The logo used for Playhouse Disney outside the United States from 1999 until 2003.
Outside of the United States, the Playhouse Disney format was different, relying more on in-vision continuity rather than the out-of-vision links the American block used.
About the format[]
The format took place in a large, colorful house, often referred to as The Playhouse. This was the strand's main continuity strand where the two main presenters would do things like make drawings or sing songs.
Alongside the Playhouse itself, there were several other segments to go alongside the main Playhouse segments (listed below).
In the United Kingdom[]
The United Kingdom was the first region outside the United States to introduce the Playhouse Disney name, having introduced it as a block on Disney Channel on September 28, 1999, and the first to establish the Playhouse format of presentation. It later spawned into its own separate channel on September 29, 2000. The two main presenters were Dave Benson Phillips and Alex Lovell, who were nicknamed "Big Dave" and "Little Alex" on the channel respectively. The UK version also featured two co-presenters - Sara-Louise Harper and Jason Canning, who presented the Art Play and Circle Time substrands respectively.
The sub-strands used in the UK were mostly unique, and featured:
- Music Time - Dave or Alex would sing cover versions of popular Disney songs. Although some of the songs used original instrumental recordings of Disney songs, which was a costly option in some cases, other songs used alternate versions instead.
- Birthday Segment - Dave and Alex would celebrate the viewers' birthdays with Victoria Sponge the Cake, and would sing "If Today Is Your Birthday".
- The Post - Dave or Alex would pick up letters delivered by the Playhouse Postman (Phil Gallagher).
- Viewer-Sent Material - Two talking gargoyles called Uncle Charlie and Auntie Rosie would read cards or viewer-sent pictures on Dave and Alex's behalf while their attention was turned.
- Bite Size - Dave (Nicknamed "Deep Fried Dave") would help Mitzi the Oven Glove (puppeteered by Helena Smee) produce a food dish inspired by a Disney character.
- Art Play - Sara-Louise Harper would help out children create a piece of artwork based on a popular Disney movie.
- Circle Time - Jason Canning and a few children create drawings, which Jason would then use to make up a story or think up one.
- Paws - Introduced in 2000.
- Story Garden- Introduced in 2002.
In May 2003, coinciding with the debut of the main Disney Channel's new look, Playhouse Disney UK changed to the logo used domestically. A new presenter named Olivia Bonnici joined the station, replacing Sara-Louise Harper, who left after becoming pregnant, and Jason Canning left on his own terms to pursue other careers.
Changes featured within the strands were also included, with the removal of most segments except for "Music Time", "Bite Size", and Art Play. The latter was given a complete makeover in early 2003, with Olivia and a puppet named Splodge, made of everyday DIY objects taking over the segment, making art for the viewers at home.
In April 2004, a new segment titled PJ's Bedtime - was introduced, this segment featured Olivia and Dave helping the titular puppet PJ Mole get ready for bed.
In September 2004, the format underwent another makeover with a refreshed set, and new outfits for Dave and Alex. Starting around this time, the channel's presentation gradually began to focus more on out-of-vision links, like what its American counterpart would use.
On August 27, 2006, Dave Benson Phillips and Alex Lovell left the network, while the Art Play and Music Time strands were removed that day due to budget cuts. The two remaining strands, PJ's Bedtime and Bite Size, were removed in November 2007 and May 2008, respectively. By this time, the channel featured a format and identity on-par with that of its American counterpart.
Some regions kept this format for longer than others. For example, in Spain, Latin America, and Australia, the format was retained at least until 2007.
Songs[]
The international format featured a unique collection of original songs. Most of the songs for this format were composed by Michael Omer (and later translated for certain countries), while songs for PJ's Bedtime were composed by Mark Dyson.
- "Come Into Playhouse Disney"
- "We're Cooking"
- "The Morning Jive"
- "If Today Is Your Birthday"
- "See You Soon Inside Playhouse Disney"
- "Say Hello"
- "The Pyjama Song"
- "Squeaky Clean"
- "Yawning Lullaby"
Gallery[]
