Johnny and the Sprites
A musical children's show about sprites and friendship.
Johnny and the Sprites is an American children's musical television show that aired on the Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel. Created by, produced by, and starring John Tartaglia, the show follows a songwriter who discovers magical creatures called sprites and teaches them about being human through song and dance. The series began as five short segments on October 9, 2005, and due to positive audience reaction, became a half-hour series debuting on January 13, 2007, with a second season filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York City.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- Shorts: / 5 minutes · Full-length episodes: / 30 minutes
- Creator
- John Tartaglia
- Writer
- Louise Gikow (head writer)
- Executive Producer
- John Tartaglia / Vanessa Amberleigh
- Producer
- Deborah Mayer
- Starring
- John Tartaglia / Leslie Carrara-Rudolph / Tim Lagasse / Carmen Osbahr / Heather Asch
- Theme Music Composer
- Stephen Schwartz
- Open Theme
- "Johnny and the Sprites Theme Song
- End Theme
- "Heads Up!" (instrumental)
- Country
- United States
- Company
- Happy Puppet Productions (Seasons 1-2) / Homegirl Productions (Season 1)
- Location
- Kaufman Astoria Studios
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The show centers on Johnny T, a songwriter who moves into a house inherited from his great-uncle and discovers sprites—magical creatures named Ginger, Basil, Lily, and Root. Johnny teaches them about human life through songs, while the sprites introduce him to their fantasy world. The sprites were designed by Michael Schupbach, and the set was designed by Laura Brock. Each episode features a musical number, many written by notable Broadway composers including Gary Adler, Bobby Lopez, Laurence O'Keefe, and Michael Patrick Walker.
Reader's Guide
Johnny and the Sprites is significant for its integration of Broadway talent into children's television, with songs by composers such as Stephen Schwartz and Bobby Lopez. The show's format—two 10-minute mini-episodes per half-hour—allowed for focused storytelling and musical numbers. It aired on Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney block and later reran on Disney Junior from March 23, 2012, to September 3, 2013. A live version was presented at Disney-MGM Studios in October 2007 as part of Playhouse Disney in Concert. The series finale aired on April 19, 2008.
Did You Know?
- The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz.
- The sprites and creatures were designed by Michael Schupbach.
- The second season was filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York City, the same studio as Sesame Street.
- In the Spanish dubbed version, Johnny's voice was provided by Diego Topa, host of Playhouse Disney Latin America.
More in American children's fantasy television series 1-24
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