Super Why!

Super Why!
Genre Animation
Family
Created by Angela Santomero
Samantha Freeman Alpert
Theme music composer Eggplant, LLC
Opening theme "Who's Got The Power?"
Ending theme "Hip Hip Hooray"
Country of origin United States
Canada
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 103 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Out of the Blue Productions
DHX Media/Toronto
Distributor PBS
Release
Original network PBS Kids
Original release September 3, 2007 (2007-09-03) – present
Chronology
Related shows Between the Lions, Blue's Clues
External links
Website

Super Why! (stylized Super WHY!) is an American-Canadian children's CGI computer animated show developed by Angela Santomero Co-creator Dr. Alice Wilder and Samantha Freeman Alpert. The series is produced by New York City-based Out of the Blue Enterprises and Toronto-based DHX Media through its Decode Entertainment division.[1] The show debuted on PBS stations on September 3, 2007 and went on hiatus in October 2012 for 2 years and 10 months. The series resumed again on August 17, 2015, until May 12, 2016. The series airs on PBS Kids in the USA, Kids' CBC (now CBC Kids since January 2, 2017) and Family Jr. in Canada, and as of June 26, 2014, Tiny Pop in the UK. It also airs on Nick Jr. in the UK since 2008. As the series premiere on Northern Ireland by the countries, it premieres on BBC Northern Ireland. The series premiere on in Australia on ABC2.

Plot

The show is set in a magical world called Storybook Village, where the title character, Whyatt Beanstalk, lives with his friends Pig, Red, and Princess Pea. In each of the episodes either Whyatt or the other main characters have a "super big problem". He answers the call and discovers that he or one of the other characters has a "super big problem". The main characters will then assemble at the Book Club and introduce themselves and invite the viewer to do so, then the problem is presented and the character who has this problem then explains further (when Whyatt has a problem, Red Riding Hood talks to him).

Once the problem is discussed, Whyatt states: "When we have a question, we look... in a book!" and Princess Pea casts a magic spell to summon the appropriate book: "Peas and Carrots, Carrots and Peas. Book come out, please, please, please!"

The book then descends from the shelves, and Whyatt, inviting the audience to read along, summarizes the problem faced by the book's characters, drawing a parallel to the problem the Super Readers are trying to solve. They then put their arms in, and one-by-one they twirl around and change to their super identities. Then, Super Why calls out for their Why Flyers. Then the Super Readers jump into them and fly into the storybook.

The goal of the Super Readers is to follow the storyline to solve the problem. As they progress through the events of the story, they encounter obstacles, which can be solved by applying their literacy skills to change the story (for instance, changing the prince in "The Frog Prince" back into a frog because the princess liked him more that way). As they overcome these obstacles, they are rewarded with red glittery "Super Letters". These Super Letters are then uploaded into the Super Duper Computer, eventually forming the word(s) that make up the solution to the "super big problem." The viewer is encouraged to look for Super Letters throughout the story and to identify them when they appear.

At the conclusion of the Super Story Adventure, all of the Super Letters have been collected, and then the Super Readers fly back to the Book Club. They jump out of their Why Flyers and they change back to their normal selves. The Super Letters are put onto the giant computer screen and are spelled out to show the "Super Story Answer."

"But why?" asks Whyatt. Then one of the Super Readers gives the reason why that particular word or phrase serves as the solution to the Super Big Problem. Once the solution is reached, it is used to wrap up the original problem (Exceptions occasionally occur; for example, in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" Whyatt asks why Santa gives out presents on Christmas Eve). With that resolution, Whyatt shouts out: "Hip hip hooray! The Super Readers saved the day!" and they sing a song to end the episode.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
165September 3, 2007 (2007-09-03)July 15, 2010 (2010-07-15)
215September 12, 2011 (2011-09-12)October 11, 2012 (2012-10-11)
323August 17, 2015 (2015-08-17)May 12, 2016 (2016-05-12)
4TBAAugust 20, 2018 (2018-08-20)April 19, 2019 (2019-04-19)

Characters

Main

  • Whyatt Beanstalk (voiced by: Nicholas Castel Vanderburgh in season 1, Nicholas Kaegi in season 2, Johnny Orlando in season 3) – The leader of the group of characters who become the "Super Readers", Whyatt is an olive-skinned, blue-eyed, brown-haired boy who wears a dark blue polo shirt with green stripes and khaki pants. In the episode "Jack and the Beanstalk", it is revealed that Whyatt's older brother is Jack, the hero of the English folktale Jack and the Beanstalk. Whyatt lives with his mother, who writes stories, and his father who illustrates them, along with baby sister Joy but not his brother. Jack appears in some episodes but generally is "away at college." When Whyatt introduces himself at the Book Club, he says, "Whyatt here!" His superhero form is Super Why. In this form, he has a green mask, turbo sneakers, a blue cape, green jumpsuit with blue accents with a blue book, blue leg-open shorts, red belt with a gold buckle, and a Why Writer as his item. His symbols are a blue book and a question mark and his signature colors are green, and blue. He has "the power to read", which focuses on vocabulary.
  • Pig (voiced by: Zachary Bloch in seasons 1–2, Samuel Faraci in season 3) – He is referred to in the credits as "The Littlest Pig," he introduces himself as "P is for Pig," but throughout the show, he is simply known as "Pig". Pig enjoys pretending and dressing up like his father, a construction worker. He is pink and generally wears a construction hat, with a toolkit belt and safety goggles. His superhero form is Alpha Pig. In this form, he wears a purple jumpsuit with orange accents, an orange belt with a triangle on the center, an orange construction hat with a purple triangle on the center, safety goggles, yellow cape, and orange sneakers with yellow and brown accents. His Alphabet Toolbox has an Alphabet Map, a Lucky Letter Lasso, Brilliant Binoculars, a Mega Magnifying Glass and a Fabulous Flashlight in it. His symbol is a triangle and his signature colors are blue and orange. His "alphabet power" focuses on the alphabet.
  • Little Red Riding Hood (voiced by: Siera Florindo in seasons 1–2, T.J. McGibbon in season 3) – She is referred to as "Red" in the TV series. The title character from the fairy tale, she only refers to herself as "Red Riding Hood" and is a freckle-faced pale skinned brunette/redhead who wears a red dress and red roller skates as well as a red flat cap. When she is introduced, she says "Red Riding Hood rolling in!" When she turns to Wonder Red in her superhero form, her clothing becomes a purple armless and legless jumpsuit with red trim, red cape, her skates are turned red and purple, red helemet with a purple stripe, red fingerless gloves with purple accents, and red knee pads with purple accents. Her main item is the Wonder Words Basket and her symbol is a spiral and her signature colors are red and purple. She has "word power", which focuses on rhyming and word families like "OP", "AT", "UN", "UMP", "OG", etc.
  • Princess Pea (voiced by: Tajja Isen) – Princess Pea was named after the children's story "The Princess and the Pea"; it is shown in the episode The Princess and The Pea that the princess in that story was Pea's mother and the prince in that story was her father. However, in this case, "Pea" is her surname. She is dark skinned with large green eyes and curly dark brown hair, wears a lavender princess dress and loves to dance. When she enters, she says, "Princess Pea at your service!" Her superhero form is Princess Presto and in this form, she wears a pink gown with lime green accents with a purple star in the middle, pink crown with jewels, pink gloves with green accents, pink sparkly transparent cape, and pink shoes. Her symbol is a star because she always takes her Magic Spelling Wand with her and her signature colors are purple and green. She has "spelling power" focuses on spelling.
  • Woofster (voiced by: Joanne Vannicola) – Woofster is a Golden Retriever puppy dog with light brown spots. He also lives with Whyatt and his family. When he turns into Woofster, he has dictionary power and can find the meaning to any word. His Super Reader form allows him the power to speak also and his symbol is a dog bone and his signature colors are cyan and blue. He is also declared the fifth Super Reader. He officially became a Super Reader in the episode "Woofster Finds a Home". He cuts the "Super You" part after the transformation of Whyatt Beanstalk to Super Why for Season 2.
  • Super You is the television viewer and the sixth Super Reader in seasons 2–3. Super Why always invites the viewer to join them by describing them as "Super You" and tells them they have the "power" to help the Super Readers.

Recurring

  • Mrs. Beanstalk is Whyatt's mother who is a noble author. She has orange hair tied up in ox-horns and appeared in some episodes.
  • Mr. Beanstalk is Whyatt's father who is a noble illustrator. He wears a beret and eyeglasses and has appeared in some episodes.
  • Jack Beanstalk is Whyatt's older brother who is a dark brown-haired, green-eyed, olive-skinned teenage boy. He's also a musician who plays his guitar. He appears in some episodes.
  • Joy Beanstalk is Whyatt's baby sister and has appeared in some episodes.
  • Ken Beanstalk is a character Jack got replaced with after he left for college near the end of Season 1.
  • Jill – Jill was named after the children's nursery rhyme Jack and Jill. Her first appearance was in The Three Little Pigs. She also appeared in Hansel and Gretel, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Tortoise and the Hare, The Little Red Hen, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor's New Clothes, Momotarō the Peach Boy, The Gingerbread Boy, The Comic Book: Attack of the Eraser, and The Beach Day Mystery.
  • Little Bo Peep – Little Bo Peep is named after the children's nursery rhyme Little Bo Peep. Her first appearance was in The Elves and the Shoemaker. She also appeared in The Little Red Hen, The Frog Prince, The Princess and the Pea, and Twas the Night Before Christmas.
  • Goldilocks – Goldilocks is one of the girls in Storybook Village. Her first appearance was in The Goose and the Golden Eggs. She also appeared in The Magic Porridge Pot, The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Halloween, Snow White, The Rolling Rice Cakes, George and the Dragon, The Ugly Duckling: Becoming a Swan, and The Comic Book: Attack of the Eraser.
  • Little Miss Muffet – A girl in a yellow dress and a white blouse with a yellow bow on her hair.
  • Cinderella – In the TV series, Cinderella has long brown hair and wears different dresses. She is one of the citizens of Storybrook Village and appears in some episodes.
  • Ella – Ella is a star girl who wears yellow. Her skirt shapes like a star and her hair matches her dress. Her only appearance is The Stars in the Sky.
  • Odette – Although, she is called the "Swan Maiden", Odette dresses in white with white hair and pink ballet slippers with a matching flower on her head. Her only appearance is The Swan Maiden.
  • Sleeping Beauty – A princess who wears a blue dress.
  • Thumbelina – In this show, this girl has brown hair with high pigtails decorated in flowers and wears a red flowery dress.
  • Clara Drosselmeyer – One of the characters from the Nutcracker story. Clara wears a big pink bow on her head with a pink and green nightgown and pink ballet slippers.
  • Rapunzel – Rapunzel is based on the German fairy tale, "Rapunzel".
  • Peter Piper – Peter Piper is named after the children's nursery rhyme Peter Piper. He first appeared in Hansel and Gretel. He also appeared in Humpty Dumpty, The Tortoise and the Hare, The Little Red Hen, Sleeping Beauty, The Comic Book: Attack of the Eraser, and The Beach Day Mystery.
  • Momotarō – Momotaro is a Japanese boy who was born from a peach fruit in a story called Momotarō the Peach Boy. He has three talkative animal friends which are Dog, Monkey, and Pheasant who fight and argue causing the ogre to roar.
  • Owen – A boy who works as a newspaper deliverer boy in the comic book called Attack of the Eraser.
  • Little Boy Blue – A boy who is close friends with Red. He plays the horn and has glasses.
  • Poppa Pig – The father of the three pigs who were born in Storybrook Village. As an adult, he wears a blue hard hat with overalls on his shirt.
  • Eldest Pig – First son of Poppa Pig, wears green.
  • Middle Pig – Second son of Poppa Pig, wears red.
  • Poppa Pig's Brothers – Uncles of the three pigs who were born in Storybrook Village.
  • Three Bears – Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear live in Storybook Village together as a family. She wears a pink scarf while Papa Bear wears a green necktie and eyeglasses.
  • Charlie – The main character of his story called Bedtime for Bear. He wears green pajamas, has a teddy bear dressed in blue and lives in his home, a cave.
  • Panda – A panda bear who lives in a Chinese bamboo forest. From Around the World Adventure, she helps Wigglesbottom travel to Antarctica by giving directions.
  • Baby Dino – A cute little orange Brachiosaurus who hatched from an egg.
  • Stego – A Stegosaurus met by Baby Dino. His plates are red.
  • Torosaurus – A dinosaur with a Mid-Atlantic accent.
  • Mother Goose – Mother Goose has a light blue dress, a pink hat with two turquoise feathers on it, eyeglasses and pink shoes. She also carries her book and feathered pen to write her nursery rhymes. Her only appearance is The Story of Mother Goose.
  • The Blue Goose – This talkative fowl only appears in her story called The Goose and the Golden Eggs. Her yellow beak matches her head feathers and she has a purple tail.
  • The Green Dragon first appears in Woofster Finds A Home. He is menacing at first, but is changed to nice.
  • Wolfy – Wolfy is the Big Bad Wolf's son who lives in Storybook Village. He first appeared in Little Red Riding Hood. He also appeared in The Emperor's New Clothes, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Beauty and the Beast, The Rolling Rice Cakes, Juan Bobo and the Pig, The Nutcracker, and The Comic Book: Attack of the Eraser.
  • Tiddalick – Tiddalick is a frog with a hat on his head who likes water a lot.
  • Webby – Webby is a penguin who is the main character of the story called Webby in Bathland. His place is Rub-a-Dub.
  • Moose – Lives in North America from Around the World Adventure.
  • The Squirmy Germs – Antagonists of the story called Webby in Bathland. These characters come in different colors. Most of them are pink and the only female is blue.

Live show

On March 1, 2012, a planned live show based on Super Why, entitled Super Why! Live: You've Got the Power, was announced.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Official Program FAQ". Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Announcement at superwhylive.com". Retrieved April 6, 2012.
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