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Kaboodle (TV series) facts for kids

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Kaboodle & Kaboodle 2
Genre Anthology series
Country of origin Australia
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 19
Production
Executive producer(s) Patricia Edgar
Producer(s) Patricia Edgar and Jeff Peck
Running time 30 minutes
Release
Original network ABC
Picture format PAL (576i)
Original release 26 October 1987 (1987-10-26) – 7 June 1991 (1991-06-07)

Kaboodle is a 13-part anthology television series which includes animation, puppetry, and live action and was produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) that ran on ABC Television from 1987 to 1990. Kaboodle 2 was a follow-on series which provided another six half-hour episodes of innovative television drama for the under-tens. Kaboodle 2, however, was fully animated and instead of being an ‘anthology’ series of many short dramas, all of which are different, this season had regular characters in every episode. The show commenced screening on the Seven Network across Australia in April 1990.

The original concept was conceived by Jenny Hooks and the series aimed to provide quality Australian television drama for the long neglected 6-9 year old age group. The series intended to stimulate young children’s imagination and widen their range of experiences. Some of the stories are based on distinguished Australian children’s books, some on fairy tales and myths, whilst others have been developed as wholly original work for Kaboodle. The make-believe of television drama, where anything can and should happen, was well suited to foster healthy, emotional and intellectual growth by challenging the imagination and widening the range of children's experience.

Kaboodle is significant-not only because it catered to a much-neglected audience-but also because the series provided industry experience and international screen credit for numerous talented up-and-coming Australian film-makers. More than one hundred crew who worked on Kaboodle gained their first television credit or advanced their careers by working on the series. The series was distributed outside Australia and New Zealand by London and New-York based Richard Price Television Associates Limited. Kaboodle video cassettes were marketed in Australia by CBS/FOX Video.

Crew

Kaboodle

  • Executive Producer: Patricia Edgar
  • Series Producer: Jeff Peck
  • Concept: Jennifer Hooks
  • Producers
    • Robert Alcock
    • Richard Chataway
    • Colleen Clarke
    • Michael Cusack
    • Gary Davis
    • John Griffin
    • Jenifer Hooks
    • Peita Letchford
    • Tony Llewellyn-Jones
    • John Morris
    • Heather Ogilvie
    • Mark Osborn
    • David Rapsey
    • Penny Robins
    • Neil Robinson
    • Michael Szmanski
    • Peter Viska
    • Michael Webb
    • Timothy White
    • Stephanie Wiessner
    • Vincent C. Zimbardi
  • Directors
    • Robert Alcock
    • Karin Altmann
    • Sue Brooks
    • Catherine Campbell
    • Richard Chataway
    • Paul Cox
    • Michael Cusack
    • Gary Davis
    • Jessica Douglas-Henry
    • Steve French
    • Maggie Geddes
    • Peita Letchford
    • Carl Looper
    • Robert Marchand
    • Mitch Mathews
    • Mark Osborn
    • Sue Randall
    • Penny Robenstone
    • Jan Sardi
    • John Skibinski
    • Michael Szymanski
    • Peter Viska
    • Heather Williams
    • Vincent C. Zimbardi
  • Animators
    • Richard Chataway
    • Michael Cusack
    • Steve French
    • Ross Gathercole
    • Maggie Geddes
    • Peter Green
    • Anne Jolliffe
    • Penny Robenstone
    • Jonathan Rossiter
    • John Rossiter
    • John Skibinski
    • Peter Viska
    • Andrew Whisson

Kaboodle 2

  • Executive producer: Patricia Edgar
  • Supervising Producer: Susie Campbell
  • Writers, Producers and Directors
    • Richard Chataway
    • Michael Cusack
    • Maggie Geddes
    • Neil Robinson
    • Peter Viska
    • Paul Williams
  • Series Development: Jeff Peck
  • Animators
    • Michael Cusack
    • Ian Forss
    • Steve French
    • Ross Gathercole
    • Maggie Geddes
    • Peter Green
    • Frank Hellard
    • Bill Hodge
    • Greg Ingram
    • Anne Jolliffe
    • Paul Marion
    • Gus McLaren
    • Steve Robinson
    • Joe Rossiter
    • Paul Williams

Kaboodle Synopsis

Each half hour episode tells two or three separate stories using a variety of forms including animation, puppetry, and live action. It was a kaleidoscope of forms, with each episode varying in pace, length and mood. It aimed to provide laughs and tears, fantasy and realism, but specifically tailored to the interests of the young viewer (6-9 year olds). There were thirty-two separate short stories included in the thirteen-part series.

The Short stories

Title Form Reference
The Birthday Present Live action
The Cure Animation
Double Take Live action
The Fogbrook Thing Live action
Foxbat and the Mini Animation
Frieze Animation
The Ghost and Katie Domigan Live action
The Girl and the Pumpkin Live action
The Great Detective Animation
The Great Sandiwch Swap Live action
Gung Ho Animation
Hide Until Daytime Live action
The Huge Adventures of Trevor a Cat Animation
Joshua Cooks Animation
The Marvellous Adventures of Miriam and the Miraculous Miranda Live action and computer animation
Molly Moves About Animation
Penny Pollard's Diary Live action
Potato and the Kobold Live action
The Secret Life of Trees Live action
Snow White and the Dreadful Dwarves Live action
The Steam Train Crew Live action
There's Dragons Animation
Scuff the Sock Live action and stop-motion animation
Talo's Story Computer animation
Thing Animation
There's a Sea in My Bedroom Computer animation
The Wheelie Wonder Animation
Whiska Animation
The Wizards of Solmar Live action and puppetry
Wombat and Gumshoe Animation

Kaboodle 2 Synopsis

Kaboodle 2 contained four regular drama segments as part of its fully animated 6 half hour mini-series:

  • Echidna Crossing animated by Maggie Geddes and Neil Robinson
  • The Dream Machine animated by Paul Williams
  • The Hedge animated by Peter Viska
  • The Great Detective animated by Michael Cusack and Richard Chataway

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated Work Awards Event Category Result Reference
1987 'The Huge Adventures of Trevor a Cat' Kaboodle episode ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Children's Award-Best Animation, and Best Film-Tertiary Student Winner
1987 'The Fogbrook Thing' Kaboodle episode ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Children's Award-Best Narrative Winner
1987 'Joshua Cooks' Kaboodle episode ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Best Animation Winner
1987 'Molly Makes Music' Kaboodle episode Chicago International Festival of Children's Films, United States Television production, Part of a Series-Animation Second prize
1988 'Double Take' Kaboodle episode ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Children's Award-Best Narrative Winner
1988 'The Wheelie Wonder' Kaboodle episode ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Children's Award-Animation Winner
1988 'Molly Makes Music', 'Lock Up Your Toys' and 'The Cure' Kaboodle episodes ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Range of categories Finalists
1988 Kaboodle series 9th Banff Television Festival, Canada One of three finalists
1988 Kaboodle series 1988 Bicentennial Pater Awards International Children's Variety program-Series Award Winner
1988 Kaboodle series Television Society Australia Awards, Melbourne Children's program Award for excellence
Kaboodle 2
Year Nominated Work Awards Event Category Result Reference
1990 'The Hedge & Mr Snip' and 'The Great hedge Race' Kaboodle 2 episode ATOM Awards, Melbourne, Australia Children's Award-Animation Highly Commended
1990 Kaboodle 2 Television Society of Australia Awards, Melbourne Children's program Certificate of Merit
1990 'The Great Detective' regular drama segment of Kaboodle 2 Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS), NSW Cinema Photography Winner
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