Under the Umbrella Tree

Under the Umbrella Tree was a Canadian children's television show created by Noreen Young. It first aired on CBC Television from 1986 to 1993, produced by the CBC and Noreen Young Productions. In the United States, it began broadcasting on The Disney Channel on May 7, 1990. The story follows four main characters who live together in a house on Spring Street, located in an Ottawa suburb: Holly, a human; Iggy, an iguana; Jacob, a blue jay; and Gloria, a gopher. The show gets its name from the large indoor umbrella tree that stands in their home.

A total of 285 episodes were made, with 270 running 15 minutes each and 15 being 30-minute specials. Each episode explores a different theme—like sports, holidays, singing, dancing, or exercise—and often teaches life lessons about keeping promises, being considerate, or taking responsibility. The characters were created by Ken Sobol, who also wrote most of the episodes. Sobol had previously worked with Noreen Young on the children's series Readalong and Téléfrançais.

The main characters include Gloria Gopher, performed by Noreen Young. She is the only female puppet in the house and lives under the umbrella tree, entering her burrow from behind the couch. She loves music and the performing arts but keeps her specific interests private. Holly Penelope Higgins, played by Holly Larocque, is the sole human character. She acts as a mentor and parental figure to the puppets, though she calls them her roommates. She handles most of the cleaning, cooking, and rent, and is funny, artistic, patient, and generous. She has an Uncle Jack (played by Don Westwood) and an Aunt Jill, a musical duo in England who never visit. Ignatz "Iggy" Julio Iguana, performed by Bob Stutt, sleeps on a shelf in the house. He sometimes thinks too highly of himself and makes honest mistakes. He plays guitar and competes with his friend Jacob in sports and other activities. His uncle Rod Iguana and cousins Emmet and Camille live in Arizona. Iggy is the shortest of the group and often tricks people into looking at their shirts, then points at their noses and laughs. Jacob Barnaby Blue, performed by Stephen Brathwaite, often enters the house through open windows and sleeps in his own birdhouse on the patio. He invents things that rarely work as planned, leading to humorous results.