Splash and Bubbles (also known as Jim Henson's Splash and Bubbles) is an American animated children's television series created by John Tartaglia. The series debuted on PBS Kids on November 23, 2016, after Wild Kratts: Creatures of the Deep Sea.[1] It is produced using motion capture that blends with animatronic interfaces which enables the crew to make animation.[2]

Splash and Bubbles
Also known asJim Henson's Splash and Bubbles
GenreAdventure
Educational
Musical
Created byJohn Tartaglia
Directed byBret Nilson
David Skelly
Hugh Martin
Voices ofJohn Tartaglia
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
Raymond Carr
Aymee Garcia
Theme music composerMike Himelstein
Dena Diamond
Opening theme"Splash and Bubbles Theme Song"
ComposersAndrew Skrabutenas
Mike Barnett
Mike Himelstein
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes40 (including 1 TV movie)
Production
Executive producersLisa Henson
Halle Stanford
John Tartaglia
Michael Shawn Lewis
Jill Shinderman
Julie Phillips
Merrill Puckett Miller
ProducerTom Keniston
EditorsJouvens Exantus
Phil Price
Running time12 minutes
Production companiesThe Jim Henson Company
Herschend Studios
Original release
NetworkPBS, PBS Kids
ReleaseNovember 23, 2016 (2016-11-23) –
August 6, 2018 (2018-08-06)

Premise

Splash and Bubbles follows a yellowback fusilier (though at times he and the narrator claim that he is a yellowtail fusilier), Splash, who settles in Reeftown after looking all over the ocean. He then befriends Bubbles, a mandarin dragonet, and the duo, along with friends Dunk and Ripple, explore the reef to venture and make new friends. Each episode also includes a documentary segment, Get Your Feet Wet,[3] which features kids asking questions that are occasionally followed up by a musical number.

Characters

Main

  • Splash (voiced by John Tartaglia), the protagonist of the series, is an adventurous yellowback fusilier who settles in Reeftown after exploring the world for a new home.
  • Bubbles (voiced by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph), Splash's best friend who is a tomboyish mandarin dragonet and likes being messy.
  • Dunk (voiced by Raymond Carr) is an intellectual, but extremely nervous dog-faced pufferfish who serves as the comic relief of the group. He is also an artist, and can make art out of sand.
  • Ripple (voiced by Aymee Garcia) is a pink Barbour's seahorse who lives with 499 brothers. She loves adventure and trying new things.

Recurring

  • Lu (voiced by Donna Kimball) is a high-spirited footballfish who resides in the ocean abyss, along with her husband Bob, who is embedded into her body. Her name is short for bioluminescent.
  • Bob (voiced by Allan Trautman) is Lu's husband, a male footballfish that lives on the left side of her body.
  • Biggie (voiced by Sarah Oh) is one of Lu's friends, a spookfish who has big eyes.
  • The firefly squid are one of Lu's friends.
  • Pearline is a clam with a pearl inside. She desires her experience in going to Reeftown with help from the Reeftown Rangers.
  • The clusterwink (voiced by Sarah Oh) is a species of small sea snail that Lu gave Dunk.
  • Zee (voiced by Donna Kimball) is an adventurous zebra bullhead shark who lives for danger.
  • Mayor Sting (voiced by Raymond Carr), an overconfident bluespotted ribbontail ray, who is the mayor of Reeftown.
  • Wave (voiced by Dan Garza) is Reeftown's day octopus traffic guard. He has an extensive knowledge of the ocean, and often assists the gang in their adventures.
  • Tidy (voiced by John Tartaglia) is an ablutomanic garabaldi, who serves as a kelp forest ranger.
  • Gush (voiced by Allan Trautman) is an intelligent painted frogfish who is shown to have experience in dancing, helpful tips, and racing.
  • Flo (voiced by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) is a hawksbill sea turtle who acts as Reeftown's medical professional. She sings in the style of Karen Carpenter.
  • Iris is a shy bluelashed butterflyfish who tries to find fit into her new lifestyle at Reeftown.
  • Chompy (voiced by Aymee Garcia) is a pastel-colored parrotfish who experiences eating what she sees.
  • Polly and Bell (voiced by Alice Dinnean and Donna Kimball) are peach-colored twin white-spotted jellyfish. They live with their jellyfish siblings. These sisters like different things such as games, but according to their words, they come from the same polyp.
  • Polly and Bell's siblings (voiced by Dorien Davies and Alice Dinnean) are the twin sisters of Polly and Bell. They both live in the Sunken Ship as their home with Polly and Bell. They are also called: peach-colored twin white-spotted jellyfish. Their voices are squeaky unlike Polly and Bell.
  • Charlie (Nickname: Papa) (voiced by Dan Garza) is a brownish goldish Barbour's seahorse which lives with Ripple and her 499 brothers. He has a yellow body and he refers to her as mija, which literally translated as "my daughter" in Spanish. He likes mysid shrimp as his favorite food.
  • Ripple's 499 brothers (voiced by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Sarah Oh, Raymond Carr, and Donna Kimball) are all of the green Barbour's seahorses. Number 66 (voiced by Sarah Oh) wants to go on adventures like his sister. Number 278 always wanders off like number 66. She also mentions that number 342 is a storyteller, number 96 makes the silliest faces, number 77 sleeps next to her every night and number 231 always stealing her things.
  • Melody is a female fin whale whose brother is in the Southern Ocean which is opposite to the Arctic. She helps Splash and his friends get home twice.
  • Mrs. Leafy and Mr. Leafy are a friendly leafy seadragon couple that reside in a kelp forest off the coast of Australia.
  • Maury (voiced by John Tartaglia) is a quidnunc snowflake moray who lives in the caves and tunnels of Reeftown and is always eager to gather news of what goes on around the reef.
  • Snap (voiced by Dan Garza) is a pistol shrimp who can't see very well, doesn't like moving and sometimes attacks with his big claw when he thinks they say "Now!"
  • Scout (voiced by Donna Kimball) is a goby fish who helps and protects Snap.
  • Denny (voiced by Sarah Oh) is a cleaner shrimp who acts as Reeftown's "dentist", and has an extensive knowledge of teeth.
  • Myshell is a decorative decorator crab who likes to have her shell decorated. Her name is a pun on the phrase "my shell".
  • Dorsal is a spinner dolphin, he likes playing games, and making friends.
  • Finny is a green mandarin dragonet with freckled cheeks who has similar interests with Bubbles, like being messy.
  • Mo is a sunfish who is Dunk's cousin.
  • Tyke is a harbor seal who loves to snuggle with friends by nuzzling. She even gets carried away by playing.
  • Scoot is a young sea turtle.

One-time characters

  • Plum, Ruby, Rose and Violet are red giant tube worms who finish each other's sentences.
  • Mortimer is a little nautilus who seems shy at first, but then is excited to talk.
  • Puffy is a purple pufferfish who has indigo eyelids.
  • Oblo is a blobfish.
  • Dusty is a green and gray parrotfish.
  • Neat is a yellow garibaldi who is Tidy's wife.
  • Wart is a frogfish. His body is orange colored compared to his dad's purple body.
  • Boo Hagley is a hagfish with a British accent.
  • Archie is a sea urchin whose color seems unknown.
  • Whitebeard is an ancient humpback whale with barnacles on his chin. He is the Santa Claus of the Arctic Ocean, but way deep under the North Pole.

The jellyfish

  • There are four Christmas-colored white-spotted jellyfish who appear to be Reeftown tourists. Two are red and the other two are green. Their voices are squeaky unlike Polly and Bell.

The sharks

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1a"Lu the Explorer"Bret NelsonRachel LipmanNovember 23, 2016 (2016-11-23)
1b"I've Got Rhythm?"David SkellyMark DropNovember 23, 2016 (2016-11-23)
2a"I Only Have Eyespots for You"David SkellyJoe PurdyNovember 24, 2016 (2016-11-24)
2b"Double Bubbles"Bret NelsonRachel LipmanNovember 24, 2016 (2016-11-24)[nb 1]
3a"Cleaner of the Kelp"Hugh MartinMichael FoulkeNovember 25, 2016 (2016-11-25)
3b"How Bubbles Got Her Moves Back"David SkellyDenise DownerNovember 25, 2016 (2016-11-25)
4a"Dunk the Artist"Hugh MartinRachel LipmanNovember 29, 2016 (2016-11-29)
4b"Ripple's Sea Dragons"Hugh MartinJoe PurdyNovember 29, 2016 (2016-11-29)
5a"Tooth Treasure"Bret NelsonDave Cain, Laura Sams, and Robert SamsNovember 30, 2016 (2016-11-30)
5b"Race Around the Reef"Bret NelsonJack FerraioloNovember 30, 2016 (2016-11-30)
6a"Dunk's Cleaning"
"Dunk's New Friend"[4]
Drew MasseyMichael FoulkeDecember 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)
6b"Ripple's Whale of a Tale"Bret NelsonMichael FoulkeDecember 1, 2016 (2016-12-01)
7a"Golden Legs Gush"Drew MasseyMichael FoulkeDecember 7, 2016 (2016-12-07)
7b"A Fish Called Mo"Bret NelsonJoe PurdyDecember 7, 2016 (2016-12-07)
8a"Deflated Dunk"Bret NelsonRachel LipmanDecember 9, 2016 (2016-12-09)
8b"Kelp Forest Keepers"Bret NelsonRachel LipmanDecember 9, 2016 (2016-12-09)
9a"Splash's Swim School"Bret NelsonJoe PurdyDecember 21, 2016 (2016-12-21)
9b"Light at the End of the Tunnel"Bret NelsonMark DropDecember 21, 2016 (2016-12-21)
10a"Small But Mighty"Bret NelsonJohn TartagliaDecember 22, 2016 (2016-12-22)
10b"Washed Away"Bret NelsonMichael FoulkeDecember 22, 2016 (2016-12-22)
11a"Super Splash!"Rita PeruggiMark DropJanuary 17, 2017 (2017-01-17)
11b"Pearlene"Rita PeruggiMichael FoulkeJanuary 17, 2017 (2017-01-17)
12a"Guess Who?"Toben SeymourMichael FoulkeJanuary 18, 2017 (2017-01-18)
12b"Sleepless Sleepover"Hugh MartinJohn TartagliaJanuary 18, 2017 (2017-01-18)
13a"The Kelp Needs Help"David SkellyJohn TartagliaJanuary 19, 2017 (2017-01-19)
13b"Mountain of Fire"Toben SeymourMichael KramerJanuary 19, 2017 (2017-01-19)
14a"One Big Ocean Part 1: "Reeftown Rangers""[4]Bret NelsonRachel LipmanMarch 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)
14b"One Big Ocean Part 2: "Riding the Currents""[4]Bret NelsonMichael FoulkeMarch 1, 2017 (2017-03-01)
15a"One Big Ocean Part 3: "The Fixer-Upper""[4]Bret NelsonRachel LipmanMarch 2, 2017 (2017-03-02)
15b"One Big Ocean Part 4: "No Place Like Home""[4]Bret NelsonJohn TartagliaMarch 2, 2017 (2017-03-02)
16a"The Greatest Treasure of All"[4]Bret NelsonMichael FoulkeMarch 13, 2017 (2017-03-13)
16b"Crabulous"[4]David SkellyRachel LipmanMarch 13, 2017 (2017-03-13)
17a"Here Comes the Hammerhead"[4]Bret NelsonRyan ToyamaMarch 14, 2017 (2017-03-14)
17b"Denny's New Shell"[4]Jason DevilliersMichael FoulkeMarch 14, 2017 (2017-03-14)
18a"The Sand Is Grand"[4]David SkellyMichael KramerMarch 15, 2017 (2017-03-15)
18b"The Treasure Trove"[4]David SkellyJennifer SkellyMarch 15, 2017 (2017-03-15)
19a"Mayor for a Day"[4]Jason DevilliersMark DropMarch 16, 2017 (2017-03-16)
19b"Oblo From Down Below"[4]Rita PeruggiRachel LipmanMarch 16, 2017 (2017-03-16)
20a"Chompy's New Foods"[4]Bret NelsonMark DropMarch 17, 2017 (2017-03-17)
20b"Cloning Around"[4]John TartagliaRyan ToyamaMarch 17, 2017 (2017-03-17)
21a"The House Hunt"[5]John TartagliaRachel LipmanApril 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
21b"Dolphin Games"[5]David SkellyRachel LipmanApril 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
22a"Partner Pals"[5]Bret NelsonRachel LipmanMay 25, 2017 (2017-05-25)
22b"Ultimate Hide and Seek"[5]David SkellyAlice DinneanMay 25, 2017 (2017-05-25)
23a"My Son, The Frogfish"David SkellyRachel LipmanJune 12, 2017 (2017-06-12)
23b"A Day for Papa"Christian JacobsMichael FoukleJune 12, 2017 (2017-06-12)
24a"Bubbles' Little Friend"David SkellyRachel LipmanJune 13, 2017 (2017-06-13)
24b"Mrs. Tidy"David SkellyRachel LipmanJune 13, 2017 (2017-06-13)
25a"The Lure of the Rocks"David SkellyMichael FoulkeJune 14, 2017 (2017-06-14)
25b"What's the Story, Maury?"Rachel LipmanAllan TrautmanJune 14, 2017 (2017-06-14)
26a"Smell of Fear"Rita PeruggiMichael KramerSeptember 25, 2017 (2017-09-25)
26b"A New 'Spin'"Bret NelsonJason AnsolabehereSeptember 25, 2017 (2017-09-25)
27a"Clubhouse Clash"David SkellyRachel LipmanSeptember 26, 2017 (2017-09-26)
27b"Raise The Reef"Bret NelsonMichael Shawn LewisSeptember 26, 2017 (2017-09-26)
28a"Stormy Waters"Bret NelsonJoe PurdySeptember 27, 2017 (2017-09-27)
28b"Scoot On Over!"Christian JacobsMichael FoulkeSeptember 27, 2017 (2017-09-27)
29a"Puffy"Jason DevilliersRachel LipmanSeptember 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)
29b"The Big Shake"Bret NelsonRyan ToyamaSeptember 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)
30a"Yuck Or Treat"Michael Shawn LewisMichael FoulkeOctober 16, 2017 (2017-10-16)
30b"The Thing from Above The Reef"Michael Shawn LewisRyan ToyamaOctober 16, 2017 (2017-10-16)
31a"Whitebeard"Bret NelsonDave Cain, Laura Sams, & Robert SamsDecember 11, 2017 (2017-12-11)
31b"Coral Day"Bret NelsonJohn TartagliaDecember 11, 2017 (2017-12-11)
32a"Seal Sitters"Michael Shawn LewisMichael Shawn LewisApril 23, 2018 (2018-04-23)
32b"From Ray to Zee"Jason DevilliersRyan ToyamaApril 23, 2018 (2018-04-23)
33a"The Sea Sparkles"Bret NelsonMichael FoulkeApril 24, 2018 (2018-04-24)
33b"Tyke and Seek"Michael Shawn LewisRachel LipmanApril 24, 2018 (2018-04-24)
34a"Light's Out!"David SkellyMichael FoulkeApril 25, 2018 (2018-04-25)
34b"Catching some ZZZ's"Bret NelsonJill ShindermanApril 25, 2018 (2018-04-25)
35a"The Job Search"Jason DevilliersJennifer SkelleyApril 26, 2018 (2018-04-26)
35b"Reeftown's Got Talent"Jason DevilliersJohn TartagliaApril 26, 2018 (2018-04-26)
36a"Mo's Sunburn"Bret NelsonKatherine LewisJune 11, 2018 (2018-06-11)
36b"Imagin-Ocean"Bret NelsonJoe PurdyJune 11, 2018 (2018-06-11)
37a"Gush's White Whale"Bret NelsonEric De La RosaJune 12, 2018 (2018-06-12)
37b"Extreme Clean"Bret NelsonMichael FoulkeJune 12, 2018 (2018-06-12)
38a"The End of the Ocean"David SkellyMichael FoulkeJune 13, 2018 (2018-06-13)
38b"Antarctic Ranger"Allan TrautmanMichele HennessyJune 13, 2018 (2018-06-13)
39a"Pole to Pole Part 1: "Migration Vacation""Dave MesseyRachel LipmanAugust 6, 2018 (2018-08-06)
39b"Pole to Pole Part 2: "Pebbles""Drew MasseyRachel LipmanAugust 6, 2018 (2018-08-06)
40a"Pole to Pole Part 3 "The Whistling Whale""Dave MasseyMichael FoulkeAugust 6, 2018 (2018-08-06)
40b"Pole to Pole Part 4: "The Big Krill""Dave MasseyMichael FoulkeAugust 6, 2018 (2018-08-06)

Film

TitleOriginal air date
"One Big Ocean"[6]January 16, 2017 (2017-01-16)
The Reeftown kids catch the currents and embark on an epic journey across the sea to help a friendly young turtle named Scoot. Along the way they learn that all creatures are interconnected and how even a small gesture can greatly affect the friends and neighbors who share the one big ocean they call home.

Songs

No. Song Episode(s) Sung by
1 "And So We Celebrate (Coral Day)" "Coral Day" Everyone in Reeftown
2 "Catch A Current" "Ripple's Sea Dragons", "Race Around the Reef", "Ripple's Whale of a Tale", "The Kelp Needs Help", "One Big Ocean Part 1: "Reeftown Rangers"", "The Greatest Treasure of All", "The Treasure Trove", “Gush's White Whale” Splash (and sometimes, Bubbles, Dunk, Ripple, or Gush)
3 "Dark in the Deep" "Lu the Explorer", "Mountain of Fire", "Yuck or Treat", "Lights Out!" Lu, Bob, and the Firefly Squids
4 "Hanging With Friends" "I Only Have Eyespots for You", "How Bubbles Got Her Moves Back", "Deflated Dunk", "A Fish Called Mo", "Light at the End of the Tunnel", "One Big Ocean Part 1: "Reeftown Rangers"", "Dolphin Games", "Ultimate Hide and Seek", "The Lure of the Rocks", "Bubbles' New Friend", "Raise the Reef" Splash, Bubbles, Dunk, and Ripple
5 "Have You Heard?" "Denny's New Shell", Mayor for a Day", "What's the Story, Maury?", "Smell of Fear", "Scoot on Over", "Reeftown's Got Talent!" Maury
6 "I Don't Know What I'm Doin' (I'm Just Doin' It)" "Dunk the Artist", "Washed Away", "One Big Ocean Part 3: "The Fixer-Upper"", "Puffy", "The Thing from Above the Reef", “Mo's Sunburn” Dunk
7 "I Never Knew About You" "Crabulous", "Denny's New Shell", "Cloning Around", "Dolphin Games", "My Son, The Frogfish", "From Ray to Zee", “Imagin-Ocean”, “The End of the Ocean”, "Pole-to-Pole Part 3: The Whistling Whale" Splash and Bubbles
8 "Keep It Clean" "Cleaner of the Kelp", "Kelp Forest Keepers", "Guess Who?", "Mrs. Tidy", "Seal Sitters", "The Job Search" Tidy
9 "My Best Friend Ever" "Partner Pals", "A New ‘Spin’", "The Sea Sparkles", "Pole-to-Pole Part 2: Pebbles" Splash and Bubbles
10 "One Big Ocean" "One Big Ocean Part 4: "No Place Like Home"", "Clubhouse Clash", "The Big Shake", "Pole-to-Pole Part 1: Migration Vacation" Flo, Polly, Bell, Polly And Bell's Sibling #1, and Polly And Bell's Sibling #2
11 "One Small Ripple" "Pearlene", "One Big Ocean Part 3: "The Fixer-Upper"", "A Day for Papa", "Whitebeard" Ripple and her brothers
12 "Only In The Ocean" "Oblo From Down Below", "Bubbles' Little Friend", "Ultimate Hide & Seek", “Gush's White Whale”, "Pole-to-Pole Part 4: The Big Krill" Splash, Bubbles, Dunk and Ripple
13 "Reeftown Rangers" "The Greatest Treasure of All", "Here Comes the Hammerhead", "The Treasure Trove", "Chompy's New Foods", "The House Hunt", "Stormy Waters", "Tyke And Seek", “Antarctic Ranger” Splash, Bubbles, Dunk and Ripple
14 "Rhythm of the Reef" "I've Got Rhythm?", "One Big Ocean Part 4: "No Place Like Home"", "Raise the Reef", "Pole-to-Pole Part 4: The Big Krill" Everyone in Reeftown
15 "Yucky" "Double Bubbles", "A Fish Called Mo", "One Big Ocean Part 2: "Riding the Currents"", "The Sand is Grand", "Oblo from Down Below", "Catching Some ZZZs" Bubbles

Home media

Region Title Release date Running time Aspect ratio Notes
1 ‘’One Big Ocean’’ June 12, 2018 1.2 minutes 1:78:1
‘’The Kelp Forest’’ May 21, 2019

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipients and nominees Result Refs
2017 44th Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Leslie Carrara-Rudolph for "I Only Have Eyespots for You"/"Double Bubbles" Nominated [7]

Notes

  1. ^ This episode first aired a day early on a program called "Splash and Bubbles Premiere," which also aired the first episode.

References

  1. ^ Mercedes Milligan (May 21, 2016). "PBS KIDS Dates Premiere for Henson's 'Splash and Bubbles'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "Splash and Bubbles". Ninja Puppet Productions. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  3. ^ "New wave of TV cartoons urge children to save seas". Phys.org. October 17, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Splash and Bubbles". Twin Cities PBS. 19 September 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "Splash and Bubbles". WTTW Chicago Public Media. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  6. ^ Thom Benson (December 21, 2015). "Special Screening Of S16plash And Bubbles At IMAX Set For Dec. 30". Chattanoogan. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
  7. ^ Terry Flores (November 28, 2016). "'Zootopia' Tops Annie Awards Nominations, 'Kubo and the Two Strings' in Close Second". Variety. Retrieved December 27, 2016.