Giggle and Hoot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giggle And Hoot
Logo
Country of origin	Australia
No. of seasons	9
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jan Stradling
Production location(s)	Australian Broadcasting Corporation Studios
Release
Original network	ABC Kids (2009-present)
Picture format	576i (SDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	Late 2009 – present
Chronology
Related shows	Hoot Hoot Go!

Giggle and Hoot is a popular Australian TV show made for children. It airs on ABC Kids and first started in late 2009. The show follows the fun adventures of Jimmy Giggle (played by Jimmy Rees) and his best friend, Hoot the Owl (played by David Simes). In later seasons, a second owl named Hootabelle (played by Jemma Armstrong) joins their exciting adventures.

Characters

Jimmy Giggle

Jimmy Giggle, played by James Rees, loves to fix things. He often tries to use a "magic button" that never quite works! Jimmy is super talented at making new things from everyday items. For example, he once turned a bath into a bed. The walls of his house are even sewn and buttoned together.

His favorite toy is a dinosaur named Giggleosaurus. Jimmy Giggle also plays many musical instruments. These include the ukulele, double bass, baritone saxophone, piano, and guitar.

Hoot the Owl

Hoot the Owl is Jimmy Giggle's best friend and helper. Even though owls usually sleep during the day, Hoot loves being awake in the daytime. He finds it "very exciting"! However, because he's awake all day, he sometimes falls asleep easily.

Hoot lives in a chest of drawers that he has made into his own special apartment. He also plays the harmonica and triangle. Hoot uses a special cloudifier to make clouds appear.

Hoot loves "owl" snacks, the color blue, and "owl" naps. He also enjoys "hootball," which is a mix of "hoot" and "football." His favorite toy is Mini-Hoot. Hoot and Jimmy Giggle love playing, singing, and hanging out together. They also enjoy playing dress-up, pretending to be astronauts, pirates, and more.

Hoot's Night Watch

At the end of each show, Hoot goes on his "Night Watch." He "flies" across the land of Giggle and Hoot to make sure everyone is tucked into bed. Hootabelle helps him by lighting up the stars with her 'Star Twinkler'. This helps Hoot see his way in the 'Nighty Night' sky. Hoot and Hootabelle often meet up after The Night Watch to fly and play together.

Hootabelle

In later seasons, a playful purple female owl named Hootabelle joined the show. She became a close friend for Hoot. Hootabelle lives in a 'Purple Button Tree'. She has a toy cat named Gigglepaws, which makes Hoot a bit scared since he's afraid of cats. But Hootabelle always tells him that Gigglepaws is a "friendly" cat! She also has a toy butterfly called Giggle Wings. Giggle Wings loves zooming around the Giggle and Hoot house. Hootabelle often visits the Giggle and Hoot house for an "Owl Pal Play Date."

She loves the color purple, books, butterflies, owl snacks, and worm-flavored milkshakes. Hootabelle also enjoys singing.

Giggleosaurus, Mini-Hoot and Gigglepaws

Jimmy Giggle, Hoot, and Hootabelle each have a special favorite toy. Giggleosaurus the dinosaur is Jimmy Giggle's toy. Mini-Hoot belongs to Hoot. Hootabelle has a toy cat named Gigglepaws.

Jimmy Giggle and the owls treat their toys as if they are real characters. They often talk to them and include them in their games. These toys also come to life in animated songs on the show. Some songs include "Go Giggleosaurus," "On A Mini-Adventure," and "Hoot! Hoot! It's A Lovely Day."

Additional Characters

Other puppet characters that have appeared on the show include:

• Hootoclaws: An owl version of Santa Claus.
• Cosmo Carrot, Bessie Broccoli and Tommy Tomato: These are singing vegetables from the Gigglearium.
• Pirate Hootbeard: A famous owl pirate captain. He sails the Giggle Seas and lives on Button Island with his toy, Pirate Mini-Hootbeard. When he gets upset, he loses his special "Yarr!" sound.
• Giggle Fangs: A friendly bat. He lives in the Batty Lair at the edge of the Giggle Forest. He has "Super Sonic Bat Hearing" and loves 'bat naps'.
• Hootpa: An older, bearded owl who is Hoot's grandfather and Pirate Hootbeard's brother. He loves napping on comfy cushions and having tea parties.
• Hootagadget: A smart, red female owl who is a close friend to Hootabelle. She lives in the Gadget Cubby and goes on missions with her friends. She uses cool gadgets like a 'Rainbowifier' and 'Skyboards'.

Show Format

The Day Time Block

The Day Time Block airs in the mornings (7–9 am) and afternoons (1:45–2:40 pm). During this time, many fun music video clips are shown. Some of these include:

• Giggle Fangs — An animated video about Giggle Fangs and his helper Giggle Bug.
• Hootball — An animated clip where Hoot and Hootabelle play a ball game in the clouds.
• Time to Play - An animated clip showing Hoot, Hootabelle, Giggle Fangs, and Hootagadget getting ready for an Owl Pal Playdate.
• Owl Pals - Starting in 2018, Hoot, Hootabelle, and their friends chat with kids about different topics.
• Cloud Bouncing — A video where Hoot and Hootabelle bounce around on clouds. Their toys, Giggleosaurus, Giggle Paws, and Mini-Hoot, make appearances in the background.
• The Giggle Galaxy — An animated clip where Astro Jimmy Giggle, Astro Hoot, and Astro Hootabelle fly into Giggle Space in their Giggle Rocket.
• Hoot! Hoot! It's a Lovely Day — An animated clip showing Hoot and Hootabelle flying around the land of Giggle and Hoot. They play 'Hoot and Seek' and slide down a big water slide.
• Let's Fly - An animated clip where Hootabelle and Hootagadget have fun flying on their skyboards and building a spaceship.
• On A Mini-Adventure — An animated clip about the adventures of Mini-Hoot and Giggleosaurus. They travel on a bicycle that turns into a flying hot-air balloon and a submarine.
• The Funky Owl — Hoot's favorite 'funky bird' song. Jimmy Giggle plays a huge bass guitar in the clip.
• Go Giggleosaurus! — An animated video about Jimmy Giggle's favorite toy dinosaur. He leaps and bounds around, sliding down a keyboard mountain and roller-skating up a volcano.
• The Gigglemobile — Jimmy Giggle and Hoot fly around in their Gigglemobile. It's a cardboard car that can go on land, underwater, and fly!
• My Best Friend — This series celebrates friendships. It shows pairs or groups of children dancing and explaining why they are best friends.
• Super Giggle and Super Hoot — This segment is about celebrating everyday things. Jimmy Giggle and Hoot become superheroes to solve small problems.
• Giggle Art Song — This series shows groups of children creating art. Each segment focuses on one thing they create.

The Gigglearium

When Jimmy Giggle, Hoot, and Hootabelle press a button on their vegetable box, it magically turns into "The Gigglearium." This is a musical theater where three vegetables come to life and sing songs: Tommy Tomato, Bessie Broccoli, and Cosmo Carrot.

They sing several songs, including:

• "The Gigglearium Slow Song"
• "The Gigglearium Solo Song"
• "The Gigglearium Country Song"
• "The Gigglearium Opera Song"
• "The Gigglearium Loud Song"
• "The Gigglearium Rhyme Song"
• "The Gigglearium Disco Song"

The Giggle Gallery

"The Giggle Gallery" is a very popular daily part of Giggle and Hoot. It celebrates art sent in by young children from all over Australia. The pictures are displayed as if they are in an art gallery. Jimmy Giggle and Hoot talk about the wonderful things in each artwork. Hoot gets especially excited when he sees the color blue, because it's his favorite!

The Goodnight Hour

The Goodnight Hour helps kids wind down in the evening and get ready for bed. It airs from 5:15–7:25 pm Monday to Saturday, and 6–7:25 pm on Sunday. It features several calming songs, such as:

• My Batty Lair — A video about Giggle Fangs and his love for his Batty Lair.
• 5 Steps to Bed — Jimmy Giggle, Hoot, Hootabelle, and Hootagadget go through the "very important 5 Steps To Bed." These steps include brushing teeth, putting on pyjamas, and cuddling toys.
• Beak Brush Time - Jimmy Giggle, Hoot, and Hootagadget brush their teeth and beaks, showing how to get a "smiliest smile."
• The Giggle Galaxy — (See description above in Day Time Block)
• Hey Hootabelle — An animated clip where Hoot and Hootabelle meet at her purple button tree and fly around together.
• The Birdbath Boogie — Hoot sings while taking a bath before his Night Watch. This song was later updated to include Giggle Fangs, Hootabelle, and Pirate Hootbeard.
• On the Night Watch — Hoot sings about his Night Watch with Jimmy Giggle.
• Sweet Dreams — An animated clip showing Jimmy Giggle and Hoot flying through the night sky. It's often introduced as a dream Jimmy Giggle had.
• Giggle Mission Time - An animated clip following Hoot, Hootabelle, Hootagadget, and Giggle Spikey on a mission. They go 'rainbow sliding' and climb the Great Giggle Mountain.
• Twinklify — Every night, Hootabelle lights up the stars with her 'twinklifying' wand.
• Hoot's Lullaby — An animated clip that always ends the Night Time Block. It shows Hoot starting his Night Watch and ends with "See you in the morning! Hoot! Hoot!".

Production

Giggle and Hoot is produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) at their Ultimo studios in Sydney. The show is made for children aged 2–6 years old. Jan Stradling is the executive producer, and Natalie Robinson-Hurst is the series producer.

Cast

• James Rees as Jimmy Giggle
• David Simes as Hoot the Owl and Giggle Fangs
• Jemma Armstrong as Hootabelle
• Mark Simpson as Pirate Hootbeard and Hootpa
• Stef Smith as Hootogadget

Hoot Hoot Go!

Hoot Hoot Go! is a spin-off show from Giggle and Hoot. It features characters like Hoot, Hootabelle, Pirate Hootbeard, Giggle Fangs, Hootaluna, and Giggle Bot. A new character named Hootly, who is a best friend to Hoot and Hootabelle, also appears. This series has 26 episodes, and each one is five minutes long.

Awards