The Disney Channel was struggling in the mid-1990s, with Nickelodeon outperforming it in the children's market. In 1997, Disney decided to restructure its programming, targeting preschoolers in the morning and older children in the afternoon and evening. One of the shows that premiered as part of this new strategy was "Bear in the Big Blue House," created by Mitchell Kriegman. The show followed the adventures of Bear, a friendly bear who lived in a big blue house with his friends. The show was produced by Jim Henson Television and featured a mix of puppetry, music, and gentle humor. It became a huge success, praised for its positive portrayal of friendship, sharing, and emotional intelligence. The show ran for four seasons, with 118 episodes produced, and also spawned a spin-off series, "Breakfast with Bear." Although the show was eventually phased out, it remains a beloved part of many people's childhoods, particularly for children with special needs, who responded to Bear's gentle and calming nature.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. In mid-1997, the Walt Disney Company began making significant changes to their underperforming cable venture, the Disney Channel.
2. The Disney Channel debuted as a premium subscription-based service in 1983 but had slowly been transitioning into basic cable in the early 1990s.
3. Nickelodeon was doing exceedingly well at the time, with popular live-action TV shows such as "Are You Afraid of the Dark" and "All That".
4. The Disney Channel rejected the idea of creating shows that relied on young casts and kid-oriented writing.
5. In 1997, Disney decided to structure the channel's programming differently, with a focus on preschool programming in the morning and programming for older children and preteens in the afternoon and evening.
6. The new structure of the channel led to the creation of an original series that fit within the new blocks, one of which was "Bear in the Big Blue House".
7. "Bear in the Big Blue House" was created by writer and producer Mitchell Krugman and produced by Jim Henson Television.
8. The show premiered on October 20, 1997, and was an instant success with children and parents alike.
9. The show's cast of characters included Bear, a light brown bear, and his friends, including Tutter, a small blue mouse, Pip and Pop, twin otters, and Treelo, a childlike lemur.
10. The show was known for its warm atmosphere and positive portrayal of family and friends.
11. The show's first season consisted of 26 episodes, which aired within a little over one month between October 20, 1997, and November 24, 1997.
12. Each episode of the first season followed a similar format, with the goal of explaining a simple concept or scenario.
13. The show was praised for its handling of difficult topics, such as potty training, in a way that was accessible to young children.
14. The show was retooled for its fourth season, which aired in 2002 and 2003, to focus more on the characters and locations of Woodland Valley.
15. The show was eventually phased out of Playhouse Disney, with no more episodes being produced after 2006.
16. A spin-off series, "Breakfast with Bear", was created in 2002, which featured Bear visiting kids in the morning to learn about their daily routine and interact with them.
17. The show was hugely impactful on children with special needs, specifically those on the autism spectrum, due to its calming nature and gentle portrayal of Bear as a caregiver.
18. The series was successful in sticking with Disney Channel's family-oriented programming and helped launch the developing channel into the mainstream.