Little Bill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Bill |
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| Genre | Educational |
| Created by | Bill Cosby |
| Developed by | Fracaswell Hyman |
| Written by | Fracaswell Hyman (head writer) |
| Directed by |
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| Creative director(s) | Robert Scull |
| Voices of |
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| Theme music composer | Bill Cosby, Don Braden, and Jon Faddis |
| Composer(s) | Stu Gardner and Art Lisi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 52 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
| Distributor | MTV Networks |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nickelodeon |
| Original release | November 28, 1999 – February 6, 2004 |
Little Bill is a fun American animated TV show for kids. It's based on the Little Bill books by Bill Cosby and Varnette P. Honeywood. The show takes place in Philadelphia, which is Bill Cosby's hometown.
The series was made for Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block. Fracaswell Hyman, the show's head writer, helped turn the books into a TV series. Each episode teaches Little Bill a new lesson or a moral. The show was carefully made with help from educational experts.
Little Bill first aired on November 28, 1999. It also appeared on CBS as part of Nick Jr. on CBS and later Nick on CBS. The last new episode came out on June 23, 2004. Reruns continued to air for several years. Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on Sesame Street, was one of the writers for the show. You can now watch Little Bill on Paramount+.
Contents
Story and Characters
The show is set in Philadelphia and follows a young boy named William "Little Bill" Glover Jr. He loves to explore everyday life using his amazing imagination. Little Bill lives with his loving family. This includes his parents, his great-grandmother Alice (who they call Alice the Great), his older sister April, and his brother Bobby.
At the end of each show, Little Bill often talks directly to the audience. He shares what he learned that day before he goes to bed.
Meet the Glover Family and Friends
- William "Bill/Little Bill" Glover Jr.: He is the main character, a curious and imaginative boy. He's called Little Bill because his dad is also named Bill.
- William "Bill/Big Bill" Glover Sr.: Little Bill's dad. He's called Big Bill because his full name is Bill Sr. He was voiced by the famous Gregory Hines.
- Brenda Glover: Little Bill's mom. She was voiced by Phylicia Rashad.
- April Glover: She is Little Bill's older sister and the only girl among the children.
- Robert "Bobby" Glover: Bobby is the middle child and the oldest son in the family.
- Alice the Great: She is Little Bill's great-grandmother and lives with the family. She was voiced by the legendary Ruby Dee.
- Elephant: This is the family's pet, a small, light yellow hamster.
Other Important Characters
- Captain Brainstorm: An astronaut from Little Bill's favorite TV show, Space Explorers. He was voiced by Bill Cosby, the creator of Little Bill.
- Andrew Mulligan: Little Bill's best friend, who lives nearby.
- Kiku: Another one of Little Bill's friends.
- Fuchsia Glover: Little Bill's cousin. She goes to school with him.
- Dorado: A friend of Little Bill who is Puerto Rican.
- Monty: A friend who uses a wheelchair because he was born with cerebral palsy.
- Michael Riley: A classmate who moved to the neighborhood from Miami.
- Miss Aisha Murray–Clinkscales: Little Bill's kindergarten teacher.
- Dr. Winthrop Clinkscales: Mrs. Murray's husband.
- Mrs. Shapiro: Little Bill's neighbor. She was voiced by Madeline Kahn and later by Kathy Najimy.
- Mr. Miguel Rojas: An elderly Mexican-American neighbor who speaks both English and Spanish.
- Mr. Clark Terry: A new friend of Alice the Great and Little Bill, named after the jazz musician Clark Terry.
- Baby Jamal Welsh: Little Bill's baby cousin.
- Percy Mulch: The owner of a pet shop.
- Mr. Williams: A music store owner.
- Aunt Deborah Kendall: Brenda's younger sister and Baby Jamal's mom.
Episodes
There are 52 episodes of Little Bill across four seasons. Each episode is about 30 minutes long. You can find a full list of all the episodes here:
Home Media Releases
Little Bill episodes were released on VHS tapes and DVDs by Paramount Home Media Distribution. Some of the main DVD releases included:
- Me and My Family
- Big Little Bill
- What I Did at School
- I Love Animals!
- Merry Christmas, Little Bill
Some episodes were also included on special Nick Jr. compilation DVDs that featured episodes from different Nick Jr. shows.
Awards and Recognition
Little Bill received several important awards for its quality and educational value:
Emmy Awards
- 2003: Gregory Hines, who voiced Big Bill, won an Emmy for Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program.
- 2004: The show itself won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Animated Program.
Peabody Award
- 2001: Little Bill also won a prestigious Peabody Award. This award recognizes excellence in broadcasting.
Video Games
A video game called Little Bill Thinks Big was released on September 29, 2003. It was available for Windows XP and Macintosh computers.
See also
In Spanish: Pequeño Bill para niños
