Waybuloo - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

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Waybuloo is a British-Canadian children's television series originally created by Dan Good and Absolutely Cuckoo. It was commissioned by Michael Carrington at the BBC, and first aired on CBeebies in May 2009. The 100-episode show was head-written by Marc Seal, filmed by The Foundation in Glasgow and animated and directed by Gallus Entertainment.

Post production, including audio, sound design & editing is done by Platform Post Production. in Toronto (Canada). Line produced by Matt Porter and the series producer is Simon Spencer, part of the independent company, RDF Media's subsidiary The Foundation. The program makers describe it as "...a philosophy for a happy life, and is like nothing children will have ever seen before".

Nok Tok (blue bear) and Yojojo (orange monkey) smiling together in a scene from the 2009 tv series Waybuloo

Waybuloo is set in the land of Nara. The main characters are the four Piplings, 3D CGI animated creatures with large heads and eyes, placed on a filmed background, with the second half of each twenty-minute show featuring human children ("Cheebies").

Lau Lau the purple rabbit smiling in a scene from the 2009 tv series Waybuloo

The Piplings practise yogo, a gentle form of exercise similar to yoga. so that the viewers and their parents can participate.

Waybuloo characters: Nok Tok (blue bear), Yojojo (orange monkey), De Li (pink cat), and Lau Lau (purple rabbit)

It was the second show by DHX Media to use live-action with the CGI animation (the first was Super Why). The program makers describe it as "...a philosophy for a happy life, and is like nothing adults will have ever seen before". In 2012 a new shorter version of Waybuloo was released with narration to much criticism. The negative feedback was so strong, CBeebies decided to pull the show in favour of the original version on the very next night. Another aspect of the show that has drawn criticism is the fact that despite it being specifically aimed at young children who are just beginning to learn to speak English properly, none of the characters uses proper English when talking; words are left out or used incorrectly ("me not like" instead of "I don't like", etc.) the wrong tense is used, and the characters serially refer to themselves in the 3rd person.

The Piplings: Nok Tok (blue bear), Yojojo (orange monkey), De Li (pink cat), and Lau Lau (purple rabbit).

Characters

Nok Tok

Nok Tok is a Pipling with a resemblance to a bear with a blue body with slightly tanned skin. He has a little patch of spiky bits on top of his head which resembles hair and wears a yellow T-shirt. He also has a little tail and big brown eyes. Nok Tok is the practical one who fixes things.

De Li

De Li the cat-like Pipling has a fuchsia body with big blue eyes, slightly pointed ears on top of her head and a tail with a white tip. She wears a flower on top of her head. She wears a pale pink dress. De Li is very fond of her garden.

Lau Lau

Lau Lau is rabbit-like and has a lilac coloured body and green eyes, has long ears on top of her head and a puff tail. She also wears a plain vest with skirt. Lau Lau loves painting and can often be seen behind her easel.

Yojojo

Yojojo is a Pipling with monkey-like features. He has an amber coloured body and blue eyes, and has rounded ears on the side of his head. He has four thick hairs rising above his right ear which flop over to his left like a comb-over. In Peeka he is often seen hiding in the log and his long tail is often shown.He also wears a blue pair of pants. Yojojo is a talented musician and juggler. He is the cheeky one who likes playing tricks on the others.

Cheebies

A different group of six children who play Peeka and yogo with the Piplings and engage with them in every episode. The Cheebies often find the solutions to the Piplings' problems.

Narabugs

Four small butterfly-like creatures who are thought to be the Piplings' pets. Each one is coloured like its respective Pipling.

Yogo

Yogo is a light form of Yoga practiced by the four main characters in the series. The characters, known as Piplings, demonstrate several poses inspired by things they see in their homeworld, Nara, such as owls, trees, and insects.

When the children (or Cheebies) arrive later during an episode, they then practice the same poses demonstrated by the Piplings at the start of the show.

The cue for both the Piplings and the Cheebies to perform Yogo is an ancient machine, which activates when sunlight falls upon it.

Yogo was developed by the show's producers in association with a Paediatrician and a Health and Safety Consultant. The leaflet produced by the BBC warns parents not to practise Yogo with their children if they are or have been ill, and always to speak to a GP before starting the program.

Series 1 and 2

Footnote 1: S02E38 does not have a title recorded, although it has been aired by the BBC.

Series 3 and 4

Decode Entertainment stated that two more CGI seasons of Waybuloo will be made. Series 3 was aired on CBeebies beginning 3 October 2011.

DVD releases

UK

2 Entertain (2009–2012)

Delta Entertainment Corporation (2014)

Canada

Treehouse TV (2012)

References

Waybuloo Wikipedia

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