The Morning Wake Up Show

**The Morning Wake Up Show** is an American live-action children's television series on Grow which premiered in 2010. It was created by Annelise Zamula and Damian Ackman. The show airs from 9am to 10am ET.

*The Morning Wake Up Show* is Grow's morning program. It was produced live every weekday, and hosted by a human host along with Trunk, a chicken puppet who later got her own show. Before moving to a "city apartment" set, the show took place on a set dubbed The Morning Barn and decorated with farm-themed objects. Each hosted the show for one week with each week's host being announced late in the previous week. Each week's host introduced programs, read birthdays, led activities related to the week's theme, and read messages sent in by individual "Growlet" viewers through the Grow website. There were daily activities such as "The Good Egg Awards" (renamed "The Kindness Kid Awards") celebrating viewers' accomplishments, and "Growlet Stories" allowed "Growlets" to tell different stories with different plots, characters, and settings.

In 2020, the show eventually spawned an animated spin-off titled *Time to Start the Day*.

## Plot

*The Morning Wake Up Show* is a live television programming block dedicated to helping preschoolers prepare for the day ahead with its warm, welcoming and fun environment. Children, their parents and caregivers can share birthday wishes, crafts, games, show & tell and interact live with Trunk and the hosts. This live, three-hour block, with hosted segments, links Grow's gold-standard shows.

## Segments

During program breaks, Trunk takes part in entertaining activities. These brief activities, generally assisted by the hosts, emphasize the week's theme.

* Growlet Weather Report - Always shown at the start of each broadcast, the hosts read weather reports viewers sent in via GrowOnline.com, Usually three were shown. At first, these were shown on the pink toaster or the computer screen, but in 2016, they became shown through the barn's window. On weekends, the hosts would also show "Growlet Activity Reports."
* Tell Trunk - Viewers sent in messages to the hosts relating to the week's theme, who would read them on-air usually during split-screen credits. Originally, the segments used a printer with paper with the *Sunny* logo on it, but in 2016 were now read on the Grow Pad.
* Birthdays - The hosts usually sang a birthday song and read viewers' birthday cards and wishes delivered by "Mr. Mailman" in between programs, with a name scroll at the bottom of the screen. The wishes were first shown on the Computer Screen and later on the Grow Pad. The Birthday segments were often featured at least three times in each broadcast, and during the "Today's Birthdays" segments on *The Good Night Show*, as well as on weekends when the block wasn't on, at least until 2010. The Birthdays aired at 9AM ET and 11AM ET, and at night at 6PM ET and 7:30 ET.
* Dress Trunk/Dress Up with Trunk - Trunk wore outfits designed by viewers. An app based on the segment was released in 2012.
* Trunk's Choice - The hosts and Trunk would spin a wheel to play a game.
* Barnyard Dance-Along - Viewers would dance with one of the hosts in animated bodies and the viewer's cropped head from an uploaded photo. Dropped in 2016.
* Growlet Stories - Viewers would make up a royalty, pirate, or space adventure story online starring Trunk and one of the hosts and see them live on TV. Added in 2016 and dropped in 2018.
* Grow Today/Growlet News Report - The hosts read about special things happening to viewers. The segment was originally called Growlet News Report, but then became Grow Today in 2016 and was shown by pre-recorded footage of a crowd.
* Good Paw Awards - Trunk and the hosts give out "Good Paw" awards to viewers who have done something kind or good to the earth. In later segments, the hosts would go out in the real world and give awards to locals. Renamed "Kind Every Day Awards" in 2016. Originally, this was part of the segment Farm Talk.
* Do It Together (D.I.T.) - Trunk and the host would make a craft or a recipe with instructions usually available on GrowOnline.com.
* Draw With Trunk - Trunk and the host draw something on a blackboard, usually based on a picture sent in by viewers.
* Manners with Allie - A weekly question game starring a CGI alien who would ask questions about proper etiquette.
* Silly Time - The hosts would read viewers' jokes.

## Hosts

* **Trunk** was an elephant puppet who co-hosted *The Morning Wake Up Show* with Cozy, Celeste, Jake, and Eloise. He lived in The Morning Barn. He had a voice that resembled a kazoo. His character had been part of the show from 2010. She also made occasional appearances in the *Grow Control Room*. Trunk was played by multiple puppeteers, all associate producers, but his squeaks on *Time to Start the Day* were provided by James Mason.
* **Kyle Joseph** (2010 - 2012)
* **Annelise Zamula** (2010 - 2016)
* **Damian Ackman** (2011 - 2016)
* **Lynn Austin** (2012 - 2017)
* **Harriet Baird** (2013 - 2015)
* **Celeste Rodriguez** (2015)
* **Jake Schmidt** (2016)
* **Eloise Shepherd** (2017)
* **Cozy Glow** (2017)

## Settings

The Morning Barn is the show's only setting. It is a barn on the farm with objects remeniscent of that of a preschool classroom.

## Theme music

A country-music tune is the show's theme song, with animal sounds in the background.

## Reception and fate

According to Common Sense Media, Grow aimed "to follow a day in the life of a child and thus created a series called *The Morning Wake Up Show* in 2010". The show was scripted and filmed at Grow studios. The show premiered in 2010, hosted by Kyle Joseph and Annelise Zamula.

However, in early 2020, the series was cancelled and replaced with a live-action/animated spin-off named *Time to Start the Day*, which stars Trunk and Annelise.