Zoobilee Zoo Live!
| Zoobilee Zoo | |
|---|---|
Cast of Zoobilee Zoo
|
|
| Developed by | Hallmark |
| Presented by | Ben Vereen |
| Opening theme | by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 65 (plus 14 direct-to-video episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Steve Binder Jean Chalopin Andy Heyward |
| Producer(s) | Mary Jo Blue |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
DIC Entertainment SFM Entertainment BRB Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | first-run syndication |
| Original release | September 22, 1986 – March 27, 1987 |
Zoobilee Zoo is a children's television series featuring actors dressed as animal characters that originally aired from 1986–1988. It continued it run in syndication until 2000 on several television channels including commercial network television stations, public television stations, The Learning Channel, and the Hallmark Channel. The original 65 episodes are currently owned by Hallmark Properties and were produced by WQED Pittsburgh.
Hosted by Ben Vereen, the show centers around a group of six artistic animal friends who live in Zoobilee Zoo and frequently break into song and dance.
Each episode is opened by a greeting from host Ben Vereen, dressed as a spotted leopard, who plays the mayor of Zoobilee Zoo. Speaking directly to viewers that he refers to as "Zoobaroos", Vereen usually appears throughout each episode to summarize the main themes or to perform a song and dance.
The plot in each episode centers around the main characters, called Zoobles, as they play together and encounter difficulties common to young children. The primary themes are cooperation, making friends, and creativity.
Each Zooble character has a certain artistic talent that shapes the way they approach different scenario.
Premiering on September 22, 1986, Zoobilee Zoo was produced and directed by Steve Binder. The show's concept was developed by Hallmark Entertainment which partnered with children's distributor DIC Enterprises.
In 1992, The Learning Channel picked up the show of the show as part of its Ready Set Learn lineup for preschoolers.
Episodes were released on a wide array of VHS tapes, the most recent series released in 1997, but not yet released to DVD. In 2000, 14 new direct-to-video episodes and soundtracks were released, and the stage show "Zoobilee Zoo Live!" toured briefly, with several of the cast members reprising their roles.
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