A Little Curious is a children's television show which has aired on HBO Family since 1998, lasting for just two seasons (1998–1999), and (1999-2000). The 23-minute episodes are essentially anthologies of shorts centered on a common, easily digested theme such as "Up and Down" or "Slippery." While each short draws from the same pool of characters, one unique element of the show is that each short may be produced using one of a number of animation techniques, including stop-motion, Flash

Flash

-Book:* Flash fiction, fiction of extreme brevity* The Flash , ongoing comic book featuring the titular DC Comics hero* Flash , a 2004 science fiction novel by L. E...

 animation, traditional 2-D cel animation

Traditional animation

Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...

, and 3-D CGI

Computer-generated imagery

Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...

, along with live-action segments narrated by Bob the Ball. Some of the shorts are designed to fit more than one theme, and are re-used in a number of different episodes.

The show, produced by Curious Pictures

Curious Pictures

Curious Pictures is an American animation studio and multi-media company set in New York City and Santa Monica that creates and produces television programs, commercials, animation and videogames for audiences worldwide....

 and HBO Family (HBO for the first 6 episodes), is aimed at preschoolers. The "pool" of characters, generally based on everyday objects, include:

• Bob the Ball, a boisterous, exuberant bouncing red rubber ball.
• Doris the Door, a door, who, while playful, is easily tired. Doris often talks about her distant childhood.
• Little Cup, a cute, woefully innocent glass cup of fruit punch who spends a lot of time learning about the world around him. He is Bob's best friend.
• Mr. String, a nervous, fussy bit of string who can twist and tie himself into a multitude of shapes. He also bears a striking resemblance to Earthworm Jim
  Earthworm Jim
  Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
  
  .
• Mop, a teenaged, rock music
  Rock music
  Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
  
  -loving mop who often changes her "hairstyle."
• Pad and Pencil, a presumably married drawing pad and pencil couple who constantly fawn over each other through French accents à la Lumiére and Fifi/Babette in Beauty and the Beast
  Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
  Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
  
  .
• Plush, a stuffed dog who is one of Bob's best friends.
• The Shoe Family, a family of pairs of shoes with footwear-themed names such as "Mary Jane
  Mary Jane (shoe)
  Mary Jane is an American term for a strap shoe or bar shoe that typically has low heels, broad and rounded closed toes, and a single-buckle strap across the instep and/or around the ankle...
  
  ." The parents are Mrs. Shoe and Mr. Shoe and the children are Lacey and Mary Jane. In "A Little Curious About Life", they had a baby brother named Booties.

The characters appear to be designed to evoke a sense of familiarity in preschoolers. For instance, young children can see aspects of their own personalities in Bob and Little Cup, observe the family dynamic among the Shoe Family, and perhaps most obviously, see a bit of their grandparents in Doris the door.

Episode list

A Little Curious only aired for 2 original seasons and both included 21 episodes. The title of each episode tells the words or concepts taught in that episode. The shows air in order of the list and then repeat, again, in order. Also, a few segments are repeated in multiple episodes. So, if a child watches this show every day for one month, he/she will have seen every episode. Although the target audience age will enjoy the upbeat personality and colorfully simplistic design of the show again and again. The lessons will also be reinforced with repeated exposure.

Here are the episodes and each of the shorts in order. In total, more than 200 shorts were made.

1. Loud, Soft, Shake (December 5, 1998)

• Too Loud (produced by Daniel Wiser)
• Talk Softly
• Shake It Off
• He's A Plush (music video)
• Soft Shoe
• Milk Shake
• Shoe Business
• Shake Down
• Bob Bounces Back (music video)
• Soft Slumber
• Soft Pillows (live-action)

2. Light, Dark, Bubble (January 11, 1999)

• Night Lights
• Too Light! Too Dark!
• Dark Chocolate (1)
• Making Milk Dark (live-action)
• Dark And Stormy Night
• Bubble Love
• Light Chocolate (2)
• Good Golly, I'm Mop! (music video)
• Fish Bubbles
• Light as a Feather
• The Shoe Family Song (music video)
• Soda Bubbles
• Bubble Bath
• He's A Plush (music video)
• Light Day, Dark Night

3. Near, Far, Swing (December 12, 1998)

• Don't Come Too Near (1)
• A Game Too Far (part 1)
• The Pad and Pencil Tango (music video)
• Stand Far (2)
• Swing on a Swing
• On Many Swings (live-action)
• A Game Too Far (part 2)
• The Swing
• Farther Back (3)
• Feelin' Groovy (music video)
• Swingin' With Mr. String
• Swing the Pinata (live-action)
• Stand Really Far Back (4)

4. Slippery, Sticky, Mirror (December 19, 1998)

• Slippery When Wet
• Slippery
• Sticky Paws
• Sticky Stuck
• Bob Bounces Back (music video)
• Just Like Looking In a Mirror (Inchworm)
• Mop's Mirror (part 1)
• Mr. String Looks In a Mirror
• Mop's Mirror (part 2)
• Just Like Looking In a Mirror (Fish Bubbles)
• Slipping, Sliding Plush!
• Slippery Skating (live-action)
• Sticky Shoes (puppets)
• Hot and Sticky
• He's A Plush (music video)
• Mop's Mirror (part 3)

5. Above, Below, Cover (December 26, 1998)

• Apple Above (Shake Down)
• The View From Above
• Above and Beyond
• Echo Below
• Above The Clouds (live-action)
• Uh-Oh, Little Cup (music video)
• Under the Covers
• Covering Blankets (live-action)
• Cover Your Eyes
• Undercover Cup
• Bob Bounces Back (music video)
• Cover It Up
• Covered In The Rain (live-action)
• Covered With Kisses

6. Front, Back, Side (January 2, 1999)

• The Back of the Book
• Both Sides Now (produced by Lynn Tomlinson
  Lynn Tomlinson
  Lynn Tomlinson is an award winning animator, documentarian and sculptor focusing on community arts. She is the director of Summer Kitchen Studio, and lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband, Craig J Saper, and her family...
  
  )
• Sidekick

7. Swing, Cover, Shake (January 9, 1999)

• Swing on a Swing
• On Many Swings (live-action)
• The Swing
• Under the Covers
• The Shoe Family Song (music video)
• Cover Your Eyes
• Undercover Cup
• Cover It Up
• Swingin' With Mr. String
• Swing the Pinata (live-action)
• Shake Down
• Milk Shake
• Shake It Off!
• Covered with Kisses

8. Rough, Smooth, Picture (January 16, 1999)

• Rough and Smooth Skating
• Rough Sailing
• Tugboat (live-action)
• A Picture for Doris
• Smooth Out The Edges
• Moving Pictures
• Oh, Boy! (music video)
• Picture Perfect (Mr. String Looks In A Mirror)
• Rough Day
• Rough Sketch
• He's A Plush (music video)
• Rough, Rough (produced by Joe Byrnes)

9. Open, Close, Ring (January 23, 1999)

• Open Up Nut
• Open And Closed Case
• Three-Ringed Circus
• My Life Is An Open Book
• The Case of The Loud Ring
• Ring-a-Ding
• Liberty Bell (live-action)
• Ring Around The Rosie
• Good Golly, I'm Mop! (music video)
• Ring Toss
• Closed for Monkey Business
• A Ring Is Not A Ring
• Opening Announcement

10. Bubble, Picture, Mirror (January 30, 1999)

• Bubble Love
• A Picture For Doris
• Mop's Mirror (part 1)
• Fish Bubbles
• Moving Pictures
• Mop's Mirror (part 2)
• Soda Bubbles
• Bubble Bath
• Mop's Mirror (part 3)

11. Thick, Thin, Twist (February 6, 1999)

• Thick Around the Middle
• Thick Fog
• Doing the Thin Thing (music video)

12. First, Last, Step (February 13, 1999)

• First Thing (1)
• Get There First
• Sack Race (live-action)
• First Star
• Giant Step
• Mother May I (live-action)
• First Aid (Covered with Kisses)
• Bob Bounces Back (music video)
• One Small Step
• Last Thing (2)

13. Ring, Twist, Step (February 20, 1999)

• Twisting a Balloon (live-action)

14. Empty, Full, Pop (February 27, 1999)

15. Same, Different, Beat (March 5, 1999)

• We Got The Beat

16. Fast, Slow, Spin (March 12, 1999)

• Slow and Steady Wins The Race
• Fast Eater

17. Long, Short, Roll (March 19, 1999)

• Long Jump
• Long Story
• Short Story
• Long Long, Short Short Short!
• Rolling the Dough
• Rolling Out Play-Doh (live-action)
• Roll Call
• The Long Yawn

18. Bob the Ball (March 26, 1999)

• Bob Bounces Back (snippets)
• Sticky Stuck
• Echo Below
• Rough Sailing
• Bubble Bath
• Bubble Love
• Rough Day
• Undercover Cup
• Open and Shut Case (Case of The Loud Ring)
• Sidekick
• The Back Of The Book
• Good Night Bob
• Note: This episode is narrated by Doris the Door instead of Bob the Ball unlike the other episodes. Also there are no live-action segments.

19. Roll, Spin, Pop (April 4, 1999)

• Spin the Tail on the Donkey

20. Warm, Cool, Heart (April 11, 1999)

• Playing by Heart

21. Plush (April 18, 1999)

22. Still, Move, Train (April 25, 1999)

• Potty Training

23. Spring, Fall, Turn (May 2, 1999)

24. High, Low, Stretch (May 9, 1999)

• High Jump
• How Low Can You Go?
• He's A Plush (music video)
• Rubber Band Stretch
• Doing the Thin Thing (music video)
• High Flyer
• Seventh Inning Stretch
• Uh-Oh, Little Cup (music video)
• High Chair, Low Chair
• Stretch Your Imagination (produced by Alex Sasha)

25. Side, Stretch, Turn (May 16, 1999)

• Stretch Your Imagination

26. Top, Bottom, Jump (September 20, 1999)

• Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top
• Tight, Twist Top
• The Bottom of the Box
• Way Down At The Bottom (produced by Funline Animation)
• High Jump
• Top That!
• I'm Jumpy (music video)
• Watch Her Jump
• Jump Like A Frog (produced by Alex Sasha)
• The Bottom of the Pit
• Jack Jumps Over the Candlestick

27. Over, Under, Balance (September 27, 1999)

• Get Over It
• You Over Me, Me Over You (Jump Like A Frog)
• Over the River and Through the Woods
• Under Water
• The Plush Dance (music video)
• Under The Boardwalk
• Balancing Act
• Under The Big Top (Watch Her Jump)
• Balanced Diet
• Love That Shoe (music video)
• Jack Jumps Over the Candlestick
• Over & Out

28. Drop, Lift, Flat (October 5, 1999)

• Don't Drop It
• So Quiet, you can hear a pin drop (Talk Softly)
• Lift Me Up
• Flat Dough
• Flat Stones
• Drip, Drop
• Lift Your Spirits
• Flat Is Where It's At
• Mary Jane & Lacey's Song (music video)
• Raindrops Keep Falling On Our Heads

29. Tight, Loose, Squeeze (October 12, 1999)

• Tight, Twist Top
• Tight Fit
• Loose Pants
• Squeeze From The Bottom
• Tie the Bow Tight
• A Loose Screw
• Hold On Tight
• The Plush Dance (music video)
• Squeeze A Little Music
• Loosen Up
• Sing It Again, Mop! (live-action refrain of the previous segment)
• Sleep Tight
• Squeeze Band

30. Hit, Miss, Bump (October 19, 1999)

• The Hit (1)
• Hit the Bell, Win A Prize
• The Miss (2)
• You Missed Me!
• The Bump (3)
• Don't Bump Into That!
• Missing You
• Mop's Safari (music video)
• Do the Bump
• You Missed (edited version of "Ring Toss")
• Hit The Hay

31. Work, Play, Skip (October 26, 1999)

• Work Your Way to the Top
• Games We Like To Play (snippet music video)
• A Good Play
• Flat Is Where It's At (music video)
• Play Pinball
• Going To Work With Mommy
• It's Not Working
• I've Been Working On The Railroad (produced by Olo Sroczynski)
• Play The Piano (Playing by Heart)

32. Hard, Easy, Change (November 2, 1999)

• Try Harder
• Hard to Lift (Weight Lifter)
• Easy for You
• Easy for Me
• Change Your Mind
• Presto Change-O
• Easy Does It
• Card Tower (live-action)
• Swing, Doris Swing! (music video)
• Hard Bagel
• The School Of Hard Knocks
• How Times Change

33. New, Old, Dance (November 9, 1999)

• New Names
• Old Dog, New Tricks
• Square Dance
• Old Toys

34. Lead, Follow, Act (November 16, 1999)

• Lead the Way
• Follow the Leader
• Take Us To Your Leader
• Follow The Bouncing Ball (music video)
• Follow The Act
• Act Surprised!
• Leader of the Pack

35. Win, Lose, Tie (November 23, 1999)

• Win, Lose or Tie! (part 1)
• Slow And Steady Wins The Race
• Don't Lose Your Cool
• Win, Lose or Tie! (part 2)
• Winning Smile (snippet music video)
• Win, Lose or Tie! (part 3)

36. Push, Pull, Rock (November 30, 1999)

• Push Me!
• Pushing the Envelope
• Pulling Together (1)
• Rocking Horse Cowboy
• Pull Me Closer!
• Pushing Together (2)
• Don't Rock The Boat
• The Pulley
• Rock Around the Clock

37. Jump, Flat, Squeeze (December 14, 1999)

38. Hard, Work, Bump (December 21, 1999)

39. Mop (December 28, 1999)

• Good Golly, I'm Mop (music video)
• Under the Covers
• How Low Can You Go?
• Balanced Diet
• Potty Training
• Spin the Tail on the Donkey
• Shake it Off
• Missing You
• Mop's Safari (music video)
• Fast Eater
• Sleep Tight
• Slumberland (Soft Slumber)

40. Balance, Skip, Rock (January 4, 2000)

• Balancing Act

41. Push, Over, Top (January 11, 2000)

42. Drop, Loose, Change (January 18, 2000)

43. A Little Curious About Life (May 5, 2000)

• Beautiful Day
• Beginning of Life
• Full of Life
• A Seed Needs Water (1)
• I Got Life
• A Seed Needs Sunshine (2)
• I Will Love You For The Rest Of My Life
• A Seed Needs Time To Grow (3)
• I Am What I Am
• Love of My Life
• Life Is But A Dream

External links

• Curious Pictures
• A Little Curious at HBO Family
• A few shorts from the series
• A Little Curious at The Internet Movie Database