Bump in the Night (TV series)
Bump in the Night is an American stop-motion animated series by Danger Productions and Greengrass Productions. The show was filmed using stop-motion animation and aired on ABC from 1994 to 1995.[1] It was created and directed by Ken Pontac and David Bleiman.
| Bump in the Night | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Ken Pontac David Bleiman |
| Directed by | 26 episodes: David Bleiman Ken Pontac Christmas Special: Ken Pontac David Bleiman |
| Voices of | Jim Cummings Jennifer Darling (5 segments, 1 double-length episode and 1 special) E. G. Daily (2 segments) Rob Paulsen (theme song, 41 segments, 1 double-length episode, a few Mr. Bumpy's Karaoke Cafe songs and 1 special) Anndi McAfee (6 segments and 1 double-length episode) Gail Matthius (theme song, 27 segments, 1 double-length episode, a few Mr. Bumpy's Karaoke Cafe songs and 1 special) Scott McAfee (9 segments) Jeff Bennett (3 segments) April Winchell (2 segments) Janice Kawaye (3 segments) Danny Mann (1 segment and 1 special) Gilbert Gottfried (1 segment) Valery Pappas (5 segments, 1 double-length episode and 1 special) Mary McDonald Lewis (4 segments) Brad Garrett (1 segment) Cheech Marin (1 special) Cathy Moriarty (1 special) |
| Narrated by | Jim Cummings (The Night of the Living Bread and Loss of Face) Gail Matthius (Beauty and the Bump, opening only in the dream) (both uncredited) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 27 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 7 minutes 11 minutes 10 minutes (I Dream of Silverfish only) 8 minutes (Story Problems only) Various |
| Production company(s) | Danger Productions Greengrass Productions |
| Distributor | ABC Distribution Company Buena Vista International Television (Internationally) |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | September 10, 1994 – December 9, 1995 |
The show was highly popular, but was cancelled when the Walt Disney Company took over ABC and replaced all of the network's Saturday morning shows.[2]
The series was then broadcast on Toon Disney from 1998 to 2001.
Synopsis
Mr. Bumpy is a small green, purple-warted monster living under the bed of a ten-year-old boy, where he eats dirty socks and dust bunnies as if they were delicacies. His best friends are Squishington, a blue monster that lived in the bathroom's toilet cistern; and Molly Coddle, a Frankenstein's monster-like rag doll belonging to the boy's sister who acts as the straight man to the other's crazy antics.
Other characters include Destructo, the boy's toy robot who sees himself as a cop and persecutes Mr. Bumpy for his actions. There is also the Closet Monster, who's made up of the boy's pile of clothes and chases after Mr. Bumpy.
Structure
The show was traditionally split into two major parts per half hour (occasionally dedicating a full half hour per show, or sometimes splitting into three parts), and usually if not always had a music video at the end of the episode, starring the three main characters and any minor characters involved in the episode. This musical montage would take clips from the episode itself and reiterate the life lessons learned in the episode.
Cast
- Jim Cummings - Mr. Bumpy, the Closet Monster (Mr. Bumpy's rival) (vocal effects, uncredited), Destructo (Mr. Bumpy's rival) (additional role, uncredited), various (additional effects and roles, uncredited)
- Rob Paulsen - Squishington (Mr. Bumpy's best friend), Sleemoth (Gloog's partner) (additional role, uncredited), Dad (actor, the Boy's father) (additional role, uncredited), various (additional roles, uncredited)
- Gail Matthius - Miss Molly Coddle, the comfort doll (Mr. Bumpy's girlfriend) (also additional voice talent in episodes 14 and 23 and in the uncredited episodes 5 and 24), Anti-Molly (additional role in the episode "Farewell, 2 Arms", uncredited), various (additional roles in "Hide and Go Freak" and "Beauty and the Bump", uncredited)
- Mary McDonald Lewis - The Mom (actress, the Boy's mother), the Cute Dolls (additional voice talents in episode 14)
- Jeff Bennett - Gloog (additional voice talent in the episode "It Sang from Beyond the Stars")
- Janice Kawaye - Little Robot/Big Robot, Little Robot's Sister/Big Robot's Sister, Yellow Bunny, factory worker (additional role in "Made in Japan II", uncredited)
- Scott McAfee - The Boy (actor) (additional voice talent in a few episodes)
- Anndi McAfee - Little Sister (actress, the Boy's little sister) (additional voice talent in a few episodes)
- Brad Garrett - Big Mike (in the episode "Baby Jail")
- Jennifer Darling and Valery Pappas - The Cute Dolls (additional voice talents in a few episodes and "'Twas the Night Before Bumpy" and in the uncredited in "Farewell, 2 Arms", "Auntie Matta" and "Nothing But the Tooth")
- Danny Mann (additional voice talent) - Phil Silverfish (in the episode "I Dream of Silverfish" and in the Christmas special "'Twas the Night Before Bumpy"
- Elizabeth Daily (additional voice talent) - Germ Girl (in two episodes)
- Gilbert Gottfried (additional voice talent) - Odiferous J. Stench (Mr. Bumpy's rival) (in the episode "Love Stinks")
- April Winchell - Auntie Matta (Mr. Bumpy's aunt) (additional voice talent in the episode of the same name), The Princess (in the episode "Beauty and the Bump"), The Dream Cute Dolls (additional roles, uncredited)
- Cheech Marin (additional voice talent) - Juaquin Gusanito Sin Manos
- Cathy Moriarty (additional voice talent, uncredited) - Destructette (Destructo's girlfriend) (in the Christmas special "'Twas the Night Before Bumpy")
- Performing Musicians for the music of the show: Wayne Boone (Guitar), Kevin Konklin (Guitar), Eric Ferry (Drums), Ray Brinker (Drums)
Episodes
Season 1 (1994)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Made in Japan" "Dr. Coddle, M.D." | September 10, 1994 | |
NOTE: Molly makes a cameo in the first part of "Made in Japan". | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Gum Crazy" "Baby Snail" | September 17, 1994 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle does not appear in the first segment and the beginning of "Baby Snail". | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Hide and Go Freak" "Better Homes & Garbage" | September 24, 1994 | |
| ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Not of This Boy's Room" "To Sleep Perchance to Burp" | October 1, 1994 | |
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| 5 | 5 | "Danger: Unexploded Squishington" "Loss of Face" | October 8, 1994 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle does not appear in the first two segments. She does not speak in the Karaoke Cafe segment. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Sock It to Me" "Comforting the Uncomfortable" | October 15, 1994 | |
| ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Baby Jail" "Night of the Living Bread" | October 22, 1994 | |
NOTE: Squishington and Molly Coddle make cameos in "Baby Jail" and the Boy and Little Sister make cameos in "Night of the Living Bread", too. Molly Coddle does not in "Night of the Living Bread". She doesn't speak in the Karaoke Cafe. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "Party Poopers" | October 29, 1994 | |
| ||||
| 9 | 9 | "A Sneeze in Time" "Hocus Dopus" | November 5, 1994 | |
NOTE: In "A Sneeze in Time", Mr. Bumpy and Squishington do not appear in this episode (although Mr. Bumpy still appears in the title card) and Molly Coddle makes a cameo. Three Bumpies and two Squishingtons later appear in Karaoke Cafe songs and episodes (archive footage). In "Hocus Dopus", Molly Coddle does not appear and the Yellow Bunny makes a cameo. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Adventures in Microbia" "Not a Peep!" | November 12, 1994 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle, the Cute Dolls, the Yellow Bunny, Squishington, etc., make cameos in "Not a Peep". | ||||
| 11 | 11 | "Penny for Your Thoughts" "Farewell 2 Arms" | November 19, 1994 | |
NOTE: In "Farewell 2 Arms", Little Sister, the Cute Dolls and Destructo make cameos. Anti-Molly later appears in Karaoke Cafe songs. | ||||
| 12 | 12 | "I Dream of Silverfish" "Story Problems" | November 26, 1994 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle does not appear in the first two segments. She only appears in the Karaoke Cafe song. | ||||
| 13 | 13 | "All You Need Is Glove" "In The Bowl of the Squishy Prince" | December 3, 1994 | |
NOTE: Only one voice (Jim Cummings) in "All You Need Is Glove". Squishington and Molly Coddle do not appear in the first segment. | ||||
Season 2 (1995)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Long Long Day" "Destructo's Flipside" | September 9, 1995 | |
| ||||
| 15 | 2 | "Love Stinks" "Love's Labor Bumped" | September 16, 1995 | |
NOTE: Squishington makes a cameo in "Love Stinks" and Molly Coddle makes a cameo, too, in "Love's Labor Bumped". Squishington's face is also seen in the lawyer card in "Love's Labor Bumped" as F. Lee Squishington and his theme is heard at the end. | ||||
| 16 | 3 | "It Sang from Beyond the Stars" "Journey to the Center of the Lungfish" | September 23, 1995 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle only speaks in the second segment. | ||||
| 17 | 4 | "Auntie Matta" "Bumpy the Untrappable" | September 30, 1995 | |
| ||||
| 18 | 5 | "It Came from the Closet" | October 7, 1995 | |
NOTE: Only one voice (Jim Cummings) in the rerun "All You Need Is Glove". The Boy, his mother and one of the Cute Dolls make cameos in "It Came from the Closet (And Wouldn't Leave)". | ||||
| 19 | 6 | "Comfort Schmumfort" | October 14, 1995 | |
| ||||
| 20 | 7 | "Bump and Roll" | October 21, 1995 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle doesn't appear in the first two segments. She only appears in the Karaoke Cafe song. | ||||
| 21 | 8 | "I Got Needs" "Beauty and the Bump" | October 28, 1995 | |
| ||||
| 22 | 9 | "When the Music Starts" | November 4, 1995 | |
| 23 | 10 | "Neat and Clean" "Nothing But the Tooth" | November 11, 1995 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle does not talk in this show. She, Yellow Bunny and two of the Cute Dolls make cameos in "Nothing But the Tooth". This show was aired on Veterans Day. | ||||
| 24 | 11 | "Water Way to Go" "Cold Turkey" | November 18, 1995 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle does not appear in this show. The turkey later appears in Karaoke Cafe songs, episodes and the Christmas special (archive footage). | ||||
| 25 | 12 | "Made in Japan II" | November 25, 1995 | |
NOTE: Molly Coddle makes a cameo in "Made in Japan". "Made in Japan II" was located in San Francisco, California. | ||||
| 26 | 13 | "Not a Leg to Stand On" | December 2, 1995 | |
Christmas special (1995)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | "Twas the Night Before Bumpy" | December 9, 1995 | |
|
Movie, 64 min: Molly Coddle takes over as a pageant director while Mr. Bumpy and Squishington enter the North Pole. NOTE: Various characters do not speak in this special. | |||
Awards
- Jim Cummings (Mr. Bumpy) was nominated for an Emmy for Voice Acting in the Field of Animation in 1995
Home releases
In April 2010, Shout! Factory released Bump In The Night: The Complete Series on DVD.[3]
VHS
- Molly: Tales from the Toy Chest
- Squishington: Tales from the Tank
- Mr. Bumpy: Tales from Under the Bed
- The Hubbish About Rubbish
- Hocus-Pocus, Pranks and Play
- Monsters on a Mission
- Dreams and Dilemmas
- Night of the Living Bread
- Mr. Bumpy's Karaoke Cafe
- 'Twas The Night Before Bumpy (Christmas special, 63 minutes. Originally split into 3 episodes)
DVD
- Night of the Living Bread (Original September 23, 2003. Re-Released August 21, 2007)
- Twas The Night Before Bumpy (October 23, 2007)
- Bump in the Night-The Complete Series (Shout Factory! release, April 20, 2010; Out of Print as of late 2012)
On February 16, 2016, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released Bump in the Night- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[4] The 2-disc set contains all 26 episodes of the series as well as the Christmas special 'Twas the Night Before Bumpy'.
Notes
- The development of the series began as a series of ad bumpers for ABC's Saturday morning lineup in 1993.
- DIC Productions L.P. purchased the show's rights in 1996, despite never producing it.
References
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 164–165. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 99. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- Latchem, John (February 26, 2010). "Shout! Factory Maxing Out". Home Media Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- "Bump in the Night DVD news: Re-Release for Bump in the Night - The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. 2015-11-13. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-02-22.