''The Swamp Critters of Lost Lagoon'' (originally named ''Swamp Critters'') is an American children's

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

created by country music star

Bobby Goldsboro Robert Charles Goldsboro (born January 18, 1941) is an American pop and country singer and songwriter. He had a string of pop and country hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature No. 1 hit "Honey", which sold over 1 million copies in ...

. Targeted for children aged 2 to 8, the show featured characters brought to life by actors. The program aired on PBS Kids and

The Learning Channel TLC is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as The Learning Channel, it initially focused on educational and instructional programming. By the late 1990s, after an acquisition by the ow ...

from 1996 to 2001, and according to the show's website (which is partially outdated), it formerly aired on the now-defunct America One Television Network (It used to say it aired on America One however) and currently on TCT Kids.

Characters

Band

* William Robert "Billy Bob/Will" Possum (lead singer, bass player, tambourine, harmonica) the problem solver of the group. * Karina Desire "Kari/K.D." Watson (second lead singer, tambourine, soniator guitar/guitar, drums) the cheerful member of the group. * Rancid DuBois (bass player, keyboard,vocals) * Joseph "Joe" Raccoon (banjo/guitar, harmonica, saxophone, vocals) * Gumbo the Fiddler Crab (fiddle/violin, vocals) * Todd Bender (bass player, vocals, cameraman) * Ribbit E. Lee (drums, vocals) * Ima Dilla Armadillo (tambourine, dancer, vocals) * Chase Isben (bass player, keyboard, vocals) * Alouisious "Big Al Gator" Reptilicus (piano, accordion, vocals)

Other

* T. Bone Willie * Slim Pig * Bobby Q. Pig * Cashew Squirrel * Melvis Weasley * Picasso "Speedy" Cottontail as the Easter Bunny and Kari's BFFA * Lumpkin the Pumpkin * Stinger * Patience * Henrietta Hen * Stormy Weathers * Dr. Betterfeel * Sam and Ethel Watson as Mason's Parents and Kari's Grandparents * Shecky Dangerfield-Mouse * Snorkel Elephant * Frank Possum as Suzy Ann's husband, Joel and D.J.'s father and Billy Bob's brother-in-law * Mason Watson as Kari's Widowed Father and Sam & Ethel's Son * Harry Bear * Mya Raccoon as Joe's younger sister * Suzy Ann Possum as Billy Bob's older sister, Joel and D.J.'s mother and Frank's wife * Willie Hank "Country" Weston * Freada Dyle as Big Al's girlfriend * Granny Muskrat * Bonnie and the Bunnies * Michelle Possum as Billy Bob's girlfriend with a French accent * Phineas Phatrat * William Snakespear * Rosemary Phatrat as Phineas' twin sister and Farley's mother * Farley Phatrat as Phineas' nephew * Lil' Rock Raccoon as Joe's nephew and Mya's son * Joel Possum as Billy Bob's nephew and Frank & Suzy Ann's son * Dorothy-Jane "D.J." Possum as Billy Bob's niece and Frank and Suzy Ann's daughter * Lil' Pedro as Big Al's next restaurant neighbor * Chanel Skunk as Lil' Pedro's business partner * Jefferson Opossum as Pioneer, Billy Bob and Suzy Ann's great-great grandfather

Cast and crew

* Billy Bob Possum - Charlie Rose * Kari Watson - Samantha Caras * Joe Raccoon - Jeff W. Maddux * Chase Isben - Christopher Huber * Christian Buenaventura (Pilot) * Rancid DuBois - Marquise Wilson〔Currently〕 * Todd Bender - Seth Adkins * Big Al Gator - Joe "Mudfish" Hitch * Ima Dilla Armadillo - Dianne Goldsboro * Sam Watson - Tom Bosley * Ethel Watson - Marion Ross * Gumbo Fiddler Crab - puppeteer Daniel. W. Peeler * Bobby Q. - puppeteer Paul Taylor * Mya Raccoon - Cree Summers * Frank Possum - Pep Harris * Granny Muskrat - puppeteer Russi Taylor * Melvis Weasley - Jeff Bennett * Michelle Possum - Casey Carlson * Suzy Ann Possum - Michelle Muller * Slim Pig - Jack Reilly * Phinneas Phatrat - Dan Povenmire * Ribbit E. Lee - Jim Demetrius * Freada Dyle - Faith Prince * Mason Watson and All characters (voices) – Bobby Goldsboro * Suzy Ann Possum (voice) - Pamelyn Ferdin * Rue Phillips * Christine Westmoreland *Frank Possum (voice) - Mike Henry *Michelle Possum (voice) - Chantal Strand *Freada Dyle (voice) - Kath Soucie *Mya Raccoon (voice) - Tress MacNeille

Development

Goldsboro funded the show using his own money instead of getting investors to back it. According to him, "the minute somebody puts in money, they think they have the right to say, 'You know,

Barney Barney may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barney (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Barney (surname), a list of people Film and television * the title character of ''Barney & Friends'', an American live actio ...

is so successful, why don't you make that alligator purple instead of green?' I've got enough to worry about without having to appease somebody else." Goldsboro also decided to start the show on a

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

affiliate rather than on a network affiliate. According to him, if he had gone to a network he "would have had to have a lot more action on the show. On the network shows, everything is fast cuts and fast movements. They think that's what kids want to see in this day and age of video games". Swamp Critter actor Charlie Rose (Billy Bob Possum and puppeteer), says "The pilot episode was produced in December 1995 at

WEDU WEDU (channel 3) is a PBS member television station licensed to Tampa, Florida, United States, serving the Tampa Bay area. Owned by Florida West Coast Public Broadcasting, it is a sister station to fellow PBS member WEDQ (channel 3.4). The two ...

. Our company, Peeler-Productions, had spent the early part of that year designing and building the character costumes, heads, puppets, providing set designs to actor Jim Demetrius (Ribbet E. Lee) who doubled as set builder for another company." The rest of season 1 was produced in early 1996 and was broadcast the following spring. The same is true for the second season. In fall of 1996, the second season was in production, and made its first broadcast in the spring of 1997. Between 1998 and 1999, the first two seasons aired in reruns on

and

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

, and in 2000, the show was revived for a third season, which was broadcast between fall of 2000 and spring of 2001.

Music

Each half-hour episode contains four to six songs, ranging from blues and Dixieland jazz to pop and classical and country music. For the first two seasons, over 100 songs were written. According to Goldsboro, "it's music that's on a children's show but it's not children's music. I've never understood talking down to kids and treating them like they're imbeciles. Several shows do that."

Animatronics

Each of the main characters' costume heads contains over $20,000 worth of animatronics, which are used to control their facial expressions and mouth movements.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Swamp Critters Of Lost Lagoon 1995 American television series debuts 1995 American television series endings 1990s American children's television series 1990s American music television series 1990s preschool education television series American children's musical television series American preschool education television series American television shows featuring puppetry American children's musical groups Christian children's television series English-language television shows PBS Kids shows PBS original programming Television series about frogs Television series about raccoons Television series about reptiles and amphibians