The Elephant Show
Encyclopedia
The Elephant Show is a Canadian
children's television show from 1984 until 1988.
, with Paula Gallivan in an elephant
costume. Elephant, who never said a word, was represented by the sound of a tuba
, played by Scott Irvine
. There was never any explanation provided as to why Sharon, Lois and Bram lived together in a house with an elephant or how they were connected to the children they spent time with. The group were usually accompanied by a gang of children and a fun-loving sidekick
, Eric Nagler
.
Almost every episode contained a concert sequence with Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric and the Mammoth Band. They would sing songs and help children with their problems, often incorporating music. In each episode, the group would go on a trip to a new locations, such as the zoo, the hospital, or to a museum. On occasion, the group would stay home but still have an adventure in their yard or in the neighborhood. For example, on one occasion, the group builds a fort in the yard but have a run-in with the grumpy neighbour. Usually, each episode would contain a simple problem such as an argument, a fear or the failure of their plans for the day. The episodes would occasionally include a social lesson, such as the discussion of UNICEF, how to support it and what it does. Sharon, Lois and Bram also appeared in advertisements encouraging parents to vaccinate their children against harmful diseases such as Polio, Rubella and Mumps. Each episode concludes with the singing of the Skinnamarink
Song.
The second and third seasons both aired in 1986. The show aired in Canada for five seasons in total and produced 65 episodes.
The series was also re-broadcast on Nickelodeon
in the United States from September 21, 1987 to October 21, 1994.
After the series ended, Eric Nagler went on to star in his own series, Eric's World
, which was also produced by The Elephant Shows producer, Cambium Productions.
Selected episodes of the show have been released on video tape in Canada. There are currently no plans to release the series on DVD
.
The show also aired in Gibraltar
on GBC TV and in the Republic of Ireland
on RTE.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharonloisandbram
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz-B79Yakrc
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
children's television show from 1984 until 1988.
Summary and Highlights
The Elephant Show featured the adventures of the Canadian singing trio Sharon, Lois & BramSharon, Lois & Bram
Sharon, Lois & Bram is the name of a Canadian children's musical trio composed of Sharon Hampson , Lois Ada Lilienstein , and Bramwell "Bram" Morrison .-Group formation:Sharon Hampson, Lois Lillenstein, and Bram Morrison began their singing...
, with Paula Gallivan in an elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
costume. Elephant, who never said a word, was represented by the sound of a tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, played by Scott Irvine
Scott Irvine
Scott Irvine is a Canadian composer, arranger, and tuba player based in Toronto. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, he has been commissioned to compose works by numerous organizations, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the...
. There was never any explanation provided as to why Sharon, Lois and Bram lived together in a house with an elephant or how they were connected to the children they spent time with. The group were usually accompanied by a gang of children and a fun-loving sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, Eric Nagler
Eric Nagler
Eric Nagler is an American-born musician and television personality known primarily for his work on Canadian children's television series such as The Elephant Show.- Biography :...
.
Almost every episode contained a concert sequence with Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric and the Mammoth Band. They would sing songs and help children with their problems, often incorporating music. In each episode, the group would go on a trip to a new locations, such as the zoo, the hospital, or to a museum. On occasion, the group would stay home but still have an adventure in their yard or in the neighborhood. For example, on one occasion, the group builds a fort in the yard but have a run-in with the grumpy neighbour. Usually, each episode would contain a simple problem such as an argument, a fear or the failure of their plans for the day. The episodes would occasionally include a social lesson, such as the discussion of UNICEF, how to support it and what it does. Sharon, Lois and Bram also appeared in advertisements encouraging parents to vaccinate their children against harmful diseases such as Polio, Rubella and Mumps. Each episode concludes with the singing of the Skinnamarink
Skidamarink
Skidamarink is a very popular children's song with a long history. It was originally the grand finale song of the 1910 Broadway musical, "The Echo." Since the title is gibberish, it has had various spellings over the years....
Song.
The second and third seasons both aired in 1986. The show aired in Canada for five seasons in total and produced 65 episodes.
The series was also re-broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
in the United States from September 21, 1987 to October 21, 1994.
After the series ended, Eric Nagler went on to star in his own series, Eric's World
Eric's World
Eric's World was a children's sitcom, which aired on a number of Canadian networks in 1991–1996, and was produced by Cambium Productions, running for five seasons....
, which was also produced by The Elephant Shows producer, Cambium Productions.
Selected episodes of the show have been released on video tape in Canada. There are currently no plans to release the series on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
The show also aired in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on GBC TV and in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on RTE.
Credits
- Directed by: George Bloomfield, Michael McNarama
- Produced by: Arnie Zipursky, Bruce Glawson
- Associate Producer & Production Manager: Charles Zamaria
- Concert Directed by: Stan Swan
- Music Directors: Joe Hampson, Ray Parker, Paul Mills
- Choreographers: Don Calderwood, Paula Gallivan
- Art Director: Susan Longmire
- Property Masters: Ray Lorenz
- Set Dresser: Ane Christensen
- On-Line Editor: Bob Doughty
- 1st Camera: Simon Darylmple
- Lighting Director: Roger Bate
- Best Boy: Thomas Bate
- Key Grips: Cynthia Darlow
- Music Production Assistant: Randi Hampson
- Animation: Trickett Productions, Inc.
- Multi-Track Remote: Comfort Sound
External links
http://www.paulleary.org/web/Sharon,_Lois_%26_Bram.htmlhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/sharonloisandbram
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz-B79Yakrc