Pajanimals

Did You Know?

• The show premiered in the United Kingdom on Nick Jr. on September 23, 2013, where it was redubbed with British voice actors.
• On August 30, 2012, ABC and TVNZ picked up Australian and New Zealand broadcast rights.
• On November 11, 2013, the series was pre-sold to TVB in Hong Kong and TVOntario in Canada.

Characters

The Pajanimals are a group of animal friends who live together. Apollo is a green-and-purple dog who acts as the leader. He likes to look at the night sky and play with his toy rocket ship. He often sleeps with his rocket flashlight, and when the group flies through the sky, his bed turns into a rocket ship. In the shorts, John Kennedy performed Apollo, while Michael Winsor did the voice in the US series and Edward Cross in the UK series. Squacky is a blue-and-yellow duck who is full of energy and excitement. He is the youngest of the group. In the music videos, he spoke with a frontal lisp, but this was dropped for the TV series. He sleeps with a blanket that he uses as a cape when he pretends to be Super Squacky, and he often adds "squack" to his words, like "squacksolutely." His bed becomes a plane or a submarine when they fly or dive. Victor Yerrid performed Squacky in the US, and Alexander Littler in the UK, for both the shorts and series. Sweetpea Sue is a pink-and-orange horse with buckteeth and a Southern accent. She is quiet, shy, and smart, and she is the oldest. She sleeps with a stuffed daisy pillow named Daisy Puff, and her bed turns into a hot air balloon. Donna Kimball performed her in the US, and Gabrielle Illesley in the UK. Cowbella is a purple, pink-and-white cow who loves princesses, unicorns, and girly things. In the music videos, she had an Italian accent, but not in the TV series. She sleeps with a stuffed unicorn named Princess Lucy, and her bed becomes a carriage. Alice Dinnean-Vernon performed her in the shorts, with Sarah Lyle in the US series and Isobel Cross in the UK series. Mom and Dad are the unseen parents of the Pajanimals; they are heard but never shown, and their voice actors are unknown. Bedtime Bunny is a sleepy white rabbit who lives in the Land of Hush. She often falls asleep during conversations, and if a loud noise happens, she widens her eyes and falls to the ground. The Pajanimals visit her for bedtime advice by riding Sweetpea Sue's or Cowbella's bed. Donna Kimball performs Bedtime Bunny. Jerry Bear is a yellow bear who lives in the Friendly Forest. He gives bear hugs to the Pajanimals, and they visit him for bedtime advice using Squacky's, Cowbella's, Apollo's, or Sweetpea Sue's bed. Victor Yerrid performs Jerry Bear.

Production

The series was announced on June 2, 2008 as a co-production between The Jim Henson Company and 4Kids Entertainment for PBS Kids Sprout, initially produced as ten three-minute music video shorts for The Good Night Show overnight block. On April 7, 2011, The Jim Henson Company partnered with Sixteen South to produce a full-length series of 52 11-minute episodes premiering on Sprout in the fall. The full-length series includes playtime before bed and introduces exclusive characters the Pajanimals visit for bedtime advice; at the end, the visited character tells the viewer the moral.

Episodes

In "Stick to the Plan," Sweetpea Sue helps the others follow steps for getting ready for bed: a bath, brushing teeth, and putting on pajamas. "Stay in Bed (Put on Your Sleepy Head)" features Squacky with the "squirmies" wanting to get out of bed while friends remind him nighttime is for sleeping. "I Love to Hug My Lovie" has the Pajanimals singing about their "lovies" that help them sleep. "How Do I Know If It's Morning Time?" shows Squacky wanting to play before morning, annoying the others. "Goodnight to Mom" is a song about their parents and what they might do at night. "Sleeping Makes Me Feel Alright" explains how sleeping gives energy for the next day. In "What's That Sound? (Night Will Sing Us All to Sleep)," Apollo is bothered by nighttime sounds; friends help him hear them as a lullaby, with each animal singing about a different sound. "Lights in the Dark" addresses Apollo's fear of the dark as friends share things that light their way. "Let's Make Our Bodies Tired" involves exercises to tire themselves before bed. "A Scary Dream" calms Cowbella after a nightmare by explaining dreams are "stories in your head." "La-La-Lullaby" is a signature song about how earth sleeps and comforting oneself. In "Blankie in the Laundry," Squacky is upset when his blankie is in the laundry, so the group visits Bedtime Bunny in the Land of Hush for help.

Merchandise and marketing

A fast-food deal with Chick-Fil-A was announced on September 30, 2011. On February 3, 2012, The Jim Henson Company signed merchandising deals including home media with NCircle Entertainment for DVDs and Tomy for toys, with additional partners announced on October 12, 2012. A live-show theater adaptation, Pajanimals Live - Pajama Playdate, produced by Red Light Management, was announced on November 14, 2012 for a March 2013 tour, but was canceled on February 15, 2013 with no reason given.