Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Kids' CBC

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Network
  
CBC Television

Country of origin
  
Canada

First episode date
  
1 September 2003

Launched
  
1980s

Format
  
children's programming

Kids' CBC httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaencc1Kid

Formerly known as
  
Hodge Podge Lodge (1980s-1995) CBC Playground (1995-2000) Get Set for Life (2000-2003) Kids' CBC (2003-2016)

Running time
  
Weekdays 7:00am–11:00am Saturdays 6:00am–12:00pm Sundays 6:00am–8:00am

Executive producers
  
Marie McCann, Nadine Henry

Awards
  
Gemini Award for Best Pre-School Program or Series

Nominations
  
Canadian Screen Award for Best Pre-School Program or Series

Cast
  
Patty Sullivan, Sid Bobb, Ali Eisner

Similar
  
The Adventures of Napkin, Bo on the Go!, Artzooka!, Bookaboo, Animal Mechanicals

Profiles

CBC Kids is a Canadian children's block carried by CBC Television.

Contents

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Hodge Podge Lodge

From the late 1980s to 1995, the lineup was called Hodge Podge Lodge (not to be confused with the American series of the same name), with interstitials featuring animated multi-coloured geometric shapes. Some of CBC's children's programs during this time were presented under generic CBC branding instead. CBC Children's Publicist Barbara Chernin and Producer Stephen Wrigh came up with the 'Hodge Podge Lodge' moniker. Angela Bruce, Head of CBC Children's Programming consented to the name for the lineup.

CBC Playground

In 1995, the lineup was relaunched as CBC Playground, carrying Fred Penner's Place, Guess What?, Mr. Dressup, Rolie Polie Olie, Sesame Park, Skinnamarink TV, and Theodore Tugboat. In the late 1990s, two human hosts, Lisa Richardson and Drew Carnwath, were added to the block.

Get Set For Life

In 2000, CBC Playground was replaced with Get Set for Life, a block named after a partnership between non-profit parenting organization Invest in Kids, Canadian Living magazine and the CBC itself. This iteration had Alyson Court and Michael Clarke as hosts. GSFL saw the departure of Fred Penner's Place and Guess What?, whilst Skinnamarink TV, Mr. Dressup and Theodore Tugboat were limited to reruns.

Kids' CBC

Kids' CBC started in 2003, replacing Get Set for Life. Previous hosts Court and Clarke continued to appear, but the main focus was on five regional hosts from various parts of Canada. The hosts were Patty Sullivan (Ontario), Joyce Quansah (Quebec), Kush Uppal (British Columbia), Hayley Gene (Manitoba) and Dashi Malone (Newfoundland). The look and the studio sets had also been drastically changed. The child seen in the GSFL logo was slightly redesigned and turned into a separate animated character called Dot (not to be confused with the PBS Kids character of the same name).

In 2005, the set was changed to a garden in a geometric type dome. Malone and Gene were replaced by Mark O'Brien and Holly Bernier.

In 2007, The garden was replaced by a Canadian village-type setting and a treehouse that was referred to as the Carefort was added. Due to CBC's budget restrictions, the show was restricted to being hosted from Toronto by Sullivan, with Sid Bobb coming on as a co-host.

New characters arrived to feature various parts of Canadian culture, each representing a different Canadian region:

  • Mamma Yamma is a yam representing Ontario. She is the owner of a fruit and vegetable stand in Toronto's Kensington Market.
  • Drumheller is a dinosaur that represents Alberta. He is from the archaeological site near Drumheller.
  • Saumon de Champlain is a fictionalized salmon version of Samuel de Champlain, who lives at the Château Frontenac.
  • Captain Claw is a lobster representing Atlantic Canada. He is a lighthouse keeper in Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia.
  • Canada is a green, abstract animated representation of the map of the eponymous country.
  • Each of the puppets were used in a variety of scenes in their local setting, typically educational in nature. Mamma Yamma would frequently host cameos by visiting celebrities such as musicians or Canadian television personalities; a compilation album of live performances, Mamma Yamma and Friends, was released in 2008.

    In 2013, the Kids' CBC style was changed. Drumheller, Saumon, Captain Claw and Canada were removed. A new theme song titled "You and Me and Kids' CBC" was added. New segments were also added.

    CBC Kids

    On June 23, 2016, CBC announced that Kids' CBC will be rebranding to CBC Kids in the Winter. Hosts Sullivan and Bobb were removed. Mamma Yamma was also removed. CBC Kids replaced Kids' CBC on January 2nd 2017.

    Current programming

    Children's programs that have aired on CBC include:

    References

    Kids' CBC Wikipedia