The Puzzle Place facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Puzzle Place
Created by	Cecily Truett Suzanne Singer Rob Stork Ellis Weiner David Yazbek
Starring	Alice Dinnean Carmen Osbahr Jim Martin Noel MacNeal Eric Jacobson Peter Linz Matt Vogel Drew Massey Alison Mork Stephanie D'Abruzzo Terri Hardin Allan Trautman
Theme music composer	Steve Horelick Janet Weir
Composer(s)	Steve Horelick Janet Weir
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	75
Production
Executive producer(s)	Cecily Truett Larry Lancit Stephen Kulczycki (seasons 1–2) Patricia Kunkel (season 3)
Camera setup	Videotape; Multi-camera
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	KCET Lancit Media
Release
Original network	PBS
Picture format	NTSC (480i)
Original release	January 16, 1995 (1995-01-16) – December 4, 1998 (1998-12-04)

The Puzzle Place was a popular American children's television series. It was made by KCET in Los Angeles and Lancit Media in New York City. The show first aired on PBS stations across the United States on January 16, 1995. Its last new episode was on December 4, 1998.

Reruns of The Puzzle Place continued to air until March 31, 2000. It became one of the most-watched shows on PBS Kids, similar to Sesame Street. Later, reruns were shown on TLC's Ready Set Learn block until 2003 and on PBJ until 2016.

About the Show

The Puzzle Place follows a group of kids who are puppets. They come from different backgrounds and parts of the United States. They all hang out at a special place called "the Puzzle Place," which looks like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

In each episode, the characters face common problems that kids and teens might experience. These include learning how to make good choices, sharing with others, and understanding differences. The show helped young viewers learn important lessons about life and getting along.

Meet the Characters

The show features a diverse group of puppet characters, each with their own unique personality. They learn and grow together through their adventures.

• Julie Woo: A Chinese American girl from San Francisco, California. Julie is very caring, especially about her own things. She loves to sing, though sometimes her singing can be a bit funny! Alice Dinnean performed Julie.
• Kiki Flores: A Mexican American girl from San Antonio, Texas. Kiki is outgoing and can be a bit feisty. She is also a great cook, especially when it comes to chili! Carmen Osbahr performed Kiki.
• Ben Olafson: A boy of German and Norwegian heritage from Renner, South Dakota. Ben is good at solving tricky puzzles and loves to dance. He is usually friendly, but can get upset if he's really mad. Jim Martin performed Ben.
• Leon MacNeal: An African American boy from New York City. Leon wears dreadlocks and enjoys hip-hop music and basketball. He sometimes acts before thinking and can get jealous easily. Noel MacNeal performed Leon, with Eric Jacobson helping in season 3.
• Skye Nakaiye: A White Mountain Apache boy from an Indian reservation in Arizona. Skye is very curious and always stays true to his culture. He often wears a bandanna and a feather necklace. Peter Linz and Matt Vogel performed Skye.
• Jody Silver: A Jewish Lithuanian American girl from Cincinnati, Ohio. Jody is enthusiastic and sometimes a bit gullible. She doesn't like being called names. Alison Mork, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, and Terri Hardin performed Jody.
• Weebus: The group's smart computer. Weebus helps the kids talk to people outside the Puzzle Place. She can also do tasks and show videos to answer questions.
• Nuzzle and Sizzle: The pet dog and cat of the Puzzle Place. They are often seen in the basement, talking to each other. They usually have their own little side stories in each episode. Alice Dinnean performed Sizzle, and Peter Linz and Matt Vogel performed Nuzzle.
• The Piece Police: Colorful characters who live in the Puzzle Place. They make grumbling sounds to talk to each other, but they understand English. They seem to know what Nuzzle and Sizzle are saying. Many puppeteers, including Carmen Osbahr, Jim Martin, Noel MacNeal, Alison Mork, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Eric Jacobson, and Terri Hardin, performed the Piece Police.
• Kyle O'Connor: An Irish American boy who uses a wheelchair. Kyle appeared later in the series. Drew Massey and Allan Trautman performed Kyle.

Episodes Guide

Pilot Episodes

Before The Puzzle Place officially started, two test episodes were made in early 1994. These were called The Puzzle Works. The show's name was changed to The Puzzle Place shortly before it premiered.

Series Overview

Season 1 (1995)

• Tippy Woo (January 16, 1995)
• Train Driving Kids (January 17, 1995)
• Rip Van Wrinkle (January 18, 1995)
• Accentuate the Positive (January 19, 1995)
• Gotta Dance (January 20, 1995)
• Rudy One (January 23, 1995)
• Butterfingers (January 24, 1995)
• Rock Dreams (January 25, 1995)
• Roamantics (January 26, 1995)
• Spud Buds (January 27, 1995)
• Different Drummer (January 30, 1995)
• I Love Kiki (January 31, 1995)
• True Colors (February 1, 1995)
• Cute is as Cute Does (February 2, 1995)
• Leon's Pizza (February 3, 1995)
• Real Heroes (February 6, 1995)
• Going by the Book (February 7, 1995)
• Mad Music Magic (February 8, 1995)
• Party of One (February 9, 1995)
• Dancing Dragon (February 10, 1995)
• Picture Perfect (February 13, 1995)
• Maiden Voyages (February 14, 1995)
• Donuts and Dithering (February 15, 1995)
• Bully for Jody (February 16, 1995)
• Ben's Bad Hair Day (February 17, 1995)
• All Weather Friends (February 20, 1995)
• Bread and Matzoh (February 21, 1995)
• Owning It (February 22, 1995)
• Baffled Ben (February 23, 1995)
• Practice Makes Perfect (February 24, 1995)
• Finders Keepers (February 27, 1995)
• You Say Potato (February 28, 1995)
• At the End of Our Rope (March 1, 1995)
• Just Kidding (March 2, 1995)
• Everything in its Place (March 3, 1995)
• Big Boys Don't Cry (March 6, 1995)
• Here's to the Winners (March 7, 1995)
• A World of Difference (March 8, 1995)
• Willing and Able (March 9, 1995)
• It's Magic (March 10, 1995)

Season 2 (1996)

• Deck the Halls (January 15, 1996)
• Dressing Up is Hard to Do (January 16, 1996)
• One Way (January 17, 1996)
• Oldies But Goodies (January 18, 1996)
• Helping Hands (January 19, 1996)
• Yellow Belt (January 22, 1996)
• The Mystery of the Fabulous Hat (January 23, 1996)
• How Much is That Doggie in the Window? (January 24, 1996)
• The New Adventures of Julie Woo (January 25, 1996)
• We Three Kings (January 26, 1996)
• Hello, Maggie (January 29, 1996)
• Off the Track (January 30, 1996)
• Beautiful Doll (January 31, 1996)
• Tattle Tales (February 1, 1996)
• Those Ears, Those Eyes (February 2, 1996)
• That's Weird (February 5, 1996)
• The Ballad of Davy Cricket (February 6, 1996)
• Little Leon, Big Ben (February 7, 1996)
• I Scream, You Scream (February 8, 1996)
• Skye's Coat (February 9, 1996)
• It's Mine (February 12, 1996)
• One Big, Happy Family (February 13, 1996)
• Leon Grows Up (February 14, 1996)
• Cowpokes (February 15, 1996)
• Hurricane Julie (February 16, 1996)

Season 3 (1998)

• Family Feud (October 19, 1998)
• Anything She Can't Do (October 20, 1998)
• You Don't Match (October 21, 1998)
• To Have and Have Not (October 22, 1998)
• Fiesta Follies (October 23, 1998)
• Between You and Me (October 26, 1998)
• A Star is Burned (October 27, 1998)
• Spooky (October 28, 1998)
• Up! (December 3, 1998)
• I'm Talking to You (December 4, 1998)

Where It Aired

Besides PBS stations in the United States, The Puzzle Place was also shown in many other countries. It aired on TV Cultura in Brazil, Discovery Kids in Latin America, Playhouse Disney in France, Gerje TV in Hungary, RTP in Portugal, ERTU Channel 2 in Egypt, Nickelodeon Greece in Greece, TV Tokyo in Japan, GMTV in the UK, and ABC Kids in Australia.