PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch

The PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch was a Saturday morning preschool television block co-produced by Canada-based studio Nelvana that aired on PBS from September 30, 2000, until September 5, 2004. It typically aired on weekend mornings, depending on station preference and scheduling. The six animated programs that aired on the Bookworm Bunch were all based on children's books: Corduroy, Elliot Moose, Timothy Goes to School, Seven Little Monsters, George Shrinks, and Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse.

History

In August 1999, PBS partnered with Nelvana to create the network's first-ever animated weekend programming block. It was created to increase viewership of the preschool audience on weekends, specifically on Saturday mornings when that attention was shifted elsewhere; many PBS stations devoted their Saturday morning schedules to general audience programming, including crafting or do-it-yourself shows, meanwhile commercial networks had extensive lineups for Saturday morning cartoons. A proposed series called Junior Kroll and Company was part of original plans for the new block, but that idea was eventually canceled and replaced by Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse. This and the other five series were all based on children's books, a theme that was inspired by a PBS-commissioned study from the University of Kansas that demonstrated the idea that children can learn to read from television programs. Upon its launch on September 30, 2000, the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch became the second preschool-oriented, Saturday morning block on broadcast television after Nick Jr. on CBS, which premiered two weeks before and replaced CBS Kidshow. Although PBS intended on the block to be broadcast on Saturdays.
During the block's first season, all the shows were shown either 15 or 45 minutes past the hour, in an effort to discourage "channel surfing" to other competing children's animated programming. Another 15-minute Corduroy episode then ended the block, making its total runtime three hours. The PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch proved to be extremely popular in its first season, and weekend viewership increased dramatically. The first season ended on February 24, 2001, with reruns continuing until October 27, 2001.
In the first season, the six shows on the weekend lineup aired in reruns and continued until October 27, 2001. The second season premiered on November 3, 2001, and with this premiere came with some changes. Corduroy and Elliot Moose were both removed from the lineup entirely, thus shortening the block to two hours. The four remaining series were instead seen on the hour and half-hour. Timothy Goes to School and Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse both ended production by late 2001. The second season ended on January 26, 2002.
Following the second season of the block, two shows became separate, standalone series. This included new episodes of Seven Little Monsters and George Shrinks starting on January 6, 2003, in addition to the 2002 version of The Berenstain Bears. The new episodes of Seven Little Monsters were 15 minutes, instead of the original 30 minutes, and were aired immediately after The Berenstain Bears in the same half-hour timeslot. However, Seven Little Monsters was canceled not long after and PBS eventually aired two 15-minute episodes of The Berenstain Bears back-to-back beginning on September 15, 2003. George Shrinks was given its own half-hour timeslot, in which it also proved to be hugely popular. Given the success of these shows, many PBS stations carried them on their weekday schedule.
Reruns of the second season of the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch block continued airing on weekends on select PBS stations and the PBS Kids Channel until September 5, 2004. Around this time, there were many new additions coming to the PBS weekend morning lineup and the new, preteen-aimed PBS Kids Go! block premiered in 2004. That is, in addition to The Berenstain Bears. All of them effectively replaced the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch. Meanwhile, many PBS stations continued airing reruns of the individual standalone series on the weekday lineup.
After the PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch block was discontinued, most of the series aired on other commercial networks internationally. In the United States, cable channel Discovery Kids aired reruns of Timothy Goes to School from 2004 until 2006, and Ion's 24-hour Qubo channel aired reruns of Elliot Moose, Timothy Goes to School, and Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse as part of its daily programming. In Canada, BBC Kids aired reruns of George Shrinks until its closure on December 31, 2018, and YTV formerly aired reruns of Seven Little Monsters until 2005. The UK channel Tiny Pop aired reruns of Timothy Goes to School until 2017.

Interstitial music videos

Music videos aired at the end of each program before the credits. These music videos featured scenes from all of the shows with musical accompaniment. Each of the songs was performed by American children's music artist Nancy Cassidy, appearing on three KidsSongs albums released between 1986 and 1992 by Klutz.

Season 1 (2000–2001)

Corduroy – "Boom, Boom, Ain't It Great to Be Crazy?"
Elliot Moose – "You Gotta Sing"
Timothy Goes to School – "Rig a Jig Jig"
Seven Little Monsters – "La Bamba"
George Shrinks – "You Gotta Sing"
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse – "Rig a Jig Jig"
Corduroy – "Skidamarink"
Season 2 (2001–2002)
Timothy Goes to School – "Friends Are Special"
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse – "La Bamba"
Seven Little Monsters – "This Little Light of Mine"
George Shrinks – "Boom, Boom, Ain't It Great to Be Crazy?"
Programming

Former programming

Original programming

The first season of the Bookworm Bunch block ran for three hours, and the second season ran for two hours.

Title	Premiere date	End date	Notes	Source
Corduroy	September 30, 2000	October 27, 2001
Elliot Moose	September 30, 2000	October 27, 2001
Timothy Goes to School	September 30, 2000	September 5, 2004
Seven Little Monsters	September 30, 2000	September 5, 2004
George Shrinks	September 30, 2000	September 5, 2004
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse	September 30, 2000	September 5, 2004

Standalone programming

The most successful series from the weekend Bookworm Bunch block aired separately five days a week, and joined Berenstain Bears as standalone programs.

Title	Premiere date	End date	Notes	Source
Berenstain Bears & Seven Little Monsters	January 6, 2003	September 14, 2003	Reruns of this 30-minute program continued on select stations until 2004.
George Shrinks	January 6, 2003	January 23, 2003	Reruns continued on select stations until 2009.
The Berenstain Bears	September 15, 2003	September 10, 2004	Reruns continued on select stations until 2025.