This article is about the show. For the episode from Doc McStuffins, see Out of the Box.
Out of the Box is a Disney Channel TV series that takes place in a playhouse made entirely of cardboard boxes, where two hosts, Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin, sing songs, make crafts, and act out plays. The series ran from October 1998 to September 2004.
Two special episodes were released on VHS by Walt Disney Home Video: Out of the Box: Trick or Treat and Out of the Box: Happy Holidays. Trick or Treat is also available on the Rolie Polie Olie DVD A Spookie Ookie Halloween.
The series was created and executive produced by Douglas Love and was based on his series of books from HarperCollins. Three seasons were filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City. The series earned three Parents' Choice Awards for excellence in television and an Emmy nomination.
Several of the program's original songs were included on the albums Playhouse Disney and Playhouse Disney 2.
Although the majority of the series was long absent from either home video release or streaming, the complete series (with the exception of episodes 6, 21, and 22) was made available in 2019 on Disney+.
Overview[]
Every day, a small group of neighborhood children come and play in "The Box". Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin play games, do crafts, sing songs, and act out stories in the box. The singing is usually in the beginning of the episode, while the crafts are in the middle, and the stories are at the end. The episode finishes off with either Tony or Vivian walking the kids home, then coming back to sing the "Goodbye Song".
Episode list[]
The series comprises 82 episodes in total. One production number in Season 1 was skipped, as the 24-episode season starts with 101 and ends with 125; this is due to an episode being cancelled and reworked as one in the second season. Unless otherwise stated, the source of production codes and airdates is the United States Copyright Office.
Season 1 (1998)[]
| No in Season |
Title | Airdate | Written by | Production code | Summary | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feet First | October 7, 1998 | Eric Weiner & Chris Hoey | 101 | Aleisha Allen, Jill Schackner, and Matt Storff | |
| 2 | Playhouse Mouse | October 8, 1998 | Annie Evans | 102 | Cece Cortes, Dane Hammond, and Jill Schackner | |
| 3 | Doctor Octor | October 9, 1998 | Ronnie Krauss | 103 | Aleisha Allen, Jill Schackner, and Brandon Zemel | |
| 4 | The Fuzzy Worm | October 12, 1998 | Ellis Weiner | 104 | Nicholas Eng, Dane Hammond, and Jill Schackner | |
| 5 | Hats Off | October 13, 1998 | Douglas Love | 105 | Cece Cortes, Nicholas Eng, and Dane Hammond | |
| 6 | Let's Eat Out | October 14, 1998 | 106 | Cece Cortes, Dane Hammond, and Jill Schackner | ||
| 7 | Sticky Icky | October 15, 1998 | Jeff Kindley | 107 | Aleisha Allen, Jill Schackner, and Brandon Zemel | |
| 8 | Really Wheely | October 16, 1998 | Susan Kim | 108 | Cece Cortes, Nicholas Eng, and Dane Hammond | |
| 9 | Yes and Nose | October 19, 1998 | Barry Harman | 109 | Cece Cortes, Nicholas Eng, and Matt Storff | |
| 10 | Pick-a-Pet | October 20, 1998 | Alan Kingsberg | 110 | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Brandon Zemel | |
| 11 | Ships Ahoy | October 21, 1998 | Becky Mode | 111 | Cece Cortes, Dane Hammond, and Brandon Zemel | |
| 12 | Animal Antics | October 22, 1998 | Douglas Love | 112 | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Jill Schackner | |
| 13 | Tube Town | October 23, 1998 | Carin Greenberg Baker | 113 | Cece Cortes, Dane Hammond, and Brandon Zemel | |
| 14 | High Fliers | October 26, 1998 | Story by: Jeff Kindley
Teleplay by: Carin Greenberg Baker |
114 | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Jill Schackner | |
| 15 | Campout Kids | October 27, 1998 | Becky Mode | 115 | Aleisha Allen, Dane Hammond, and Jill Schackner | |
| 16 | Tall and Small | October 28, 1998 | Ronnie Krauss | 116 | Cece Cortes, Dane Hammond, and Matt Storff | |
| 17 | Day at the Beach | October 29, 1998 | Annie Evans | 117 | Cece Cortes, Nicholas Eng, and Dane Hammond | |
| 18 | A Place Called Space | October 30, 1998 | Alan Kingsberg | 118 | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Jill Schackner | |
| 19 | Box Full of Boxes | November 2, 1998 | Susan Kim | 119 | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Dane Hammond | |
| 20 | Hands On | November 3, 1998 | Susan Kim | 120 | Aleisha Allen, Jill Schackner, and Matt Storff | |
| 21 | The Gift | November 4, 1998 | 121 | Aleisha Allen, Cece Cortes, and Brandon Zemel | ||
| 22 | Treasures | November 5, 1998 | 122 | Nicholas Eng, Jill Schackner, and Brandon Zemel | ||
| 23 | Circle Circus | November 6, 1998 | Jeff Kindley | 123 | Aleisha Allen, Dane Hammond, and Matt Storff | |
| 24 | Seeds of Imagination | November 9, 1998 | Chris Hoey | 124 | Cece Cortes, Jill Schackner, and Matt Storff |
Season 2 (1999–2000)[]
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | "Zip, Button, Snap" | Ronnie Krauss | July 18, 1999 | 203 | |
| Tony and Vivian help teach the kids how to button, snap, buckle and zipper using songs and play-acting. Nick also visits the Little Red Hen. | ||||||
| 26 | 2 | "Rules Rule!" | Brian Meehl | July 20, 1999 | 201 | |
| The kids learn the importance of rules as they play different games with balls in the clubhouse. They also act out a version of Rapunzel. | ||||||
| 27 | 3 | "We're Cooking!" | Becky Mode | July 21, 1999 | 202 | |
| The kids pretend to cook their favorite foods. They also act out a version of the story Stone Soup.
NOTE: This episode was originally filmed for the first season as "Let's Eat Out". | ||||||
| 28 | 4 | "Scrub-a-Dub" | Hugh Martin | Susan Kim | July 22, 1999 | 204 |
| Tony and Vivian teach the importance of bathing as the kids make pretend bathtubs and bath toys, and act out a version of Rub a Dub, Dub, Three Men in a Tub. | ||||||
| 29 | 5 | "Disguise Surprise" | Chris Hoey | July 23, 1999 | 205 | |
| The kids dress up in disguises and act out a version of The Little Red Riding Hood. | ||||||
| 30 | 6 | "Good Clean-Up Fun" | Pam Benson | July 26, 1999 | 206 | |
| The kids learn about sorting and organizing items while cleaning up the clubhouse. They also act out a story called "Neat Nick". | ||||||
| 31 | 7 | "Mirror, Mirror" | Ronnie Krauss | July 27, 1999 | 207 | |
| The kids play with different kinds of mirrors, including a hand mirror, a hubcap, and a metal tray. They also act out a version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. | ||||||
| 32 | 8 | "Blowin' in the Wind" | Douglas Love | July 28, 1999 | 208 | |
| The kids celebrate the wind by playing wind instruments, listening to wind chimes, making pinwheels, and playing out a version of The Three Little Pigs. | ||||||
| 33 | 9 | "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" | Nina Shelton | July 29, 1999 | 209 | |
| The kids take care of pretend babies by diapering them, making their cribs, and singing to them. They also act out a version of There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Sheep. | ||||||
| 34 | 10 | "Feathered Friends" | Annie Evans | July 30, 1999 | 210 | |
| The kids craft paper birds and make bird sounds after Vivian brings in a bird feeder to hang outside the playhouse. They also act out a version of the Emperor and the Nightingale. | ||||||
| 35 | 11 | "Eye Spy" | Jeff Kindley | August 16, 1999 | 211 | |
| The kids explore how their eyes work by playing an "Eye Detective" game, looking at a picture with hidden objects and helping Vivian complete a jigsaw puzzle. | ||||||
| 36 | 12 | "We Got the Beat" | David Yazbek | August 23, 1999 | 212 | |
| The kids learn about beats and rhythms by playing and making different instruments. They also act out a version of Hansel and Gretel. | ||||||
| 37 | 13 | "Shadow Play" | Douglas Love | August 30, 1999 | 213 | |
| The kids make a shadow puppet theater and put on a play featuring a bird, a worm and a spider. | ||||||
| 38 | 14 | "Goin' Buggy" | Becky Mode | September 6, 1999 | 214 | |
| The kids learn about bugs by making a grasshopper, a spider and an ant out of pipe cleaners and egg cartons. | ||||||
| 39 | 15 | "Make 'Em Laugh!" | Chris Nee | September 13, 1999 | 215 | |
| The kids have a "Make 'em Laugh" day by telling jokes, walking funny, and doing other silly things. They also talk with a court jester and turn Vivian into a backwards person. | ||||||
| 40 | 16 | "Mon-stir It Up!" | Brian Meehl | September 20, 1999 | 216 | |
| The kids sing a song about not being afraid and make a "Super Monster" puppet. | ||||||
| 41 | 17 | "Whose Home?" | Ilene Merenstein | September 27, 1999 | 217 | |
| Vivian brings a hermit crab to the clubhouse and teaches the kids about different animal homes. | ||||||
| 42 | 18 | "Unicornucopia" | Ronnie Krauss | October 6, 1999 | 218 | |
| The kids create their own magical kingdom, complete with a unicorn. They also act out a version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. | ||||||
| 43 | 19 | "Tooth or Consequences" | Susan Kim | October 11, 1999 | 219 | |
| The kids learn about the dentist and caring for teeth. They also act out a version of Little Red Riding Hood. | ||||||
| 44 | 20 | "Trick or Treat" | Leslie Williams | Pam Benson | October 21, 1999 | 220 |
| 45 | 21 | "Treasure Hunt" | Douglas Love | October 26, 1999 | 223 | |
| The kids make treasure chests and go on a treasure hunt. They also act out a version of King Midas to learn about nonmaterial kinds of treasure.
NOTE: This episode was originally filmed for season 1 as "Treasures". | ||||||
| 46 | 22 | "Out to Lunch" | Jeff Kindley | November 1, 1999 | 224 | |
| The kids pretend to go out to lunch and practice their restaurant behavior. | ||||||
| 47 | 23 | "Down on the Farm" | Annie Evans | November 12, 1999 | 221 | |
| The kids pretend to live on a farm. | ||||||
| 48 | 24 | "Pajama Party" | Brian Meehl | November 15, 1999 | 222 | |
| The kids throw a pretend pajama party. | ||||||
| 49 | 25 | "Whodunit?" | Ronnie Krauss | November 27, 1999 | 225 | |
| The kids use their problem-solving skills to solve a mystery. | ||||||
| 50 | 26 | "Happy Holidays!" | Ronnie Krauss | December 6, 1999 | 228 | |
| Tony and Vivian host a winter holiday party and learn about the kids' different holiday traditions. They also make a holiday gift book containing photographs and drawings and perform a skit about the gift of love. | ||||||
| 51 | 27 | "Goin' to the Grocery" | Susan Kim | December 8, 1999 | 226 | |
| 52 | 28 | "Sing a Song" | David Yazbek | December 13, 1999 | 227 | |
| 53 | 29 | "Rainbow Colors" | Douglas Love | December 16, 1999 | 229 | |
| 54 | 30 | "Family Fare" | Jeff Kindley | December 29, 1999 | 230 | |
| 55 | 31 | "Happy Birthday to Us!" | Pam Benson | January 7, 2000 | 231 | |
| The kids pretend that it's everyone's birthday by putting on dress-up clothes, playing musical chairs and making party decorations. | ||||||
| 56 | 32 | "Revealing Feelings" | Ronnie Krauss | January 11, 2000 | 232 | |
| The kids talk about feelings after they express to Vivian that they feel "bad, sad, and a little mad" because Tony isn't at the clubhouse because he's sick. | ||||||
Season 3 (2000-2001)[]
| No in Season |
Title | Airdate | Written by | Production code | Summary | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pattern Pattern | November 1, 2000 | Eric Weiner | 301 | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Zachary Ross | |
| 2 | Leap Frog Leap! | November 2, 2000 | Susan Kim | 302 | Bradley Duck, Nicholas Eng, and Andrea Rosario | |
| 3 | Join the Parade | November 3, 2000 | Pam Benson | 303 | Madeleine Martin, Elijah Rivera, and Zachary Ross | |
| 4 | Winning the Gold | November 6, 2000 | Ronnie Krauss | 304 | The kids hold their own Olympics. | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Andrea Rosario |
| 5 | Brick by Brick | November 7, 2000 | Annie Evans | 305 | The kids build a town as pretend construction workers. | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Elijah Rivera |
| 6 | Dinosaur Romp | November 8, 2000 | Barry Harman | 306 | Tony, Vivian, and the kids explore dinosaurs. | Bradley Duck, Nicolas Eng, and Andrea Rosario |
| 7 | Topsy Tempo | November 9, 2000 | Ellis Weiner & Pam Benson | 307 | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Elijah Rivera | |
| 8 | Weather or Not! | November 10, 2000 | Chris Nee | 308 | Different kinds of weather. | Nicholas Eng, Andrea Rosario, and Zachary Ross |
| 9 | It's Mother's Day! | November 13, 2000 | Billy Aronson | 309 | The kids rehearse their performance and make personalized invitations to their mothers. | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Elijah Rivera |
| 10 | Listen Up! | November 14, 2000 | Brian Meehl | 310 | The differences between loud and soft sounds. | Bradley Duck, Nicholas Eng, and Andrea Rosario |
| 11 | Thinkin' Lincoln | November 15, 2000 | Billy Aronson | 311 | Aleisha Allen, Elijah Rivera, and Zachary Ross | |
| 12 | Horsing Around | November 16, 2000 | Susan Kim | 312 | Pretending to be horses. | Bradley Duck, Nicholas Eng, and Madeleine Martin |
| 13 | Making Mistakes | November 17, 2000 | Cathi Turow | 313 | The group makes up mistakes. | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Zachary Ross |
| 14 | Tickets Please! | November 20, 2000 | Eric Weiner | 314 | Playing carnival games. They also act out a story about the Three Billy Goats Gruff getting stopped by a competitive troll on the way to a carnival. | Nicholas Eng, Elijah Rivera, and Andrea Rosario |
| 15 | Pop to It! | November 21, 2000 | Brian Meehl | 315 | A make believe trip to the movies. | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Zachary Ross |
| 16 | Read the Signs | November 22, 2000 | Barry Harman | 316 | The kids learn how to read signs and follow directions. | Nicholas Eng, Elijah Rivera, and Andrea Rosario |
| 17 | First Things First | November 23, 2000 | Pam Benson | 317 | The importance of order. | Aleisha Allen, Bradley Duck, and Elijah Rivera |
| 18 | A One and a Two | November 24, 2000 | Eric Weiner | 318 | The kids learn how to have fun playing alone. | Nicholas Eng, Madeleine Martin, and Zachary Ross |
| 19 | Bendy Stretchy | November 27, 2000 | Pam Benson | 319 | The importance of bending and stretching. | Aleisha Allen, Elijah Rivera, and Andrea Rosario |
| 20 | Alike and Different | November 28, 2000 | Chris Nee | 320 | Bradley Duck, Nicholas Eng, and Madeleine Martin | |
| 21 | Happy New Year! | November 29, 2000 | Ronnie Krauss | 321 | Aleisha Allen, Madeleine Martin, and Zachary Ross | |
| 22 | It's Father's Day | November 30, 2000 | Eric Weiner | 322 | The kids play games with their dads and pretend to be fathers themselves. | Nicholas Eng, Elijah Rivera, and Andrea Rosario |
| 23 | Surprise, Surprise | December 1, 2000 | Ronnie Krauss | 323 | The kids learn the importance of friends and sharing. | Madeleine Martin, Elijah Rivera, and Andrea Rosario |
| 24 | Wonderful Words! (*) | December 4, 2000 | Billy Aronson | 324 | The kids act out a rhyming story. | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Zachary Ross |
| 25 | Nutcracker Sweet | December 5, 2000 | Ronnie Krauss | 325 | The kids act out the Nutcracker Story. | Madeleine Martin, Elijah Rivera, and Andrea Rosario |
| 26 | Kids Are Kids | December, 6 2000 | Pam Benson | 326 | The kids learn about accepting differences. | Aleisha Allen, Nicholas Eng, and Andrew Feinberg |
Trivia[]
- Out of the Box filmed right next to Bear in the Big Blue House, in fact, Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin heard and liked "The Goodbye Song" from the aforementioned TV show that she went to the director of her show to create their own "Goodbye" Song.
- Similar artists to Tony James, in appearance exist, being the rapper named Young Nudy who is part of Paradise East Records (PDE Records), and known for his music works including "No Clue", "Green Bean", and "Peaches & Eggplants".
External links[]
 |
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia page Out of the Box (TV series). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. Text from Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. |