The Puzzle Place
Encyclopedia
The Puzzle Place is an American children's television series
produced by KCET
in Los Angeles, California
and Lancit Media in New York City, New York. It officially premiered on the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) on Monday January 16, 1995, (although it had already first premiered on two Los Angeles
PBS stations, KCET
and KLCS
on Thursday September 15, 1994), and ran for just under four years, airing its final new episode on Friday December 4, 1999, however the show would continue in reruns until 2000. The show followed a multi-ethnic group of kids (puppet
s) from different parts of the United States who hung out at "the Puzzle Place", which is a teen hangout themed around jigsaw puzzle
pieces. In each episode the characters were confronted with an everyday conflict usually encountered in childhood and even early teenagerdom, such as making moral decisions, sharing, racism, sexism, etc. The show was notable for having decidedly liberal political and religious views which were marketed to children.
girl from San Francisco, California
. She is very sensitive and caring of her personal possessions and she sometimes tries a little too hard. She is puppeteered by Alice Dinnean-Vernon
.
Kiki Flores: A Mexican American
girl from San Antonio, Texas
. She is very outgoing and has a temper. She once pretended to be a homeless alien after being teased about her "accent" . She also is a great chili cook and has a Spanish-speaking cousin who helped everyone to learn about acceptance. She is puppeteered by Carmen Osbahr
, the same actress that plays the similar character Rosita, Monstrua de las Cuevas on the program Sesame Street
.
Ben Olafson: A boy of German and Norwegian descent from a farm
near Renner, South Dakota
. He is good at difficult puzzles and is a talented dancer. He is puppeteered by Jim Martin
.
Leon MacNeal: An African American
boy from New York City
. He wears dreadlocks and gets jealous easily and sometimes does not think before he acts. He is a fan of hip-hop music (as in Gotta Dance) and loves basketball. He is puppeteered by Noel MacNeal
, the same puppeteer of Bear
from Breakfast with Bear
and Bear in the Big Blue House
(in fact, the puppet's first name is the puppeteer's first name spelled backwards, and the last name is the same).
Skye Nakaiye: An Apache
boy from an Indian reservation
in Arizona
who always wears a bandana, raincoat, and feather necklace. He's very curious and always sticks to his values and his culture. He also falls in love with Julie. He is puppeteered by Peter Linz
. In Season 3, the role of Skye was taken over by Matt Vogel http://www.mattvogel.com/.
Jody Silver: A Lithuanian-Jewish girl from Cincinnati, Ohio
. She does not like to be called names and is very gullible but also very enthusiastic. She is puppeteered by Allison Mork.
Sizzle and Nuzzle: The anthropomorphic pet dog and cat at the Puzzle Place. They are seen mostly in the basement, talking to each other and act as animals around the Puzzle Place kids. They are usually involved in a subplot. They were played by the same puppeteers as the ones who played Julie and Skye, Alice Dinnean-Vernon
and Peter Linz
. However, in Season 3, the role of Nuzzle was taken over by Matt Vogel http://www.mattvogel.com/.
The Piece Police: Multicolored inhabitants of the Puzzle Place. They don't speak, communicating amongst themselves using grumbling noises, although they understand the English language. It has been hinted in some episodes that they all know what both Sizzle and Nuzzle are saying.
by Warner Home Video
. There was even a tape compiling songs from various episodes that was also released. They have long since been out of print
. Recently, no plans for the show to be brought to DVD have been announced yet. Titles include:
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
produced by KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and Lancit Media in New York City, New York. It officially premiered on the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) on Monday January 16, 1995, (although it had already first premiered on two Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
PBS stations, KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
and KLCS
KLCS
KLCS, digital channel 41 and virtual channel 58 via PSIP, is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service, and is owned by the Los Angeles Unified School District. KLCS is known on the air as "The Education Station for all Generations" and is based in downtown Los Angeles...
on Thursday September 15, 1994), and ran for just under four years, airing its final new episode on Friday December 4, 1999, however the show would continue in reruns until 2000. The show followed a multi-ethnic group of kids (puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
s) from different parts of the United States who hung out at "the Puzzle Place", which is a teen hangout themed around jigsaw puzzle
Jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
pieces. In each episode the characters were confronted with an everyday conflict usually encountered in childhood and even early teenagerdom, such as making moral decisions, sharing, racism, sexism, etc. The show was notable for having decidedly liberal political and religious views which were marketed to children.
Characters
Julie Woo: A Chinese AmericanChinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
girl from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. She is very sensitive and caring of her personal possessions and she sometimes tries a little too hard. She is puppeteered by Alice Dinnean-Vernon
Alice Dinnean
Alice Dinnean-Vernon is a puppeteer and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean-Vernon has performed on many children's television shows such as Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, Cousin Skeeter, and Jack's Big Music Show...
.
Kiki Flores: A Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
girl from San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. She is very outgoing and has a temper. She once pretended to be a homeless alien after being teased about her "accent" . She also is a great chili cook and has a Spanish-speaking cousin who helped everyone to learn about acceptance. She is puppeteered by Carmen Osbahr
Carmen Osbahr
Carmen Osbahr is an American actress who has puppeteered Rosita in the popular US children's series Sesame Street, since 1991. Osbahr has also puppeteered Kiki Flores in The Puzzle Place...
, the same actress that plays the similar character Rosita, Monstrua de las Cuevas on the program Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.
Ben Olafson: A boy of German and Norwegian descent from a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
near Renner, South Dakota
Renner, South Dakota
Renner is an unincorporated community in Minnehaha County in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Renner has been assigned the ZIP code of 57055. The demographics of Renner are not listed separately by the United States Census Bureau, but are included within those of Mapleton Township...
. He is good at difficult puzzles and is a talented dancer. He is puppeteered by Jim Martin
Jim Martin (puppeteer)
Jim Martin is a puppeteer, best known for his roles on Sesame Street. As part of the cast, he has won an Emmy Award. He has been nominated multiple times, and won for "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling" at the Emmys, also for Sesame Street.-Early life:Martin graduated from St...
.
Leon MacNeal: An African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
boy from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He wears dreadlocks and gets jealous easily and sometimes does not think before he acts. He is a fan of hip-hop music (as in Gotta Dance) and loves basketball. He is puppeteered by Noel MacNeal
Noel MacNeal
Noel MacNeal is a puppeteer, writer, and director of children's television, best known as the voice and puppeteer of Bear in Bear in the Big Blue House and Breakfast with Bear...
, the same puppeteer of Bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
from Breakfast with Bear
Breakfast with Bear
Breakfast with Bear is an hour-long television show that aired on Playhouse Disney in 2005 and 2006.In each episode, Bear , visited a different house and followed one child's morning ritual, finishing with breakfast...
and Bear in the Big Blue House
Bear in the Big Blue House
Bear in the Big Blue House is a television program for young children produced for the Playhouse Disney channel by Mitchell Kriegman and The Jim Henson Company. It first aired in 1997, and re-runs of the show continue to air on Playhouse Disney . It is produced by The Jim Henson Company and Shadow...
(in fact, the puppet's first name is the puppeteer's first name spelled backwards, and the last name is the same).
Skye Nakaiye: An Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
boy from an Indian reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
who always wears a bandana, raincoat, and feather necklace. He's very curious and always sticks to his values and his culture. He also falls in love with Julie. He is puppeteered by Peter Linz
Peter Linz
Peter Linz is an American puppeteer. He is perhaps best known as the voice of Snook in It's a Big Big World and Theo Lion in Between the Lions....
. In Season 3, the role of Skye was taken over by Matt Vogel http://www.mattvogel.com/.
Jody Silver: A Lithuanian-Jewish girl from Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. She does not like to be called names and is very gullible but also very enthusiastic. She is puppeteered by Allison Mork.
Sizzle and Nuzzle: The anthropomorphic pet dog and cat at the Puzzle Place. They are seen mostly in the basement, talking to each other and act as animals around the Puzzle Place kids. They are usually involved in a subplot. They were played by the same puppeteers as the ones who played Julie and Skye, Alice Dinnean-Vernon
Alice Dinnean
Alice Dinnean-Vernon is a puppeteer and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean-Vernon has performed on many children's television shows such as Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, Cousin Skeeter, and Jack's Big Music Show...
and Peter Linz
Peter Linz
Peter Linz is an American puppeteer. He is perhaps best known as the voice of Snook in It's a Big Big World and Theo Lion in Between the Lions....
. However, in Season 3, the role of Nuzzle was taken over by Matt Vogel http://www.mattvogel.com/.
The Piece Police: Multicolored inhabitants of the Puzzle Place. They don't speak, communicating amongst themselves using grumbling noises, although they understand the English language. It has been hinted in some episodes that they all know what both Sizzle and Nuzzle are saying.
Season one
- Tippy Woo (1/16/1995)
- Train Drivin' Kids (1/17/1995)
- Rip Van Wrinkle (1/18/1995)
- Accentuate the Positive (1/19/1995)
- Gotta Dance (1/20/1995) The kids have a dance contest and Ben and Jody win.
- Rudy One (1/23/1995)
- Butterfingers (1/24/1995)
- Rock Dreams (1/25/1995)
- Roamantics (1/26/1995)
- Spud Buds (1/27/1995)
- Different Drummer (1/30/1995)
- I Love Kiki (1/31/1995)
- True Colors (2/1/1995)
- Cute Is as Cute Does (2/2/1995)
- Leon's Pizza (2/3/1995)
- Real Horses (2/6/1995)
- Going by the Book (2/7/1995)
- Mad Music Magic (2/8/1995)
- Party of One (2/9/1995)
- Dancing Dragon (2/10/1995)
- Picture Perfect (2/13/1995)
- Maiden Voyages (2/14/1995)
- Donuts and Dithering (2/15/1995)
- Bully for Jody (2/16/1995)
- Ben's Bad Hair Day (2/17/1995)
- All Weather Friends (2/20/1995)
- Bread and MatzoMatzoMatzo or matzah is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz—bread and other food which is made with leavened grain—is forbidden according to Jewish law. Currently, the most ubiquitous type of Matzo is the traditional Ashkenazic...
(2/21/1995) Jody celebrates PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
. - Owning It (2/22/1995)
- Baffled Ben (2/23/1995)
- Practice Makes Perfect (2/24/1995)
- Finders Keepers (2/27/1997)
- You Say Potato (2/28/1997)
- At the End of Our Race (3/1/1995)
- Just Kidding (3/2/1995)
- Everything in Its Place (3/3/1995) Everything ends up a huge pile on the living room table.
- Big Boys Don't Cry (3/6/1995)
- Here's to the Winners (3/7/1995)
- A World of Difference (3/8/1995)
- Willing and Able (3/9/1995)
- It's Magic (3/10/1995)
Season two
- Deck the Halls (1/15/1996) While the gang celebrates ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. Jody brings her Menorah for HanukkahHanukkahHanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
while Leon celebrates KwanzaaKwanzaaKwanzaa is a week long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift giving...
. - Dressing Up is Hard to Do (1/16/1996)
- One Way (1/17/1996)
- Oldies But Goodies (1/18/1996)
- Helping Hands (1/22/1996)
- Yellow Belt (1/23/1996)
- The Mystery of the Fabulous Hat (1/24/1996)
- How Much is That Doggie in the Window? (1/26/1996)
- The New Adventures of Julie Woo (1/29/1996)
- We Three Kings (1/30/1996)
- Hello, Maggie (2/1/1996)
- Off the Track (2/2/1996)
- Beautiful Doll (2/5/1996)
- Those Ears, Those Eyes (2/6/1996)
- That's Weird (2/7/1996)
- Little Leon, Big Ben (2/8/1996)
- I Scream, You Scream (2/9/1996)
- Skye's Coat (2/12/1996)
- It's Mine (2/13/1996)
- One Big, Happy Family (2/14/1996)
- Leon Grows Up (2/15/1996)
- Hurricane Julie (2/16/1996)
Season three
- Family Fun (10/19/1998)
- Anything She Can Do (10/20/1998)
- You Don't Match (10/21/1998)
- Fiesta Follies (10/26/1998)
- Between You and Me (10/27/1998)
- A Star is Burned (10/28/1998)
- Spooky (10/30/1998)
- Up! (12/3/1998)
- I'm Talking to You (12/4/1998)
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 Shoe Source 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.Funding
- Corporation for Public BroadcastingCorporation for Public BroadcastingThe Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
(1995–1999) - Viewers Like You (1995–1999)
- Edison InternationalEdison InternationalEdison International is a public utility holding company based in Rosemead, California. Its subsidiaries include Southern California Edison, and un-regulated non-utility assets Edison Mission Energy and Midwest Generation, power producers, and Edison Capital...
(1994-1996) (1996–1999) - Sears Roebuck & Co. (1995–1996)
- IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
(1995–1998) - Chef BoyardeeChef BoyardeeChef Boyardee is a brand of canned pasta products sold internationally by ConAgra Foods. Named after its founder, Italian-American immigrant Ettore Boiardi, the company began production in the United States in the 1920s...
(1997–1998) - NORRIS (a.k.a The Kenneth T. and Ilene L. Norris Foundation) (1997-1999)
Ending
After 3 seasons and 75 episodes, the show ended its run in December 1998, but it was seen on repeats until 2000.Home Video Releases
For some time after the show's airing, a few, particular, mostly regular episodes were brought to VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
. There was even a tape compiling songs from various episodes that was also released. They have long since been out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
. Recently, no plans for the show to be brought to DVD have been announced yet. Titles include:
- Accentuate The Positive
- Rock Dreams
- Tuned In
- Rip Van Winkle
- Party Of One
- Deck The Halls