The Upside Down Show
| The Upside Down Show | |
|---|---|
| File:The Upside Down Show title card.png | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
|
| Written by | Sonia Manzano (Pet Shop, Seasons 2–present) |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Voices of |
|
| Composer(s) | David Chapman |
| Country of origin |
|
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | List of The Upside Down Show episodes |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Wendy Gray |
| Cinematography | Ian Jones |
| Editor(s) | Simon Martin |
| Camera setup | Both single-camera and multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nickelodeon (Australia) Noggin (USA, 2006–2009) Nick Jr. (USA, 2009–present) |
| Original release | October 13, 2006[1] – present |
| External links | |
| [{{#property:P856}} Website] | |
Search The Upside Down Show on Amazon.
The Upside Down Show is a children's television series produced by Blink Films and Sesame Workshop. It was made for Noggin, a channel co-founded by Sesame Workshop. The series is set in a strange apartment building where the doors lead to a variety of unusual rooms. It is presented by brothers David and Shane (played by the Umbilical Brothers), who live in the apartment building with their sidekick Puppet, their neighbor Mrs. Foil, and a group of fuzzy creatures called the Schmuzzies. In each episode, David gives the viewers an imaginary remote control that affects the characters and their surroundings.
The series was inspired by the Umbilical Brothers' adult-oriented comedy act SpeedMouse,[2] which was also based on the idea of an imaginary remote. Producers from Sesame Workshop saw SpeedMouse and ordered a pilot episode based on it, which became The Upside Down Show. The pilot was successful, and in 2005, Noggin ordered a two season of 13 episodes in season one and 53 episodes in season two equals 66 episodes in total. The show was written and produced in New York, and it was filmed in Sydney, Australia. The cast and crew featured a mix of Australian and American talent. While creating the series, the writers intentionally included jokes for adults as well as children;[2] Shane Dundas likened The Upside Down Show to making "an adult show for kids."[3]
History
Origins
The show's concept is based on SpeedMouse, a live comedy act that the Umbilical Brothers performed for adult audiences in the 1990s.[2] The plot involved an invisible remote control that dictated the Brothers' actions on stage. Shane Dundas called the remote "a handy idea that we took directly from SpeedMouse and it all grew into a whole another animal."[2] Producers from Sesame Workshop enjoyed the remote control in SpeedMouse and felt that the physical comedy would lend itself to a family-oriented television show. Sesame Workshop approached the Umbilical Brothers with plans to develop a series, and the Brothers accepted.[4] The Upside Down Show was the Brothers' second venture into family television, after Umbilical TV, a set of short films that the Brothers made in the 1990s.[5]
Production
In developing the series, the creators set out to make an "adult show for kids"[3]—adapting the adult-oriented SpeedMouse for a wider audience while also adding layered jokes for parents and older viewers. According to Shane Dundas: "with The Upside Down Show the mantra was 'Well, kids are going to love this but we really want to make sure there are gags in there for the grown-ups as well!'"[2] David Collins elaborated, "The series is filled with gags that will fly over the heads of little ones and straight into the face of the parent stalking behind them. Some of these gags we had to fight [the censors] for."[6] In an interview with The Age, he said, "Basically we'd try to get away with as much as we could. Sometimes the cameras stopped rolling because there were a few moments that were too risque for kids."[7]
A half-hour pilot episode was made from December 2004 to March 2005. The pilot never aired on television, but it was screened at MIPTV Media Market in April 2005.[8] The pilot followed David and Shane searching for the beach, and this storyline was later reworked into an episode of the main show.[9] For the pilot, the show's art department glued the entire living room set to the ceiling to give the look of an "upside down" room; in the final series, the camera is simply turned around at various points to create the upside-down illusion.[10] The character of Puppet had a different design, and he was named "Stretch" in the pilot.[8] David and Shane also wore different costumes: simple T-shirts with swirl designs on them.[9]
The pilot was successful, and Noggin ordered a full season of 13 episodes in 2005, full second season of 53 seasons from 2006 to 2007. They aired since fall 2006. On December 27, 2006, in an interview with the New York Post, Shane Dundas said he was unsure if the series would be renewed for a second season, and that Noggin would make a final decision in February 2007 about renewing it. On June 1, 2007, the Umbilical Brothers wrote on their website that Noggin decided not to order a second season up until December 6th 2007.
Broadcast
In the United States, the series was first shown on the main Nickelodeon channel on October 13, 2006. Noggin aired the episodes slightly out of order; it showed "Art Museum" and "Farm" (episodes 5 and 1 respectively) as the premiere episodes, then aired the remainder of the show in its original production order. In Australia, Nickelodeon premiered the episodes on a more sporadic schedule; the series debuted since August 25, 2006. Reruns would continue to air until March 1, 2012.
The Upside Down Show also aired on four international channels: Nick Jr. UK, Nickelodeon Asia, TVOKids in Canada, and Boomerang in Latin America. Nick Jr. UK ran the first episode on April 10, 2006, with reruns continuing until January 2007. Nickelodeon Asia premiered the show on August 9, 2006, and it continued to play reruns until 2010. TVOKids aired the show from September 2006 until 2008. Boomerang aired the show from September 1, 2007, until late 2007.
Characters
The Upside Down Show is an Australian children's TV show originally airing on Noggin, Nick Jr. Australia and the ABC. The series was the recipient of a 2007 Logie Award. On the show, Shane Dundas and David Collins (The Umbilical Brothers - Maisy) play brothers who live together in a strange house with a variety of unusual rooms. The show premiered on Nick Jr. Australia in 2006 and on Noggin in 2006.
This show is the Australian’s a third longest running series in since aired on October 13, 2006.
In 2006, in a New York Post interview, Shane Dundas expressed doubts about the return of the show for a second season until December 5, 2007.
Cast
- David Collins - David
- Shane Dundas - Shane
- Emma de Vries - Schmuzzies
- Virginia Goodfellow - Schmuzzies
- Alice Osborne - Schmuzzies
- Amanda Bishop - Mrs. Foil
- Mat McCoy - Puppet
- Gina Joplin – Little Jenny
- Adam Smillie - The Voice
- David Collins - voice of Pointy, voice of Bob the Blanket
- Shane Dundas - voice of Knuckles, voice of Fido the Fly
Kids
- In "Farm": Zechariah Addae
- In "Movie Theater": Talia Suh
- In "Art Museum": Lachlan Gower
- In "Barbershop": Jade Barbar
- In "Pet Shop": Tiarnie Coupland
- In "Picnic": Omar Abouseido
- In "Mini Golf": Bree Delaney
- In "Camping": Sara Tait
- In "Airport": Anabelle Beasley
- In "Ice Cream Truck": Matilda Beer
- In "Marching Band": Nikita Naidu, Fortune Miranda, Tamon Mashimo, and Lily Bader
- In "Beach": Kai Hardge
- In "Birthday Party": Isabelle Nicolas
Characters
- Shane — Shane Dundas plays "Shane," who is bald and wears long cargo pants, hi-top sneakers, and a blue T-shirt featuring the symbol for "slow motion" as found on most electronic devices. He is one of the three protagonists of the series.
- David — David Collins plays "David," who has dark, curly hair and wears either cargo shorts or capris, sneakers, and a striped polo shirt. He has super-sensitive hearing (only functional when he makes a "do-do-do-do" sound effect at the same time but in the scene of the episode 'Marching Band,' he doesn't use the "do-do-do-do" and his SSH [acronym of Super-Sensitive Hearing] work automatically) and, as shown in episodes, a super-sensitive sense of smell. He is also a protagonist in the series.
- Little Jenny — Gina Joplin plays "Little Jenny," who has blonde hair and wears yellow and pink socks, blue loafers and pink and blue dress. She has being optimistic annd if she is the cousin of Shane, David annd Mrs. Foil. She is also a female protagonist in the series.
- Mrs. Foil — The only other regularly appearing human character, Mrs. Foil is the boys' friendly neighbor and Little Jenny’s favorite aunt. She is blonde and wears a bright pink or orange or yellow or even purple ladies' business suit, ladybug pin, pink or orange or yellow or even purple stockings, and pink or orange or yellow or even purple shoes. She can play the tuba and often offers comedic quips such as "See you later, alligators," or "Got to go, penguin toes," or even "Haha!". Mrs. Foil is portrayed by actress Amanda Bishop (who also appears in various other segments, not necessarily as Mrs. Foil, but as a generic lady).
- Puppet — Puppet is a mottled, greyish and brown hand puppet resembling no particular type of creature. He lives with the brothers and often assists them in their antics. He sometimes appears to be more rational than Shane and David but is often just as silly as the boys. He has a cousin named Mary Annette. Puppet is performed and voiced by puppeteer Mat McCoy. Puppet was built by Puppet Heap.
- The Schmuzzies — The Schmuzzies are a friendly bunch of fuzzy, ball-shaped creatures who pop up in various places. They come in a wide range of bright colors and speak a language called Schmuzzish ("Schmello, Schmuzzies!"). Shane sometimes appears to be apprehensive of the creatures, while David maintains a good rapport with them and is fluent in their language (which he studied for seven years, "part-time"). The Schmuzzies were built by Puppet Heap.
- Fido the Fly — Fido is Shane's (imaginary) pet fly who lives behind a tiny door in the boys' apartment. Fido communicates to Shane by buzzing (voiced by Shane). He is first mentioned in "Barbershop" and makes his first appearance in "Art Museum". He is an avid tennis player.
- Action Fingers — Occasionally Shane, Little Jenny and David have need to call upon the resources of three rough-and-tumble figures, Knuckles (on Shane's left hand), Ring (on Little Jenny’s left hand) and Pointy (on David's right hand). These two-digit adventurers are performed by Shane, Little Jenny and David when they "let their fingers do the walking" over various props and scenery. They serve as the show's superheroes.
- Bob the Blanket - Bob is a small, white "blanket" (more the size of a hand towel) belonging to David (who also performs his voice). He speaks in a rough voice with an American accent and employs a sardonic wit. Bob only appears in "Barbershop" and very briefly in "Camping."
- The Voice — An authoritative male voice sometimes speaks to Shane and David, generally reminding the duo to knock before entering a room (i.e. "You forgot to knock," or, "Aren't you forgetting something?", followed by "Come in" when they do so). The Voice sometimes demands specific types of knocks before giving they boys consent to enter a room. The voice narrates the children in every instant replay mode, he saying "Total..." or in Birthday Party as "Concert ...". Another voice narrates when the boys finally reach their intended destination "for the very first time".
- Spot the Chair — Spot is David's pet chair who plays a game called, "Fly on the Chair" with Fido, who he is good friends with. He only appears in "Pet Shop" and very briefly in "Picnic."
Episode structure
Before Title Sequence:
Each episode begins with a cold opening showing one or both brothers in the middle of some activity, typically involving something imaginary. After greeting the audience, David introduces "The Remote" by pretending to be holding a remote control. He explains that The Remote can control the action on-screen. He demonstrates by pressing various buttons, which control Shane's actions. For example, "Fast Forward" causes Shane to move and speak fast, "Pause" causes him to freeze, "Rewind", which causes anyone to move and speak backwards, "Mute", which causes Shane to speak without any sound. In many episodes, David discovers a previously unknown "Wild-card Button," such as "Humongous" (and its opposite, the "Minute" button). This button causes some strange and/or undesired effect. He presses unknown buttons on the remote after saying "Hmm" or "Ooh, I wonder what this button does." David then offers The Remote to the viewer and "hands it over" by reaching off-screen downward. The brothers direct the viewer to "press the Play button." At this point, a strange and/or undesired effect happens ("Uh-oh, I think someone pressed the _____ button"). The brothers encourage the viewer to fix the situation by pressing a button for opposite effect. When they ask the viewer to "press play" a second time, Shane says "But whatever you do, don't press the -" but he is almost finished when the joke is repeated, and the viewer must again press the button for the opposite effect. Finally, Shane and David ask the viewer to "Just press Play" a third time, and the opening credits begin.
Title Sequence:
The Action Fingers enter the frame and perch on the title, which is flipped upside down. Pointy reads the title as "Down Upside" due to its position. Realizing the mistake, they help turn the words "Upside Down" the right way up, and read the title correctly. They then walk along atop the credits until they reach a door. The credits list the stars as David Collins, Gina Joplin and Shane Dundas, and state that the show was created by Belinda Ward, Shane Dundas, and David Collins.
Plot Structure:
The central objective of every episode is for Shane and David to get to a certain location. However, they do not know how to get there. They spend the episode adventuring through the various red doors in their apartment, as well as searching other places (e.g., under a table, behind a bookcase, inside and behind their sofa and closet). The brothers occasionally request help from the viewers, asking them to press buttons on their remote. Their journey takes them to 3 "Wrong Turn" rooms. In at least one of the rooms, they encounter a child who teaches them something and sets them on the correct path. Eventually they locate their destination and experience something, such as a picnic, farm, or an airport, "for the very first time".
Ending:
The show ends with the brothers back in their apartment. During the last few minutes of the show, they give the viewer an imaginary souvenir to thank them for their help throughout the episode. As the credits begin, Shane and David begin to do things (e.g. in Farm, they play as a rockband with David yelling out as (Executive Producer Kurt Russel) begins, "One, two, three, four!" and in Picnic, Shane and David are fighting over the string until at the point (Executive In Charge of Sesame Workshop Jodi Nussbaum) credit appears, Shane and David wave left and right their bodies until at the end of the credits, and in Art Museum, Puppet accidentally surprises Shane and David, until at the point where the (Executive In Charge of Sesame Workshop Jodi Nubbasum) credit appears, Shane and David laugh until they pause, and Puppet now freely says, "Whoops, I think somebody just pressed the Pause button." Then the episode ends with the Sesame Workshop logo.)
Running gags
There are a few running gags in the show. The main one is the "Upside-Down" button. When this button is pressed (and it is in every episode but one), the viewpoint shifts, with a silly sound effect, to an upside-down shot of whomever is in the scene. The actors' and puppets' hands are held up in the air to make it look as if they are hanging upside down. One of the boys begs the viewer to press the "Right Side Up" button, at which point the viewpoint rights itself. Another sequence seen in each episode is the use of the "Instant Replay" button. The brothers ask the viewer to press this button to see a child do something again. During the slow motion replay, Shane and David play the role of commentators, narrating the action and assessing the child's technique. A more subtle running gag is the fake pineapple that appears in at least three episodes. Another is the "Mute button". Once this button is pressed, Shane speaks without a sound until David presses "Unmute", which reverses the effects of the "Mute button" and is only seen in the episode "Airport". Next is the "Rotate" button in the episode "Pet Shop". When David or the viewers press this special button, the viewpoint shifts 360 degress. The next button is the "Horizontal button", in which whomever is at the scene is put in the sideways position and one of the boys ask the viewer to press the "Vertical button", which puts the actors in the upright position and is only seen in the episode "Camping". This next one is the "Up button", which makes the actors go up and they beg for the viewers to press the "Down button" to put them down and is only seen in the episode "Barbershop". Next is the "Stumble button" from the 1st episode "Movie Theater". If David or the viewers press this ridiculus button, they look like they stumbled and tripped. Up next is the "Inside button". If the viewers press this hilarious button, the boys will disappear and then reappear inside a cup and Puppet and the boy's picnic supplies inside the basket. At that moment, the boys beg for the viewers to press the "Outside button" for the boys to get out of the cup and their picnic basket. Next up, the "Sandwich button". In the episode "Picnic", when Shane and David are in the "Sandwich Room", Shane asks the viewers to press the "Sandwich Button" and once that happens, sandwiches appear. Also, fly-sized sandwiches for Fido because they were having their first picnic and Fido is sad because he hasn't been on a picnic before.
Episode guide
Main releases
| Name | Release Date | Number of Episodes | Episode Titles | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Upside Down Bunch | November 27, 2007 | 4 |
|
Paramount Home Media Distribution |
| Where’s Little Jenny? | March 4, 2008 |
| ||
| We Love Little Jenny | November 25, 2008 |
| ||
| Little Jenny’s Great Adventures | March 31, 2009 |
| ||
| Little Jenny’s Great Mysteries | August 25, 2009 |
| ||
| Little Jenny’s Family Fun Time | October 20, 2009 |
| ||
| February 2, 2010 |
| |||
| January 11, 2011 |
| |||
| June 14, 2011 |
| |||
| March 13, 2012 |
| |||
| June 26, 2014 | ||||
| October 14, 2014 |
| |||
| December 8, 2015 | ||||
| January 12, 2016 | ||||
| April 19, 2016 | ||||
| December 6, 2016 | ||||
| December 12, 2023 | ||||
SeeAlso
- ↑ "Television Schedule, Week of October 09". NickJr.com. October 9, 2006. Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "The Umbilical Brothers – Speedmouse: The Return Of The Roadie at Royalty Theatre – Adelaide Fringe Interview". The Clothesline. February 25, 2016. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednypost - ↑ Savage, Desiree (June 8, 2017). "Umbilical Brothers' show in Wollongong". Southern Highland News.
- ↑ "The human cartoons". Stuff. January 31, 2009.
- ↑ Collins, David (18 January 2019). The Upside Down Show: 'Camping' Fun Fact. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Raising a laugh is child's play". The Age. August 24, 2006.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Sesame, Nick go Upside Down". C21 Media. March 17, 2005.
New York's Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon Australia and local prodco Blink Films are coproducing a new preschool series, The Upside Down Show.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Collins, David (3 September 2019). "The Upside Down Show pilot photos". Facebook.
- ↑ Collins, David (2 September 2019). The Upside Down Show: 'Beach' Fun Fact. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19.
This is a re-imagining of our pilot episode where we went to the beach. The pilot was a little different, and included the art department making the lounge room upside down, with everything, including the couch stuck to the ceiling.
Unknown parameter|url-status=ignored (help)
Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found
