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Revision as of 02:42, 18 August 2020 editThe Last Wikibender (talk | contribs)477 edits Adding references, copyediting and expanding character/format descriptions for clarity - the show was written in New York← Previous edit Revision as of 15:56, 19 August 2020 edit undoThe Last Wikibender (talk | contribs)477 edits Adding sources for air dates and trimming down episode descriptions - they should be simple summaries, not long lists of every trivia point from the episodesNext edit →
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{{multiple issues
|{{Fanpov|date=May 2011}}
{{overly detailed|date=January 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2008}}
}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2012}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
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| based_on = | based_on =
| developer = | developer =
| writer = {{Plainlist| | writer = <!-- Writers shouldn't be listed when a show has 5+ writers, per ]-->
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*P. Kevin Strader
*Belinda Ward
*]
}}
| director = {{Plainlist| | director = {{Plainlist|
*Peter Cudlipp *Peter Cudlipp
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*Adam Smillie *Adam Smillie
}} }}
| narrated = Adam Smillie | narrated =
| theme_music_composer = | theme_music_composer =
| opentheme = | opentheme =
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}} }}
| network = {{Plainlist| | network = {{Plainlist|
*] (U.S.) *] <small>(U.S.)</small>
*] (U.S.) *] <small>(U.S.)</small>
*] (Australia) *] <small>(Australia)</small>
}} }}
| picture_format = NTSC ] | picture_format = NTSC ]
| audio_format = Stereo | audio_format = Stereo
| first_run = April 2005 <small>(pilot screening)</small>
| first_aired = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|16}} | first_aired = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|16}}
| last_aired = {{End date|df=yes|2007|2|2}} | last_aired = {{End date|df=yes|2007|2|2}}
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In developing the series, the creators set out to make an "adult show for kids"<ref name="nypost"/>—adapting the adult-oriented ''SpeedMouse'' for a wider audience while also adding layered jokes for parents and older viewers. According to Shane Dundas: "with ''The Upside Down Show'' the mantra was 'Well, kids are going to love this but we really want to make sure there are gags in there for the grown-ups as well!'"<ref name="clothesline"/> David Collins elaborated, "The series is filled with gags that will fly over the heads of little ones and straight into the face of the parent stalking behind them. Some of these gags we had to fight for."<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k61faqh-zVE|title=''The Upside Down Show'': 'Camping' Fun Fact|date=18 January 2019|last=Collins|first=David|author-link=The Umbilical Brothers}}</ref> In developing the series, the creators set out to make an "adult show for kids"<ref name="nypost"/>—adapting the adult-oriented ''SpeedMouse'' for a wider audience while also adding layered jokes for parents and older viewers. According to Shane Dundas: "with ''The Upside Down Show'' the mantra was 'Well, kids are going to love this but we really want to make sure there are gags in there for the grown-ups as well!'"<ref name="clothesline"/> David Collins elaborated, "The series is filled with gags that will fly over the heads of little ones and straight into the face of the parent stalking behind them. Some of these gags we had to fight for."<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k61faqh-zVE|title=''The Upside Down Show'': 'Camping' Fun Fact|date=18 January 2019|last=Collins|first=David|author-link=The Umbilical Brothers}}</ref>


A half-hour ] was produced from December 2004 to March 2005. It followed Shane and David searching for the beach, and this storyline was later reworked into a story for the main show.<ref name="pilotphotos">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/UmbilicalBrothers/posts/10156685682793590|title=''The Upside Down Show'' pilot photos|date=3 September 2019|last=Collins|first=David|author-link=The Umbilical Brothers}}</ref> For the pilot, the show's art department glued the entire living room set to the ceiling to give the appearance of an "upside down" room; in the final series, the camera is simply turned around at various points to create the upside-down illusion. The character of Puppet had a different design, and he was named "Stretch" in the pilot.<ref name="nickau">{{cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/sesame-nick-go-upside-down/|title=Sesame, Nick go Upside Down|work=C21 Media|date=17 March 2005|quote=New York's Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon Australia and local prodco Blink Films are coproducing a new preschool series, ''The Upside Down Show''.}}</ref> Shane and David also wore different costumes: simple T-shirts with swirl designs on them.<ref name="pilotphotos"/> In April 2005, the pilot episode was screened at ],<ref name="nickau"/> but it was never aired on television. A half-hour ] was produced from December 2004 to March 2005. It followed Shane and David searching for the beach, and this storyline was later reworked into an episode of the main show.<ref name="pilotphotos">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/UmbilicalBrothers/posts/10156685682793590|title=''The Upside Down Show'' pilot photos|date=3 September 2019|last=Collins|first=David|author-link=The Umbilical Brothers}}</ref> For the pilot, the show's art department glued the entire living room set to the ceiling to give the appearance of an "upside down" room; in the final series, the camera is simply turned around at various points to create the upside-down illusion.<ref name="beach">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0m18A9qG9Y|title=''The Upside Down Show'': 'Beach' Fun Fact|date=2 September 2019|last=Collins|first=David|author-link=The Umbilical Brothers|quote=This is a re-imagining of our pilot episode where we went to the beach. The pilot was a little different, and included the art department making the lounge room upside down, with everything, including the couch stuck to the ceiling.}}</ref> The character of Puppet had a different design, and he was named "Stretch" in the pilot.<ref name="nickau">{{cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/sesame-nick-go-upside-down/|title=Sesame, Nick go Upside Down|work=C21 Media|date=17 March 2005|quote=New York's Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon Australia and local prodco Blink Films are coproducing a new preschool series, ''The Upside Down Show''.}}</ref> Shane and David also wore different costumes: simple T-shirts with swirl designs on them.<ref name="pilotphotos"/> In April 2005, the pilot episode was screened at ],<ref name="nickau"/> but it was never aired on television.


The pilot was successful, and Noggin ordered a full season of 13 episodes in 2005.<ref name="tvweek">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2005/12/noggin-orders-upside-down/|title=Noggin Orders 'Upside Down'|work=]|date=6 December 2005}}</ref> They aired in fall 2006.<ref name="tvweek"/> On 27 December 2006, in an interview with the '']'', Shane Dundas stated he was unsure if the series would be renewed for a second season, and that Noggin/Nickelodeon would make a final decision in February about renewing the series.<ref name="nypost"/> On June 1, 2007, the Umbilical Brothers announced on their website that the series would not be renewed for a second season, and that Nickelodeon USA had decided to end the series after a single season.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.umbilicalbrothers.com/ | title=The Umbilical Brothers - Home | date=19 June 2007 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070619060924/http://www.umbilicalbrothers.com/ | archivedate=8 August 2020}}</ref> Unlike Nickelodeon USA, the Australian branch of Nickelodeon was strongly committed to the series and wanted to continue it.<ref name="movie1"/> The pilot was successful, and Noggin ordered a full season of 13 episodes in 2005.<ref name="tvweek">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvweek.com/in-depth/2005/12/noggin-orders-upside-down/|title=Noggin Orders 'Upside Down'|work=]|date=6 December 2005}}</ref> They aired in fall 2006.<ref name="tvweek"/> On 27 December 2006, in an interview with the '']'', Shane Dundas stated he was unsure if the series would be renewed for a second season, and that Noggin/Nickelodeon would make a final decision in February about renewing it.<ref name="nypost"/> On June 1, 2007, the Umbilical Brothers announced on their website that the series would not be renewed for a second season, and that Nickelodeon USA had decided to end ''The Upside Down Show'' after a single season.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.umbilicalbrothers.com/ | title=The Umbilical Brothers - Home | date=19 June 2007 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070619060924/http://www.umbilicalbrothers.com/ | archivedate=8 August 2020}}</ref> Unlike Nickelodeon USA, the Australian branch of Nickelodeon was strongly committed to the series and wanted to continue it.<ref name="movie1"/>


===Broadcast=== ===Broadcast===
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==Characters== ==Characters==
David, Shane, the Schmuzzies, Mrs. Foil, and Puppet are featured in every episode. Some of the other characters (the Action Fingers, Fido, Spot, and Bob) are imaginary figures or objects personified by David and Shane.
* David – The older of the two brothers who wears a striped polo shirt and tan-colored shorts. He has super-sensitive hearing and a super-sensitive sense of smell. He is more laid-back than Shane but still tends to get distracted by small things. He loves the Schmuzzies and acts as their good friend, translator, and mentor. He was played by ]. * David – The older of the two brothers who wears a striped polo shirt and tan-colored shorts. He has super-sensitive hearing and a super-sensitive sense of smell. He is more laid-back than Shane but still tends to get distracted by small things. He loves the Schmuzzies and acts as their good friend, translator, and mentor. He was played by ].
* Shane – David's younger brother, who wears brown pants and a blue T-shirt with a fast forward symbol on it. He is more frenetic and hyperactive than David, but he is also a quicker thinker and comes up with many interesting ideas. Shane tends to get annoyed by the unpredictable nature of the Remote, since it often interrupts his daily activities. He was played by ]. * Shane – David's younger brother, who wears brown pants and a blue T-shirt with a fast forward symbol on it. He is more frenetic and hyperactive than David, but he is also a quicker thinker and comes up with many interesting ideas. Shane tends to get annoyed by the unpredictable nature of the Remote, since it often interrupts his daily activities. He was played by ].
* Mrs. Foil – The brothers' friendly, off-beat neighbor who lives in a different apartment. She is blonde and plays the tuba, which she brings with her even when swimming and camping. She tends to appear in odd places at odd times, including many of the "Wrong Turn" rooms, where she is often dressed up in different costumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823185802/http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1025|archivedate=August 23, 2006|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. Characters: Mrs. Foil|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> She was played by ]. * Mrs. Foil – The brothers' friendly, off-beat neighbor who lives in a different apartment. She is blonde and plays the tuba, which she brings with her even when swimming and camping. She tends to appear in odd places at odd times, including many of the "Wrong Turn" rooms, where she is often dressed up in different costumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823185802/http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1025|archivedate=August 23, 2006|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. Characters: Mrs. Foil|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> She was played by ].
* Puppet – The brothers' sidekick, roommate, and best friend. He dreams of becoming an actor and film director, and he can often be found practicing monologues or writing screenplays. He is interested in Shakespeare and enjoys playing unconventional roles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819073023/http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1023|archivedate=August 19, 2006|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. Characters: Puppet|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> He is generally more rational than Shane and David, but is often just as silly as the boys. Puppet was performed and voiced by puppeteer Mat McCoy. He speaks in an American English accent. * Puppet – The brothers' sidekick, roommate, and best friend. He dreams of becoming an actor and film director, and he can often be found practicing monologues or writing screenplays. He is interested in Shakespeare and enjoys playing unconventional roles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819073023/http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1023|archivedate=August 19, 2006|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. Characters: Puppet|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> He is generally more rational than Shane and David, but is often just as silly as the boys. Puppet was performed and voiced by puppeteer Mat McCoy. He speaks in an American accent.
* The Schmuzzies – A group of small, fuzzy creatures who live throughout the apartment. They come in a wide range of bright colors and speak a language called Schmuzzish ("Schmello, Schmuzzies!").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823185728/http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1024|archivedate=23 August 2006|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. Characters: The Schmuzzies|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> Shane sometimes appears to be scared of them, while David is good friends with them and is fluent in their language. The Schmuzzies were performed and voiced by three puppeteers: Emma de Vries, Virginia Goodfellow, and Alice Osborne. * The Schmuzzies – A group of small, fuzzy, dustball-like creatures who live throughout the apartment. They come in a wide range of bright colors and speak a language called Schmuzzish, which is made up of rhyming sounds and modified English words ("Schmello, Schmuzzies!").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823185728/http://nickjr.com.au/site/item.asp?pageID=100&sectionID=129&subSectionID=409&itemID=1024|archivedate=23 August 2006|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. Characters: The Schmuzzies|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> Shane is afraid of them and sees them as pests, while David is good friends with them and is fluent in their language. The Schmuzzies were performed and voiced by three puppeteers: Emma de Vries, Virginia Goodfellow, and Alice Osborne.
* The Voice – An authoritative male voice who sometimes speaks to Shane and David, generally reminding the duo to knock before entering a room. The Voice sometimes demands specific types of knocks before giving the boys consent to enter a room. He was voiced by Adam Smillie. * The Voice – An authoritative male voice who sometimes speaks to Shane and David, generally reminding them to knock before entering a room. The Voice sometimes asks for specific types of knocks before letting the boys into a room. He was voiced by Adam Smillie.
* Action Fingers – Shane and David's superhero alter-egos, played by their hands with two fingers used as legs. They are named Knuckles (on Shane's left hand) and Pointy (on David's right hand). The Action Fingers appear whenever there is a small problem that needs solving, and their moves are accompanied by dramatic theme music. Their name is a pun on "action figures." * Action Fingers – Shane and David's superhero alter-egos, played by their hands with two fingers used as legs. They are named Knuckles (on Shane's left hand) and Pointy (on David's right hand). The Action Fingers appear whenever there is a small problem that needs solving, and their moves are accompanied by dramatic theme music. Their name is a pun on "action figures."
* Fido the Fly – Fido is Shane's imaginary pet fly who lives behind a tiny door in the apartment. He is an avid tennis player, enjoys techno dance music, and plays the trumpet. Fido communicates by buzzing (voiced by Shane), which only Shane can understand. * Fido the Fly – Fido is Shane's imaginary pet fly who lives behind a tiny door in the apartment. He is an avid tennis player, enjoys techno dance music, and plays the trumpet. Fido communicates by buzzing (voiced by Shane), which only Shane can understand.
* Spot the Chair – Spot is David's pet chair. He likes to play a game called "Fly on the Chair" with Fido, whom he is good friends with. With the help of the Remote's "rotate" button, he is able to roll over. He only appears in "Pet Shop" and very briefly in "Picnic." * Spot the Chair – Spot is David's pet chair. He likes to play a game called "Fly on the Chair" with Fido, whom he is good friends with. With the help of the Remote's "rotate" button, he is able to roll over. He only appears in "Pet Shop" and very briefly in "Picnic."
* Bob the Blanket – Bob is a talking white blanket belonging to David, who also performs his voice. He speaks in a rough voice with an American accent and employs a sardonic wit. Bob only appears in "Barbershop" and very briefly in "Camping." * Bob the Blanket – Bob is a talking white blanket belonging to David, who also performs his voice. He speaks in a rough voice with an American accent and employs a sardonic wit. He likes to make sarcastic comments, especially toward Shane. Bob appears in "Barbershop" and "Camping."


== Episode structure == == Episode structure ==
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==Episodes== ==Episodes==
{{Episode table |background=#9dde28 |overall=5 |title=22 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |prodcode=8 |episodes= {{Episode table |background=#9dde28 |overall=5 |title=22 |director=20 |writer=20 |airdate=18 |prodcode=8 |episodes=

{{Episode List
| EpisodeNumber = Pilot
| Title = Pilot
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2005|4}}<ref name="nickau"/> (] screening)<hr>Unaired (TV)
| ProdCode = None
| ShortSummary = Nickelodeon commissioned an unaired pilot episode of the show, which started production in December 2004 and was screened at ] in April 2005.<ref name="nickau"/> The pilot episode followed David and Shane searching for the beach,<ref name="beach"/> with early versions of the Schmuzzies, Mrs. Foil, and Puppet (who was named "Stretch" at the time).<ref name="nickau"/> The storyline of the pilot was eventually rewritten and adapted for the episode "Beach," but no footage from the pilot was used.<ref name="beach"/>
| LineColor = 9dde28
}}


{{Episode List {{Episode List
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino | WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|8|25}}<ref name="nickjrdebut"/> (Nick Australia)<hr>{{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|18}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-movie-theater/EP008562950016?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531192144/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-movie-theater/EP008562950016?aid=zap2it|archivedate=31 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Movie Theater|quote=First Aired: October 18, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125052728/https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Show-Season/dp/B004AJ51MO|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125052728/https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Show-Season/dp/B004AJ51MO|archivedate=January 25, 2016|title=''The Upside Down Show'' - Amazon Video|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> (Noggin)
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|16}}
| ProdCode = 101<ref name="eplist">{{cite web|url=http://www.nickjr.com/shows/upsi/upsi_about_show/upsi_episodes.jhtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928015223/http://www.nickjr.com/shows/upsi/upsi_about_show/upsi_episodes.jhtml|archivedate=28 September 2007|url-status=dead|title=Nick Jr. ''The Upside Down Show'' - Episode Guide|work=]|publisher=]|date=2006}}</ref>
| ProdCode = 811
| ShortSummary = Puppet directs a movie starring David and Shane as spacemen, pirates, and cowboys. While Puppet prepares for the movie's premiere, David and Shane try to find the movie theater. First, they find Mrs. Foil's laundry room, where they mistake spinning laundry for their film. There, the Action Fingers help two socks reunite with each other. Next, David and Shane find a dance studio, where they see themselves in a mirror and believe it is their film. On their way to another room, the brothers are stopped by the Schmuzzies, who play a rhyming game with them before letting them to the next room. The room turns out to be a white void with a single chair, which they mistake for a theater seat. In the end, the brothers discover a door with their faces on it. It turns out to be a poster for their movie, revealing the theater.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David make a ], then search for the ] to watch it.
* '''Wrong Turns''': ] Room, ] Studio, a room with only one chair
* '''Opening Activity''': Polishing a Snooglenook
* '''Remote Buttons''': ]/], Stumble, Play, Fast Folding (used in the Laundry Room), Rewind, Instant Replay, Fast Forward, Upside Down/Right Side Up, Start the Movie (not pressed), Record (mentioned when David gives the viewers a camera as a souvenir)
* '''Instant Replay''': To show Mrs. Foil that the Action Fingers messed up her laundry instead of Shane and David and to show the girl's dance moves
* '''Vocabulary''': Stupendous (really great)
* '''Puppet''': Puppet directs the brothers while filming their movie.
* '''Schmuzzies''': The Schmuzzies play a rhyming game with the boys, and appear at the end watching Shane and David's movie.
* '''Action Fingers''': In the laundry room they rescue Barbara, a sock and Lefty's wife caught in a lint trap.
* '''Fido the Fly''': He appears at the end watching Shane and David's movie.
* '''Souvenir''': ]
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David make more movies, in which they do a '']'' reference.
| LineColor = 9dde28 | LineColor = 9dde28
}} }}
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = Judy Freudberg | WrittenBy = Judy Freudberg
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|20}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-barbershop/EP008562950017?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525111944/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-barbershop/EP008562950017?aid=zap2it|archivedate=25 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Barbershop|quote=First Aired: October 20, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|17}}
| ProdCode = 812 | ProdCode = 102<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = After visiting the Very Hairy Room, Shane grows a head full of hair and is afraid to get a haircut. David and Puppet give Shane an imaginary haircut, but he needs a real one at a barbershop. They look for one and find the ''Very'' Very Hairy Room, which just makes Shane's hair longer. Next, they find hairbrushes growing like plants in the Hairbrush Room and being used as microphones in the Concert Room, but they do not find anything to cut hair with. Shane's hair grows so long that the Schmuzzies move into it, which makes him rush to find the barbershop. He does, and Mrs. Foil acts as the barber, bringing Shane back to his old bald self.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': After visiting the "Very Hairy" room, Shane is apprehensive about getting a haircut. David and his blanket, Bob, help Shane get to the ]shop.
* '''Wrong Turns''': Very Very Hairy Room, ] Room, Concert Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Using the Remote
* '''Remote Buttons''': Up/Down, Tongue In/Tongue Out, Dancing/Stop Dancing, Ditty, Upside Down/Right Side Up, Instant Replay, Fast Fast Fast Forward, Blow Dry, Rewind, Fast Forward, Play
* '''Vocabulary''': Apprehensive (nervous), Ditty (a very short simple song), stalling (delaying)
* '''Puppet''': Puppet pretends to be scissors and sings "Figaro". Later, Puppet is seen as part of the audience in the Concert Room and at the end, he appears covered in stickers after getting a haircut of his own.
* '''Schmuzzies''': David asks a group of Schmuzzies if they've seen Shane, which they haven't and they moved into Shane's longest hair because they think it's the Very Very Hairy Room. They sing into fluffy backup hairbrushes at the concert room.
* '''Fido the Fly''': Shane mentions walking him, but he is seen as part of the audience in the Concert Room.
* '''Instant Replay''': Replaying Jade Barbar brushing her hair
* '''Mrs. Foil's Funny Expression''': Shane mentions vacuuming her.
* '''Souvenir''': Stickers
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David keep giving each other stickers.
* '''Trivia''':
** Jade Barbar appears in all three rooms, as well as the barbershop itself.
| LineColor = 9dde28 | LineColor = 9dde28
}} }}
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = Billy Aronson | WrittenBy = Billy Aronson
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|16}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-art-museum/EP008562950015?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531160522/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-art-museum/EP008562950015?aid=zap2it|archivedate=31 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Art Museum|quote=First Aired: October 16, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="prnewswire"/><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|18}}
| ProdCode = 813 | ProdCode = 103<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = Shane creates an artistic masterpiece and tries to hang it on a door, but Puppet keeps opening it to practice dramatic entrances. Shane tries to put his art on the fridge and even on Mrs. Foil, but he and David decide that it belongs in an art museum instead. They search for it and find the Sticky Room, where everything gets stuck to each other; the Fog Room, where it is too foggy to see Shane's painting; and the Museum of Finger Painting, where a boy shows the brothers how to finger paint. David and Shane eventually open the door to their stuff closet, which leads them to a real art museum. There, Mrs. Foil leads a tour group of Schmuzzies to see Shane's artwork.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Unable to find a place to hang his newly created masterpiece, Shane, along with David, searches for the ] ] to hang it in.
* '''Wrong Turns''': Sticky Room, Fog Room, Museum of Finger Painting
* '''Opening Activity''': Bananas
* '''Remote Buttons''': Humongous/Minute, Jiggle (Opening), Wiggle (Opening), Smaller (Opening), Bigger (not pressed), Unstick (used in the Sticky Room... which gets stuck for a short time), Rewind, Fast Forward (Opening), Instant Replay, Pause, Play, Slow Motion, Fog Light (used in the Fog Room), High Voice (used in the Fog Room) Upside Down/Right Side Up.
* '''Vocabulary''': Humongous (really, really big)/minute (really, really small) (seen in the intro), moat (a big hole that's filled with water)
* '''Action Fingers''': They ].
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the boy mix ], ], and ] finger paint to make a color called "gurple."
* '''Fido the Fly''': Fido lands on Shane's hand, compliments his painting, then pulls open the shelf containing the Museum of Finger Painting. Other pets mentioned: Bruno the ] and a ].
* '''Schmuzzies''': They are part of the ] at the art museum. When Shane despairs over not being able to hang his picture, he makes a reference to the Schmuzzy Art Museum, though it never appears in the episode.
* '''Puppet''': When Shane and David try to hang the picture on a door, they keep getting interrupted by Puppet opening the door and saying, "Ta-da!" He is practicing making grand entrances. At the end, after Shane and David have given the viewer imaginary paints from a box, Puppet pops out of the box and again says, "Ta-da!". Puppet says he has been using Burmese-Kumquat-Lavender paint to dye his hair. Shane and David laugh until Puppet realizes the viewers have pressed the Pause button by mistake.
* '''Mrs. Foil's Funny Expression''': "See you later, Alligators."
* '''Souvenir''': Paint set with sky blue, ruby red, Lithuanian lime, Transylvanian turquoise and Lebonese-kumquat lavender paint.
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David chat with Puppet.
* '''Trivia''':
** The part where Shane opens the door to the Stuff Closet... I mean, the Art Museum and where David tries to keep Shane from opening it, resulting in David tumbling inside, was played in slow motion, even though the Slow Motion button was pressed in the opening skit.
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| DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp | DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp
| WrittenBy = Tony Geiss | WrittenBy = Tony Geiss
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|23}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show/EP00856295|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211075430/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show/EP00856295|archivedate=11 December 2008|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Pet Shop|quote=First Aired: October 23, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|19}}
| ProdCode = 814 | ProdCode = 104<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = David is jealous of Shane's pet fly, Fido, and decides that he wants a pet of his own. Puppet volunteers to play the role of his pet, but David says he thinks of Puppet more as a friend. David and Shane search for a pet shop in the Puppy Room, but there are no puppies to adopt. They later ask a parrot for directions in the Parrot Room, but the parrot just repeats whatever they say. The Schmuzzies make some rhyming suggestions about which pet David should get (all ending with "-oon"), which ends up opening a door to the Moon. In the end, David finds a pet shop run by Mrs. Foil, and he decides to take Mrs. Foil's chair home as his new pet: Spot the Chair.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Learning for a relationship like the one between Fido and Shane, David decides he needs a pet. They look for the ].
* '''Wrong Turns''': ] Room, ] Room, The ]
* '''Opening Activity''': Juggling Cereal Bowls
* '''Puppet''': Puppet volunteers to be David's pet, imitating a dog, a cat, and a ]. David says he thinks of him more as a friend. Later, Puppet makes some suggestions on what type of pet David should get. Puppet appears on the moon.
* '''Remote Buttons''': Rotate, Ditty, Really Excited (used in the Puppy Room), Instant Replay, Rewind, Fast Forward, Slow Motion (Opening), Pause (Opening)
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the dog roll over (rotate).
* '''Fido the Fly''': Shane and Fido play ] tennis at the beginning of the episode. Later, Fido spends a short moment with Shane, demonstrating tricks. After returning from the moon, he plays loud music while playing the trumpet, the brothers ask Fido if he knows where the pet shop is, which he doesn't. At the end, he plays "Fly on a Chair" with Spot, David's new pet chair.
* '''Mrs. Foil Funny Expression''': When holding her cat, she says, "His name is Elizabeth," instead of, "Her name is Elizabeth."
* '''Schmuzzies''': They sing backup for David when the Ditty button is pressed. They then make some suggestions on what pet David should get. They also get amazed by a bright light which turns out to be the Moon after the door opens. Shane doesn't appear to be apprehensive of them.
* '''Souvenir''': ]
* '''Spot the Blue Chair''': Tutorial on what to do with a pet chair.
* '''End Credits''': David plays with Spot the Blue Chair.
* '''Trivia'''
** There is no vocabulary.
** Normally, when the Rotate button is pressed in this episode, the screen rotates once. But upon pressing it to get off of the Moon, the screen rotates repeatedly.
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| DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp | DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp
| WrittenBy = P. Kevin Strader | WrittenBy = P. Kevin Strader
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|25}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-camping/EP008562950019?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602184746/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-camping/EP008562950019?aid=zap2it|archivedate=2 June 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Camping|quote=First Aired: October 25, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|20}}
| ProdCode = 815 | ProdCode = 105<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = After reading a bedtime story to the Schmuzzies and singing a lullaby for Puppet, David and Shane try to go to bed. They discover that their bedrooms have been replaced with a marching band and a stampede of elephants, so they set out to find somewhere else to sleep. First, David and Shane find the Snoring Room, where loud snoring keeps them from sleeping. Next, they find beds in the Wake Up Room, but everything in the room is designed to wake them up. Finally, they enter the Shape Room and mistake two shapes for beds, until a girl explains what the shapes are. In the end, they find Mrs. Foil's campsite, where they sleep in sleeping bags.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': After their bedrooms disappear, the boys search for another place to sleep. Whenever the boys think they've found a resting place, it ends up being contrary to their expectations. For example, even though the "Wake up!" room has two beds seemingly meant for sleeping, the room becomes paradoxical when various things begin waking Shane and David up; a ] begins crowing, various digital and analog ] begin sounding at the foot of the beds, and a man plays the ] military bugle call on a ].
* '''Wrong Turns''': Snoring Room, "Wake Up!" Room, ] Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Horizontal (sideways) and Vertical (upright)
* '''Remote Buttons''': Horizontal/Vertical, Play, Yawn, Upside Down, Get Out of Here (not pressed), Wake Up! (used near the end), Sneeze (Opening), Horizontal dance (Opening), Rewind, Slow Motion (Opening), Unpause (Opening), Instant Replay
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the girl on the ] count the ] of sides on the shape called ].
* '''Shane's Funny Expression''': When David said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he answered, "Albanian Chicken Juice?"
* '''Vocabulary''': Horizontal (sideways), Vertical (]), Hexagon (6-sided ])
* '''Fido the Fly''': Fido is seen/mentioned three times. First, David opens the door to Fido's room and Fido goes to bed. Second, Fido's watch alarm is on. Third, Fido is zipped into an imaginary sleeping bag.
* '''Puppet''': Twice, Puppet needs the brothers to sing him a lullaby so he can sleep and gets an imaginary sleeping bag the next morning.
* '''Action Fingers''': First, getting behind the door, Action Fingers walk up stairs, open the door, and fall asleep. Second, Action fingers are jumping off stairs, wrong ] and ] ], flying toy ]. Third, walking on a shoulder and cheek, waking Shane and David up.
* '''Schmuzzies''': The Schmuzzies sing back-up during Puppet's lullaby. Shane is not nervous around them.
* '''Souvenir''': ]
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David play with their pretend sleeping bags. (Note: Halfway through the credits, the "Casting FAITH MARTIN, Make Up PEGGY CARTER" part and so on is in white with red text. This is the only time the end credits cut to white early.)
* '''Trivia'''
** Shane and David do not say, "But whatever you do, don't press or hit the ______ button."
** No joke buttons were pressed in this episode.
** The right side up button was not pressed.
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| DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp | DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp
| WrittenBy = Luis Santeiro | WrittenBy = Luis Santeiro
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|27}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-picnic/EP008562950020?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525122231/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-picnic/EP008562950020?aid=zap2it|archivedate=25 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Picnic|quote=First Aired: October 27, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|6}}
| ProdCode = 816 | ProdCode = 106<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = Puppet and the brothers take Shane's pet fly, Fido, on his first-ever picnic. The brothers search for a spot to have their picnic and find three places: the Sandwich Room, where they get their picnic food; the No-Room Room, where it is too cramped for a picnic; and the Wind Room, where gusts of wind prevent them from setting up the picnic. David and Shane give up and think they will never have a picnic for Fido. Shane tries to cheer Fido up with a ditty (later joined a reluctant David, Puppet, and the Schmuzzies), but nothing works until Fido's family comes over and leads the group to a perfect picnic spot outside. There, they play picnic games with Mrs. Foil and throw Puppet around like a ball.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Puppet, Shane and David take Fido the Fly on his first-ever ].
* '''Good Choice Food Room''': ] Room
* '''Wrong Turns''': No-Room Room, ] Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Tea Party
* '''Instant Replay''': The boy puts ], ], and ] on another sandwich.
* '''Vocabulary''': Scrumptious (delicious)
* '''Remote Buttons''': Fast Forward, Rewind (Opening), Pause (Opening), Inside/Outside, Sandwich (used in the Sandwich Room), Ditty, Hands up/Hands down (Opening), Down the Hatch (Opening), Play, Instant Replay
* '''Puppet''': Delivery Puppet brings things the boys need for their picnic, while disguising his voice. He then joins the boys. Puppet acts as the ball for their picnic games.
* '''Fido the Fly''': Fido feels sad because he's the only fly who's never been on a picnic, he's the main character in the episode. He comes along to the No-Room Room and the Wind Room. Fido's fly buddies come for the picnic. He eats tiny sandwiches at the picnic.
* '''Schmuzzies''': They dance beside Puppet, singing "Happy Fly Ditty." Shane doesn't appear to be apprehensive of them.
* '''Souvenir''': ]
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David fly a kite.
* '''Trivia'''
** The objects/characters blowing in the Wind Room are the Elephant from the no-room room that we saw earlier in the episode, a Fish from the underwater room in the "Beach" episode, Spot the Chair from the "Pet Shop" episode, Mrs. Foil flying a kite, and an umbrella.
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino | WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|30}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-airport/EP008562950021?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525125439/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-airport/EP008562950021?aid=zap2it|archivedate=25 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Airport|quote=First Aired: October 30, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|7}}
| ProdCode = 817 | ProdCode = 107<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = The Schmuzzies tell Puppet that his cousin, Mary Annette, is coming to visit and is waiting at the airport. Puppet needs to rehearse his family's traditional welcome song, so David and Shane offer to pick Mary Annette up. They search for the airport and end up in the Bird Room, which makes them act like birds. They fly away into the Paper Airplane Room, where the Action Fingers help refold Mrs. Foil's paper airplane. Third, David and Shane jump into a dictionary and find a room filled with words, where a girl teaches them "plane" in sign language. After the brothers take part in Puppet's welcome song, Puppet suggests climbing the ceiling to find the airport, which works and brings Mary Annette to the apartment.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David volunteer to pick up Puppet's cousin, Mary Annette (a pun on ]), at the ], but have to find it first.
* '''Wrong Turns''': ] Room, ] Room, ] Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Making a ]
* '''Remote Buttons''': Vibration/Stop the Vibration, Mute/Unmute (Opening), Pause (Opening), Rewind (Opening), Think Hard, Helicopter, Fast-Folding (used in the Paper Airplane room), Parachute (used in the Paper Airplane Room), Landing (used in the Word room), Jump Out of the Book (used in the Word room), Climb the Wall, Head Home (used near the end), Play, Instant Replay
* '''Instant Replay''': Action Fingers ask to see a girl use sign language to sign the word "plane" again.
* '''Shane's Funny Expression''': When David said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he said, "Yeah, are you thinking what we're thinking, dancing tonight, you, me, Dave, and ten thousand ]?"
* '''Mrs. Foil's Funny Expression''': "Jumbo jets, donkeys, and tigers."
* '''Action Fingers''': Two instances. First, Action Fingers crash-land on a paper airplane, search for Mary Annette inside, then refold it for its owner, Mrs. Foil. Second, they help to translate for a girl using sign language in the Word Room.
* '''Puppet''': Puppet practices "The Traditional Puppet Family Welcome Song."
* '''Schmuzzies''': They first relay the message that Mary Annette is at the airport and needs to be picked up right away. (Though Shane thinks they are telling him he has made an unfortunate choice of ] and that Mary Annette is in Northern ].) Later, they attempt to sing backup for Puppet, but start out being too far in front, and then too far in the back of the puppet stage.
* '''Fido the Fly''': He joins Shane, David, and Ms. Foil as Puppet's backup singers during the Big Band version of "The Traditional Puppet Family Welcome Song."
* '''Souvenir''': ]
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David find things very close with their binoculars.
* '''Trivia'''
** The Fast Forward, Upside Down/Right Side Up buttons were not used in this episode.
** There is no vocabulary.
** Fido the Fly is absent, although his door was mentioned by David during the credits. The Voice is also absent.
** No doors, windows, or drawers were used in the episode.
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = Judy Freudberg | WrittenBy = Judy Freudberg
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|1}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-beach/EP008562950022?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525103421/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-beach/EP008562950022?aid=zap2it|archivedate=25 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Beach|quote=First Aired: November 1, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|8}}
| ProdCode = 818 | ProdCode = 108<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = When David and Shane lose their beach ball, Puppet suggests looking for it at the beach. David and Shane find three rooms with beach-like qualities, but none of them are the beach. The Underwater Room has water but no sand, the Desert Room has sand but no water, and the South Pole is too cold to be a beach. The Schmuzzies try to tell the brothers that they have seen the "schmeach schmall," but by the time David translates for the Schmuzzies, the beach ball is gone. Eventually, David and Shane find a door with water and sand coming out from under it, which leads them to the beach. They reunite with their beach ball, play around in the sand, and accidentally ruin Mrs. Foil's sand castle. Luckily, the Action Fingers rebuild it, and the brothers leave the beach after giving their beach ball to Mrs. Foil as a gift.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': After losing the ] they were playing with, Shane and David search for the ] to find it.
* '''Wrong Turns''': ] Room, ] Room, ]
* '''Opening Activity''': Horseback Riding
* '''Remote Buttons''': Upside Down/Right Side Up, Follow the Leader, Ice Skating (used at the South Pole), Go Home (used near the end), Bucking Broncos (Opening), Photo Finish (Opening), Get Off Your High Horse (Opening), Fast Forward, Play, Instant Replay
* '''Instant Replay''': Watch the boy put on a jacket.
* '''Vocabulary''': Perplexed (confused)
* '''Fido the Fly''': Fido spies the beach ball on the ] and tries to tell the boys but they do not turn in time to see it. Fido then flies away.
* '''Action Fingers''': They rebuild Mrs. Foil's ] after David and Shane destroy it.
* '''Schmuzzies''': They see the beach ball rolling along the hedge outside the ], but David and Shane do not turn around in time. They yell, "Schmeach schmall!". Shane thinks that means his teeth are exploding, so David translates for him using a tiny Schmuzzish-].
* '''Mrs. Foil's Funny Expression''': "Every afternoon at three, bring your own milk. Which reminds me, have you check the ]? Fiddle-dee-dee!"
* '''Souvenir''': ]s, 6 to be exact
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David inflate their beach ball as it grows.
* '''Trivia'''
** This is the only episode to have the Action Fingers in the "Very First Time" Segment.
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = Billy Aronson | WrittenBy = Billy Aronson
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|6}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602173820/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-marching-band/EP008562950024?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-marching-band/EP008562950024?aid=zap2it|archivedate=2 June 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Marching Band|quote=First Aired: November 6, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|9}}
| ProdCode = 819 | ProdCode = 109<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = David and Shane invent their own imaginary instruments and want to join the local marching band. Puppet wants to join as well: at first, he tries to be a bandleader and leads the Schmuzzies around the apartment, but he later decides he would rather be the bandleader's baton instead. David and Shane find the Funny Music Room, where every object makes a melody, and the Marching Room, where four kids show the brothers how to march. They even find the Sky Room, where they join a singing bird's band, but there is nowhere to march. Eventually, David and Shane follow the sound of an orchestra and find the marching band, where Puppet is the baton and Mrs. Foil plays her tuba full of Schmuzzies.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David invent imaginary ] ].
* '''Wrong Turns''': Funny Music Room, ] Room, ] Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Trying To Relax
* '''Remote Buttons''': Accelerate/Decelerate, Do-si-do (used in the Marching Room), Sky Dancing (used in the Sky Room), Disco (Opening), and Can-Can (Opening) Play, Stop, Stuck/Unstuck, Upside Down/Right Side Up, Instant Replay
* '''Vocabulary''': Accelerate (speed up)/Decelerate (slow down)
* '''Puppet''': Puppet wants to be a bandleader. He is later seen practicing his bandleading on the Schmuzzies, but they get distracted by a dust ball, frustrating Puppet. Then he decides to '''be''' a baton. He gets stuck to the ceiling as the boys throw him, due to Shane's habit of smearing honey on the ceiling. The viewers are asked to press the "Unstick" button to get him down. Later, David hears a melodic tune and wonders if it came from Puppet. Puppet offers to demonstrate, and makes a horrible noise, causing the brothers to frantically request that the viewer "Press the Stop button!". He is last seen fulfilling his dream as the baton for the bandleader.
* '''Fido the Fly''': Fido is marching behind Schmuzzies.
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the four children march.
* '''Schmuzzies''': They march behind Puppet, who initially wants to be bandleader, but get distracted by a dust ball (Schmuzzies love dust). They are later seen in Mrs. Foil's tuba. Shane doesn't appear to be apprehensive of them.
* '''Souvenir''': 7 more instruments.
*#Drumpet (a ] combined with a ])
*#]
*#]
*#]
*#]
*#]
*#]
* Drumpet and harmonica
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David dance along while Mrs. Foil plays with her tuba. (Note: As the camera goes to the tuba's inside, the camera rises out to white, which goes to the Blink Films logo.)
* '''Trivia'''
** The bird in the Sky Room (voiced by Shane) sounds like ], making a reference to the song "]", saying, "No ground below us, only skies,"{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}
** The ] room makes a cameo appearance in the "Camping" episode where Shane's bedroom is replaced.
** At one point, Puppet's voice can be heard, but he is not seen on the bandleader's baton.
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| DirectedBy = Julie Money | DirectedBy = Julie Money
| WrittenBy = P. Kevin Strader | WrittenBy = P. Kevin Strader
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|8}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-birthday-party/EP008562950025?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531214259/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-birthday-party/EP008562950025?aid=zap2it|archivedate=31 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Birthday Party|quote=First Aired: November 8, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|10}}
| ProdCode = 820 | ProdCode = 110<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = The Schmuzzies are throwing a "Schmirthday Schmarty" and invite Puppet and Mrs. Foil. Puppet gives invitations to David, Shane, and the viewers as well. With no directions on their invitations, the brothers try to figure out where the party is being held. They search in the No-Fun Room, where Mrs. Foil tells them no celebrations are allowed. They look in the Surprise Room, where there are surprises behind every door but no parties. David and Shane follow a "Happy Birthday" singer to the Opera Room, but it turns out that it is just an opera about a birthday. The brothers return to their apartment, where they discover that the party is for them.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David are invited to a ] ] that turns out to be for them.
* '''Wrong Turns''': No Fun Room, Surprise Room, ] Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Fast Asleep
* '''Remote Buttons''': Celebration (does not work in the No Fun Room)/Stop the Celebration, Upside Down/Right Side Up, Fast Forward (Opening), Slow Motion (Opening), Rewind, Play, Instant Replay
* '''Instant Replay''' To see the Girl pointing to "sur-", "-prise" and "surprise"
* '''Schmuzzies''': They attend the "Schmirthday Schmarty," to which they travel via Mrs. Foil's purse carrying ].
* '''Puppet''': First, Puppet is seen in a hurry to get to the party. A delivery Puppet arrives with an invitation to the boys and, in a gruff voice, says, "Delivery for Shane, David and 'you'(the viewers)." Later, Puppet is seen during the party and cleans up after it ends.
* '''Fido the Fly''': Fido bouncing on a ].
* '''Mrs. Foil's Funny Expression''': "Toodle pip!"
* '''Souvenir''': ]
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David buzz off. (Note: This is the only time the credits music starts off early, right before "Executive Producer MICHAEL BOURCHIER" appears.)
* ''' Trivia'''
** Many of the children featured in other episodes attend the party, including the boy from the Sandwich Room in the "Picnic" episode, the boy from the Museum of Finger Painting in the "Art Museum" episode, the girl from the dance studio in the "Movie Theater" episode, the girl in the wheelchair from the shape room in the "Camping" episode, the boy at the South Pole in the "Beach" episode, and one of the girls from the Marching Room in the "Marching Band" episode. In this episode, the girl from the surprise room is also present.
** David says "Whatever you do, don't press the _________ button."
** There is no vocabulary.
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| DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp | DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp
| WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino | WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2007|1|10}} | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|10|16}}<ref name="prnewswire"/><ref name="amazon"/>
| ProdCode = 821 | ProdCode = 111<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = The apartment residents have a band called the Talking Airheads, which features Shane on guitar; David on drums and a cowbell; the Schmuzzies on the marimba; Fido the Fly on trumpet; and Puppet as the songwriter. The band faces a setback when David's cowbell, attached to an imaginary cow named Clarabelle, disappears. David and Shane try to find the cowbell in the Great Big Bell Room, where Mrs. Foil has a giant bell but no cowbells. They fish for the cowbell in a boat out at sea, where they help Mrs. Foil go "tuba diving" with her tuba, and go for a ride in the Bicycle Room. All the while, Puppet tries to bring Clarabelle to the apartment by playing farm songs, which inspires David and Shane to look for her at Mrs. Foil's farm. They find Clarabelle and bring her back for their big musical performance.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David's band, the Talking Airheads, faces a setback when David's ] (which just so happens to be attached to an imaginary cow named ]) disappears.
* '''Wrong Turns''': Great Big Bell Room, Ocean Room, Bicycle Room
* '''Opening Activity''': Climbing
* '''Remote Buttons''': Seesaw/Steady (Opening, used in the Great Big Bell Room, and mentioned in the Ocean Room), Upside Down/Right Side Up, Dry Land, Echo (Opening, and mentioned in the Great Big Bell Room), Rewind (Opening), Fast Forward, Pause (Opening), Play, Instant Replay
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the little boy ride the bicycle.
* '''Puppet''': Is the bandleader and songwriter for the band. When the cowbell disappears, he tries to use music to attract Clarabelle. He plays "]", "Udder Chaos", and "]".
* '''Fido the Fly''': Playing the trumpet for the band.
* '''Schmuzzies''': They play the marimba in Shane and David's band. They later play it while Shane and David are listening to a bell until Shane tells them to be quiet and be gone. He does not appear to be apprehensive of them.
* '''Souvenirs''': ]s, ], ]
* '''End Credits''': Shane, David, Puppet, Fido and the Schmuzzies rock and roll. (Note: The copyright year reads "2006" instead of 2007, meaning this and the last two episodes below were produced in 2006.)
* '''Trivia'''
** There is no vocabulary.
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}} }}
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| DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp | DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp
| WrittenBy = Billy Aronson | WrittenBy = Billy Aronson
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|10}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-ice-cream-truck/EP008562950026?aid=zap2it|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525103618/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/the-upside-down-show-ice-cream-truck/EP008562950026?aid=zap2it|archivedate=25 May 2013|url-status=dead|title=''The Upside Down Show'': Ice Cream Truck|quote=First Aired: November 10, 2006|work=]}}</ref><ref name="amazon"/>
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2007|1|17}}
| ProdCode = 822 | ProdCode = 112<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = Puppet teaches David and Shane about ice cream. The brothers decide that they must try some, so they search for the ice cream truck. They find the Frozen Room, where an ice-skating Mrs. Foil has ice cream of her own, and the "This Way" Room, where the ice cream truck is on the wrong side and cannot be reached. They stumble into an ice cream game show hosted by Mrs. Foil, but the brothers lose the game after failing to scoop ice cream the right way. Back at the apartment, the Schmuzzies have gotten entire tubs of ice cream for themselves, and they show David and Shane where Mrs. Foil's ice cream truck is. The brothers have trouble waiting their turn, but they finally get some ice cream from Mrs. Foil.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David seek to discover the delicious, delectable, and delightful joys of the frozen treat known as ].
* '''Wrong Turns''': Frozen Room, "This Way" Room (a room with arrows pointing to the left, preventing travel towards the right), Game Show Room ("Ready, Steady, Scoop")
* '''Opening Activity''': Weight Lifting
* '''Remote Button''': Heavy/Light, Frozen/Unfrozen (used in the Frozen Room and used in the This Way Room to stop David from going to the right, and near the end. Also not to be confused with Play/Pause), Upside Down/Right Side Up, Zoom In/Zoom Out (Opening), Whoo! (used in the Game Show Room), Run Along Home (used near the end), Cheerleading (used near the end), Instant Replay
* '''Puppet''': Visits the ] and appears with an ].
* '''Fido the Fly''': Is drinking a ] ]. Three other pets are mentioned: Evan the ], Helen the baby ], and Georgio the ].
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the little girl named Matilda scooping ice cream.
* '''Mrs. Foil's Funny Expression''': "Gotta go, penguin's toes."
* '''Schmuzzies''': The brothers find a tub of ice cream and attempt to scoop some out, but end up with Schmuzzies in their cones, as the Schmuzzies have finished the ice cream already. Shane seems a little nervous around them, and attempts to engage them in conversation. He misinterprets what they say, and must be assisted by David.
* '''Souvenir''': Ice cream
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David make a scoop of ice cream.
* '''Trivia'''
** Mrs. Foil is featured in all three wrong turn rooms, as well as the ice cream truck itself.
** There is no vocabulary.
** No joke buttons were pressed in this episode.
| LineColor = 9dde28}} | LineColor = 9dde28}}
{{Episode list {{Episode list
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| DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp | DirectedBy = Peter Cudlipp
| WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino and Josh Weidman | WrittenBy = Joseph Mazzarino and Josh Weidman
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2007|2|2}} | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|df=yes|2006|11|13}}<ref name="amazon"/> (Noggin)<hr>{{Start date|df=yes|2007|2|2}} (Nick Australia)
| ProdCode = 823 | ProdCode = 113<ref name="eplist"/>
| ShortSummary = David and Shane are baffled when a mysterious orange sphere (a mini golf ball) appears in their living room. At first, they think it is a planet and journey to outer space to return it. An alien explains that planets are much bigger, and the brothers fall back to Earth, accidentally dropping the ball with a pair of playful Schmuzzies. Next, the brothers think the orange thing is an orange fruit, but Mrs. Foil explains how real oranges are very different. David and Shane decide it must be a ball and try to play with it on a basketball court, but it does not bounce. Puppet uses the thing as "Yorick" for a Shakespearean monologue and tells the brothers what it actually is, prompting them to visit the mini golf course, where they play golf with Mrs. Foil.
| ShortSummary =
* '''Story''': Shane and David are baffled when a mysterious orange thing (a mini golf ball) appears in their ]. They use deductive reasoning to narrow down what it actually is, and where it belongs. They think it's a ], an orange and a ] before stumbling on to the real solution.
* '''Wrong Turns''': ], ] Room, ] Room
* '''Shane's Funny Expression''': When David said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he answered, "Albanian Monkey Shoes?"
* '''Opening Activity''': Yoga
* '''Remote Buttons''': Irish Dancing/Stop Irish Dancing, Blast Off, Back to Earth (used in Outer Space), Upside Down/Right Side Up, Volume, Instant Replay, Slam-dunk (used in the Basketball Room), Home (Not pressed), Rewind, Fast Forward (Opening), Pause (Opening) Play
* '''Vocabulary''': Baffled (confused)
* '''Fido the Fly''': Puts the mini golf ball in his tennis shorts and David and Shane search his pocket; but, at first, they find ] and a ].
* '''Instant Replay''': To see the girl shoot the basketball into the hoop again.
* '''Puppet''': First, Puppet jump ropes with Shane and David's imaginary rope and trips over it, and goes off to play with his ] instead. Later, Puppet uses the orange thing to practice a Shakespearean monologue (Alas, poor Yorick), wearing a red ] ]. Puppet is also the one who explains the orange thing's true identity.
* '''Action Fingers''': They use their Action ] to locate the Orange Room.
* '''Schmuzzies''': Two of them play with the orange thing and Shane is unable to retrieve it all by himself until David coaches him to say "Schmease" and "Schmank you." David then explains he studied Schmuzzish for seven years, "part-time."
* '''Souvenir''': Various items including the word "mini" including a ''Mini-mini'' which was much smaller than a mini.
* '''End Credits''': Shane and David give the viewer out various items with the word "mini". (Note: David mentioned "By the way, here's Mini Mouse", in which that quote was not meant to be confused with the Disney character ].)
* '''Trivia'''
** While in the Basketball Room, David, thinking the orange thing is a basketball, gets frustrated that it is not dribbling properly. He yells at the orange thing, "This is your home! It's your home! What's wrong?! You too good for your home?!", a direct ] to the ] film, '']'', in which the title character yells almost exactly the same speech, also at a golf ball.
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==Home media== ==Home media==
The complete series DVD was released on a two-disc set on 19 January 2012 as a ] ] exclusive.<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Show-Season-Discs/dp/B005XE00M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546963730&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Upside+Down+Show%3A+Season+1</ref> Despite only having 13 episodes, the series has had a total of eight separate DVD releases. On 19 January 2012, Nickelodeon released all 13 episodes to DVD as a ] ] exclusive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Show-Season-Discs/dp/B005XE00M6|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201081629/http://www.amazon.com/Upside-Down-Show-Season-Discs/dp/B005XE00M6|archivedate=1 February 2012|title=''The Upside Down Show'' Season 1 DVD|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> In Australia, the show's episodes were released across six DVD volumes, each containing 2-3 episodes. Each DVD disc was made to look like one of the Schmuzzies. The Umbilical Brothers also temporarily sold an exclusive "Complete Series" DVD collection on their website, which combined the previous six volumes onto a two-disc DVD set. The collection was discontinued in 2015 and has since become unavailable online.

Since 2018, the Umbilical Brothers have uploaded the entire series to their public ] channel, making every episode available to view for free.<ref name="youtube">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTbjd8s3eeLUt1uZ-GJRvhG0fKgxkIhvf|title=The Umbilical Brothers - ''The Upside Down Show'' Playlist|date=November 2018|work=]}}</ref> In the descriptions of several uploads, David Collins included behind-the-scenes trivia about the episodes.<ref name="youtube"/>


== Reception == == Reception ==
=== Critical reception === === Critical reception ===
The series was critically acclaimed for its humor and broad appeal. Larisa Wiseman of ] gave the series a 5-star review, calling it "refreshingly original; each episode is filled with clever jokes, puns, music, and tons of physical humor."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-upside-down-show|last=Wiseman|first=Larisa|title=''The Upside Down Show'' TV Review|date=2006|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> Robert Lloyd of the '']'' wrote that "''The Upside Down Show'' is not only good, but good for you ... But what matters most is that it is delightful ... I noticed, as I watched the show for the first time, that I was sitting cross-legged on the floor about a foot from the TV screen, absolutely entranced."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-18-et-upside18-story.html|last=Lloyd|first=Robert|title=Not only good, but good for you|date=October 18, 2006}}</ref> Susan Stewart of '']'' thought the series was "perfectly calibrated" for children and older viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/arts/television/16stew.html|last=Stewart|first=Susan|title=Press Play to Control the Grown-Ups|date=October 16, 2006|work=]}}</ref> '']''{{'}}s Eileen Clarke wrote, "Tired of all that 'educational' stuff on TV for kids? Here’s a show that will let them wallow in the wacky, surf in complete silliness, and bandy in the bizarre."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2006/10/12/show-goes-upside-down-whoa/|last=Clarke|first=Eileen|title=A show that goes ''Upside Down''? Whoa...|work=]|date=12 October 2006}}</ref> Writing for '']'', Evan McEvoy called the series "good enough to steal a few viewers from adult morning TV."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-upside-down-show-20071017-gdrcww.html|last=McEvoy|first=Evan|title=The Upside Down Show|date=October 17, 2007|work=]}}</ref> The series was critically acclaimed for its humor and broad appeal. Larisa Wiseman of ] gave the series a 5-star review, calling it "refreshingly original; each episode is filled with clever jokes, puns, music, and tons of physical humor."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-upside-down-show|last=Wiseman|first=Larisa|title=''The Upside Down Show'' TV Review|date=2006|work=]|publisher=]}}</ref> Robert Lloyd of the '']'' wrote that "''The Upside Down Show'' is not only good, but good for you ... But what matters most is that it is delightful ... I noticed, as I watched the show for the first time, that I was sitting cross-legged on the floor about a foot from the TV screen, absolutely entranced."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-18-et-upside18-story.html|last=Lloyd|first=Robert|title=Not only good, but good for you|date=October 18, 2006}}</ref> Susan Stewart of '']'' thought the series was "perfectly calibrated" for children and older viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/arts/television/16stew.html|last=Stewart|first=Susan|title=Press Play to Control the Grown-Ups|date=October 16, 2006|work=]}}</ref> '']''{{'}}s Eileen Clarke wrote, "Tired of all that 'educational' stuff on TV for kids? Here’s a show that will let them wallow in the wacky, surf in complete silliness, and bandy in the bizarre."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2006/10/12/show-goes-upside-down-whoa/|last=Clarke|first=Eileen|title=A show that goes ''Upside Down''? Whoa...|work=]|date=12 October 2006}}</ref> Canadian TV producer ] said "adults will get a kick out of the hosts' comic stylings."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/content/pdf/51086.pdf|title=Broadband or bust: Canuck nets ramp up non-linznch strategies|last=Stewart|first=Lianne|work=]|date=September 2006|page=104}}</ref> Writing for '']'', Evan McEvoy called the series "good enough to steal a few viewers from adult morning TV."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/the-upside-down-show-20071017-gdrcww.html|last=McEvoy|first=Evan|title=The Upside Down Show|date=October 17, 2007|work=]}}</ref>


=== Awards === === Awards ===
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* *
{{Noggin shows}} {{Noggin shows}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Upside Down Show, The}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Upside Down Show, The}}

Revision as of 15:56, 19 August 2020

The Upside Down Show
Genre
Created by
Directed by
  • Peter Cudlipp
  • Julie Money
Starring
Voices of
  • Emma de Vries
  • Virginia Goodfellow
  • Mat McCoy
  • Alice Osborne
  • Adam Smillie
ComposerDavid Chapman
Country of origin
  • Australia
  • United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Bourchier
  • Kurt Mueller
ProducerWendy Gray
CinematographyIan Jones
EditorSimon Martin
Camera setupBoth single-camera and multi-camera
Running time24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
Release16 October 2006 (2006-10-16) –
2 February 2007 (2007-02-02)

The Upside Down Show is a children's television series produced by Sesame Workshop, Noggin LLC, and Nickelodeon. It was made for Nickelodeon's sister channel Noggin, which launched as a joint venture between Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop. The series is set in a strange apartment building where the doors and windows lead to a variety of unusual rooms. It is presented by brothers Shane and David (played by the Umbilical Brothers), who live in the apartment building with their sidekick Puppet, their neighbor Mrs. Foil, and a group of fuzzy creatures called the Schmuzzies. In each episode, David gives the viewers an imaginary remote control that affects the characters and their surroundings.

The series was inspired by the Umbilical Brothers' adult-oriented comedy act SpeedMouse, which was also based on the idea of an imaginary remote. Producers from Nickelodeon and Sesame saw SpeedMouse and ordered a pilot episode based on it, which became The Upside Down Show. The pilot was successful, and in 2005, Nickelodeon ordered a season of 13 episodes. The show was written and produced in New York, and it was filmed in Sydney, Australia. The cast and crew featured a mix of Australian and American talent. While creating the series, the writers intentionally included jokes for adults as well as children; Shane Dundas likened The Upside Down Show to making "an adult show for kids."

In 2010, the Umbilical Brothers announced that they had completed a script for a special-length episode titled The Upside Down Movie, which would act as a proper finale for the series. Nickelodeon Australia provided funding for the movie's script development, but the project needed support from outside investors to start filming, which never occurred. As recently as March 2017, the Umbilical Brothers have stated that they are still interested in making the movie and trying to find support for it.

History

Production

The show's concept is based on SpeedMouse, a live comedy act that the Umbilical Brothers performed for adult audiences in the 1990s. The plot involved an invisible remote control that dictated the Brothers' actions on stage. Shane Dundas called the remote "a handy idea that we took directly from SpeedMouse and it all grew into a whole another animal." Producers from Noggin and Sesame Workshop enjoyed the remote control in SpeedMouse and believed that the physical comedy would lend itself to a family-oriented television show. Noggin and Sesame approached the Umbilical Brothers with plans to develop a series, and the Brothers accepted.

In developing the series, the creators set out to make an "adult show for kids"—adapting the adult-oriented SpeedMouse for a wider audience while also adding layered jokes for parents and older viewers. According to Shane Dundas: "with The Upside Down Show the mantra was 'Well, kids are going to love this but we really want to make sure there are gags in there for the grown-ups as well!'" David Collins elaborated, "The series is filled with gags that will fly over the heads of little ones and straight into the face of the parent stalking behind them. Some of these gags we had to fight for."

A half-hour pilot episode was produced from December 2004 to March 2005. It followed Shane and David searching for the beach, and this storyline was later reworked into an episode of the main show. For the pilot, the show's art department glued the entire living room set to the ceiling to give the appearance of an "upside down" room; in the final series, the camera is simply turned around at various points to create the upside-down illusion. The character of Puppet had a different design, and he was named "Stretch" in the pilot. Shane and David also wore different costumes: simple T-shirts with swirl designs on them. In April 2005, the pilot episode was screened at MIPTV Media Market, but it was never aired on television.

The pilot was successful, and Noggin ordered a full season of 13 episodes in 2005. They aired in fall 2006. On 27 December 2006, in an interview with the New York Post, Shane Dundas stated he was unsure if the series would be renewed for a second season, and that Noggin/Nickelodeon would make a final decision in February about renewing it. On June 1, 2007, the Umbilical Brothers announced on their website that the series would not be renewed for a second season, and that Nickelodeon USA had decided to end The Upside Down Show after a single season. Unlike Nickelodeon USA, the Australian branch of Nickelodeon was strongly committed to the series and wanted to continue it.

Broadcast

In the United States, the series was first shown on the main Nickelodeon channel as a "sneak peek" on 13 October 2006. Afterward, the series was shown exclusively on Noggin, which aired the show's 13 episodes over a month-long period from October to November 2006. Noggin aired the episodes slightly out of order; it showed "Art Museum" and "Farm" (episodes 3 and 11) as the premiere episodes, then aired the remainder of the show in its original production order. In Australia, Nickelodeon premiered the episodes on a more sporadic schedule; the series debuted on 25 August 2006 and did not air the last episode until February 2007.

Unfinished finale movie

In September 2008, the Umbilical Brothers announced that "there is a script in development for a movie version of The Upside Down Show." In January 2010, David Collins announced that the script had been finished, and that the project would be titled The Upside Down Movie and act as a series finale. Collins also confirmed that Nickelodeon Australia was "hugely supportive of trying to get the film made and have been partially funding the script development." The Umbilical Brothers started an online petition to demonstrate public support of the movie, but the project did not receive enough support from outside investors to start filming. In March 2017, Collins stated that he was still trying to find support for the movie.

Characters

David, Shane, the Schmuzzies, Mrs. Foil, and Puppet are featured in every episode. Some of the other characters (the Action Fingers, Fido, Spot, and Bob) are imaginary figures or objects personified by David and Shane.

  • David – The older of the two brothers who wears a striped polo shirt and tan-colored shorts. He has super-sensitive hearing and a super-sensitive sense of smell. He is more laid-back than Shane but still tends to get distracted by small things. He loves the Schmuzzies and acts as their good friend, translator, and mentor. He was played by David Collins.
  • Shane – David's younger brother, who wears brown pants and a blue T-shirt with a fast forward symbol on it. He is more frenetic and hyperactive than David, but he is also a quicker thinker and comes up with many interesting ideas. Shane tends to get annoyed by the unpredictable nature of the Remote, since it often interrupts his daily activities. He was played by Shane Dundas.
  • Mrs. Foil – The brothers' friendly, off-beat neighbor who lives in a different apartment. She is blonde and plays the tuba, which she brings with her even when swimming and camping. She tends to appear in odd places at odd times, including many of the "Wrong Turn" rooms, where she is often dressed up in different costumes. She was played by Amanda Bishop.
  • Puppet – The brothers' sidekick, roommate, and best friend. He dreams of becoming an actor and film director, and he can often be found practicing monologues or writing screenplays. He is interested in Shakespeare and enjoys playing unconventional roles. He is generally more rational than Shane and David, but is often just as silly as the boys. Puppet was performed and voiced by puppeteer Mat McCoy. He speaks in an American accent.
  • The Schmuzzies – A group of small, fuzzy, dustball-like creatures who live throughout the apartment. They come in a wide range of bright colors and speak a language called Schmuzzish, which is made up of rhyming sounds and modified English words ("Schmello, Schmuzzies!"). Shane is afraid of them and sees them as pests, while David is good friends with them and is fluent in their language. The Schmuzzies were performed and voiced by three puppeteers: Emma de Vries, Virginia Goodfellow, and Alice Osborne.
  • The Voice – An authoritative male voice who sometimes speaks to Shane and David, generally reminding them to knock before entering a room. The Voice sometimes asks for specific types of knocks before letting the boys into a room. He was voiced by Adam Smillie.
  • Action Fingers – Shane and David's superhero alter-egos, played by their hands with two fingers used as legs. They are named Knuckles (on Shane's left hand) and Pointy (on David's right hand). The Action Fingers appear whenever there is a small problem that needs solving, and their moves are accompanied by dramatic theme music. Their name is a pun on "action figures."
  • Fido the Fly – Fido is Shane's imaginary pet fly who lives behind a tiny door in the apartment. He is an avid tennis player, enjoys techno dance music, and plays the trumpet. Fido communicates by buzzing (voiced by Shane), which only Shane can understand.
  • Spot the Chair – Spot is David's pet chair. He likes to play a game called "Fly on the Chair" with Fido, whom he is good friends with. With the help of the Remote's "rotate" button, he is able to roll over. He only appears in "Pet Shop" and very briefly in "Picnic."
  • Bob the Blanket – Bob is a talking white blanket belonging to David, who also performs his voice. He speaks in a rough voice with an American accent and employs a sardonic wit. He likes to make sarcastic comments, especially toward Shane. Bob appears in "Barbershop" and "Camping."

Episode structure

Each episode begins with a cold opening showing one or both brothers in the middle of an activity. David introduces "the Remote" by pretending to hold a remote control. He explains that the Remote can control the action on-screen. He demonstrates by pressing various buttons, which control Shane's actions. The remote also has "wild card" buttons that cause strange or undesired effects. The main one is the "Upside Down" button, which causes the camera to shift to an upside down shot and can only be undone with the "Right Side Up" button. After explaining it, David offers the Remote to the viewer and gives it to them by reaching off-screen. The brothers ask the viewer to "press the Play button" to start the episode. This results in the viewer accidentally pressing the wrong button and putting the brothers in a bizarre situation.

The brothers encourage the viewer to press a button that will reverse the effect. The brothers commonly tell the viewers not to press the wrong button again, which results in a repeat of the same situation before the viewer is again encouraged to reverse the effect. Finally, the boys ask the viewer to press play, which starts the show's theme sequence. This sequence features the Action Fingers running and jumping over the show's title and credits. It ends with them running up to the apartment door, knocking on it, and opening it.

The episodes always begin in Shane and David's living room. Every episode features their sidekick Puppet and the Schmuzzies, who live with the brothers in their apartment. The central objective of each story is for Shane and David to get to a certain location. The brothers spend the episode searching for the location through the various doors, windows, and other places in their apartment. The brothers occasionally request help from the viewers, asking them to press buttons on their remote. Their journey takes them to three "Wrong Turn" rooms. The brothers' neighbor Mrs. Foil appears in the different rooms in various costumes, either helping them on their quest or unintentionally causing more trouble for them.

At one point on their journey, the brothers always encounter a child who teaches them something and sets them on the correct path. Eventually, they locate their destination "for the very first time" and visit the place in fast motion. The show ends with Shane and David back in their apartment. During the last few minutes of the show, they give the viewer an imaginary souvenir to thank them for their help throughout the episode.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
Pilot"Pilot"TBDTBDApril 2005 (2005-04) (MIPTV screening)
Unaired (TV)		None
Nickelodeon commissioned an unaired pilot episode of the show, which started production in December 2004 and was screened at MIPTV Media Market in April 2005. The pilot episode followed David and Shane searching for the beach, with early versions of the Schmuzzies, Mrs. Foil, and Puppet (who was named "Stretch" at the time). The storyline of the pilot was eventually rewritten and adapted for the episode "Beach," but no footage from the pilot was used.
1"Movie Theater"Julie MoneyJoseph Mazzarino25 August 2006 (2006-08-25) (Nick Australia)
18 October 2006 (2006-10-18) (Noggin)		101
Puppet directs a movie starring David and Shane as spacemen, pirates, and cowboys. While Puppet prepares for the movie's premiere, David and Shane try to find the movie theater. First, they find Mrs. Foil's laundry room, where they mistake spinning laundry for their film. There, the Action Fingers help two socks reunite with each other. Next, David and Shane find a dance studio, where they see themselves in a mirror and believe it is their film. On their way to another room, the brothers are stopped by the Schmuzzies, who play a rhyming game with them before letting them to the next room. The room turns out to be a white void with a single chair, which they mistake for a theater seat. In the end, the brothers discover a door with their faces on it. It turns out to be a poster for their movie, revealing the theater.
2"Barbershop"Julie MoneyJudy Freudberg20 October 2006 (2006-10-20)102
After visiting the Very Hairy Room, Shane grows a head full of hair and is afraid to get a haircut. David and Puppet give Shane an imaginary haircut, but he needs a real one at a barbershop. They look for one and find the Very Very Hairy Room, which just makes Shane's hair longer. Next, they find hairbrushes growing like plants in the Hairbrush Room and being used as microphones in the Concert Room, but they do not find anything to cut hair with. Shane's hair grows so long that the Schmuzzies move into it, which makes him rush to find the barbershop. He does, and Mrs. Foil acts as the barber, bringing Shane back to his old bald self.
3"Art Museum"Julie MoneyBilly Aronson16 October 2006 (2006-10-16)103
Shane creates an artistic masterpiece and tries to hang it on a door, but Puppet keeps opening it to practice dramatic entrances. Shane tries to put his art on the fridge and even on Mrs. Foil, but he and David decide that it belongs in an art museum instead. They search for it and find the Sticky Room, where everything gets stuck to each other; the Fog Room, where it is too foggy to see Shane's painting; and the Museum of Finger Painting, where a boy shows the brothers how to finger paint. David and Shane eventually open the door to their stuff closet, which leads them to a real art museum. There, Mrs. Foil leads a tour group of Schmuzzies to see Shane's artwork.
4"Pet Shop"Peter CudlippTony Geiss23 October 2006 (2006-10-23)104
David is jealous of Shane's pet fly, Fido, and decides that he wants a pet of his own. Puppet volunteers to play the role of his pet, but David says he thinks of Puppet more as a friend. David and Shane search for a pet shop in the Puppy Room, but there are no puppies to adopt. They later ask a parrot for directions in the Parrot Room, but the parrot just repeats whatever they say. The Schmuzzies make some rhyming suggestions about which pet David should get (all ending with "-oon"), which ends up opening a door to the Moon. In the end, David finds a pet shop run by Mrs. Foil, and he decides to take Mrs. Foil's chair home as his new pet: Spot the Chair.
5"Camping"Peter CudlippP. Kevin Strader25 October 2006 (2006-10-25)105
After reading a bedtime story to the Schmuzzies and singing a lullaby for Puppet, David and Shane try to go to bed. They discover that their bedrooms have been replaced with a marching band and a stampede of elephants, so they set out to find somewhere else to sleep. First, David and Shane find the Snoring Room, where loud snoring keeps them from sleeping. Next, they find beds in the Wake Up Room, but everything in the room is designed to wake them up. Finally, they enter the Shape Room and mistake two shapes for beds, until a girl explains what the shapes are. In the end, they find Mrs. Foil's campsite, where they sleep in sleeping bags.
6"Picnic"Peter CudlippLuis Santeiro27 October 2006 (2006-10-27)106
Puppet and the brothers take Shane's pet fly, Fido, on his first-ever picnic. The brothers search for a spot to have their picnic and find three places: the Sandwich Room, where they get their picnic food; the No-Room Room, where it is too cramped for a picnic; and the Wind Room, where gusts of wind prevent them from setting up the picnic. David and Shane give up and think they will never have a picnic for Fido. Shane tries to cheer Fido up with a ditty (later joined a reluctant David, Puppet, and the Schmuzzies), but nothing works until Fido's family comes over and leads the group to a perfect picnic spot outside. There, they play picnic games with Mrs. Foil and throw Puppet around like a ball.
7"Airport"Julie MoneyJoseph Mazzarino30 October 2006 (2006-10-30)107
The Schmuzzies tell Puppet that his cousin, Mary Annette, is coming to visit and is waiting at the airport. Puppet needs to rehearse his family's traditional welcome song, so David and Shane offer to pick Mary Annette up. They search for the airport and end up in the Bird Room, which makes them act like birds. They fly away into the Paper Airplane Room, where the Action Fingers help refold Mrs. Foil's paper airplane. Third, David and Shane jump into a dictionary and find a room filled with words, where a girl teaches them "plane" in sign language. After the brothers take part in Puppet's welcome song, Puppet suggests climbing the ceiling to find the airport, which works and brings Mary Annette to the apartment.
8"Beach"Julie MoneyJudy Freudberg1 November 2006 (2006-11-01)108
When David and Shane lose their beach ball, Puppet suggests looking for it at the beach. David and Shane find three rooms with beach-like qualities, but none of them are the beach. The Underwater Room has water but no sand, the Desert Room has sand but no water, and the South Pole is too cold to be a beach. The Schmuzzies try to tell the brothers that they have seen the "schmeach schmall," but by the time David translates for the Schmuzzies, the beach ball is gone. Eventually, David and Shane find a door with water and sand coming out from under it, which leads them to the beach. They reunite with their beach ball, play around in the sand, and accidentally ruin Mrs. Foil's sand castle. Luckily, the Action Fingers rebuild it, and the brothers leave the beach after giving their beach ball to Mrs. Foil as a gift.
9"Marching Band"Julie MoneyBilly Aronson6 November 2006 (2006-11-06)109
David and Shane invent their own imaginary instruments and want to join the local marching band. Puppet wants to join as well: at first, he tries to be a bandleader and leads the Schmuzzies around the apartment, but he later decides he would rather be the bandleader's baton instead. David and Shane find the Funny Music Room, where every object makes a melody, and the Marching Room, where four kids show the brothers how to march. They even find the Sky Room, where they join a singing bird's band, but there is nowhere to march. Eventually, David and Shane follow the sound of an orchestra and find the marching band, where Puppet is the baton and Mrs. Foil plays her tuba full of Schmuzzies.
10"Birthday Party"Julie MoneyP. Kevin Strader8 November 2006 (2006-11-08)110
The Schmuzzies are throwing a "Schmirthday Schmarty" and invite Puppet and Mrs. Foil. Puppet gives invitations to David, Shane, and the viewers as well. With no directions on their invitations, the brothers try to figure out where the party is being held. They search in the No-Fun Room, where Mrs. Foil tells them no celebrations are allowed. They look in the Surprise Room, where there are surprises behind every door but no parties. David and Shane follow a "Happy Birthday" singer to the Opera Room, but it turns out that it is just an opera about a birthday. The brothers return to their apartment, where they discover that the party is for them.
11"Farm"Peter CudlippJoseph Mazzarino16 October 2006 (2006-10-16)111
The apartment residents have a band called the Talking Airheads, which features Shane on guitar; David on drums and a cowbell; the Schmuzzies on the marimba; Fido the Fly on trumpet; and Puppet as the songwriter. The band faces a setback when David's cowbell, attached to an imaginary cow named Clarabelle, disappears. David and Shane try to find the cowbell in the Great Big Bell Room, where Mrs. Foil has a giant bell but no cowbells. They fish for the cowbell in a boat out at sea, where they help Mrs. Foil go "tuba diving" with her tuba, and go for a ride in the Bicycle Room. All the while, Puppet tries to bring Clarabelle to the apartment by playing farm songs, which inspires David and Shane to look for her at Mrs. Foil's farm. They find Clarabelle and bring her back for their big musical performance.
12"Ice Cream Truck"Peter CudlippBilly Aronson10 November 2006 (2006-11-10)112
Puppet teaches David and Shane about ice cream. The brothers decide that they must try some, so they search for the ice cream truck. They find the Frozen Room, where an ice-skating Mrs. Foil has ice cream of her own, and the "This Way" Room, where the ice cream truck is on the wrong side and cannot be reached. They stumble into an ice cream game show hosted by Mrs. Foil, but the brothers lose the game after failing to scoop ice cream the right way. Back at the apartment, the Schmuzzies have gotten entire tubs of ice cream for themselves, and they show David and Shane where Mrs. Foil's ice cream truck is. The brothers have trouble waiting their turn, but they finally get some ice cream from Mrs. Foil.
13"Mini Golf"Peter CudlippJoseph Mazzarino and Josh Weidman13 November 2006 (2006-11-13) (Noggin)
2 February 2007 (2007-02-02) (Nick Australia)		113
David and Shane are baffled when a mysterious orange sphere (a mini golf ball) appears in their living room. At first, they think it is a planet and journey to outer space to return it. An alien explains that planets are much bigger, and the brothers fall back to Earth, accidentally dropping the ball with a pair of playful Schmuzzies. Next, the brothers think the orange thing is an orange fruit, but Mrs. Foil explains how real oranges are very different. David and Shane decide it must be a ball and try to play with it on a basketball court, but it does not bounce. Puppet uses the thing as "Yorick" for a Shakespearean monologue and tells the brothers what it actually is, prompting them to visit the mini golf course, where they play golf with Mrs. Foil.

Home media

Despite only having 13 episodes, the series has had a total of eight separate DVD releases. On 19 January 2012, Nickelodeon released all 13 episodes to DVD as a manufacture on demand Amazon exclusive. In Australia, the show's episodes were released across six DVD volumes, each containing 2-3 episodes. Each DVD disc was made to look like one of the Schmuzzies. The Umbilical Brothers also temporarily sold an exclusive "Complete Series" DVD collection on their website, which combined the previous six volumes onto a two-disc DVD set. The collection was discontinued in 2015 and has since become unavailable online.

Since 2018, the Umbilical Brothers have uploaded the entire series to their public YouTube channel, making every episode available to view for free. In the descriptions of several uploads, David Collins included behind-the-scenes trivia about the episodes.

Reception

Critical reception

The series was critically acclaimed for its humor and broad appeal. Larisa Wiseman of Common Sense Media gave the series a 5-star review, calling it "refreshingly original; each episode is filled with clever jokes, puns, music, and tons of physical humor." Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "The Upside Down Show is not only good, but good for you ... But what matters most is that it is delightful ... I noticed, as I watched the show for the first time, that I was sitting cross-legged on the floor about a foot from the TV screen, absolutely entranced." Susan Stewart of The New York Times thought the series was "perfectly calibrated" for children and older viewers. Entertainment Weekly's Eileen Clarke wrote, "Tired of all that 'educational' stuff on TV for kids? Here’s a show that will let them wallow in the wacky, surf in complete silliness, and bandy in the bizarre." Canadian TV producer Pat Ellingson said "adults will get a kick out of the hosts' comic stylings." Writing for The Sydney Morning Herald, Evan McEvoy called the series "good enough to steal a few viewers from adult morning TV."

Awards

The Upside Down Show received three awards, all in 2007. Because the series was written and produced in America and filmed in Australia, it was eligible for awards in both countries. The show's opening theme won the Creative Craft Daytime Emmy Award for Main Title Design. The series also received a Parents' Choice Award Silver Honor for Television. Nick Jr. Australia received a Logie Award for The Upside Down Show in the category Most Outstanding Children's Program.

Notes

  1. Nickelodeon Australia produced the pilot episode and provided funding for the main series.

References

  1. Stewart, Susan (16 October 2006). "Press Play to Control the Grown-Ups". The New York Times. Their dialogue ranges from cutely inane to delightful and dovetails beautifully with their physical comedy.
  2. Cooper, Marnie (16 September 2006). "TV shows aplenty for the juice-box kids -- Networks put on their thinking caps to develop quality programs". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, TN: Gannett.
  3. ^ Kaplan, Don (27 December 2006). "Quitting Kids TV – 'Upside' Duo Talk About Getting Out Just As Hit Series Is Getting Started". New York Post. Bald-headed Shane Dundas and frizzyhaired David Collins who play brothers and use slapstick
  4. ^ "Sesame, Nick go Upside Down". C21 Media. 17 March 2005. New York's Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon Australia and local prodco Blink Films are coproducing a new preschool series, The Upside Down Show.
  5. ^ "The Umbilical Brothers – Speedmouse: The Return Of The Roadie at Royalty Theatre – Adelaide Fringe Interview". The Clothesline. 25 February 2016.
  6. ^ Collins, David (30 January 2010). "Grab Your Remotes and Click for an Upside Down Movie!". This petition will show investors with insight and imagination that there is a great love of the show and they should join forces with Nickelodeon Australia (who by the way has been hugely supportive of trying to get the film made and have been partially funding the script development, but I digress).
  7. ^ Collins, David (9 March 2017). "The Umbilical Brothers on Facebook". Out of curiosity - How many of you would like to see an Upside Down Show Movie? I have 2 hrs to collate likes and shares. Aaaand go.
  8. Collins, David (18 January 2019). The Upside Down Show: 'Camping' Fun Fact.
  9. ^ Collins, David (3 September 2019). "The Upside Down Show pilot photos".
  10. ^ Collins, David (2 September 2019). The Upside Down Show: 'Beach' Fun Fact. This is a re-imagining of our pilot episode where we went to the beach. The pilot was a little different, and included the art department making the lounge room upside down, with everything, including the couch stuck to the ceiling.
  11. ^ "Noggin Orders 'Upside Down'". TVWeek. 6 December 2005.
  12. "The Umbilical Brothers - Home". 19 June 2007. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 19 June 2007 suggested (help)
  13. "TV Listings: Friday, October 13, 2006". Newspapers.com. Boston, MA: The Boston Globe. 8 October 2006.
  14. ^ "Preschoolers Take Control of Their Own Virtual TV Remote on NOGGIN's New Original Series, The Upside Down Show Premiering Monday, October 16". PR Newswire. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020.
  15. ^ "The Upside Down Show - Starts August 25th @ 6:35PM on Nick Jr". Nickelodeon Australia. ViacomCBS. Archived from the original on 19 August 2006.
  16. "The Umbilical Brothers on Facebook". 21 September 2008. There are no new episodes for the Upside Down Show...there is a script in development for a movie version of the Upside Down Show.
  17. "Nick Jr. Characters: Mrs. Foil". Nick Jr. Australia. ViacomCBS. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  18. "Nick Jr. Characters: Puppet". Nick Jr. Australia. ViacomCBS. Archived from the original on 19 August 2006.
  19. "Nick Jr. Characters: The Schmuzzies". Nick Jr. Australia. ViacomCBS. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006.
  20. "The Upside Down Show: Movie Theater". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. First Aired: October 18, 2006
  21. ^ "The Upside Down Show - Amazon Video". Amazon Video. Amazon. {{cite web}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)
  22. ^ "Nick Jr. The Upside Down Show - Episode Guide". NickJr.com. ViacomCBS. 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  23. "The Upside Down Show: Barbershop". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. First Aired: October 20, 2006
  24. "The Upside Down Show: Art Museum". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. First Aired: October 16, 2006
  25. "The Upside Down Show: Pet Shop". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. First Aired: October 23, 2006
  26. "The Upside Down Show: Camping". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. First Aired: October 25, 2006
  27. "The Upside Down Show: Picnic". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. First Aired: October 27, 2006
  28. "The Upside Down Show: Airport". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. First Aired: October 30, 2006
  29. "The Upside Down Show: Beach". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. First Aired: November 1, 2006
  30. "The Upside Down Show: Marching Band". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. First Aired: November 6, 2006
  31. "The Upside Down Show: Birthday Party". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. First Aired: November 8, 2006
  32. "The Upside Down Show: Ice Cream Truck". Zap2it. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. First Aired: November 10, 2006
  33. "The Upside Down Show Season 1 DVD". Nickelodeon. Amazon. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012.
  34. ^ "The Umbilical Brothers - The Upside Down Show Playlist". YouTube. November 2018.
  35. Wiseman, Larisa (2006). "The Upside Down Show TV Review". Common Sense Media. Jim Steyer.
  36. Lloyd, Robert (18 October 2006). "Not only good, but good for you".
  37. Stewart, Susan (16 October 2006). "Press Play to Control the Grown-Ups". The New York Times.
  38. Clarke, Eileen (12 October 2006). "A show that goes Upside Down? Whoa..." Entertainment Weekly.
  39. Stewart, Lianne (September 2006). "Broadband or bust: Canuck nets ramp up non-linznch strategies" (PDF). Kidscreen. p. 104.
  40. McEvoy, Evan (17 October 2007). "The Upside Down Show". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  41. "Complete list of 2007 Creative Craft Daytime Emmy Award winners". Los Angeles Times.
  42. "Parents' Choice Awards: Spring 2007 Television". Parents' Choice.
  43. "49th Annual TV Week Logie Awards (2007)". TV Week. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  44. "Noggin's Aussie show puts kids in control". C21 Media. 7 December 2005. The 13-episode series, a copro between Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon Australia and Aussie prodco Blink Films, features comedy duo The Umbilical Brothers.

External links

Noggin original programming
TV channel
Daytime block
The N block
Streaming service
See also
Categories: