Chuckles"October 18, 2008 (2008-10-18)123N/A
26"Get Fit, Bunnytown"November 8, 2008 (2008-11-08)126N/A

Production

Bunnytown was created by David Rudman, his brother Adam, and Todd Hannert, under their Spiffy Pictures television production-channel company. [6] The show was produced at Elstree Studios. [7] [8]

Release

Broadcast

Bunnytown premiered in Canada on November 3, 2007. It aired in the United States on November 10, 2007. [9] The series was released in the United Kingdom on the Playhouse Disney channel on January 13, 2008, a sublet of pay-broadcaster Family Channel. In France, it began airing on January 27, 2008, and kept its original title Bunnytown. The series ran for one season and twenty-six episodes total, which finished its run on November 8, 2008.

Home media

The show was released in DVD on March 17, 2009. [10] The Bunnytown shorts were made available to stream on DisneyNow. [11] Disney-ABC Television Group later released the series on Hulu. [12] [13]

Reception

Critical response

Mike Hale of The New York Times wrote, "What you do get on screen is a fast-moving variety-show and sketch-comedy format that alternates elaborate silly jokes with musical numbers in which the bunnies grab guitars and crank out generic but bouncy R&B-inflected power pop. (If you had access to those press notes, you too could say, “Ah, they are trying to sound like Earth, Wind & Fire.”) It all seems sufficiently safe and diverting to serve as a surrogate baby sitter, while perhaps just strange enough to appeal to hung-over adult hipsters." [14] Marilyn Moss of Associated Press described Bunnytown as "very colorful and fast-moving for the youngest set," writing, "Bunnytown is a musical bonanza for preschoolers. If the music is not original (its sound resembles the jingles of many other preschooler shows), that’s not a problem for this venture. The animation is lively enough to overcome anything else." [15] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave Bunnytown a grade of three out of five stars and complimented the depiction of positive messages, asserting, "The energetic series promotes animation and exposes preschoolers to a range of musical styles, including disco, country, piano, and light opera. Lyrics or dialogue very occasionally include repetitive counting or other simple skills, but on the whole, entertainment outweighs educational content." [16]

Accolades

Bunnytown was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design at the 2008 Daytime Emmy Awards. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (TV series) Animated musical television series

The Little Mermaid is an American animated musical television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation based on the 1989 animated feature film of the same name. It features the adventures of Ariel as a mermaid prior to the events of the film. This series is the third Disney television series to be spun off from a major animated film. Some of the voice actors of the film reprise their roles in the series, among them Jodi Benson as Ariel, Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian, Kenneth Mars as King Triton, and Pat Carroll as Ursula. Other voice actors include Edan Gross as Flounder, and Jeff Bennett as Prince Eric.

<i>Mickey Mouse Clubhouse</i> American animated childrens television series

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is an American animated interactive television series for preschoolers. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was created by Disney veteran Bobs Gannaway. The series originally aired 125 episodes from May 5, 2006, to November 6, 2016, on the Disney Channel's preschool block, Playhouse Disney, making it the longest-running original series to air on the block. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rudman</span> American puppeteer

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>Jacks Big Music Show</i> American musical television series

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.

<i>Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain</i> American animated television series

Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain is an American animated sitcom featuring characters from the television series Tiny Toon Adventures and Pinky and the Brain, both created by Tom Ruegger. Serving as a spin-off and crossover to the two series, the series was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television. It aired from 1998 to 1999 on Kids' WB, running for 13 episodes. This show would be Spielberg's final collaborative effort with Warner Bros. Animation until the 2020 revival of Animaniacs.

<i>WordGirl</i> Animated television series

WordGirl is an American children's Flash animated superhero television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The series began as a series of shorts entitled The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl that premiered on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel; the segment was then spun off into a new thirty-minute episodic series that premiered on September 3, 2007, on most PBS member stations. The series of shorts consisted of thirty episodes, with 130 episodes in the full half-hour series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Bailey (animator)</span> American animator and film director

Chris Bailey is an American animator and film director.

Polly Frame is a Scottish actress who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and is best known to children as Pinky Pinkerton, the hyperactive sports announcer on Disney Channel's pre-school television series Bunnytown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albie Hecht</span> American film producer

Albie Hecht is a film and television producer and media executive. In 1997, Hecht was the president of film and TV entertainment for Nickelodeon before becoming president of the television channel Spike TV in 2003. In 2005, he founded and was CEO of the digital studio Worldwide Biggies. From 2013 to 2015, he also served as general manager of the TV channel, HLN, and is chief content officer of PocketWatch.

Joshua Selig is an American television producer and director. He won ten Daytime Emmy Awards for his work as a writer on Sesame Street. After leaving Sesame Street, Selig partnered with Lori Shaer to create a studio called Little Airplane Productions. Through Little Airplane, Selig produced Oobi for Noggin, Wonder Pets! for Nickelodeon, and 3rd & Bird for the BBC.

<i>Tasty Time with ZeFronk</i> American animated series

Tasty Time with ZeFronk is an American animated short series produced for and aired on the Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel from November 8, 2008, to September 24, 2010. Reruns aired on Playhouse Disney after the final episode of the series aired until February 13, 2011, when Playhouse Disney ended its run on Disney Channel. Reruns were later on moved to Disney Channel's Disney Junior block which debuted the next day at 6:00 AM Eastern Time. This animated short series is aimed at getting preschoolers to make their own snacks.

<i>Pinky and the Brain</i> American animated television series

Pinky and the Brain is an American animated sitcom created by Tom Ruegger for the Kids' WB programming block of The WB. It was the first animated television series to be presented in Dolby Surround and a collaboration of Steven Spielberg with his production company Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation. The characters first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the animated television series Animaniacs. It was later spun off as a series due to its popularity, with 65 episodes produced. The characters later appeared in the series Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, and later returned to their roots as an Animaniacs segment in the 2020 revival of that series.

<i>Animaniacs</i> American animated television series

Animaniacs is an American animated comedy musical television series created by Tom Ruegger for Fox's Fox Kids block in 1993, before moving to The WB in 1995, as part of its Kids' WB afternoon programming block, until the series ended on November 14, 1998. It is the second animated series produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Animation, after Tiny Toon Adventures. It initially ran a total of 99 episodes, along with a feature-length film, Wakko's Wish. Reruns later aired on Cartoon Network from 1997 to 2001, Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2003, Nicktoons from 2003 to 2005, and Discovery Family from 2012 to 2014.

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.

<i>Justin Time</i> (TV series) Canadian TV series or program

Justin Time is a Canadian animated television series created by Brandon James Scott and developed by Frank Falcone, Mary Bredin, and James Scott. The series premiered on September 23, 2011, with the finale airing on June 24, 2016. A total of 76 segments in 39 episodes were produced. This show was made for Disney Junior in Canada.

<i>Nature Cat</i> Animated TV series

Nature Cat is an educational animated children's television series that premiered on November 25, 2015 on PBS Kids and is aimed at children aged 3–8. The series follows the adventures of four main characters: Nature Cat, Hal the Dog, Squeeks the Mouse, and Daisy the Bunny. The show has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program". The series debut in November achieved nearly 3.7 million viewers, and by March it has achieved 69 million video streams across online platforms. As of October 2016, Nature Cat has been renewed for a second and third season. The second season premiered on January 1, 2018. Then the third season premiered on April 18, 2019. In 2021, the show was renewed for a fourth and fifth season. The fourth season premiered on May 9, 2022, while the fifth and final season premiered on April 17, 2023.

<i>Pinky Malinky</i> American animated television series

Pinky Malinky is an animated television series created and produced by Netflix. It is based on Chris Garbutt's animated short of the same name produced by Cartoon Network Studios Europe, which was released in 2009. It marks the first collaboration between Nickelodeon and Netflix as well as the first Nicktoon to be produced exclusively for Netflix. The series chronicles the adventures of Pinky Malinky, a 12-year-old middle school student who also happens to be an anthropomorphic hot dog and his efforts to climb up the social ladder with his two human friends Babs Buttman and JJ Jameson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Kids</span> American childrens television channel

Universal Kids is an American children's television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of NBCUniversal, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast.

<i>Animaniacs</i> (2020 TV series) 2020s American animated TV series

Animaniacs is an American animated comedy musical television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Hulu. A revival of the animated television series of the same name created by Tom Ruegger, the new series sees the return of the Warner siblings, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, and Pinky and the Brain.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Bunnytown". Broadcast . November 1, 2007. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Bunnytown (2007)". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  3. Rinaldi, Giancarlo (November 6, 2007). "Actress lands dream Disney role". BBC News . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  4. "Bunnytown – Episode list". iTunes. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
  5. "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search [search: "Bunnytown"]". United States Copyright Office.
  6. Calder, Kate (January 1, 2008). "Spiffy gets on the map with Bunnytown". Kidscreen . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  7. Byrne, Bridget (December 28, 2007). "'Bunnytown' mixes learning, laughs". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  8. Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (November 21, 2007). "Disney Channel invests in UK talent". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  9. "Bunnytown Season 1 Episodes". TVGuide . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  10. "Bunnytown: Hello Bunnies". Amazon.com . Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  11. "Watch Bunnytown TV Show | Disney Junior on DisneyNOW". DisneyNow . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  12. McLean, Tom (March 3, 2015). "Hulu Nets SVOD Exclusive for Disney's 'Doc,' 'Bunnytown". Animation Magazine . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  13. Jarvey, Natalie (March 3, 2015). "Hulu Adds 'Doc McStuffins' in Exclusive Disney Junior Deal". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  14. Hale, Mike (November 9, 2007). "Bunnies Who Not Only Hop but Are Also Hip (Alas, the Humans Are Hapless)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  15. Moss, Marilyn; Press, Associated (November 8, 2007). "Bunnytown". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  16. Ashby, Emily. "Bunnytown TV Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  17. Variety Staff (April 30, 2008). "Daytime Emmys nominations". Variety . Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  18. BWW News Desk (April 30, 2008). "Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced!". BroadwayWorld . Retrieved 2023-09-06.