The Puzzle Place


The Puzzle Place is an American children's television series produced by KCET in Los Angeles and Lancit Media in New York City. Although production was dated and premiered on two Los Angeles PBS stations, KCET and KLCS, on September 15, 1994, it did not officially premiere on all PBS stations nationwide until January 16, 1995, with its final episode airing on December 4, 1998.

Premise

The series follows a multi-ethnic group of children from different parts of the United States who gather and socialize at a special kids' hangout area known as the Puzzle Place. In each episode, the characters are confronted with an everyday conflict usually encountered in childhood years, such as making moral decisions, sharing, racism and sexism.

Characters

Main

  • Julie Woo is a Chinese-American girl from San Francisco, California. She is very sensitive and caring of her personal possessions and sometimes tries a little too hard. She especially loves singing; although, outside of the show's musical numbers, her voice can have cacophonous to humorous effect.
  • Kiki Flores is a Mexican-American girl from San Antonio, Texas. She is very outgoing and has a temper. She once pretended to be a space alien after being teased about her accent. She is a great chili cook and has a Spanish-speaking cousin named Magdalena who helps everyone to learn about acceptance.
  • Ben Olafson is a Norwegian American boy from a farm near Renner, South Dakota. He doesn't live with both of his parents, but unlike Jody, whose parents are divorced, Ben's father is deceased. He is good at solving difficult puzzles and is a talented dancer. Although normally easygoing and friendly, he can be unforgiving when angered.
  • Leon MacNeal is an African-American boy from New York City. He wears dreadlocks, gets jealous easily, and sometimes does not think before he acts. He is a fan of hip-hop music and loves to play basketball.
  • Skye Nakaiye is a Native American boy from the Fort Apache Indian Reservation of a reservation in Arizona. He often wears a bandana, a yellow coat, and a feather necklace. He is naturally curious and believes in staying true to his values and culture.
  • Jody Silver is a Jewish-American girl from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her parents are divorced, with her mother living in New York City. She does not like to be called names, and can be gullible but is rather enthusiastic.

    Supporting

  • Kyle O'Connor is an Irish-American boy and wheelchair user who appears in some episodes.
  • Weebus is the group's smart talking super-telecomputer that they use to communicate with people outside of the Puzzle Place. She is also capable of performing automated tasks and playing video clips to answer questions.
  • Nuzzle and Sizzle are the pet dog and cat, respectively, at the Puzzle Place. They are seen mostly in the basement, talking to each other, and acting as animals around the kids. They are usually involved in a subplot.
  • The Piece Police are multicolored inhabitants of the Puzzle Place. They communicate amongst themselves using gibberish, although they understand English. It is hinted in some episodes that they all know what Sizzle and Nuzzle are saying. Originally performed by Osbahr, Martin, MacNeal, and Mork, with D'Abruzzo replacing Mork in season 2, and Jacobson and Hardin replacing MacNeal and D'Abruzzo in season 3. D'Abruzzo also provided their singing voices.

    Production

In 1991, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting granted 4.5 million dollars to KCET and Lancit Media to develop programs aimed to children between 2-6. They developed an idea of a multicultural, multi-ethnical puppet show with themes of self-esteem, respect and cooperation called "The Puzzle Factory". In order to receive the grant, the producers had to get $7 million in commitment; $3.5 came from Southern California Edison in partnership with Rebuild LA, in an effort to "heal the community" after the 1992 riots. The remainder of the money came with deals with toy factories and other merchandise manufacturers. To avoid copyright infringement, "The Puzzle Factory" changed name to "The Puzzle Works".

Episodes

Pilot episodes

In early 1994, two pilot episodes were produced for the series known as The Puzzle Works. Eventually, the show was renamed The Puzzle Place shortly before its premiere months later.

Series overview

Season 1 (1995)

Season 2 (1996)

Season 3 (1998)

Broadcast

Reruns aired until March 31, 2000, when the show was replaced by Between the Lions on the schedule lineup. It became one of PBS Kids' most popular series on the line-up since Sesame Street. Besides the PBS stations in the United States, the series also aired on TV Cultura in Brazil, Discovery Kids in Latin America, RTP in Portugal, Israeli Educational Television in Israel, Fox Kids in Scandinavia, Kids Station in Japan, Channel 5 in the UK, and ABC Kids in Australia.

Home media

During its launch, Sony Wonder released The Puzzle Place on VHS.
  • Tuned In
  • Rock Dreams
  • Rip Van Wrinkle
  • Accentuate the Positive
  • Deck The Halls
  • Sing-Along Songs

    Reception

In the weeks after its debut, The Puzzle Place won a great deal of acclaim and "enjoyed an average audience-per-viewing second only to Barney and Friends among shows in the popular PBS daily children's block". It received a citation of excellence from UNIMA-USA for its use of puppetry. In 1997, ten more episodes of the show were "in the works". Toys "R" Us, Sears, and Payless ShoeSource all announced that they would carry merchandising from the series and showcase that merchandise in its own separate "boutique" rather than integrating it with the other products.