2007 children's television series
Bunnytown is an American children's television program that aired on Playhouse Disney. It premiered in the United States on November 10, 2007. The series received generally positive reviews from critics.
Format.
The basic format features between ten and twelve segments as follows:
Cast.
The bunny rod puppets (which take up to eight puppeteers to operate with a trigger at the bottom to move their mouths and invisible marionette strings to work from above on all other parts) are made from foam rubber and covered in fake fur.
Characters include the many types of characters found in pop culture and storybooks. Included are a king and his court (supposedly the leaders of Bunnytown as they live in a castle), pirates, a superhero bunny, a female bunny who is an astronaut, two cave bunnies and their pet dinosaur, an inventor, a farmer and his helpers and many more.
Production.
"Bunnytown" was created by David Rudman, his brother Adam, and Todd Hannert, under their Spiffy Pictures television production-channel company. The show was produced at Elstree Studios.
Release.
Broadcast.
"Bunnytown" premiered in Canada on November 3, 2007. It aired in the United States on November 10, 2007. The series was released in the United Kingdom on the Playhouse Disney channel on January 13, 2008, a sublet of pay-broadcaster Family Channel. In France, it began airing on January 27, 2008, and kept its original title "Bunnytown". The series ran for one season and twenty-six episodes total, which finished its run on November 8, 2008.
Home media.
The show was released in DVD on March 17, 2009. The "Bunnytown" shorts were made available to stream on DisneyNow. Disney-ABC Television Group later released the series on Hulu.
Reception.
Critical response.
Mike Hale of "The New York Times" wrote, "What you do get on screen is a fast-moving variety-show and sketch-comedy format that alternates elaborate silly jokes with musical numbers in which the bunnies grab guitars and crank out generic but bouncy R&amp;B-inflected power pop. (If you had access to those press notes, you too could say, “Ah, they "are" trying to sound like Earth, Wind &amp; Fire.”) It all seems sufficiently safe and diverting to serve as a surrogate baby sitter, while perhaps just strange enough to appeal to hung-over adult hipsters." Marilyn Moss of "Associated Press" described "Bunnytown" as "very colorful and fast-moving for the youngest set," writing, ""Bunnytown" is a musical bonanza for preschoolers. If the music is not original (its sound resembles the jingles of many other preschooler shows), that’s not a problem for this venture. The animation is lively enough to overcome anything else." Emily Ashby of "Common Sense Media" gave "Bunnytown" a grade of three out of five stars and complimented the depiction of positive messages, asserting, "The energetic series promotes animation and exposes preschoolers to a range of musical styles, including disco, country, piano, and light opera. Lyrics or dialogue very occasionally include repetitive counting or other simple skills, but on the whole, entertainment outweighs educational content."
Accolades.
"Bunnytown" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design at the 2008 Daytime Emmy Awards.
References.
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