Back أوبي (تلفزيون) Arabic Oobi CEB Oobi Spanish Oobi French אובי (סדרה) HE Oobi (seri televisi) ID Oobi Italian ओबी (दूरचित्रवाणी मालिका) Marathi Oobi Malay Rączusie Polish
| Oobi | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | |
| Created by | Josh Selig |
| Developed by | Essie Chambers[1] |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Composers | Sacred Noise, Inc. |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3[a] |
| No. of episodes |
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| Production | |
| Executive producer | Josh Selig |
| Producers |
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| Production locations | |
| Camera setup | Videotape; Multi-camera |
| Running time |
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| Production companies | Little Airplane Noggin LLC |
| Original release | |
| Network | Noggin |
| Release | 2000 – February 11, 2005[3] |
| Related | |
| Oobi: Dasdasi | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Oobi is an American children's television series produced by Little Airplane Productions for the Noggin channel. The show's concept is based on a training method used by puppeteers, in which they use their hands and a pair of glass eyes instead of a full puppet. The main character is a bare hand puppet named Oobi. The first season was a series of two-minute shorts. For its second season long-form series, with episodes lasting 13 minutes each. The show originally aired from 2000 to February 11, 2005,[3] with reruns continuing until March 18, 2013.[4]
The series was created by Josh Selig. He came up with the idea for Oobi while watching bare-handed puppeteers audition for PBS's Sesame Street. All of the show's puppeteers were veteran Muppet performers. The main characters were played by Tim Lagasse, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Noel MacNeal, and Tyler Bunch.
The puppets' designs include glass eyes and accessories like hats and hairpieces. The puppeteers' thumbs are used to represent mouth movement, and their fingers flutter and clench to show emotions. The characters talk in simple sentences, using only two to three words at a time. The show's ending credits feature a montage of children and families playing with their own bare-handed Oobi puppets.
Oobi was a breakout success for Noggin. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the puppeteers' performances, the visual style, and the show's appeal toward mixed age groups. The Age reported that the show developed a strong cult following[5] among older viewers, and Noel MacNeal has said that the show's fans range from amateur puppeteers to "college-age stoners."[6] The show received a variety of awards, including from the Television Academy and Parents' Choice. Oobi had a Nielsen rating of 2.35 among Noggin viewers by 2004, becoming Noggin's highest-rated series at the time.[7] It is the most widely distributed Noggin show, having aired in over 23 markets worldwide by 2005.[8] A foreign adaptation titled Oobi: Dasdasi premiered in 2012 and ran for 78 episodes, airing in the Middle East and countries across Asia.
- ^ "N O G G I N". Archived from the original on 2002-10-04.
- ^ Lees, Nancy (October 1, 2003). "Shorts pick up steam as kidscasters seek to build stronger brand identities". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "Oobi – Chez Oobi!; Valentine!". TV Guide. CBS Corporation. February 11, 2005. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "TV Listings: March 17-23, 2013". Idaho Statesman. March 17, 2013. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Griffin, Michelle (October 31, 2004). "Tomorrow's conversation topics today: Talk to the hand". The Melbourne Age. Fairfax Media. ProQuest 367220273.
The show - the work of various Sesame Street alumni - is developing a strong cult following; the real Uma [Thurman] is said to be a fan of hand Uma.
- ^ MacNeal, Noel (June 14, 2018). "Interview w/ Puppeteer Noel MacNeal: 'Being Bear'" (mp4) (Podcast). Archived from the original on 2021-12-12.
Some of our biggest fans became [college] kids coming back from parties, who were just like really stoned, and would just sit and watch Oobi.
- ^ "Noggin Viewership Up +60% As Network Ends 2004 With Unprecedented Ratings Growth: Noggin's Oobi Delivers Highest Rated Original Premiere In Network's History". Viacom. National Amusements. Archived from the original on December 15, 2004.
- ^ "VideoAge International: June 2005 Archive". VideoAge International. TV Trade. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
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