BOUNCE (1999)

**Tweenies** (FKA **BOUNCE**) is an American educational children's show starring kids who teach life skills sent in by viewers while singing indie-punk rock songs. The series premiered on June 29th 1999 on PTV. It is a revival of the 1960 show of the same name. It features kid actors aged 6-14 known as "BOUNCers". It also encourages kids to turn off their TVs and do activities from the show. The show is written to appeal to kids ages 3-13. Trademarks relating to BOUNCE and the term "BOUNCers" are held by WildBrain/DHX Media and Fine Brothers Entertainment.

It is screened on PBS Kids at 9 am, 11:30 am and 3:30 pm.

## Overview

Presented by real-life kids called "BOUNCers", the series features content sent in by viewers (embarrassing moments, recipes, science, poetry, fan mail, brainteasers etc) as well as lessons in life skills, and many short animated segments, musical performances, and child guests.

Each day the BOUNCers look at the calendar to find out which day of the week it is, read a story, and look through the windows. In 1999, they had a clock shaped like a rocket, and from 2000 to 2004, a regular clock. The 2000 clock looked almost exactly like its 60s counterpart with a few slight differences.

In 2019, the show had a massive revamp. The main clock was now simply called the Tick Tock Clock, which was controlled by one of the BOUNCers standing at the top of the clock and turning a winding device, which caused the clue to the story to slide down a slippery dip. The windows were also heavily changed. They were now built into a massive rotating prop which was built underneath the clock (shown one week) and 'controlled' by one of the presenters pulling a lever back and forwards. The windows (now including a diamond window) would spin around and would slowly be eliminated as the window they would look through until they got to the fourth window and the camera would slowly zoom in and fade out into the fill. The order in which they appear is Semicircle~Star~Triangle~Arched~Semicircle. The window chosen goes through to pre-recorded footage.

Popular BOUNCers include Dillon Thigpen, Maddison Long, Nathaniel Butcher, Maddie Lucifer, Maren Hoffmann, Erica McClure, and Caleb Henderson. Rockstar nutritionist Jill Jayne and *Lord of the Rings* star Elijah Wood were guests as well.

## History

*BOUNCE* began production on 29 June 1999, and was a revival on a 60's programme of the same name. The first episode began transmitting that day, as the programme went out live. It ended production on April 14th, 2005 but was renewed for an 8th season in 2019. It has also launched the careers of several actors and television presenters. It received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on its 20th anniversary in 2019, in recognition of the strong influence the show has had. It was also the first children's show with a star into the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Due to ratings competition from Disney Channel's *Bear in the Big Blue House*, Maren Hoffman gave BOUNCE a new musical format, a new album, and a new name - Tweenies.

During the presentation of the MTV show Wild N'Out, a package showing memorable scenes from the show throughout its history was shown, before notable BOUNCers (Starr, McClure, Nanymaka, Fan Lee, Kriegman, Hoberman, Bell, and Long) came onto the stage. The audience joined them for a stirring rendition of the *BOUNCE* theme and the E-mail song.

On 8 September 2019 Aboriginal BOUNCer Tahiti Tafua will host a special episode featuring an Acknowledgement of Country celebrating America's first people, sharing knowledge of Aboriginal culture and highlight the importance of caring for Country together. The Yidaki (digeridoo) was played by Matthew Doyle. It introduced a Noongar doll, Gabi.

On July 13th, 2019, the show‘s spin-off, BOUNCE Art Studio, started airing.

## Criticism and Controversy

**Warning: this section may not be appropriate for younger readers. Scroll fast down this paragraph now and go to another page.**

Before Daniel Schultz was on BOUNCE, he was in a billboard ad kissing another man. During production of Season 2, He told the show's crew that he was interested in men, and they unfairly fired him.

## Segments

**Note: Since Season 7, these segments teach life skills to children.**

* Try This - A science segment where the cast does science experiments
* Crafting - A craft segment where the cast does arts and crafts
* Magic in the Kitchen - A cooking segment where the cast cooks up recipes
* Game Time - A game segment where the cast plays games
* How are you helping - A segment where kids do good things. The idents since Season 5 feature the cast riding on the segment's logo
* Knock Knock - A segment where we take a look at real-kids' lives. This was lesser used since Season 7
* That's Weird - A segment where the cast does weird things. This was used from Seasons 1 to 6.
* Oops! My Mistake! - A segment where real-kids talk about embarrassing moments. This was used from Seasons 1 to 5.
* Bounce Mail - A segment where the cast does fan mail
* Reviews - A segment where the cast reviews a book (or a part of the website in seasons 3,4, and 5)
* Jokes - A segment where the cast tells jokes
* Grandma - A segment where the cast sings a song about what Grandma likes and doesn't like
* Poems - A segment where the cast reads poems. This was used from Seasons 1 to 5.
* Playhouse - A segment where the cast performs in plays
* Cool Tricks - A segment where a real-kid or cast member demonstrates a talent
* Interviews - A segment where a cast member interviews a guest musician who later performs. This was used in Season 6 onwards

## Episode Structure

Each episode follows the BOUNCErs as they do an activity sent in by other kids,

## BOUNCers

### Season 1

* Maddie Lucifer
* Dillon Thigpen
* Naomi Yesn
* Phoenix Cailette
* Darla Smith
* David Starr
* Alexandrine "Alex" Lamb
* Sidney "Sid" Marcas (Promos only)

### Season 2

* Madeline "Maddie" Lucifer
* Benjamin "Ben" Barlow
* Erica McClure
* Delaney Apple
* Darla Smith
* Daniel Schulz
* Nathaniel Butcher

### Season 3

* Naomi Mitchell (II)
* Myles Heath
* Erica McClure
* Brooklyn Vera
* Maddison Long
* Caleb Henderson
* Nathaniel Butcher

### Season 4

* Holland Lepe
* Muno Strong
* Erica McClure
* Brooklyn Vera
* Maddison Long
* Jordan Berry
* Nicholas Patterson

### Season 5

* Holland Lepe
* Jackson "Jack" Charles
* Erica McClure
* Sadie Sink
* Maren Hoffmann
* Jordan Berry
* Nicholas Patterson

### Season 6

* Calista P. Robinson
* Jackson "Jack" Charles
* Allison Whitmire
* Sadie Sink
* Maren Hoffmann
* Karter Kriegman
* Seth Hoberman

### Season 7

* Akiala Nanymaka
* John Gold
* Kelly Stemhagen
* Emma Jacobson
* Maren Hoffman
* Karter Kriegmann
* Seth Hoberman

## Other Characters

* Grandma - a Character who is mentioned in the song "Grandma likes this but not that" but does not appear
* Stan - a Green Monster who is alway sad or crying. He lives in a Non-BOUNCEland place called "Stan Land"
* Timmy the Screamer - Introduced in Season 6, he is a kid who screams a lot

## Merchindise

* 5 books, all written by Amy E. Skalnsy: "BOUNCE Brainteasers", "BOUNCE: Big Box of Playdates", "BOUNCE Crafting with YOU!", "BOUNCE: Let's Play Outside!" and "Welcome to BOUNCEland"
* 2 comic books "Good Night BOUNCEland" (2003) by Julie Clark and Matthew Loux and "BOUNCE Ball" (2002)
* A BOUNCE version of Monopoly
* the Making of BOUNCE and BOUNCE Remembers were both released on VHS
* As well as BOUNCE Party Games
* An album released in 2004, called "Tweenies", named after the show's title since Season 6.

## TV Specials

* The Making of BOUNCE (1999/2000)
* BOUNCE Party Games (1999/2000)
* BOUNCin' Below the Frame with the BOUNCers (2001)
* BOUNCE Remembers (2002/2003)
* BOUNCE Responds (2001/2002)
* the BOUNCer Story (2005)

## Critical Reception

In 2003 the show won a Daytime Emmy for BOUNCE Remembers.

## In other Media

* the Cast (Maddison Long, Brooklyn Vera, Erica McClure) was featured in the "We are Family" Music video in 2006
* Nathaniel Butcher and Erica McClure appeared on *Sesame Street* in Episode 3952 to give a behind the scenes sneak peek at BOUNCE
* As well, Seth Hoberman and Emma Jacobson appeared in the *Elmo's World* episode "Feet"
* Maddie Lucifer, Dillon Thigpen, and Darla Smith hosted PBS Kids' "Bob the Builder Weekend" in Late 1999 to promote PBS Kids' new show *Bob the Builder*
* In 2005 The cast was featured in their own float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
* The cast appeared in the *Too Little, Too Late* episodes "Audition's the Thing", "Spookyween", and "Cameo of Doom"
* *MAD TV* on FOX parodied this show as "Boing"
* In 2006 the cast appeared on the "Noggin Show" episode "Yo Gabba Gabba has Money"
* the Wiggles episode "Yo! Wiggles Go Bounce!" (a crossover episode) Caleb Henderson beams the cast into the episode because he has hiccups caused by gearmo, a gear which always causes trouble.
* The cast appeared in a Delta Airlines video from 2005/2006

## Guest Stars

* The Fugees
* The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
* The Flaming Lips
* Wolf Eyes
* Broken Social Scene
* Fugazi and the Ex
* The Thumb Suckers
* The Wiggles
* The Shins
* The Evens
* Madeline, Brian, and the Band (AKA Cults)
* Jason Mraz
* Paul Williams
* Supernova
* Haydn's Mermaid Pool