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Johnson and Friends AI simulator
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Johnson and Friends AI simulator
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Johnson and Friends
Johnson and Friends is an Australian children’s television program that originally aired on ABC from 3 September 1990 to 10 July 1997. It was produced by Film Australia and was created by Ron Saunders, John Patterson and Ian Munro. In the UK, it was shown on TCC, CBBC, and then on UK Living's Tiny Living strand for under-fives. It was later aired in the United States with dubbed American voices as a part of The Fox Cubhouse, an educational children's anthology series on Fox Kids, between 1994 and early 1996. The series was last repeated on ABC1, with this run ending on 19 March 2002. The fourth series was produced in 1995 for Fox and was not aired in Australia until 1997.
Johnson and his friends are toys that belong to a boy named Michael, unseen except for when he sleeps in his bed. They reside in his bedroom, but do not move or show any signs of life until he has left the room or has fallen asleep. Each episode involves a story about the toys and it will usually have an educational message to convey to the viewer. The series is aimed at children less than five years old, however the show appealed to a family audience and children under 8 years. It plays upon their fascination with the notion that toys come to life while they are gone. However, the stories often have a deeper message, and sometimes they are very poignant.
The series started out as an idea by Film Australia producer Ron Saunders, who stumbled upon footage of a puppetry troupe being edited for a documentary film in one of the edit suites, in the late 1980s. The puppetry troupe featured a large scale truck puppet which gave Ron the idea of a scaled up puppetry series in which toys come to life. Ron teamed up with director Ian Munro to bring this idea to life, and after cycling through many writers, they found John Patterson - who impressed them immediately with his trial script. John developed the characters and their personalities from the ground up. Dr. Stephen Juan served as the educational consultant for the series and was involved to the very end. The characters were designed by Caroline Jones and the set was drawn up and built by Robert Dein. The series was conceived under the name Puppets, and then later Toytime, among other names, before being changed to Johnson and Friends.
The first series of 12 episodes was shot at AFTRS' studio complex in Sydney in 1990. Film Australia's technique involved a large oversized bedroom set, and adult actors in full body puppet costumes. This effect fooled many international buyers and there are people today who still do not understand how this was done.
The ABC bought broadcasting rights later on that year and the series premiered worldwide on the ABC on 3 September 1990, to instant praise. The series garnered a video release and the ABC agreed to co-produce the second series of 14 episodes, which premiered in 1991. The second series was shot at ABC's now decommissioned Frenchs Forest studio complex. This also marked the beginning of many successful international sales including to the BBC in the United Kingdom, RTP in Portugal and Stöð 2 in Iceland, among many others.
A music album based on the Johnson and Friends characters was produced by series composer Chris Neal and his son, Braedy for Film Australia and ABC Music. These songs were later used in the TV series and "The Diesel Rap" became a popular children's hit, featuring on more than six ABC compilation releases. Series writer John Patterson wrote all lyrics on the album.
At this point, Ian Munro and John Patterson had begun work on Boffins, and there were no new episodes of Johnson and Friends produced until 1994, when Film Australia entered into an agreement with Fuji Eight Company Ltd. following the success of the program on Japanese television, to coproduce a third series of 26 episodes. Avalon Studios in New Zealand and the ABC also invested in this series. Avalon provided shooting facilities and this series was shot in New Zealand. Budding director David Ogilvy, who is now a successful drama producer and writer, was brought on to assist Ian Munro with the shoot, when he was required back in Australia.
Several stage shows based on Johnson and Friends began touring around Australia, utilising Chris Neal's songs, voiceovers of the cast and the real television costumes. The shows were written by John Patterson and directed by Ian Munro. These shows ran from 1994 until 1999, with Johnson himself making many appearances within standalone ABC for Kids variety shows. Both Munro and Patterson were involved with the Johnson skits featured in these stage productions.
Johnson and Friends
Johnson and Friends is an Australian children’s television program that originally aired on ABC from 3 September 1990 to 10 July 1997. It was produced by Film Australia and was created by Ron Saunders, John Patterson and Ian Munro. In the UK, it was shown on TCC, CBBC, and then on UK Living's Tiny Living strand for under-fives. It was later aired in the United States with dubbed American voices as a part of The Fox Cubhouse, an educational children's anthology series on Fox Kids, between 1994 and early 1996. The series was last repeated on ABC1, with this run ending on 19 March 2002. The fourth series was produced in 1995 for Fox and was not aired in Australia until 1997.
Johnson and his friends are toys that belong to a boy named Michael, unseen except for when he sleeps in his bed. They reside in his bedroom, but do not move or show any signs of life until he has left the room or has fallen asleep. Each episode involves a story about the toys and it will usually have an educational message to convey to the viewer. The series is aimed at children less than five years old, however the show appealed to a family audience and children under 8 years. It plays upon their fascination with the notion that toys come to life while they are gone. However, the stories often have a deeper message, and sometimes they are very poignant.
The series started out as an idea by Film Australia producer Ron Saunders, who stumbled upon footage of a puppetry troupe being edited for a documentary film in one of the edit suites, in the late 1980s. The puppetry troupe featured a large scale truck puppet which gave Ron the idea of a scaled up puppetry series in which toys come to life. Ron teamed up with director Ian Munro to bring this idea to life, and after cycling through many writers, they found John Patterson - who impressed them immediately with his trial script. John developed the characters and their personalities from the ground up. Dr. Stephen Juan served as the educational consultant for the series and was involved to the very end. The characters were designed by Caroline Jones and the set was drawn up and built by Robert Dein. The series was conceived under the name Puppets, and then later Toytime, among other names, before being changed to Johnson and Friends.
The first series of 12 episodes was shot at AFTRS' studio complex in Sydney in 1990. Film Australia's technique involved a large oversized bedroom set, and adult actors in full body puppet costumes. This effect fooled many international buyers and there are people today who still do not understand how this was done.
The ABC bought broadcasting rights later on that year and the series premiered worldwide on the ABC on 3 September 1990, to instant praise. The series garnered a video release and the ABC agreed to co-produce the second series of 14 episodes, which premiered in 1991. The second series was shot at ABC's now decommissioned Frenchs Forest studio complex. This also marked the beginning of many successful international sales including to the BBC in the United Kingdom, RTP in Portugal and Stöð 2 in Iceland, among many others.
A music album based on the Johnson and Friends characters was produced by series composer Chris Neal and his son, Braedy for Film Australia and ABC Music. These songs were later used in the TV series and "The Diesel Rap" became a popular children's hit, featuring on more than six ABC compilation releases. Series writer John Patterson wrote all lyrics on the album.
At this point, Ian Munro and John Patterson had begun work on Boffins, and there were no new episodes of Johnson and Friends produced until 1994, when Film Australia entered into an agreement with Fuji Eight Company Ltd. following the success of the program on Japanese television, to coproduce a third series of 26 episodes. Avalon Studios in New Zealand and the ABC also invested in this series. Avalon provided shooting facilities and this series was shot in New Zealand. Budding director David Ogilvy, who is now a successful drama producer and writer, was brought on to assist Ian Munro with the shoot, when he was required back in Australia.
Several stage shows based on Johnson and Friends began touring around Australia, utilising Chris Neal's songs, voiceovers of the cast and the real television costumes. The shows were written by John Patterson and directed by Ian Munro. These shows ran from 1994 until 1999, with Johnson himself making many appearances within standalone ABC for Kids variety shows. Both Munro and Patterson were involved with the Johnson skits featured in these stage productions.