I have to lament about this on here. I'm an absolute huge Bear in the Big Blue House fanatic, and have been since I was just a year old. For those of you who don't know about this series, let me kindly explain.
Bear in the Big Blue House is a children's series that began airing in October of 1997 on Disney Channel, part of the then-recently launched Playhouse Disney block. The show features (you guessed it) a big blue house. Living in that house? A big bear, a mouse named Tutter, two otters named Pip and Pop, a lemur named Treelo, and a female bear cub named Ojo. Of course, they're all muppets, so they talk, they're anthropomorphic, and well...I've said it all.
Here is the basics of an episode:
So after the theme song, Bear opens the door to find you (the viewer) waiting outside. He invites you in. Of course, bears have a good sense of smell, so he sniffs you and tells you what you smell like today (ex. honey, because you've had toast with honey this morning). Then again, you smell this good all the time. So anyways, after about five minutes, we get a theme lesson for the episode (ex. sleep), and we usually get a song (thanks goodness it's Noel MacNeal playing Bear, he's great!). Then usually, we get a brief "What Do You Think?" segment featuring real kids answering certain questions.
More stuff goes on in the episode, and at the end of the day, Bear invites you to the attic to see a very special friend--the moon named Luna (voiced by Lynne Thigpen). They share what went on today in the Big Blue House, afterwards, we get a goodbye song. Finally, Bear shares a final thought for the day, and the credits roll.
Now let me share my recollection with this series as a whole:
When I was about a year old, learning how to walk, I was also an expert of using the remote. I'd be at my grandparents' house (which is now where I'm living at), and I would often change channels on them. At one point, I switched to the Disney Channel, and this program was on featuring a big bear (which is really a muppet). For some odd reason, I ended up getting into that series. Eventually, I got my grandparents into this show and they starting recording some tapes for me (I still have them) so I could rewatch the episodes.
My grandmother had a coffee table somewhere in the middle of the living room, and when I was very little, I would stand on top it and jump around while watching Bear in the Big Blue House. I did this so much that eventually I broke that table, and it has found a new home in our chilly basement!
Overall, this show was a self-obsession from the start. It had good characters, good songs, good lessons, and overall the perfection of what a children's program should be. While I had other favorite shows from the Disney Channel and others, this was my #1 favorite program back then, and it still is today for me. I recommend it to anyone who misses their own childhood memories and want to relive them.
Speaking of which, I was sort of like this as well with Wheel of Fortune for a little bit too. If I missed a single minute of it, I'd literally have a hysterical meltdown!
Oh well. Later!
