Out of the Box (TV series)

Out of the Box is an American children's television series which premiered on Playhouse Disney on October 7, 1998, and ended its run on September 27, 2004, with reruns until June 2005 (December 2006 in the UK). The series takes place in "The Box", a playhouse made entirely of cardboard boxes, where two hosts, Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin, make crafts, sing songs, and act out plays.

Out of the Box
Genre	Children's television series
Created by	Douglas Love
Presented by	Tony James Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin
Music by	Bobby Golden
Opening theme	"Out of the Box Theme" by Peter Lurye
Ending theme	"Until We Meet Again (Goodbye Song)" by Billy Straus "Out of the Box Theme" (instrumental)
Composer	Sean Altman
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	82
Production
Executive producer	Douglas Love
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company	OOTB Inc.
Distributor	Buena Vista Television
Release
Original network	Playhouse Disney
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	October 7, 1998 – September 27, 2004

Two special episodes were released on VHS by Walt Disney Home Video, Out of the Box: Trick or Treat, and Out of the Box: Happy Holidays. Trick or Treat is also available on the DVD entitled Rolie Polie Olie: A Spookie Ookie Halloween.[1]

The series was created and executive produced by Douglas Love and was based on his series of books from HarperCollins. Three seasons were filmed at Lifetime Studios in New York City. The series earned three Parents' Choice Awards for excellence in television and an Emmy nomination.[2][3]

The show was said to be lost due to the lack of home-video releases, but it turned out not to be true, as it was revealed that the series would be made available to stream on Disney+, and so it came to be on November 12, 2019.[4]

Overview

Every day, a small group of neighborhood children come and play in "The Box", an imaginary clubhouse made entirely out of painted cardboard boxes. Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin play games, do crafts, sing songs, and act out stories in the box. The singing is usually in the beginning of the episode, while the crafts are in the middle, and the stories are at the ending. The show ends with either Tony or Vivian walking the kids home, then coming back to sing the Goodbye Song. The song is either sung a cappella by Vivian and with Tony tapping on a pumpkin or some other object, but in three episodes Tony plays it on his guitar In two episodes the kids join in to the Goodbye song after they finished they wave to the viewers and the camera would move out as a piano ending of the goodbye song plays in one episode Vivian told the viewers that she will tell Tony they are thinking of him.

Cast

• Tony James as Himself
• Vivian Bayubay as Herself
• Brandon Zemel as Brandon (season 1)
• Andrea Bianchi as Cool Cat
• Sal Viviano as Vincent VanGogh
• Liam Burke as Tiger
• Aleisha Allen as Aleisha (seasons 1-3)
• Nicholas Eng as Nicholas (seasons 1-3)
• Dane Hammond as Dane (seasons 1–2)
• Cecelia Cortes as Cece (season 1)
• Jill Schackner as Jill (season 1)
• Matthew Storff as Matthew (season 1)
• Celine Margaret Ordioni as Celine (season 2)
• Spiridoula Cardona as Spiri (season 2)
• Michael Mylett as Michael (season 2)
• Tyler Lee as Tyler (season 2)
• Christopher Jordan as Christopher (season 2)
• Lindsey Pickering as Lindsey (season 2)
• Elijah Rivera as Elijah (season 3)
• Andrea Rosario as Andrea (season 3)
• Madeleine Martin as Madeleine (season 3)
• Brad Duck as Brad (season 3)
• Zachary Ross as Zachary (season 3)
• Andrew Feinberg as Andrew (season 3)

Episodes

The series comprises 86 episodes in total.[5][6]

Unless otherwise stated, the source of production codes and airdates is the United States Copyright Office.[7]

Season 1 (1998–1999)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Prod. code
1	1	"Feet First"	October 7, 1998	101
Tony plays his talking dream and everyone moves their feet to the beat. The children also make paintings with their feet and act out their own version of Cinderella.
2	2	"Playhouse Mouse"	October 14, 1998	102
Vivian brings in her new pet mouse, Nugget, to meet everyone. When Nuggest gets lost in the clubhouse, the children make a "mouse house" and sing a song to find her.
3	3	"Doctor Octor"	October 23, 1998	103
Brandon just had a check-up, so he pretends to be a Doctor.
4	4	"The Fuzzy Worm"[8]	October 30, 1998	104
Jill finds a real live caterpillar and brings it in to show Tony. The children make pretend butterflies and learn about cocoons.
5	5	"Hats Off"	November 4, 1998	105
It's a Rainy day and the kids explore all the hats that protect our heads.
6	6	"Let's Eat Out"	November 11, 1998	106
7	7	"Sticky Icky"	November 18, 1998	107
Tony, Vivian and the kids have fun making a sticky picture, singing a sticky song and going on a sticky safari.
8	8	"Really Wheely"	November 25, 1998	108
Dane finds an old wagon that's missing a wheel. When Tony and Vivian help Dane fix his wagon, the kids decide to pretend it's a fire truck.
9	9	"Yes and Nose"	December 1, 1998	109
After Tony brings fresh-baked muffins to the playhouse, the kids learn about their noses. They also make animal noses and use them to act out a version of “Pinocchio.”
10	10	"Pick-a-Pet"	December 8, 1998	110
Nick has to pick a pet for his birthday. The kids learn about the different pets you can have and turn Vivian into a "Kitty Parrot Bunny Dog." They also act out their own version of The Billy Goats Gruff.
11	11	"Ships Ahoy"	December 15, 1998	111
The kids pretend to be pirates and act out their own version of Captain Hook.
12	12	"Animal Antics"	December 22, 1998	112
The kids learn about different animals.
13	13	"Tube Town"	December 29, 1998	113
Tony, Vivian and the kids pretend to live in a tube town.
14	14	"High Fliers"[8]	January 7, 1999	114
The kids pretend they can fly and act out a story about Peter Pan.
15	15	"Campout Kids"	January 14, 1999	115
Tony takes the kids on a pretend campout. Note: This is the first episode to have the Goodbye Song played on the guitar. The second being "Sing a Song" and the third being "It's Mothers Day" The D Key version is also used in "Sing a Song" in the next season.
16	16	"Tall and Small"	January 21, 1999	116
The kids learn about different sizes and how each size is perfect. They also makes tiny town and act out a story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
17	17	"Day at the Beach"	January 28, 1999	117
Tony, Vivian and the kids pretend to spend a day at the beach.
18	18	"A Place Called Space"	February 1, 1999	118
The kids learn about space.
19	19	"Box Full of Boxes"	February 8, 1999	119
Tony, Vivian and the kids make different things out of boxes. Aleisha and Nick act out the story of Hansel and Gretel.
20	20	"Hands On"	February 15, 1999	120
Aleisha shows Tony, Vivian and the kids sign language. They also make hand paintings and act out the story of The Three Little Kittens.
21	21	"The Gift"[5]	February 22, 1999	121
Note: For unknown reasons, this episode was never rerun after season two premiered.
22	22	"Treasures"[5]	March 1, 1999	122
23	23	"Circle Circus"	March 8, 1999	123
Tony shows the kids how to hula hoop and they put on their own "Circle Circus".
24	24	"Seeds of Imagination"[8]	March 15, 1999	124

Season 2 (1999–2000)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Prod. code
25	1	"Rules Rule!"	July 20, 1999[7] / September 5, 1999[9]	201
The children learn the importance of rules as they play different games with balls in the clubhouse. They also act out a version of Cinderella.
26	2	"We're Cooking!"	July 21, 1999	202
The children pretend to cook their favorite foods. They also act out a version of the story Stone Soup.
27	3	"Zip, Button, Snap"	July 18, 1999	203
Tony and Vivian help teach the children how to button, snap, buckle and zipper using songs and play-acting. Nick also visits the Little Red Hen.
28	4	"Scrub-a-Dub"	July 22, 1999	204
Tony and Vivian teach the importance of bathing as the children make pretend bathtubs and bath toys, and act out a version of Rub a Dub, Dub, Three Men in a Tub.
29	5	"Disguise Surprise"	July 23, 1999	205
The children dress up in disguises and act out a version of The Little Red Riding Hood.
30	6	"Good Clean-Up Fun"	July 26, 1999	206
The children learn about sorting and organizing items while cleaning up the clubhouse. They also act out a story called "Neat Nick".
31	7	"Mirror, Mirror"	July 27, 1999	207
The children play with different kinds of mirrors, including a hand mirror, a hubcap and a metal tray. They also act out a version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
32	8	"Blowin' in the Wind"	July 28, 1999	208
The children celebrate the wind by playing wind instruments, listening to wind chimes, making pinwheels and playing out a version of The Three Little Pigs.
33	9	"Rock-a-Bye Baby"	July 29, 1999	209
The children take care of pretend babies by diapering them, making their cribs and singing to them. They also act out a version of There was an Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe.
34	10	"Feathered Friends"	July 30, 1999	210
The children craft paper birds and make bird sounds after Vivian brings in a bird feeder to hang outside the playhouse. They also act out a version of the Emperor and the Nightingale.
35	11	"Eye Spy"	August 16, 1999	211
The children explore how their eyes work by playing an "Eye Detective" game, looking at a picture with hidden objects and helping Vivian complete a jigsaw puzzle.
36	12	"We Got the Beat"	August 23, 1999	212
37	13	"Shadow Play"	August 30, 1999	213
The children make a shadow puppet theater and put on a play featuring a bird, a worm, and a spider.
38	14	"Goin' Buggy"	September 6, 1999	214
The children learn about bugs by making a grasshopper, a spider, and an ant out of pipe cleaners and egg cartons.
39	15	"Make 'Em Laugh!"	September 13, 1999	215
The children have a "Make 'em Laugh" day by telling jokes, walking funny and doing other silly things. They also talk with a court jester and turn Vivian into a backwards person.
40	16	"Mon-stir It Up!"	September 20, 1999	216
The children sing a song about not being afraid and make a "Super Monster" puppet.
41	17	"Whose Home?"	September 27, 1999	217
Vivian brings a hermit crab to the clubhouse and teaches the children about different animal homes.
42	18	"Unicornucopia"	October 6, 1999	218
The children create their own magical kingdom, complete with a unicorn. They also act out a version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
43	19	"Tooth or Consequences"	October 11, 1999	219
The children learn about the dentist and caring for teeth. They also act out a version of Little Red Riding Hood.
44	20	"Trick or Treat"	October 21, 1999	220
The children dress up and learn the importance of how to trick-or-treat safely and how to customize their own pumpkins.
45	21	"Down on the Farm"	November 12, 1999	221
The children pretend to live on a farm.
46	22	"Pajama Party"	November 15, 1999	222
The children throw a pretend pajama party.
47	23	"Treasure Hunt"	October 26, 1999	223
The children make treasure chests and go on a treasure hunt. They also act out a version of King Midas to learn about nonmaterial kinds of treasure.
48	24	"Out to Lunch"	November 1, 1999	224
The children pretend to go out to lunch and practice their restaurant behavior. Note: This episode and "Let's Eat Out" may be the same episode accidentally listed twice with different titles.
49	25	"Whodunit?"	September 27, 1999	225
The children use their problem-solving skills to solve a mystery.
50	26	"Goin' to the Grocery"	December 8, 1999	226
The children pretend about going to the grocery store.
51	27	"Sing a Song"	December 13, 1999	227
Vivian has trouble singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" so the kids need to figure out lyrics. Note:This episode is the second episode for the show to feature the guitar variant of the goodbye song since the first season episode Campout Kids. A lower version with the exact same variant will later appear in the Mother's Day episode of the third season.
52	28	"Happy Holidays!"	December 6, 1999	228
Tony and Vivian host a winter holiday party and learn about the children's different holiday traditions. They also make a holiday gift book containing photographs and drawings, and perform a skit about the gift of love. Note: This is the first time that the show features the kids joining in to sing the goodbye song with Tony and Vivian. The same way would be also heard in Revealing Feelings only, Tony was not on the show because he had a cold and there were only a smaller amount of the show's cast with Vivian as the solo leader of the ending song. This is also the only episode to feature five kids instead of three.
53	29	"Rainbow Colors"	December 16, 1999	229
54	30	"Family Fair"	December 29, 1999	230
55	31	"Happy Birthday to Us!"	January 7, 2000[7] / February 12, 2000[5]	231
The children pretend that it is everyone's birthday by putting on dress-up clothes, playing musical chairs and making party decorations.
56	32	"Revealing Feelings"	January 11, 2000	232
The children talk about feelings after they express to Vivian that they feel "bad, sad, and a little mad" because Tony isn't at the clubhouse because he's sick. Note:This is the only time there is one person leading the closing song. The same kids but with a bigger group previously joined Vivian with the goodbye song when Tony was healthy in the Happy Holidays episode of the show.

Season 3 (2001–2004)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	Prod. code
57	1	"Pattern Pattern"	December 2, 2003	301
58	2	"Leap Frog Leap!"[7][10]	November 25, 2002	302
59	3	"Join the Parade"	December 2, 2002[7] / September 22, 2001[9]	303
60	4	"Winning the Gold"	December 9, 2002[7][10] / September 20, 2001[9]	304
The children hold their own Olympics.
61	5	"Brick by Brick"	December 4, 2003[7] / December 16, 2002[10] / September 20, 2001[9]	305
The children build a town as pretend construction workers.
62	6	"Dinosaur Romp"	May 3, 2004[7] / December 23, 2002[10]	306
Tony, Vivian, and the children explore dinosaurs.
63	7	"Topsy Tempo"[7][10]	December 30, 2002	307
64	8	"Weather or Not!"	May 6, 2004	308
The children learn about the different kinds of weather.
65	9	"It's Mother's Day!"[7][10]	May 5, 2003	309
The children rehearse their performance and make personalized invitations to their mothers. Note: This episode is the third time Tony plays the goodbye song on his guitar. The first was Campout Kids and Sing a Song only this time, the key is different.
66	10	"Listen Up!"	March 3, 2003[7] / September 25, 2001[5]	310
The children learn the differences between loud and soft sounds.
67	11	"Thinkin' Lincoln"	December 16, 2002	311
68	12	"Horsing Around"	March 10, 2003	312
The children learn how to pretend to be horses.
69	13	"Making Mistakes"	March 17, 2003	313
The group makes up mistakes.
70	14	"Tickets, Please!"	March 24, 2003	314
The children are playing carnival games. They also act out a story about the Three Billy Goats Gruff getting stopped by a competitive troll on the way to a carnival.
71	15	"Pop to It!"	May 10, 2004[7] / May 15, 2004[10]	315
The children go on a make-believe trip to the movies.
72	16	"Read the Signs"[7][10]	May 14, 2004	316
The children learn how to read signs and follow directions.
73	17	"First Things First"[7][10]	May 17, 2004	317
The children learn about the importance of order.
74	18	"A One and a Two"[7][10]	May 21, 2004	318
The children learn how to have fun playing alone - an important life skill.
75	19	"Bendy Stretchy"[7][10]	August 2, 2004	319
The children learn the importance of bending and stretching.
76	20	"Alike and Different"	December 23, 2002	320
77	21	"Happy New Year!"[5][10]	January 1, 2003	321
Note: This episode is not listed in copyright registry and did not air on Disney Junior Canada
78	22	"It's Father's Day"[7][10]	June 9, 2003	322
The children play games with their dads and pretend to be fathers themselves.
79	23	"Wonderful Words!"[lower-alpha 1][7][10]	August 4, 2004	323
The children act out a rhyming story.
80	24	"Nutcracker Sweet"[7][10]	August 10, 2004	324
The children act out the story The Nutcracker.
81	25	"Surprise, Surprise"[10]	September 20, 2004	325
The children learn the importance of friends and sharing.
82	26	"Kids Are Kids"[7][10]	September 27, 2004	326
The children learn about accepting differences.

Notes

1. Title misspelled in the copyright registry as "Wonderful World"

References

1. Rolie Polie Olie. / A spookie ookie Halloween (DVD video, 2003) [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 52964798. Playhouse Disney bonuses: Out of the box: Trick or treat
2. McClintock, Pamela; Oei, Lily (2004-03-04). "Ellen the talk of Emmys". Variety. Retrieved 2011-07-12. Directing In a Children's Series: ... "Out Of The Box" (Dis)
3. "World Book Classroom: Dramatic Learning". Retrieved 2011-07-12.
4. Disney+ (2019-10-14). "Out of the Box (1998)pic.twitter.com/vuVYhqHvF1". @disneyplus. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
5. "Out of the Box - Episode Guide - MSN TV". Archived from the original on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
6. "Out of the Box - Episode Guide - LocateTV". Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
7. "United States Copyright Office - Public Catalog Search". Retrieved 2011-07-30.
8. "Out of the Box Episode Guide - TVGuide.com". Retrieved 2011-07-30.
9. Zap2it daily schedules for Disney Junior Canada
10. "Out of the Box TV Show Seasons and Episode Guide - XFINITY TV". Retrieved 2011-07-30.

External links

Out of the Box at IMDb