The Big Comfy Couch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Big Comfy Couch
Genre	Children's television series Educational
Created by	Cheryl Wagner
Written by	Cheryl Wagner Robert Mills Lynn Harrison McLauchlan Vicki Grant Tracey Forbes Bob Stutt Robin White Kate Barris Harmony Wagner Shayne Fox Vicki Grant
Directed by	Wayne Moss (1992–1994) Robert Mills (1995-2006) Steve Wright (2006)
Presented by	Alyson Court (1992–2002) Ramona Gilmour-Darling (2006)
Starring	Bob Stutt Fred Stinson Grindl Kuchirka Edward Knuckles (2002-2006) Robert Mills Taborah Johnson (1992–1996) Jani Lauzon (1992–1996) Jackie Harris (1992–1993) Suzanne Merriam (1994–1996)
Theme music composer	JP Houston
Composer(s)	JP Houston (1992–2002) George Flores (2006)
Country of origin	Canada
Original language(s)	English French
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	100
Production
Executive producer(s)	Annabel Slaight Robert Mills
Producer(s)	Cheryl Wagner Robert Mills
Production location(s)	Wallace Avenue Studios Toronto, Ontario (1992–2002) Studio City Toronto, Ontario (2006)
Editor(s)	Steven B. Pinchuk
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Radical Sheep Productions Owl Television (1992–1993) Owl Communications (1994–1995)
Release
Original network	YTV (1992–1996) Treehouse TV (2002–2006) PBS (January 9, 1995–September 5, 1999) PBS Kids (September 6, 1999–May 24, 2009)
Picture format	480i (4:3 SDTV)
Original release	March 2, 1992 (1992-03-02) – December 29, 2006 (2006-12-29)

The Big Comfy Couch is a popular Canadian children's TV show. It's all about a friendly clown named Loonette and her doll, Molly. They live in a cozy house with a giant green couch. Together, they solve everyday problems and learn important lessons.

The show first aired on March 2, 1992, and ran until December 29, 2006. It was created by Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills. In Canada, you could watch it on YTV and later on Treehouse TV. In the United States, it was shown on PBS stations.

What Happens on The Big Comfy Couch?

Each episode of The Big Comfy Couch has fun activities and learning moments. Loonette always starts with a special exercise routine called the Clock Rug Stretch. She also loves to read stories to Molly, who sometimes picks the book herself!

Adventures and Lessons

Loonette and Molly often meet the tiny dust bunnies living under their couch. They also visit different places in Clowntown. These include Granny Garbanzo's garden, where they meet her cat, Snicklefritz. The mail clown, Major Bedhead, delivers letters on his unicycle.

Granny Garbanzo often gives Loonette good advice. This helps Loonette learn important lessons about life. Major Bedhead sometimes brings gifts or messages from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester.

Cleaning Up and Dreaming Big

Near the end of each show, Loonette finds a big mess. She asks, "Hey! Who Made This Big Mess?" Then, she and Molly do a super-fast clean-up called the Ten Second Tidy. Every episode finishes with Loonette and Molly taking a nap. They often remind viewers about the day's lessons.

In later seasons, Loonette and Molly played the Dream Game. Molly would pick a letter, and they would dream about things starting with that letter. In Season 6, Molly even went to Doll School to learn her alphabet and numbers. The show also used the Alphabet Game, where Loonette would make shapes with her body to show a letter.

Imaginative Play in Clowntown

The show really encouraged kids to use their imagination. Loonette and Molly would visit places like Granny Garbanzo's Cabbage Club Cooking School. They also went to Major Bedhead's Clown Chi Dojo and Dancing School. Loonette even ran her own Miss Loonette's Dance Academy.

In Season 7, Loonette started visiting Clowntown more often. She volunteered at the Clowndergarten, teaching games and stories to younger clowns. Loonette also had a dollhouse where she imagined the adventures of The Foley Family. These doll-sized characters would become regular-sized clowns in her imagination.

Meet the Characters

The show features a small cast of memorable characters who help Loonette and Molly learn and grow.

Loonette the Clown

Loonette is the main character, a young clown with freckles. She lives with her doll, Molly, on their Big Comfy Couch. Alyson Court played Loonette from 1992 to 2002. Ramona Gilmour-Darling took over the role in 2006.

Loonette wears a pink jumper, a white shirt, and a purple hat. She has black and white striped tights and special shoes. She loves reading to Molly and doing her Clock Rug Stretch. Loonette also enjoys visiting Granny Garbanzo. She is very good at classical dance and can clean up any mess in just ten seconds!

At first, Loonette was a bit bossy and too young to visit Clowntown alone. But in later seasons, she became more independent. She started going to Granny's Cooking School and Major Bedhead's Dojo. She also helped out at the Clowndergarten.

Molly the Doll

Molly is Loonette's best friend and living doll. Loonette found her in a barrel with a sign that said "Free to a good home." Molly is brought to life by puppeteer Bob Stutt.

Molly wears a blue dress. She believes in dust bunnies, even when Loonette doesn't. Her favorite food is donuts! Molly doesn't speak with words. Instead, she uses cartoon bubbles and nods or shakes her head to answer questions.

Other Fun Characters

• Fuzzy and Wuzzy: These are two twin dust bunnies who live under the Big Comfy Couch. Only Molly knows they exist, and she always protects them.
• The Foley Family: This silly family lives inside Loonette's dollhouse. They appeared in Seasons 1–5. They don't speak but have funny adventures.
• Granny Garbanzo: Loonette's kind grandmother and neighbor. She comes from the "old country" and has a Russian accent. Granny loves gardening and lives in a wagon with her cat, Snicklefritz.
• Snicklefritz: Granny's playful cat, who joined the show in Season 2. He loves to play pranks and sometimes tries to avoid flea baths.
• Major Bedhead: The local clown who delivers mail to Loonette from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester. He's a bit clumsy but always honest.
• Auntie Macassar: Loonette's traveling aunt who loves to make a grand entrance. She appeared in Seasons 1–5.
• Uncle Chester: Loonette's traveling uncle, who appeared in the show's last two seasons. He sends postcards to Loonette.

How The Show Was Made

The Big Comfy Couch was first made by Radical Sheep Productions and Owl Television. Later, other companies like Benny Smart and Tadpole Kids joined in. The show had 65 episodes in its first run.

The show was filmed in Toronto, Ontario. From 1992 to 2002, it was filmed at Wallace Avenue Studios. In 2006, filming moved to Studio City in Toronto.

In 2006, 22 more episodes were made by Radical Sheep Productions and Amity Entertainment. These new episodes were shown on American Public Television.

Episode Guide

The show had 7 seasons and 100 episodes in total. Each season brought new adventures and lessons for Loonette and Molly.

Season 1 (1992)

Season 2 (1993)

In this season, Snicklefritz the cat joins the show. Granny's garden gets a new look.

Season 3 (1994)

The show's opening changes, and Auntie Macassar now speaks in her postcards. The Clock Rug gets a new design.

Season 4 (1995)

Season 5 (1996)

This was the last season for The Foley Family, Dust Bunny Comedy, Miss Loonette's Dance Academy, and Auntie Macassar.

Season 6 (2002)

The show's opening changes again. Uncle Chester replaces Auntie Macassar. Molly attends Doll School, and Loonette's stories are now live-action.

Season 7 (2006)

Ramona Gilmour-Darling takes over as Loonette. The Clock Rug is smaller. Loonette and Molly visit Clowntown more. They play the dream game at the end of episodes.

Where to Watch The Big Comfy Couch

In the United States, the show was shown on PBS stations from 1995 to 2007, with reruns until 2009. In Canada, it was on Treehouse TV until 2011.

Today, you can watch all episodes online. They are available on streaming services like Amazon Prime, Vudu, Tubi, the FilmRise app, and YouTube.

Merchandise and More

Over the years, many items related to The Big Comfy Couch were sold. These included videotapes, DVDs, books, dolls, toys, and puzzles.

Music from the Show

Albums featuring the original songs from the show were released in 2005. These songs were written by JP Houston and sung by the cast.

Fun Apps to Play

In 2015 and 2016, new apps based on the series were released:

• Just Ask Molly: In this app, you can ask Molly any question, and she will answer using her thought bubbles.
• Fuzzy Wuzzy Fun: This app lets you help the dust bunnies, Fuzzy and Wuzzy, find each other by guiding them through paths.
• Clock Rug Time: This app features Loonette's famous Clock Rug Stretch. You can set the time, use it as an alarm clock, and even see the weather!
• Molly's Big Day: This app focuses on Molly's first day at Clowndergarten, with fun activities for players.

TV Appearances and Live Shows

In 2016, Loonette made a special appearance on the TV show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. This was the first time Alyson Court played Loonette on TV in many years.

The Big Comfy Couch also had live shows. These tours visited places like Londonderry Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, and sometimes Calgary and Regina.

In 2007, a live show called Molly's Fool Moon Festival toured Canada. It featured Loonette, Molly, Granny Garbanzo, Major Bedhead, and other characters.