Oobi (TV series)

Oobi is a Noggin series produced by Little Airplane Productions. It stars a cast of bare-hand puppets played by Muppet performers. The concept is based on a training method used by puppeteers learning to lip-sync, in which they use their hands and a pair of ping pong balls instead of a puppet.
Oobi has three seasons: one season of shorts and two later seasons of long-form episodes. The show premiered in 2000 and ended in 2005, with reruns continuing until 2013. The show received high ratings, and in 2004, it ranked as the highest-rated show on Noggin.
Oobi was on the Noggin streaming service from 2015 until 2020, and it was later added to Paramount+ in 2021. The official social media pages for Nickelodeon continue to post about Oobi occasionally, with a recent example being in December 2022.
==History==
===Production===
Oobi was inspired by bare-handed puppeteers who auditioned for Sesame Street. Tim Lagasse, who played Oobi, was chosen for the part because of his experience as a bare-hand performer on A Show of Hands. This was a series of short films that Lagasse made for Nickelodeon in 1993. Many of the techniques he used to convey expressions through hand motions in the films were carried over to Oobi.
Oobi started as a collection of two-minute shorts that played between shows on Noggin. 48 shorts and 52 long-form segments were made. The premiere of the episode "Uma Preschool!" on September 6, 2004 posted a 2.35 Nielsen rating with the preschool age group, making it the highest-rated premiere of a Noggin original series at that time."Oobi Does It" - Newsweek Production ended in 2004 and reruns continued to play until 2013.
The show has been described as "a puppetry purist's puppet show"Old School Lane's Nickelodeon Tribute: Interview with Cheryl Blaylock by actress Cheryl Blaylock. The characters and their speech patterns were made as simple as possible to emphasize the puppetry and fully engage young viewers.
On the thought process behind Oobi, creator Josh Selig said:
"I was convinced that children's television had gotten too busy. I wanted to see what would happen if I distilled every element of a show - from the puppet design to the language - to its essential elements...it was an experiment, and I'm delighted to see that it seems to have worked."Child.com: Behind the Scenes With the Creator of Oobi
===Oobi: Dasdasi===
In 2012, a localized remake of Oobi called Oobi: Dasdasi premiered on the Iranian network IRIB TV2.Interview with the producer of Oobi: Dasdasi 78 episodes were made and aired throughout Southeast Asia and Japan. Full episodes can be watched on Vimeo.
Oobi: Dasdasi also follows a family of hand puppets, but it introduced new characters and locations, some of which highlight elements of Iranian culture. The stories have a heavy emphasis on comedy and typically follow the children of the family as they discover something new.
===Pop culture===
Oobi has also been featured in a variety of unofficial media, such as a music video by The Format and a parody commercial from Durex. In 2016, Oobi was the inspiration for a Disney XD pilot about a hand puppet, called Right Hand Guy.Disney Channel pilot: Right Hand Guy The pilot was in consideration for a full series but did not get picked up.
== Plot ==
The show takes place in a quaint and old-fashioned town where almost everyone is a talking hand puppet. The puppets have acrylic eyes and accessories. The kids have four of their fingers straight, and they use their thumbs as their bottom lips. The adults have a different appearance; their fingers are curled up, which makes them look taller. The only regular character who is not a hand is Frieda, a talking foot puppet.
Episodes of Oobi are split into parts: a main story, a collection of interview segments, and a game segment. In the interviews, Oobi asks real kids and families about the episode's topic. Game segments only appear in season one and were replaced with longer stories in season two. They featured the puppets playing simple learning games together.
== Characters ==
===Main===
*Oobi is the main character of the show. He is a curious four-year-old boy hand who doesn't wear any clothes or accessories. His favorite toy is a red model car that he likes to carry around. He dreams of becoming a piano player when he grows up and takes lessons from the local pianist, Inka. He was puppeteered by Tim Lagasse, who also voice acted Paz from Ready Set Learn, from another channel.
*Uma is Oobi's sister. She is known for her tendency to comically overreact to small changes. She is obsessed with chickens and often talks about and imitates them, much to Grampu's annoyance. She wears a little barrette on her pinky finger. She is puppeteered by Stephanie D'Abruzzo
*Kako is Oobi's best friend who likes to crack jokes. He and his parents, Mamu and Papu, live across the street from Oobi in a big red house. Kako is usually laid-back, but he can get insightful and sincere whenever Oobi needs advice. He is puppeteered by Noel MacNeal.
*Grampu is Oobi and Uma's single grandfather, who acts as their guardian and caretaker. He is wise and sociable but sometimes rather unlucky. He is dating Oobi's piano teacher, Inka. He is known for his catchphrase, "Lovely!" He is puppeteered by Tyler Bunch.
===Supporting===
*Frieda is Oobi's favorite playmate at the local park. She is a five-year-old girl depicted as a talking foot puppet. She can't play any games that involve catching or throwing, which sometimes creates a problem when she and Oobi want to spend time together. When Frieda talks, her toes move up and down, making it look like she is gesturing the words without a mouth.
*Inka is Oobi and Angus's piano teacher, as well as Grampu's love interest and later girlfriend. She has purple hair tied in a bun and wears a lot of jewelry. She is very talkative, especially when she is talking about France and its culture. She has an ambiguous Eastern European accent.
*Angus is Oobi's nerdy friend and fellow piano student. His appearance is similar to the other kids, but his eyes are under his fingers rather than on top of them. He is introverted and overly self-conscious, contrasting with Oobi's calm demeanor. He has a talent for acting and singing, but gets stage fright whenever he has to perform in front of an audience.
*Mrs. Johnson is Oobi's elderly but energetic neighbor. She has a pet cat named Kitty. She loves company and is known for decorating her house with extravagant displays for Halloween. She wears a white-gray wig, eyeglasses with circular lenses, and a sleeve-like brown dress. Despite her name, she does not seem to be married.
*Maestru is Oobi and Kako's singing instructor. He is uptight but very smart. He reluctantly gives the boys singing lessons at the town community center. He is quick to point out flaws in his students' singing and can get irritated easily. However, he is also shown to genuinely like his students and wants them to succeed.
==Cast==
*Tim Lagasse as Oobi
*Tyler Bunch as Grampu
*Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Uma and Inka
*Noel MacNeal as Kako
*Kevin Clash as Randy
*Cheryl Blaylock as Frieda the Foot
*Matt Vogel as Angus
*Pam Arciero as Mrs. Johnson
*James Godwin as Maestru
*Heather Asch as Moppie
*Lisa Buckley as Bella
==Reception==
The series was given a 5-star rating by Common Sense Media.Oobi TV Review - Common Sense Media The review stated that "when it comes to preschool programming, Oobi really breaks the mold, succeeding in its simplicity." The show has received a variety of awards and nominations from organizations such as Parents' Choice, Prix Jeunesse, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.Oobi - Parents' Choice AwardsPrix Jeunesse Finalists 2004
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Live-action shows
Category:Oobi
Category:Noggin
Category:Shows with wikis
Category:Cancelled shows
Category:2000s premieres
Category:2000s endings