Big Blue Marble facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Blue Marble |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television program |
| Directed by |
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| Theme music composer | Skip Redwine |
| Composer(s) |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Henry Fownes |
| Producer(s) |
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| Production company(s) | The Blue Marble Company |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndication |
| Original release | September 21, 1974 – January 1, 1983 |
Big Blue Marble was a popular half-hour TV show for kids. It aired from 1974 to 1983 across many TV stations, including PBS. The show helped children learn about the world.
Contents
What Was Big Blue Marble?
This TV show was special because it told stories about children from all over the world. It also had a pen-pal club. This club helped kids from different countries talk to each other.
The show's name, Big Blue Marble, came from how Earth looks from space. It looks like a giant blue marble. This idea became famous from a photo called The Blue Marble. Astronauts on Apollo 17 took this picture in December 1972.
Exploring the World
Each episode showed the real lives of two children. One child was from America, and the other was from a different country. The show also sometimes talked about how to protect our planet.
There was a fun part each week with a singing globe named "Bluey." Bluey asked viewers to write letters to the show. Kids often wrote to find pen pals. The letters were sent to Santa Barbara, California. The show's executive producer, Robert Wiemer, was the voice of Bluey.
Who Made the Show?
The company ITT helped pay for Big Blue Marble. Many talented people worked on the show. The creators were Ken Snyder, Henry Fownes, and Robert Garrison. Later, Robert Wiemer became the executive producer.
Rick Berman was a producer for the show. He later became famous for producing the Star Trek TV series. Other important people included writers Lynn Rogoff and composers like Paul Baillargeon. Paul Baillargeon also wrote the closing song, "Get Closer." Whitney Kershaw, Robert Wiemer's daughter, sang this song.
Famous Faces on the Show
Many staff members got to try out new ideas and direct parts of the show. This helped many people start their careers in television.
Some children who appeared on the show later became famous. These include:
- Tisha Campbell (an actress and singer)
- France Joli (a Canadian disco singer)
- Kevin Clash (the person who performs Elmo on Sesame Street)
Also, before they were well known, actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelly Reno were in some of the show's stories.
Animation and Music
The first 78 episodes had animated parts. These were made by Ron Campbell Films, Inc. Ron Campbell was in charge of these animations.
In 1974, A&M Records released an album of songs from the show. It was also called Big Blue Marble.
Where Was It Shown?
Big Blue Marble was shown on TV stations all over the United States and Canada. The company C/F International used to own the rights to the show. However, that company closed in 2008.
Awards for Big Blue Marble
The show won several important awards:
- Peabody award (in 1975)
- Multiple Emmy awards
See also
In Spanish: Big Blue Marble para niños
