The Hoobs

Did You Know?

• A video game based on the show was released for the PlayStation on 7 June 2002, developed by Runecraft and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
• From 2001 to 2003, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment released four VHS tapes in the United Kingdom: 'Finding Out', 'Holidays', 'Funny Faces', and 'Groove's Wish'.
• A DVD titled 'Hooble Toodle Doo!' was released in September 2005 by HIT Entertainment.

Plot

The series follows five extraterrestrial creatures called Hoobs from the fictional planet Hoobland as they interact with Earth and humans. Each episode centers on the Hoobs trying to find the answer to a question for the great Hoobopaedia, created by Hubba Hubba back on Hoobland, in hopes of learning all there is to know. Hubba Hubba remains in Hoobland to await reports from the other Hoobs: Iver, Groove, and Tula live in a music-powered vehicle called the Hoobmobile, while Roma travels worldwide by foot, public transport, or her music-powered motorcycle, the Hooby Picki Picki. The five creatures are muppets, and the show includes animated sequences and live-action footage of human children who explain concepts to the Hoobs. A typical episode begins with Hubba Hubba introducing the viewers and stating he has tasked four Hoobs to gather information on Earth. After the opening titles, a preamble leads to a question being stumbled upon, which Hubba Hubba formalizes. Roma receives the question by email to provide a report, and Hubba Hubba downloads pictures or videos from HoobNet related to the topic. A line of dialogue ending with a question word triggers a Motorettes' performance of that word. The Hoobs visit the Tiddlypeeps (human children) twice, as 'they're smart, they're fun, they know.' An animated drawing story narrated by a Tiddlypeep relates to the question, though in the episode 'Stories,' Tula makes a story herself. Roma reports back via the Hoobycomputer, except in episodes like 'Roma's Visit' and 'Riddle Me Ree' where Groove reports, or 'Mums and Dads' where Iver reports. Various inappropriate solutions are rejected just in time for the answer.

Characters

The Hoobs are led by Hubba Hubba, a blue male who stays in Hoobland and updates the Hoobopaedia with information gathered by the others. He is performed by Mark Jefferis in the first three series and some episodes of series four, and by Brian Herring in series four and five. In the series five episode "The Big Bonk," he visits the Hoobmobile and talks to the Tiddlypeeps on the Peep Planet, doing Hoob News alone, but he gets lost, prompting the other three Hoobs to ask Roma to find him. His unusual twizzletuft and constant search for knowledge suggest he might be a scientist in Hoobland. Iver, performed by Don Austen, is the purple male Hoob with orange ears. He is punctual and business-like but also enjoys fun, and he is a great doer who can be a worrier. He is often bossy, which annoys Tula and Groove. Groove, performed by John Eccleston in series one through three and Mark Jefferis in series four and five, is a green male Hoob with a green Twizzletuft covering his eyes. He is always cool and relaxed, slower than the others, and sometimes makes mistakes that frustrate his friends, but he always makes up for it. He is a bit greedy and shy, hesitant to leave the Hoobmobile, talented at making music, and enjoys collecting things. Tula, performed by Julie Westwood, is the pink female Hoob. She is sympathetic, caring, and enthusiastic, though she can be tiring to have around. She is very creative and loves arts and crafts. Roma, performed by Gillie Robic, is an orange female explorer Hoob who travels the world gathering information for the Hoobopaedia by talking to the Tiddlypeeps. She does not live in or drive the Hoobmobile, but she reports her discoveries to Iver, Groove, and Tula through video messages, and sometimes visits to help with questions. She rides a motorcycle called a Hooby Picki Picki, powered by one unnamed Motorette. The Motorettes are a race of robotic creatures. Three of them operate the Hoobmobile’s engine by singing and playing musical instruments, while one operates Roma’s Hooby Picki Picki by dancing along to the music. Tootle, performed by Rebecca Nagan, is a female Motorette who is blue cyan and lime green.

Production

In November 2000, Channel 4 revealed its plans for a new pre-school educational programme called "The Hoobs." The series was a £20 million joint effort with The Jim Henson Company, which produced 250 half-hour episodes starting in early 2001 as a replacement for Sesame Street. Channel 4 aimed for the show to become the biggest pre-school series on British television, hoping the Hoobs would achieve the same popularity as Teletubbies and Tweenies. The puppets were built by Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop. Angus Fletcher, executive vice-president of Jim Henson Television, stated the company was pleased to help create a groundbreaking format designed for the first truly multi-media generation.

Broadcast history

The Hoobs first appeared on Channel 4 on 15 January 2001, airing two episodes each weekday morning from 6:00am to 7:00am. Those episodes were later rebroadcast at 11:00am as part of the 4Learning schools strand, and the full run of 250 episodes concluded on 3 January 2003. Though UK production stopped in July 2002, the show continued to air regularly in that same early-morning slot for years, with a yearly break during the Christmas period before returning in January. From August 2006 until December 2012, reruns were followed by the programme Freshly Squeezed, which sometimes referenced The Hoobs. The series also aired on Nick Jr. UK from 2002 to 2004. After Freshly Squeezed ended, The Hoobs remained on weekday mornings until 2 December 2013, and on weekend mornings until 30 August 2014, when all repeats were dropped in favour of How I Met Your Mother reruns. Internationally, the show reached many countries: in the United States it was on PBS Kids Sprout; in Australia on ABC and ABC2 from 4 February 2002 to 2 July 2011; in Poland on Polsat JimJam and TV4; in Hungary on JimJam; in Spain on Telemadrid and K3 in Catalonia; in Israel on Hop!; in Italy as Hello Hoobs on JimJam via Sky; in Germany on KiKA; in Latin America on Semillitas; in Greece on Alter Channel; in Ireland on TG4 with an Irish Gaelic dub; and in Hong Kong on TVB Pearl. As of July 2025, the series is available on the Yippee TV streaming service.