Out There is an original series created by Sesame Workshop and Noggin LLC. It was aired during Noggin's nighttime programming block, The N, which was aimed at teens. The show is a comedy-drama about a high school boy named Reilly, who moves from Connecticut, USA to Australia.
Out There was one of four shows made by both Noggin LLC and Sesame Workshop, along with Sponk!, Play with Me Sesame, and The Upside Down Show. It was also the last original show to start production while Sesame Workshop still co-owned the Noggin channel. It started filming in March 2002 and premiered on May 23, 2003.
History
The show started out as a completely American concept set in New York, where both Noggin LLC and Sesame Workshop were located. When the show was pitched to foreign broadcasters, it was suggested that the show feature characters from a variety of different countries, so Noggin and Sesame reworked the concept. They announced the show under the working title Two Down Under in March 2002.
Between the announcement and the completion of season one, the Noggin channel went through a major change: it divided itself into a daytime block for preschoolers and a nighttime block for teens. When it started production, Out There was planned to air as part of the regular daytime block. When it premiered in 2003, it was instead shown as part of the nighttime block The N, since the daytime block had switched to preschool shows.
The show premiered on The N block with four back-to-back episodes on May 23, 2003, from 8-10 PM. New episodes aired on Fridays at 9 PM for the rest of summer 2003.
Summary
Unlike most teen shows, Out There had an educational curriculum because Sesame Workshop was one of the companies behind it. The show had four educational goals: to demonstrate the importance of respecting others; to underscore how one's own decisions can impact other people; to emphasize effective communication; and to demonstrate the importance of building on one's individual strengths. The show never assumed that a problem has a quick and easy resolution – and it allowed for the fact that some problems resolve negatively. Out There demonstrated that while life is not always happy and predictable, young people can learn to make informed choices and employ constructive coping strategies.
Out There revolved around life at Ellen Archer's Wildspring Animal Clinic, a veterinary hospital in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It starred four adolescents, each with their own distinct personality and challenges, whose lives converge through their work at the clinic. Fourteen-year-old Reilly Evans struggles to adapt to life in Australia after his recent move from the United States to live with his veterinarian aunt.
Characters
- Reilly Evans - The main character of season one. He moves from Connecticut to Australia. The others initially see him as a spoiled, rich American, but he is actually deeply troubled by his dad's incarceration and his mom's recent mental breakdown.
- Tom Butler - The main character of season two.
- Aggie Thackery - A strait-laced animal lover who traveled from London to work in the clinic.
- Miller McKee - A snarky, idiosyncratic employee at the clinic who is part scientist and part dreamer.
- Fiona McDaniel - A shy, introverted employee who doesn't mind being a loner.
Left to right: Aggie, Miller, Fiona, and Reilly
Episodes
The show had 26 episodes in total (two seasons of 13 episodes times 2).
Season 1
- Episode #1: "Two Down Under"
- Reilly was used to the posh life of upper class Connecticut, but after his dad gets busted for money laundering, Reilly finds himself in Australia with his veterinarian aunt, a pet-loving British intern and no TV. No TV?! Reilly's about to find out what life's really like down under.
- Episode #2: "Summer in December"
- Australia's not just another country, it's a totally different world! But can Reilly find a way to adapt before he goes into culture shock? Then, he meets Fiona... Meanwhile, Aggie's waited her whole life to be a vet, so when Ellen leaves the care of the clinic in her hands, everything will be just fine. Right?
- Episode #3: "The Hard Way"
- It's the first day of school for Reilly and Aggie, and while Aggie's making a new friend in Miranda, Reilly finds it easier to make enemies with the school bully - over Fiona. First day, first friend, first enemy, first fight. What a way to start school!
- Episode #4: "Homesick Blues"
- Miranda's having a party with Reilly and Aggie as guests of honor! Reilly's raring to go, with Miller in tow to teach him the fine art of meeting girls. Aggie, on the other hand, begins to feel homesick and when the flying fox she's taking care of dies, partying is the last thing on her mind.
- Episode #5: "One Hot Dog to Go"
- Miller's good with fixing things, right? So when a paraplegic dog that Aggie's treating needs a set of wheels to get around, Miller's ready to risk getting grounded from his father to win her over. Now, if only Reilly could get grounded, he won't have to play boyfriend to the dog's nostalgic owner!
- Episode #6: "Connections: Missed and Made"
- Fiona is confronted by the sudden death of her estranged grandmother and must come to terms with her family's past. Reilly and Aggie come to her rescue and look after her menagerie while she's gone, and might finally become friends in the process.
- Episode #7: "Don't Look Back"
- When Reilly gets a letter from his dad from jail, his whole world feels like it's falling apart. He can't tell Fiona how he feels, nothing feels like its working, and he'll even have to return the kitten he found on the road. So when Miller plans the perfect day out, Reilly's more than happy to partake, and face the embarrassing consequences.
- Episode #8: "Peggy"
- After Reilly consoles an elderly recluse over the death of his prized dog, he finds that he has a gift for writing. Suddenly, all the girls in school are flipping for him, even Fiona! But he isn't prepared for what Fiona does next... Meanwhile, Aggie thinks she's found the perfect guy; it's too bad he's is not all he appears to be.
- Episode #9: "Some Wombats Have all the Luck"
- Aggie cuts off her relationship with the upper classman when she discovers that his parents are racists. Reilly declares his admiration for Aggie, a turning point in their burgeoning friendship. Miller's hope for a relationship with Aggie is rekindled. Fiona nurses an injured wombat back to health and is too busy to accept Reilly's overtures in the wake of their kiss.
- Episode #10: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"
- Aggie and Fiona devise a plan to skip school on the hottest day of the year. Miller and Reilly catch wind of the scheme and decide to tag along. The day goes horribly awry when brush fires threaten the welfare of the local animal population and Ellen's clinic is overwhelmed with casualties.
- Episode #11: "Fairy Floss"
- Jonathan and Reilly enter a father-son log-sawing competition at the country fair that strengthens their new found respect for one another. Ellen and Aggie judge a pig competition with a surprise ending. Reilly and Fiona share an intimate moment on the Ferris Wheel. Miller discovers romantic possibilities in the unlikely form of Miranda Lee.
- Episode #12: "Reilly Had a Little Goat"
- Reilly and Fiona discover a litter of abandoned baby goats, which leads to their first argument as boyfriend and girlfriend. Miller must deal with the embarrassment of introducing Miranda to his stern and reserved father. We hear Aggie's mixed feelings about being the odd girl out as her friends pair off.
- Episode #13: "Tadpole"
- As Ellen coaches by phone from Sydney, Reilly, Aggie and Miller unite in a last-ditch bid to save the life of Fiona's prized miniature horse. Miller provides much-needed support to Aggie, who is clearly worried about her ability to complete a challenging procedure, and Reilly finds a unique way to ease Fiona's anxiety. The four friends reflect on how far they've come and the bonds that now unite them.
Season 2
- Episode #1: "Arrivals And Departures"
- Episode #2: "Dodger"
- Episode #3: "Powerful Choice"
- Episode #4: "This Just In"
- Episode #5: "Human Nature"
- Episode #6: "Crime and Punishment"
- Episode #7: "School of Hard Knocks"
- Episode #8: "Home Away from Home"
- Episode #9: "Search Party"
- Episode #10: "Horses Eat Us"
- Episode #11: "To Know Me Is"
- Episode #12: "Glimpses"
- Episode #13: "The Longest Day"
Soundtracks
The soundtrack for Out There was mostly made up of artists and groups from New Zealand and Australia, whose songs appear throughout the two seasons of the series.
- Ted Leo - Parallel
- The Snitches - Right Before my Eyes
- Lucksmitches - Self Preservation
- Slumber Party - Bag of Spiders
- The Snitches - In My Hard
- Even - Shining Star
- Spoon - Take a Walk
- Exploding white Mice - Blaze of Glory
- Citizen Bird - People Get Real
- Action Slacks - Joan of Arc
- Marah - Soul
- Groove Terminator - What's Your Name
- Sarah Dougher - Ground Belows
- Fuzz Townsend - C'mon C'mon
- Go Betweens - Going Blind
- Groove Ghouties - An Unsolved Mystery
- Freddy Fresh - Used To Be Bad
- Mascott - Weight Of The World
- Fastbacks - We Can Be
- Enon - Old Dominion
- The Clean - Stars
- OlympicLifts - Vertical Herizontally
- The Incredible Moses - Leroy Anthem
- French Fries - Sing About Me
- Cato Salsa Experience - Lucky Girl
- Cato Salsa Experience - So the Circus is Back
- A Girl Called Eddy - Soundtrack of your Life
- Livesavas - Me
- The Agenda - Crash! Crash!
- The Ataris - IOU One Galaxy
- Tammy Keens - Begin Where We End
- Enon - Pleasure and Priviledge
- Enon - Carbonation
- The Pattern - Nothing of value
- Dr. Kosmos - Career Oportunities
- OlympicLifts - Olympiclifts
- Stella One Eleven - Go Slow Girl
- Tender Trap - Love is Red / Green
Photo Gallery
Out There (Season 2)
Reilly Evans (Season 1)
Tom Butler (Season 2)
Aggie Thackery
Fiona McDaniel
Miller McKee
Behind the Scenes
The Crew are Shooting and making of this Series Out There
A Film Slate are Making of Out There and Recorded by November 14, 2002
Sets
Trivia
- Out there is Also Airing Broadcast with ABC Kids (Australia), CBBC (United Kingdom) & TVOKids (Canada)
- Noggin (The N Block) This Series was been 4:3 and also Original Widescreen Version 16:9 Broadcast on ABC Kids (Australia) & CBBC (United Kingdom)
Links
Original series on Noggin
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Daytime block
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| Franklin (US) • Phred on Your Head Show • A Walk in Your Shoes (seasons 1–2) • Citizen Phoebe • Maisy (re-airing, US) • Big Kids • On the Team • The URL with Phred Show • Sponk! • Play with Me Sesame • Oobi • Tweenies (re-airing, US) • Miffy and Friends (US) • Connie the Cow (US) • Tiny Planets • 64 Zoo Lane (US) • Jack's Big Music Show • Pinky Dinky Doo (US) • The Upside Down Show • Toot & Puddle (US) | |
The N block
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| A Walk in Your Shoes (season 3) • Out There • LOL with The N • Girls v. Boys • O'Grady • Miracle's Boys • South of Nowhere • What Goes On | |
Streaming app
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| Yoga Friends • School of Yum • Kinderwood • Noggin Knows • The Noggins • Balloon Builders | |