JoJo's Circus

Infobox Television
show_name = JoJo's Circus
format = musical, comedy series, preschool
runtime = 21 minutes
creator = Jim Jinkins
David Campbell
Lisa Jinkins
Eric Weiner
developer = Cartoon Pizza, Cuppa Coffee Studio, TV-Loonland
starring = Madeleine Martin
Robert Smith
Jayne Eastwood
Austin Di Iulio (Season 1)
Keeler Sandhaus (Season 2)
Diana Peressini
Tajja Isen
producer = Kids Rocket, Cartoon Pizza, Cuppa Coffee Studios
country = Canada
network = Disney Channel
first_aired = September 28, 2003
last_aired = February 14, 2007
num_episodes = 64

Infobox TV ratings
show_name = JoJo's Circus
usa_tv = TV-Y
gb_tv =
can_tv = C
jp_tv =
dt_tv =
aus_tv = P
nz_tv =

JoJo's Circus is a musical comedy series for preschool children. It debuted in 2003 and currently airs in the United States on the Disney Channel as part of the Playhouse Disney morning programming schedule.

It also airs daily on the UK version of Playhouse Disney as well as the Australian version, but without the common anglicization of other Playhouse Disney shows such as "Little Einsteins" and "Higglytown Heroes". Since 2005, "JoJo's Circus" has been shown on GMTV's children's weekend slot Toonattik.

Concept

The series stars JoJo Tickle — a six-year-old, female clown — and her fellow residents of Circus Town, a self-sufficient city whose cultural center is the "Big Top" circus tent. The show stresses simple, everyday lessons such as playing with others, personal hygiene, responsibility, and safety. Also paramount is the show's focus on exercise: JoJo often asks for audience participation (such as clapping, jumping, and stretching) from viewers.

Recurring themes

"JoJo's Circus" relies on repetition in its structure. Each segment (of which there are usually two during the show's approximately 24 minute runtime) always begins with JoJo searching for her pet lion Goliath who is always hiding. JoJo then is presented with the situation that will occupy the theme of the show. A song, usually about the resolution of the situation, is then sung by JoJo.

At the conclusion of each episode, a secondary character asks, "What did you learn today, JoJo?", and before she can reply, JoJo is whisked away for the finale, the "spotlight moment." JoJo is then placed on a makeshift stage, while the "Spotlight Moment" song, asking what she's learned, is sung. Subsequently, JoJo explains what she has learned in the course of the episode.

Music

Every episode contains a short tune dealing with the topics of the preceding episode. (Many of these songs can be found on three CDs: Songs from JoJo's Circus, Songs from Under the Big Top!, and Playhouse Disney: Imagine and Learn with Music.) The genres of the songs range from do-wop to funk to rock to early punk. Phrases like "stretch your arms" and "jump up high" are common lyrics. Most of the songs are educational — telling kids how to bow, stretch, greet people, wash your hair, and clean up after themselves — while a few are just fun and silly, such as "Cotton Candy Sure Is Sweet" or "The Gum Drop Song."

Characters

Main characters

* JoJo Tickle (voiced by Madeleine Martin): JoJo, the main character of the show, is an inquisitive and active six-year-old clown whose parents are famous circus clowns. She's kind-hearted, has a great sense of humor, boundless curiosity, and excitement about life; and she loves to clown around.

* Goliath the Lion (voiced by Robert Smith): JoJo's pet and conscience, Goliath is a playful but loyal four-year-old lion that attends school just like JoJo. He's also part of the Tickle family. Because of his playfulness, he hides from JoJo in the beginning of each episode.
* Skeebo Seltzer (voiced by Austin Di Iulio in Season 1 and Keeler Sandaus in Season 2): Skeebo, known as the class clown, is JoJo's best friend, and attends school with her and the other circus kids. Skeebo's eager to make people laugh by testing new jokes, slight gags, and tricks ... that sometimes don't work. Skeebo has a pet dog named Harpo.
* Croaky Frogini (voiced by Diana Peressini): Croaky, the great leaper of the group, met JoJo on the first day of school, when they realized they had different abilities and agreed to help each other learn different tricks. Croaky with her father and uncle make up the Flying Froginis, a famous flying trapeze group.
* Trina Tightrope (voiced by Tajja Isen): Trina is a ballet dancing, tightrope walker. She comes across as abrupt and snobbish on occasion, but apologizes for her mistakes when she becomes aware of them.
* Mr. Tickle (voiced by David Sparrow in Season 1 and Noah Weisberg in Season 2): Mr. Tickle — JoJo's dad and Peaches's husband — is a jolly clown who often blasts off to work in a cannon. On occasion, Mr. Tickle conducts an orchestra in Circus Town.
* Peaches Tickle (voiced by Marnie McPhail in Seasons 1-2 and Shannon Perreault in Season 3): Peaches is JoJo's mom and Mr. Tickle's wife. She is a tall, skinny clown who is full of sunshine and is often makes goodies for her family and Circus Town residents. She's klutzy by nature, but a good juggler and sometimes catches 15 objects in the air when she accidentally trips.
* Mrs. Kersplatski (voiced by Jayne Eastwood): She's JoJo's teacher and the big top ringmaster. A warm and encouraging teacher, Mrs. Kersplatski gives the circus kids a strong sense of mastery and confidence, with her combination of hard work and play. In the second season, she got married to Mr. Muscles and became Maya's stepmother. She is very clumsy and after she trips , her catchphrase is " I'm ok".

econdary characters

* Dinky the Elephant (voiced by Julie Lemieux): Dinky is a sweet and frisky elephant. While Dinky may be clumsy and somewhat oafish, when he dances, he turns into "Mr. Graceful."
* Tater Spudinski (voiced by Cole Caplan): Tater is one of the two kids in the Spudinski clan. His sleepy potato nature seems to be the antithesis to the "get up and go" feel of the show, but sometimes he can't help but join in the fun. In the second season, he has a 1 year old baby sister named Small Fry.
* Balboa the Snake (voiced by Julie Lemieux): Balboa is a contortionist snake with a talent for making number and letter shapes. Balboa also has a knack for troublemaking. He thinks it's fun to coax JoJo and others into doing what they are not supposed to do, and the kids are sometimes susceptible to Balboa's charms.
* Fellini and Federico Frogini (voice actor for Fellini: Neil Crone; voice actor for Federico: John Stocker): Also called the Flying Froginis, the two brothers are expert jumpers and trapeze artists. Fellini and Federico are uncle and father, respectively, to Croaky.
* Mr. Muscles (voiced by Mark Consuelos in Season 1 and Erik Estrada in Seasons 2-3): He's the circus strong man and a physical education instructor. He knows a lot of exercises that he teaches to those in Circus Town. He has a daughter named Maya and recently married Mrs. Kersplatski, but it's not known whether he was divorced or widowed.
* Maya Muscles (voiced by Phoebe Mcauley): Maya is the daughter of Mr. Muscles and stepdaughter of Mrs. Kersplatski. She's fairly new to both Circus Town and JoJo's class. She has red hair, and can be shy at times but loves to get up and go.
* Dr. Seltzer (voiced by Kathryn Greenwood): Skeebo's mother, she is Circus Town's only doctor and Fire Chief Seltzer's wife. Though she's not in many episodes, her most notable appearance is in the episode "A Case of the Sillies."
* Fire Chief Seltzer (voiced by Patrick McKenna): He's Skeebo's father and the chief of the local fire department in Circus Town.
* Mr. and Mrs. Spudinski (voice actor for Mr. Spudinski: Bruce Bayley Johnson; voice actor for Mrs. Spudinski: Julie Lemieux): Tater's parents, who have the same sleepy nature as he does. It's revealed in "The Thanksgiving Hip-Hooray Parade" episode that Tater calls his father "Daddy Spud."
* Small Fry Spudinski (voiced by Julie Lemieux): Small Fry is Tater's baby sister and one of the two kids in the Spudinski clan. She first appeared in the episode "Hi There, Small Fry!".
* Mrs. Pachyderm (voiced by Judy Marshak): Dinky's mother; she's also been referred to as Mrs. Elephant.
* Babalulu (voiced by Kathy Brier): She's Circus Town's pretzel and ice cream shop vendor. JoJo and her friends sometimes go to her ice cream parlor for a snack. JoJo taught Babalulu how to make pretzel twists in the episode "A New Twist."
* Jumberto the Jackrabbit (voiced by Jonathan Potts): Jumberto is a rabbit magician whose tricks rarely work.
* Terrific the Tiger Tamer (voiced by Ed Saheley): Terrific is a famous Tiger Tamer in Circus Town. He has a tiger named Tippoo.
* Uncle Flippy (voiced by Tony Daniels): A farmer and JoJo's uncle, Uncle Flippy owns a farm on the outskirts of Circus Town. On the episode entitled "Uncle Flippy's Funny Farm," JoJo and everyone in Circus Town helped him after a giant pie creamed his farm. Strangely, he has a pet tiger.
* Ballooney Baloney (voiced by Darren Frost): Known for making balloon animals, Ballooney Baloney can make any animal shaped balloons with his hands. He has a grandson named Bailey.
* Cotton Andy (voiced by Paul Soles): Cotton Andy is a cotton candy vendor whose cotton candy machine is named "Whoopsabelle" and was also a priest for the wedding episode "A Circus Town Wedding."
* Charlie the Clown Baby: Charlie is one of JoJo's cousins whom the Tickles sometimes babysit.
* Grandma and Grandpa Tickle (voice actor for Grampy Tickle: Keith Knight; voice actor for Young Grampy: Joshua Isen; voice actor for Granny Tickle: Kate Gallant): JoJo's grandparents, both of them were experts on clowning around before JoJo was born. Their famous act is the "Silly Shoe Shuffle," which Granny Tickle passed the act to both JoJo and Goliath.
* Terracotta (voiced by Kristen Bone): Terracotta is the little girl who looks like a flower pot, and she bought JoJo's silly skates in the "Too Many Toys" episode.
* The Firefighters: They carry JoJo off at the end of each show and help build the makeshift stage for JoJo's "spotlight moment."

pecial guest characters

* Princess Josephina (voiced by Tajja Isen): She's JoJo's royal cousin who lives in Really Royal Land. She looks like JoJo and has a pet lion named Hercules who looks just like Goliath. She appeared in the episode "Princess for a Day," where she and JoJo decide that it would be fun to trade places.
* Bailey Ballooney (voiced by Matthew Josten): Ballooney Baloney's grandson. Bailey Ballooney normally attends Small Top Hills School and only visited JoJo's class on Valentines's Day. JoJo comes up with a special way to make him a valentine in the episode "My Clowny Valentine."

DVD releases

The series has two DVD releases: "Take a Bow" and "Animal a Go-Go." The "Take a Bow" DVD contains the "Easy As Pie," "Take a Bow," "JoJo on the Tightrope," and "Happy Hoppy Day" episodes. "Animal a Go-Go" has "Flower Shower," "Uncle Flippy's Funny Farm," "Try These on for Boing," and "Brushing Up." Both DVDs have the opening theme, JoJo and Goliath in interstitials, printable coloring pages, and other bonus features.

Two more "JoJo's Circus" episodes are available on "Higglytown Heroes" DVDs: "The Spudinski's New Act" is on Higglytown's "Heroes on the Move" DVD, and "A Clown Ride" is on the Higglytown "To the Rescue" disc. The holiday themed "A Circus Town Christmas" is included on the "A Very Playhouse Disney Holiday" DVD.

Feeling Good with JoJo

The JoJo and Goliath characters also appear in "Feeling Good with JoJo," a Playhouse Disney interstitial program. In this show, JoJo teaches viewers how to deal with every day issues through yoga and other movement.

External links

* [http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/playhouse/jojoscircus/index.html Official Site]
* [http://disney.go.com/playhouse/today/index.html Playhouse Disney's Web Site]
* [http://www.tv.com/jojos-circus/show/19646/summary.html JoJo's Circus TV Show - TV.com]
* [http://www.tv.com/jojos-circus/show/19646/episode_listings.html Episode Guide - TV.com]
* [http://disney.go.com/disneyrecords/soundtracks/jojoscircus/index.html Soundtrack Information from Disney]