3rd & Bird
3rd & Bird is a British television programme aimed at young children, created by Josh Selig. Selig's company, Little Airplane Productions, produced the series. The show revolves around a community of birds and their adventures. It was commissioned by Michael Carrington and broadcast on the BBC's CBeebies channel from 4 June 2008 to 31 July 2010. Described in its initial press release as "a charming new animated series all about community",[2] the programme format generally involves one or more of the characters encountering a problem which must be solved using the social skills which pre-school children must develop in order to make their way in the world.
| 3rd & Bird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Josh Selig |
| Directed by | Jennifer Oxley |
| Starring | Sam Lewis Eden Jarrett Morgan Gayle Michael Fenton Stevens Anna Nygh Charlotte Leslie-Cameron Preston Nyman David Beckford Candida Gubbins |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 51[1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Josh Selig Kay Benbow Chris Rose |
| Producer(s) | Josh Selig, Fred Weinberg |
| Running time | 10 minutes approx. |
| Production company(s) | Little Airplane Productions |
| Distributor | BBC Worldwide |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround |
| Original release | 4 June 2008 – 13 December 2016 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Wonder Pets, Oobi |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The show uses an animation style known as "photo-puppetry", in which the animation is created by the use of manipulation of photographs[3] (similarly to Josh Selig's previous venture Wonder Pets).
Characters
Main characters
- Samuel (voiced by Sam Lewis) - The eldest of the Lovebird children, Samuel is a green lovebird. He acts as a role model to his younger sister, Muffin, and often tries to teach her how to be responsible.
- Muffin (voiced by Eden Jarrett) - A pink lovebird and Samuel's younger sister. Not yet old enough to fly, she usually rides on Samuel's back. Muffin calls Samuel "Sam'el," Rudy "Udy," and Mr. Beakman "Beaky."
- Rudy (voiced by Morgan Gayle) - Rudy is a cockatoo (despite resembling a cockatiel more closely) and Samuel's best friend. She wears a bracelet of colored stones on her ankle.
- Mr. Beakman (voiced by Michael Fenton Stevens) - The children's teacher, a wise toucan who frequently acts as the voice of parental authority. He shows an interest in mariachi bands.
Supporting characters
- Mrs. Billingsley (voiced by Anna Nygh) - A New Zealand gardening kiwi and the oldest bird in the treetop community. She wears a sunhat and is incapable of flying, which occasionally causes problems.
- Missy (voiced by Charlotte Leslie-Cameron) - A fashionable great blue turaco who speaks with a thick French accent. She refers to Samuel and his friends as "little birds."
- Quinn - (voiced by Preston Nyman) - A puffin who works as an inventor. He occasionally displays arrogance, as he believes that his ability to build unique contraptions makes him better than the rest of the birds.
- Mr. and Mrs. Lovebird (voiced by David Beckford and Candida Gubbins, respectively) - Samuel and Muffin's parents. Despite being rarely seen, they care deeply for their children.
- Baby Jordan (voiced by Reiss Lewin) - Mr. Beakman's nephew, who often uses big words like his uncle. He calls Muffin "Uffin."
- Elliot (voiced by George Phillips) - A worm who is friends with Samuel, Muffin, and Rudy.
The cast also includes world champion musical whistler, Michael Barimo, whose whistling accompanies the music of the show.
Episodes
Season 1 (2008–09)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date [4][5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Fly, Muffin" | July 1, 2008 |
| 2 | 2 | "Bird Theatre" | July 8, 2008 |
| 3 | 3 | "A Chorus for Us" | July 15, 2008 |
| 4 | 4 | "To Play or not to Play" | July 22, 2008 |
| 5 | 5 | "Muffin Express" | July 29, 2008 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Rudy Show" | August 5, 2008 |
| 7 | 7 | "Super Slide" | August 12, 2008 |
| 8 | 8 | "Costume Party" | August 19, 2008 |
| 9 | 9 | "Meet Elliott" | August 26, 2008 |
| 10 | 10 | "Pogo Nest" | September 2, 2008 |
| 11 | 11 | "Samuel's Dance" | November 4, 2008 |
| 12 | 12 | "Rolling Along" | November 11, 2008 |
| 13 | 13 | "Perfect Picnic" | November 18, 2008 |
| 14 | 14 | "Pie Fair" | November 25, 2008 |
| 15 | 15 | "Muffin's Shop" | December 2, 2008 |
| 16 | 16 | "Dinosaur" | December 9, 2008 |
| 17 | 17 | "Go Camping" | December 16, 2008 |
| 18 | 18 | "Starry Night" | December 23, 2008 |
| 19 | 19 | "Amazing Muffin" | December 30, 2008 |
| 20 | 20 | "Ice Skating" | February 14, 2009 |
| 21 | 21 | "Playhouse" | February 21, 2009 |
| 22 | 22 | "Cowgirl" | February 28, 2009 |
| 23 | 23 | "Muffin's Plant" | March 4, 2009 |
| 24 | 24 | "Baby Jordan" | March 11, 2009 |
| 25 | 25 | "A Very Squooky Christmas" | March 18, 2009 |
Season 2 (2009–10)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date [6][7] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | "Muffinland" | March 25, 2009 |
| 27 | 2 | "Meow Kitty" | April 3, 2009 |
| 28 | 3 | "Mariachi Muffin!" | April 10, 2009 |
| 29 | 4 | "Beach Branch!" | April 17, 2009 |
| 30 | 5 | "Elliot the Budgie" | April 24, 2009 |
| 31 | 6 | "Art Show" | April 31, 2009 |
| 32 | 7 | "Down to Earth!" | May 7, 2009 |
| 33 | 8 | "Road Trip!" | May 14, 2009 |
| 34 | 9 | "Paint Job!" | May 21, 2009 |
| 35 | 10 | "Storm!" | May 28, 2009 |
Broadcast
In 2009, BBC Worldwide sold the rights of the show to Canada-based Treehouse TV.[8] In 2010, Disney Channel bought the rights to the show and is airing it on Playhouse Disney.[3] In September 2011 the show airing was moved to Disney Junior.[9]
Merchandising
In January 2009, BBC Worldwide announced plans to release 3rd & Bird merchandise, including wooden stacking toys, pull along vehicles, play sets and musical instruments, as well as wheeled toys, including trikes, scooters, and ride-ons.[10] The product line was released in spring 2010.
Two compact discs featuring the 3rd & Bird theme song (along with many other CBeebies show tracks) were released by CBeebies titled CBeebies: Song Time (2010) and CBeebies: The Album (2012).
DVDs/Books
A DVD containing 8 episodes of the series was released in March 2009,[11] and will be accompanied by a series of books tying into the show. The DVD release, entitled Bird's The Word!, contains the following episodes:
Fly Muffin!;
Bird Theatre!;
Muffin Express!;
A Chorus for Us!;
To Play or Not to Play!;
The Rudy Show!;
Meet Elliott!;
Costume Party!
A second DVD, Muffin Land!, was released in June 2009, and contained the following episodes:
Muffinland!;
Muffin's Shop!
Dinosaur!;
Go Camping!;
Playhouse!;
Cowgirl!;
Muffin's Plant!;
Baby Jordan!
References
- Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 331. ISBN 9781476672939.
- "CBeebies: New Shows - Carrie & David's Popshop, Grandpa In My Pocket, 3rd & Bird". 25 August 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- "BBC Worldwide announces U.S. sale of 3rd & Bird! to Disney Channel". BBC Worldwide. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- "CBeebies Programmes – 3rd and Bird – Episodes from 2008". BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- "CBeebies Programmes – 3rd and Bird – Episodes from 2010". BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- "CBeebies Programmes – 3rd and Bird – Episodes from 2008". BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- "CBeebies Programmes – 3rd and Bird – Episodes from 2010". BBC. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- "BBC Worldwide announces sale of 3rd & Bird! to Treehouse". BBC Worldwide. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- "The Hit BBC Show 3rd & Bird! Launches on Disney Junior – Monday, September 26". BBC Worldwide. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- Stuart O'Brien (28 January 2009). "3rd & bird, bbc worldwide". Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
- Katie Roberts (27 November 2008). "3rd & Bird! licensing programme announced". Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
