#joybox

Back in 1979, a group of writers and artists had a simple vision: "Let's make a kid's show that enriches, entertains, and educates today's youth!" Noble intentions, to be sure. Unfortunately, no major studio was buying the pitch, so a backup idea was hatched: if the collective had their own slot on public access for half an hour a week, they could get their message out.

So the show went on public broadcast, every Friday at 4 pm, in the sleepy west coast town of Sibistoux Falls. Of course, it wasn't quite JoyBox™ yet. It was little more than the writers voicing a cast of hastily made prototype puppets. The show was a sleeper hit, however, and the public access channel ordered and funded two seasons of the show. The "lost seasons" ran from January 1980 to June 1981.

After the second season, however, the core cast began to splinter away into other interests, leaving JoyBox™ on an extended hiatus. The show largely survived in the form of re-runs throughout the 80s, usually on other public access or special interest channels, and later through VHS sales.

As it happened, a re-run of the show was caught by the daughter of a network executive. After a few rounds of talks and negotiations and casting, JoyBox™ was ready to air its first official episode on a major network with a new pilot on October 16th, 1989.

One of the retooled was the addition of a host: Juni Jubilee, portrayed by Madison Kerry (1969 - ?), who was given the part at 19 after a single audition. She became a staff writer for the show midway through the second season, and a producer by the fifth. She was influential not just to the development of her character, but to the tone and style of the show in its later years.

The general premise and plot of the show was simple: Juni Jubilee was a jack-in-the-box that brought a playroom of other toys to life to teach children about the world around them. Each week had a theme (weather, nature, the human body, etc) that was explored in songs, arts and crafts, at-home activities, and even the occasional cartoon segment. While Juni was the host and often interacted directly with the viewer, the topics were expanded upon by the puppet cast.

The puppets were also substantially upgraded, though very largely similar to their prototype counterparts. Each of the six main puppets (not counting a rotation of over 100 interchangeable "John and Jane" puppets) was made with specific ideas in mind:

Alma Amoré, a red cat and self-described "thespian" who lived in the playhouse, was meant to show kids how to play pretend and to recognize the feelings that went into each role

Krafty Kit, an orange fox who made their home in the art gallery, was the excitable artist in residence who showed kids how to make crafts at home and how to build art skills

Pupcorn, a big yellow dog that lived in a doghouse by a sports field, got kids active and into exercise/team sports, often in the form of a mascot costume for outdoor shoots

Rosy Mary, a green bear that lived in a cabin-like house, taught kids how to appreciate nature and to take care of themselves with rest and good nutrition

Dustin D'Brain, a blue rabbit that lived in the library, was an infinite well of knowledge who taught trivia and general knowledge and "knew everything"

Scaredy Bat, a purplish bat who lived in a haunted house, showed kids that it was okay and normal to have fears, but also how to cope with being afraid and with trying new things

There was also a seldom-seen, though often felt, "antagonist" of the show; a seventh pink monster puppet called the "Wooly Bully". Its official description by other characters was that it was a tickle monster, often showing up randomly to "attack" a character and vanish before it could be caught. Since the character was not well-received by children for being too scary (played by a 6'6" puppeteer, making the Bully stand over 8'), the Wooly Bully was written out between the second and third seasons, replaced by a series of "Woolies" (long, feathery gloved hands that performed the same function without the Bully's unsettling appearance).

The show did well through its seven seasons, though it came to a sudden end in its eighth season (1996). A live show, which JoyBox™ had become infamous for, was planned for Halloween and went according to script until halfway through the taping. Without warning or a trace, Madison Kerry vanished from the closed set during a commercial break, leaving the show without a host for its second half. An understudy, Charlie Perry, fulfilled the role of Juni Jubilee for the remainder of the final season, though the show was quietly cancelled by the producers as ratings and interest in the show plummeted. As executive producer/co-creator/"Rosy Mary" puppeteer Lily-Rose Morgan (1948 - 2020) was quoted:

"It felt wrong to keep going without Kerry. She helped make the show what it was."

JoyBox™ mostly faded from the public after that. Occasionally, reruns will air on special interest or "retro" channels, usually of the '89-'96 run, and merchandise (mostly plushies of the puppets) for the show is highly sought after by collectors. Talks of a revival or a reboot have been floated around, but so far, nothing has come of it largely out of respect for the allegedly deceased Kerry. Recently, a memorial collection was released on DVD to mark Lily-Rose Morgan's passing and Madison Kerry's disappearance.