The Upside Down Show

***The Upside Down Show*** is one of Noggin's original series. It was created by Sesame Workshop and Noggin LLC. It is about two brothers, David and Shane, who live in an apartment with their sidekick Puppet. In each episode, David gives the viewers an imaginary remote control that affects the characters on the show. The series was written and produced in the USA, and it was filmed in Australia.

It was one of four shows made by both Noggin LLC and Sesame Workshop, along with *Sponk!*, *Play with Me Sesame*, and *Out There*. Many of the crew members from *Out There* worked on this show.

The show has 13 episodes, plus an unaired pilot. The show premiered on Noggin on October 16, 2006, and the last new episode aired on November 13, 2006. Despite the small number of episodes, the show continued to air in reruns on Noggin until the channel closed in 2009.

## History

The show stars the Umbilical Brothers, David Collins and Shane Dundas, who are best known as comedy entertainers for adults. The series' concept is based on *Speedmouse*, a comedy act that the Umbilical Brothers performed in the late 1990s. The plot centered around an imaginary remote control that affected the actors on stage. Producers from Sesame Workshop liked *Speedmouse* and thought the remote control would translate well to a kids' show. The Umbilical Brothers agreed and started developing a show for Noggin.

*The Upside Down Show* started out with an unaired pilot episode, produced in late 2004. In the pilot, the set was constructed so it could flip upside down, hence the show's name. In the actual series, the camera often flips upside down to represent the "upside down button," but the set itself doesn't flip. The show only filmed a 13-episode first season before being cancelled.

The show first aired on the main Nickelodeon channel as a "sneak peek" on October 13, 2006. It debuted on Noggin three days later, on October 16, 2006. The rest of the show's episodes aired from October to early November 2006. Reruns continued until Noggin closed. The show was available on the Noggin app from March 2015 until March 2020.

## Summary

The show's main characters are David, Shane, the Schmuzzies, Mrs. Foil, and Puppet. They live in an apartment building where every door leads to a variety of weird rooms.

Each episode follows David and Shane trying to find a place that they've never seen before. They give the viewers an imaginary remote control to help them on their journey, but it usually ends up causing more harm than good. Puppet and the Schmuzzies either help them or unintentionally slow them down. Their quests always take them through three different rooms, usually featuring Mrs. Foil playing the role of the room's owner. Once the boys find the place they're looking for, a fast-motion sequence plays of them visiting it, with booming documentary-style narration. They later return to their apartment and give the viewers an imaginary souvenir, sometimes multiple.

## Characters

* **David** - The calmer, older, and more strait-laced of the two brothers. He gives the imaginary remote to the viewers at the beginning of each episode.
* **Shane** - David's impulsive younger brother who wears a blue shirt with a fast-forward symbol on it. He has an imaginary pet fly named Fido.
* **Schmuzzies** - A group of fuzzy creatures who infest every corner of the apartment. David loves them, while Shane is scared of them. They speak their own language called Schmuzzish, where English words have "sch" sounds added to them.
* **Mrs. Foil** - The strange next-door neighbor of David and Shane who has a wide variety of different jobs and costumes. She tends to randomly appear in many of the apartment's rooms, assuming a new job and outfit each time.
* **Puppet** - David and Shane's best friend, roommate, and sidekick. He is an aspiring actor and movie director, and he is a bit full of himself at times. He likes to be tossed around by the brothers, and he talks in an American accent.

## Episodes

The show had 13 aired episodes. A pilot episode was made but never aired on TV. According to this Facebook post by the creators, the show was planned to end with a special-length finale, but the project never got enough financial support to start filming.

* **Pilot** - The unaired pilot was an early version of the later episode "Beach."
* **Movie Theater** - David, Shane, and Puppet create a stupendous make-believe movie that must be shared with the public.
* **Barbershop** - After visiting the Very Hairy Room, Shane grows a head full of hair and is afraid to get a haircut.
* **Art Museum** - Shane makes an artistic masterpiece and tries to find the perfect place to hang it.
* **Pet Shop** - David is jealous of Shane's pet fly, Fido, and decides that he wants a pet of his own.
* **Camping** - David and Shane must find a new place to sleep when their bedrooms disappear.
* **Picnic** - Puppet and the brothers set out to take Shane's pet fly, Fido, on his first-ever picnic.
* **Airport** - The Schmuzzies announce that Puppet's cousin, Mary Annette, is waiting to be picked up at the airport.
* **Beach** - Shane becomes emotionally attached to a beach ball that vanishes mid-toss.
* **Marching Band** - David and Shane make their own imaginary instruments and want to join the local marching band.
* **Birthday Party** - The Schmuzzies are throwing a "schmirthday schmarty," but David and Shane can't find the party.
* **Farm** - The apartment residents' band, the Talking Airheads, faces a setback when David's cowbell disappears.
* **Ice Cream Truck** - Puppet teaches the brothers about the delicious taste of ice cream.
* **Mini Golf** - Shane and David are baffled when a mysterious orange sphere appears in their living room.

## Links

* Interview with the creators
* Press release about the premiere