It's a Big Big World

It's a Big Big World
Title card of the show.
Created by	Mitchell Kriegman
Starring	Peter Linz
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	40
Production
Running time	30 Minutes
Original release
Network	PBS
Release	January 2, 2006 – present

It's A Big Big World is a children's television show on PBS Kids, that debuted January 2, 2006. It was originally part of Miss Lori and Hooper's schedule block, but it was replaced in that block on September 3, 2007, though it still airs as part of most stations' PBS Kids lineup. The show revolves around a group of animals living in the rainforest. The main character is Snook the sloth.

It is taped at Wainscott Studios at the East Hampton Airport industrial complex in Wainscott, New York.

Puppeteers

• Snook/Oko: Peter Linz
• Burdette: Melissa Creighton
• Smooch: Aymee Garcia
• Winslow: Tyler Bunch
• Bob: James Godwin
• Ick/Wartz/Greenie: Tim Lagasse
• Additional Puppetry: Carol Binion, Eric Engelhardt, Jim Kroupa, Paul McGinnis

Many of the puppeteers come from similar shows, primarily Bear in the Big Blue House, as well as Jellybean Jungle, and The Book of Pooh, another show involving Shadowmation, a technique that combines bunraku-style puppetry and computer-generated animation.

Characters

The characters in the show are:

Snook

A Pale-throated three-toed sloth, Snook helps his friends learn all about the 'Big Big World' around them. He's slow-moving (but smart) and often takes naps, but is always up for a scientific investigation. He also enjoys singing and dancing with all of his friends in the World Tree. In addition to interacting with the other characters, Snook regularly takes the time to break the fourth wall, often to explain a fact or ask a question.

Burdette

Burdette the Resplendent Quetzal bird sometimes seems like a controlling older sister, who always thinks she knows more than everyone around her. However, Burdette seems sincere, and while investigating things with her friends in the World Tree, she's sometimes surprised to learn new things about herself too.

Smooch and Winslow

Smooch and Winslow are two playful sibling monkeys - Common Marmosets to be exact - who are always stirring things up. Smooch, the girl monkey, is always trying to figure out the mysteries of the world around her, and Winslow is the goofy creative thinker. With such different personalities, these two monkeys don't always see eye to eye, but their little disagreements frequently lead to great adventures. It is currently unknown if Smooch and Winslow are twins, or if Smooch is a long-suffering older sister to Winslow.

Madge

Madge is a map turtle. Madge has a map of the world on her shell. She is the oldest and wisest creature in the World Tree, and the one everyone comes to when they have a problem to solve. She's traveled all over the world and shares her experiences with everyone. Her library is the place to visit for answers to scientific questions.

Bob

Bob the Southern Tamandua loves the ants that live all around him in the World Tree, and he's always trying new things out to make them like him more (He does eat ants). Bob also worries a lot about things that he thinks might happen. He also gets a little timid around Greenie because of Greenie's deep, loud voice and gruff demeanor.

Oko

An old Red-handed Howler, Oko is a trickster who always shows up when least expected. Oko can be grouchy and mischievous, but he also shares mysterious stories and little bits of wisdom with the others. A Tai Chi master, he carries an old walking stick that he can twirl from his feet to his hands and back again in the blink of an eye. Oko is the only character (along with Greenie) who appears less often than the others. He has a friend named Tsetse, who sometimes gives good advice.

Wartz

Wartz is a Red-eyed Tree Frog. Wartz has gone through his metamorphosis, growing from a tadpole into a frog. Best friends with Smooch and Winslow, Wartz wants to get along with everyone and will agree with anyone, no matter what they're saying.

Ick

Ick is a fish who lives in the pond under the world tree. In "The Sting," where it is revealed that Greenie is afraid of bees, Ick stirs up a little joke by making a buzzing sound, showing his naughty side. But when Stripey the bee stops by the pond at the end, Ick freaks out and Stripey giggles. Ick has misanthropic tendencies.

Typical Episode Format

A typical episode of It's a Big, Big World begins with the opening theme song, "It's a Big, Big World". That is followed by a short (10-12 minute) story involving some or all of the main characters. This first story is followed by another song, called "Curve of the World", sung by all the characters. (In the Miss Lori and Hooper block, this song was not shown.) Then comes a second 10-12 minute story, which may be thematically linked to the first story but is not usually a direct continuation of the plot. At the end of the episode, Snook sings the closing song, Try to Touch the Sky, although this is often followed by one or two very short segments in which Snook ends some activity and gives some fun facts about the various species of animals that live in the World Tree.

Episode Guide

Season 1

• 101 Not Found Here
• 102 Ant Ray Vision/Moving On Up
• 103 Balance/Ick Alone
• 104 Burdette Queen Ant/One Monkey Too Many
• 105 My Friend Will Bee Right Back/Learning to Fly
• 106 Shell/Spirit
• 107 On on a Limb/The More Things Change
• 108 Dancing/King of the Tree
• 109 Burdette Bald Eagle/Hot ice
• 110 Color My World/Smooch's Caterpillar

Season 2

• 111 Mini Monkey/The Five Senses
• 112 Wartz's Work Out/Hot Enough for You?
• 113 Windy Night/So Long Planty
• 114 Hold on Rainbow/Where Have All the Berries Gone?
• 115 Sappy Monkey/Growing Pains
• 116 The Big Sneeze/Go to Sleep Wartz
• 117 Down in the Dumps/Who Moved My Sunflower?
• 118 The Itch/Everything's Going to Be Just Fine
• 119 What a Wonderful Leaf/Roots Rock
• 120 Making Tracks/Map it Out

Season 3

• 121 Hide and Seek/Take Care of Yourself
• 122 World Tree Day/World Tree Cuisine
• 123 The Sloth Must Be Crazy/Smarter Than You Think
• 124 Fish Out of Water/Burdette's Nest
• 125 Bones/Food and Plenty of It
• 126 The Sting/Growing
• 127 The Big Race/You Are What You Are
• 128 Madge Is Missing/The Anteater Songbook
• 129 Get Well Moon/Take Your Time
• 130 A Bird Tale/Friendship

Season 4

• 131 Eyes and Noses/Snook's Songbook
• 132 The Hatch/Sounds of the Forest
• 133 The Guardians of the Sappenwood Tree/Over the Hills and Far Away
• 134 Oko's Birthday/Spinning a Tale
• 135 Echoes/A Good Heartbeat
• 136 Sleepover/The Disappearing Water Hole
• 137 Flying Fish/Smooch and Winslow's Songbook
• 138 Sloth Lessons/The Avocado Queen
• 139 In Good Voice/Wartz's Family Tree
• 140 Big Big Water Hole/Oko's Songbook

Funding

• Sony (2005)
• Kellogg's (2006-2007)
• Kellogg's Froot Loops (2005-2006)
• Hershey's (2005-2006)
• Stonyfield Farm
• Viewers Like You

DVDs

Six DVDs have been released by Sony Pictures. They are:

• The Sky Above (2007)
• Safe and Sound (2007)
• Let's Investigate the World (2007)
• The Earth Needs You (2007)
• You Can Do It (2007)
• The Big Big Sleep (2007)

Other DVDS:

• Be Healthy and Happy (2008)
• Everyone's Different (2008)

External links

• pbskids website [1]
• Puppet Wikia: It's a Big Big World
• wainscottstudios.com[2]