Peep and the Big Wide World
Encyclopedia
Peep and the Big Wide World is an animated cartoon
that teaches nature
and basic science
concepts to preschoolers. The main characters include a baby chicken
named Peep and his friends Quack, a blue duck
, and Chirp, a red robin
with purple eyelids. The current show, narrated by Joan Cusack
is based on a National Film Board of Canada
cartoon short of the same name, created in 1988 by Kaj Pindal and narrated by Peter Ustinov
. The original short comprised three 10-minute films featuring Peep, Quack, and Chirp as they meet a cat, a ladybug, a turtle and a frog who speaks from both sides of his mouth.
The show is produced by WGBH
(PBS) in Boston
and 9 Story Entertainment
in Toronto
. In the US, this show formerly aired on PBS Kids
on WGBH-TV
as part of its commercial-free and sponsor-free "Ready, Set, Learn!" programming block. In Canada, it airs on TVOntario
. DVDs and books are also available for purchase. Peep and the Big Wide World is currently sponsored by the National Science Foundation
in conjunction with WGBH-TV as part of an education and outreach program. The principal investigator is Kate Taylor, also of the ZOOM
block. The National Science Foundation is the only permanent sponsor of the show. The Carnegie Corporation of New York
and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
funded the show for only season two. The Discovery Kids Foundation funded the show for only season one.
Peep (voiced by Scott Beaudin) is a chick who lives in a can near a trash dump. Chirp (Amanda Soha) is a young, hydrophobic
robin living on a nearby tree branch. Several episodes depict her trying to learn to fly. Quack (Jamie Watson), the oldest of the three, is a duck who lives in a nearby pond. Quack often mentions his high opinion of ducks. Chirp is often depicted as the most out-spoken of the trio, often pointing out mistakes made by Quack and Peep. Peep is depicted as a kind, but wide-eyed character, easily becoming distracted by falling leaves, sunflowers, new noises, and the like.
Episodes consist of two 9 minute animated segments, each followed by a 2 minute live-action segment. Occasionally, networks such as TVO will use individual segments as filler for commercial-free programming.
.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
that teaches nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
and basic science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
concepts to preschoolers. The main characters include a baby chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
named Peep and his friends Quack, a blue duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
, and Chirp, a red robin
American Robin
The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
with purple eyelids. The current show, narrated by Joan Cusack
Joan Cusack
Joan Mary Cusack is an American film, stage and television actress. Throughout her career, Cusack has appeared in many films as well as appearing in stage productions....
is based on a National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
cartoon short of the same name, created in 1988 by Kaj Pindal and narrated by Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
. The original short comprised three 10-minute films featuring Peep, Quack, and Chirp as they meet a cat, a ladybug, a turtle and a frog who speaks from both sides of his mouth.
The show is produced by WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
(PBS) in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and 9 Story Entertainment
9 Story Entertainment
9 Story Entertainment is a Canadian animation studio founded in 2002. It produced the third and fourth season of Max and Ruby, Almost Naked Animals, Wild Kratts, Best Ed, the 5th season of Jacob Two-Two, Peep and the Big Wide World, the first 7 episodes of Pound Puppies, Wibbly Pig, and Arthur,...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In the US, this show formerly aired on PBS Kids
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
on WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
as part of its commercial-free and sponsor-free "Ready, Set, Learn!" programming block. In Canada, it airs on TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
. DVDs and books are also available for purchase. Peep and the Big Wide World is currently sponsored by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
in conjunction with WGBH-TV as part of an education and outreach program. The principal investigator is Kate Taylor, also of the ZOOM
ZOOM
ZOOM is an American educational television show, created almost entirely by children, which aired on PBS originally from January 3, 1972 to 1978...
block. The National Science Foundation is the only permanent sponsor of the show. The Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
funded the show for only season two. The Discovery Kids Foundation funded the show for only season one.
Overview
Young viewers follow Peep, Chirp, and Quack as they investigate and explore the world around them. Following the 9-minute animated segment, there is a 2-minute live-action segment with children exploring and demonstrating the same topic presented in the animated segment. Animation consists of bright colors and simple shapes.Peep (voiced by Scott Beaudin) is a chick who lives in a can near a trash dump. Chirp (Amanda Soha) is a young, hydrophobic
Hydrophobe
In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule that is repelled from a mass of water....
robin living on a nearby tree branch. Several episodes depict her trying to learn to fly. Quack (Jamie Watson), the oldest of the three, is a duck who lives in a nearby pond. Quack often mentions his high opinion of ducks. Chirp is often depicted as the most out-spoken of the trio, often pointing out mistakes made by Quack and Peep. Peep is depicted as a kind, but wide-eyed character, easily becoming distracted by falling leaves, sunflowers, new noises, and the like.
Season 1 episodes
(This list is incomplete)Episodes consist of two 9 minute animated segments, each followed by a 2 minute live-action segment. Occasionally, networks such as TVO will use individual segments as filler for commercial-free programming.
| # | Original Airdate | Title | Plot/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1-1 | April 12, 2004 | "Spring Thing" | At the end of winter Peep, Quack, and Chirp find a flower that which they believe to be the last one in the world, and try to protect it. |
| "Springy Thingy" | Peep, Quack, and Chirp learn about springs when they encounter a frog, a spring mattress, and a jack-in-the-box Jack-in-the-box A jack-in-the-box is a children's toy that outwardly consists of a box with a crank. When the crank is turned, it plays a melody, often "Pop Goes the Weasel". At the end of the tune there is a "surprise", the lid pops open and a figure, usually a clown or jester, pops out of the box... . |
||
| 2/1-2 | April 13, 2004 | "A Duck's Tale" | After meeting a skunk Skunk Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora... for the very first time, Quack is inspired to examine the various defenses that many animals have. |
| "Quack's Tracks" | On the first snowy day of Winter, Peep loses Quack and uses his tracks to find him. | ||
| 3/1-3 | April 14, 2004 | "Quack and the Very Big Rock" | The birds learn about leverage when Quack gets frustrated by a large rock in his way of visiting Peep. |
| "Shadow Play" | The birds discover their shadows and how they change with the movement of the sun. | ||
| 4/1-4 | April 15, 2004 | "Current Events" | Peep borrows a toy boat from Nellie's yard and sets off with Chirp for Green Island where Quack is visiting. |
| "Quack Loses his Hat" | In order to save Quack, who's stuck inside a pickle jar, Peep must figure out how to float a duck. | ||
| 5/1-5 | April 15, 2004 | "Night Lights" | When Quack wakes up too early, he thinks the sun is gone, but afraid that the sun forgot to rise, he and Peep find a flashlight. |
| "Sounds Like..." | Peep and Chirp get lost, but use a variety of sounds to find their way home. | ||
| 6/1-6 | April 19, 2004 | "The Windy Day" | A windy day helps Chirp to "fly", but she discovers it isn't as easy as it looks. |
| "Peep Feet" | The birds learn about the benefit of standard measurement. | ||
| 7/1-7 | April 20, 2004 | "Newton's Big Adventure" | Newton explores his surroundings. |
| "Peep Crosses the Road" | Peep decides to cross a road to find the answer to "Why did the chicken crossed the road?". | ||
| 8/1-8 | April 21, 2004 | "Stormy Weather" | Peep's first encounter with thunder and lightning. |
| "Peep in Rabbitville" | Peep learns about a rabbit's perspective on life. | ||
| 9/1-9 | April 22, 2004 | "Quack's Stuck Stick" | Peep discovers a beaver dam and a young, toothy beaver, while Quack loses his favorite stick. |
| "Peep's Can" | Peep searches for a house he can call home. |
Chirp Flies the Coop
Chirp tries to decide whether to go south with Robin, or stay and face another winter.The Many Moons of Quack the Duck
Quack insists that there are many moons in the sky — the day moon, the night moon, and so on.Meeting Halfway
Newton is delighted to learn of another turtle and the birds arrange a meeting.The Mystery of the Thing That Went and Came Back
Peep accidentally sets sail in the Good Ship Easter Egg.Peep Feet
The birds learn that a step means one thing to a cat, another thing to a rabbit, and something else altogether to a Peep.Quack Hatches an Egg
Quack decides that a baby duck would make his pond even more perfect than it already is.Stick With Me
Peep goes in search of his favorite (lost) dandelion seed, and discovers that the world is full of sticky things.That's a Cat
It's Peep's first day on earth, and all the other animals gather round to teach him about cats.There's No Place Like Home
Quack sets out to prove that his pond is the best and biggest pond in all the world.Who Stole the Big Wide World?
The birds wake up to find the world is gray and everything in it is gone, only that Chip knows that it's actually a foggy day.The Lurmies Are Coming
Quack alerts Peep and Chirp that they must build an elevated path to escape the dreaded, lurking Lurmies.An Inconvenient Tooth, Part 1
Beaver Boy cuts down too many trees, and the birds need him to stop doing that.Quack's Square Deal
Chirp is collecting things that are square, so Quack starts a collection with pointy tips.Characters
- Peep: A curious and easily distracted 5-year-old chick, who lives in a tin can that somebody littered, and is a good friends with Chirp and Quack.
- Quack: A duck-loving and vain 8-year-old duck who acts as a leader to Chirp and mostly Peep and lives in a typical pond and wears a sailor's hat.
- Chirp: A young but realistic 6-year-old robin who lives in a short tree and rolls her eyes at Quack, but is a good friend to Peep. She appears to be hydrophobic.
Minor Characters
- Beaver Boy: A young, eager beaverBeaverThe beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
who lives in a dammed pond down-stream from Quack's pond. - Newton: A relaxed male turtleTurtleTurtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
who lives under an apple tree and is the oldest, wisest animal around. - Fish Junior: An innocent fishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
who lives under the water in Quack's pond and idolizes Quack. - Hoot: A terrifying but polite owlOwlOwls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
who lives in the Deep Dark Woods. She's friendly with Peep and Chirp, but not with Quack. - Beaver Dad: Beaver Boy's firm dad.
- Beaver Mom: Beaver Boy's friendly mom.
- Nellie: A knowledgeable dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
who lives in a doghouse, which is a great discovery hall for Peep, Chirp, and Quack. - The Rabbits: Three shy but frisky rabbits who once met an intruder named Peep.
- Squeak: A disturbed mouseMouseA mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
who lives under a discarded brick and always comes up out of it when she hears something dangerous. - Squirrel: A perky squirrelSquirrelSquirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
who lives in an oak tree and speaks in signs and squeaks. - Tom: A mischievous catCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
who often causes trouble for Peep, Chirp, and Quack. - Skunk: A rude skunkSkunkSkunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
that bothers Quack by drinking water from his pond and usually responds with "whatever". - The Ants: A group of busy ants that desperately look for food most of the time.
- Quack 2 (voiced by Megan Mullally): A snobby, entitled pink female duck who lives in a pond built by Peep, Chirp, Quack, Beaver Boy, Beaver Dad, and Beaver Mom.
- Robin (voiced by Holly Hunter): An adult robin who lives in a tree next to a puddle and was Chirp's teacher for a while.
- Willow: A relaxed (not quite as much as Newton) female turtle who lives under a willow tree and is the second-oldest, second-wisest animal around.
- The Blue Jays: Two high spirited male blue jaysBlue JayThe Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
that annoy Peep, Quack and Chirp.
Music composition
Music for Peep and the Big Wide World is composed by Terry Tompkins and Steve D'Angelo, from Eggplant. The opening theme is performed by Taj MahalTaj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
.
External links
- Peep and the Big Wide World (Current series) at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Peep and the Big Wide World (1988) at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Kaj Pindal at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Peep and the Big Wide World Official website
- WGBH
- 9 Story Entertainment
- National Science Foundation grant information
- Watch the original Peep and the Big Wide World at NFB.ca
- Read Goodman Research Group's executive summary of the Peep website evaluation