Groundling Marsh facts for kids

Groundling Marsh is a fun Canadian TV show for kids that uses puppets! It was made by Portfolio Film & Television Inc. and J.A. Delmage Productions. The show featured catchy songs and cool animated parts. It was quite popular when it first aired.

The only toys or items made for the show were videos. These videos are now very hard to find. In the United States, the show was shown on PBS and The Disney Channel. It got money from a group called the International Production Fund.

Groundling Marsh first came out on June 27, 1994, on YTV in Canada. It then started in the U.S. on The Disney Channel and PBS on October 1, 1995. The show was even nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Preschool Program. John Pattison, a puppeteer, was also nominated for an award for his work. The last episode aired on November 7, 1997. You can still sometimes see the show on CTV Two Alberta, an educational TV station.

What's the Story About?

Groundling Marsh takes place in a magical swamp. Most of the characters are called "Groundlings." They look like a mix of animals, humans, elves, and plants. They are all very unique! There's also a robot named Stacks.

Humans usually don't appear in the show. When they do, you might only see a boot or hear a voice. Often, humans come to the marsh to dump trash. This causes problems for the swamp's nature. The show teaches important lessons in each episode. These lessons are about things like friendship, being honest, caring for others, and protecting the environment.

Meet the Characters

The marsh is home to many interesting characters. Each one helps make the show special!

Galileo Swampson

Galileo is a young leader among the Groundlings. He looks a bit like an elf. He has yellow-orange skin and dark hair. He calls himself an explorer. Galileo is always mapping the marsh. He is also curious about the human world outside the marsh. He even built Stacks from junk left by humans. Galileo is very friendly. But sometimes he can get a bit impatient, especially with Maggie. He often looks through a telescope, which is why he's named after the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei. He wears a simple brown outfit. Galileo can also see in the dark! He is one of the main characters in the show.

Maggie Muckswell

Maggie is the youngest Groundling. She's a bit of a tomboy and very energetic. She has large eyes, purple eyelids, and pink skin. Her hair looks like flower petals. She also wears a big yellow flower. Maggie often gets into trouble because she can be a bit wild. But she always means well and tries to help her friends. She is very curious about everything around her. Maggie often carries a small green stuffed animal named Mossy Bear. She treats Mossy Bear like a real friend.

Mud and Slinger Bogsmith

Mud and Slinger are the only two-headed Groundling in the marsh. They are also the resident inventors! Mud and Slinger are two different people who share one body.

• Mud is the right half (from the camera's view). He has light purple skin and wears glasses. He is Slinger's younger brother. Mud is a bit forgetful but very kind. He does most of the inventing and research. He can also get nervous sometimes.
• Slinger is Mud's older brother. He has green skin and sharper features. Slinger is more like a salesperson. He focuses on finding uses for their inventions. He relies more on gut feelings than facts. Slinger also seems to be better at talking to others.

Both Mud and Slinger have furry ears and bright blue bodies, except for their faces and hands. They are the strongest Groundlings in the marsh. They are always making new inventions from human junk. Sometimes, their inventions don't work quite right. Mud and Slinger sometimes argue, but they always make up quickly. They often say, "Did Not and Did Too!" to each other. Their inventions and arguments often make them the funny characters in the show. But they are usually a big help to their friends.

Stacks

Stacks is a big robot. Galileo built him from junk that humans left in the marsh. A powerful lightning storm brought Stacks to life! Later, Mud and Slinger put his parts into a special vehicle. This vehicle was made from an old shopping cart. Stacks was very thankful for it. He is usually humble and kind. He tries to answer the Groundlings' questions using his memory. Sometimes, he feels like he's "just a machine."

Stacks has a long neck like a vacuum cleaner tube. His head is a metal can with a handle for a nose. He has a computer screen on his chest. Wires and other machine parts hang from him.

Eco

Eco is a very old and wise Groundling. She has lived in the marsh for over two thousand years! She is a teacher and helps guide the other Groundlings. She looks mostly human. She wears dark red robes and has pale green skin. Her hair is made of dark green leaves with red berries. Eco is the wisest and most spiritual Groundling. She is kind and has a funny sense of humor. She knows all about the Groundling stories and nature's secrets. She can talk to animals and takes care of the marsh. Eco sometimes gives important tasks to Maggie or Galileo. This helps them learn about responsibility.

Hegdish Yuckywood

Hegdish is the show's main troublemaker. He's a trickster, a rival, and often grumpy. He joined the show in the second season. Hegdish has shaggy purple fur and big black eyebrows. He has yellow eyes with dark rings around them. He is often cynical, negative, sarcastic, and lazy. You often see him sleeping in a hammock during the day!

Hegdish sometimes tries to hoard things he likes. He might mess up other Groundlings' plans. He also gives wrong information and wastes things. His grumpy attitude comes from his past. He and Eco were once good friends. They both had a chance to learn to talk to animals. But Hegdish didn't take it seriously. Now, he often makes fun of Eco. But he does worry about her sometimes. He is Galileo's main rival.

Hegdish also has a fear of boats and large water bodies. This is because he once snuck onto a ship, ate all the food, and ended up lost at sea! Despite avoiding others, Hegdish sometimes shares knowledge from his travels. He even cooperates with the other Groundlings sometimes. In one special episode, he learns how lonely he would be without his friends.

Crystal Clearshine

Crystal is Eco's grandniece. She loves fashion! She is covered in fuzzy light blue fur. Her face is blue, and she has a soft, whispery voice. She has very large white eyes and a small pink nose. Her long, furry ears hang down her back. These ears help her hear things from far away. She can also see in the dark, just like Galileo. It's said she's like a soft, fashionable bunny. She lives in a beautiful cave. When she first appeared, Crystal had to wear glasses to protect her eyes. She quickly became good friends with Maggie.

Crystal wasn't in the first season, but she became a regular character. She was even the main character in some episodes. Hegdish often annoys her by saying her name wrong. He calls her "Crispy," "Creepy," "Cookie," "Cracker," or "Christmas"!

Episode Guide

Here's a list of all the episodes from Groundling Marsh:

Season 1 (1994)

• Fungus Amungus (Pilot) June 27, 1994
• The Featherbeam June 28, 1994
• Big Dreams June 29, 1994
• Truth & Consequences
• Maggie's Quest
• Night and Day
• Life Before Stacks
• Heat Wave
• Pot of Plenty
• All for One
• Flower Power
• Them Dingling Dozy Daisies
• Sticks and Stacks

Season 2 (1995)

• Make Room for Hegdish
• Butterfly Day
• Stinky Pond Mystery
• Galileo's Prank
• Fence Fiasco
• Come Blow Your Horn
• Two Be or Not to Be
• Tupelo Treat
• Tinkletree Trouble
• Seahunt
• Eggs Over Easy
• Slice of Advice
• Snow Job

Season 3 (1996)

• Mossy Bear
• To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
• Reluctant Hero
• Over the Rainbow
• Mine All Mine
• Sproutsmaster
• Maggie's Tree
• Maggie's Youday
• Purple Pebble Fever
• Lucky Stick
• Megaboo Gonna Get You
• Free at Last
• Crystal Clear

Season 4 (1997)

• Honey, I Shrunk the Groundlings
• The Amulet
• Jingle Bellies
• Bumble-Bird Blunder
• The Hegdish Who Came to Dinner
• What a Guy
• The Enchanted Music Box
• The Other Galileo
• My Hero
• A Little Bird Told Me
• Berries as Big as Your Head
• Ooops!
• The Imaginary Friend
• Catch a Falling Star
• Glisten Berries & Friends
• Treasure of the Lost Marsh
• Coming of Age
• The Best Present of All
• Five Leaf Clover
• Mighty Maggie
• Crystal and the Ice Wind
• Free Wally
• That's Entertainment
• Listen Up
• It's a Wonderful Marsh
• Bah Hegdish

Where It Aired

After starting in Canada in 1994, Groundling Marsh began airing in the United States on The Disney Channel in 1995. It stayed on that channel until 1997. The show was also broadcast in Japan on TV Tokyo. It was also shown in Mexico on Canal Once. The series was also broadcast in the United Kingdom and Australia. In total, the show was shown in 94 different places around the world! A short movie version was also made. It was shown in "interactive theaters" in family fun centers in the U.S. The show also appeared on a special CD-ROM about Canadian children's TV. In 2019, it was announced that the show would return to American TV on UPtv.

VHS Tapes Released

Three hour-long VHS tapes of Groundling Marsh were released by Lyrick Studios in 1998:

• Treasures Are for Sharing - June 23, 1998
• Courageous Adventures - June 23, 1998
• It's a Wonderful Marsh - September 8, 1998