''Fred Penner's Place'' is a Canadian
children's musical television series that aired on
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
from 1985 to 1997.
It stars
Fred Penner
Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner (born November 6, 1946) is a Canadian children's entertainer and musician known for the song "The Cat Came Back" and his television series, ''Fred Penner's Place'', which aired on Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
as a fictionalized version of himself, as well as an array of
puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...
s, musical numbers, and occasional guest stars. Internationally, it aired on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
in the United States beginning in 1989,
and later on
Odyssey Network.
The show was positively received by audiences and critics, and won or received nominations for several awards including a
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
in 1989 and a
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in t ...
in 1994.
After the series' cancellation in 1997, Penner admitted to being a "little bit lost" in the succeeding years as he continued to perform at concerts and give keynote speeches, but was waiting for the "next big thing to come along".
Beginning in the mid-2000s, he began to reconnect with the generation of children that watched ''Fred Penner's Place'' as they entered adulthood. He has performed several sold-out concerts at universities and pubs across the country, and receives positive reactions and feelings of nostalgia from the overwhelmingly
millennial
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ...
audiences.
Series overview
The series was created in the mid-1980s by its eponymous namesake Fred Penner, who viewed it as an opportunity to "
rovidean alternative to advertisement-and violence-filled programming" for children. The series educates children in different subjects including the teaching of
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
, one of Canada's official languages.
The series is very musical in nature, with Penner playing several musical pieces on his acoustic guitar throughout most episodes. Aside from the variety of puppets that shared the screen with Penner, a number of
special guests appeared on the show throughout its run, including
Holly Larocque as the character she portrayed on ''
Under the Umbrella Tree
''Under the Umbrella Tree'' is a Canadian children's television series created by Noreen Young that originally aired on CBC from 1987 to 1993. It was produced by CBC and Noreen Young Productions, and later by The Disney Channel, which began air ...
'', another CBC children's television series that aired during the 1990s.
''Fred Penner's Place'' is noted for its distinctive
title sequence
A title screen (also called an opening screen or intro) is the method by which films or television show, television programmes present their title and key filmmaking, production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often an op ...
, featuring a theme song written and performed by Penner himself. The sequence shows Penner walking along a beach and into a forest, observing several wild animals in their natural habitat, and eventually crawling into a hollow log and exiting out the other side, where he introduces himself and greets the viewer.
Development and production
''Fred Penner's Place'' originated when the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
was in the process of organizing a replacement series for the long-running children's series ''
The Friendly Giant
''The Friendly Giant'' is a children's television program that aired on CBC Television from September 30, 1958, through to March 1985. It featured three main characters: a giant named Friendly (played by Bob Homme), who lived in a huge castle, a ...
'', which had aired for over 25 years between 1958 and 1985.
Dodi Robb, head of
CBC Kids
''CBC Kids'' is a Canadian children's block on CBC Television. The block was launched as Hodge Podge Lodge in 1987 and contains programming targeted at children. The block airs on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Saturdays from ...
at the time, called Penner and told him that the CBC had been watching his career progress over the last several years, and thought he would be ideal as a host for their new television series.
When Penner inquired on how the series would be structured, he was asked for his own input, and that is when Penner came up with the idea that resulted in ''Fred Penner's Place''.
The series was filmed in both
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
and
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. Originally (and throughout the series' run) a 15-minute program, the show also began adding 30-minute episodes to its production in 1987. The pace of the show has been described as "rigorous", and due to particular set requirements, ''Fred Penner's Places crew had to rush through filming before the set was removed to allow for other productions. They were often given only a month to finish work. In many cases the crew would spend a month writing and shooting in Winnipeg, followed by another month in Vancouver.
Executive producer Randy Roberts estimated that the production team's goal was to produce three 15-minute episodes per day. He characterized both Penner and the series crew as working tremendously hard to get through production.
Penner called the production an "intense process" and a "complex dance", but noted that he relished in it. According to Penner and Roberts, scripts were sometimes rewritten if they didn't "strike the right tone" for the show, with Penner explaining that a respect of the show's young audience was of paramount importance, and if the storylines became too silly they would be changed to avoid insulting the intelligence of the intended audience.
Music
''Fred Penner's Place'' is most notable for its musical elements, with song performances by Penner being one of the show's most central components. Music director Dave Jandrisch worked closely with Penner; Jandrisch would chart songs, while Penner would often write them the night before a taping, or even on his way to the studio.
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musicians including Reg Kelln and
Ron Halldorson
Ron Halldorson (born 1943) is a Canadian jazz musician, arranger, and producer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, best known for his work with guitarist Lenny Breau. Beginning his career as a country musician in the 1950s, Halldorson switched to jazz in the ...
were also involved with music production on the show.
During the 1980s, the show
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of ...
many songs from artists going back decades. Penner indicated that because ''Fred Penner's Place'' was a children's show, producers "didn't have to worry about royalties because it was for a generation that would grow up to appreciate it."
However, by the 1990s, Penner began writing more original songs because of growing concerns regarding
music royalties Music royalties are royalty payments for the writing and performing of music. Unlike other forms of intellectual property, music has a strong linkage to individuals – composers (score), songwriters (lyrics) and writers of musical plays – in that ...
.
Cancellation
''Fred Penner's Place'' was abruptly cancelled in 1997 shortly after management changes at the Children's and Family Programs division of CBC Television. Although a
buyout clause
A buyout clause or release clause refers to a clause in an employment contract. It allows the employee to terminate the contract unilaterally upon payment of a specified (usually substantial) fee to the employer. The fee may be paid by the employ ...
permitted CBC to air the program for a further three years at no cost, they chose not to do so.
Reruns of the show were aired until 2000.
References
External links
Fred Penner's official website* {{IMDb title, id=0402644
1985 Canadian television series debuts
1997 Canadian television series endings
CBC Television original programming
Nickelodeon original programming
Canadian television shows featuring puppetry
1980s Canadian children's television series
1990s Canadian children's television series
1980s Canadian music television series
1990s Canadian music television series
Nick Jr. original programming
Television shows filmed in Vancouver
Television shows filmed in Winnipeg