''Boo!'' is a British

computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...

that was broadcast in the United Kingdom on the

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...

channel, and originally on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

. It features several cartoon characters who play a game similar to

hide and seek Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chose ...

in a variety of settings. The commentary is performed by adult male and female narrators and a chorus of children. It was produced by the independent production company

Tell-Tale Productions Wish Films (formerly Tell-Tale Productions) is an animation and live-action studio, established by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan in 1994. The company first produced live shows, and later went on to produce TV shows. History As Tell-Tale Produ ...

, which was also responsible for ''

Tweenies ''Tweenies'' is a British live action Puppet children's television series created by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan. The programme is focused on four pre-school aged characters, known as the "Tweenies", playing, singing, dancing, and learning ...

'', while

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

co-funded the production and handled worldwide distribution and consumer product rights. From 2007 to 2012, reruns of the show were broadcast in the USA on Qubo. The series aired for a total of 104 episodes and one Christmas special was nominated for the British Academy Children's Award for Pre-School Animation in 2003. At the end of the programme, a song is sung, usually about matching characters or objects to their shapes or colours. The visual style of ''Boo!'' is very distinctive, using 3D CGI with rounded shapes and

cel-shading Cel shading or toon shading is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make 3-D computer graphics appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a shade gradient or tints and shades. A cel shader is often used to mimic th ...

. The music and songs are generally in an early-70s funk/R&B idiom.

Characters

* Boo - a pear/eggplant-shaped patchwork creature with orange spiky hair. His feet are red with white spots on them. The main goal of the programme is to find Boo in his various hiding places. Half-way through each episode, Boo magically adopts attributes of his surroundings (e.g. becomes "Penguin Boo" in the Antarctic or "Pumpkin Boo" on Halloween). Boo cannot talk, although he whistles at the beginning of each episode and dances during every song. * Laughing Duck (voiced by

Kate Harbour Kate Harbour is an English voice actress who provides many voices for the television series ''Bob the Builder'', including Wendy, Dizzy, Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Broadbent, Mrs. Percival, and Pilchard. Biography She is the daughter of actor Michael ...

) - a yellow

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

, who laughs when "found". She has a red-orange bill that matches her legs and has abilities to fly and swim. In some episodes, she meets some people who happen to be

employee Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any other ...

s. In the hospital, she has been found sad because her laugh is lost, but it is regained when Boo tickles her flipper and made her laugh again before we sing the Odd One Out song. * Sleeping Bear (voiced by

Justin Fletcher Justin Fletcher (born 15 June 1970) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter on the BBC pre-school television channel CBeebies. Speaking and performing in various, often self-created, roles, he specialises in slapstick co ...

) a

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...

who is usually asleep, yawning or stretching when "found". His blanket is red with white-printed hearts on it. The catchphrase associated with him is "Shhh... Tippy-toe, tippy-toe." In some episodes, he finds a spot to sleep around anything that is so cozy. In the police station, he was lost in the park until his friends had found him sleeping and sitting on the swing set before we sing the Snap song. * Growling Tiger (voiced by Justin Fletcher) - a friendly

tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

with fluffy white ears. Despite his name, he says "Roar!" (not "Growl!") when "found". His associated catchphrase is "It's Growling Tiger! Run away! Run away!" Other characters, both human and animal vary from one episode to another. The people who have speaking roles in this show are the

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

s, Chatty

Hairdresser A hairdresser is a person whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques. A Hairdresser may also be refe ...

, Helpful

Nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

, Caring

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

, Helpful

Teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

(the ice-skater), Helpful

Waitress Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending ...

, Happy

Customer In sales, commerce, and economics, a customer (sometimes known as a client, buyer, or purchaser) is the recipient of a good, service, product or an idea - obtained from a seller, vendor, or supplier via a financial transaction or exchange for ...

s (one man and one woman), Busy

Chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

, the woman in high stilts, the ringmaster, Careful Grownup, Smiling

Santa Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

, Graceful Teacher (the

ballet dancer A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

), Friendly

Police Officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

s, Strong

Lumberjack Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...

, Gentle Vet, Smiley

Pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...

lantern and Cheering Dad. The Blue Squawking

Parakeet A parakeet is any one of many small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple Genus, genera, that generally has long tail feathers. Etymology and naming The name ''parakeet'' is derived from the French wor''perroquet'' which is reflec ...

(actually a

Cockatoo A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the ord ...

) with a red crest on it appears in a

birdcage A birdcage (or bird cage) is a cage (enclosure), cage designed to house birds as pets. Antique (or antique-style) birdcages are often popular as collectors' items or as household decor but most are not suitable for housing live birds, being too ...

(being taken home by a customer) when we are about to enter the veterinarian.

Episodes

Series 1 (2003-2004)

Specials: Pilot - 3 June 2003 this is the first time the children say hello to Boo for the first ever time! A child says is it chase? Boo shakes his head and another child says is it tag? Then Boo says boo! * 1. Rockpool (Show Us A Shape) - 4 June 2003 (Waving Sea Anemone, Stretching Starfish, and Creeping Crab) * 2. Supermarket (The Counting Song) - 11 June 2003 (Waving Girl, Smiling Lady, and Checkout Man) * 3. Pond (Show Us A Shape) - 18 June 2003 (Jumping Frog, Amazing Pond Skater, and Hovering Dragonflies) * 4. Art Gallery (We're Looking for a Colour) - 25 June 2003 (Smiling Portrait, Pretty Finger-painting, and Swirly Painting) * 5. Desert (Show Us A Shape) - 2 July 2003 (Chewing Camel, Skipping Rat, and Lazy Lizard) * 6. Harbour (The Counting Song) - 9 July 2003 (Chugging Fishing Boat, Speedy Speedboat, and Slow Rowing Boat) * 7. Bedroom (Show Us A Shape) - 16 July 2003 (Sausage Dog, Cozy Cat, and Comfy Bunny Slippers) * 8. Prehistoric Land (We're Looking for a Colour) - 23 July 2003 (Stamping Diplodocus, Flapping Pterodactyl, and Scuttling Scutellosaurus) * 9. Theatre (Do the Same as Me) - 30 July 2003 (Musical Orchestra, Tap Dancers, and Show Singers) * 10. African River (Show Us A Shape) - 6 August 2003 (Flying Flamingo, Snapping Crocodile, and Yawning Hippo) * 11. Cave (Do the Same as Me) - 13 August 2003 (Crawling Toad, Scuttling Spider, and Flapping Bat) * 12. Coral Reef (Show Us A Shape) - 20 August 2003 (Hiding Clownfish, Wobbling Jellyfish, and Gliding Lionfish) * 13. Train Station (The Counting Song) - 27 August 2003 (Talking Ticket Seller, Clever Train Driver, and Waving Guard) * 14. Canadian River (Odd One Out) - 4 September 2003 (Gnawing Beaver, Fishing Bear, and Bending Heron) * 15. Indian Jungle (Do the Same as Me) - 11 September 2003 (Bathing Elephant, Swaying Cobra, and Prowling Tiger) * 16. Café (The Counting Song) - 18 September 2003 (Busy Chef, Friendly Waitress, and Happy Customer) * 17. Deep Blue Sea (Show Us A Shape) - 25 September 2003 (Leaping Dolphin, Speedy Shark, and Flapping Manta Ray) * 18. Castle (The Counting Song) - 1 October 2003 (Brave Knight, Busy Servant, and Dancing Queen) * 19. African Waterhole (Show Us A Shape) - 7 October 2003 (Tall Giraffe, Stripy Zebra, and Enormous Elephant) * 20. Kitchen (The Counting Song) - 14 October 2003 (Handy Oven Glove, Chilly Fridge, and Drying Tea Towel) * 21. Arctic (The Counting Song) - 21 October 2003 (Big Polar Bear, Wrinkly Walrus, and Furry Arctic Fox) * 22. Fun Fair (Do the Same as Me) - 28 October 2003 (Turning Teacup, Bumping Bumper Car, and Golden Horse) * 23. Space (Odd One Out) - 4 November 2003 (Gigantic Planet, Twinkling Star, and Smiling Moon) * 24. Garden (Show Us A Shape) - 11 November 2003 (Scampering Squirrel, Wriggling Worm, and Fluttering Butterflies) * 25. Hospital (Odd One Out) - 18 November 2003 (Poorly Patient, Helpful Nurse, and Caring Doctor) * 26. Woods at Night (Show Us A Shape) - 25 November 2003 (Fluttering Moth, Snuffling Badger, and Hooting Owl) * 27. Library (The Counting Song) - 5 February 2004 (Noisy Book, Pop-Up Book, and Talking Book) * 28. Canadian Mountain (Odd One Out) - 12 February 2004 (Creeping Cougar, Munching Moose, and Climbing Bighorn Sheep) * 29. Australian Bush (Show Us A Shape) - 19 February 2004 (Laughing Kookaburra, Climbing Koala, and Jumping Kangaroo) * 30. Swimming Pool (Odd One Out) - 26 February 2004 (Floating Crocodile, Spouting Whale, and Sliding Snake) * 31. Forest Floor (Do the Same as Me) - 22 April 2004 (Hurrying Centipede, Slimy Slug, and Flying Ladybug) * 32. Circus (Odd One Out) - 12 March 2004 (Balancing Ballerina, Amazing Acrobat, and Juggling Clown) * 33. Swamp (Odd One Out) - 19 March 2004 (Hiding Turtle, Smiling Crocodile, and Climbing Raccoon) * 34. Fun House (Show Us A Shape) - 26 March 2004 (Disappearing Armchair, Laughing Picture, and Funny Ghost) * 35. Playgroup (Odd One Out) - 2 April 2004 (Happy Girl, Busy Playleader, and Helpful Dad) * 36. Antarctic (The Counting Song) - 9 April 2004 (Sliding Penguin, Enormous Whale, and Swimming Seal) * 37. Ski Resort (Odd One Out) - 16 April 2004 (Careful Skier, Jumping Skier, and Racing Skier) * 38. Jungle (Everybody Do This Sound) - 25 April 2004 (Chattering Monkey, Sliding Snake, and Squawking Parakeets) * 39. Farm (Everybody Do This Sound) - 30 April 2004 (Mooing Cow, Baaing Sheep, and Clucking Chicken) * 40. Bathroom (Odd One Out) - 13 May 2004 (Careful Grownup, Soapy Sponge, and Brushing Toothbrush) * 41. Park (Do the Same as Me)- 20 May 2004 (Hopping Sparrow, Waddling Duck, and Strutting Pigeon) * 42. Zoo (Everybody Do This Sound) - 27 May 2004 (Trumpeting Elephant, Chattering Chimp, and Roaring Lion) * 43. English Riverbank (The Counting Song) - 4 June 2004 (Plopping Water Vole, Sliding Otter, Gliding Swans) * 44. American Ranch (Everybody Do This Sound) - 11 June 2004 (Neighing Horse, Mooing Cow, and Lassoing Cowboy) * 45. Bamboo Forest (We're Looking for a Colour) - 18 June 2004 (Golden Monkey, Red Panda, and Giant Panda) * 46. American Prairie (Everybody Do This Sound) - 25 June 2004 (Grunting Bison, Rattling Rattlesnake, and Barking Prairie Dog) * 47. Junior Gym (We're Looking for a Colour) - 2 July 2004 (Climbing Girl, Jumping Boy, and Crawling Baby) * 48. Meadow (Do the Same as Me) - 9 July 2004 (Buzzing Bumblebee, Twitching Mouse, and Hopping Grasshopper) * 49. Tropical Island (We're Looking for a Colour) - 16 July 2004 (Laughing Hornbill, Swinging Orangutan, and Emerald Lizard) * 50. City at Night (Everybody Do This Sound) - 23 July 2004 (Hungry Fox, Spiky Hedgehog, and Cool Cat) * 51. Pirate Ship (Do the Same as Me) - 30 July 2004 (Busy Pirates, Bossy Captain, and Talking Parrot) * 52. City Farm (We're Looking for a Colour) - 6 August 2004 (Hungry Goat, Gentle Pony, and Hopping Rabbit)

Christmas Special (2004)

* Log Cabin/Santa's House (We're Looking for a Colour & The Counting Song) - 2004 (Double-Length Episode) (Twinkling Tree, Pretty Present, Hanging Stocking, Gentle Reindeer, Busy Elves, and Smiling Santa)

Series 2 (2005-2006)

* 53. Fire Station - 1 March 2005 * 54. Dentist - 7 March 2005 * 55. The Pyramids - 14 March 2005 * 56. Athletics Track - 21 March 2005 * 57. Airfield - 28 March 2005 * 58. Kite Festival - 4 April 2005 * 59. Ballet Class (Snap) - 11 April 2005 * 60. Veterinarian - 18 April 2005 * 61. Car Factory - 25 April 2005 * 62. Pottery (Odd One Out) - 2 May 2005 * 63. Carpenter's Workshop (What's Missing) - 9 May 2005 * 64. Sports Day (Can You Guess) - 16 May 2005 * 65. Cheese Market - 23 May 2005 * 66. Tennis Court - 30 May 2005 * 67. Post Office - 6 June 2005 * 68. Diwali Party - 16 September 2005 * 69. Fishing Dock - 20 June 2005 * 70. Fancy Dress Shop - 27 June 2005 * 71. Garden Centre - 4 July 2005 * 72. Police Station (Snap) - 11 July 2005 * 73. Pop Concert (The Counting Song) - 18 July 2005 * 74. Chinese Garden (The Counting Song) - 1 February 2006 * 75. Tea Plantation - 3 August 2005 * 76. Basketball Court (Snap) - 10 August 2005 * 77. Hairdressers (We're Looking for a Colour) - 17 August 2005 * 78. Ice Rink (Odd One Out) - 24 August 2005 * 79. Bus Station - 16 February 2006 * 80. Chicken Farm - 23 February 2006 * 81. Street Market - 2 March 2006 * 82. Bakery - 9 March 2006 * 83. Building Site (We're Looking for a Colour) - 16 March 2006 * 84. Baseball Ground (What's Missing) - 23 March 2006 * 85. Birthday Party - 30 March 2006 * 86. Football Match (What's Missing) - 6 April 2006 * 87. Surfer Beach (Odd One Out) - 13 April 2006 * 88. Race Track (The Counting Song) - 20 April 2006 * 89. Roman Villa (The Counting Song) - 27 April 2006 * 90. Orange Grove - 4 May 2006 * 91. Venetian Canal - 23 May 2006 * 92. Children's Play (Can You Guess) - 30 May 2006 * 93. Crazy Golf Course (Odd One Out) - 6 June 2006 * 94. Timber Forest (Snap) - 13 June 2006 * 95. Lei Day (Can You Guess?) - 20 June 2006 * 96. House That's Being Decorated - 24 June 2006 * 97. Seaside (The Counting Song) - 27 June 2006 * 98. Halloween (Can You Guess) - 30 October 2006 * 99. Campsite (Can You Guess) 10 July 2006 * 100. Film Set - 7 September 2006 * 101. Snowy Garden - 8 December 2006 * 102. Rainforest Canopy (We're Looking for a Colour) - 23 December 2006 * 103. Galapagos Islands (Snap) - 25 December 2006 * 104. Chinese New Year - 29 December 2006

Development, Songs and Broadcast

Development

The show was created by

Will Brenton Will Brenton is a writer/ producer- director who has worked in many areas of television and theatre, primarily through his companies Tell-Tale productions and Wish Films, both of which he founded with Iain Lauchlan. Together they gained six BA ...

and Iain Lauchlan, who have created and produced ''

Fun Song Factory Fun Song Factory is a British preschool children's television series. It was originally created in 1994 by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan, who at the time, were part of the '' Playdays'' production team. The series was produced through their st ...

'', ''

BB3B ''BB3B '' was an animated UK children's television series produced by Tell-Tale Productions in 2005. The entire series consists of thirteen episodes of twenty minutes each. It is shown on CBBC in the UK and ABC Kids in Australia. It first wen ...

'', and ''

Jim Jam and Sunny ''Jim Jam and Sunny'' is a British children's television programme that aired on the CITV CITV (short for Children's ITV, also known as the CITV Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by ITV plc. It broadcas ...

'' in addition to ''Tweenies''. Brenton also designed the characters. On July 26, 2002, the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

picked up the UK broadcasting rights to Boo! for a broadcast in September 2003. On September 1, it was announced that

had acquired worldwide distribution rights to the series in exchange for providing co-funding. On May 22, 2003, the show was announced to premiere on June 4 on the

block. On April 7, 2004, ''Boo!'' was renewed for a second series.

Broadcast

"Boo!" can be seen in the United Kingdom on

(formerly on CBeebies on

), reruns from 2007-2012 in the United States on the digital channel

Qubo Qubo ( ; stylized as qubo) was an American television network for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Owned by Ion Media, it consisted of a 24-hour free-to-air television network often mentioned as the "Qubo channel" (available as a digital ...

(with two episodes in a half-hour format),

Discovery Kids Discovery Kids (stylized as Discovery K!ds) is a brand name owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Starting as a television segment within the Discovery Channel, the brand expanded as a separate television channel. Most of its worldwide channels were ei ...

in Latin America, and Australia's

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. "Boo!" is also available in Canada on the French educational public broadcaster

TFO TFO is a Canadian French language educational television channel and media organization serving the province of Ontario. It is owned by the Ontario French-language Educational Communications Authority (OTELFO), a Crown corporation owned by the ...

, alongside

HOP! Air France Hop, formerly branded HOP!, is a French regional airline operating flights on behalf of its parent company Air France. The airline was founded on 21 December 2012http://www.verif.com/societe/HOP!-790151716/ after the merger of Airlin ...

in Israel, and

Baraem Baraem ( ar, براعم) (meaning: buds) is a Qatari pay television channel aimed at preschool kids. It was launched on January 16, 2009, and broadcasts 17 hours daily. Previously co-owned by Al Jazeera Media Network and the Qatar Foundation, A ...

in Qatar. In some episodes, Growling Tiger, Sleeping Bear or Laughing Duck says when it’s time for a song to begin when Boo dances to every song and the kids begin to yell "Hooray!" really loud before the song begins in every episode of Boo!

Songs

"Where’s Boo? (Can You Find Boo?)" "Show Us a Shape" "The Counting Song" "We’re Looking for a Colour" "Do the Same As Me" "Odd One Out" "Everybody Do This Sound" "Snap!" "Can You Guess?" "What’s Missing?" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Home Media

VHS, DVD and VCD releases of the series were handled by Universal Pictures Video in all regions.

References

External links

* * * ''Variety'' story from MIPCOM 2002
BBC goes 'Boo!'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boo! (Tv Series) 2003 British television series debuts 2006 British television series endings 2000s British animated television series 2000s British children's television series 2000s preschool education television series Animated preschool education television series BBC children's television shows British children's animated fantasy television series British preschool education television series CBeebies English-language television shows Cel-shaded animation Television series by Universal Television