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{{short description|American-Canadian animated preschool television series}}
{{Infobox television|
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
| show_name = Super Why!
{{Infobox television
| image = ]
| image = Super Why! logo.png
|caption = <small>The cast of ''"Super Why!"'' (clockwise from right:) Super Why, Wonder Red, Alpha Pig and Princess Presto.</small>|format = ]/]/]
| caption =
| runtime = 24 minutes
| alt = The series' logo. It features the words "Super WHY" written in a green font, with the exclamation point being larger. A blue book with three yellow rings surrounding it is behind the words.
| creators = ] and Samantha Freeman Alpert
| genre = ]<br />]<br />]
| country = {{USA}}; {{CAN}}
| creator = ]
| network = {{flagicon|USA}} USA: ] <br/> {{flagicon|CAN}} CAN: ] <br/> {{flagicon|UK}} UK: ]
| voices = {{Plainlist|
| first_aired = September 3, 2007
* Nicholas Castel Vanderburgh
| last_aired = Present
* ]
| num_episodes = 44<br/>(43 have aired through 2/19/09)
* Zachary Bloch
| website = http://www.pbskids.org/superwhy
* Samuel Faraci
* Siera Florindo
* T.J. McGibbon
* ]
* ]
}}
| theme_music_composer = Steve D'Angelo<br />Terry Tompkins
| opentheme = "Who's Got the Power?"
| endtheme = {{Plainlist|
* "Hip Hip Hooray" {{small|(Instrumental, S1–2)}}
* "Super Readers to the Rescue" {{small|(Instrumental, S3)}}
}}
| composer = {{Plainlist|
* {{nowrap|Lorenzo Castelli {{small|(seasons 2–3)}}}}
* Jeff Morrow {{small|(seasons 2–3)}}
* Steve D'Angelo {{small|(entire run)}}
* Terry Tompkins {{small|(entire run)}}
}}
| country = {{Plainlist|
* United States
* Canada
}}
| language = English
| num_seasons = 3
| num_episodes = 103
| list_episodes = List of Super Why! episodes
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* Angela C. Santomero
* Samantha Freeman Alpert
* Steven DeNure
* Anne Loi {{small|(S2–3)}}
}}
| producer =
| runtime = 26 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
* ] {{small|(S1)}}
* ] {{small|(S2–S3)}}
* ]
}}
| network = {{Plainlist|
* ] {{small|(United States)}}
* ] {{small|(Canada)}}
}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|2007|9|3}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2016|5|12}}
}} }}


'''''Super Why!''''' <!-- Do ''not'' change to "was". This violates ], which specifies that all articles on shows are written in present tense, even if ended. -->is an <!-- Do not add 'American-Canadian' to the lead section; this violates the Manual of Style on Misplaced Pages -->animated ] ] ] television series created by ] and developed by Santomero and Samantha Freeman Alpert for ]. Santomero and Alpert additionally serve as executive producers alongside Steven DeNure and Anne Loi. The series was produced by Santomero and Alpert's ]-based production company ] in co-production with ] for the first season and ] for the second and third seasons. Animation was by ]-based ] Toons (season 1), Gallus Entertainment (season 2) and ] (originally through its ] division). The opening and closing theme songs were written by composers and lyricists Steve D'Angelo and Terry Tompkins, with D'Angelo also providing lead vocals for both. The background score for seasons 2 and 3 was composed by Lorenzo Castelli and Jeff Morrow.


The show was originally created as a ] pilot episode in 1999 by ] that was pitched to ]/]<ref>{{cite web |title=Portfolio |url=http://www.cuppacoffee.com:80/portfolio/series.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816033018/http://www.cuppacoffee.com:80/portfolio/series.htm |archive-date=16 August 2000 |access-date=25 January 2022 |website=www.cuppacoffee.com:80}}</ref> It was later featured at the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Film Index |url=https://www.annecy.org/about/archives:en/2000:en/award-winners/film-index:film-20000399 |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=www.annecy.org |language=en |archive-date=June 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623000357/https://www.annecy.org/about/archives:en/2000:en/award-winners/film-index:film-20000399 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nickelodeon ultimately opted not to pick up the show. Instead, ] pitched another pilot to ] sometime in 2006, and ] further developed the series with funds from the ]'s ] grant<ref>{{cite web |title=Illustration, Concept Design, Visual {{as written|Develo|pement }} Curious Pictures LLC - Current client since 01/2002 |url=http://www.sallemander.com/testimonials.htm |website=EEW Books |access-date=27 November 2023 |language=en |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324071854/http://www.sallemander.com/testimonials.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Research Proves Super Why! Helps Children Learn to Read |url=https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/research-proves-super-why-helps-children-learn-to-read-may-6-2009/ |website=About PBS - Main |access-date=20 October 2023 |language=en |date=6 May 2009 |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029124119/https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/research-proves-super-why-helps-children-learn-to-read-may-6-2009/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and aired the premiere episode on September 3, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Literacy Takes the Lead on PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! |url=https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/literacy-takes-the-lead-on-pbs-kids-and-pbs-kids-go-november-14-2007/ |website=About PBS - Main |access-date=20 October 2023 |language=en |date=14 November 2007 |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607145710/https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/literacy-takes-the-lead-on-pbs-kids-and-pbs-kids-go-november-14-2007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The original run ended on May 12, 2016 with a total of 103 episodes across three seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Will Super Why! Return For a Season 4 on PBS // Renewed or Canceled? |url=https://tvnextseason.com/show/2316-super-why/ |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=tvnextseason.com |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922234205/https://tvnextseason.com/show/2316-super-why/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
'''''Super Why!''''' is a 2007 ] show developed by Angela C. Santomero, co-creator of the ] popular pre-school kids' show '']'', and Samantha Freeman Alpert, a former executive at Nick. The series airs on ] in the USA, ] in Great Britain and ] in Canada, and is aimed at children from ages 3 to 6 and teaches critical reading skills such as the alphabet, spelling, pronunciation, writing, phonics, and word usage, and is produced by ]-based ] and ]-based ] through its Decode Entertainment division. The show debuted on PBS stations around the USA on ] (September 3), 2007.


==Storyline== ==Premise==
The show is set in Storybrook Village, which is accessible through a panel that is represented by an invisible question mark located on a bookshelf in a library. The titular character, Whyatt Beanstalk, lives with his friends Woofster, Littlest Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea. In each of the episodes, one of the main characters (sometimes two characters, or even all five) has a "super big problem", a "super big question", or a "super big mystery". The main characters then discuss their situation at the Book Club, agreeing to look and fly in a book of a famous story to resolve it.
The title character introduces himself as "Whyatt", and welcomes the viewers to "Storybrook Village", a place where all fairy-tale characters reside. Then Whyatt hears a ] from his "Super Duper Computer", which resembles a small red ]. He answers the call and discovers that one of the other characters has a "Super Big Problem". After investigating the nature of the problem, Whyatt summons the "Super Readers", sending out the call: "Calling all Super Readers! To the Book Club!" The four characters - Whyatt, Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea - then appear in front of the aforementioned Book Club, which is a building made of books. Whyatt then tells the viewer to "say YOUR name", including them among the Super Readers.


The goal of the Super Readers is to follow the storyline of the book. As they progress through the events of the story, they encounter various obstacles, which can be solved by applying their literacy skills to change the story. As they overcome each of these obstacles, they are rewarded with red glittery "Super Letters" that form the solution to whatever scenario they're investigating.
Once the characters are assembled, Whyatt's Book Club ], the main computer, is activated. He plugs in his Super Duper Computer and uploads data about the problem. Meanwhile, the character with the problem stands behind a small podium made of ] and explains the situation.


At the conclusion of the adventure, the Super Readers fly back to the Book Club. The Super Letters are put onto the giant computer screen and are spelled out to show the "Super Story Answer". Then, one of the Super Readers gives the reason why that particular word or phrase serves as the solution to their issue or mystery.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Super Why {{!}} PBS Kids Shows |url=https://www.pbs.org/parents/shows/super-why/about |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=PBS Kids for Parents |language=en |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922234202/https://www.pbs.org/parents/shows/super-why/about |url-status=live }}</ref>
Once the problem is discussed, Whyatt states, "When we have a problem, we look...in a book!" Pig wonders, "What book should we look in?" and in response, Princess Pea casts a magic spell to summon the appropriate book:


==Episodes==
:''Peas and Carrots, Carrots and Peas.''
{{Main|List of Super Why! episodes}}
::''Book come out, please, please, please!''
{{:List of Super Why! episodes}}

The book then descends from the shelves, and Whyatt, inviting the audience to read along, summarizes the problem faced by the book's characters, drawing a parallel to the problem the Super Readers are trying to solve.

The goal of the Super Readers is to follow the storyline to solve the problem. As they progress through the events of the story, they encounter obstacles, which can be solved by applying their literacy skills to change the story (for instance, changing the prince in "]" back into a frog because the princess liked him better that way). As they overcome these obstacles, they are rewarded with red glittery "Super Letters". These Super Letters are then uploaded into the Super Duper Computer, eventually forming the word(s) that make up the solution to the Super Big Problem. The audience members are encouraged to look for Super Letters throughout the story, and to identify them when they appear.


==Characters== ==Characters==
]
The program is centered around four characters known as the Super Readers.
* '''Whyatt Beanstalk/Super Why''' (voiced by Nicholas Castel Vanderburgh in seasons 1 & 2 and ] in season 3) is the host of the series and leader of the Super Readers. He is the younger brother of Jack, the protagonist of the ], and lives with his parents Mrs. Beanstalk and Mr. Beanstalk, who write and illustrate stories together, along with his baby sister, Joy. Jack is generally away at college, and appears in a certain amount of episodes. His symbols are a blue book and a question mark and his signature colors are green and blue. He has "the power to read", which focuses on ].
* '''Littlest Pig/Alpha Pig''' (voiced by Zachary Bloch in seasons 1 & 2 and Samuel Faraci in season 3) is referred to in the credits as "The Littlest Pig", he introduces himself at the book club as "P is for Pig!" but throughout the show, he is simply known as "Pig". He enjoys pretending and dressing up like his father, who is a construction worker. His symbol is a triangle and his signature colors are blue-violet and orange. He has "alphabet power", which focuses on the ], as well as a toolbox with various equipment in it.
* ''']/Wonder Red''' (voiced by Siera Florindo in seasons 1 & 2 and T.J. McGibbon in season 3) is simply referred to as "Red" in the TV series. The title character from the fairy tale, she only refers to herself as "]". Her symbol is a spiral and her signature colors are red and purple. She has "word power", which focuses on rhyming and word families like "OP", "AT", "UN", "UMP", "OG", etc. In the episode "Judith's Happy Chanukah", it is revealed that Red is Jewish, as she invites Whyatt over to her grandma's house for ].
* '''Princess Pea/Princess Presto''' (voiced by ]) was named after the children's story "]", and her parents are the prince and princess from the story. Her symbol is a star, which matches her Magic Spelling Wand and her signature colors are pink and green. She has "spelling power", which focuses on spelling.
* '''Puppy/Woofster''' (voiced by ]) is a brown dog owned by Whyatt and his family. Her symbol is a dog bone and her signature colors are blue and red. She has "dictionary power", which allows her to find the meaning of any word.


* '''Whyatt Beanstalk''' - The leader of the group of characters who become the "Super Readers", Whyatt is a nine-year-old olive-skinned, blue eyed, brown-haired alter-ego who wears a ] shirt and khaki pants. In the episode "'']''" (Episode #104), we discover that Whyatt's older brother is Jack, the hero of the English ] of the same name. Whyatt lives with his mother, who writes stories, and his father who illustrates them, along with his brother and baby sister Joy. When he introduces himself at the Book Club, he says, "Whyatt here!"


==Reception==
* ''']''' - The title character from the fairy tale, she only refers to herself as "Red Riding Hood" and is a freckle-faced brunette who wears a red dress and red ] as well as a red flat cap. When she is introduced, she says "Red Riding Hood rolling in!"
''Super Why!'' was received positively on ], where reviewer Emily Ashby rates the show 4/5 in the categories positive messages, positive role models, and educational value. Ashby's review additionally states while extremely mild sequences of suspense and peril do occur and how the show partnered with ] for a branded cereal, there are low amounts of violence/scariness and consumerism, as well as no sexual content, ], or drinking, drugs, and smoking. Ashby additionally credits the merit of the show to its usage of classic children's ]s and the usage of characters from them, specifically ].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-02-20|title=Super Why! - TV Review|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/super-why|access-date=2021-06-07|website=www.commonsensemedia.org|language=en|archive-date=June 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607173820/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/super-why|url-status=live}}</ref>


Susan Stewart, a reviewer for '']'', criticized the show for taking classic fairy tales with traditionally dark lessons, specifically ''The Three Little Pigs'' and '']'', and morph them into etiquette lessons. Stewart also criticized the use of interactive questions for viewers to answer and their length, specifically questions like "what comes after the letter E?". Despite stating these flaws, Stewart agreed that the show is brilliant in educational value.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stewart|first=Susan|date=2007-09-10|title=And They All Read Happily Ever After|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/arts/television/10supe.html|access-date=2021-06-07|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=July 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230706025212/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/arts/television/10supe.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* '''Princess Pea''' - Princess Pea was named after the children's story '']''; we learn in the episode based on said story (Episode 116) that the princess in that story was Pea's mother and the prince in that story was her father. However, in this case "Pea" is her ]. She is a girl of ] descent who wears a lavender princess dress and loves to dance. When she enters, she says, "Princess Pea at your service!"


==Promotions and other media==
* '''Pig''' - Referred to in the credits as "The Littlest Pig," he introduces himself as "P is for Pig," but throughout the show he is simply known as "Pig." As we learn in the setup for the episode "]", Pig is the youngest of '']'' and loves to pretend he is a construction worker, just like his father, Poppa Pig, always wearing a hard hat and overalls.
===Live show===
In 2012, a live show was launched across the United States, titled ''Super Why Live: You've Got the Power''. Produced by S2BN Entertainment, directed by Glenn Orsher, and written by Orsher, Angela C. Santomero, Samantha Freeman Alpert, and Becky Friedman, ''Super Why Live'' was promoted for having aerial stunts and "cutting-edge technology", and due to its high levels of audience engagement, was jokingly referred to by Santomero as “‘the ]’ for preschoolers”. The show, which follows Super Why, Alpha Pig, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, and Woofster, premiered in ] on July 18, 2012, and toured into spring 2013, where the tour concluded in ] on May 10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super Why! live show set to fly |url=https://kidscreen.com/2012/05/01/super-why-live-show-set-to-fly/ |access-date=2022-09-22 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922234210/https://kidscreen.com/2012/05/01/super-why-live-show-set-to-fly/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Sarah |last=Rodman |date=April 6, 2013 |title=PBS's 'Super Why!' comes to life onstage |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/04/06/super-why-comes-life-with-you-got-power/GL0dydl6iyESKqrlqozURK/story.html |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922234203/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/04/06/super-why-comes-life-with-you-got-power/GL0dydl6iyESKqrlqozURK/story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Super Why Live: Spring 2013 Tour Announcement! | date=January 21, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyFjTxm6k7E |language=en |access-date=2022-09-22 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922234203/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyFjTxm6k7E |url-status=live }}</ref> The show featured the pre-recorded voices of Melissa Hutchison as Super Why and Woofster, Charlie Ibsen as Alpha Pig, Lisa Marie Woods as Wonder Red, and Christina Ulloa Purrelli as Princess Presto.


The live show's soundtrack was written and produced by musician and singer-songwriter ], and borrows elements from the series' songs written by Santomero, Alpert, composers Steve D'Angelo and Terry Tompkins, and lyricist and staff writer Alex Breen. Antonoff, widely known for his work with the ] band ], noted that being natively skilled in indie rock, writing for the show was not very different, though the lyrics needed to be much less open to interpretation and easy to understand when composing for a young audience.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Korina |last=Lopez |title=Jack Antonoff adds some fun. to Super Why! Live tour |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/04/02/jack-antonoff-super-why-kids-tour/2022025/ |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=USA Today |language=en-US |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922234202/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/04/02/jack-antonoff-super-why-kids-tour/2022025/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The characters live in Storybrook Village, an imaginary realm where storybook characters from many children's ] interact with each other. Storybrook Village is situated in a live-action ] and is accessible through a hidden panel denoted by an invisible ] which Whyatt can activate - when Whyatt transforms into Super Why, he holds a pen (the "Why-Writer") in the shape of this same question mark.


===Spin-off series===
==Transformations==
A short-form 2D ] series titled ''Super Why's Comic Book Adventures'' premiered on PBS Kids on October 18, 2023, with 20 three-minute episodes. A preview of the series was released on September 20, 2023. This series features a new Super Reader named Power Paige.<ref>{{cite web |title=Y-E-S, yes, the new 'Super Why!' musical shorts will premiere on PBS Kids Oct. 18 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-09-20/super-why-comic-book-adventures-pbs-kids-premiere-date |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=20 October 2023 |date=20 September 2023 |archive-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021003030/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-09-20/super-why-comic-book-adventures-pbs-kids-premiere-date |url-status=live }}</ref>
Just before entering the book, the Super Readers all "transform". They put their arms in (the audience members are asked to do the same), then transform with the super hero cry, "Super Readers... to the Rescue!"


==References==
* The Littlest Pig transforms into '''Alpha Pig''' with "Alphabet Power". He becomes a superhero construction worker with goggles and a hard hat, as well as a special alphabet toolbox that he uses to construct letters of the alphabet.
{{reflist}}

* Red Riding Hood transforms into '''Wonder Red''' with "Word Power". Her uniform is a ] swim shorts-length ] with a red cape and ]. Using her tool — a Wonder Word Basket — she generates rhymes to create objects needed in the story.

* Princess Pea transforms into '''Princess Presto''' with "Spelling Power", a fairy godmother-esque princess who uses her Magic Spelling Wand to write letters, building on phonetic principles to spell relevant words.

* Whyatt transforms into '''Super Why''' with "The Power to Read". His tool is the "Why Writer", a light pen that not only writes words but also highlights when Super Why reads with the audience. He dresses in a neon green spandex ] with a matching mask and blue briefs and cape with yellow belt and trimmings.

* Finally, Super Why acknowledges the audience member as "Super You, with the Power to Help!" Thus the audience is given a chance at interaction with the Super Readers.

The Super Readers then board their "Why Flyers", which are vehicles they use to fly into the book to begin their Super Story Adventure.

==The Super Story Adventure==
The Super Story Adventure starts out by reading the introduction to a storybook. Some of the stories, however, can follow little (if any) of the well known plot of the original story. An example of this is the ], in which the main characters (three goats and a troll) and the basic setting (a bridge) are almost the only parts of the original story to be shown and the story shown in the episode varies greatly from the well known plot of the original, which in many cases is darker in tone.

Super Why uses the plot of the book as a comparison to the Super Big Problem to show cause, effect, and evidence behind the chosen solution. There are up to four methods of problem solving that are used in every Super Story Adventure.

* '''Alpha Pig''' usually starts out by having the audience recite the letters of the alphabet as he builds them with his Alphabet Tools. He sings a variant of the alphabet song called "ABC, Sing with Me." Sometimes, he then encourages the audience to look for letters in a certain word clue. Other times, he builds stepping stones or stairs out of the alphabet, with a few pauses to ask the audience what letter comes next. When he is successful, Alpha Pig shouts out, "Lickity Letters!" ("Lovely Letters! in the UK version). He thanks the audience by saying, "Let's give ourselves a big thumbs up!"

* '''Princess Presto''' uses her magic spelling wand to spell out a clue that will bring the Super Readers closer to the ultimate solution. "Wands up," is her command as she uses phonics to help readers identify letters in the word she attempts to spell. She isn't always correct, but she acknowledges her mistakes with the exclamations, "Oh my peas!" or "Split peas" However, when she is correct, she says, "Spectacular spelling," and thanks the audience by saying, "Let's take a bow!"

* '''Wonder Red''' uses the power of her Wonder Word Basket to change certain words into other words that rhyme or sound phoenetically the same in order to alter the story and bring the Super Readers closer to their goal in song. She typically identifies the ending letters of the word and changes the first one or two letters in order to find out how to keep the super readers on the path to success. If she is successful, she shouts out, "Wonder-iffic! You were terrific!"

* '''Super Why''' uses the power to read and his Why Writer to "zap" certain words in a sentence of the book in order to change the story and create an alternate ending. This alternate ending is usually similar to the solution of the Super Big Problem. The words that are zapped are replaced by words written by the Why Writer. These replaced words can be opposites or complete alternates. Super Why will then ask the audience if that particular word that was used as a replacement actually helped the storybook character in peril. If so, he says, "Super job, Super Readers!"

==Solving the problem==
At the conclusion of the Super Story Adventure, all of the Super Letters collected through the episode are plugged into the Book Club mainframe after the Super Readers resume their actual identities. The Super Letters are spelled out to show the "Super Story Answer."

"But why?" asks Whyatt. Then one of the Super Readers gives the reason why that particular word or phrase serves as the solution to the Super Big Problem. Once the solution is reached, it is used to wrap up the original problem. However, this was not used in ''"'Twas The Night Before Christmas"'' as Whyatt/Super Why asked the question about why Santa gives out presents on ]. With that resolution, Whyatt shouts out, "Hip hip hooray! The Super Readers save the day!"

==Episodes==
<!---Please cease and desist from adding fan fiction and nonsensical episodes that do not exist. Any ''unconfirmed'' episodes or other nonsense will be deleted via a revert and violators will be warned and possibly barred from Misplaced Pages.--->
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|-
!colspan="9"|Season 1
|-
!Ep #
!Title
!Synopsis
|-
|101
|"'''The Three Little Pigs'''"
|Pig is playing with blocks, but Jill keeps knocking them down.
|-
|102
|"''']'''"
|Red eats one of Peter Piper's peppers without asking, and he gets mad.
|-
|103
|"''']'''"
|Pig climbs to the top of a slide but is too afraid to come back down.
|-
|104
|"'''Jack and the Beanstalk'''"
|Whyatt's little sister Joy won't stop crying.
|-
|105
|"''']'''"
|Red and Princess Pea can't decide how to win a potato sack race: go fast or go slow?
|-
|106
|"''']'''"
|Whyatt makes a mess out of his big brother Jack's room.
|-
|107
|"''']'''"
|Whyatt hears his baby sister Joy say her first word, but nobody believes him.
|-
|108
|"''']'''"
|Princess Pea's kitten is stuck in a tree, and she doesn't know how to get it down.
|-
|109
|"''']'''"
|Princess Pea's important recital is coming soon and she wants to make sure she does her best.
|-
|110
|"''']'''"
|Whyatt is trying to identify his secret admirer.
|-
|111
|"'''The Ant and the Grasshopper'''"
|Pig has gone on a picnic but forgets to pack a snack.
|-
|112
|"''']'''"
|Red is gathering apples, but none of her friends will help her.
|-
|113
|"'''The Frog Prince'''"
|Princess Pea and Spider want to play together, but want to play different things.
|-
|114
|"''']'''"
|Red is invited to a fancy princess party hosted by Sleeping Beauty, but doesn't have a fancy dress to wear.
|-
|115
|"''']'''"
|Red wants to play with Little boy Blue, but he keeps running away from her.
|-
|116
|"'''The Princess and the Pea'''"
|Princess Pea is worried she won't be able to pass the test to gain her own Princess crown.
|-
|117
|"'''Little Red Riding Hood'''"
|Wolfy is having fun scaring Pig, but Pig isn't enjoying it, and he doesn't know what to do.
|-
|118
|"''']'''"
|Pig wants to go on an adventure by himself, but his brothers won't let him.
|-
|119
|"''']'''"
|Whyatt can't find Mister Lizard anywhere.
|-
|120
|"''']'''"
|Jill wants Pig to wear a bucket on his head for a game, but Pig doesn't want to.
|-
|121
|"''']'''"
|Whyatt tries to find out why his family is acting sneaky.
|-
|122
|"'''The Three Billy Goats Gruff'''"
|Gramma will not let Red into the kitchen to get some red velvet cake.
|-
|123
|"''']'''"
|Pig loses his favorite stuffed animal before a sleepover.
|-
|124
|"'''Goldilocks and the Three Bears: The Mystery'''"
|Whyatt investigates who broke a guitar string on Jack's guitar after he was blamed for it. This is the only episode thus far to use the same characters in a story using a different format.
|-
|125
|"'''Tiddalick The Frog'''"
|In this ] themed episode, Whyatt wastes water.
|-
!colspan="9"|Season 2
|-
!Ep #
!Title
!Synopsis
|-
|126 (201)
|"''']'''"
|Princess Pea does not understand why Wolfy is so angry.
|-
|127 (202)
|"''']'''"
|Princess Pea's father does not have time to help her tie up her skates.
|-
|128 (203)
|"''']'''"
|The Three Little Pigs want Princess Pea to play pirates with them, but she would rather have a tea party, and vice versa.
|-
|129 (204)
|"'''The Foolish Wishes'''"
|Whyatt can't decide whether to buy a race car, a bubble potion or a comic book.
|-
|130 (205)
|"''']'''"
|Red wants to keep all the apples she has for herself.
|-
|131 (206)
|"''']'''"
|Pig can't stop his brand new toy robot when it goes haywire.
|-
|132 (207)
|"''']'''"
|After accidentally knocking over Mister Lizard's birthday cake, Whyatt tells a lie and feels guilty about it.
|-
|133 (208)
|"''']'''"
|Pig and his brothers argue over how their new fort should be built.
|-
|134 (209)
|"''']'''"
|Poppa Pig warns Pig about going very fast at the playground.
|-
|135 (210)
|"'''The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Halloween'''"
|In this ]-themed episode, Pig is too scared to go ] with his friends.
|-
|136 (211)
|"'''The Stars in The Sky'''"
|After her mother says that it's impossible to play inside a ], Princess Pea finds out why.
|-
|137 (212)
|"'''The Three Feathers'''"
|Pig is frustrated while his brothers are building model railroads.
|-
|138 (213)
|"''']'''"
|Whyatt asks why Santa gives gifts to kids at ]. This episode was the Christmas special.
|-
|139 (214)
|"''']'''"
|Pig feels different, because he's not a human.
|-
|140 (215)
|"'''Juan Bobo and The Pig'''"
|Red is confused over a request from Grandma for a piece of paper, mistaking it for a "pizza paper".
|-
|141 (216)
|"''']'''"
|Goldilocks asks to share some popcorn with Princess Pea at the Storybook Carnival, but the princess has a tummy ache.
|-
|142 (217)
|"'''The Rolling Rice Cakes'''"
|Wolfie wants to eat something from Red's basket after he finds it, and can't decide what to do.
|-
|143 (218)
|"''']'''"
|
|-
|144 (219)
|"''']'''"
|Premieres ], ]
|-
|145 (220)
|"''']'''"
|Premieres ], 2009
|}
<!---The last three were confirmed on Oregon Public Broadcasting's web site (http://www.opb.org/programs/program.php?id=78294)--->

==Cast==
===Main cast===
<!---This is the voice cast as listed on IMDB and Voicechasers.com, and also in the show's closing credits. Please do not change or add anyone else to this list until it is confirmed. Nonsensical credits (such as adding someone like Vanessa Hudgens or Angela Bassett for example) will instantly be reverted, and could face vandalism warnings and possible blockage from Misplaced Pages. No kidding.--->
*] as Whyatt Beanstalk/Super Why
*Zachary Bloch as Littlest Pig/Alpha Pig
*Siera Florindo as Red Riding Hood/Wonder Red
*] as Princess Pea/Princess Presto

===Additional voices===
*Ryan Ehrenworth
*Lucas Casale
*Dylan Everett as Wolfy
*Scott Beaudin
*Eliza Paganelli
*Patricia Gedge
*] as Audience Kid
*Warren McAllister
*Trevor Brooks as Middle Pig
*Landon Morris as Big Pig
*Skyler Helm
*Alexa Torrington
*Tyler Barber
*]
*Dallas Jokic
*Graeme Jokic
*John McGrath
*Sierra Thompson
*]

==Licensing==
{{As of|2009}}, PBS Kids' Home video has produced DVDs of select episodes, while individual episodes are available for download on amazon.com and iTunes, costume supplier Disguise Inc. has Super Why Halloween costumes for each of the four main characters for toddlers and younger children, ] are publishing books based on the episodes. In addition, t-shirts are available through licensee Ty's Toy Box and Learning Curve Toys will introduce a line of toys based on the series.


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*
*
*
* {{IMDb title|1105469}}
*
{{Portal|United States|Canada|Cartoon|Television}}
* {{imdb title|1105469|Super Why!}}
* {{tv.com|74669|Super Why!}}




{{PBSKids shows}} {{Former PBS Kids shows}}


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Latest revision as of 23:24, 25 December 2024

American-Canadian animated preschool television series

Super Why!
The series' logo. It features the words "Super WHY" written in a green font, with the exclamation point being larger. A blue book with three yellow rings surrounding it is behind the words.
GenrePreschool
Superhero
Educational
Created byAngela Santomero
Voices of
Theme music composerSteve D'Angelo
Terry Tompkins
Opening theme"Who's Got the Power?"
Ending theme
  • "Hip Hip Hooray" (Instrumental, S1–2)
  • "Super Readers to the Rescue" (Instrumental, S3)
Composers
  • Lorenzo Castelli (seasons 2–3)
  • Jeff Morrow (seasons 2–3)
  • Steve D'Angelo (entire run)
  • Terry Tompkins (entire run)
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes103 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Angela C. Santomero
  • Samantha Freeman Alpert
  • Steven DeNure
  • Anne Loi (S2–3)
Running time26 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseSeptember 3, 2007 (2007-09-03) –
May 12, 2016 (2016-05-12)

Super Why! is an animated superhero preschool educational television series created by Angela Santomero and developed by Santomero and Samantha Freeman Alpert for PBS Kids. Santomero and Alpert additionally serve as executive producers alongside Steven DeNure and Anne Loi. The series was produced by Santomero and Alpert's New York City-based production company Out of the Blue Enterprises in co-production with Decode Entertainment for the first season and DHX Studios Halifax for the second and third seasons. Animation was by Toronto-based C.O.R.E. Toons (season 1), Gallus Entertainment (season 2) and DHX Media (originally through its Decode Entertainment division). The opening and closing theme songs were written by composers and lyricists Steve D'Angelo and Terry Tompkins, with D'Angelo also providing lead vocals for both. The background score for seasons 2 and 3 was composed by Lorenzo Castelli and Jeff Morrow.

The show was originally created as a stop motion pilot episode in 1999 by Cuppa Coffee Animation that was pitched to Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. It was later featured at the 2000 Annecy Film Festival. Nickelodeon ultimately opted not to pick up the show. Instead, Curious Pictures pitched another pilot to PBS Kids sometime in 2006, and PBS Kids further developed the series with funds from the United States Department of Education's Ready to Learn grant and aired the premiere episode on September 3, 2007. The original run ended on May 12, 2016 with a total of 103 episodes across three seasons.

Premise

The show is set in Storybrook Village, which is accessible through a panel that is represented by an invisible question mark located on a bookshelf in a library. The titular character, Whyatt Beanstalk, lives with his friends Woofster, Littlest Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea. In each of the episodes, one of the main characters (sometimes two characters, or even all five) has a "super big problem", a "super big question", or a "super big mystery". The main characters then discuss their situation at the Book Club, agreeing to look and fly in a book of a famous story to resolve it.

The goal of the Super Readers is to follow the storyline of the book. As they progress through the events of the story, they encounter various obstacles, which can be solved by applying their literacy skills to change the story. As they overcome each of these obstacles, they are rewarded with red glittery "Super Letters" that form the solution to whatever scenario they're investigating.

At the conclusion of the adventure, the Super Readers fly back to the Book Club. The Super Letters are put onto the giant computer screen and are spelled out to show the "Super Story Answer". Then, one of the Super Readers gives the reason why that particular word or phrase serves as the solution to their issue or mystery.

Episodes

Main article: List of Super Why! episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
165September 3, 2007 (2007-09-03)November 15, 2010 (2010-11-15)
215September 12, 2011 (2011-09-12)October 11, 2012 (2012-10-11)
323August 17, 2015 (2015-08-17)May 12, 2016 (2016-05-12)

Characters

The original four Super Readers (from left to right: Alpha Pig, Princess Presto, Wonder Red, and Super Why).
  • Whyatt Beanstalk/Super Why (voiced by Nicholas Castel Vanderburgh in seasons 1 & 2 and Johnny Orlando in season 3) is the host of the series and leader of the Super Readers. He is the younger brother of Jack, the protagonist of the English folktale of the same name, and lives with his parents Mrs. Beanstalk and Mr. Beanstalk, who write and illustrate stories together, along with his baby sister, Joy. Jack is generally away at college, and appears in a certain amount of episodes. His symbols are a blue book and a question mark and his signature colors are green and blue. He has "the power to read", which focuses on vocabulary.
  • Littlest Pig/Alpha Pig (voiced by Zachary Bloch in seasons 1 & 2 and Samuel Faraci in season 3) is referred to in the credits as "The Littlest Pig", he introduces himself at the book club as "P is for Pig!" but throughout the show, he is simply known as "Pig". He enjoys pretending and dressing up like his father, who is a construction worker. His symbol is a triangle and his signature colors are blue-violet and orange. He has "alphabet power", which focuses on the alphabet, as well as a toolbox with various equipment in it.
  • Little Red Riding Hood/Wonder Red (voiced by Siera Florindo in seasons 1 & 2 and T.J. McGibbon in season 3) is simply referred to as "Red" in the TV series. The title character from the fairy tale, she only refers to herself as "Red Riding Hood". Her symbol is a spiral and her signature colors are red and purple. She has "word power", which focuses on rhyming and word families like "OP", "AT", "UN", "UMP", "OG", etc. In the episode "Judith's Happy Chanukah", it is revealed that Red is Jewish, as she invites Whyatt over to her grandma's house for Hanukkah.
  • Princess Pea/Princess Presto (voiced by Tajja Isen) was named after the children's story "The Princess and the Pea", and her parents are the prince and princess from the story. Her symbol is a star, which matches her Magic Spelling Wand and her signature colors are pink and green. She has "spelling power", which focuses on spelling.
  • Puppy/Woofster (voiced by Joanne Vannicola) is a brown dog owned by Whyatt and his family. Her symbol is a dog bone and her signature colors are blue and red. She has "dictionary power", which allows her to find the meaning of any word.


Reception

Super Why! was received positively on Common Sense Media, where reviewer Emily Ashby rates the show 4/5 in the categories positive messages, positive role models, and educational value. Ashby's review additionally states while extremely mild sequences of suspense and peril do occur and how the show partnered with Post Consumer Brands for a branded cereal, there are low amounts of violence/scariness and consumerism, as well as no sexual content, profanity, or drinking, drugs, and smoking. Ashby additionally credits the merit of the show to its usage of classic children's fairy tales and the usage of characters from them, specifically the Three Little Pigs.

Susan Stewart, a reviewer for The New York Times, criticized the show for taking classic fairy tales with traditionally dark lessons, specifically The Three Little Pigs and Hansel and Gretel, and morph them into etiquette lessons. Stewart also criticized the use of interactive questions for viewers to answer and their length, specifically questions like "what comes after the letter E?". Despite stating these flaws, Stewart agreed that the show is brilliant in educational value.

Promotions and other media

Live show

In 2012, a live show was launched across the United States, titled Super Why Live: You've Got the Power. Produced by S2BN Entertainment, directed by Glenn Orsher, and written by Orsher, Angela C. Santomero, Samantha Freeman Alpert, and Becky Friedman, Super Why Live was promoted for having aerial stunts and "cutting-edge technology", and due to its high levels of audience engagement, was jokingly referred to by Santomero as “‘the Rocky Horror Picture Show’ for preschoolers”. The show, which follows Super Why, Alpha Pig, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, and Woofster, premiered in Monroe, Louisiana on July 18, 2012, and toured into spring 2013, where the tour concluded in Albany, New York on May 10. The show featured the pre-recorded voices of Melissa Hutchison as Super Why and Woofster, Charlie Ibsen as Alpha Pig, Lisa Marie Woods as Wonder Red, and Christina Ulloa Purrelli as Princess Presto.

The live show's soundtrack was written and produced by musician and singer-songwriter Jack Antonoff, and borrows elements from the series' songs written by Santomero, Alpert, composers Steve D'Angelo and Terry Tompkins, and lyricist and staff writer Alex Breen. Antonoff, widely known for his work with the indie rock band Fun, noted that being natively skilled in indie rock, writing for the show was not very different, though the lyrics needed to be much less open to interpretation and easy to understand when composing for a young audience.

Spin-off series

A short-form 2D spin-off series titled Super Why's Comic Book Adventures premiered on PBS Kids on October 18, 2023, with 20 three-minute episodes. A preview of the series was released on September 20, 2023. This series features a new Super Reader named Power Paige.

References

  1. "Portfolio". www.cuppacoffee.com:80. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  2. "Film Index". www.annecy.org. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  3. "Illustration, Concept Design, Visual Developement [sic] Curious Pictures LLC - Current client since 01/2002". EEW Books. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. "Research Proves Super Why! Helps Children Learn to Read". About PBS - Main. May 6, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  5. "Literacy Takes the Lead on PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go!". About PBS - Main. November 14, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  6. "Will Super Why! Return For a Season 4 on PBS // Renewed or Canceled?". tvnextseason.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  7. "About Super Why | PBS Kids Shows". PBS Kids for Parents. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  8. "Super Why! - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  9. Stewart, Susan (September 10, 2007). "And They All Read Happily Ever After". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  10. "Super Why! live show set to fly". Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  11. Rodman, Sarah (April 6, 2013). "PBS's 'Super Why!' comes to life onstage". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  12. Super Why Live: Spring 2013 Tour Announcement!, January 21, 2013, archived from the original on September 22, 2022, retrieved September 22, 2022
  13. Lopez, Korina. "Jack Antonoff adds some fun. to Super Why! Live tour". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  14. "Y-E-S, yes, the new 'Super Why!' musical shorts will premiere on PBS Kids Oct. 18". Los Angeles Times. September 20, 2023. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.

External links

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