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Boohbah is a British preschool television series created by Anne Wood. It premiered on 14 April 2003 on ITV1 in the United Kingdom, followed by its Nick Jr. UK premiere on 30 September 2003. It aired in the United States on PBS Kids from January 19, 2004 until December 26, 2009. In Canada it aired on Treehouse. In Australia it aired on ABC Kids. The series, with 104 episodes, was produced by Ragdoll Productions. The show is largely aimed at infants and younger toddlers.

Characters

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The series focuses on the Boohbahs: five plump, fuzzy, furry, gumdrop-shaped creatures played by actors in full-body costumes. Their fur sparkles and shimmers with tiny lights, and they are hairless with big eyes and rows of lights for eyebrows. They do not speak; instead, they make noises such as squeaks, squeals, "poofs", and clicks. The Boohbahs can retract their heads into their furry necks. Each Boohbah is a different colour.

A list of the Boohbahs is available below.

• Humbah, portrayed by Emma Insley, is a yellow Boohbah.
• Zumbah, portrayed by Alex Poulter, is a purple Boohbah.
• Zing Zing Zingbah, portrayed by Cal Jaggers, is an orange Boohbah.
• Jumbah, portrayed by Phil Hayes, is a blue Boohbah.
• Jingbah, portrayed by Laura Pero, is a pink Boohbah.

The Boohbahs can fly; part of their routine is to assemble into a circle, holding hands like skydivers. Each then emits a different musical note as a flash of coloured light (matching the Boohbah's colour) is sent out from their heads to a central point.

The Boohbahs were designed and made by costume and creature designer, Vin Burnham.

Storypeople

The Storypeople are a diverse group of familial characters who inhabit Storyworld and there participate in various vignettes inspired by the presents (see below). They are:

• Grandmamma (Linda Kerr-Scott) – An elderly yet spry Caucasian woman. She has white banana hair and wears a dark pink housedress, pale blue sweater, white socks, and red trainers.
• Grandpappa (Robin Stevens) – An elderly yet spry Caucasian man. He has white hair and a white moustache; he wears a long-sleeved yellow shirt, dark grey slacks, red braces, and white trainers.
• Mrs. Lady (Harvey Virdi) – An Indian woman. She has dark hair and wears a loose light blue blouse, loose bright pink trousers, and pink trainers.
• Mr. Man (Mark Ramsey) – A black man. He wears a short-sleeved bright pink shirt, white trousers, and black trainers.
• Brother (Manuel Bravo) and Sister (Vee Vimolmal) – Always paired, they both appear to be in their late teens. Brother: A Latino boy with short black hair; he wears a bright blue T-shirt, bright red knee-length shorts, and white trainers with pink laces. Sister: A Thai girl with hip-length black hair in a long ponytail; she wears a bright red T-shirt, bright blue capri pants, and white trainers with pink laces.
• Auntie (Sachi Kimura) – A Japanese woman. She has short black hair and wears a long-sleeved lavender blouse, black trousers, purple tights, and black shoes.
• Little Dog Fido (Dash) – A Jack Russell Terrier. He wears a red collar.

The Storypeople do not speak. (When Little Dog Fido appears, he gives an "arf!") Though they sometimes exhibit frustration or confusion, the Storypeople rarely, if ever, appear upset or sad. The Storyworld segments are narrated by actor Chris Langham. In each episode the Storypeople magically receive an object sent to them by a child or group of children.

The Boohzone

The main setting of Boohbah is the Boohzone, which is the Boohbahs' habitat. The Boohzone somewhat examples a multi-coloured dome with bubbles on its walls, and a rainbow streak leading up to the Boohball. In the middle of the Boohzone is a coloured walkway leading to a spot that resembles either a rainbow spiral or a blank circle when the Boohbahs come down to that area to dance. In the introductions to the "Storyworld" segments, some children will come into the Boohzone to give a present to the Storypeople, and the Boohball will pick it up and send it to Storyworld.

Episodes

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This article is missing information about Missing episodes. Please expand the article by making an edit requestto include this information . Further details may exist on the talk page. (May 2021)

104 episodes were produced, including:

1. Skipping Rope
2. Pearly Shells
3. Rope and Rock
4. Musical Pipe
5. Windows
6. Armchair
7. Record Player
8. Squeaky Socks
9. A Pile of Balls
10. Painting the Fence
11. Big Bass Drum
12. Hammock
13. Squeaky Seesaw
14. Jack in the Box
15. Bubbles

Reception

The series received mixed reviews from critics worldwide. Cheat Sheet ranked it first on their list of "5 Most Horrifying TV Shows That Aren't Supposed to Be Scary", criticizing the characters appearances, although crediting it for encouraging children to perform in physical exercise. The Boston Globe described it as "ploddingly slow, maddeningly repetitive, and without much purpose." Entertainment Weekly called it a "plotless nirvana (a toddler's dreamscape, a mushroom eater's paradise) that goes on for 30 minutes" and joked that if Boohbah aired in America it would prove more popular than The Price Is Right due to having more "flashing lights, blinding colors, and silly noise". Slate were bemused by its premise and design, feeling it "lack both the conceptual purity of Teletubbies and its sublimely silly sensibility" and that "without spoken exhortation to get up and go for the burn, it’s all too easy to become mesmerized by the swirling colors and sink further into your chair". The series currently has a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.

References

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20060304094335/http://www.nickjr.co.uk/shows/boohbah/index.aspx
2. Roberts, Will; Articles, More; October 27, 2016 (27 October 2016). "5 Most Horrifying TV Shows That Aren't Supposed to Be Scary". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 18 June 2021. {{cite web}}: |first3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. Boohbah: Season 1, retrieved 18 June 2021
4. "Boohbah". EW.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
5. Creature Feature – Is Boohbah the new Teletubbies?, retrieved 4 July 2021
6. Boohbah: Season 1, retrieved 18 June 2021

External links

• Boohbah at IMDb
• Will Boohbah be next 'Teletubbies'? (MSNBC)

• Use dmy dates from August 2013
• ITV children's television shows
• Treehouse TV original programming
• British children's fantasy television series
• Television series by DHX Media
• Television series by Ragdoll Productions
• 2000s British children's television series
• 2003 British television series debuts
• 2006 British television series endings
• English-language television shows
• British preschool education television series