Gullah Gullah Island
| Gullah Gullah Island | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by |
|
| Presented by |
|
| Theme music composer | Peter Lurye |
| Composer(s) | Billy Straus |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English, introducing Gullah |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 70 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Camera setup | Videotape; Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nickelodeon |
| Picture format | SDTV (480i) |
| Original release | July 6, 1994 – January 9, 1998 |
Gullah Gullah Island is an American musical children's television series that was produced by and aired on the Nickelodeon network from 1994 to 1998. The show starred Ron and Natalie Daise, who also served as the cultural advisors, and was inspired by the Gullah culture of Ron Daise's home of St. Helena Island, South Carolina, part of the Sea Islands.
Ron Daise's book Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage was published in 1987. He and his New York-born wife, Natalie Daise (née Eldridge), followed by creating and touring with a multimedia show, Sea Island Montage, based on the book as well as stories from oral histories of elderly St. Helena Island residents. After one of their performances, the Daises met with an executive producer from Nickelodeon. Creator Maria Perez-Brown had planned on building a multicultural program featuring a "magical island" and was inspired by the Daises to use the Sea Islands and elements of Gullah culture. Part of Nickelodeon's initiative to broaden its preschool programming, Gullah Gullah Island was the first show of its kind to star an African-American family set in an indigenously black community. The show's originality caused some upfront concerns. "We were apprehensive about naming it 'Gullah Gullah Island'. We wanted to make sure the portrayal was positive and didn't in any way poke fun at the culture or the community," Ron Daise said of creating a show based on an existing culture.
Gullah Gullah Island is a sing-a-long half-hour live-action show. The format was part of a 'flexible-thinking' initiative that taught children to make good choices rather than using a rote memorization.
The series revolves around a family headed by Ron and Natalie Daise, playing fictionalized versions of themselves, set on the fictional "Gullah Gullah Island". Additional cast featured the Daise's actual children Simeon and Sara among others, including a full-body puppet tadpole, Binyah Binyah Polliwog ('Binyah' is the Gullah word for 'island native'.) The show was taped and recorded at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando at Universal Studios Florida, with the show Clarissa Explains It All shot on the same set (interior and exterior). Outdoor shots featured Beaufort, South Carolina and Fripp Island.Charleston, SC was featured in one episode when the family took a trip to the City Market.
...
Wikipedia