The Elephant Show (from the second season onward, Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show) is a Canadian children's television series, starring children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram and made for CBC Television.[1] The series premiered on October 8, 1984 and ended on February 26, 1989, with a total of 65 episodes over the course of 5 seasons. The show also aired on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block in the United States starting in 1987.[2]
Series overview
editEpisodes
editSeason 1 (1984)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Guest(s) | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Schoolyard" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Bob Schneider | October 8, 1984 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram, Elephant and Eric Nagler spend the day at school, where it's Elephant's first day of class. | |||||||
2 | 2 | "Farm Show" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Scott Woods | October 15, 1984 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler explore life on a farm. | |||||||
3 | 3 | "Picnic" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Canadian Children's Dance Theatre | October 22, 1984 | |
The gang goes on a picnic in the park. | |||||||
4 | 4 | "Friendship" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Ann Mortifee | October 29, 1984 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler explore the meaning of friendship. | |||||||
5 | 5 | "Food Show" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Circus Shmirkus | November 5, 1984 | |
The gang spends the day preparing a feast, but when they forget about their concert they have to rush out and leave the feast behind. | |||||||
6 | 6 | "Elephant's Doctor" | Ted Regan | Mark Shekter | Nion | November 12, 1984 | |
When Elephant becomes ill, his doctor spends the day with Sharon, Lois & Bram instead. Note: This was intended to be the pilot episode of the show and was supposed to air first, but it wound up being aired the sixth episode. | |||||||
7 | 7 | "Amusement Park" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Denis Simpson | November 19, 1984 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler spend the day at Toronto's Centreville Island Amusement Park. | |||||||
8 | 8 | "Rainy Day" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | National Tap Dance Company | November 26, 1984 | |
The rain outside causes Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Eric Nagler and the kids to spend the day finding what there is to do inside on a rainy day. | |||||||
9 | 9 | "Zoo" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Paul Gaulin | December 3, 1984 | |
The gang spends the day at the Toronto Metro Zoo where Marlow and Elephant get lost and need help finding their way back to Sharon, Lois & Bram. | |||||||
10 | 10 | "Lifestyles" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Fred Penner | December 10, 1984 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Eric Nagler and the kids spend the day reminiscing of times past with a photo album. | |||||||
11 | 11 | "Neighbourhood" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Whole Loaf Theatre | December 17, 1984 | |
When the kids are bored, Sharon, Lois & Bram, Elephant and Eric Nagler decide to explore what there is to do in their neighbourhood. | |||||||
12 | 12 | "Party" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Bob Berky | December 24, 1984 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram have a party at the studio and invite friends and a clown to share the festivities. | |||||||
13 | 13 | "Camp" | Stan Swan | Mark Shekter | Susan Mendelson | December 31, 1984 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler go camping at summer camp. |
Season 2 (1986)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Guest(s) | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | 1 | "Funny Field Day" | George Broomfield | John Pattison & Garlou | January 6, 1986 | |
Neighborhood friends are invited to Sharon, Lois & Bram's annual picnic where they play lots of games and have a great time. | ||||||
15 | 2 | "Masquerade" | Stan Swan | Maya | January 13, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant reminisce with Eric Nagler about a frightful Halloween party from the past. | ||||||
16 | 3 | "Reversal" | George Broomfield | John Allan Cameron | January 20, 1986 | |
Elephant and the children think its time they ran things instead of adults, so Sharon, Lois & Bram agree to change roles for the day. John Allen stops by and recounts the backwards tale of Rindercella. | ||||||
17 | 4 | "Marathon" | Stan Swan | Denis Simpson | January 27, 1986 | |
Elephant is chosen to run in a marathon to help raise money for the community center's new musical instruments. In order to train for the event, Denis Simpson comes over to help out. | ||||||
18 | 5 | "Clean-Up" | Stan Swan | Nancy White | February 3, 1986 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram and the kids think they are doing Eric Nagler a favor when they clean up his messy garage, but when he comes home, he is more than surprised. | ||||||
19 | 6 | "Kensington Market" | Stan Swan | The Inter-Community Group | February 10, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler take a quick trip to Kensington Market in between concerts to help Elephant try some new foods instead of his usual fare of peanuts.. | ||||||
20 | 7 | "Babysitting" | Stan Swan | Circus Shmirkus | February 17, 1986 | |
Due to Elephant's antics, Sharon, Lois & Bram end up babysitting a handful of kids. | ||||||
21 | 8 | "Hobby" | Stan Swan | Major Conrad Flapps | February 24, 1986 | |
Everyone spends the day exploring different kinds of hobbies so that Elephant can find one. | ||||||
22 | 9 | "Pioneer Village" | Stan Swan | The Leahy Family | March 3, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant explore Pioneer Village during apple harvest time and discover the various aspects of life in the 1860s. The day is filled with fun and old time fiddling and dancing! | ||||||
23 | 10 | "Dance School" | Stan Swan | The Dancesmiths of George Brown College | March 10, 1986 | |
Elephant, Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler are invited to a school for performing arts, and Elephant decides to be a ballet dancer! The Dancesmiths show Elephant the dedication and hard-work that dancing requires. | ||||||
24 | 11 | "Beach Show" | Stan Swan | The Flying Dutchmen | March 17, 1986 | |
The gang spends the day at the beach, but Elephant has a cold. | ||||||
25 | 12 | "Sleepover" | George Bloomfield | The Potato People | March 24, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram invite some neighborhood kids and Eric Nagler over to their studio for a sleepover. | ||||||
26 | 13 | "Treasure Hunt" | Stan Swan | Naomi Tyrell | March 31, 1986 | |
A mysterious letter arrives with a clue that sends Sharon, Lois & Bram on a musical treasure hunt with an extra special treasure awaiting them at the end. |
Season 3 (1986)
editFrom this season onwards, Elephant is a female character.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Guest(s) | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 1 | "Duet Show" | Terry Maskell | Jim & John Coburn | October 6, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant take a look at pairs, twins and things that go together. | ||||||
28 | 2 | "Treasure Island" | George Bloomfield | The Nylons | October 13, 1986 | |
The kids discover a treasure map in Sharon, Lois & Bram's closet and everyone embarks on an adventure to find the treasure, with some unexpected results. | ||||||
29 | 3 | "Overnight" | Wayne Moss | Reverend Ken & The Washboard Supper Club | October 20, 1986 | |
The gang goes on an overnight camping trip and run into some very noisy and strange neighbours. | ||||||
30 | 4 | "Caribana" | Terry Maskell | Panman Pat McNeilly | October 27, 1986 | |
The gang takes part in a Caribbean Caribana Festival complete with costumes, and floats. They learn about brotherhood and peace at the same time. | ||||||
31 | 5 | "Fairy Tale" | Stan Swan | Tony Molesworth | November 3, 1986 | |
Elephant stars in a play called "CinderElephant" and Sharon, Lois & Bram and all the kids play supporting roles. | ||||||
32 | 6 | "Grandma Bessie's Birthday" | George Bloomfield | Fred Bean | November 10, 1986 | |
When one of the children has a birthday on the same day as her grandmother, Sharon, Lois & Bram decide to stage a dual celebration at the Senior Citizen's Home where the girl's grandmother lives. | ||||||
33 | 7 | "Who Stole the Cookies?" | George Bloomfield | Bob Berky | November 17, 1986 | |
Lois bakes sixty cookies and later discovers that all but one have disappeared. Elephant plays sleuth in the case of the missing cookies! | ||||||
34 | 8 | "Soap Box Derby" | George Bloomfield | Ron Rubin (voice actor) | November 24, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant help the children construct a soapbox and they all enter it in an exciting soap box derby. | ||||||
35 | 9 | "Library" | Wayne Moss | Carol Robinson | December 1, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant take the children to the library where they all find their own special books. Fantasy takes over when Elephant finds a book that inspires her imagination. | ||||||
36 | 10 | "Topsy-Turvy Elephant" | Stan Swan | Luba Goy | December 8, 1986 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant have fun doing things backwards for a day, with some pretty topsy-turvy results! | ||||||
37 | 11 | "There's An Elephant Up That Tree!" | George Bloomfield | Maury Chaykin | December 15, 1986 | |
Elephant unexpectedly takes refuge up in a tree. Sharon, Lois & Bram try everything they can think of to get Elephant down, but have to resort to calling the fire department instead. The filming location was at Rennie Park in Western Toronto. | ||||||
38 | 12 | "Growing Up" | George Bloomfield | Valdy | December 22, 1986 | |
Everyone spends the day exploring different kinds of careers and Elephant comes up with some interesting career ideas of her own. | ||||||
39 | 13 | "Hospital" | Stan Swan | Ron Wagner | December 29, 1986 | |
When one of the children goes to the hospital to have his tonsils removed, Sharon, Lois & Bram and Elephant take the kids for a surprise visit to the Hospital For Sick Kids' Tonsil Ward. |
Season 4 (1987–88)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Guest(s) | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
40 | 1 | "Urban Cowboy" | Wayne Moss | Murray McLauchlan | October 26, 1987 | |
Bronte Creek Park sets the scene for fun on the farm and a hayride with Murray who entertains all with his Juno Award winning classic, "The Farmer's Song". | ||||||
41 | 2 | "SuperElephant: The Movie" | Wayne Moss | Bruce Pirrie | October 19, 1987 | |
The kids get together to make their own movie: Someone's been stealing all the peanut butter from the children's homes around the city and SuperElephant sets out to save the day and catch the culprit "butter"-handed. | ||||||
42 | 3 | "Cooking School" | Eleanore Lindo | Sam Moses | October 5, 1987 | |
Elephant's interest in cooking lands Sharon, Lois & Bram, Eric Nagler and the kids in the middle of a zany cooking lesson with a madcap chef! Things get extra wild when Sharon, Lois & Bram bring out their dessert cart. | ||||||
43 | 4 | "Mother Goose" | Wayne Moss | Roy Wordsworth & Don Cullen | November 2, 1987 | |
A day of child care turns into fantasy fun amidst a fairy glade forest when playmates Wee Willie Winkie and Terrence McDiddler entertain with nostalgic delight. | ||||||
44 | 5 | "Pet Fair" | Stan Swan | Max the Dog | November 9, 1987 | |
Excitement abounds as Sharon, Lois & Bram and the neighborhood kids gear up for the community pet fair. Talking rabbits, Bram's pet rock, Sharon & Lois' pet goldfishes, Eric's pet flea, and more join in the fun! | ||||||
45 | 6 | "Blackout" | Stan Swan | Robert Desrosiers | November 16, 1987 | |
It's Elephant's birthday and the day is filled with fun, magic and many splendid surprises even when the electricity goes out. Elephant's birthday wish comes true as Robert invites Elephant to dance a duet to the tune of Waddaly Atcha with him. | ||||||
46 | 7 | "Newspaper" | Eleanore Lindo | The Beirdo Brothers & Sister Sheila | November 23, 1987 | |
The gang earn their press cards when their newly formed neighborhood newspaper scoops one of the hottest exclusives in town! | ||||||
47 | 8 | "Snow White Elephant" | Stan Swan | Jayne Eastwood | November 30, 1987 | |
In what is quickly becoming a series tradition, Sharon, Lois & Bram bring a beloved fairy tale back to life - with a few fun filled changes! Jayne Eastwood stars as the Evil Queen in this tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Snow White Legend. | ||||||
48 | 9 | "An Elephant Never Forgets" | Richard Mortimer | The Shuffle Demons | December 7, 1987 | |
An elephant never forgets. Unless, of course, it is plagued by a case of pachyderm amnesia. Sharon, Lois & Bram search for Elephant and try to get her to regain her memory just in time for the trio's big concert! | ||||||
49 | 10 | "Radio Show" | Richard Mortimer | Ron Rubin | December 14, 1987 | |
A mysterious antique radio possesses the ability to transport Sharon, Lois & Bram and the kids back in time to radio's heyday! The gang gets to see what it is like inside a radio studio in this old-fashioned romp down memory lane. | ||||||
50 | 11 | "Sibling Rivalry" | Richard Mortimer | Kate & Anna McGarrigle | December 21, 1987 | |
The arrival of Aunt Elephant and her new baby brings mixed feelings for Elephant. When Elephant becomes upset, Kate & Anna McGarrigle show Elephant that new additions to a family can be a trying but wonderful experience for other siblings. | ||||||
51 | 12 | "Elephant Finds Its Game" | Richard Mortimer | Toller Cranston | December 28, 1987 | |
Elephant sets out to find her game. The gang tries everything from hula-hoops, to golfing, to hiking, to jogging, to doing nothing, but finally they discover Elephant's flair for figure skating with a special dance partner extraordinaire. | ||||||
52 | 13 | "Band on the Run" | Richard Mortimer | The Mammoth Band | January 4, 1988 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and The Mammoth Band wind up on a wild goose chase to their next concert after the Elephant Show tour bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere! From roller skates to bicycles and wheelbarrows to wagons, the gang tries it all - because the show must go on! |
Season 5 (1988–89)
editThis season does not feature the three in live concert segments.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Guest(s) | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
53 | 1 | "The Early Years" | Stan Swan | Louis Del Grande | December 11, 1988 | |
The Elephant Show blasts into the past as Sharon, Lois & Bram reminisce about the early days and rekindle fond memories of their rise to fame and glory. Louis guest stars as the trio's fast talking, wise cracking agent "Willy Bookem". | ||||||
54 | 2 | "Unicef" | Stan Swan | Jayne Eastwood & Andrea Martin | October 31, 1988 | |
As UNICEF Canada's newly appointed Canadian Ambassadors, Sharon, Lois & Bram join their friends in this humorous and uplifting lesson in caring and sharing. The whole gang teams up to share in the holiday spirit and put on the neighborhood's best Halloween ever! | ||||||
55 | 3 | "Elephant's Lamp" | Stan Swan | Rick Green | December 18, 1988 | |
Elephant's discovery of a magic lamp at the street vendors leads to mayhem as Sharon, Lois & Bram and the kids try to figure out what to wish for and how to deal with an overly zealous genie! | ||||||
56 | 4 | "Moonlighting" | Stan Swan | Maurice Solway | January 1, 1989 | |
When the neighborhood kids decide it's time for a new playground, Sharon, Lois & Bram kick into high gear to raise funds for the project. Mr Withers, played by Solway, however demands for a new park bench because his old one is uncomfortable. | ||||||
57 | 5 | "Museum" | Michael McNamara | Dan Redican | December 25, 1988 | |
Following a day at the museum, Sharon, Lois & Bram and the gang find themselves locked in after hours! The night watchman finds himself unwillingly drawn into the adventures as the night prowls on. | ||||||
58 | 6 | "Playhouse" | Joan Tosoni | Chuck Mangione | January 8, 1989 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and the kids encounter a disgruntled neighbor (Taborah Johnson) while building a playhouse in the backyard. The conflict with the neighbor ends when they complete their playhouse. | ||||||
59 | 7 | "Three Bears" | Douglas Williams | Taborah Johnson | January 15, 1989 | |
Once again a traditional fairy tale is turned topsy-turvy in the hands of Sharon, Lois & Bram and the rest of the gang. The trio plays the three bears in this contemporary remake of the three-bears classic. | ||||||
60 | 8 | "Sunday in the Park" | Douglas Williams | Mendelson Joe | January 22, 1989 | |
Elephant searches for her artistic forte in this episode a la Georges Seurat. Joe gives some insightful advice to Elephant. | ||||||
61 | 9 | "Curio Shoppe" | Allan Z. Novak | Barbara Hamilton | January 29, 1989 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram, Elephant and the kids discover a curious shop where their grandest wishes come true. The mysterious shopkeeper's bric-a-brac knick-knacks take the gang on an unforgettable journey into the world of imagination. | ||||||
62 | 10 | "Making A Record" | John Bertram | Joe Sealy | February 19, 1989 | |
The kids follow Sharon, Lois & Bram into the studio for a day to learn the A to Z's of making a record. The kids and Eric Nagler plan a surprise for the trio for their 10th anniversary together. | ||||||
63 | 11 | "Young & Old" | Joan Tosoni | Jan Rubeš | February 12, 1989 | |
Sharon, Lois & Bram and the kids discover that childhood has no age limits when they visit their old friend on the farm. The Interlink Choir helps bridge the generation gap between young and old. | ||||||
64 | 12 | "Awards Show" | Stan Swan | (none) | February 26, 1989 | |
The neighbourhood kids and Eric Nagler plan a surprise of their own for Sharon, Lois & Bram: a trip down memory lane, looking back at the best moments throughout The Elephant Show. Everything from the Most Fabulous Face to Most Outrageous Mode of Transportation is covered in the series historical flashback. | ||||||
65 | 13 | "Birth of the Show" | John Bertram | Sneezy Waters | February 5, 1989 | |
How did The Elephant Show begin anyway? Sharon, Lois & Bram and Eric Nagler answer the musical question "why?" in this nostalgic episode. |
References
edit- ^ Vlessing, Etan (2015-04-24). "'Sharon, Lois & Bram' co-star Lois Lilienstein dies at 78". CNN. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
- ^ Report, Morning Call | Staff (1989-09-01). "THIS KID STUFF IS BIG TIME". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2024-06-24.