Hiya everyone my name is Jesy (he/they) or just call me by my online name Ocel, incase y'all might recognize me from TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest whatever. But anyways, I am happy to be here on Tumblr (well it's not my first time having an account here since I already have a previous one since 2023 which I don't give a crap about anymore and deleted the app since it got too boring).
In this account, I'll be sharing about my special interests and explaining things about them so I hope y'all enjoy. Nice to meet y'all btw :D
Thought I’d add some of my observations (from the perspective of an autistic person):
She has comfort clothes. A lot of cartoon characters wear the same outfit over and over again but Sarah is shown to have other clothes, she just likes her outfit best. When one of her shoes gets a hole she is very upset about the prospect of replacing them. I also like to think that the reason she’s always wearing her beanie is because (like me) she finds the pressure on her head comforting.
Her hyperfixations are sea cows (also known as manatees) and lemons. In one episode they are going to the zoo to see the sea cows and she mentions it’s been five days since they last visited the sea cows and the narrator replies with “he’s probably winding where we’ve been”. This implies they often visit the zoo just to see the sea cows. For me, I was obsessed with otters and (sea pancakes? Can’t remember name. Flat and soft and happy and there are ones that sting you but the ones I liked didn’t sting). there was this one aquarium I used to go to that had sea pancakes you could touch AND river otters and it was my favorite place to go, even as an older teenager. I can watch them for hours and be perfectly happy, and Sarah seems to be the same way.
She also has lemon water all the time. I don’t know if that’s a common British thing, but I know that my mom and I (both autistic) prefer our water with lemon in it because it adds flavor and makes it easier to stay hydrated.
She loves learning things and pretty much every time she has a question that her dad the narrator can’t answer she looks it up on the computer or goes to the library to find out more. She gets very upset if she can’t find a satisfactory answer.
She repeats interesting sounds and phrases, which could be a vocal stim and is also how autistic children learn inflection.
She likes having things be organized and in their place. She also likes categorizing/matching colors.
On her birthday she was very insistent that it be a quiet birthday and when it wasn’t she hid in the hallway closet. I have hidden in closets during loud parties on more than one occasion.
When they are invited into the bouncy ball machine because John’s bouncy ball is too bouncy, there’s a room full of bouncy balls that bounce differently. When the narrator says “this must be the room for all the balls that don’t bounce properly”. Sarah gets upset with this and correct him saying “bounce differently”. Autistic children are often upset at the prospect of toys or animals being treated differently just because they don’t do things the “right” way or are perceived as “broken”.
She enjoys looking for things. Many episodes start with Sara and duck looking for things like crunchy leaves, green patches of grass, things that match the colors on her color wheel, fluffy clouds, etc.
She gets frustrated when people don’t play along with her stories in the right way, which is very common for autistic kids. They will generally have a whole story in their head that they’re playing along to and get frustrated when you don’t follow along with the story in their head.
She’s taken an interest in an “odd” animal companion, and treats him more like a sibling than a pet.
When she’s bored she has a hard time paying attention, even if she’s “supposed to”. This is a common little kid trait but it’s more intense in autistic kids.
Some certain viewers and fans of Sarah & Duck have posed a certain question over time. So much so, that it's even one of Google's autocomplete results and one of the suggestions when you so much as look up the show or its characters. That question being...
"Is Sarah autistic?"
While (to my knowledge, and at the time of writing this) no staff of the show have put out an official word, some fans have theorized based on evidence seen in the show that Sarah is in fact autistic/neurodivergent. One such user is @beenovel, an autistic individual, whose theorizing has gotten me to do some of my own research over time as well. I will be paraphrasing and using their evidence here, marked by "quoted italics". I do not mean to steal their evidence or their work, but using it to compile a stronger collection of evidence for this theory/headcanon. Please check out their original analysis here.
As a warning, this post is incredibly long.
Clothing
"She has comfort clothes. A lot of cartoon characters wear the same outfit over and over again but Sarah is shown to have other clothes, she just likes her outfit best. When one of her shoes gets a hole she is very upset about the prospect of replacing them. I also like to think that the reason she’s always wearing her beanie is because (like me) she finds the pressure on her head comforting."
The shoe point is from Tapping Shoes. More about this will be elaborated on later, although it is worth mentioning that Sarah tried to play off the damage to her favorite shoes in order to keep them before being convinced to look for new ones.
While it's unknown as to her exact attachment to her pink jacket, Sarah has been shown to prize it. When the zip pull breaks off of it, she becomes incredibly upset and near-unresponsive. So much so, that Duck had to push a whimpering Sarah all the way to Scarf Lady's house in Haber Dasher.
[Source: Series 3, Episode 37, Haber Dasher]
When at her door, Sarah could only muster a heart-broken "Zip..." as she presents it to Scarf Lady. When Scarf Lady's solution doesn't work, Sarah sighs in resignation and hides behind a curtain.
Sarah's beanie/cap/hat is near and dear to her, as seen in Balloon Barnacles where she is upset over the possibility of losing her very first hat made for her by Scarf Lady. She's also had the hat long enough for it to appear (potentially) years earlier in the past, during the flashback in Duck Flies. The head pressure idea actually does have some more ground to it. During Cloud Tower, which takes place on a hot day, Sarah doesn't wear her jacket, but keeps the hat. Also in Doubles, in her tennis outfit, she actually does forgo the hat, but replaces it with a headband. This give a neat amount of credence to the pressure angle.
Favorites
"Her hyperfixations are sea cows (also known as manatees) and lemons. In one episode they are going to the zoo to see the sea cows and she mentions it’s been five days since they last visited the sea cows and the narrator replies with “[the sea cow]’s probably [wondering] where we’ve been”. This implies they often visit the zoo just to see the sea cows. For me, I was obsessed with otters... there was this one aquarium I used to go to... and it was my favorite place to go, even as an older teenager. I can watch them for hours and be perfectly happy, and Sarah seems to be the same way."
This moment is at the beginning of Paisley Sea. (This episode also contributes to another theory I'll post about later!) The zoo and aquariums are a frequent setting for certain episodes. Apart from having a poster of a sea cow in her bedroom, Sarah was upset at not getting the chance to adopt a sea cow during Basking Shark, seemingly disappointed at having to settle for the titular shark. Sarah also practically explodes with happiness upon seeing a baby sea cow during Paisley Sea.
[Source: Series 2, Episode 17, Paisley Sea]
In addition, every visit to the zoo that's occurred, Sarah has sought out the sea cow and greeted it at least once, if even for a moment. One such occurrence is in Planetarium Aquarium, where she even went back to say it was "still her favorite" and giving it a thumbs up despite not visiting them for a proper amount of time.
[Source: Series 3, Episode 15, Planetarium Aquarium] This is also a very adorable screenshot.
"She also has lemon water all the time. I don’t know if that’s a common British thing, but I know that my mom and I (both autistic) prefer our water with lemon in it because it adds flavor and makes it easier to stay hydrated."
Lemons remain a very present theme/motif throughout the show even outside of the lemon water drink.
[Sources: Series 2, Episode 13, Shallot Circus (top) | Series 1, Episode 32, Puncture Pump (bottom)]
Sarah has a lemon themed telephone, bike valve covers, and had difficulty picking a singular item from the cafe's menu in Lemon Cafe (although being on a very short time limit didn't help), let alone pick a drink. In the same episode, she goes through a lot of work to make her own lemon cafe. Sarah is the sole human enjoyer of lemon water within the show, and solely during Lemon Cafe, she seems disappointed when Duck, Umbrella, and Bug dislike lemon water, and seemingly doesn't understand why exactly they don't like it like she does. I say "human enjoyer" because Flamingo during Scared of Stairs drinks and likes lemon water, much to Sarah's enjoyment.
[Source: Series 1, Episode 30, Scared of Stairs]
Learning
"She loves learning things and pretty much every time she has a question that her dad the narrator can’t answer she looks it up on the computer or goes to the library to find out more. She gets very upset if she can’t find a satisfactory answer."
While I am personally a "NarraDad" truther as well (Despite the evidence which I'll discuss along with the theory in a future post, maybe), that's not the point here.
There are many points where Sarah will look something up on the computer in the technology room for answers, such as in Slow Quest and Tortoise Snooze. Sarah is also a frequent library visitor, and a few episodes take place there or are visited for a part of them (such as Cheer Up Donkey or Lost Librarian, to name a few).
Sarah also repeats back certain words or phrases sometimes (like repeating 'shokupan' from John during Fluff Bread), which beenovel says is how autistic children learn inflection, and hypothesizes this is a vocal stim for Sarah. She often mispronounces words, new or otherwise. Such as, saying "burger" instead of burglar (Constable Quack), "elephants" instead of eloquent (Mountain Mints), and "eyes, sky, dry" instead of "eins, zwei, drei", which is "one, two, three" in German (Woolly Memories, Duck Hotel). Possibly the funniest of these examples is Sarah pronouncing "itadakimasu", a Japanese phrase said before you begin eating, as "it's a ducky mess" (which is where I get my blog's handle from!!) during Fast Slow Bungalow. Sarah also clearly pronounces "hello" and "yes" as hullo and yus. Merchandise and social media confirms that she says them with a U as opposed to their proper versions. She also combines "it's nice" into "s'nice" at times, even to the point where the Narrator says s'nice and has to correct himself (Bench Blocked). "Suppose" also gets this treatment, sometimes sounding like "s'pose"
On the topic of "proper" things, during Extra Bounce, Sarah and friends are brought to a room within the bouncy ball machine that houses unusually bouncing balls. The Narrator remarks "This must be the room for all the balls that don't bounce properly." Sarah then looks a bit upset and replies with a corrective/offended "Bounce differently."
beenovel writes "Autistic children are often upset at the prospect of toys or animals being treated differently just because they don’t do things the “right” way or are perceived as “broken”.
Sound Sensitivity
Tapping Shoes comes back into play here. Sarah sometimes shows an aversion/discomfort with certain noises, most prevalent being sudden, unexpected noise. In Tapping Shoes, when she unknowingly wore tap-dancing shoes and walked into the tiled kitchen, she became surprised and covered her ears first thing. She tried to quiet/muffle them, trying to get them to not make any sound until she's told that they're supposed to make sound. Before entering the noisy carriage in Train Fudge, she recoils back due to the noise and again, covers her ears first thing.
To link to another few point beenovel makes, Sarah becomes frustrated when others don't follow along with her games, such as her idea for her birthday in The Mouse's Birthday. Throughout the episode, all she wants is a quiet birthday, but is constantly annoyed and upset when her friends are loud, so much so that she retreats to the closet to escape the noise. beenovel states they've done this on multiple occasions as well.
Focus, Concentrate! /ref
Sarah has sometimes displayed inattentiveness and lack of focus, even when she's "supposed" to be focused.
"This is a common little kid trait but it’s more intense in autistic kids."
A possible instance of this is in Perimeter Pals, where while waiting for Tortoise to finish crossing their biking path, Sarah and Duck elect to take a break. They then nap for much longer than anticipated and have to scramble ahead to continue their park trip.
Funny Duck
"She’s taken an interest in an “odd” animal companion, and treats him more like a sibling than a pet."
Sarah may have a hyperfixation on ducks as well, in no small part due to Duck's presence in her life. Apart from her shirt and pajamas featuring ducks on them, she has a Duck shaped window in her house, as well as having a Duck costume already made and prepared before she even had the idea to swap with Duck during The Play.
[Sources: Series 1, Episode 3, Cheer Up Donkey | Series 1, Episode 35, The Play]
She is also very emotionally attached to Duck and becomes downtrodden at the possibility of not being around him for a long period of time. She dearly misses Duck for the short time they're apart during Duck Flies, almost unable to fathom doing anything without him.
[Source: Series 2, Episode 40, Duck Flies]
This feeling of togetherness seems to go both ways, as when Duck does come back at the end of the episode, the Narrator remarks "It seems Duck missed you too."
The Bench
Sarah is strongly attached to a specific bench in the park. She treats this bench incredibly seriously. When highlighting various parts of town, she holds the bench to a higher regard than a playground (Outside Outside). Sarah doesn't like going to other nearby parks because they lack the bench (Fancy Park), and gets very upset when something prevents them from sitting there, such as a fairground obscuring it (Fairground), or a sleeping teenager (Bench Blocked). Duck, without any word from anyone, offers to bite the teenagers leg of his own volition, which Sarah gives him the okay to do. The Narrator has to interrupt Duck, and Sarah is shown with an excited look right before Duck is about to bite. When the Narrator wonders if there's other places to sit, Sarah shakes her head "no", and gives a hesitant, begrudging headshake when the Narrator pressed her if they've actually tried to look for a place.
[Source: Series 3, Episode 14, Bench Blocked]
Later in the same instance, Sarah herself tries to bite the guy but is stopped by a squirrel. Sarah and Duck sit on the bench even while the paint on it is still wet, and are so relieved that they can sit there that they don't notice the paint on them (Fancy Park). Likely the reason Sarah likes the bench so much is because she met Duck there when she was younger (Duck Flies).
Making Friends
Going back to friends, she seems a bit awkward when meeting real people. Inanimate objects or animals, not so much. She meets Rainbow, the celestial bodies, Cake, Bug, Umbrella, Leftover Wool, and more and seems nonplussed about it. In contrast, when she meets John and Flamingo during Doubles, she walks back into her yard after exchanging neutral greeting with an awkward pause, and without the Narrator prodding, likely would've not continued a conversation. In addition, she confuses John for a girl and Flamingo for a duck, likely trying to make sense out of the new people using herself and Duck as reference. John sounded like he had a higher voice when he said hello to Sarah, so maybe she just assumed John was a girl by that. Sarah also seems a bit awkward with adults she isn't familiar with/hasn't met yet, like Music Lady and Cloud Captain, though that might just be a common kid trait.
Organization and Spontaneity
"She likes having things be organized and in their place. She also likes categorizing/matching colors."
"She enjoys looking for things. Many episodes start with [Sarah] and [D]uck looking for things like crunchy leaves, green patches of grass, things that match the colors on her color wheel, fluffy clouds, etc."
Sarah has rows of identical hats in her closet, her tuba is always seen in her room when it's not being used, and she has a drawer full of her previous drawings in the living room (Picture Planes). The color wheel point references Rainbow's Niece. Cheer Up Donkey begins with Sarah and Duck counting grass in their back garden.
Sudden interest in random things is also a trait Sarah exhibits. She often declares things to be good, saying "this one is best" or similar. Octagon Club is the best example, she sees an octagon in a shapes book, and goes to find things around the area that's octagonal. She forms the titular Octagon Club and quickly invites many other friends into it.
Literal-mindedness
Sarah often takes some of the Narrator's jokes or metaphors seriously. Either that, or the jokes completely fly over her head. Kite Flight provides this exchange:
Sarah, when excited, sometimes does this sort of shaky-fists gesture close to her face, usually accompanied by an excited 'oooh!' or other hushed surprised sounds. She does it a few more times in the series, but at this moment, other examples are escaping me.
[Sources: Series 1, Episode 1, Lots of Shallots | Series 3, Episode 11, Fluff Bread]
Smaller tidbits I couldn't really fit anywhere else
She also sometimes does things in a formulaic fashion. Whenever she steps in snow or crunchy leaves, Sarah remarks "good crunch" (Seacow Snow Trail, Mountain Mints, Boo Night, among others) and becomes upset at Duck (albeit only for a brief moment) when he crunches some leaves in the path faster than her (Boo Night). She has commented "good crunch" since early childhood, as seen in Duck Flies.
Sarah originally would've kept her hair long and grown out simply because Scarf Lady didn't give her a good hair cut the "last time" during Hair Cut. She keeps trying to avoid it by preoccupying herself, and when she does eventually go to a salon, she tries to get Duck to take her place and admits that she's scared to the stylist. All in all, she lets a bad experience get the better of her and makes her catastrophize when trying something again.
Sometimes Sarah does things only she herself would like. One example I could think of is Cheer Up Donkey. Sarah played the tuba, which Donkey didn't like, but she was so into playing the tuba that it took the shouting of the Narrator for her to stop. When asked to try something that cheers her up and what makes her happy a short time after that, she immediately grabs the tuba again and has to be preemptively stopped before playing it again.
One more attachment related point similar to previous interests. Something ends up wrong with Sarah's tuba during Music Fixer, so she goes to the Music Shop to get it checked out. Music Lady tells her that she can hear what instruments think and that her tuba was saying it was too small for her (though that was just Bug). Sarah gets upset over having to replace her favorite instrument with something else and ends up not finding something that suits her before the episode's resolution.
As a final, sort of funny thing, Sarah is friends with a rainbow, and the rainbow lemniscate is the symbol of neurodiversity.
To my current knowledge I am not on the autism spectrum, and for that I do not wish to seem like I'm speaking on behalf of the autistic community. I do have ADHD however, which I was recently diagnosed with (I recognize those two are not the same thing). Thinking back on my childhood, a lot of Sarah's behaviors struck chords with my behaviors. Especially the sound sensitivity and lack of understanding with plans, those two were very prominent growing up, and the sound portion is still somewhat of an issue for me right now. Regardless of if Sarah is "canonically" autistic/neurodivergent, fans can interpret the cast of characters however they want, and I think it's sweet for kids watching Sarah & Duck to be almost represented in a way. It's also very nice that Sarah is never treated differently nor excluded from things because of her mannerisms. She's Sarah, and Sarah is s'nice.
Where does Sarah get the money to buy things throughout the series, such as bread, the alarm clock in Alarm Cluck, and admission for the park in Fancy Park? Is it allowance from the Narrator? What job does the Narrator have (and could it possibly be a zookeeper?)?
Why was Duck at the park, alone, when he met Sarah during Duck Flies's flashback? While cursory research has shown that sometimes ducks do not fly south for the winter in certain scenarios, it's also an interesting point that Duck was alone when he was younger. Was Duck forgotten about by his parents? Did he even have parents, or was a left alone to fend for himself as a duckling/young duck? Assumedly, it's just an excuse to have Sarah meet her "oddball" companion.
Across the entire show, there are three separate episodes that involve dreams. Interestingly, they are once-per-series episodes. These are Strawberry Souffle for Series 1, Toggle Tangle for Series 2, and Old Toys for Series 3.
@raygirlramblings You've seen storyboards for Toggle Tangle? Are these publicly available, and if so, can I be directed towards where I can see them? Thank you.
I've personally seen the assumption that the Narrator is Sarah's dad/caretaker quite a few times around the Sarah & Duck fandom. The question of if he's Sarah's dad is also common enough to be an autofilled Google question, akin to the question about Sarah's potential autism.
So we're going to take a little look into this theory. Admittedly it's not one with a whole lot of things to talk about, but it is a very present idea within certain fans.
Supporting Evidence
Obviously, Sarah, Duck, and the Narrator are never far apart throughout the entire show. The Narrator is never seen, but always there by their sides. This gives the impression that the Narrator keeps a close eye on Sarah and Duck, making sure they're safe, akin to a parent/guardian. In addition, they all share the same house, as both Sarah and the Narrator use "our" when referring to their home.
In addition, the Narrator has some of his possessions in the attic. Most prominently is the box of old toys in, well, Old Toys. Which judging from Sarah's shocked reaction of calling the Narrator's toys "really old", she at least has somewhat of a frame of reference for the Narrator's age despite him never making a physical appearance.
The Narrator is also of course kind and supporting of Sarah and whatever she decides to do in her day to day life.
The Narrator is proven further to have a physical presence despite never appearing once. He comments about waiting on his own after Sarah and Duck play while Cake is baking during Cake Bake. Also in Cake Bake, the Narrator is shown to have purchased the roller skates to gift to Duck. When the timer is done, Cake is already taken out and placed on the countertop, assuredly by the Narrator, as allowing Sarah, a seven year old child, to do so would be seen irresponsible. And during Constable Quack, Sarah and Duck look suspiciously towards the Narrator when they find their biscuits missing, indicated that he can in fact eat.
From a couple of perspectives, I've heard people propose the idea of the Narrator recording home movies with a camcorder in-universe, which is what we see as the episodes in real life. This would make sense, as the cameraperson wouldn't be seen under most circumstances. I personally remember watching some of my family's recordings on an old camera, and my parents manning the camera never panned to themselves. (My word is not gospel, however.)
On a stranger note, fun fact: The Narrator isn't shown buying a movie ticket during Cinema Scoot, yet is present throughout the episode. It may be possible that he lagged behind the kids and bought a ticket of his own, before catching up to them a minute or so later.
Contrary Evidence
Sarah never refers to the Narrator by any sort of proper title, such as Dad, Pa, etc. In fact, she never refers to the Narrator in conversation at all. She never initiates conversation with him with any sort of greeting or sentence starter; No "hey", "hi", not even a "you there" or the like. Sarah only listens to him for as long as she needs to before talking to other people nearby. She also only directly asks the Narrator questions without any aforementioned sentence starters.
And perhaps most dismantling is an interview with series director and co-creator Tim O'Sullivan. One question and its response from this interview is directly as follows:
"Sarah and her friends live alone, parent and family free. The children are as mature as the adults; Scarf Lady and Sarah are equals. The narrator (voiced by actor Roger Allam) will often give Sarah advice, but just as often he watches as Sarah solves problems on her own. It’s a brilliant approach that feels a bit risky – kids living alone, no parents around. Was that an easy decision to make early on? Did Sarah have parents in early drafts of the show?
Thinking back we never even considered the parents. As a kid, I remember that feeling of living in a world of your own outside of parents; when you played that was the universe and the parents only broke the illusion when the fish fingers were getting cold. So when focusing on the imaginative adventures of child and her friend they weren’t deemed a necessary presence.
However, Narrator is always there, not to get in the way, but essentially play along like a parent behind a video camera and provide that sense of security that allows our characters to explore freely."
Of note is that Tim O'Sullivan says "like a parent" when describing the Narrator, even off-handedly using the video camera line as well.
Closing Thoughts
While the Narrator isn't and never was considered to have a parental role, I think it's a sweet interpretation of the character, hence why I said I was a "NarraDad truther" in another post. Depending on how you read between the lines, you could say Tim O'Sullivan never outright explicitly said "the Narrator isn't Sarah's dad". To be fair, it was kind of close to what he said.
This post is not intended to sway anyone to either side, as I believe fans should be free to interpret characters however they want so long as it's not problematic. I simply wanted to talk about the theory.
Unlike the other animal/animal adjacent characters, who are typically voiced by stock animal sound effects, Auto Cat is voiced by a real cat named Smokey. Presumably, this is a pet of someone that worked on Sarah & Duck.
Just wanted to show what the episode looks like so far. I'm not sure if I'm gonna get ts done on time. My schedule was muddled up due to college which is why I haven't actually started animating the episode, my mental state and personal stuff irl.
A quick yap session In celebration of the 2004 Cartoon’s 21st Anniversary since it’s premier
Also this is 2 days late because my other ones kept getting deleted idk what this even is
(A/N: Author tends to ramble about who knows what? Also, i refer to the show by its full name or as Peep, which was its name at some point in production) I tried to keep it brief.
Peep and the Big Wide World is a cartoon that is built on one principal: "Just because you're four or five years old doesn't mean you're not a scientist." Peep is all about fostering curiosity, discovery, and innovation- while having an absurd amount of fun doing so. Chances are you won't even realize you're learning! It is witty, fun, and optimistic- a perfect cartoon for kids, and you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone that watched it that it didn't make an impact on. Peep is a cartoon that doesn't talk down to kids. It never belittles their intelligence, it's not afraid to use more complex words. Lessons are never explicitly stated, instead they are allowed to come naturally, a nice breath of fresh air when it is so much easier to make cartoons become preachy instead. The animation itself is colorful, yet calm is a gentle pace. The music, art, lessons, all wonderful. Peep is all around a incredible cartoon. That's why I would like to open this post with a brief rundown of the people behind the show.
And of course, we start with none other than Kaj Pindal himself.
Peep and all his friends were first created by Pindal back in 1962. Pindal began as a cartoonist creating many anti-Hitler cartoons, even though at the time, Denmark, his homeland, was under German occupation, making this very dangerous. Pindal was an animator, teacher, and activist, who worked for many projects with the NFB- many to serve as activism, speaking out against car culture, tobacco, and to educate about safe sex practices, and HIV/AIDS. Pindal recognized the sheer power that animation held. I present to you this story taken from Pindal's Blogspot:
"In the mid 80s, As Kaj was working on the direct-to-video version of “Peep and the big wide world” at the NFB studio in Toronto, a gentleman came to see producer Mike Scott, his name was Peter Dalglish. Although Dalglish went to law school, he decided the world didn't need another corporate lawyer, so he founded "Street kids international". At the time he was working with kids in Sudan, The problem of AIDS has come along at the time, and he realized how big a problem that was. He needed to inform the kids about protection. But he also knew it wasn't easy for white westerners to deliver messages to these kids worldwide, as the kids wouldn't relate easily...but he noticed how much they liked TOM & JERRY cartoons, and seeing how fascinated the kids were with Animation, Dalglish concluded he has to warn them about AIDS through animated cartoons."
Knowing this, there's no surprise that Peep and the Big Wide World turned out the way it did. It was the recognition of the power of art and the desire to create something great with it that made it- despite Peep! a show focused on STEM concepts- so great. It is the art- the writing, the animation, the music that brings it to life and connected with so many people And we have Pindal to thank for that.
(I STRONGLY advise you go check out his blog- complied by two of his (former) students. There is a treasure trove of information about him. I could talk so much more about him.)
Moving on from Pindal, we have Karen Worth, another key player in making Peep the show that it is.
Worth was the PatBWW science advisor. While Pindal created the 1962 and 1988 short films, it is Worth that carries the show in terms of scientific content. Peep, was underwritten by the NSF- the National Science Foundation. Worth is the author of the book "The Essentials of Science and Literacy" and specializes in science literacy connection for young students. I'm going to link a list of the books she wrote or helped to write if this part is especially interesting to you.
Finally, I want to talk about Joan Cusack.
Cusack is the narrator of Peep, and she is critical to the success of the show. Humor is important. Especially to a show that appeals to young kids. But Peep is also a show that is very much focused on the adults watching as well. I'm referring more to the parents, guardians, and educators rather than the Tumblr Fandom, but I digress. Peep was made to be an anywhere tool: In classrooms, at home, etc. Adult support is key in child development, and it is the adult encouragement and guidance that can do absolute wonders in instilling a life long love of science.
Having Cusack around really helps at retaining adult interest , her delivery and talent shine though in every line, and she delivers something with a edge to it, a mild contrast to the childlike wonder of the other characters, but it's never to the point of being cynical or distracting. Cusack's narration offers something for the adults at home to connect to, (she is a Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee, after all,) connecting parents to what their kids are watching connects them with their education, and their kids all at once.
Of course, there are so many people that are involved with the making of a show- writers, storyboard artists, directors, voice actors, the kids that have their two minute segments between the Peep episodes, and so many more people. These are but three.
The eponymous Peep and all of his friends are our guides though their- and our- worlds. After all, good story is nothing without good characters- and Peep certainly has good characters.
Quack:
Quack is the fan-favorite. There is no doubt in my mind to this, it’s basically a given. Even if he isn’t your favorite, there’s always something to say about Quack. Like Cusack, I strongly believe he serves as a bridge between show and parents and teachers- though let's be real, EVERYONE gets a kick out of Quack.
“There’s nothing better than ducks”
Quack is the arrogant, sometimes mean, egotistical know-it-all of the three main birds, but he has a heart of gold and will always come though for his friends. Also, did I mention he's absolutely hilarious yet? Because he is. Sometimes, Quack can be egotistical and mean- but he never gets too badly scolded for it. Which I can appreciate it. Quack is young. Lots of kids tend to have egos to them at this age- the show doesn’t feel the need to lecture its audience for it- it does a wonderful job at show, not tell when it comes to his pride and his jerkish tendencies. He is the oldest of the birds, and can sometimes come across as pessimistic, but he's never above joining in on the fun with his friends, and still has a strong childlike innocence to him.
What I love about Quack is that even though he can be very strong in his beliefs and convictions, but isn't above giving other opinions a chance. Of course, he tends to have a lot of blind spots, and tends to rely on the most basic principals and generalization too much, but he's still learning.
His voice actor is phenomenal. I cannot think of a better voice for Quack.
Even though Quack is undoubtedly the comic relief of the trio, and often the most childish, he is still knowledgeable, especially about ducks and swimming, and for some reason jokes and other human expressions.
My favorite parts is when he does feel and not being so cocky. I much prefer when he’s insecure, sympathetic, sad, but these wouldn’t hit so hard without his attitude, would it?
My favorite Quack episodes:
The Fish Museum
A Daring Duck
Peep's Can
Quack's Stuck Stick
Give Me a Call
Quack interestingly also got more episodes about him than Peep- even though Peep is the main character
Chirp:
Chirp is a savage. Like lowkey she I think she has some of the best lines. I personally think Chirp is like, the coolest character. In the fandom she seems to be generally liked, with only a few people that don’t like or care for her much.
“I came here to explore, and I’m going to explore!”
Chirp- the knowledgeable, determined one of the trio. She is the most book smart and socially intelligent of the three a good majority of the time. She is generally kind and hospitable, but quick to temper and obsession, and very assertive with her beliefs. She also has very strong convictions- dare I say even stronger than Quack? Maybe. What makes Chirp so compelling is her overarching story.
Hooboy.
Chirp wants to fly. Over the whole series Chirp wants to fly. This leads to some very interesting character moments where we see her determined attitude, but we also see doubt and hurt. This is makes her a very real and relatable character- we see the dream, the effort, the pain. We see Chirp be reckless, we see her be defensive. We see all sorts of human emotion- her story is one that can apply to any one of us- i love this for Chirp. I love that her dream to fly- and feelings associated with it- can be applied to all sorts of stories in real life. There is obviously how kids want to grow up and have more freedoms and escape the injustice of youth,but you can also read into it as an exploration of identity- gender, race, class, anything, because Chirp’s story might be case specific, but there’s still so many people that can connect to it for completley different reasons.
I personally like the duality of Chirp. She seems to operate very smoothly- almost suave around nearly everyone- even dangerous characters like Tom, but she still gets flustered around the likes of Robin and Hoot. She’s practical, but still young and still full of whimsy
Favorite Chirp Episodes:
Chirp Chirp, Tweet Tweet, Chirp
Peep:
Wow. Peep. Peep is one of my favorite protagonists ever. He’s the baby of the group, leading him to be gentle and easily distracted, but he is still the most observant of the trio. He is a quiet protagonist. Despite his quiet, observant nature, Peep still is an active character in the story, but it never puts pressure on Peep to need to save the day all the time.
"Yes we will! I know we will!"
Peep is agreeable, gentle, and sweet. He is often the most reasonable and rational person of the group, but he still recognizes emotion and tries to keep everyone happy- even at the expense of his happiness sometimes. He is always ready to help his friends. He is a quiet extrovert. He is fair and just. He is the embodiment of Peep and the Big Wide World’s message. You can be great even if you’re young.
As I said, Peep is one of my favorite MCs ever. Shows have a tendency to put their main characters on a pedestal or have them preach at you. Sometimes shows- and people put a lot of pressure on observers. You better have something amazing up there, or else you’re boring. Weird. Bad. This never happens. The narrative allows Peep to simply be… small. To just be. Because not everyone is a talker in real life, and I feel thats even rarer in media. Of course, in a show all about science, observation is a huge part of that, so the reasoning tracks. It’s still something i appreciate though.
Even if he isn’t very relatable to everyone, he still manages to be enjoyable. Literally impossible to find a Peep hater. He still is a great character to connect with the audience.
Interestingly, in the 1962 version, he was a boy, in 1988, she was a girl, and in 2004 was reverted back to being male.
Peep is one of the most whimsical characters i have came across. I love him, he’s amazing. We should all aspire to be more like Peep. He teaches that the mundane and small is just as amazing and has the potential to be exciting and new as any ‘big’ adventure can be.
HE LIVES IN A CAN??? CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS MORE
Favorite Peep episodes:
That’s a Cat
Smaller than a Peep
All Fall Down
Group Dynamic:
This photo does a good job, i think.
I would say that these three and their dynamic are what hold their show together. It’s a good balance. The way they play off of each other is enjoyable, fun, and heartwarming. 10/10 group of friends here. They all have a unique role and the group feels incomplete without anyone of them.
Peep and Chirp are the most standard dynamic. They’re very supportive, kind, and have the same thirst for adventure, but they still round each other out well. Peep is gentle to Chirp’s aggressive. She’s cunning to his naive. Their moments in the show are some of the sweetest things to watch in it, they literally just have fun together and vibe together.
Quack and Peep work well because they’re so different. There’s a nice/mean, street-smart/book-smart dynamic to it. I love them because Peep, by simply existing brings out a side to Quack that we’re not every accustomed to, a good majority of his sympathetic moments are because of Peep. Peep also is genuinely kind and tolerant of Quack, and respects him a great deal. They're both comedic and heartwarming.
Chirp and Quack at first look like polar opposites. Chirp is the sky, Quack is the sea. Chirp is fire, Quack is water. But when you really watch them they’re not as different as you think, they’re very similar despite it all and they still have a great bond. Also: they straight carried this show. I’m sorry not sorry, their banter is too good. Still the funniest thing to me
The trio: Peep, Chirp, and Quack work because they are so genuine. Their relationship feels natural, and while it does have its rough patches, they smooth it out. What i like it that it shows Peep, Chirp and Quack smooth things out alone, with no interference from older characters- even if Peep has to serve as the mediator on occasion, it still feels true to the schoolyard struggles kids have- there is the kid initiating, there is the one with the temper, there is the on stuck in the middle. Their relationship exists because at the end of the day, they’re friends. They want to have each other in their lives. They always return to each other because they’re friends. And i love that for them.
Other Characters:
The characters in Peep are amazing. Aside from the main trio, we have Beaver Boy, Hoot, Newton, the Raccoon, Skunk, Squirrel, Squeak, Nellie, the fish, Tom, the Ants, the Bunnies, and I’m sure I’m still missing some. I love these guys. There isn’t a single character i dislike.
My personal favorites are Newton and Beaver Boy- Beaver Boy has a similar arc to Chirp and is just really funny, but he also is just so hecking wholesome it’s not even funny. Newton is also hilarious. Other characters, even the ones that are disliked like Pink Quack or the Robin from Big Bird never overstay their welcome. The side characters keep the stories fresh and help Peep’s world seem so much realer.
Okay AND this is a sub section but the MUSIC in Peep. The sound direction. It’s actually so good. Again, never too much, never distracting, but it elevates the show past infinity because it works so well with the world. Thats not even mentioning the theme song and Quack’s songs!
That theme song is one of the CATCHIEST things ever and i’m not even a huge fan of country. It is actually so much fun. It’s upbeat anf energetic but it’s not overwhelmingly hyper, and it’s fun to sing along to. I recommend checking it out in other languages.
QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK’S SONGS QUACK’S SONGSSSSS
CAN WE DISCUSS
THE ABSOLUTE B A R S
THAT QUACK PUTS OUT
THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN A DUCK YO
They’re catchy as hell. Oh my god- they have no right to do this to me.
“I wish i were a duck
Hey look i already am
What a stroke of luck
Glad i’m not a purple ham“
All in all 10/10 show I need to yak so much more about Peep in so much more detail but this is long enough for now, so i’ll just end things here.
I like to think that with the arrival of Karen, Kenny became more careful about his own life. While he used to be a guy who lived in the moment, with the arrival of his younger sister, he became more responsible. Now, he has the responsibility not only for his own life, but also for a new family member whom he treasures dearly (and I also like to think that he came to Kyle for advice on dealing with younger siblings).
