Poko
Encyclopedia
Poko is a stop motion
TV series about a young boy, his pet dog, and his toy monkey. Produced in Canada by Halifax Film, a DHX Media Company, Poko began production in 2003 and is now in its third season. Poko is broadcast in Canada on CBC Television
in the Kids' CBC
programming block, and in Australia by ABC
. It is narrated by actor and dancer Cory Bowles
.
Also beneficial to children, the narrator helps Poko to name and understand his feelings, and find appropriate ways to deal with them: for example, on some occasions, when Poko has become angry at Minus, he has gone and given a blast on his tuba to release his frustration. Another common solution is for Poko to give Mr.Murphy a hug. In this way, the show suggests positive methods of dealing with problems.When this happens they usually sing..."hug a monkey...hug him tight...hug him till you feel alright"
In the second season, a new segment was added called "Poko's Playhouse", in which Poko and Minus perform for a stuffed toy audience on a "Grand Ole Opry" type play-stage, with children singing a background song.
, or doing other activities.
who is parodied as Superman
as Mighty Murph can be seen doing a scence which a reference to the Superman (Fielscheir animated series)
.), and flies around to find a solution to his problem. His search is fruitless, and he realizes the best place is just where he is, as his own self with his mother. The stories are told by the narrator.
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
TV series about a young boy, his pet dog, and his toy monkey. Produced in Canada by Halifax Film, a DHX Media Company, Poko began production in 2003 and is now in its third season. Poko is broadcast in Canada on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in the Kids' CBC
Kids' CBC
Kids' CBC is a preschool commercial-free programming block aired weekday mornings on CBC Television.Currently, the hosts of the block are Patty Sullivan and Sid Bobb.-History:...
programming block, and in Australia by ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. It is narrated by actor and dancer Cory Bowles
Cory Bowles
Cory Bowles is a Canadian actor and choreographer.Bowles was born in Montreal and raised in Truro, Nova Scotia. He is an African Nova Scotian with roots amongst Black Loyalists, Maroons and French Colonies....
.
Characters
- Poko is a little boy. Every day he plays in his bedroom, or out in his backyard. Poko, however, has a magic finger. When he says "Poko pippity pop!" he can draw objects, which then become real, by tracing in the air with his finger. Poko often encounters obstacles and gets cranky or upset, but then cheers up with the help of an unseen narrator.
- Minus is Poko's pet dog. He is very playful, and often causes trouble. Although he can't always understand what is going on, he sometimes shows much more human-like behaviour, such as being able to walk on his hind feet, play soccer, or dance. He is named for his ability to erase Poko's creations from existence (when they aren't needed anymore or he doesn't like them) by using his nose like an eraserEraserAn eraser or rubber is an article of stationery that is used for rubbing out pencil markings. Erasers have a rubbery consistency and are often white or pink, although modern materials allow them to be made in any color. Many pencils are equipped with an eraser on one end...
. His silly antics often cause Poko to laugh and say "Silly Minus!"
- Mr. Murphy is Poko's stuffed toy monkey, usually just sits around. He can sometimes be seen to have moved his hands (such as to shrug, or cover his eyes), but is never seen actually moving.
- Bibi is a young girl who is Poko's friend. She comes over sometimes to have a play date with Poko. Bibi can use her magic sticker book in a way that resembles Poko's ability, by opening the book to a sticker of an object and then making that object real.
Main episodes
There are two episodes in each show. The first one is indoors, after Poko wakes up. The second is outdoors, in the garden. In both, Poko encounters a problem, but usually overcomes it after observing a smaller creature (such as a bird, ladybug, worm, etc.) solving a similar problem.Also beneficial to children, the narrator helps Poko to name and understand his feelings, and find appropriate ways to deal with them: for example, on some occasions, when Poko has become angry at Minus, he has gone and given a blast on his tuba to release his frustration. Another common solution is for Poko to give Mr.Murphy a hug. In this way, the show suggests positive methods of dealing with problems.When this happens they usually sing..."hug a monkey...hug him tight...hug him till you feel alright"
In the second season, a new segment was added called "Poko's Playhouse", in which Poko and Minus perform for a stuffed toy audience on a "Grand Ole Opry" type play-stage, with children singing a background song.
Play sequence
These are thirty second shorts where Poko and Minus (and sometimes Mr.Murphy) play against a monocolour background. They may be swimming, surfing, riding an imaginary Roller coasterRoller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
, or doing other activities.
Mighty Murph
In the middle of each show in season one, Poko reads a Mighty Murph story. Each one is made using Macromedia Flash, in cartoon style, and involves a baby Mr. Murphy in some dilemma, such as being hungry, or having nowhere to play. He then imagines he is Mighty Murph (a superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who is parodied as Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
as Mighty Murph can be seen doing a scence which a reference to the Superman (Fielscheir animated series)
Superman (animated short)
Superman is the first in the series of seventeen animated Technicolor short films based upon the DC Comics character Superman. Also known as The Mad Scientist, Superman was produced by Fleischer Studios and released to theaters by Paramount Pictures on September 26, 1941...
.), and flies around to find a solution to his problem. His search is fruitless, and he realizes the best place is just where he is, as his own self with his mother. The stories are told by the narrator.
Show structure
The show follows the same sequence every time:- Title sequence
- Poko wakes up
- Indoor episode
- Play sequence
- Mighty Murph story (season one); Poko's Playhouse (season two)
- Play sequence
- Outdoors episode
- Play sequence
- Ending sequence
Awards
- GeminiGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
- Best Pre-School Program (2004) - ACT Award - Grand Prize (2007)
- ACT Award - Animation Age 3-5 (2007)