‘Yo Gabba GabbaLand!’ Revives a Cult Kids Show
This reboot features the same characters and still emphasizes music and dance while seeking to “make the world of Gabba an actual place,” a creator said.When “Yo Gabba Gabba!” premiered on Nickelodeon in 2007, the series looked and sounded like nothing else on children’s TV. It starred five toys that have come to life, including Brobee; a half-broccoli, half-bee hybrid with a bushy black unibrow; and Muno, a giant Cyclops with bumps all over his cherry-red body. Preschool viewers, typically treated to less challenging musical fare, heard performances from acts like Bootsy Collins, the Roots, My Chemical Romance and Weezer.Like Disney theme parks, the music and dance-centric show sought to entertain children while also appealing to their parents, a particularly tough task for shows aimed at the preschool set. In many ways it succeeded, garnering a loyal fan base that spanned generations.The show eventually became a kind of cultural phenomenon, spawning a live touring show and a line of toys, and showing up at places as dissimilar as the Marvel series “WandaVision” and Coachella. At the concerts, fans could sing along to lyrics about, say, worms and centipedes hanging out underground (“Follow the Oskie Bugs”) or carrots and green beans that get sad if you don’t eat them (“Party in My Tummy”).“I do think that’s part of the beauty of the show,” said Scott Schultz, who created the show with Christian Jacobs. “It’s confusing, but in a fun way.”“Yo Gabba Gabba!” was canceled in 2015, but the creators continued to dream of ways to revive the characters and the show. “We kept thinking, let’s make it bigger, let’s make the world of Gabba an actual place, almost like a destination,” Jacobs said. They eventually found a willing partner in Apple TV+, and production began in 2022.Now the gang is back in a new series, “Yo Gabba GabbaLand!,” which premieres on Aug. 9. The original host, DJ Lance Rock, has been replaced by Kammy Kam, played by Kamryn Smith, a 13-year-old dancer from Phoenix. The show’s “Beat of the Day” duties have transferred from the late rapper Biz Markie to Reggie Watts, Big Daddy Kane and others.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More