The Big Comfy Couch
| The Big Comfy Couch | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | Cheryl Wagner |
| Directed by |
Wayne Moss (1992-1994) Robert Mills (1995-1996, 2002, 2006) Steve Wright (2006) |
| Presented by |
Alyson Court (1992–1996, 2002) Ramona Gilmour-Darling (2006) |
| Starring |
Bob Stutt Fred Stinson Grindl Kuchirka Edward Knuckles (2002, 2006) Robert Mills Taborah Johnson (1992-1996) Jani Lauzon (1992-1996) Jackie Harris (1992-1993) Suzanne Merriam (1994-1996) |
| Theme music composer | JP Houston |
| Composer(s) |
JP Houston (1992–1996, 2002) George Flores (2006) |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 100 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Annabel Slaight |
| Producer(s) |
Cheryl Wagner Robert Mills |
| Location(s) |
Wallace Avenue Studios Toronto, Ontario (2006) |
| Editor(s) | Steven B. Pinchuk |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Radical Sheep Productions Owl Television (1992-1993) Owl Communications (1994-1995) YTV (1992-1996) Amity Entertainment (2002, 2006) Tadpole Kids (2002) Nashville Public Television (2002, 2006) Benny Smart Films (1995-1996) American Public Television |
| Release | |
| Original network |
YTV (1992-1996) Treehouse (2002, 2006) PTV/PTV Park (US) (1995-1996) PBS Kids (US) (2002, 2006) |
| Original release | March 2, 1992 – December 29, 2006 |
Wallace Avenue Studios
Toronto, Ontario (1992–1996 and 2002)
The Big Comfy Couch is a Canadian preschool television series about Loonette the Clown and her doll Molly, who solve everyday problems on their Big Comfy Couch. It aired from 1992 until 2006. It was produced by Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills, directed by Wayne Moss, Robert Mills and Steve Wright. It premiered on March 2, 1992 in Canada and in February 1995 in the USA on public television stations across the country.
Each episode contains several common elements that take place throughout the episode. Early in each show, Loonette performs an exercise routine she calls the Clock Rug Stretch, and toward the end, she performs a high-speed clean-up routine called the Ten-Second Tidy.
Other oft-repeated elements include reading a story to Molly, who sometimes either chooses a story to hear, gives Loonette a book and oversized glasses, or turning on the lights for Loonette; encounters with the dust bunnies who live under the couch; visits to various places in Clowntown, songs that emphasize the episode's lessons or themes, and a trip to Granny Garbanzo's garden and house. Here she encounters Snicklefritz, Granny's cat; Major Bedhead, the local mail-delivery clown, who travels on a unicycle; and of course, Granny herself. The conversation with Granny is often used as the episode's teachable moment, where Granny offers Loonette advice or lessons, often with the help of Major Bedhead, who delivers gifts and messages from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester. All episodes end with Loonette and Molly having a nap and sometimes reminding the viewers to remember the rules on today's episode.
In season 7, Loonette and Molly play the Dream Game and Molly gives out the letter that the dream starts with and provide what they will be dreaming about. In season 6, Loonette and Molly play the Doll School Game where Molly learns the alphabet as well as numbers. A similar element used in seasons 1–3 (And in one episode of Season 5) is the Alphabet Game, where a certain letter is shown on a giant alphabet block and Loonette uses certain words beginning with that letter and also makes the letter's shape with her body to get the viewers to guess the letter.
Along with the lessons and problem solving sequences, the show also emphasized imaginative play. These episodes often take place in the context of a visit to Clowntown, with sites such as Granny Garbanzo's Cabbage Club Cooking School, and Major Bedhead's Clown Chi Dojo and Dancing School. Additionally, Loonette is gifted in the art of classical dance and runs Miss Loonette's Dance Academy. Prior to Season 7, Loonette was too young to visit Clowntown alone, but in later seasons, she makes frequent trips to Clowntown, and volunteers at the Clowndergarten, where she teaches young clowns games, songs and stories. This imaginative play was also demonstrated through dress-up games and through Loonette's dollhouse, in which she imagined the adventures of The Foley Family. Shown first as a doll-sized family, in Loonette's imagination they would become a family of regular-sized clowns, whose actions were shown in high speed and with a musical background in the style of old silent movies. The Foley's did not speak. Early in the first season, Molly had discovered the Dust Bunnies. However, Loonette didn't believe that there are dust bunnies under the couch.
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