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Program Summary

Educational
Philosophy

Curriculum

Research

Episodes

Characters

Slideshow

Project Team

Project Team

Executive Producers
Judith Stoia
Brigid Sullivan

Executive Producers For Sirius Thinking
Christopher Cerf
Norman Stiles

Series Producer
Beth Kirsch

Studio Producer
Carol Klein

Created by
Lou Berger
Christopher Cerf
Michael K. Frith
Kathryn Mullen
Norman Stiles

Head Writer
Norman Stiles

Writers
Christopher Cerf
Sarah Durkee
Louise Gikow
Jennifer Hamburg
Peter Hirsch
Keri Horn
Beth Kirsch
Candy Kugel
Brian Meehl
Gentry Menzel
Ray Messecar
Fred Newman
Luis Santeiro
Norman Stiles
Judith Stoia

Coordinating Producers
Bill Berner
Philippa Hall
Diane Hartman
Rick Klein

Consultant
Lisa Simon

Production Designer/Art Director
Laura Brock

Editor
Scott Colwell

Script Coordinator
Melissa Roja

Curriculum Directors
Dr. Jeanne Paratore
Susan Dougherty

Puppeteers
Pam Arciero
Anthony Asbury
Heather Asch
Jennifer Barnhart
Tim Lagasse
Peter Linz

Guest Puppeteers
James Godwin
Leigh Secrest Godwin
Jim Napolitano
John Pavlik
Albrecht Roser, Germany
Teatro Hugo & Ines, Peru

The Muppets™ of Sesame Street
Carroll Spinney as Big Bird
Kevin Clash
Steve Whitmire
Eric Jacobson
John Tartaglia

Additional Puppeteering/Puppet Wrangler
Rob Gardner

Production Staff
Sara Chaudhary, Production Coordinator
Tina Keane, Production Coordinator for Sirius Thinking
Michael Kilmurray, Production Assistant

Music Directed and Arranged by
Paul Jacobs

Coordinating Producer, Music and Audio
Chris Cardillo

Series Theme Song by
Sarah Durkee and Paul Jacobs

Puppets, Costumes, and Props
3/Design Studio
John Orberg, Puppet Supervisor
Jim Kroupa
Janet Kuhl
Matt Stoddart

The Between the Lions Band
Schuyler Deale: Bass
Joe Franco: Drums
Paul Jacobs: Keyboards
Ross Traut: Guitar
Danny Wilensky: Saxophone

Guest Musicians
Laura Seaton Finn: Violin
Thomas Z Shepard: Piano

Singers
Sharon Bryant-Gallwey
Christopher Cerf
Rhonda Coullet
Paul Jacobs
Paulette McWilliams
Cassandra Morgan
Nicki Richards
Frank Simms
Joe Lynn Turner

Original Songs by
Christopher Cerf
Sarah Durkee
Paul Jacobs
Thomas Z. Shepard

Guest Stars
Akira Takayama
Al Franken
Al Roker
Alison Fraser
Anthony Asbury
Brian McKnight
Bruno Kirby
Buddy Jewell
Cat Cora
Dan Elias
David Garrison
Denny Dillon
Destiny Montalvo
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
Ellen Ochoa
Faith Prince
India.Arie
Jack Landron
Jasmine Guy
Jeffery Gonzales
Jon Stewart
Kelly Ripa
Kelsey Ehrlich
Khaliah Adams
Larry King
Leon Redbone
Liza Jesse Peterson
Makeba Mooncycle
Malachy McCourt
Marcia Savella
Maria Shriver
Melissa Etheridge
Meredith Vieira
Michael McGrath
Mo Lewis
Mo Rocca
Oliver Platt
Ossie Davis
Patty Loveless
Paul Benedict
Polly Adams
Reg E. Cathey
Roma Downey
Ronan Tynan
Ruby Dee
Sigourney Weaver
Stephon Marbury
Steve Carell
Susan Lucci
Teresa Weatherspoon
Terry Bradshaw
Vanessa Williams
Walter Bobbie

Animation Producers
Jane Aaron
Asterisk
Buzzco
Dancing Diablo
Eyevox Film & Video / The Screen Engine
Global Mechanic
Michael Sporn Animation
Pileated Pictures
Punktuition, LLC.
Soup 2 Nuts
Top Dog Media

Live Action Production
Cheshire Films
Rick Klein
Dee Mangold
Vincent Straggas, Flag Day Productions
Iowa Public Television
Oregon Public Television

King Midas, Humongous, and Roodles puppets
Hairy Edge Productions

The Sad Dad Puppets
Pandemonium Puppet Company

Good Night, Knight Marionettes
Sal Macri

Vowel Bootcamp Puppets
Timothy Lagasse

Chin Puppets
Timothy Lagasse

Icarus' Story's Marionettes and Sets
Timothy Lagasse and Nappy's Puppets

Rats Puppets
Hairy Edge Productions, Inc. / John Friedman

Kapiti Plain Puppets
ShadowLight Productions

Bug Beard Puppets
The Elementals

Sound Design & Audio Post
Joe Franco, Nick Cipriano, Matthew Longoria, Jeff Malinowski
Beatstreet Productions

Music Recording and Mixing
Joe Franco & Nick Cipriano, Beatstreet Productions

Opening Sequence Designed and Produced by
Balsmeyer & Everett, Inc.

Taped at
Mississippi Public Broadcasting

Post-Production Supervisor
Scott Colwell

Associate Director
Stanley Graham

Associate Producer
Adam Daniel

Technical Director
Terry Stenzel

Assistant Technical Director
Paul Miller

Engineer-in-Charge
Eddie Bunkley

Art Director
Karen Wing

Animator
Frank Cocke

Graphic Artists
Audrey Fitzpatrick
Dee Mangold

Lighting Director
Len Stanga

Assistant Lighting Director
Earnest Seals

Lighting Gaffer
John Burnham
Mason McGuire

Cameras
Randy Kwan
John Lanford
Paul Miller

Videographer
Jeremy Burson

Stage Manager
Edie Greene

Switcher
Kenneth Sullivan

Videotape
Steve Downing

Assistant Editors
Jonathan Colwell
Rachel Ford
Lida Gibson

Chief Audio Operator
David Lang

Audio Operators
Knight Bruce
John Busbice
Ron Evans

Technical Services
Matt Weissinger
Jessie Tribune
Randy Evans

Puppet Assistant
Keri Horn

Scenic Designers
Jack Thomas
Jerel Levanway
Bill Rinehart

Set Decorators
Jimmy Thrasher
Mary Goodson
Ray Green

Scenic Assistants
Jonathan Colwell
Rachel Ford
Mike Koskie
Clark Lee
Tiny Roebuck
Andy Williamson

Craft Services
Helen Dukes
Ann Deininger

Executive Director
Marie Antoon

Special Thanks to
The New York Public Library

Director of Education Services
Nikki McCelleis

Educational Outreach
Rhonda Berkower
Shelia Brown
Claudette Dawes
Mary Haggerty
Cyrisse Jaffee
Belinda Lane
Shenikia McDonald
Gay Mohrbacher
Sharon Person
Maggie Stevenson
Beverly Willis

Director of Administration for Children's Programming
Paul Higgins

Unit Manager for Children's Programming
Melissa Miller

All Around Super-Hero
Eric Taub

Promotion
Susan Barrett
Kathy Broom
Alannah DiBona
Darrity Furman
Jennifer Griffin
Randy Tinney

Station Relations
Jeanette Scott
Amy Zall

Budget Operations
Walter Gadecki
Valerie Gunderson
Dan Warrington

Strategy / Business & Legal Affairs
Karen Baseman
Elaine Coolbrith
Jay Fialkov
Janice Flood
Scott Kardel
Evie Kintzer
National Sponsorship
Katie Cunningham
Kathy Gibson-Hanly

Design
Mark Hoffman
Tyler Kemp-Benedict

Web Site
WGBH Interactive Kids Web Team

Executive-in-Charge
Brigid Sullivan

A Coproduction of
WGBH Boston
Sirius Thinking, Ltd.
Mississippi Public Broadcasting

Advisors
Dr. Marilyn J. Adams
Chief Scientist
Soliloquy Learning

Patricia A. Kelly
Principal
Bowen Elementary School
Newton, Massachusetts

Susan B. Neuman
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Dr. Linda K. Rath
Education Consultant
Newton, Massachusetts

James P. St. Clair, Classroom Applications
Kindergarten Teacher
Amigos School, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dr. Dorothy S. Strickland, Emergent Literacy
Samuel DeWitt Proctor Professor of Reading
Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University

Note:
Dr. Jeanne S. Chall, former Professor Emeritus, Harvard University, was a vital member of our advisory group until her death in 1999. Her teachings continue to inspire us in our effort to design instruction that promotes academic achievement for all children.

Punktuition characters characters appear courtesy of Punktuition LLC
Punktuition created by Sally Boyden & Jason Lake
Original character designs by Dean Gorissen
Produced by Tania Shakinovsky & Dave Lory
Animation by JWTwo
Animation Director: Ian Lamont-Havers
Producer: Joe Glass
Illustrator: Bobby Burt
Animator: Price Blythe
Sound: Alan Friedman & Joe Gauci

The Sleeping Gypsy. 1897. Oil on canvas, 51" x 6' 7" (129.5 x 200.7 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Mrs. Simon Guggenheim. Photograph © 2001 The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Certain stock footage and stills for the series were provided by NASA

Blue whale images courtesy and © of Mike Johnson / earthwindow

Certain still photography is provided courtesy of iStockphoto and its artist members © 2007 istockphoto