Mopatop and Hoobs

[beaker]

Well, I finally saw full episodes of Mopatop and Hoobs...

I can see why these won't be coming to the US anytime soon.

Mopatop is actually kind of cool...if youre a big JHC history fan, youll love all the Muppet cameos than span the decades....everyone from TMS, JHH, specials, and even Fraggle Rock show up. It's pretty much a small British version of Bear in the big Blue House...but it has this 'Today's Special' feel to it. Mopatop is adorable tho.

Hoobs on the other hand...ugh. Everything is 'pippypobbinpeebs and tibbywoppyclock'...yes, it's very British, but it's also very modern kid show like. Whereas in the 80's kid shows had pizazz, this reminds me more of kid show's from the 90's. I havent seen Animal Jam, but this may be on the level of that.

Suffice to say, I could barely sit thru an episode. The character designs are cool tho, and very colorful.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

Well, I finally saw full episodes of Mopatop and Hoobs...

I can see why these won't be coming to the US anytime soon.

Mopatop is actually kind of cool...if youre a big JHC history fan, youll love all the Muppet cameos than span the decades....everyone from TMS, JHH, specials, and even Fraggle Rock show up. It's pretty much a small British version of Bear in the big Blue House...but it has this 'Today's Special' feel to it. Mopatop is adorable tho.

Hoobs on the other hand...ugh. Everything is 'pippypobbinpeebs and tibbywoppyclock'...yes, it's very British, but it's also very modern kid show like. Whereas in the 80's kid shows had pizazz, this reminds me more of kid show's from the 90's. I havent seen Animal Jam, but this may be on the level of that.

Suffice to say, I could barely sit thru an episode. The character designs are cool tho, and very colorful.

Wasnt there 2 shows also part of the HIT! deal too?

 

[ravagefrackle]

well aside from the obviuos lack of quality writing on these shows they are also filmed with weird time differences, were here in the states ashow is normaly about 28 minutes long, in the uk they often have shows that alst about 10 to 15 minutes, so they dont quite fit into our standard tv schedules, even if you chop them up for commercials and stuff you are left with a ridiculous amount of time so networks wont bother dealing with them, as for animal jam, i dont think u are missing anything there, it has to be one of the worst henson tv projects ever,

 

[BoyRaisin2]

Wasnt there 2 shows also part of the HIT! deal too?

Yeah, they're part of Henson's "Family Classics" library. So HIT has the rights to these for the next 5 years.

As for Beaker and ravagefrackle, how were you two able to see the two shows? Did you visit the UK or saw them at MT&R or neither? I have never see them, but Mopatop LOOKS like a good show, and I only judge that by the clip at Henson.com. But every time I hear a Mopatop or especially Hoob song on MC Radio, I need to turn the volume down.

And if you say the Hoobs is on par with Animal Jam, I need to turn the volume down on the TV too.

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

The Hoobs is one Henson show that is on TV here in Australia quite regularly, or atleast has been recently. I can't say im a fan of it but I don't mind watching it if I'm having lunch or something just to check out the puppetry as there arent many puppet shows on TV here.

 

[Luke]

The Hoobs is indeed a very modern type show. That's what kids want nowadays - what do you want Henson to do - make something very 80's so a bunch of twenty somethings are happy, see the kids turn off and not see a dime from the show? I also agree it is very British, much more so than Moppatop or Bob The Builder and that may be why every American seems to hate it but then it doesn't make sense to Americanize it if it isn't for the USA. It's probably a bit busy and noisy compared to what is usually dished out to the American kids when they aren't watching our other shows as you say. However, Hoobs IS a good show. It is absolutely nothing like Animal Jam. Hoobs has had massive success - much more so than Moppatop, with over 250 shows in the can, still airing twice daily on a big network channel, high merchandise and video sales. I think technically and musically it is pretty much on a par with Fraggle Rock although obviously the show concept isn't quite as deep and that does make a big difference to an adult watching it. The characters are on a near level though and a lot of older students and people have managed to get into it but it does seem to take much longer than one viewing. I hated it myself at first. I think the point some Henson people on here have made to you guys and i will make myself is that what is 'pizazz' to you isn't what kids now see as 'pizazz'. Give a kid from 2004 a choice from an episode of Fraggle, Muppet Babies and Hoobs and they'll take Hoobs every time. Animal Jam i will agree was very American in the way Hoobs is very British but there was also a poor use of the format. The idea itself was good but the characters had little personality and while there is supposed to be some use of repetition for todays kids it really did the same thing too much and was very bland.

For the person who criticised the lack of quality writing and "wierd time differences", the person over seeing the writing for Hoobs was one of the most successful writers on Fraggle Rock. The show is a full half hour length thing and suitable for international broadcast, it has been sold to some european countries and there is a canadian version i think.

I wouldn't speak too soon either Cory - if Hit does lauch a channel in the USA i think you might definitely see the shows on air in the states soon.

 

[ravagefrackle]

the time difference thing was directed more at MOPATOP,

however i hate this notion of people having to write in the style of today because its what kids want, its not what kids want its what adults want, because they listen to some physcologist, or whats have you, so every thing gets written the same way, when i was a kid, ok so it was the late 70;s and early 80's there was lots of gargbage on tv i ll grant you that, but i never felt like fraggle rock or the muppet show talked down to me, which is what these othershows do, the whole i dea behind them was to make shows for toddeleres and infants , sort of like those evil teletubbie things, so with that goes any kind of interesting back story, or detailed plot , and what you get is a mish mosh of bright colors jumping around screaming idiot sayings and nonsense words, and this is what passes for entertainment,

perhaps i was just advanced for my age, but i dont think i would have ever sat thru and episode of hoops,, and i have watched several mopatops, and was not impressed with it at all, what the heck is he supposed to be anyway????and that creeepy litttle puppyduck, ??????

 

[ravagefrackle]

Yeah, they're part of Henson's "Family Classics" library. So HIT has the rights to these for the next 5 years.

As for Beaker and ravagefrackle, how were you two able to see the two shows? Did you visit the UK or saw them at MT&R or neither? I have never see them, but Mopatop LOOKS like a good show, and I only judge that by the clip at Henson.com. But every time I hear a Mopatop or especially Hoob song on MC Radio, I need to turn the volume down.

And if you say the Hoobs is on par with Animal Jam, I need to turn the volume down on the TV too.

well i helped build mopatops head, and puppy ducks body, and hoobs i saw it get worked but had bear stuff to do at the time, so i saw early episodes at screenings in the shop,

 

[Luke]

however i hate this notion of people having to write in the style of today because its what kids want, its not what kids want its what adults want, because they listen to some physcologist, or whats have you, so every thing gets written the same way

I love this point that gets dragged up. Whether or not it is adult influenced Kids ARE watching this stuff and enjoying it. The ratings, international sales and merchandise sales point to that. If they didn't like it, they wouldn't sit through it and we all know kids are far less tolerant of doing what their parents want nowadays. I know kids who are mad Tweenies fans and make their parents switch it on. While psychologists are involved i have never in my professional career EVER seen a producer bow down and let some psychologist or other specialist dictate a show, they are just part of the advisory process. I do feel some shows talk down to kids more than than others used to but then Bear In The Big Blue House is probably the most guilty of them all nowadays and that gets massive ratings. Yeah we would have never sat through an episode of Hoobs or Moppatop in the 80's but then both TV and Kids were very different then. In the UK where cult kids TV formats are being revived and remade for todays kids quite a bit (Hit Entertainment themselves being one of the biggest names doing this) it actually hasn't been as successful ratings wise as the current stuff, only a few things have really caught on again.

Moppatops could easily be sold overseas by editing two episodes into one. The way it worked in the UK (being only 11 minutes) was that another Henson show 'Construction Site' took the second half of the 30 minute time slot so the kids programming block on the ITV channel could have a little more variety.

I actually find Hoobs more entertaining than Moppatops really, although Moppatops is very slow paced and has more in common with the Henson 80's shows so i can understand how guys here take more to it. I find it quite funny how very few people really get the parallels between "Fraggle" and "Hoobs". I think Fraggle must have definitely had some influence on that show, not least the use of music but the kids and outside worlds elements. Wheras Fraggles have their caves and venture outside, the Hoobs have their Hoobmobile and venture outside. Wheras Travelling Matt goes out to meet the kids who he doesn't really understand and is a bit wary of, the Hoobs are exactly the same but just a colorful, wierd speaking 2004 type version.

 

[ravagefrackle]

i think again we will have to agree to disagree , but basicly my point is that , parents are using tv as a babysitter much more than they ever did, its sad really.for me watching the muppet show or fraggle rock was a treat, after homework and chores had been done, sitting there with the family for 1/2 and hour and watching great shows,

what seems to be happening is that since the days of barney and his ilk,we are getting more shows that have little to say , and when they do say it, instaed of using clever stories and parables, they just spell it out for you, , most of this is because the tv is taking the place of parental interaction, they just plop them down and stick in a video or turn on the channel and leave the room, so we have these sort of shake and bake educational shows that dont leave room for critical thinking or exploration,


and its not just hoobs or mopatop, Sesame street is more guilty of this now more than ever, when we were children the show had spunk, and it always had alittle bit in it for the adults, today its just elmo , elmo , elmo, and maybe a brief street scene, and then that ridiculous juorney to ernie,

and yes bear does talk down to older kids, but as far as shows for toddlers it actually is pretty good, it is designed to be comforting, and friendly, and while i may not enjoy seeing, at least i feel little kids can come away from it feeling at ease, (perhaps i am just biased because i spent so much time working on bear heads , but i digress)

at any rate , i wish producers and writers would spend a little more time writing stories and shows that had more substance to them than they do now adays