Eureeka's Castle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eureeka's Castle
Genre
Created by
  • Debby Beece
  • Judy Katschke
Written byR. L. Stine (credited as Jovial Bob Stine)
Creative directorEli Noyes
Starring
ComposerPeter Lurye
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes152 (+ 3 specials)
Production
Executive producerKit Laybourne
Producers
  • Kathleen Minton
  • Michael Holman
Production locationNickelodeon Studios (1990–1991)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time51 minutes
Production companyNoyes & Laybourne Enterprises
Original release
NetworkNickelodeon
ReleaseAugust 27, 1989 (1989-08-27)[1] –
November 10, 1991 (1991-11-10)

Eureeka's Castle is an American children's puppet television series created by Debby Beece and Judy Katschke. R. L. Stine developed the characters and was the head writer of the show. It originally aired on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block from September 4, 1989, to November 10, 1991. The program featured various puppet characters who live in a giant's wind-up music box. The show was a joint development by Nickelodeon, animators Kit Laybourne and Eli Noyes of Noyes & Laybourne Enterprises, and the puppeteers at 3/Design Studio.[2]

Synopsis[edit]

The show follows various puppet characters including Eureeka, a sorceress-in-training. Eureeka and her friends live in a wind-up castle music box owned by a friendly giant. Other characters include Magellan the dragon, twin moat dwellers Bogge and Quagmire, Batly the bat, and Mr. Knack the handyman. There are also various appearing creatures such as mice, singing fish statues called the Fishtones, Magellan's pets Cooey and the Slurms, and Batly's pet spider Webster.

Halfway through the episode, an animated short based on a children's book was shown. Also featured were shorter animated and live-action short films and European imports such as Animal Fair, Roobarb, The Shoe People, Towser, James the Cat, Le Piaf, Plonsters, Philipp, Bojan the Bear, Lilliput Put, Zeno shorts, and Gran. Musical guests also appeared on the show, performing either in one of Mr. Knack's postcards,[3] or at the castle in person.[4]

Characters[edit]

  • Eureeka (performed and voiced by Cheryl Blaylock) is the title character and protagonist. Eureeka is a friendly sorceress-in-training. Her spells are not successful most of the time, but she keeps trying until she gets it right. Aside from her magic, she usually helps solve her friends' problems.
  • Magellan (performed and voiced by Noel MacNeal) is a large, childlike green dragon with a tail that has a mind of its own. He does not always understand new concepts. Magellan tends to make great big sneezes that can shake the whole castle whenever he gets upset. He has a mother-son/older sibling like relationship with Eureeka. According to Eureeka, Magellan will do anything to try and stay awake past bedtime. One talent that Magellan can do is blow bubbles from his mouth.
    • Cooey (performed and voiced by Lynn Hippen) is Magellan's pet of indeterminate species.
    • Slurms are Magellan's pet worm hybrids.
    • Blanketeers are living blue dots on Magellan's blanket.
  • Batly (performed and voiced by Jim Kroupa) is an egotistical, clumsy, blue bat who wears glasses due to being nearsighted. Despite being different in every way, he and Magellan are good friends. His flying usually ends with a crash landing prompting him to say "I meant to do that." Batly spends most of his time in the belfry and has a large bug collection. In a 2016 Reddit AMA, R.L. Stine said that Batly's face was modeled after his own son Matt.
    • Webster (performed and voiced by Noel MacNeal) is Batly's intimidating pet spider.
    • Fred is Batly's lightning bug whom he sleeps with.
  • Bogge and Quagmire (performed and voiced by Brian Muehl and Pam Arciero) are the Moat Twins. They are two mischievous squabbling siblings who spend most of their time swimming in the polluted castle moat, eating peanut butter sandwiches, and playing in the basement. Bogge is orange while Quagmire is pink. They're never apart, unless there's a troubling situation. They tend to argue with each other, but work together when it comes to causing trouble. Bogge and Quagmire constantly try to steal Magellan's peanut butter sandwiches, but never succeed. They're capable of moving, talking, breathing, and playing on land or underwater with equal ease. Their favorite game is to challenge each other with tongue-twister statements, at which they are highly proficient. While they spend much of their time bickering, they quickly become bored and then saddened to the point of depression, if even temporarily separated from the other.
  • Mr. Knack (performed and voiced by Brian Muehl) is the castle's handyman and tinker. He uses many unconventional methods for fixing things around the castle. Mr. Knack also loves to barter when he sells some of his inventions that he has made from his pushcart. Mr. Knack always gets some postcards which he reads to the viewers. His first name is "Nick", giving him the name Nick Knack.
  • Sir Klank (performed and voiced by Jim Kroupa) is a blue mouse with a long gray beard who resides in a suit of armor.
  • Kate (performed and voiced by Lynn Hippen) is a pink mouse who frequently reports on what happens in the castle.
  • Emma (performed and voiced by Pam Arciero) is an orange mouse who loves to eat.
  • The Fishtones are a trio of singing fish in the form of a stone fountain who spray water when they're not singing.
  • The Giant (performed and voiced by Jim Kroupa) is a friendly full-bodied giant with a big nose and a long orange beard who owns the wind-up castle music box where the show takes place. Once per episode, he winds up the castle's music box key to introduce the episode's musical guest. The castle inhabitants are aware of his existence, and in rare incidents they attempt to summon his attention.

Puppeteers[edit]

Main[edit]

Additional[edit]

Production[edit]

Eureeka's Castle's ending credits state the show comes from an original concept by Debby Beece and Judy Katschke. In 1988, development of the show began by staff members at Nickelodeon and animator Eli Noyes and his partner Kit Laybourne, whose wife Geraldine Laybourne was the Head of Programming for Nickelodeon.[2] "Jovial Bob Stine", best known for his children's horror novels written under the pen name R. L. Stine, was hired as the head writer to develop the concept, characters and episode scripts.[5] The puppet design and construction for the characters were done at 3/Design Studio where the puppets were built by Jim Kroupa, John Orberg, Kip Rathke and Matt Stoddart.[6]

Nickelodeon ordered 65 episodes of Eureeka's Castle, and Beece called it "the most ambitious program for preschoolers since the premiere of Sesame Street 20 years ago".[7] The first episode of Eureeka's Castle premiered during Nickelodeon's Special Delivery block on August 27, 1989,[1] before debuting on Nick Jr. on September 4. In May 1990, Eureeka's Castle was renewed for a 35-episode second season.[8]

From 1990 to 1991, Nickelodeon created 52 half-hour episodes of Eureeka's Castle, compiling clips from the first two seasons, for international distribution and their participation in the Cable in the Classroom service. Nick Jr. continued to air the original hour-long episodes, which were shortened to half-hour episodes in 1994. Production on Eureeka's Castle ended in 1991; some of the show's crew later worked on Gullah Gullah Island.

Episodes[edit]

Series overview[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
165August 27, 1989December 1, 1989
235August 1990Fall 1991
352July 19901991
Specials3November 27, 1990November 10, 1991

Hour-long episodes (1989–1991)[edit]

Season 1 (1989)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11TBAAugust 27, 1989 (1989-08-27)

Tom Chapin performs "Uh Oh, Accident".

Story: The Amazing Bone[9]
TBATBATBASeptember 1989 (1989-09)
Story: Tikki Tikki Tembo[9]
TBATBATBA1989 (1989)

Magellan wants to get out of practicing a dance with Batly for the castle talent show. The mice tell jokes. The main characters sing "Dem Bones". Magellan and Batly question how they sleep during a sleepover. Batly sings about his habit of crashing.

Stories: The Island of the Skog, Martha Ann and the Mother Store from The Wrong Way Kid
TBATBATBA1989 (1989)

Magellan wants to walk on his toes like Batly and asks Eureeka for help. The main characters perform a rap number about themselves in the castle. Towser is dared to stay in a haunted house. Magellan and Batly sing about the noises of the night.

Story: Rapunzel
TBATBA"Animals"1989 (1989)
Red Grammer teaches the gang how to say "Hello" in different languages. A wizard helps Towser fly. The Moat Twins argue over who's better in song. Magellan presents a couple short films about animals.
TBATBA"Sunny Day"1989 (1989)
Jaye Davidson sings about a sunny day. Batly participates in a swap-off with Mr. Knack so he can receive a bug trap. The Fishtones sing about hot weather.
TBATBA"Bedtime"1989 (1989)
Deborah Dunleavy sings about talking on the telephone. The wind freezes Towser's funny face. Magellan and Batly have trouble going to sleep. Eureeka tells the Moat Twins a story, but the twins keep questioning her story.
TBATBA"Body Language"1989 (1989)
One of Mr. Knack's postcards shows The Jive Five performing their song "Hully Gully Callin' Time". Magellan trades his hiccups for Mr. Knack's basketball. The Nosey Parker causes trouble for Towser and his friends. The Moat Twins go for a swim. Eureeka introduces a couple short films about body language.
TBATBATBA1989 (1989)

Batly shames Magellan for trying to hatch birds from birdseed, then the gang performs a rap version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". Eureeka and Batly sing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" with Magellan blowing his horn. Towser tries to help a conjuror regain his confidence. Magellan acts as Mr. Knack's supervisor while he's hammering.[10]

Story: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Season 2 (1990–1991)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
TBATBATBA1990 (1990)

After the Moat Twins fool Magellan and Batly with scary noises, they try to scare the twins back. The Moat Twins sing about causing mischief. Bogge's attempt to take Magellan's peanut butter sandwich results in him getting none. Batly finds his caterpillar missing, but Eureeka and Magellan show him the caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

Story: Just for You
TBATBATBA1991 (1991)
Magellan learns how to play detectives with Bogge. Magellan sings "The Dragon Sleeps Tonight". In the middle of the night, Magellan invites friends over to keep him company, which turns into a party. Magellan shows Quagmire what makes him unique.
TBATBATBA1991 (1991)

Mr. Knack wants to borrow the Moat Twins' "turnie turnie twisty twisty all the way down thing", but he needs Magellan's help. Eureeka teaches Magellan about animals found in an aquarium. Magellan wants to know from Batly what a friend is. The Moat Twins try not to trick Magellan out of eating his peanut butter sandwich.

Story: Brave Irene
TBATBATBA1991 (1991)

Magellan and Batly compare Cooey and Webster. The Moat Twins attempt to clean up their messy room.

Story: Madeline and the Bad Hat
TBATBATBA1991 (1991)
Eureeka, Mr. Knack, and Batly show Magellan what they do then they get grumpy. Batly tells Eureeka and Magellan a sad joke.

Half-hour episodes (1990–1991)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
99"Show 109"1990 (1990)
Magellan and Batly try to play baseball. When the Moat Twins get their baseball, they're challenged to a rhyming duel. Batly introduces Webster to "La Cucaracha". The Moat Twins sing about collecting. Mr. Knack successfully trades Magellan's frown for a tickle and sings about trading.

Specials (1990–1991)[edit]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11"Christmas at Eureeka's Castle"November 27, 1990 (1990-11-27)
As Eureeka and her friends prepare for Christmas, Eureeka loses her magic, Batly loses his temper, and Magellan gets lost in the forest while looking for a christmas tree. Magellan needs to be found before holiday festivities can begin.
22"It Came From Beneath the Bed or Nightmare on Magellan Street"October 19, 1991 (1991-10-19)
In a musical mystery, Magellan confronts Fluffy, a strange monster who visits the castle and proves that scary-looking things can often be quite harmless.
33"Don't Touch That Box"November 10, 1991 (1991-11-10)
Magellan, Batly and the Moat Twins find a magic box in the woods while playing catch. Eureeka calls the Grand Wizard (Luther Vandross), who tells them that the broken box is his and they shouldn't touch it. Eureeka warns the others about the box, but they become curious about the box and get more than what they bargained for from it. The gang tries to solve their problems with the box, but things get worse until the Grand Wizard arrives and fixes everything.

Broadcast[edit]

The series premiered on September 4, 1989 on Nick Jr. Reruns of the show continued airing on Nick Jr. until July 12, 1996,[11] and again from November 16, 1998, to January 29, 1999, and on Noggin from February 2, 1999, to September 6, 2000.

Home video[edit]

Two Eureeka's Castle direct-to-video specials ("Sing Along with Eureeka" and "Wide Awake at Eureeka's Castle", both produced in 1990) and the "Christmas at Eureeka's Castle" special were released on VHS by Sony Wonder in 1995, and Paramount Home Video in 1997. The series has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray.

On April 21, 2021, 26 half-hour episodes of the show were added to Paramount+.[12] This marks the first time the series had been legally available to watch in 19 years. As of 2023, Nickelodeon's master tapes of the hour-long episodes and "Don't Touch That Box" are thought to no longer exist.

Awards[edit]

In 1990, Eureeka's Castle won an Ace Award for best children's program.[13][14][15]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "What's on TV". Alexandria Times-Tribune. August 23, 1989. p. 31. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Lipson, Eden Ross (September 3, 1989). "'Eureeka's Castle': New Niche for Preschoolers". New York Times. p. Television. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  3. ^ "The Usual Suspects - "Love Potion No. 9" (on Eureeka's Castle)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  4. ^ "The Usual Suspects - "Inch Worm" (on Eureeka's Castle)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  5. ^ Eakin, Marah (November 8, 2013). "Eureeka's Castle co-creator R.L. Stine on the show's inception, success, and ultimate demise". Interview. avclub.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  6. ^ stated in Eureeka's Castle's ending credits
  7. ^ "Bullish outlook in cable-land" (page 43) from Television/Radio Age
  8. ^ "UPDATE". The Los Angeles Times TVTimes. May 20, 1990. p. 7. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "TELEVISION; 'Eureeka's Castle': New Niche for Preschoolers". The New York Times. September 3, 1989. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  10. ^ "Partial Episode of Eureeka's Castle [Rare!]". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  11. ^ Pecora, Norma Odom (November 14, 1997). The Business of Children's Entertainment. The Guilford Press. pp. 94–98. ISBN 9781572302808.
  12. ^ "Eureeka's Castle". Paramount+. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  13. ^ Hedegaard, Erik (1990-09-07). "Hand-to-Hand Comedy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  14. ^ "Eureeka's Castle: Sing Along with Eureeka". Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  15. ^ Stein, R.L (31 October 2016). "I'm R.L. Stine and it's my job to terrify kids. Ask me anything!". Reddit. Reddit. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2016.

External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Eureeka's Castle.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eureeka%27s_Castle&oldid=1216260654"