Yo Gabba Gabba debuts on Nick Jr and Noggin next week [August 20, set your playdates to stun], and David Itzkoff, the NY Times' man on the weird kiddish TV beat, has an abbreviated preview/profile of the OC/LA dads who created the show, Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz.
One new thing I learned: Apparently, Nick Preschool honcha Brown Johnson is not prowling the indienet looking for new, hip hop renditions of HR Pufnstuf-meets-OG Sesame Street, complete with built-in merchandising hooks [DJ Lance Rock's toys come to life? Collect'em all, people! It's in the script!] after all. She was tipped off to Yo Gabba Gabba's online pilot by Napoleon Dynamite director/new dad Jared Hess. [Wait, so Hess is taking meetings with Nickelodeon? Hmmm.]
Also, there's are these choice anecdotes of life on the road from YGG guest performer/dads, James Mercer of The Shins and Kristian Bush of Sugarland:
“We’re all reaching that age, and what are we going to do?” said Mr. Mercer, 36, whose wife recently gave birth to the couple’s first child. “Do you actually have a playpen in the back of the tour bus? It just seems impossible now, after what usually goes on back there.”I'm sure a national Yo Gabba Gabba Beatbox Tour with $50 tickets and a lobbyful of merchandise has crossed absolutely no one at Nickelodeons' minds....
[Bush] said he had recently brought his 5-year-old son, Tucker, on tour with him for the first time. “He’s been around shows before,” Mr. Bush said, “but this was his first time sleeping in a bunk, and waking up the next day in a completely different parking lot.”
In the mean time, Nick Jr. is offering up printable YGG iron-on transfers for free. Because the first time is always free.
Yo Gabba Gabba: Charm The Children, Tickle The Parents [nyt]
Yo Gabba Gabba! Printable Iron-Ons [nickjr.com via yo blogga blogga]
Previously: On The Existential And Quantitative Implications Of Yo Gabba Gabba Going Prime Time
Every time I see these things I'm reminded of Barbapapa, which some of our French friends are OBSESSED with. http://www.barbapapa.fr/
I'm battling hard to stem the tide of Barbapapa merchandise currently being sent to my kids. It gives me the heebies!
[at least he comes with a built-in excuse for burying the stuff in the yard. -ed.]
I know a three year old who would LOVE to be inundated with Barbapapa junk. And there's always Ebay...
The same three year old has also been chanting "Yo Gabba Gabba" recently after only two sightings of the teaser they're playing on Noggin. Viacom is like crack, I tell ya.
[I gotta say, that the "it's not annoying for parents!" pitch is pretty tough when the entire trailer consists of nothing but 2min of "Yo Gabba Gabba! Yo Gabba Gabba!" -ed.]