Under the Umbrella Tree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Under the Umbrella Tree |
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Title card for the 30-minute specials
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| Created by | Noreen Young |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 280 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC |
| Original release | September 11, 1986 – June 20, 1993 |
Under the Umbrella Tree was a popular Canadian children's television series. It was created by Noreen Young and first shown on CBC from 1986 to 1993. The show was made by CBC and Noreen Young Productions. Later, The Disney Channel also started showing it in 1990.
The series is about a group of friends who live together. They share a house on Spring Street in a town near Ottawa, Ontario. The main characters are Holly, a human, and three puppets: Iggy the iguana, Jacob the blue jay, and Gloria the gopher. The show's name comes from a large indoor umbrella tree in their home.
After the show stopped making new episodes in 1993, reruns continued. They aired on The Disney Channel until 1997 and on Canal Famille until 1997. In 2006, some episodes were released on DVD. In 2019, Gloria, Iggy, and Jacob even appeared in an episode of the TV series Cavendish. In 2020, the original actors and puppeteers reunited. They made a short film for fans called "Under the Umbrella Tree: The Mask Special." It was shared on YouTube and Facebook.
Contents
Exploring the Series
About the Show
A total of 280 episodes of Under the Umbrella Tree were made. Most episodes were 15 minutes long, but 10 were special 30-minute shows. Each episode focused on a different topic. These included sports, holidays, singing, dancing, and exercise.
The show always taught important life lessons. For example, it showed why it's good to keep promises. It also taught about being kind to others and taking responsibility for your actions. The characters were created by Ken Sobol. He also wrote most of the show's episodes. Sobol had worked with Noreen Young on other children's shows like Readalong and Téléfrançais.
Meet the Main Characters
- Gloria Gladys Grace Gabrielle Gardenia Glenda Gale Gopher (played by Noreen Young) – Gloria is the only girl puppet living in the Umbrella Tree house. She sleeps in her burrow under the umbrella tree, which is behind the couch. Gloria loves music and performing. She can be a bit shy about her interests, even with her friends. She's also a bit of a tomboy and doesn't like being treated differently because she's a girl.
- Holly Penelope Higgins (played by Holly Larocque) – Holly is the only human in the house. She acts like a parent or a big sister to the three puppet characters. She calls Iggy, Gloria, and Jacob her 'roommates'. Holly does most of the household chores, like cleaning and cooking. She also pays the rent. She is known for being funny, artistic, patient, and kind. Holly has an Uncle Jack (played by Don Westwood) and an Aunt Jill. They are musicians from England, but only Uncle Jack has visited.
- Ignatz "Iggy" Julio Iguana (played by Bob Stutt) – Iggy sleeps on a shelf in the house. He sometimes thinks a bit too highly of himself and makes mistakes without meaning to. He enjoys playing the guitar. Iggy often sees Jacob as a friendly rival in sports and other activities. He has an uncle named Rod Iguana, who lives in Arizona. He also has a cousin named Emmet, who used to be clumsy, and a female cousin named Camille. Iggy is the shortest of the three main puppets. One of his favorite jokes is to trick someone into looking at their shirt, then point at their nose.
- Jacob Barnaby Blue (played by Stephen Brathwaite) – Jacob is the only one in the house who can fly. He often flies into the house through open windows. He usually sleeps in his birdhouse on the patio. Jacob sometimes invents things, but they rarely work as he plans, which often leads to funny moments. He tends to mix things up and often says "I knew that" when he learns something new. Jacob is the tallest of the three puppets. In the episode "How it all Began," we learn that Jacob was the first to live in the apartment. Iggy and Gloria moved in later, and then Holly. Jacob was named after his great-great-great-grandfather, Sir Jacob of Blue. Sir Jacob was said to have invented the catapult and defeated the evil Duke of Doublepeck.
Other Friends and Neighbors
- Louis Bird (played by Bob Stutt) – Louis is a friend of the Umbrella Tree gang. He often joins in parties or talks with them in episodes. He is known for saying "indeed" a lot, often adding "hmm, indeed!" at the end of his sentences.
- Mitzi the Dog (played by Holly Larocque) – Mitzi is Gloria's best friend. She often gets herself or Gloria into trouble.
- Charles "Chuck" Chickadee (played by Bob Stutt) – Chuck is Jacob's best friend. He talks a lot, which sometimes annoys everyone.
- Chester Chickadee (played by Stephen Brathwaite) - Chuck's father.
- Charlene Chickadee (played by Noreen Young) – Chuck's mother.
- Chelsea Chickadee (played by Noreen Young) - Chuck's little sister.
- Mrs. McMertree (played by Noreen Young) - One of the gang's neighbors. She often wears clothes with feathers. She has a cousin named Madame Sonya.
- Simon the Bat (played by Bob Dermer) - A bat who is scared of people.
- E. Lizard-Beth Taylor - A lizard movie star that Iggy looks up to.
- Emmet Iguana (played by Bob Stutt) - Iggy's cousin, who used to be quite clumsy.
- Mrs. Annabelle Higgins - Holly's mother.
- Lorraine (played by Holly Larocque) - Holly's cousin from Ireland.
- Matt and Martha - Two mice.
- Waldo Bunny (played by Bob Stutt) - A smart bunny who likes computers.
- Calvin Crow - A crow who loves to eat.
- Annette Parakeet (played by Bob Stutt) - A female parakeet friend of Jacob's who plays basketball with him.
- Darleen Swan (played by Noreen Young) - A swan who is a ballerina.
- Mr. Fuller - A clumsy goat who runs the "Gifts and Gimmicks" shop.
- Rusty - A dog.
- Goldberg (played by Harvey Atkin) - A Jewish magician.
Where the Show Was Seen
In 1997, reruns of Under the Umbrella Tree stopped airing. This happened after The Disney Channel decided not to show the program anymore. Since Disney owned all the rights to the show, it couldn't be shown on other TV stations until 2005. From 2009 to 2011, the show aired on TV3 Medford on weekdays and weekends.
Since 2018, many episodes have been put online. You can find them on the Canada Media Fund's YouTube channel called Encore+. They are available in both English and French.
Episodes List
See also
In Spanish: Bajo la sombra del arbol para niños
