Out of the Box (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Out of the Box |
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | Douglas Love |
| Presented by | Tony James Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin |
| Music by | Bobby Golden |
| Opening theme | "Out of the Box Theme" by Peter Lurye |
| Ending theme | "Until We Meet Again (Goodbye Song)" by Billy Straus "Out of the Box Theme" (instrumental) |
| Composer(s) | Sean Altman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 82 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Douglas Love |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | OOTB Inc. |
| Distributor | Buena Vista Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Playhouse Disney |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | October 7, 1998 – September 27, 2004 |
Out of the Box was a fun American TV show for kids that first aired on Playhouse Disney on October 7, 1998. It ran until September 27, 2004, with reruns playing even longer. The show takes place in a special place called "The Box," which is a playhouse made completely out of cardboard boxes! Inside, two friendly hosts, Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin, lead kids through exciting activities. They make cool crafts, sing catchy songs, and act out imaginative plays.
You might have seen some special episodes of Out of the Box if you had them on VHS. Two popular ones were Out of the Box: Trick or Treat and Out of the Box: Happy Holidays. The Halloween special, Trick or Treat, is also on the Rolie Polie Olie: A Spookie Ookie Halloween DVD.
The show was created by Douglas Love, and it was based on his series of books. They filmed three seasons of the show in New York City. Out of the Box was really good, earning three Parents' Choice Awards for being excellent television and even an Emmy nomination! For a while, people thought the show was hard to find, but it became available to stream on Disney+ starting November 12, 2019, so now you can watch it anytime!
Contents
What Happens in The Box?
Every day on the show, a small group of neighborhood kids come to play in "The Box." This special clubhouse is made from painted cardboard boxes and is full of imagination! Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin are the hosts, and they guide the kids through all sorts of fun. They play games, create amazing crafts, sing songs, and act out cool stories.
Usually, an episode starts with some singing. Then, in the middle, everyone gets creative with crafts. The show often ends with an exciting story acted out by the kids and hosts. At the very end of each episode, either Tony or Vivian walks the kids home. Then, they come back to "The Box" to sing the special "Goodbye Song." Sometimes, Vivian sings it without music while Tony taps on an object, or Tony plays it on his guitar. In a few episodes, the kids even join in for the Goodbye Song, waving to the viewers as the camera moves away.
Meet the Cast!
The show featured two main hosts and a group of talented kids who played themselves. Here are some of the people you saw on Out of the Box:
- Tony James as Himself
- Vivian Bayubay as Herself
- Brandon Zemel as Brandon (season 1)
- Andrea Bianchi as Cool Cat
- Sal Viviano as Vincent VanGogh
- Liam Burke as Tiger
- Aleisha Allen as Aleisha (seasons 1-3)
- Nicholas Eng as Nicholas (seasons 1-3)
- Dane Hammond as Dane (seasons 1–2)
- Cecelia Cortes as Cece (season 1)
- Jill Schackner as Jill (season 1)
- Matthew Storff as Matthew (season 1)
- Celine Margaret Ordioni as Celine (season 2)
- Spiridoula Cardona as Spiri (season 2)
- Michael Mylett as Michael (season 2)
- Tyler Lee as Tyler (season 2)
- Christopher Jordan as Christopher (season 2)
- Lindsey Pickering as Lindsey (season 2)
- Elijah Rivera as Elijah (season 3)
- Andrea Rosario as Andrea (season 3)
- Madeleine Martin as Madeleine (season 3)
- Brad Duck as Brad (season 3)
- Zachary Ross as Zachary (season 3)
- Andrew Feinberg as Andrew (season 3)
Episode Fun!
Out of the Box had a total of 86 episodes across three seasons. Each episode was packed with creative ideas, songs, and stories. Here are some highlights from each season:
Season 1 Highlights (1998–1999)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
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| 1 | 1 | "Feet First" | October 7, 1998 | 101 |
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Tony plays his talking drum, and everyone moves their feet to the beat. The children also make paintings with their feet and act out their own version of Cinderella.
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| 2 | 2 | "Playhouse Mouse" | October 14, 1998 | 102 |
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Vivian brings in her new pet mouse, Nugget, to meet everyone. When Nugget gets lost, the children make a "mouse house" and sing a song to find her.
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| 15 | 15 | "Campout Kids" | January 14, 1999 | 115 |
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Tony takes the kids on a pretend campout, showing them how to have fun outdoors.
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| 19 | 19 | "Box Full of Boxes" | February 8, 1999 | 119 |
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Tony, Vivian, and the kids make different things out of boxes. Aleisha and Nick act out the story of Hansel and Gretel.
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Season 2 Highlights (1999–2000)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | "Rules Rule!" | July 20, 1999 | 201 |
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The children learn the importance of rules as they play different games with balls in the clubhouse. They also act out a version of Cinderella.
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| 29 | 5 | "Disguise Surprise" | July 23, 1999 | 205 |
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The children dress up in disguises and act out a version of The Little Red Riding Hood.
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| 44 | 20 | "Trick or Treat" | October 21, 1999 | 220 |
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The children dress up and learn the importance of how to trick-or-treat safely and how to customize their own pumpkins.
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| 52 | 28 | "Happy Holidays!" | December 6, 1999 | 228 |
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Tony and Vivian host a winter holiday party and learn about the children's different holiday traditions. They also make a holiday gift book and perform a skit about the gift of love.
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Season 3 Highlights (2001–2004)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
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| 60 | 4 | "Winning the Gold" | December 9, 2002 | 304 |
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The children hold their own Olympics, showing off their skills and teamwork.
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| 62 | 6 | "Dinosaur Romp" | May 3, 2004 | 306 |
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Tony, Vivian, and the children explore the exciting world of dinosaurs.
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| 65 | 9 | "It's Mother's Day!" | May 5, 2003 | 309 |
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The children rehearse a performance and make personalized invitations for their mothers.
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| 82 | 26 | "Kids Are Kids" | September 27, 2004 | 326 |
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The children learn about accepting and celebrating differences among people.
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