JoJo's Circus

**JoJo's Circus** is an American-Canadian stop-motion children's preschool animated musical comedy series. The series was created by **Jim Jinkins**, **David Campbell**, **Lisa Jinkins**, and **Eric Weiner**, produced by **Cuppa Coffee Studios** and **Cartoon Pizza**. The series was written by **Douglas Wood**, the creative executive for Tiny Toons Adventures and Animaniacs, features songs with music by **Jeffery Zahn** and **Jim Latham**, along with lyrics done by Judy Roth man. The theme song was sung by **BECKY**, and then later by **Reliant K** for **Disney Junior - Live On Stage!**

It first premiered and aired on the **Disney Channel** preschool programming block, **Playhouse Disney**, as part of its lineup from September 28, 2003, to February 14, 2007. JoJo's Circus was marked as the first stop-motion series done by Jinkins himself. The show aired in reruns on **Disney Junior** from 2012-2014.

**HBO Family** preschool programming block **HBO Kids** including new episodes JoJo's Circus premiered show aired reruns on **HBO Family'** preschool programming block **HBO Kids** from August 28, 2023.

## Premise

The series is set in Circus Town, a self-sufficient city whose cultural center is the "Big Top" tent. The story focuses on JoJo Tickle, a 6 year-old girl clown, and Goliath, JoJo's pet lion. She and Goliath learned at the Little Big Top Circus School, where all young soon-to-be circus performers learn under their teacher, Mrs. Kerspaltski. Along with her friends, JoJo explores and learns while dealing with challenging situations.

**Recurring Themes**

JoJo's Circus relies on repetition in its structure. Each segment always begins with JoJo searching for Goliath, who is always hiding. JoJo then is presented with the situation that will occupy the theme of the show. A song, usually about the resolution of the situation, is then performed and sung by JoJo.

At the conclusion of each episode, a secondary character asks, "What did you learn today, JoJo?", and before she can reply, JoJo is whisked away for the finale, the "spotlight moment." JoJo is then placed on a makeshift stage with various cameramen, lighting grips, and producers running about, while the "Spotlight Moment" song plays, asking what she's learned, is sung and JoJo taps her foot along (in some episodes she also taps her hand on her leg). Subsequently, JoJo explains what she has learned in the course of the episode. \* Note in " Nighty Night," in "Sleep-Over Surprises," and in "My Clowny Valentine," a special lullaby version of the "Spotlight Moment" song is performed appear Ollie Otter Puppet and Duckie's Mom Puppet in Baby Einstein: My First Signs 2007 DVD.

## Characters

**Main Cast**

* **JoJo Tickle** - A 6 year-old active clown girl, whose parents are circus clowns. She's kind-hearted, has a great sense of humor, boundless curiosity, and excitement about life.
* **Goliath The Lion** - JoJo's pet lion who attends school, similar to JoJo. He's also a member of the Tickle Family. Because of his playfulness, he hides from JoJo in the beginning of each episode. He is JoJo's best friend.
* **Skeebo David Seltzer/Funnyshoes** - Skeebo, known as the class cowboy clown since he wears a floppy cowboy hat, a star badge on his vest and purple rectangle glasses. He is JoJo's best friend, and attends school with her along with the other circus children. Skeebo is eager to make people laugh by making new jokes, slight gags, and tricks which sometimes fail to work. Since "Skeebo's Pet," He's had a pet dog named Harpo.
* **Croaky Ann Frogini** - Croaky, the great leaper of the group. She met JoJo on the first day of school, when she realized she had different abilities and agreed to help each other learn different tricks.
* **Trina Rose Tightrope** - Trina is a ballet dancing, tightrope walker. She comes across as abrupt and snobbish on some reason, but apologizes for her mistakes when she becomes aware of them. She has a pet cat named Caterina.
* **Mr. Tickle** - JoJo's father and Peaches' husband is a jolly clown who often blasts off to work in a cannon.
* **Miyoshi "Peaches" Tickle** - Peaches is JoJo's mother and Mr. Tickle's wife. She is a tall, skinny clown who is full of sunshine and often makes goodies for her family and Circus Town residents. She's klutzy ilk, but a good juggler and sometimes catches fifteen objects in the air when she accidentally trips.
* **Mrs. Karen Kersplatski** - She's JoJo's teacher and the big top ringmaster. A warm and encouraging teacher with glasses, Mrs. Kersplatski gives the circus kids a strong sense of mastery and confidence, with her combination of hard work and play. In the second season, she married Mr. Muscles and became Maya's stepmother. She is very clumsy and after she trips, her catchphrase is "I'm OK!"

**Supporting Cast**

* **Dinky Pachyderm** - Dinky is a sweet and frisky baby elephant. While Dinky may be clumsy and somewhat oafish, when he dances, he turns into "Mr. Graceful." His favorite game is "Hide and Seek".
* **Tater Oliver Spudinski** - Tater is one of the two kids in the Spudinski group. His sleepy potato kind seems to be the antithesis to the "get up and go" feel of the show, but sometimes he can't help but join in the fun. In the second season, he has a younger sister named Small Fry.
* **Bal Boa** - Bal Boa is a sneaky contortionist snake with a talent for making number and letter shapes. Bal Boa also has a knack for troublemaking. He thinks it's fun to coax JoJo and others into doing what they are not supposed to do, and the kids are sometimes susceptible to Bal Boa charms. Bal Boa is also an expert on harvesting squirting flowers by doing a trance dance.
* **Fellini & Federico Frogini** - Also called the Flying Froginis, the two Italian-accented brothers are expert jumpers and trapeze artists. Fellini and Federico are uncle and father, respectively, to Croaky. (Note in the first episode of the series "Take A Bow" the closed captioning stated that they had a Russian accent).
* **Mr. Aldeberto Muscles** - He's the circus strong man and a physical education instructor. He knows a lot of exercises that he teaches to those in Circus Town. He has a daughter named Maya and recently married Mrs. Kersplatski, but it's not known whether he was divorced or widowed. He also speaks in both English and Spanish.
* **Maya Muscles** - The daughter of Mr. Muscles and stepdaughter of Mrs. Kersplatski. She's fairly new to both Circus Town and JoJo's class. She has red hair, wears a tiara with a pair of antennae on them and can be shy at times but loves to get up and go. She is known by her nickname "Little Mouse" by her dad and her favorite "Happy Place" is a Daisy Patch.

**Other**

* **Dr. Seltzer/Funnyshoes** - Skeebo's mother, she is Circus Town's only doctor and Fire Chief Seltzer's wife. Though she's not in many episodes, her most notable appearances are in the episodes, "A Case of the Sillies", and "Tickled Pink."
* **Fire Chief Seltzer/Chief Funnyshoes** - He's Skeebo's father and the chief of the local fire department in Circus Town. He's also the director of the Circus Town Clown Band.
* **Mr. And Mrs. Spudinski** - Tater's parents, who have the same sleepy nature as he does. It's revealed in "The Thanksgiving Hip-Hooray Parade" episode that Tater calls his father "Daddy Spud", and in "Circus Town Makeover" Mrs. Spudinski's name is revealed as Ida and Mr Spudinski's name is revealed as Russ.
* **Small Fry Spudinski** - Small Fry is Tater's baby sister and one of the two kids in the Spudinski clan. She first appeared in the episode, "Hi There, Small Fry!", and she also appeared again in another episode, "Circus Town Makeover".
* **Mrs. Pachyderm** - Dinky's mother. she's also been referred to as Mrs. Elephant.
* **Babalulu** - A character in the series. She's the Circus Town's pretzel vendor and ice cream shop owner. JoJo and her friends sometimes visits her at the ice cream parlor for a treat. JoJo and her friends taught Babalulu how to make pretzel twists in the episode "A New Twist."
* **Lotta Yucks** - JoJo's great-grandmother and Peaches's grandmother who was a famous circus performer doing tightrope and comical pratfall acts.
* **Jumberto The Jackrabbit** - A rabbit magician whose tricks rarely work.
* **Jig, Jag & Jug** - The three nephews of Jumberto who always cause mischief.
* **Terrific The Tiger Tamer** - Terrific is a famous tiger tamer in Circus Town. He has a tiger named Tippoo.
* **Uncle Flippy** - A farmer and JoJo's uncle, Uncle Flippy owns a farm on the outskirts of Circus Town. On the episode entitled "Uncle Flippy's Funny Farm," JoJo and her classmates help Uncle Flippy round up all the animals who escaped from the barn. Strangely, he has a pet tiger and two horses named Moe, who acts in a proper manner, and Costello, who always loves to act silly. He is Peaches' brother.
* **Super Duper Girl** - JoJo's favorite TV superhero clown who motto is " Morning, Noon or Night I Always Fight for What's Right" while fighting "Big Meanies" who "Pick on" others.
* **Baloney Balloony** - A character in the series. He's known for making balloon animals, Baloney Balloony can make any animal shaped balloons with his hands. He has a grandson named Bailey.
* **Cotton Andy** - A cotton candy vendor who owns a cotton candy machine named "Whoopsabelle" and also officiated as Justice of the Peace for the marriage of Mrs. Kersplatski and Mr. Muscles in the wedding episode "A Circus Town Wedding."
* **Bingo Bongo** - A world's greatest traveling clown who travels via hot air balloon.
* **Charlie The Clown Baby** - Charlie is one of JoJo's cousins who the Tickles sometimes babysit. He is the son of Peaches' sister.
* **Granny And Grampy Tickle** - JoJo's maternal grandparents, Tully and Sadie Tickle were experts on clowning way before JoJo was born. Their famous act is the "Silly Shoe Shuffle," which Granny Tickle passed the act to both JoJo and Goliath.
* **Terra Cotta** - Terra Cotta is the little clown girl who wears an oversize flower pot for a hat, and she bought JoJo's silly skates in the "Too Many Toys" episode.
* **Mrs. Cotta** - Terra Cotta's mom who wears a planter for a hat.
* **Mr. Postman** - An octopus/polyp who is the Mail Carrier of Circus Town.
* **Mrs. Boa** - Bal Boa's mother.
* **Hogan The Hamster** - One of the class pets who lives at the Little Big Top Clown School.
* **Cha Cha The Clown Crab** - One of the class pets from the Little Big Top Clown School who JoJo takes care for the night.
* **The Fire Clowns** - The firefighting crew at the Circus Town firehouse under the command of Fire Chief Seltzer (Number 2 is a female clown who wears a purple hat, a pink vest brown belt and gray boots; and Number 3 is a small clown with large eyeglasses, a yellow and purple, a hat with blue and pink vest with orange buttons, wearing a brown belt with tools with gray boots) who carry JoJo off at the end of each episode and help build the makeshift stage for JoJo's "spotlight moment". They're also the resident orchestra for Circus Town's Big Top.
* **King Regis & Queen Regina** - JoJo's Royal Uncle, the brother of Mr. Tickle and Aunt from Really Royal Land who are the Parents of Princess Josephina.
* **Princess Josephina** - She's JoJo's similar-looking royal cousin who lives in Really Royal Land. She has a pet lion named Hercules who looks similar to Goliath. She appeared in the episode "Princess for a Day," where she and JoJo decide that it would be fun to trade places.
* **Jibby Jabby-Jamboree, aka, Jibbs** - The butler who serves the Royal Family of Really Royal Land.
* **Miss Blathers** - Princess Josephina's personal tutor on etiquette.
* **Bailey Balloon** - Baloney Ballooney's grandson. Bailey Ballooney normally attends Small Top Hills School and only visited JoJo's class on Valentine's Day. JoJo comes up with a special way to make him a valentine in the episode "My Clowny Valentine."
* **Mr. Jing-a-Ling** - The telephone worker at the Fire Chief Seltzer's firehouse where Fire Chief Selzer receives their emergency calls.
* **Waldo The Seal** - A baby seal who suffered from memory loss who JoJo helps to remember a musical piece before a major performance.
* **Ivan** - A famous circus bear from Circusylvania who only speaks Circusylvanian.
* **Franco The Fantastic** - A lion who is known as "The King of the Jungle" and "The Greatest Circus Lion of All Times".
* **Alex** - Skeebo's cousin who is deaf and speaks in sign language.
* **Mr. And Ms. Tightrope** - Trina's parents who are slightly uppity and snooty but very loving and kind.
* **T.J. Freckles / T.J. Hiccups** - Skeebo's Ventriloquist puppet in which Skeebo uses in his act.
* **Dr. Longfall** - The veterinarian who takes care of Goliath and the other sick animals at Circus Town.
* **Miss Spritzy** - The hairstylist who works at the Circus Town Hair Salon.
* **Chico The Mouse** - The ringmaster of the Mouse Circus.
* **Grasshopper The Magnificent** - The tightrope walker of the Mouse Circus.
* **Sasharoo** - The wild animal trainer in the Mouse Circus who trains with a chipmunk.
* **Professor Tick Tock** - The watcher of the cuckoos of the Cuckoo Forest and provider of the cuckoo clocks for Circus Town.
* **The Cricketeers** - A musical group formed of a family of crickets who comes to perform at Circus Town. Hector is the leader and his wife is Gracie and his son is Cody. Goliath has a crush with Gracie.
* **Nosey Josie** - The reporter for the Circus Town News Network who has a nose for news.
* **Jumping Jack** - The host of Circus Town Makeover and exercise/fitness guru.
* **The Citizens Of Sky Top** - The villagers who live in the village of Sky Top who at once thought that Normus the Giant was a mean giant who once destroyed their village but discovered that Normus was very friendly.
* **Normus** - A Friendly Giant who live on top of the beanstalk who due to a misunderstanding by the townsfolk of the beanstalk village of Sky Top thought he was a mean giant who almost destroyed the town and had a slight fear of clowns.
* **Cozy** - Normus's pet chipmunk.

## Development/Concepts

The show stresses simple, everyday lessons such as playing with others, detecting the sequence, personal hygiene, safety and responsibility. Also the paramount is the show's main focus on exercise. JoJo often asks the audience to participate in various movements, such as clapping, jumping and stretching for the viewers. The series is animated in Claymation, which was a serious departure to Jinkin's previous animated works.

The characters, JoJo and Goliath, reappeared in a yoga-style exercise learning interstitial series called **Feeling Good With JoJo**.

Each episode contains a short song tune dealing with the topics of the episode. The genres of the songs range from doo-wop, funk, rock to classic punk. Phrases such as "stretch your arms" and "jump up high" are common lyrics. Most of the songs have educational value, teaching children how to bow, stretch, greet people, wash their hair and clean up after themselves, while a few are more entertaining, such as **Cotton Candy Sure Is Sweet** or the **Gum Drop Song**. The theme of the show is performed by the band **Becky**.

## Feeling Good With JoJo

**Feeling Good with JoJo** is a Canadian-American stop-motion musical comedy interstitial series produced by **Cartoon Pizza** and **Cuppa Coffee Studios** for Playhouse Disney. These five-minute episodes were a spin-off of **JoJo's Circus**. The series features JoJo Tickle and her pet lion Goliath. In each episode, JoJo and Goliath go on adventures around the circus, teaching yoga lessons for the viewers. Sometimes, one of the show's characters were involved. JoJo's main goal was to help each character in every episode, with a yoga stretching lessson.

**Found Episodes**

1. **Froggy**
2. **Strong Clown**
3. **Donkey Kick**
4. **Pop!**
5. **The Clown Shoe Stretch**

## Home Media

Home media releases of JoJo's Circus. The releases were reissued for the DVD releases.

* **Take A Bow! VHS & DVD**
* **Animal-A-Go-Go! VHS & DVD**

## Album

**JoJo's Circus: Songs From Under The Big Top!** is an soundtrack album from the Playhouse Disney series, JoJo's Circus. It was released on December 20, 2005. The album features a total of 30 songs from the series. However, many of the song tracks were repeated from the original "Songs From JoJo's Circus".

**Songs from JoJo's Circus** is a soundtrack album for the Playhouse Disney series, JoJo's Circus. The album was released on February 10, 2004. It features a total of 26 songs from the series.

## Books

Book releases by Playhouse Disney...

* **My Name Is JoJo**
* **Clown School**
* **JoJo's Circus: Let's Get Moving: Sticker/Coloring Book**
* **JoJo's Circus: Twist And Turn: Crayon Coloring Book**
* **JoJo's Circus: Swinging And Singing Songs: Play-a-Song Book**
* **JoJo's Circus: Coloring & Activity Book With Stickers**
* **JoJo's Circus: My Five Senses: 6-Board Book Pack**

## Songs

* **Pop Up**
* **Rum Tum Tum**
* **The Stretching Song**
* **Walk Like An Elephant**
* **Jump Swish Shimmy**
* **Itchy Oochy Me**
* **Snake Dance**
* **Where Is Dinky?**
* **Uncle Flippy Had A Farm**
* **Lean, Bob, Flap**
* **Cotton Candy Sure Is Sweet**
* **Cannonball JoJo**
* **Take A Bow**
* **The Balance Song**
* **The Little Big Top Boogie Band**
* **Pop The Balloons**
* **Clownfoot**
* **The Watchamadoodle**
* **Hoop Jump**
* **Laugh And Clap**
* **Messy Mess**
* **Gettin' Spongy**
* **The Shush Song**
* **Tickle Goodnight**
* **Brush Your Teeth**
* **Pat Your Tummy And Rub Your Nose**
* **Monkey See, Monkey Do**
* **Jump For Joy**
* **Flap Quack**
* **Balance And Pedal**
* **Tap On Somebody's Shoulder**
* **Gum Drop Song**
* **Stuck To You**
* **Stop, Drop And Roll**
* **Statue**
* **The Rainbow Dance**
* **Roar**
* **Hamstercize**
* **Mirror Mirror**
* **Bathtime**
* **Go To Sleep**
* **JoJo Circus Theme Song**
* **Spotlight Moment**

## Gallery

JoJo's Circus - TV PosterJoJo's Circus - TV Poster (2)JoJo's Circus - Original PosterJoJo's Circus - Logo & Opening TitleJoJo's Circus - Animal-A-Go-Go - VHS (2005)JoJo's Circus - Take A Bow! VHS (2005)JoJo's Circus - Animal-A-Go-Go - DVD (2006)JoJo's Circus - Take A Bow! DVD (2006)JoJo's Circus - Songs From JoJo's Circus - Album CD (February 2004)JoJo's Circus - Songs From Under The Big Top! Album (December 2005)JoJo's Circus - My Name Is JoJo - Easy-To-Read - Paperback (March 2005)JoJo's Circus - Clown School - Easy-To-Read - Paperback (March 2005)JoJo's Circus - Let's Get Moving: Sticker & Coloring Book - Dalmatian Press (April 2004)JoJo's Circus - Twist And Turn - Crayon & Coloring Book: Dalmatian Press (January 2005)JoJo's Circus - Swinging And Singing Songs - Play-a-Song BookJoJo's Circus - Coloring & Activity Book With Stickers: Dalmatian Press (2004)