Between the Lions

Did You Know?

• The series is set in the Barnaby B. Busterfield III Memorial Public Library.
• A sub-plot features pigeons named Walter and Clay comically infuriating a living bust of the library's founder.

Characters

Theo Lion is the co-owner and librarian of the library with his wife Cleo, and father to Lionel and Leona. He has a scruffy attitude, a loud gravelly voice, and a large appetite, especially for meat, which he devours quickly. He loves storytelling and is proud to show patrons the best books; he also has a blues-singing alter ego named B.B. the King of Beasts. Cleo Lion, the other co-owner and librarian, is the family hunter and mother of the cubs. She enjoys reading to her children and using stories to teach life lessons, and her alter ego is country lion singer Tammy Lionette. Her hunting instincts make her a good investigative reporter who can find any book in the building. Lionel Lion is the seven-year-old first-grader son who loves reading "Cliff Hanger" books, though his sister Leona finds them predictable and repetitive. He is self-confident but often needs help despite believing he does not. Leona Lion, the four-year-old daughter, is curious and preparing to read; she is more in touch with her feral instincts and practices pouncing on her brother or father. Click the Mouse is a female computer mouse who can drag and drop objects and characters into and out of books and websites. She must stay connected to a computer and is vulnerable to viruses; she vanished after the fourth season but returned later.

Cast

Pam Arciero performed Leona Lion from 2002 to 2010, as well as Dixie Chimps and Zoe. Anthony Asbury performed Lionel Lion from 2000 to 2008. Heather Asch performed Click the Mouse, Clay Pigeon, and Marmy Smartypants. Jennifer Barnhart performed Cleo Lion, Dixie Chimps, Monkey Singer, Information Hen from 2002 to 2010, and Leonard "Lenny" T. Lizzard. Lisa Buckley performed Chelsea and Dixie Chimps. Tyler Bunch performed Walter Pigeon in 2000, Heath the Thesaurus in 2000, Dr. Nitwhite, Johnny, and Vowel Boot Camp Letters. Cheryl Blaylock performed Martha Reader and Girl Monkey. David Matthew Feldman performed Monkeys and Ducks. Ed Gale performed Orlando. Keri Horn performed Kayree and The Cajun Hound Dog. James Kroupa performed Walter Pigeon from 2001 to 2003. Tim Lagasse performed Barnaby B. Busterfield III, Arty Smartypants, Gus Rabbit, Watson, Johnny Consonanti, and various other characters. Peter Linz performed Theo Lion, Heath the Thesaurus from 2001 to 2002, Announcer Bunny, and John Lennon Beetle. Rick Lyon performed Ted the Scientist Monkey. Noel MacNeal performed Lionel Lion from 2009 to 2010, Paul McCartney Beetle, and Squeaky Wheel. Kathryn Mullen performed Leona Lion from 2000 to 2001, Vowelles, and Information Hen from 2000 to 2001. Carmen Osbahr performed Grandma Sierra Lion and Vowelles. Martin P. Robinson performed Grandpa Micah Lion. Matt Vogel performed various characters. Fred Newman performed letter sounds and various live-action and sound segments as himself. Ruth Westheimer portrayed Dr. Ruth Wordheimer.

Segments

The Monkey Pop-Up Theater features a blonde-haired monkey opening a pop-up book that presents a musical performance by monkeys singing in operatic voices. The Vowelles are three colored lips with satin gloves and wigs performing vowel songs; in early seasons a grey hand would pick up letters from a book to establish the vowel and word family. In the first season the stage backdrop is dark, but from seasons 2 to 4 it is replaced with a colorful silver background, and the audience puppets are replaced with monkeys. Martha Reader and The Vowelles parodies Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. The Word Doctor with Dr. Ruth Wordheimer has Dr. Ruth Westheimer as a therapist who helps monkeys having a "Long Word Freakout" or words dissatisfied with their meaning, which she changes by replacing letters. Little Wendy Tales spoofs Sailor Moon: an Asian girl with pigtails and her white cat Cuddly Kitty transform into The Punctuator and Emoticon the Cat to save Wendy by altering punctuation in the story. Other recurring segments include parodies of children's programming, with the title being a play on "read between the lines" and the two lions at library entrances.

Format

Each episode features a specific letter or sound, such as 'h' or the long 'ee' sound, which is heard and seen in various words throughout the show. Keywords or entire sentences are shown on screen as characters speak, with the featured letter or combination highlighted, and a gray glove may grab or replace letters. Every episode contains one or more short stories read by the Lion family, which may be real books like "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" or well-known tales, or made-up stories like "How Pecos Bill Cleans Up the West." Songs summarize spelling and pronunciation rules, with lyrics such as "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking," and text shown on screen. Animations and skits demonstrate how words are formed or changed by adding or removing letters. Definitions of long or unusual words are given subtly in conversation or humorously, such as when Heath the Thesaurus defines a word, or through pictures. The program's format is intended to promote literacy and reading, with each episode introducing a picture book to the audience.