Oobi

This show has a wiki of its own: Oobi Wiki

Oobi
Genre	Puppetry, comedy, family
Type	Original series
First aired	April 7, 2003 (half-hour program)
Last aired	March 18, 2013
Block	Daytime block
Featured in	Commercial breaks (shorts) Television runs (episodes)
Company	Little Airplane Productions Noggin LLC

Oobi is one of Noggin's original series. It is a show about a group of bare-hand puppets exploring the world for the first time. The show started out as a short-form series shown during commercial breaks, and it was later turned into a long-form show.

The show's writers, directors, and cast members were all longtime Sesame Street crew members. The show's concept is based on a technique used by puppeteers learning to lip-sync, in which they use their bare hands and a pair of ping-pong ball eyes instead of a full puppet.

Oobi is Noggin's longest-running series, both in terms of years and episodes. It is also the only show from Noggin's first incarnation to last throughout the channel's entire run. It started in the summer of 2000 with a season of two-minute interstitials. On April 7, 2003, the series was expanded into a half-hour program, which aired its last new episode in 2005. The show kept airing in reruns until Noggin closed in 2009. It has 48 shorts and 52 long-form episodes: a total of 100 individual stories.

History

The show was created by Josh Selig, a former writer and child actor on Sesame Street. He also created a company called Little Airplane Productions, which is famous for Oobi and The Wonder Pets, among others. The puppeteer cast of Oobi includes some of the most accomplished Muppet performers in history, including Kevin Clash (the original Elmo) and Matt Vogel (the current Big Bird and Kermit the Frog).

The show was also briefly seen on the main Nickelodeon channel. In 2002, Nickelodeon played some of the shorts during commercial breaks on weekday mornings. On April 7, 2003, four of the show's long-form episodes (two half-hours) premiered on Nickelodeon as sneak peeks.

Oobi was on the Noggin app from 2015 until 2020, and Paramount Plus from 2021 until 2024.

Story

The show is set in a small, quaint, old-fashioned town where hand puppets live and act like people. The main characters are a young boy named Oobi, his sister Uma, his friend Kako, and his grandpa Grampu. Uma is overdramatic and tends to react in funny, extreme ways to little changes in her routine. Kako is laid-back and a jokester at heart, but he can also get jealous when he's left out of things. In each episode, Oobi learns more about an everyday thing or goes somewhere for the first time.

Characters

See Oobi Wiki's list of characters for more info.

• Tim Lagasse as Oobi, a four-year-old boy.
• Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Uma, Oobi's sister, and Inka, Oobi's piano teacher.
• Noel MacNeal as Kako, Oobi's best friend and neighbor.
• Tyler Bunch as Grampu, Oobi and Uma's grandpa.
• Matt Vogel as Angus, a nerdy friend of Oobi's.
• Cheryl Blaylock as Frieda, a talking foot puppet.
• Kevin Clash as Randy, Oobi and Uma's babysitter.

Series

Season 1 (shorts)

#	Title	Summary
1	Slide!	Oobi rides down a slide with Uma at the playground.
2	Follow the Leader!	The kids play "follow the leader," but Uma does all of the moves backward.
3	Pretend Catch!	Oobi and Kako play a game of catch with an imaginary ball.
4	Peekaboo!	Oobi and Uma sign up for a dance class but have trouble mastering their new dance routine.
5	Tag!	Uma feels left out when Oobi and Kako play tag without her.
6	Dance!	Each of the kids takes a turn dancing to a different genre of music.
7	Share Pretzels!	Oobi shares his pretzels with Uma and Kako, who end up eating them all.
8	Watermelon!	Uma finds a giant watermelon in the kitchen and tries to eat it.
9	Soup!	Uma's soup is too hot, so Oobi and Kako help blow on it until it's cold.
10	Hot Dog and Ketchup!	Kako helps out when Oobi has trouble squeezing ketchup out of its bottle.
11	Empty and Full!	Oobi and Uma drink orange juice out of a tiny cup and a huge pitcher.
12	Popcorn!	Oobi and Kako pretend to be popcorn by "popping" up and down.
13	Worm!	Uma is scared of a worm in the garden, so Kako helps her get over her fear.
14	Apple Picking!	Oobi, Uma, and Kako use teamwork to reach an apple at the local orchard.
15	Pretend Wind!	Oobi and Kako pretend to be the wind by blowing on each other.
16	Dig!	Oobi and Uma dig in the garden.
17	Hide and Seek!	When Kako becomes frustrated with a game of tee-ball, Oobi helps show him the basics of the game.
18	Nature!	Uma asks Grampu what nature means, so he shows her flowers, trees, and birds.
19	Music!	Uma wants to join Oobi and Kako when they make music with a soup can and a bottle.
20	Guitar!	Oobi and Kako use teamwork to play a guitar.
21	Bongo Drums!	Grampu plays a beat on a pair of bongo drums, and Uma tries to play along.
22	Quiet Read!	Oobi tries to read a book, but Uma's loud music interrupts him.
23	Clap Hands!	Oobi and Uma try to clap their hands together.
24	Painting!	Uma poses for Oobi while he uses finger paints to draw a portrait of her.
25	Macaroni Jewelry!	Oobi, Uma, and Kako put on a fashion show with jewelry made from macaroni.
26	Paint Shapes!	Oobi and Kako use sponges to paint different shapes.
27	Pinch Pot!	Oobi helps Uma make a pinch pot out of clay.
28	Drawing Game!	Grampu and Oobi play a charades-style drawing game.
29	Neighborhood Art!	Oobi makes a model of a neighborhood, and he gives Uma a tour of each building.
30	Toothpaste!	Oobi and Kako try to figure out how to open a tube of toothpaste.
31	Wet and Dry!	Grampu dries Uma off after her bath, and then she splashes Grampu and dries him off.
32	Bubble Bath!	Oobi and Kako take a bubble bath, and they use bubbles to pretend to be different creatures.
33	Feelings!	Oobi acts out different emotions in the mirror.
34	Cake!	Grampu makes cake for Oobi and Kako, but they need to wash their hands before they can eat it.
35	Flush!	Uma thinks the sound of a toilet flushing is hilarious, so she and Grampu imitate it.
36	On & Off!	Oobi and Kako play with a water sprinkler that turns on and off.
37	Prince Oobi!	Uma builds a sand castle and names Oobi the prince of the castle.
38	Bubbles!	After Oobi and Uma blow bubbles, Kako tries to take a bath in their bubble soap.
39	Tea!	Oobi and Uma sing "I'm a Little Teapot" after forgetting a teapot for their tea party.
40	Ice Cream!	Oobi shares his ice cream with Uma.
41	Water Games!	Oobi and Kako play pretend at the pool.
42	Guess!	Kako tries to guess what kind of animal Oobi has found.
43	Bird!	Uma tries to get a canary to sing with her.
44	Cat!	Oobi and Kako play with a cat, and Grampu wants to join.
45	Puppy!	Oobi pretends to be a puppy.
46	Animal Cookies!	Oobi and Kako imitate the animals on their box of animal cookies.
47	Itsy Bitsy Spider!	Oobi and Kako sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and pretend to be spiders.
48	Toys!	Uma is bored, so Oobi cheers her up by pretending to chase her toy rabbit with a toy lizard.

Season 2

The first season of the half-hour program. When airing on TV, the episode segments were randomly paired up to fill half-hour blocks.

#	Title	Summary
1	Camp Out!	Grampu and the kids camp out in the backyard.
2	Uma Swing!	Oobi helps Uma regain her confidence after she falls off the swing at the playground.
3	Uma Bathroom!	Uma doesn't want to take a bath after playing in the mud outside.
4	Dance Class!	Oobi and Uma sign up for a dance class but have trouble mastering their new dance routine.
5	Kako's Puppy!	Oobi thinks Kako's new puppy is adorable, but when he volunteers to "puppy-sit" for a day, he learns that pets are a huge responsibility.
6	Uma's Birthday!	Uma feels left out when her own birthday party becomes more about the games and less about her.
7	Asparagus!	Uma refuses to try asparagus, so Oobi and Grampu go to drastic measures and perform a magic show to get her to taste it.
8	Haircut!	When Oobi wakes up with a wild patch of hair on his head, he goes to the barber for his first haircut.
9	Grampu Day!	The kids make their own holiday to celebrate Grampu.
10	Make Pizza!	The kids are a little too eager to help Grampu make their favorite food, pizza, and end up doing everything the wrong way.
11	Showtime!	Oobi and Kako want to put on a puppet show by themselves, but they discover that they need Uma's help.
12	Oobi's Car!	When Uma accidentally breaks Oobi's favorite toy car, she tries to repair it herself.
13	Garden Day!	Grampu introduces the kids to his favorite pastime, gardening, but they find it boring to wait for their plants to grow.
14	Piano Lesson!	Grampu falls in love with Oobi's piano teacher, Inka, when she comes to visit.
15	Uma Chicken!	Uma takes a roleplaying game too far and convinces herself that she is a chicken.
16	Sleepover!	Uma misses Oobi when he leaves to spend the night at Kako's house.
17	Play Ball!	When Kako becomes frustrated with a game of tee-ball, Oobi helps show him the basics of the game.
18	Build Fort!	Oobi and Kako build forts out of blocks and get into a heated argument over whose is better.
19	Petting Zoo!	Oobi and Kako pretend to be cowboys when they visit the petting zoo and ride a horse.
20	New Friend!	Oobi is nervous to play with Frieda, a foot puppet, because she looks different from him.
21	Uma Sick	Oobi and Kako try to make Uma feel better when she comes down with a cold.
22	Playdate!	Kako gets jealous when Oobi obsesses over his new pet turtle and forgets about a playdate they planned.
23	Make Art!	The kids want to make their own artwork, but Oobi has trouble coming up with an idea.
24	Rainy Day!	Oobi and Kako reluctantly join Uma on her search for a rainbow when the rain spoils their plans.
25	Pretend Circus!	The kids put on their own imaginary circus when they find out they can't visit a real one.
26	Make Music!	Oobi, Uma, and Kako form their own band and turn kitchen tools into instruments.

Season 3

#	Title	Summary
1	Video!	Tired of Oobi and Uma watching the same movie over and over, Grampu teaches the kids how to make their own home video.
2	Grown-Up!	The kids dig through Grampu's costume box and pretend to be grown-up firefighters, musicians, and businesspeople.
3	Shopping!	Oobi and Kako fool around at Bella's grocery store and accidentally ruin some of her fruit displays.
4	Uma Dreams!	Uma has been having a recurring nightmare about a living tree and a mysterious animal, so Grampu helps her learn to lucid dream and face her fears.
5	Chopsticks!	Grampu takes Oobi and Uma out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. There, Uma tries to figure out how to use chopsticks.
6	Clean Up!	Oobi can't play outside until he has finished cleaning his room. Bored without him, Uma and Kako help out and sing a song to make the job less dull.
7	Kako Dinner!	When Oobi has dinner with Kako and Papu, he learns about their family's different customs.
8	Sign Language!	Oobi and Kako meet a deaf girl at the park. Determined to befriend her, they learn some sign language from her mom and play a game of tag together.
9	Halloween!	Kako is terrified of Halloween, so Oobi and Uma take him trick-or-treating and show him that it is all pretend.
10	Checkup!	Oobi is nervous for his first check-up at the doctor's office, but the doctor's silly demeanor helps put him at ease.
11	Uma Trip!	Uma wants to travel the world, but it's too expensive. Oobi, Kako, and Grampu decide to bring her on a pretend trip throughout the house.
12	Frieda Friend!	Oobi is devastated to find out that Frieda has a new friend, another foot named Frankie, who seems like a better match for her.
13	Neighborhood!	Oobi and Kako take Uma on a tour of their mini neighborhood, made of boxes and paint.
14	Uma Preschool!	Uma does not want to leave Grampu on her first day of preschool, but ends up having the time of her life when she meets a new friend.
15	Theater!	The kids perform a musical version of "Little Red Riding Hood" in the park.
16	Baby!	Oobi learns how to take care of a baby when he meets a new mother and her newborn daughter.
17	Chez Oobi!	Oobi and Kako turn the house into a French-style restaurant for Grampu and Inka's date.
18	Valentine!	On Valentine's Day, Oobi and Uma follow a trail of paper hearts to find their mystery valentine.
19	Parade!	Uma wants to lead a parade through town, so she gets Oobi and Kako to dress up as a walking float and a one-man band.
20	Babysitter!	Oobi and Uma have a new babysitter, a teen named Randy. Uma despises him at first, but his silly demeanor eventually wins her over.
21	Recital!	Oobi is excited to perform at a piano recital for Inka, but messes up and doesn't know what to do.
22	Dinosaur!	Oobi writes a story about a dinosaur named Umasaurus, who gets lost in the forest and teams up with two other dinosaurs to find her way home.
23	Nature Walk!	Exhausted by the bustling sounds of the city, Grampu takes Oobi and Uma on a nature walk at the state park.
24	Sing!	Oobi and Kako join Maestru's singing group, but their obsession with a loud song called "Yo To Ho" annoys him.
25	Fishing!	Grampu takes Oobi on a fishing trip at the pier. When Oobi catches a little fish, he feels bad for it and convinces Grampu to set it free.
26	Superheroes!	The kids dress up as superheroes and help save Mrs. Johnson's cat when she gets stuck in a tree.

Gallery

The airing of Grampu Day! / Make Pizza! on September 28, 2003[1]

The airing of Make Pizza! / Uma Chicken! on March 26, 2004[2]

The first...

...and second airings of Oobi's Car! / Uma's Birthday! on April 22, 2004[3]

The first...

...the second airings of Kako's Puppy! / Pretend Circus! on May 1, 2004[4]

The first...

...and second airings of Showtime! / Pretend Circus! on July 11, 2004[5]

The airing of Dance Class! and an unknown episode on August 22, 2004[6]

The airing of Baby! / Asparagus! on December 29, 2004[7]

The airing of Uma Dreams! / Pretend Circus! on January 23, 2005[8]

An ad for the premiere of the Valentine!/Chez Oobi! featuring Moose and Zee on February 5, 2005

The airing of an unknown episode on February 22, 2005

The airing of Uma Sick / Clean Up! on March 21, 2005[9]

The airing of Dinosaur! / Neighborhood! on February 21, 2006[10]

The airing of New Friend! / Fishing! on February 22, 2006[11]

The airing of Nature Walk! / Sleepover! on February 23, 2006[12]

The airing of Camp Out! / Parade! on March 14, 2006[13]

The airing of Grampu Day! / Video! on July 16, 2009[14]

The airing of Uma Dreams! and an unknown episode in July 2008

Cap

Links

• Archive.org folder of the season 1 shorts