| This article is about the programme. You may be looking for the magic word the show is named after. |
Boohbah is a British children's television program created by Ragdoll Productions founder Anne Wood with Robin Stevens. It premiered on 14 April 2003 on ITV in the United Kingdom, and it was added to Nick Jr.'s British lineup on 2 April 2005. In North America, the show aired on PBS Kids in the United States beginning on 19 January 2004 and on Treehouse in Canada beginning on 26 April 2004.
Characters
The show stars two groups of characters:
The Boohbahs
See Boohbahs for more information.
The titular characters of the show are five furry atoms of energy and light who do exercises and dances for viewers at home to follow along. They have sparkly, brightly-coloured fur all over their bodies, with their heads having big, shifty eyes and two arches of lights for eyebrows; the Boohbahs can retract their heads into the interior of their necks.
They are mouthless and do not speak, but rather make noises like squeaks, flatulent blowing noises, clicks, and squeals. The Boohbahs also do not have any unique characteristics, rather behaving and looking the same except for their name and colour. The Boohbahs are Humbah, Zumbah, Zing Zing Zingbah, Jumbah, and Jingbah. The Boohbahs also aren't given a specific gender either.
The Storypeople
See Storypeople for more information.
During one point in the show, various children send a present to a family of diverse characters called the Storypeople. During each segment, one or more Storypeople will interact with the present, suddenly encountering a problem that the (unseen) children resolve by saying the magic word ("Boohbah!"), halting the action, and blowing another object into Storyworld to fix the problem.
The Storypeople are Grandmamma and Grandpappa (grandparents), Mrs Lady and Mr Man (parents), Brother and Sister (children), Auntie (aunt), and Little Dog Fido (pet dog).
Locations
The show takes place in two different environments:
Boohzone
See Boohball and Boohzone for more information.
The Boohbahs live in the bright and colourful Boohzone, where they delight in flying up, down, and all around and playing and moving in the pit down below. They arrive and leave the zone in their Boohball, a glowing ball which travels the globe to the calls and laughter of happy children around the world; inside are a set of charger pods for the Boohbahs to recharge their energy in.
Storyworld
See the eponymous article for more information.
The Storypeople live in the happy and sunny place of Storyworld, where they frolic and explore the different parts of their land such as a countryside, beach, forest, or desert while solving the problem at hand.
Synopsis
This synopsis is about the British/international version. See here for information about the show's format in North America. Sequences marked with an asterisk are trimmed or cut out of the ten-minute broadcasts on GMTV.
- Opening Sequence*: Streaking through the sky, the magical Boohball passes by delighted children in two out of fifteen countries around the world, then makes the Boohzone form at a grassy field. The Boohbahs, five furry atoms of energy, are awakened and fly all around the Boohzone.
- Warm-Up: The Boohbahs start their day by doing a simple exercise for the viewer(s) to follow along with.
- Present Giving: A group of children comes into the Boohzone, moves a "gift" into the pit in the middle of the zone, and blows into it. The gift transforms into an orb of light and is taken into the Boohball, where it transforms into something that the Storypeople can use and is the main focus of their segment.
- Storyworld and the Storypeople: One or more of the Storypeople - a family of seven who lives in Storyworld - interacts and eventually runs into a conflict with the present given to them in the previous sequence. The children solve the Storyperson or Storypeople's problem by saying the magic word - "Boohbah!" - and sending another object to help them out. The Storyworld segments are narrated by Chris Langham (with spontaneous interjection by the children).
- Boohbah Dance*: We return to the Boohzone, where the Boohbahs do a dance that is more complex than the exercise they did before. This dance is usually inspired by the Storyworld segment that preceded it.
- Ending Sequence*: After the Boohbahs are done dancing and when it is time for them to go, they return to the Boohball and go back to sleep. The Boohzone gradually disappears, and the Boohball flies off into the sky.
Credits
Boohbahs
Humbah - Emma Insley
Zumbah - Alex Poulter
Zing Zing Zingbah - Cal Jaggers
Jumbah - Phil Hayes
Jingbah - Laura Pero
Storyworld People
Grandmamma - Linda Kerr-Scott
Grandpappa - Robin Stevens
Mrs. Lady - Harvey Virdi
Mr. Man - Mark Ramsey
Brother - Manuel Bravo
Sister - Vee Vimolmal
Auntie - Sachi Kimura
Little Dog Fido - Dash
Voice - Chris Langham
Children Around the World
Line Producer - Nicky Barfoot
Lighting Director - Roger Williams
Senior Cameraman - Keith Salmon
Choreographer - Nikky Smedley
Children's Co-ordinators Annette Cunningham & Cassandra Schafhausen
Storyworld
Storyworld Writers - Robin Stevens, Alan Dapre, Gary Winters, & Gregg Whelan
Co-Producers Partick Vance, Rob Minkoff & Alan Smart
Production Managers - Nick Kirkpatrick & Edwin Wyatt
Lightning Cameraman - Chris Yacoubian
Location Designer - John Plush
Location Director - Penny Lawrence
Costume Designer - Janice Rider
Assistant Directors - David G. Hiller, Nigel P. Harris, Jane Ashmore & Siobhan O'Donnell
Production Accountant - Gary Phillips
Head Of Production - Liz Queenan
Post Production Manager - Ros Cook
Post Production Co-ordinators - Louise Neighbour & Lynne Hawkins
Dubbing Mixers - Sandy Buchanan, Ben Barker, Brendan Nicholson, Nic Le Messurier & Andrew Wilkinson
Line-Producers Paul Gawith & Bob Jacobs
Casting by - Matthew Jon Beck, C.S.A.
Senior Editor - Lee Phillips
Editing Team - Jonathan Birkett, Janna Bourvis, Anthony Brown,
Stephen Dorrance, Adam Taylor & Siobhan O'Donnell
Online Editors - Jonathan Birkett & Ben Perrott
Offline Editors - Janna Bourvis & Lindsay Shaxson
Assembly Editors - David Barry & Geoff Bartlett
Animators - Stephen Dorrance, Bob Berk, Chris Watts & Mary Pyke
Graphics - Adam Taylor & Anthony Brown
Titles & 3D Animation - Pat Gavin & Eye Animation
Sound Design - Tim Vine
Music - Andrew McCrorie-Shand
Additional Music - Bob Hartley
Dance Music - Paul Honey
Boohbah Costume Designer - Vin Burnham
Director Of Production - Sue James
Associate Producers - Nikky Smedley, Robin Stevens, and Chris Wood
Production Designer - Amanda Atkinson
Directors - Chris Bernard, Annie Gibbs, and Vic Finch
Devised & Produced by Anne Wood
© Ragdoll Limited 2003
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