The Puzzle Place

The Puzzle Place is an American children's television series produced by KCET in Los Angeles and Lancit Media in New York City. Although production was dated and premiered on two Los Angeles PBS stations, KCET and KLCS, on September 15, 1994, it did not officially premiere on all PBS stations nationwide until January 16, 1995, with its final episode airing on December 4, 1998, and reruns airing until March 31, 2000. It became one of PBS Kids' most popular series on the line-up since Barney & Friends and Sesame Street. It follows a multi-ethnic group of kids (puppets) from different parts of the United States who hang out at "the Puzzle Place", which is a teen hangout themed around jigsaw puzzle pieces. In each episode the characters are confronted with an everyday conflict usually encountered in childhood and even teenage years, such as making moral decisions, sharing, racism, and sexism. On April 3, 2000, Between the Lions replaced it on the schedule.

The Puzzle Place
Created byCecily Truett
Suzanne Singer
Rob Stork
Ellis Weiner
David Yazbek
StarringAlice Dinnean
Carmen Osbahr
Jim Martin
Noel MacNeal
Eric Jacobson
Peter Linz
Matt Vogel
Drew Massey
Alison Mork
Stephanie D'Abruzzo
Terri Hardin
Allan Trautman
Theme music composerSteve Horelick
Janet Weir
Composer(s)Steve Horelick
Janet Weir
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes75
Production
Executive producer(s)Cecily Truett
Larry Lancit
Stephen Kulczycki (seasons 1–2)
Patricia Kunkel (season 3)
Camera setupVideotape; Multi-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production company(s)KCET
Lancit Media
Release
Original networkPBS
Picture format480i (SDTV) (1995-1998)
Original releaseJanuary 16, 1995 (1995-01-16) –
December 4, 1998 (1998-12-04)

Characters
  • Julie Woo: A Chinese American girl from San Francisco, California. She is very sensitive and caring of her personal possessions and she sometimes tries a little too hard. She especially loves singing; though, outside of the show's musical numbers, her voice can be cacophonous to humorous effect. Performed by Alice Dinnean.
  • Kiki Flores: A Mexican American girl from San Antonio, Texas. She is very outgoing and has a temper. She once pretended to be a space alien after being teased about her accent (episode: Accentuate The Positive). She is also a great chili cook and has a Spanish-speaking cousin named Magdalena (or Maggie) (episode: "Hello Maggie") who helps everyone to learn about acceptance. Performed by Carmen Osbahr.
  • Ben Olafson: A Scandinavian American boy of German and Norwegian descent from a farm near Renner, South Dakota. Like Jody, he is a child without both parents, but unlike her, whose are divorced, his father is deceased (episode: "Big Boys Don't Cry"). He is good at solving difficult puzzles and a talented dancer. Though normally easygoing and friendly, he can be unforgiving when angered. Performed by Jim Martin.
  • Leon MacNeal: An African American boy, possibly of West African origin from New York City. He wears dreadlocks, gets jealous easily, and sometimes does not think before he acts. He is a fan of hip-hop music and loves basketball. Performed by Noel MacNeal, with Eric Jacobson puppeteering him to MacNeal's voice in season 3.
  • Skye Nakaiye: A White Mountain Apache boy from an Indian reservation in Arizona. He always wears a bandanna, raincoat, and feather necklace. He is naturally curious and believes in staying true to his values and culture. Performed by Peter Linz in seasons 1 and 2, and Matt Vogel in season 3.
  • Jody Silver: A Jewish Lithuanian American girl from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her parents are divorced, she does not like to be called names, and she can be gullible but is usually enthusiastic. Performed throughout the series by Alison Mork, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, and Terri Hardin.
  • Weebus: The group's smart talking computer that they use to communicate with people outside of the Puzzle Place. She is also capable of performing automated tasks and playing video clips to answer a question.
  • Nuzzle and Sizzle: The anthropomorphic pet dog and cat, respectively, at the Puzzle Place. They are seen mostly in the basement, talking to each other, and acting as animals around the kids. They are usually involved in a subplot. Sizzle is performed by Alice Dinnean and Nuzzle is performed by Peter Linz in Seasons 1 and 2 and Matt Vogel in Season 3.
  • The Piece Police: Multicolored inhabitants of the Puzzle Place. They communicate amongst themselves using grumbling noises, although they understand English. It is hinted in some episodes that they all know what Sizzle and Nuzzle are saying. Performed by Carmen Osbahr, Jim Martin, Noel MacNeal, and Alison Mork, with Stephanie D'Abruzzo replacing Mork in Season 2, and Eric Jacobson and Terri Hardin replacing MacNeal and D'Abruzzo in Season 3. D'Abruzzo also provides their singing voices.
  • Kyle O'Connor: An Irish American wheelchair bound boy who appears towards the end of the series. Initially performed by Drew Massey, and later puppeteered by Allan Trautman to Terri Hardin's voice.

Reception

In the weeks after its debut, The Puzzle Place won a great deal of acclaim and "enjoyed an average audience-per-viewing second only to Barney and Friends among shows in the popular PBS daily children's block."[1] It received a citation of excellence from UNIMA-USA for its use of puppetry.[2] In 1997, ten more episodes of the show were "in the works".[3] Toys "R" Us, Sears, and Payless ShoeSource all announced that they would carry merchandising from the series and showcase that merchandise in its own separate "boutique" rather than integrating it with the other products.[4]

Episode guide

Season 1 (1995)
  1. Tippy Woo (January 16, 1995)
  2. Train Driving Kids (January 17, 1995)
  3. Rip Van Wrinkle (January 18, 1995)
  4. Accentuate the Positive (January 19, 1995)
  5. Gotta Dance (January 20, 1995)
  6. Rudy One (January 23, 1995)
  7. Butterfingers (January 24, 1995)
  8. Rock Dreams (January 25, 1995)
  9. Roamantics (January 26, 1995)
  10. Spud Buds (January 27, 1995)
  11. Different Drummer (January 30, 1995)
  12. I Love Kiki (January 31, 1995)
  13. True Colors (February 1, 1995)
  14. Cute is as Cute Does (February 2, 1995)
  15. Leon's Pizza (February 3, 1995)
  16. Real Heroes (February 6, 1995)
  17. Going by the Book (February 7, 1995)
  18. Mad Music Magic (February 8, 1995)
  19. Party of One (February 9, 1995)
  20. Dancing Dragon (February 10, 1995)
  21. Picture Perfect (February 13, 1995)
  22. Maiden Voyages (February 14, 1995)
  23. Donuts and Dithering (February 15, 1995)
  24. Bully for Jody (February 16, 1995)
  25. Ben's Bad Hair Day (February 17, 1995)
  26. All Weather Friends (February 20, 1995)
  27. Bread and Matzoh (February 21, 1995)
  28. Owning It (February 22, 1995)
  29. Baffled Ben (February 23, 1995)
  30. Practice Makes Perfect (February 24, 1995)
  31. Finders Keepers (February 27, 1995) (Note: This episode can be seen as a sketch of the importance of Trustworthiness on the Kids for Character with Tom Selleck VHS.)
  32. You Say Potato (February 28, 1995)
  33. At the End of Our Rope (March 1, 1995)
  34. Just Kidding (March 2, 1995)
  35. Everything in its Place (March 3, 1995)
  36. Big Boys Don't Cry (March 6, 1995)
  37. Here's to the Winners (March 7, 1995)
  38. A World of Difference (March 8, 1995)
  39. Willing and Able (March 9, 1995)
  40. It's Magic (March 10, 1995)

Season 2 (1996)
  1. Deck the Halls (January 15, 1996)
  2. Dressing Up is Hard to Do (January 16, 1996)
  3. One Way (January 17, 1996)
  4. Oldies But Goodies (January 18, 1996)
  5. Helping Hands (January 19, 1996)
  6. Yellow Belt (January 22, 1996)
  7. The Mystery of the Fabulous Hat (January 23, 1996)
  8. How Much is That Doggie in the Window? (January 24, 1996)
  9. The New Adventures of Julie Woo (January 25, 1996)
  10. We Three Kings (January 26, 1996)
  11. Hello, Maggie (January 29, 1996)
  12. Off the Track (January 30, 1996)
  13. Beautiful Doll (January 31, 1996)
  14. Tattle Tales (February 1, 1996)
  15. Those Ears, Those Eyes (February 2, 1996)
  16. That's Weird (February 5, 1996)
  17. The Ballad of Davy Cricket (February 6, 1996)
  18. Little Leon, Big Ben (February 7, 1996)
  19. I Scream, You Scream (February 8, 1996)
  20. Skye's Coat (February 9, 1996)
  21. It's Mine (February 12, 1996)
  22. One Big, Happy Family (February 13, 1996)
  23. Leon Grows Up (February 14, 1996)
  24. Cowpokes (February 15, 1996)
  25. Hurricane Julie (February 16, 1996)

Season 3 (1998)
  1. Family Feud (October 19, 1998)
  2. Anything She Can't Do (October 20, 1998)
  3. You Don't Match (October 21, 1998)
  4. To Have and Have Not (October 22, 1998)
  5. Fiesta Follies (October 23, 1998)
  6. Between You and Me (October 26, 1998)
  7. A Star is Burned (October 27, 1998)
  8. Spooky (October 28, 1998)
  9. Up! (December 3, 1998)
  10. I'm Talking to You (December 4, 1998)

Merchandise

During its launch, Sony Wonder released The Puzzle Place on VHS.

VHS
  • Tuned In (10. Spud Buds and 14. Cute is as Cute Does)
  • Rock Dreams (18. Mad Music Magic and 8. Rock Dreams)
  • Rip Van Wrinkle (17. Going by the Book and 3. Rip Van Wrinkle)
  • Deck the Halls
  • Sing-Along Songs
  • Accentuate the Positive (6. Rudy One and 4. Accentuate the Positive)

Broadcasting around the world

Besides the PBS stations in the US, it also aired on TV Cultura in Brazil, Discovery Kids in Latin America, Playhouse Disney in France, Gerje TV in Hungary, RTP in Portugal, ERTU Channel 2 in Egypt, Nickelodeon Greece in Greece, NHK in Japan, Children's BBC in the UK, and ABC Kids in Australia.

Pilot Episodes

In early 1994, two pilot episodes were produced for the series known as "The Puzzle Works". Eventually, the show was renamed "The Puzzle Place" shortly before its premiere months later.

Cancellation

After three seasons and 75 episodes, the show stopped production, but it was seen in reruns until March 31, 2000. It was replaced by Between the Lions the following week. Reruns were aired on TLC's Ready Set Learn channel from June 1, 2000 until February 23, 2003. The Paz Show was introduced the following day.

See also

References
  1. "Lancit Media sees domestic "Puzzle Place" licensing guarantees approaching $12 million; CEO reports "highly promising" early ratings for Lancit/KCET Series at Alex. Brown Media/Communications seminar in NYC". BNET. CNET Networks, Inc. Business Wire. 1995-04-04. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  2. "Citations of Excellence Recipients (1996) RECORDED MEDIA CATEGORY". UNIMA-USA. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  3. Michaelson, Judith (1997-09-05). "KCET Chief Leads Station Into Expansion Era". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  4. "PBS' The Puzzle Place has apparel solved". Discount Store News. accessed through ProQuest. 34 (16). 1995-08-21. ISSN 0012-3587. ProQuest 228443836.
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