Peep and the Big Wide World

Season 52004

Peep and the Big Wide World is an animated cartoon that teaches nature and basic science concepts to preschoolers. The main characters include a yellow baby chick named Peep and his friends Quack, a teenaged blue drake, and Chirp, a baby red robin with pink eyelids. The current show, narrated by Joan Cusack is based on a National Film Board of Canada cartoon short of the same name, created in 1988 by Kaj Pindal and narrated by Peter Ustinov, and another short, "The Peep Show", from 1962. The original short comprised three 10-minute films featuring Peep, Quack, and Chirp as they meet a cat, a ladybug, a turtle and a frog who speaks from both sides of his mouth. The show is produced by WGBH in Boston and 9 Story Entertainment in Toronto, Canada. In the US, this show formerly aired on Discovery Kids as part of its commercial-free and sponsor-free "Ready, Set, Learn!" programming block. It now airs nationally in the United States on public television, distributed by American Public Television. In Canada, it airs on TVOntario. DVDs and books are also available for purchase. Peep and the Big Wide World is currently sponsored by the National Science Foundation in conjunction with WGBH-TV as part of an education and outreach program. The principal investigator is Kate Taylor, also of the ZOOM block. The National Science Foundation is the only permanent sponsor of the show. Northrop Grumman, The Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Toyota funded the show for only season two. The Discovery Kids Foundation funded the show for only season one. In 1999, the show was produced by Clumsy PriStar Television. The VHS copies are produced from Clumsy Pristar's home viewings.

52 Episodes

    E01 Spring Thing / Springy Thingy

    SPRING THING: The birds fear that it will be winter forever, until they discover one small purple flower poking up through the snow. SPRINGY THINGY: Peep learns about springs as he jumps on a mattress at the dump, and discovers an old jack-in-the-box.

    April 12, 2004

    E02 A Duck's Tale / Quack's Tracks

    A DUCK'S TALE: Quack fears that he doesn't have anything as cool as a Skunk's smell, until he is reminded by Chirp of "The Power Of Duck Feet." QUACK'S TRACKS: On the first snowy day of winter, Peep loses Quack, learns about footprints, and builds a snow duck.

    April 13, 2004

    E03 Quack And The Very Big Rock / Shadow Play

    QUACK AND THE VERY BIG ROCK: When a rock blocks the path between Quack's pond and Peep's can, the birds must call on all their friends to help clear the way. SHADOW PLAY: Peep, Quack, and Chirp discover their shadows, then use them to teach Tom the cat a lesson.

    April 14, 2004

    E04 Current Events / Quack Loses His Hat

    CURRENT EVENTS: Peep and Chirp run into trouble when they try to take a boat out to Green Island; luckily, Quack the duck comes to their rescue. QUACK LOSES HIS HAT: Peep learns that some things can float, and his new knowledge comes in handy when the Blue Jays trap Quack inside a tall jar.

    April 15, 2004

    E05 Night Light / Sounds Like...

    NIGHT LIGHT: Quack and Peep experiment with shadows when they find a flashlight in the dump at night. SOUNDS LIKE...: Chirp and Peep get lost after taking a long walk to find a quiet spot, and must use the sounds they heard on their way to the spot to find their way back home.

    April 16, 2004

    E06 The Windy Day / Peep Feet

    THE WINDY DAY: Chirp is blown up into a tree while trying to use the wind to help her fly; it's up to Hoot the owl to bring her back home. PEEP FEET: The birds discover that everyone has their own way of measuring distances, so their new standard of measurment will be "Peep Feet."

    April 19, 2004

    E07 Newton's Big Adventure / Peep Crosses The Road

    NEWTON'S BIG ADVENTURE: Newton decides to move away from his favorite spot under the apple tree, and encounters flowers, a box of cookies, and a colony of ants. PEEP CROSSES THE ROAD: Peep ventures across the road and uses the sewer flowing under the road to get back home.

    April 20, 2004

    E08 Stormy Weather / Peep In Rabbitland

    STORMY WEATHER: Peep, Chirp, and Quack experience their first thunderstorm. PEEP IN RABBITLAND: Peep falls into a rabbit hole and considers moving in with some baby bunnies.

    April 21, 2004

    E09 Quack's Stuck Stick / Peep's Can

    QUACK'S STUCK STICK: Quack finds an amazing stick (a pinwheel), only to have it stolen by Beaver Boy for use in the family dam. PEEP'S CAN: Peep narrates this tale of how a one-day-old Peep came to live in a tin can.

    April 22, 2004

    E10 Under Duck / All Fall Down

    UNDER DUCK: Quack discovers that he's not alone in his pond - a whole school of fish live there too. ALL FALL DOWN: Squeak warns the birds that the falling leaves of autumn mean that soon the entire sky will fall down, and it's up to Peep to find out the truth from Newton.

    April 23, 2004

    E11 The Perils of Peep And Chirp / Hoop Tricks

    THE PERILS OF PEEP AND CHIRP: Cold weather causes Big Bay to freeze over, and Peep and Chirp decide to walk on the ice to Green Island; they run into trouble, however, when the day begins to warm up. HOOP TRICKS: The birds find plenty of uses for a jangly bracelet, even though they don't know what it is; now they just need to protect it from those annoying Blue Jays.

    April 26, 2004

    E12 Save It For Later / The Red Ballmoon

    SAVE IT FOR LATER: Chirp's acorn collection is ruined when Quack takes a bite out of her favorite acorn; the birds search for a replacement. THE RED BALLMOON: The birds find a bunch of balloons and Chirp uses the red balloon to take her first flight.

    April 27, 2004

    E13 Chirp Builds A Nest / Stuck Duck

    CHIRP BUILDS A NEST: Chirp decides that a nest is the key to flying, and Peep helps her build a nest in the model of Nellie's doghouse. STUCK DUCK: Quack gets stuck in a hollow log, and Peep and Chirp consult many different animals for ideas on how to get him out.

    April 28, 2004

    E14 The Real Decoy / Peep's Lost Leaf

    PEEP'S LOST LEAF: On a windy fall day, Peep spots the perfect red-and-gold leaf; the birds chase after it as the wind blows it around.

    April 29, 2004

    E15 Birds of a Feather / The Incredible Shrinking Duck

    THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING DUCK: The birds are excited to see snow for the first time, and Quack builds a snow duck as handsome as he is; he soon learns, however, that snow ducks don't last forever.

    April 30, 2004

    E16 Go West Young Peep / A Delicate Balance

    A DELICATE BALANCE: Chirp uses Peep and Quack as counter balance on a ramp so she can reach some yummy sunflower seeds.

    May 3, 2004

    E17 The Fish Museum / Peep's Night Out

    THE FISH MUSEUM: Fish Jr. wants to make a fish museum at the bottom of Quack's pond with Quack collecting stuff from above. PEEP'S NIGHT OUT: Peep follows Squeak out into the night and meets fireflies, bats, and a snail.

    May 4, 2004

    E18 There's No Place Like Home / Flipping Newton

    FLIPPING NEWTON: Newton gets stuck upside down, and the birds figure out how to use a stick as a lever to get him turned right side up.

    May 5, 2004

    E19 Chirp's Flight Program / Mirror Mirror in the Dump

    CHIRP'S FLIGHT PROGRAM: Chirp decides to study other birds to figure out how to fly. MIRROR MIRROR IN THE DUMP: The birds find a mirror in the dump and Quack can't pry himself away from his lovely image.

    May 6, 2004

    E20 Bridge the Gap / Meeting Half-Way

    BRIDGE THE GAP: The birds must build a bridge to reach a pile of pinecones on the other side of a ravine. MEETING HALF-WAY: Newton and Willow, another turtle who lives over the hill, decide they would like to meet, and they need help from Chirp and Peep to determine the midway point between their homes.

    May 7, 2004

    E21 Peep Plants a Seed / The Root Problem

    THE ROOT PROBLEM: Quack discovers a ""snake"" -- really a stick -- poking into his pond and the birds try to dig it up, only to discover that it is attached to Newton's apple tree.

    May 10, 2004

    E22 Hide and Go Peep / A Peep of a Different Color

    HIDE AND GO PEEP: The birds discover a new game when Peep accidentally ""hides"" between some rocks, and soon figure out that hiding is easier when you are surrounded by objects that are the same colour as yourself. A PEEP OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: Peep and Chirp discover a set of paints at the dump, and use them to turn Peep red, Chirp blue, and Quack yellow.

    May 11, 2004

    E23 That's a Cat / Faster than a Duck

    FASTER THAN A DUCK: Quack challenges Chirp to a footrace and soon everyone else -- a rabbit, a squirrel, Beaver Boy, Newton, Squeak, and an ant -- get in on the action.

    May 12, 2004

    E24 Quack Hatches an Egg / The Whatchamacallit

    THE WHATCHAMACALLIT: Raccoon promises the birds that he has the coolest thing ever for them to see, but the birds are more excited about an old drainpipe that makes an excellent slide.

    May 13, 2004

    E25 Wandering Beaver / Peep's New Friend

    PEEP'S NEW FRIEND: Peep befriends a caterpillar and is surprised when he turns into a butterfly.

    May 14, 2004

    E26 The Trip to Green Island / Give Me a Call

    THE TRIP TO GREEN ISLAND: Quack finally manages to transport Peep and Chirp out to Green Island (""the ducks' paradise"") and the birds fear that this is their last adventure -- only to discover that the world is much bigger and wider than they imagined. GIVE ME A CALL: Quack searches for the source of an annoying sound.

    May 17, 2004

    E27 The Real Decoy

    PEEP CROSSES THE ROAD: Peep ventures across the road and uses the sewer flowing under the road to get back home.

    April 29, 2004

    E28 Peep's Lost Leaf

    PEEP'S LOST LEAF: On a windy fall day, Peep spots the perfect red-and-gold leaf; the birds chase after it as the wind blows it around.

    April 29, 2004

    E29 Birds Of A Feather / The Incredible Shrinking Duck

    STORMY WEATHER: Peep, Chirp, and Quack experience their first thunderstorm.

    April 30, 2004

    E30 The Incredible Shrinking Duck

    THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING DUCK: The birds are excited to see snow for the first time, and Quack builds a snow duck as handsome as he is; he soon learns, however, that snow ducks don't last forever.

    April 30, 2004

    E31 Go West Young Peep

    PEEP IN RABBITLAND: Peep falls into a rabbit hole and considers moving in with some baby bunnies.

    May 3, 2004

    E32 A Delicate Balance

    A DELICATE BALANCE: Chirp uses Peep and Quack as counter balance on a ramp so she can reach some yummy sunflower seeds.

    May 3, 2004

    E33 The Fish Museum

    QUACK'S STUCK STICK: Quack finds an amazing stick (a pinwheel), only to have it stolen by Beaver Boy for use in the family dam.

    May 4, 2004

    E34 Peep's Night Out

    PEEP'S NIGHT OUT: Peep follows Squeak out into the night and meets fireflies, bats, and a snail.

    May 4, 2004

    E35 There's No Place Like Home

    PEEP'S CAN: Peep narrates this tale of how a one-day-old Peep came to live in a tin can.

    May 5, 2004

    E36 Flipping Newton

    FLIPPING NEWTON: Newton gets stuck upside down, and the birds figure out how to use a stick as a lever to get him turned right side up.

    May 5, 2004

    E37 Chirp's Flight Program

    CHIRP'S FLIGHT PROGRAM: Chirp decides to study other birds to figure out how to fly.

    May 6, 2004

    E38 Mirror Mirror In The Dump

    MIRROR MIRROR IN THE DUMP: The birds find a mirror in the dump and Quack can't pry himself away from his lovely image.

    May 6, 2004

    E39 Bridge The Gap

    BRIDGE THE GAP: The birds must build a bridge to reach a pile of pinecones on the other side of a ravine.

    May 7, 2004

    E40 Meeting Half-Way

    MEETING HALF-WAY: Newton and Willow, another turtle who lives over the hill, decide they would like to meet, and they need help from Chirp and Peep to determine the midway point between their homes.

    May 7, 2004

    E41 Peep Plants A Seed

    THE PERILS OF PEEP AND CHIRP: Cold weather causes Big Bay to freeze over, and Peep and Chirp decide to walk on the ice to Green Island; they run into trouble, however, when the day begins to warm up.

    May 10, 2004

    E42 The Root Problem

    THE ROOT PROBLEM: Quack discovers a ""snake"" -- really a stick -- poking into his pond and the birds try to dig it up, only to discover that it is attached to Newton's apple tree.

    May 10, 2004

    E43 Hide And Go Peep

    HIDE AND GO PEEP: The birds discover a new game when Peep accidentally ""hides"" between some rocks, and soon figure out that hiding is easier when you are surrounded by objects that are the same colour as yourself.

    May 11, 2004

    E44 A Peep Of A Different Color

    A PEEP OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: Peep and Chirp discover a set of paints at the dump, and use them to turn Peep red, Chirp blue, and Quack yellow.

    May 11, 2004

    E45 That's A Cat

    SAVE IT FOR LATER: Chirp's acorn collection is ruined when Quack takes a bite out of her favourite acorn; the birds search for a replacement.

    May 12, 2004

    E46 Faster Than A Duck

    FASTER THAN A DUCK: Quack challenges Chirp to a footrace and soon everyone else -- a rabbit, a squirrel, Beaver Boy, Newton, Squeak, and an ant -- get in on the action.

    May 12, 2004

    E47 Quack Hatches An Egg

    THE RED BALLMOON: The birds find a bunch of balloons and Chirp uses the red balloon to take her first flight.

    May 13, 2004

    E48 The Whatchamacallit

    THE WHATCHAMACALLIT: Raccoon promises the birds that he has the coolest thing ever for them to see, but the birds are more excited about an old drainpipe that makes an excellent slide.

    May 13, 2004

    E49 Wandering Beaver / Peep's New Friend

    CHIRP BUILDS A NEST: Chirp decides that a nest is the key to flying, and Peep helps her build a nest in the model of Nellie's doghouse.

    May 14, 2004

    E50 Peep's New Friend

    PEEP'S NEW FRIEND: Peep befriends a caterpillar and is surprised when he turns into a butterfly.

    May 14, 2004

    E51 The Trip To Green Island

    THE TRIP TO GREEN ISLAND: Quack finally manages to transport Peep and Chirp out to Green Island (""the ducks' paradise"") and the birds fear that this is their last adventure -- only to discover that the world is much bigger and wider than they imagined.

    May 17, 2004

    E52 Give Me A Call

    STUCK DUCK: Quack gets stuck in a hollow log, and Peep and Chirp consult many different animals for ideas on how to get him out.

    May 17, 2004