''Curious Buddies'' is a series of
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
specials narrated by
Cathy Richardson. It was produced by Spiffy Pictures for
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...
. The series was released across seven videos from August 31, 2004, to April 12, 2005.
The series is aimed at babies and toddlers. It was made to compete with the ''
Baby Einstein
Baby Einstein (stylized as baby einstein) is an American franchise and line of multimedia products, including home video programs, CDs, books, flashcards, toys, and baby gear that specialize in interactive activities for infants and toddle ...
'' line.
Every video was written with the supervision of developmental psychologist
Rachel Barr, and the DVDs feature a voiceover from Barr. The main characters are five animal
puppets
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to mov ...
that were built by
Rollie Krewson (known for her work with
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
).
One of the DVDs, "Helping at Home", was the recipient of a Spring 2005
Parents' Choice Award
The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...
.
Summary
Dog, Cat, Bear, Pig and Elephant are the Curious Buddies, a group of five animal puppets who have fun exploring the world around them. Every episode features real-life kids helping the puppets and original music clips.
According to a ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' article, ''Curious Buddies'' was designed as an alternative to the successful ''
Baby Einstein
Baby Einstein (stylized as baby einstein) is an American franchise and line of multimedia products, including home video programs, CDs, books, flashcards, toys, and baby gear that specialize in interactive activities for infants and toddle ...
'' series. To differentiate itself, ''Curious Buddies'' features a pop song soundtrack (instead of the classical music found in ''Baby Einstein'') and videos of real-life situations rather than indoor close-ups of toys.
Episodes
Nine episodes were made.
References
External links
Official website*{{IMDb title, tt4850560
Direct-to-video television series
American television shows featuring puppetry
Television series about bears
Television series about cats
Television shows about dogs
Television series about elephants
Television series about pigs