The Original Little Lulu Show

## The Little Lulu Show

**The Little Lulu Show** is the original American animated CINAR TV show based on Marjorie Henderson Buell's comic book character Little Lulu. The series first premiered on November 11, 1995 and final ended on November 26, 1998.

## Plot

In Peekskill, The New York there is a girl named Lulu Moppet. She and her gang of friends are always getting into trouble, solving mysteries, studying, doing something at school or just hanging out. Lulu's father George is always sitting on the couch watching television and bribing Lulu with the money to do his duties, although Martha (Lulu's mom) always catches him. Lulu's best friend Annie is as smart as Lulu and helps Lulu in her plans to get revenge on Tubby and the fellers. Then there is Iggy, Tubby, Willie, Eddie and Alvin who are members of The East Side Club and there are the rich couple Wilbur Van Snobbe and Gloria Goode Darling.

## Characters

### Main characters

* Lulu Moppet
* Tubby Tompkins
* Annie Inch
* Willie Wilkins
* Gloria Goode Darling
* Wilbur Van Snobbe
* Margie
* Alvin Jones
* Eddie Stimson
* Iggy Inch
* Jeannie and Joannie
* Mrs. Martha Moppet
* Mr. George Moppet

### Recurring characters

* West Side Gang
* Gertie Greenbean
* Janie
* Snobby Teenage Boy ("Snow Business" only)
* Doreen ("The Popcorn Thief" only)
* Mrs. Ellie Tompkins
* Mr. Jim Tompkins
* Mrs. Inch
* Mr. Inch
* Mrs. Van Snobbe
* Mr. Van Snobbe
* Mrs. Jones
* Jeannie and Joannie's Mom
* Gertie's Mom
* Mrs. Angle
* Edgar Van Goof
* Officer McNab
* Miss Cleff Myster
* Miss Feeny

## Episodes

Main article: List of The Little Lulu Show Classic episodes

## Production

James C.Y. Wang from Hong Guang Animation, a studio located in Los Angeles, once got a phone call in 1992 from CINAR Films asking for character designs for a animated show originally called "Zoe's Stand-up Routines." This was a working title for what was soon to become *"The Little Lulu Show,"* and according to him the phone call "changed everything and started [him] journey" with the popular HBO Family series and its 2015 half live action, half animated reboot of the same name. He was told by the writers that Zoe (who was later renamed Lulu) lived in the neighborhood, had a sidekick Thomas (named after the neighborhood term "reborn") who was a overweight boy, and stand-up routines and 60-second short films together.

He states various changes that were made, including Annie the brown-haired girl (who later became a black-haired girl), "Gloria" and "Wilbur" the rich couple, and Thomas the overweight boy who wasn't wearing any sailor uniform. He also had a design similar to Tuxedo Mask. The members of The East Side Gang was Iggy, Eddie, and Willie. Together thes group of friends worked towards 7-minute stories they had to five each episode, and at the very end of the episode, Zoe would leave the center stage away with the pretty bouquets, which was after the last stand-up routine but she was held by a microphone and then the curtains closed.

Early on in the series development, research determined that Zoe should have an stand-up comedian. As mentioned earlier there were many changes from the design sketches, and one of them was Zoe, the red-eyed pink pigtailed girl, who became the curly black-haired, black-eyed Lulu from America. The show was picked up for production, and ten people including James C.Y. traveled to America for a research trip, and for the first time he got to experience the flavor and colorful city of New York. This very trip inspired him to make various changes to the characters, as they were happening throughout production. Many episodes later, Lulu got a home and a family.

The show was debut in October 22, 1995 at 7:30 pm (eastern time), and the production team had to wait 6 months for the news about the show getting picked up.

## Trivia

* The first CINAR show was produced by Golden Books Family Entertainment.
* On Valentine's Day 2002 and 2003, this show does a marathon.