The Big Comfy Couch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Big Comfy Couch |
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| 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 – December 29, 2006 |
The Big Comfy Couch (Le Monde de Loonette when broadcast in Quebec and France) is a Canadian children's television series, which is about a clown named Loonette and her doll Molly who solve everyday problems on their Big Comfy Couch. It aired from March 2, 1992 until December 29, 2006. It was produced by Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills, directed by Wayne Moss, Robert Mills and Steve Wright. It premiered on March 2, 1992 in Canada and on January 9, 1995 in the United States on PBS stations across the country. The program was also broadcast on Treehouse TV from 1997 to 2011.
Contents
Synopsis
Each episode contains numerous standard elements that take place throughout the episode. Early in each show, Loonette performs an exercise routine she calls the Clock Rug Stretch. Other oft-repeated elements include reading a story to Molly, who sometimes either chooses a story to hear, gives Loonette a book and oversized glasses, or turning on the lights for Loonette; encounters with the dust bunnies who live under the couch; visits to different places in Clowntown, songs that emphasize the episode's lessons or themes, and a trip to Granny Garbanzo's garden. Here she encounters Snicklefritz, Granny's cat; Major Bedhead, the local mail-delivery clown, who travels on a unicycle; and of course, Granny herself. The conversation with Granny is often used as the episode's teachable moment, where Granny offers Loonette advice or lessons, often with the help of Major Bedhead, who delivers gifts and messages from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester. Towards the end of each show, Loonette finds her belongings cluttered on the floor and says, "Hey! Who Made This Big Mess?", the camera would then zoom in on either Loonette or Molly in which she asks it was either her or Molly then the camera would quickly pan up and down as a way of saying yes, then Loonette explains it's only fair for them to clean it up, and she performs a fastest clean-up routine called the Ten Second Tidy. All episodes end with Loonette and Molly having a nap and sometimes reminding the viewers to remember the rules on today's episode. After Loonette and Molly go to sleep, a large crescent moon with a clown nose rises above the starry background behind the couch and the credits then roll over a lullaby version of the theme song, ending with Loonette doing a short role-play of "Hey Diddle Diddle" by saying "And the clown jumped over the moon!".
In season 7, Loonette and Molly play the Dream Game and Molly gives out the letter that the dream starts with and provide what they will be dreaming about. In season 6, Loonette and Molly go to Doll School where Molly learns the alphabet as well as numbers. A similar element used in seasons 1–3 (and in one episode of Season 5) is the Alphabet Game, where a certain letter is shown on a giant alphabet block and Loonette uses certain words beginning with that letter and also makes the letter's shape with her body to get the viewers to guess the letter.
Along with the lessons and problem solving sequences, the show also emphasized imaginative play. These episodes often take place in the context of a visit to Clowntown, such as Granny Garbanzo's Cabbage Club Cooking School and Major Bedhead's Clown Chi Dojo and Dancing School. Additionally, Loonette is gifted in the art of classical dance and runs Miss Loonette's Dance Academy. From Seasons 1–6, Loonette was too young to visit Clowntown alone, but in Season 7, she makes frequent trips to Clowntown, and volunteers at the Clowndergarten, where she teaches young clowns games, songs and stories. This imaginative play was also demonstrated through dress-up games and through Loonette's dollhouse, in which she imagined the adventures of The Foley Family. Shown first as a doll-sized family, in Loonette's imagination they would become a family of regular-sized clowns, whose actions were shown in high speed and with a musical background in the style of old silent movies. The Foleys do not speak. Early in the first season, Molly had discovered the Dust Bunnies. However, Loonette didn't believe that there were dust bunnies under the couch.
Characters
Loonette
Loonette is the freckled-faced female lead of the series, portrayed by Alyson Court from 1992 to 2002 and Ramona Gilmour-Darling in 2006. She is a young clown living with her doll, Molly, in their house, on the eponymous Big Comfy Couch, an oversized green floral couch. She wears a pink jumper and a white shirt with suns and moons with purple sleeves. She also wears a purple hat on her head with her pigtails coming out and wears black and white striped tights with black shoes adorned with suns on each side. She frequently reads stories to Molly, always performs a Clock Rug Stretch, and likes to visit Granny Garbanzo. Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester frequently send Loonette postcards which Major Bedhead delivers on his unicycle. Her parents are never seen or mentioned although it was implied in "Where Do Clowns Come From?" that she was adopted by Granny, Auntie Macassar, and Uncle Chester after the event of the "Secret Circus" and "Fool Moon". Loonette is gifted in the art of classical dance and runs Miss Loonette's Dance Academy. Another gift she possesses is the unusual skill to clean just about any mess up in ten seconds, which she calls the Ten Second Tidy. She frequently used the word "pickle juice" when she is upset about situations in a few episodes.
Initially, Loonette was bossy and stubborn, even when Molly disliked it, and she was too young to visit Clowntown, but starting from 2006, Loonette makes frequent trips to Clowntown to visit Granny's Cabbage Club Cooking School and Major Bedhead's Clown Chi Dojo and Dancing School. The trips to the first location help teach Loonette how to cook. The trips to this second location indicate that she practices martial arts. Loonette also takes Molly to Clowndergarten and helps out with the other young clowns. This third location is similar to kindergarten.
Molly
Molly, the sidekick of the series, is Loonette's living doll. Loonette found her in a barrel with a sign marked "Free to a good home", and adopted her. She is puppeteered by Bob Stutt.
Molly wears a blue (Occasionally yellow) dress. She believes that dust bunnies really exist, despite Loonette's disbelief. Her favorite food is donuts. She only speaks by cartoon bubbles, and usually answers Loonette's yes or no questions by either nodding or shaking her head.
Additional characters
- Fuzzy and Wuzzy (puppeteered/voiced by Bob Stutt and Robert Mills): they are the twin dust bunnies who live under the Big Comfy Couch. Only Molly is aware of their existence, and she always does her best to protect them so she can play with them.
- The Foley Family, Andy (Fred Stinson), Jim (Jani Lauzon), and Eileen (Jackie Harris (seasons 1–2), Suzanne Merriam (Season 3–5)): A very silly family who live inside of Loonette's dollhouse. They appeared from Seasons 1–5.
- Granny Garbanzo (Grindl Kuchirka): Loonette's grandmother and next-door neighbor who loves her and Molly. She comes from the "old country" and has a foreign Russian accent. Granny also likes growing in her garden and she lives inside a wagon with Snicklefritz, her cat. Her name is derived from the garbanzo bean.
- Snicklefritz (puppeteered by Bob Stutt): Granny's cat, who was introduced in Season 2. Likes to play pranks on the others and sometimes tries to get out of getting flea-baths. The name Snicklefritz comes from slang in German culture.
- Major Bedhead (Fred Stinson): The local clown courier who makes deliveries to Loonette from Auntie Macassar or Uncle Chester. He can be quite goofy at times and a bit clumsy. He also hates lying and being dishonest.
- Auntie Macassar (Taborah Johnson): Loonette's travelling aunt who likes to make an entrance whenever she visits. She appears in Seasons 1–5. Her name is a pun on antimacassar.
- Wobbly (Gary Farmer): A close friend who lives in Clowntown. Appears in two episodes in Season 2.
- Uncle Chester (Edward Knuckles): Loonette's travelling uncle who appears in the show's last two seasons.
Production
The show was originally produced by Radical Sheep Productions with Owl Television (later Owl Communications), then Canadian children's television network YTV and WITF-TV Harrisburg, with a run of 65 episodes. In 2000, the previous episodes were produced with Benny Smart, a US children's television production company, Tadpole Kids and Treehouse TV, a sister channel of YTV, and Nashville Public Television. At the end of this show (previously produced with Benny Smart), a companion guide appears for the viewers to learn about it.
From 1992 to 2002, the show was filmed at Wallace Avenue Studios in Toronto, and in 2006, it was filmed at Toronto's Studio City.
Radical Sheep Productions and Amity Entertainment, in association with Treehouse TV and Nashville Public Television, produced 22 additional episodes, which debuted on American Public Television in 2006.
Episodes
Season 1 (1992)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pie in the Sky" "Light as a Feather" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | March 2, 1992 | 101 |
| Molly and Loonette discover heavy and light. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Pinch to Grow an Inch" "Little People Have Feelings Too" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | March 13, 1992 | TBA |
| Molly's birthday is soon and Loonette has a party. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "All Aboard for Bed" | Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | March 16, 1992 | TBA |
| Loonette tells about the time when she and Molly couldn't get to sleep very well. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Knit One Twirl Too" "When It's Winter" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | March 27, 1992 | TBA |
| Molly catches a cold. Loonette makes a pair of mittens for her. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Upsey Downsey Day" "Privacy, Please" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | March 30, 1992 | TBA |
| Molly gets a balloon from Loonette but flies away. Major Bedhead, Granny and Loonette play circus. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Flippy, Floppy, Fun" | Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | April 10, 1992 | TBA |
| Molly flops on the floor which makes Loonette in a floppy mood. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Something's Fishy Around Here" "Patience, Molly" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | April 15, 1992 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly pretend to fish, and Molly learns about patience. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Scrub-a-Dub" "Squeaky Clean" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | April 20, 1992 | TBA |
| There is a mess of toilet paper all over the couch. Major Bedhead, Granny and Loonette make a fun clean up routine. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Red Light, Green Light" | Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | May 1, 1992 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn about stoplights when they go for a drive. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Gesundheit" | Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | May 4, 1992 | TBA |
| Loonette sneezes a lot. Major Bedhead and Loonette fly a kite. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Ping-Pong Polka" "I Keep My Promises" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | May 15, 1992 | TBA |
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Loonette is very energetic after doing a nice clock rug stretch, but unfortunately, she's too energetic to read Molly a story. Loonette accidentally drops ping pong balls in Granny's garden and has to pick them up. |
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| 12 | 12 | "Funny Faces" | Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | May 18, 1992 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn about feelings. The gang watches a movie about Granny's family in the old country. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Snug as a Bug" "Bugs and Hugs" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills | May 29, 1992 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly discover nature by learning how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Loonette reads a story about a bee. | ||||||
Season 2 (1993)
A large painting of someone is now hanging on Loonette's wall to the upper right next to the couch and a fence and garden wall to Granny's garden is added. All Dance Academy shows are announced by Fred Stinson. Snicklefritz also debuts in this season.
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Babs in Toyland" "My Best Friend" |
Wayne Moss | Lynn Harrison McLauchlan | March 1, 1993 | 101 |
| Molly is jealous because Auntie Macassar sent Loonette another doll named Babs LeBlanc. | ||||||
| 15 | 2 | "1-2-3 Dizzy-Dizzy-Me" "1-2-3... Count With Me" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | March 12, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette sings about counting and flying in her imaginary plane. However, Molly is dizzy from the plane. Loonette gets dizzy from watching a top spin. | ||||||
| 12 | 3 | "Wobbly" | Wayne Moss | TBA | March 16, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette is angry and in a bad mood when she finds a wobbly toy duck. Wobbly the clown, who's unable to fix it, comforts Loonette by telling her that you just have to accept things the way they are. | ||||||
| 13 | 4 | "Jump Start" "Jump for Joy" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | March 27, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette is in a jumpy mood. A thunderstorm hits Clowntown and Major Bedhead is afraid of lightning. | ||||||
| 14 | 5 | "This Little Piggy" "Let's Try Sharing" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | March 30, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette becomes greedy because she was amazed to find out how many coins were in her piggy bank. | ||||||
| 15 | 6 | "Juggling the Jitters" | Wayne Moss | TBA | April 10, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette has the jitters. | ||||||
| 16 | 7 | "Hoopla" | Wayne Moss | Robin White | April 15, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette lost her ball. Loonette, Granny, and Major Bedhead play with a hula hoop from Auntie Macassar. | ||||||
| 17 | 8 | "The Wrong Side of the Couch" | Wayne Moss | TBA | April 20, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette woke up on the wrong side of the couch, making her in a bad mood. | ||||||
| 18 | 9 | "I Feel Good" | Wayne Moss | TBA | May 1, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn about feeling good about themselves. The two play the "What if?" game. Loonette, Granny and Major Bedhead exercise. Loonette reads a story about an ugly duckling. | ||||||
| 19 | 10 | "Boomerang" "Tricks Can Be Tricky" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | May 4, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette is in a foolish mood and plays tricks on the others. | ||||||
| 20 | 11 | "Rude-I-Culous" | Wayne Moss | TBA | May 15, 1993 | TBA |
| Molly and Loonette make rude noises, but they learn that there is a time to be rude and a time to be nice. | ||||||
| 21 | 12 | "Make it Snappy" | Wayne Moss | TBA | May 18, 1993 | TBA |
| Loonette is in a total rush. Major Bedhead is dressed as a cowboy clown. | ||||||
| 22 | 13 | "Feast of Fools" | Wayne Moss | TBA | October 15, 1993 | TBA |
| Molly learns about table manners. The gang has a huge dinner party. | ||||||
Season 3 (1994)
The intro changes starting this season, and now features Snicklefritz and Auntie Macassar. Auntie Macassar now speaks in the postcards sent to Loonette. The Clock Rug gets a new redesign with darker colors, a new font for the numbers. The cuckoo theme for the Clock Rug is no longer used. Instead of this, a new clock rug stretch theme is added. Also, Granny's garden is redesigned with brighter green grass.
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | "Give Yer Head a Shake" "Know Your No-No's" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | July 4, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn that no means no, while Snicklefritz hurts Major Bedhead's leg. | ||||||
| 24 | 2 | "It's About Time" "Time Out" |
Wayne Moss | Cheryl Wagner | July 22, 1994 | TBA |
| Everyone has a sleepover at Granny's garden. Unfortunately for both Molly and Snicklefritz, they each have to have a time-out and a little lesson in controlling themselves. | ||||||
| 25 | 3 | "Clownus Interruptus" "Wait Your Turn" |
Wayne Moss | Robin White | August 1, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn about patience and the importance of not interrupting when someone else is talking. | ||||||
| 26 | 4 | "Why?" | Wayne Moss | TBA | August 19, 1994 | TBA |
| Molly asks "Why?" all the time. | ||||||
| 27 | 5 | "Monkey See, Monkey Do" | Wayne Moss | TBA | August 29, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette copies everyone. Molly learns about echoes and Loonette learns that being a copycat isn't exactly a good idea. | ||||||
| 28 | 6 | "Sticks and Stones" | Wayne Moss | TBA | September 16, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette thinks Molly is clumsy because she wasn't good at Pick up Sticks. Major Bedhead and Loonette make up nicknames for everything in Granny's garden, and they both learn the hard way that calling names isn't really a good idea. | ||||||
| 29 | 7 | "Horsing Around" | Wayne Moss | TBA | September 26, 1994 | TBA |
| Today is National Horseplay Day and everyone is goofing around and laughing but Snicklefritz. | ||||||
| 30 | 8 | "All Over and Under" "Dustbunnies Down Under" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | October 14, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly discover over and under as they explore their Big Comfy Couch. | ||||||
| 31 | 9 | "Pants on Fire" "Honest to Goodness" |
Wayne Moss | Kate Barris | October 24, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette learns the importance of telling the truth and not to lie. Note: This can be used as a sketch for the Kids For Character video, "Choices Count!" | ||||||
| 32 | 10 | "All Fall Down" | Wayne Moss | TBA | November 11, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Major Bedhead have fun falling down safely. Loonette reads the story of Humpty Dumpty to Molly. | ||||||
| 33 | 11 | "Travelling Papers" "Destination: Imagination" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | November 21, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly want to go to Clowntown; however, they are too young to go there. But Granny teaches them and Major Bedhead that you can explore and travel by using your imagination. | ||||||
| 34 | 12 | "Hiccups" | Wayne Moss | TBA | December 9, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly have the hiccups. | ||||||
| 35 | 13 | "Full of Life" | Wayne Moss | TBA | December 19, 1994 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn about empty and full. Granny explains to Loonette about the life of a caterpillar. | ||||||
Season 4 (1995)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1 | "Backwards" | Wayne Moss | TBA | March 6, 1995 | TBA |
| In the season 4 premiere, It is National Backwards Day and everything is backwards! | ||||||
| 37 | 2 | "Picky Eaters" | Wayne Moss | TBA | March 24, 1995 | TBA |
| Molly learns about how to try new foods. | ||||||
| 38 | 3 | "Forty Winks" "Naptime for Molly" |
Wayne Moss | Story by : Cheryl Wagner Teleplay by : Cheryl Wagner |
April 3, 1995 | TBA |
| Molly refuses to take a nap. | ||||||
| 39 | 4 | "Swing-a-Ling" | Wayne Moss | TBA | April 21, 1995 | TBA |
| Loonette is in a swingy mood, she pretends to play tennis, baseball, and golf. Major Bedhead reflects about the time he was at the playground as a kid and he learned the importance of safety. | ||||||
| 40 | 5 | "Spare Some Change" | Wayne Moss | Story by : Harmony Wagner Teleplay by : Harmony Wagner |
May 1, 1995 | TBA |
| Loonette is upset that her name doesn't mean anything. She then changes her name, which surprises everyone. | ||||||
| 41 | 6 | "Stuck in the Muck" "Rhyme Time" |
Wayne Moss | TBA | May 19, 1995 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly make up rhymes and pictures. | ||||||
| 42 | 7 | "Gimme Gimme Never Gets" | Wayne Moss | TBA | May 29, 1995 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly go on a treasure hunt in the couch and finds a gem. Molly is upset because she wants the gem; while Loonette learns about the importance of not grabbing things, but politely asking for them. | ||||||
| 43 | 8 | "One Step at a Time" | Wayne Moss | TBA | June 16, 1995 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn about the importance of trying new things, such as climbing the stairs. | ||||||
| 44 | 9 | "Enough Already" | Wayne Moss | TBA | June 26, 1995 | TBA |
| Molly knows that there are real dust bunnies under the couch, but Loonette doesn't believe her. They both learn that there is a time to take a break from something, such as arguing about dust bunnies. | ||||||
| 45 | 10 | "Where Do Clowns Come From?" | Wayne Moss | TBA | July 14, 1995 | TBA |
| Today is Molly's mirthday and Loonette reflects about the time they first met. | ||||||
| 46 | 11 | "Are You Ready for School?" | Wayne Moss | TBA | July 24, 1995 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly play school. | ||||||
| 47 | 12 | "Hit Parade" | Wayne Moss | Story by : Cheryl Wagner Teleplay by : Bob Stutt |
August 11, 1995 | TBA |
| Molly and Snicklefritz learn that hitting others is not good. The gang watch a puppet show (featuring Granny Garbanzo and Molly), which is about no hitting. | ||||||
| 48 | 13 | "Comfy and Joy" | Wayne Moss | TBA | August 21, 1995 | TBA |
| The gang celebrates "The Longest Night of The Year" where they do activities in the snow, give presents to each other, and stay up late. | ||||||
Season 5 (1996)
This was the final season of The Foley Family Gags, Dust Bunny Comedy, Miss Loonette's Dance Academy, The Alphabet Game, Auntie Macassar and the ending music theme. This was also the final season that the stories Loonette read were illustrated. The 3rd Clock Rug theme is no longer used.
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | "Bad Hair Day" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 3, 1996 | TBA |
| Molly and Major Bedhead have a bad hair day. Molly has tangles & Major Bedhead came with very long hair. | ||||||
| 50 | 2 | "Clownvitations" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 10, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette feels like she's left out. Granny visits Miss Loonette's Dance Academy. | ||||||
| 51 | 3 | "Nothing to Do" | Robert Mills | Story by : Cheryl Wagner Teleplay by : Cheryl Wagner |
March 17, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette is bored and can't find anything to do. But she learns that keeping busy is the way to fight boredom. | ||||||
| 52 | 4 | "The Big Brain Drain" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 24, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette thinks of different things in her brain. | ||||||
| 53 | 5 | "One Potato, Two Potato" | Robert Mills | Story by : Harmony Wagner and Shayne Fox Teleplay by : Harmony Wagner |
March 6, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette, Major Bedhead and Snicklefritz play a game of keep away with a potato. Granny eventually teaches everyone about not blaming someone else for your own mistakes. | ||||||
| 54 | 6 | "Earth to Loonette" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 9, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette reads about Molly being a fisher doll, and they both learn about the importance of not daydreaming all the time. | ||||||
| 55 | 7 | "Lettuce, Turnip and Pea" "Molly's Potty Lesson" |
Robert Mills | TBA | March 20, 1996 | TBA |
| Molly wets the Big Comfy Couch which makes her very embarrassed. | ||||||
| 56 | 8 | "Time for Molly" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 23, 1996 | TBA |
| Molly tries to get Loonette's attention, but Loonette is too busy having a "me parade". | ||||||
| 57 | 9 | "Gizmo Shmizmo" | Robert Mills | Bob Stutt | March 29, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette discovers all different kinds of gizmos. There is a whole mess of ping pong balls on the couch and Loonette uses a special vacuum cleaner to clean the mess up. | ||||||
| 58 | 10 | "Clothes Make the Clown" | Robert Mills | TBA | August 10, 1996 | TBA |
| It is autumn and Molly and Major Bedhead try to keep warm. | ||||||
| 59 | 11 | "Don't Tell!" | Robert Mills | Cheryl Wagner | August 17, 1996 | TBA |
| The gang tries not to reveal a surprise about Major Bedhead's birthday which proves to be a challenge. | ||||||
| 60 | 12 | "You're a Gem" | Robert Mills | TBA | August 20, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette thinks Molly is a real gem, but she also learns the importance that gems and jewelry are not as important as her doll. | ||||||
| 61 | 13 | "See Ya in My Dreams" | Robert Mills | TBA | August 31, 1996 | TBA |
| Loonette pretends to be a roving reporter and interviews the others about dreams. | ||||||
Season 6 (2002)
The intro changes again with children's vocals re-recorded. This was the final season of Alyson Court role of Loonette. The couch is redesigned and Auntie Macassar will no longer return, she's replaced by Uncle Chester that now sends the postcards to Loonette. The dustbunny music and the ending music have been changed in this season as well. Each episode features Molly attending Doll School with Loonette accompanying her (rotating between The Alphabet Song or counting to 10). The stories that Loonette reads are now in live action which introduces a city for clowns called Clowntown. Even though the Foley Family segments were discontinued in this season, the dollhouse was still seen on the set next to the couch.
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 1 | "Clowning in the Rain" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 10, 2002 | TBA |
| It's a rainy day in Clowntown. When the rain stops, a rainbow comes out. | ||||||
| 63 | 2 | "Lost and Clowned" | Robert Mills | Story by : Cheryl Wagner Teleplay by : Susan Whelehan |
March 14, 2002 | TBA |
| Molly wants to go Clowntown by herself, but she's too young to do so. | ||||||
| 64 | 3 | "Button Up" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 17, 2002 | TBA |
| Today is Best Foot Forward Day and Loonette must find perfect shoes for Molly. | ||||||
| 65 | 4 | "Scaredy Cat" | Robert Mills | TBA | March 21, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette wears a mask which scares Molly. She learns from Loonette that there is nothing to be scared of. | ||||||
| 66 | 5 | "It's the Thought That Counts" | Robert Mills | TBA | May 10, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette is searching for "McGuffin" in the couch. Loonette and Major Bedhead attempt to help Granny to fix her roof. | ||||||
| 67 | 6 | "Growing Pains" | Robert Mills | TBA | May 14, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette wants to have a tea party with Molly but she worries about maturity. | ||||||
| 68 | 7 | "Donut Let It Get You Down" | Robert Mills | TBA | May 15, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette, Molly, Major Bedhead and Snicklefritz compete in a field day competition; eventually Molly (the previous champion) has to accept not winning, which is hard for her to do. | ||||||
| 69 | 8 | "Fancy Dancer" | Robert Mills | TBA | May 17, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette is jealous that everyone dances better than her. Granny gives Loonette ballet lessons. | ||||||
| 70 | 9 | "The Big Bang Boom" | Robert Mills | TBA | May 21, 2002 | TBA |
| Today is the Big Bang Boom and everyone has a dinner and watches fireworks. Molly is afraid of fireworks, so she wears ear muffs; and Loonette learns to think of others and not only herself. | ||||||
| 71 | 10 | "Ain't It Amazing, Gracie?" | Robert Mills | TBA | August 2, 2002 | TBA |
| Molly finds a miner's hat. Major Bedhead loses his mail bag but learns that he needs to retrace his steps to find things. | ||||||
| 72 | 11 | "Between the Covers" | Robert Mills | TBA | August 4, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette digs all over the couch for books. Meanwhile, Uncle Chester reflects about the time he was at the library and discovered that reading is important yet fun. | ||||||
| 73 | 12 | "Going Up" | Robert Mills | TBA | August 10, 2002 | TBA |
| Loonette believes she is not growing up properly. | ||||||
| 74 | 13 | "Cool It" | Robert Mills | TBA | September 27, 2002 | TBA |
| The clowns find ways to cool off on a very hot summer day. | ||||||
Season 7 (2006)
Ramona Gilmour-Darling replaces Alyson Court in the role of Loonette. The Clock Rug is now smaller with darker colors. Also in this season, Loonette and Molly visit places in Clowntown. Additionally, while Molly and Loonette are sleeping at the end of each episode prior to the credits, they play the dream game, dreaming about letters of the alphabet and what starts with that letter. The dollhouse was removed. In addition, this season featured the fewest episodes with Loonette reading Molly a story.
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 1 | "Apple Of My Eye" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Toni Mills | October 16, 2006 | TBA |
| In the season 7 premiere, Loonette and Major Bedhead learn that healthy foods are important. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette, Molly and Granny make Apple Schmapple Fruit Blaster Muffins. | ||||||
| 76 | 2 | "Dat's Da Law!" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Cheryl Wagner | October 20, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette learns about the rules and laws. At the Dojo, Major Bedhead and Granny do the tango, but Loonette wants to do it too. | ||||||
| 77 | 3 | "Fibberish Gibberish" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Bill Murtagh | October 23, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette tells a tall tale to Molly which angers her. Snicklefritz thinks he's a dog. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette and Granny really blend things up by reminding themselves, you are what you eat. | ||||||
| 78 | 4 | "Slow Down, Clown" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Ben Deutsch | October 27, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette is in a super hyper mood and is doing things quickly. At the Dojo, Major Bedhead teaches Loonette how to juggle and that it's important to take things slowly at first. | ||||||
| 79 | 5 | "Floppy" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Rob Mills | October 30, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly learn that too much junkies, such as donuts, is not good for you. At Granny's Cooking School, Granny shows Major Bedhead and Loonette how to make a healthy snack and that healthy food is good for you. | ||||||
| 80 | 6 | "Clown With A Frown" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Laurel Smyth | November 3, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette is in a bad mood. It's a rainy day in Clowntown then it clears up which makes Loonette feel better. She also learns that eating too many sweets, can lead to a mood swing. | ||||||
| 81 | 7 | "Rub-A-Dub" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Bob Stutt | November 6, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette has trouble doing two things at the same time. Granny cleans up her garden. At the Dojo, Major Bedhead and Loonette do exercises. | ||||||
| 82 | 8 | "Upside Down Clown" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Toni Mills | November 10, 2006 | TBA |
| Molly plays with an upside down doll. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette and Granny make an Upside Down Cake. | ||||||
| 83 | 9 | "The Clown Promise" | Derek Ryan and Rob Mills | Cheryl Wagner | November 13, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette promises to wiggle and giggle and make mirth on Earth. At the Dojo, Loonette, Major Bedhead and Molly dance. | ||||||
| 84 | 10 | "Lost And Found Clowns" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Pete Sauder | November 17, 2006 | TBA |
| Molly tries to find her doll Bloomette. At the Cabbage Club Cooking School, Loonette and Granny make an Upside Down Clown Surprise. | ||||||
| 85 | 11 | "Phony Baloney" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Robin White | November 20, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette learns that telling the truth is the noble thing to do. At the Dojo, Loonette and Major Bedhead do relaxing and calm exercises. | ||||||
| 86 | 12 | "Ready, Steady, Go" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Toni Mills | November 24, 2006 | TBA |
| Uncle Chester brings Bon Bons over to the garden, and eventually teaches everyone that while candy is tasty, it's important to have a good diet and include other foods like vegetables in your diet. At the Dojo, Loonette balances on a balance beam. | ||||||
| 87 | 13 | "Happy Mirthday, Granny" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Rob Mills | November 27, 2006 | TBA |
| Molly and Loonette try to keep a secret for Granny's mirthday. | ||||||
| 88 | 14 | "Popcorn-Y" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Bob Stutt | December 1, 2006 | TBA |
| Molly is in a popping mood and can't stop popping. Popcorn flies all over Granny's garden. At the Dojo, Loonette learns how to juggle. | ||||||
| 89 | 15 | "Peek-A-Boo!" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Cheryl Wagner | December 4, 2006 | TBA |
| It's Molly's first time at Clowndergarten and is shy of meeting all the other little clowns. | ||||||
| 90 | 16 | "Ouch!" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Fred Stinson | December 8, 2006 | TBA |
| Major Bedhead broke his foot by slipping on a banana peel and summarizes what happened at the Clowntown Hospital. He gets a wheelchair to sit in. At Clowndergarten, the little clowns play pin the tail on the bunny, play ball, have a snack, have Loonette read a story and play hot and cold as they depart. | ||||||
| 91 | 17 | "Big Blow Hard" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Fred Stinson | December 11, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette and Molly are on their boat they made known as The Big Comfy Ship and they are pretending to look for treasure. At Clowndergarten, the clowns play with bubbles. A huge wind storm known as the Big Blow Hard hits Clowntown. Everyone goes into Granny's house for shelter from the storm. | ||||||
| 92 | 18 | "Shh, Shh, Shh, Quiet" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Susie Whelehan | December 15, 2006 | TBA |
| Loonette learns to use inside and outside voices. At Clowndergarten, the clowns play the opposite game, pretend to have a baby in their hands to use quiet and loud, play follow the leader, dance, color and have Loonette read a story. | ||||||
| 93 | 19 | "Freeze, Please" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Harmony Wagner | December 18, 2006 | TBA |
| Molly is in a wiggly mood and learns to stay put. At Clowndergarten, the clowns play the freeze game, listen nicely to Loonette reading a story and have a puppet show. | ||||||
| 94 | 20 | "Clown In The Round" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Bill Murtagh | December 22, 2006 | TBA |
| At Clowndergarten, Loonette and the clowns play with the clock rug parachute, play the beehive game, play dress up, do the clock rug stretch and watch a puppet show. | ||||||
| 95 | 21 | "Molly's Bellybutton" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Robin White | December 25, 2006 | TBA |
| Molly's bellybutton is dangling down. At Clowndergarten, the clowns play Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, play with the clock rug parachute, play with hula hoops and have a parade with costumes. | ||||||
| 96 | 22 | "Just Purrfect" | Steve Wright and Rob Mills | Harmony Wagner | December 29, 2006 | TBA |
| In the series finale, Loonette pretends to be a cat. At Clowndergarten, the clowns play kitty cat. | ||||||
Broadcast and syndication
In the United States, the series was syndicated by American Public Television to public television stations in that country, most of which were affiliated with PBS, starting on January 9, 1995 and ending in February 2007, with reruns airing until May 2009. In Canada, it was shown on Treehouse TV until it ceased broadcasting on February 27, 2011. Currently, all episodes can be viewed on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Tubi, the FilmRise app, and YouTube.
Home media
Time-Life Video was the main home media distributor for the Big Comfy Couch, releasing the series under Time-Life Video's children's label, Time-Life Kids. VHS releases were also released on May 10, 2000 by Goldhil Video.
The Big Comfy Couch has five DVDs featuring Ramona Gilmour-Darling. The DVDs and VHS tapes that feature Alyson Court are now out of print, but can be found on certain websites such as Amazon.com.
On July 30, 2013, TGG Direct released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Seasons 3-7 were released on August 6, 2013.
Merchandise and other media
Throughout the years, several merchandise has been sold under the show's banner such as videotapes, DVDs, books, dolls, toys and puzzles.
Album releases
Several albums of the original songs written by JP Houston and performed by the cast were released on August 9, 2005 by Time-Life, as well as Naxos Music.
App Releases
In 2015 and 2016, Radical Sheep, in association with Sticky Brain Studios, released some apps based on the series.
- Just Ask Molly- Released April 1, 2015, this app allows the player to ask Molly any question, and she can communicate to the player via her thought bubbles.
- Fuzzy Wuzzy Fun- Released April 1, 2015, this app features the dust bunnies Fuzzy and Wuzzy playing hide and seek. The objective for the player is to help them find each other by navigating through paths.
- Clock Rug Time- Released May 18, 2015, this app features Loonette and her clock rug stretch routine. Loonette can set the time for the player in both analog and digital. This app can also be used as an alarm clock. The app can also display the weather and temperature based on location.
- Molly's Big Day- Released May 17, 2016, this app focuses on Molly and her big first day in Clowndergarten with the use of activities for the player.
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
On the October 18, 2016 episode of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, in a segment discussing the 2016 clown sightings, Loonette made an appearance as the show's "clown correspondent". This marked the character's first television appearance in a decade since the show's finale in 2006 and the first time Alyson Court had portrayed Loonette on TV since her departure in 2002.
Tours
The Big Comfy Couch has had a few live shows at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton, Alberta and sometimes in Calgary and rarely in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Loonette and Molly Live Theatrical Tour
In 2007, a live theatrical production entitled Molly's Fool Moon Festival toured in Canada. The show included Loonette, Molly, Granny Garbanzo, Major Bedhead and others. The show was produced by Koba Entertainment and presented by Paquin Entertainment Group.
