I can appreciate the other commenter's point of view, but I would exhort him to not be so despairing. While it's not on the level of Sesame Street or Captain Kangaroo, The Big Comfy Couch sits solidly within a different circle of "classic" shows. These are shows that, although they have not entered the consciousness of the general public, are very well done and have become personal favorites among many, many children. The Big Comfy Couch is nearly 15 years old and even the original Alyson Courtepisodes are still being rerun all over the place, because they are-good-. I can assure you that there are 20 year old college students all over North America, with fond memories of The Big Comfy Couch, who do a "Ten Second Tidy" of their dorm room each day.
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chaneski9 July 2007
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I used to watch this show as a little kid. The show targets a younger demographic, but people of all ages can enjoy it. The main character, Loonette, is a bit over-the-top at times, but her quirky personality adds to the show's charm. The puppetry and animation are well done and make the show visually appealing. One thing that I particularly enjoyed about The Big Comfy Couch is how it subtly teaches kids about the importance of cleanliness and organization. The only downside is that some episodes can feel repetitive, but it gears towards young children. Overall, it's a fun and educational show for parents and kids alike.
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toddrandall6812 October 2006This show is not really very good. Granny Garbanzo is annoying as heck, and Major Bedhead is a waste. Molly the Dolly is really cute. I just wish she would speak. Loonette is pretty good. The old Loonette (Alyson Court) was really good but the new Loonette (Ramona Gilmour-Darling) is as good if not better than the first one. I really don't have much to say about this show because I really don't like it, but my kids do. The first Loonette was better at the clock stretch than the newer Loonette. The newer Loonette seems to be struggling to do the stretches. But, what do I know? I am going to finish out this line and then go. There, that is 10 lines. The rule here used to be 3 lines. At one of the other movie sites it is just 10 words. Oops, this is going to be 11, no 12 lines.
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macblanc8 February 2000Upon perusing some of my, and my daughters' favourite t.v. programmes, I came upon a rather nasty review of The Big Comfy Couch, right here on IMDB. Unfortunately, the writer doesn't "get" the idea behind the show.
First of all, it is a show for TODDLERS! It seems inane to anyone over six, but then, it's not meant for older children, or adults. Do we criticize a Japanese movie for unintelligible dialogue (assuming, of course, that you don't speak Japanese)? Of course not, the film is intended for people who DO speak Japanese and can understand what is going on.
My two year-old daughter loves Big Comfy Couch. It entertains her, and that is what is important. The show's main characters are female, which was unheard of back in my day (in the 50's and 60's the only female characters were the girlfriends of the heroes and played mostly damsel-in-distress roles, like Olive Oyl, or very secondary roles, like Minnie Mouse). So Big Comfy Couch is not especially educational--does everything have to be? Can a two year-old only watch t.v. programmes that educate? Teletubbies (my daughter's favourite show) also is not really big on educating, but my daughter enjoys it anyway. Heck, how much education is in the programmes we watch? Unless you watch nothing but PBS all day, and even they run movies and concerts of questionable educational value.
So, don't worry so much about what your children are learning from a show--sometimes they just need entertainment. And, just for the record, there is plenty of educational value from Big Comfy Couch--when you are two or three years old, just socializing, cleaning up after yourself, sharing, etc. are things you need to learn. If the programme is cute, or fun, children will tune in again tomorrow, and the next day. If the show is not, then what's the point of making it if no one watches after seeing it once? -
OmegaWolf7479 April 2006True, this is geared toward children, but as a teenager and well into my 20s, I adored this show. It was so simple, yet so funny. I loved the repetition of it as well. Every episode would start with Loonette and Molly waking up on the couch, Loonette does her stretch, then she and Molly go outside and chat with Granny Garbanzo and Major Bedhead who always comes by with a package from Aunty Macassre. After that, she and Molly go inside and read a story, then Loonette cleans up her mess and it's off to bed. There are also daily cameos by the Dust Bunnies whom only Molly knows about. Loonette doesn't believe they exist.
I also love that it has only a few main characters, Loonette, Molly, Granny, Major Bedhead, Snickelfritz the Cat, Aunty Macassre and the Dust Bunnies. This keeps it simple and isn't overwhelming. I don't really like shows with large ensemble casts.
There are also great jokes in it that had me laughing myself sick even though I was 21 when I watched this, such as when Loonette and Molly were having a rhyming game. Loonette said "soup", then we heard the pop for Molly's thought bubble, but didn't see what she was thinking. But Loonette got all disgusted and said "Molly!" Guess what word she used. I thought that was pretty edgy for a preschool TV show.
There is also humor that adults will get that will likely go right over little kids' heads such as some of the names. Aunty Macassre, Aunty Septic and I believe there was an Aunty Climactic once too.
Some of it was quite profound too, like the episode where the caterpillar died and Granny explained that it floated away. That was a great way to explain death in a way that a child would understand. -
samantha_shopping20105 February 2007I am a 15 year old girl and I was looking taking quizzes online and saw one that was based on how well you know the t.v. show The Big Comfy Couch. At first I was like...the big comfy couch?? what kind of little kid show is that?? and then the theme song just popped into my head...and I remembered that I have a doll from that show and now I wonder where it is..but I really wanted to watch it again for some reason so I got on YouTube and watched an episode and wondered if the show even aired anymore. So I got on here and I guess it does. So maybe if I am ever at home and awake..I'm going to watch it.
Thanks everyone -
NumberOneComfyCouchFan4 March 2019I fricking love this show and have for almost 30 years. I love all the characters, storylines and wholesome adventures. I had a Molly doll in the 90s. It was the coolest dang toy, ever. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to remind folks about the nostalgia
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I loved Big Comfy Couch as a kid in the 90s, and when I found it again as an adult I introduced it to my kids and now they love it too. It's got everything from the clock stretch, funny karaoke moments, dollhouse antics that encourage using imagination, and fun main characters in Loonette, Molly, Major Bedhead, Granny Garbonzo, Snicklefritz, Aunti Macaster and the dust bunnies. At the end of the episodes, Loonette always realizes she made a big mess and does a ten second tidy. I love that it holds really good lessons for kids of all ages, such as no means no, have patience, be considerate of others, etc.
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tollbaby27 August 2002I don't know how long this show has been running, but I hope Loonette lasts until my kids are too old to watch. I have a 3.5 year old and a 1 year old, and they are rivetted to the tv during this show.
Loonette the Clown, her Grandma Garbanzo Clown, Major Bedhead the mailman, and the other characters teach such things as responsibility (at least once in each show, Loonette asks "Who made this big mess? ME?? then I have to clean it up, it's only fair!"), helping others, telling the truth, etc. I read the other review for this show and had to laugh. Of course adults aren't meant to take it seriously - it's not geared towards us - it's geared towards pre-schoolers and babies. The show has plenty of educational value - it won't teach you the alphabet or counting to 20, but it teaches VALUES and how to interact with others.
I think the imagination and creativity demonstrated by this show is admirable and definitely strikes the right chord with kids, who can't get enough of the Big Comfy Couch (my kids want one now... unfortunately, our house isn't big enough!). Thumbs up from the kids! -
When I was growing up in the early 2000s, like, say I was probably 2 or 3 years old, I was a huge fan of The Big Comfy Couch. The one character from this children's show I looked up to the most was none other than the original Loonette The Clown herself, Alyson Court. She was not only my 1st role model that I loved in television, but also, she was a great role model for kids that grew up in the 1990s and the early 2000s. And, of course, kids that grew up in the early 2010s, the family members from the past 2 decades of which probably still have the plush dolls, DVDs and VHS tapes. Anyway, what I loved about the show was the following: Loonette and her doll, Molly, educating kids and their parents/guardians on how to solve everyday problems, teaching life lessons such as how it's not okay to hit someone when you're mad, etc. However, what I found to be outrageous were, 1, Loonette constantly refusing to believe that dust bunnies exist, 2, Molly protecting the dust bunnies from Loonette despite trying to prove that they exist, 3, Loonette's parents never being seen or mentioned, 4, Snicklefritz, Granny Garbanzo's cat, doing things he's not supposed to, 5, the characters not celebrating Christmas despite Loonette having a Christmas tree dress, 6, Molly accepting Loonette's apologies for every mistake she makes, 7, Molly never bothering to ask the other characters if they have ever seen dust bunnies before, 8, Molly never asking the other characters to help prove to Loonette she's wrong about the dust bunnies, 9, Loonette tickling Molly despite once realizing that it's very inappropriate to tickle someone when they don't want to be tickled, and 10, Loonette and Molly having tickle fights at least once or twice despite the fact that Loonette and Molly are trying to teach kids on how to control their impulses. But, all in all, this was a pretty good show, and despite everything I don't like, I haven't got a clue on what I would do if Robert Mills, Wayne Moss, and Steve Wright hadn't directed it, and if Cheryl Wagner hadn't created it. Anyway, I was impressed with the original Loonette doing the first iteration of the Clock Rug Stretch. When I was a child, I tried it myself. I don't know how many times I tried it as a child, but one thing's for sure: like Loonette, I was a little bit more flexible enough to do it right back then. And, around the time the 6th season was on air, I was one of the many who were unaware of Alyson Court being pregnant. And when she left after the 6th season, right when I first saw the intro for the season 7 premiere, and I saw Ramona Gilmour-Darling as the new Loonette, my mind was literally blown. It's possible that in my mind, I was saying, 'Hey! What happened to the old Loonette?" And 11 years later, in February of 2017, when I looked up The Big Comfy Couch, I finally found out why Alyson Court left: shortly after the sixth season ended and before the seventh season premiere, Alyson had given birth to her son, Blaede. Anyway, at first, I was really upset, simply because, 1, Ramona looked a lot more different than Alyson as Loonette, and 2, I honestly didn't think that Ramona was good enough to replace Alyson as Loonette, but over time, I grew to understand why Alyson now had to be a stay-at-home mother. And, when I first saw the CBC Comedy video, "Loonette On Creepy Clowns", I was shocked to see the sight of my first role model, the original Loonette The Clown back on TV for the first time in 15 years! (I counted precisely the last time Alyson played the Loonette role and how long it's been since the last time anyone's seen her on TV in costume.) Anyway, I never could understand why it was a one-time-only deal. And when Alyson refused to believe that Mark Critch, the news anchor of This Hour Has 22 Minutes at the time of this event, was telling the truth when he said that some clowns are scary, (I was unaware at the time that they were discussing the 2016 Clown Sightings), the back of my head blew right off. (Metaphorically speaking, of course.) After all, clowns, before The Big Comfy Couch, were featured in horror movies. Simply because the directors of such films wanted to give people something to be scared of, all the while, completely unaware that children loved clowns and if the kids were to see their #1 role models as villainous monsters, they would be scarred for life and eventually would develop coulrophobia, a fear of clowns. And that's not even the worst part. Worst part 1, when Mark said that because of this epidemic, McDonald's was temporarilly stopping commercial appearances of Ronald McDonald until the whole thing blows over, Loonette stated, and I quote, "So, Ronald hangs around the playground in his restaurants and gives toys to kids. That guy is creepy.", I paused the video and said, "What??? That's not true. In fact, unless he's a zombie, Ronald McDonald is not creepy!!!". Something like that. Worst part 2, near the end of the show, Loonette says to the audience, "Look, all I want to say is, please don't judge people by the way they look. Most clowns are nice, happy people who just want to give you a hug and pie you. The only person with a painted face and crazy hair you need to be afraid of is Donald Trump.) Seriously, Loonette, be careful about what you say. Why? Because, now that Donald Trump is President of the United States, his actions are unpredictable. He could just as easily show up at your doorstep and only God knows what might happen next. And last, but not least, worst part 3. When the show is about to end, Loonette asks Mark if she can say one more thing, and Mark says, "Sure you can, Loonette. Whatever you want. What is it?", Loonette pulls up a chainsaw with balloons attached to it, she says out loud, "Everybody dies!", and then she activates the chainsaw and charges towards the camera, but nobody seems to be screaming in terror. And that was when I went ballistic and said in my mind an outraged speech that went something like this: "WHAT THE HECK?!!!!! DID LOONETTE GO OVER TO THE DARK SIDE OR SOMETHING?! HUH?! WHAT WERE THE PRODUCERS OF THAT SHOW THINKING?! WHAT WOULD LOONETTE'S FANS THINK ABOUT THIS IF THEY SAW HER IN THAT VIDEO ALL THE WAY TO THE END?!" And then, I immediately calmed myself before I said anything about Loonette that would cause me to stop looking up to her. Well, I'm afraid that I've got questions I need answers to. And if anyone's got the answers, it's Alyson. But, I'm afraid the only way to ask her those questions is to set up an interview. And, I'm gonna have to take it easy with the questions and my tone. Anyways, before I sign off, I'd like to leave a message for Alyson, just in case she's reading this. Alyson, when we meet, you will know me by my actual name, Victor Ortiz. I never got to meet you because even though I was granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation because i was born with Type 1 Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, at the time, I was more focused with going to the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida to meet Spider-Man. Therefore, I never had the chance to meet you, no matter how badly I wanted to. And I even considered having a Twitter account so I can follow you on Twitter, but I was being paranoid enough to the point where I kept asking myself, "What if someone hacks my account?", "What if I say something wrong?". All that stuff. And the reason why I wanted to meet you right now in this timeline is because I'm scared of you passing away before I could even take a picture with you or even have you sign an autograph. So, being the smarty-pants that I am, I've decided to say this to you just in case you happen to be reading this review: I wanted to say thank you for educating me when I was a kid. And I wanted to thank you for educating every child that grew up in the '90s and early 2000s.
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ThunderKing617 October 2021Honestly, as a child I tried to find something attractive *wink* about Loonette and I couldn't.
Other than that it was a good edutaining show about prosocial, emotional and relationship skills.
It was of a clown universe, and within that it was of Loonette and her doll and her dust bunnies. (No pun intended). They sang songs, goofed around, solved problems and was very colourful. The show took place 90% of the time in front of the couch of Loonette and her doll doing goofy things.
In the middle, she did her yoga clock stretches.
By the end she had to clean up in one of the most iconic children segments of all time. She would clean for 10 seconds, and sometimes it was more than 10 seconds.
Majorbedhead the mailman was a cool character. Majorbedhead, Granny and the auntie were the moral support for Loonette for when she got her self into trouble or was sad. They would give her advice and correct her behaviour.
Then there were the dust bunnies. Annoying literal dust ball bunnies who would talk gibberish and cause trouble.
Lastly, the doll house segment. At the time, sometimes they looked freaky. It would contain of a brother, sister, father and mother, and they would do some silly stuff. They did not talk, though.
Overall, TBCC is a classic children show that lasted longer than most children shows. All it was, was 90% couch and 10% clowns.
Last Words: Get ready for the 10-second tidy. -
i remember watching The Big Comfy Couch when i was younger. it was my favorite show of all time, and my absolute favorite part of the show was the dust bunnies. i thought they were so funny and cute. i was tickled by the fact that i had a cabbage patch doll that looked similar to Molly, and one year i was Loonette for Halloween and carried around my doll. the show is very educational, it introduces me to clocks and time, and stretched my imagination. now, about 14 years later, i am almost 16 years old, and still remember my favorite kid show. my mom is a daycare provider and i have a 3 year old sister. one day my mom found a video tape of one of the episodes at a garage sale, and the minute i found out she bought it i popped it in and watched it. i still love the show!...and i got mad at my mom for not buying more of them ha ha. i recommend this show to parents, as a kid who loved it. I agree that they should start airing The Big Comfy Couch again!
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I don't have children and I'm not 6 months old. I'm 15 and one day I was flipping through and saw this show. I was hooked. I don't watch "kidz shows" but this is great. It's nothing like Teletubbies b/c more goes on and more is learned for younger viewers because there arent as many repetetive actions. It does teach things like values, creativity, uniquiness, and it's okay if Molly has an "accident" on the couch. You have to read deeper. Everything in the show represents something, obviously the children dont recognize this symbolism but the idea comes accross very well to them. This show is brilliant!!
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bobbyknightmare26 August 2002It's sad that Allison Court is going to be known more for doing the voice of Jubilee on "X-Men" (yes, that's her!) than for this show, which is one of dozens of promising and solid children's shows that never got enough of a chance to catch on. Maybe in its native Canada it gets more respect, but here on the other side of the falls, an educational show is judged more by how much merchandise it sells than how much children learn from it.
For an adult, the show may look at times silly and cheesy, but to toddlers and pre-schoolers, who these shows are aimed at, it's a show that is at the same time exciting and soothing. -
I find this to be a wonderful show, I can find it on my local PBS station on Saturdays at 8 am. My almost 4 yr old daughter has enjoyed this program since she was under a year old. The should bring it back and try it for another season. It must be good if kids are enjoying it a decade later!!!
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starbright20008 September 2003I could not agree more with the comments that say this is a great show for preschoolers and toddlers. Heck, even primary age children would learn the wonderful values of this show. And that's the key point - VALUES! The show's primary theme is VALUES! But, if you watch it with your children regularly as I do, then you would also see that it does have education with ABC's, CHECK IT OUT (science & discovery), and, most importantly) morals, manners, and values. How can you go wrong.
I was watching this with my Godchildren one day and got hooked. As a teacher and a person who has a small clown show for children in my community, this is a great resource. I gain so so many new ideas and games to share with children I work with. Thus, this show not only benefits its' viewers, but also other children who I and I'm sure other teachers and parents interact.
Regarding a comment that indicates it's creepy that an adult woman plays a child. Anyone who has children or interacts with children know that to gain and maintain young peoples' attention, you must add a child-like persona to your instruction techniques. The show is ENTERTAINMENT, not real life!
There are so many educational shows out there that deal with the academics and in an educational climate where academics is strongly emphasized, it is nice to see a show like "THE BIG COMFY COUCH" stand out and remind us and our children that morals, values, and manners are just as important as the 123's and ABC's. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK LONETTE & MOLLY! BRAVO! -
kellyirene20011 February 2003I wonder why it was cancelled. Man, when I was a little girl, I loved this show..... Mollie the doll was so cute. I was always asking my mom for a Mollie doll. There were some cute puns in it, too. It was adorable. Even though I'm not 5 years old anymore, I still miss it.
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jwrowe326 December 2002PERSONAL NOTES: I probably first saw this about 1996, with my then four year old daughter, Melissa.
Interesting show for the wee set. My favorite part was "the clock stretch' that my daughters loved to do. "The Foley's" also have their moments. I'm pretty sure most of the children do NOT get the in-joke about the name.
As an adult, "BCC" seemed to be a bit much at times, but my daughters loved it. There was(is) a road show version of this that came to town a few years back. And most of the younger crowd and parents that we knew, were very much aware of this program. -
Broktun27 July 2004The Big Comfy Couch was on Maryland's PBS when my first daughter was born. A much better show than the kid fare norm.
Not as preachy as Barney, but not as educational as Ses. Street.
Dust Bunnies kill me, and Snicklefrtiz, Major Bedhead, Lunette, and Molly all had us cracking up.
It's too bad shows like this do not have the staying power as those mentioned above.
I did track down some DVD's for my youngest daughter to enjoy. -
desmei10 July 2002This is one of my 3 year old daughter's favourite programs, and I gladly encourage her to watch it. It's a cute little show that encourages activity (the "clock" stretch, dancing), storytelling, friendship, etc. while addressing common fears and concerns of small children. I like the Foley family, too! :o)
The actress who portrays Loonette is fantastic. I totally disagree with the poster that thought a woman playing a child is creepy. I'm sorry, but I find Mr. Rogers MUCH more creepy and don't appreciate his condescension towards children. There are also a few jokes that fly over my daughter's head but get me giggling.
Two thumbs up! -
sohelpmegod1324 August 2005I also think that the show should be brought back. I used to watch it all the time as a kid! I really think it's a good way to teach kids wrong from right and how to clean up after themselves. It's good that they learn it early so they're used to doing it growing up. It's also a good inspiration for using your imagination. Kids need that. If they couldn't imagine things then they would just be bored all the time and they would lead a boring life. I remember when I was about 2 or 3 i used to make a mess and clean it up really fast just like Loonette. It might not be effective for that long but at least they get the point! I really hope the show is brought back. I'm sure even I would watch it again!
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Goon-228 October 1999By the time this aired I was much to watch children's shows and take seriously, but I had heard comments about this show that made it sound so bizarre I just HAD to watch. Needless to say, I found this one impossible to take seriously and realized that I probably would not have been able to do so as a child. How can ANYBODY?
Despite the fact that it is aired on PBS, this is a show with little education value and little...anything that would make a parent encourage their child to watch it. It centers upon Loonette, an obvious adult who pretends to be a child, and I guess a clown, considering she wears a big red nose. She lives in a house with a big comfy couch(hence the title), and a dolly named Molly, and gets into "adventures," like having the mail man(who ALSO wears a red nose, do they live in Clownville or something)bring her a package of something so unmemorable I have forgotten what it was. Other thrilling plot twists involve Loonette and Molly cleaning under the couch, where there are dust bunnies that Molly is afraid of(Molly doesn't talk, but she creepily moves a little bit and "thought bubbles," which are really pictures some struggling artist drew, appear, reflecting whatever is going on in her pea sized brain), and Loonette does groan-worthy things like singing corny songs and doing annoying "stretching" excercises on a big clock on her floor. I guess it's supposed to be a "funny" show and maybe two or three-year-olds might think so, but I personally found Loonette to be simply irritating, with her cutesy appearance and "child like" behavior. I'm not sure if she is supposed to be a role model or friend to children or what, but I don't think they're going to learn much, if anything from her, and the whole show is kind of a waste of space on the lineup, considering that all it's really good for is a laugh...AT it. -
almdudler16 November 2003I have to disagree with many of the other posts, so many of which come from the show's originating country of Canada, interestingly enough. (A little national pride on the line perhaps?) Well, your options may be somewhat limited in the Great White North, but here in the States, there's simply no reason to show your child tripe like the Big Comfy Couch with so many superior options available. My daughter watched it on Sunday mornings a couple times; thankfully, it's the only time slotted by our local PBS station. Just because a toddler or small child is entranced by a show does not make it a good show (see Teletubbies and Barney for indications of this). It has the look and feel of something a family might produce in their basement for fun - hokey-looking characters with the requisite hand puppets. The worst part for me, however, is the music. It's cloying and amateurish, which really sets it apart from other PBS programs that are of obviously higher quality. I feel like wretching at least once during every episode- you can count on at least one cheesy slapstick incident where Major Bedwetter, er Bedhead, falls down, or Loonette will stare at the camera like a ditz, seemingly filling time with her clueless schtick. My least favorite of all is the doll "Molly". Little Molly has all the charm of that doll "Chucky" from the horror flicks. She sits there squirming on the couch, never making a peep. You just wonder when she's going to pull a hunting knife out of that couch and put an end to Loonette's pathetic commentary. Am I being overly harsh on the show? If this was the 70's perhaps. But as a discriminating consumer with so much to choose from, I'm glad I can offer my daughter shows that entertain AND educate.
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ummmmmmm20 December 2005i remember watching this show almost every day after school, and i forgot all about it until i brought it up the other day with my friends. they ALL remembered watching it too, and we spent nearly an hour talking about the fun memories we had with Loonette, Molly Dolly, and especially the dust bunnies. the entire show is fun and educational. Loonette introduced me to time, and many other scholastic experiences that i have kept with me throughout my life, all the while making me laugh. you can guarantee that all kids will enjoy this, despite the many new shows they are coming out with now. I give many hearty thanks to this show, and i am very upset that they took it off of the air. Watch this show, and you will see why.
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aabisio4 May 2006This is a show my 2 year old and I really enjoy together. Anyone who says it is pointless is not looking very hard, or does not possess a child's heart. Values such as friendship, responsibility and self-reliance are trademarks of this imaginative show. It's too bad that some viewers don't recognize these trademarks of a good show. Sorry if you lost the child within. Don't spoil it for everyone else. Having said that, it was with a significant amount of sadness that we discovered in the last week that Alyson Court had been replaced as Loonette. The new actress I'm sure is trying very hard, but simply does not hold a candle to Alyson. Our thanks to Alyson for her unique portrayal of Loonette. You will be missed. We are hoping to find DVDs of earlier episodes.