Whoopi's Littleburg Explained

Genre:Children
Preschool[1]
Creator:Jonny Belt[2]
Robert Scull[3]
Director:Robert Scull
Tim Hill
Starring:Whoopi Goldberg
Josh Gustin
Sean Curley
Sofie Zamchick
Mary Birdsong
Dr. John
Composer:Whoopi Goldberg
Dr. John
Guy Davis
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:3
Executive Producer:Jonny Belt
Robert Scull
Producer:Whoopi Goldberg[4] [5]
Runtime:30 minutes[6]
Network:Nickelodeon
Company:Lil' Whoop Productions, Inc.[7] [8]
Shot in the Dark Productions
Nickelodeon Productions
(credited as Nick Jr. Productions)

Whoopi's Littleburg is a musical puppet animated television miniseries of three specials produced for Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block.[9] It was created by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull,[10] the latter of whom co-directed the show along with Tim Hill and later made the more notable Bubble Guppies also for Nickelodeon.[11] The show uses a blend of puppetry and live-action characters.

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.[12] 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.[13] Whoopi Goldberg, Dr. John, and Guy Davis composed the theme music.[14] [15] [16]

Characters

Main

Guest stars

Rosie Perez,[17] Mary Testa,[18] and Sandra Bernhard[19] made guest appearances on the show.

Episodes

Three specials[20] and a pilot episode were produced.

Pilot (2003)

Season 1 (2004)

Release

Whoopi's Littleburg was first announced at Nickelodeon's upfront presentation on March 24, 2003.[21] [22] In June, it joined the channel's 2004–05 programming slate.[23] It was advertised as a series of specials.[24] Episodes were aired sporadically throughout 2004, with reruns shown once weekly.[25] [26] During its run, VITAC representatives deemed Littleburg "educational enough" to receive free closed captioning and subtitling.[27] In 2006, the series' soundtrack was released to Nick Jr. Radio, a webcasting station featuring songs from preschool-oriented programs.[28]

Reception

The miniseries received positive reviews from critics, many of which praised its music and appeal towards multiple age groups. The Hollywood Reporters 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."[29] Writing for The New York Times, Kathryn Shattuck called the series a "saga of empowerment" and dubbed the series' songs "fanciful."[17] Lynne Heffley of the Los Angeles Times praised the show's music, saying that it "is a standout component, woven deftly throughout."[19] 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."[30] 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."[31]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois. The Southern Illinoisan. Lee Enterprises. February 26, 2004.
  2. Web site: Nick Jr. Orders 20 New Episodes of the Groundbreaking CGI-Animated Series, Slated to Rollout in October 2006. PR Newswire. April 3, 2006.
  3. Web site: Paramount Visits Nelvana's Backyard. Corus Entertainment. November 10, 2005.
  4. Web site: Whoopi Goldberg Addresses SCAD Graduates. Broadway World. June 7, 2011.
  5. Web site: CAA Speakers: Whoopi Goldberg. Creative Artists Agency. CAA Speakers. https://web.archive.org/web/20140131080315/http://caaspeakers.com/whoopi-goldberg/. January 31, 2014.
  6. News: Whoopi Goldberg to Write Children's Book. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911104353/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-91391970.html. dead. September 11, 2016. Associated Press. AP Online. February 23, 2004.
  7. Web site: 44 Blue Partners With Whoopi Goldberg's One Ho Productions on Multi-Gen Modern Family Docu-Series. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820231016/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/05/08/44-blue-partners-with-whoopi-goldbergs-one-ho-productions-on-multi-gen-modern-family-docu-series/. dead. August 20, 2016. TV by the Numbers. May 8, 2014. Studio City. Tribune Media.
  8. Web site: Nick Slates Five Animated & Whoopi Goldberg Live Series For 2005. Animation World Network. March 9, 2005. Baisley. Sarah.
  9. News: Names in the news. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910054212/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-113546682.html. dead. September 10, 2016. Knight Ridder. Tronc, Inc.. February 23, 2004 .
  10. Web site: Nick Jr. Starts Production on Backyardigans Season Two. Animation World Network. April 3, 2006. DeMott. Rick.
  11. Book: Anima Mundi catalogo: Festival internacional de animação. 2002. Anima Mundi. 398.
  12. News: Cortisoz. Ann. A special place for Whoopi. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911172529/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7832212.html. dead. September 11, 2016. The Boston Globe. Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. January 18, 2004 .
  13. Web site: About Littleburg. Viacom International, Inc.. NickJr.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20051129145833/http://www.nickjr.com/home/shows/littleburg_landing/about_littleburg.jhtml. November 29, 2005.
  14. Web site: Sessions & Studio News. Mix Magazine. June 1, 2003. Mix Staff.
  15. Web site: Bio - The Routes of Blues. GuyDavis.com. Davis. Guy. https://web.archive.org/web/20070107013312/http://www.guydavis.com/biography.html. January 7, 2007.
  16. News: Davis/Rabson Concert for McNeese State University Banners Series. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911183207/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1253065961.html. dead. September 11, 2016. Federal News Service. April 10, 2007 .
  17. Web site: In Littleburg, Big Talent Comes in All Sizes. The New York Times. Shattuck. Kathryn. March 21, 2004.
  18. Web site: Meet the Creators of Littleburg. NickJr.com. Viacom International, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204065047/http://www.nickjr.com/home/shows/littleburg_landing/meet_littleburg_creators.jhtml. February 4, 2005.
  19. Web site: Whoopi's town worth kids' visit. The Los Angeles Times. Heffley. Lynne. January 17, 2004. Tronc, Inc..
  20. Web site: Television E6 Saturday: Arizona Republic. Gannett Company. The Arizona Republic. March 22, 2003.
  21. News: Cable World Staff. BRIEFS: New shows for Nick. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911055927/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-99254083.html. dead. September 11, 2016. Cable World. March 24, 2003 .
  22. News: Moss. Linda. Nick adds shows in down market. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911055933/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-99309468.html. dead. September 11, 2016. Multichannel News. Fairchild Fashion Media. March 24, 2003 .
  23. News: Mason. M.S.. Nick's not kidding around with '04 slate: Developing 15+ projects for the 2004-05 season. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910045157/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-105515070.html. dead. September 10, 2016. Variety. Penske Media Corporation. June 26, 2003 .
  24. Web site: Whoopi to write book: Goldberg for children?. The Pantagraph. Lee Enterprises. February 24, 2004.
  25. Web site: Daytime: January 19–23. The Salina Journal. Newspapers.com. January 17, 2004.
  26. Web site: The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida. The Palm Beach Post. Cox Enterprises. March 21, 2004.
  27. News: Captioning the Friedmans; Local closed-captioners face new federal regs. https://web.archive.org/web/20160911204628/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-652660521.html. dead. September 11, 2016. Pittsburgh City Paper. Steel City Media. March 10, 2004 .
  28. Web site: Nick Jr. Radio: Whoopi's Littleburg. NickJr.com. Viacom International, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20060515011901/http://www.nickjr.com/kids_landing/assets/kids_radio/final.swf. May 15, 2006.
  29. Web site: Whoopi's Littleburg review . . Moss . Marilyn . January 15, 2004 . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20040302180553/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2068651 . March 2, 2004 .
  30. News: Mason. M.S.. Tuning in: On TV this week. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910053858/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-112221451.html. dead. September 10, 2016. The Christian Science Monitor. Christian Science Publishing Society. January 16, 2004 .
  31. Web site: Gov. Arnold? So why not Mayor Whoopi?. Hays Daily News. Newspapers.com. January 16, 2004.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Whoopi's Littleburg".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.