Adventures of the Little Koala - Nick Knacks Episode

[@SabreRoseTiger]

One of the things I love about Nick Knacks (especially this early on when Nickelodeon was mostly importing shows) is that I've learned such a variety of different things. Nick Knacks has covered everything from the history of British comic books to international koala relations between Australia and Japan. I can't wait to find out what I'm going to learn next. I remember being aware of The Adventures of the Little Koala existing when I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure I never watched it (the theme song is incredibly familiar to me, though, so I think I may have watched whatever show came on after it). Also, I can't get over the cops wearing koala-shaped luchador masks when they commit their crimes.

[@niallwilliamson3540]

I can thank Nick Knacks for introducing me to Chargeman Ken! which is one of the most hilariously bad animated shows of all time

[@KevlarNinja]

I do like how the animators captured the awkward waddling run of a frilled lizard. they really did their homework.

[@sandradermark8463]

Is Makimaki a frilled lizard?

[@pronkb000]

"So you want a realistic, down-to-earth show...that's completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots?" Roger Myers, Jr. and his focus group analysts dropped the ball, because this show provided the blueprint for Itchy & Scratchy to follow.

[@allthingssonic]

I'm glad you started in with some history on Koala preservation based on the content of the show. :)

[@morbidsearch]

9:25 Can we talk about how they designed headphones that actually go in animals' ears? Take notes Arthur.

[@meyerj75]

Watching the Little Koala on Nickelodeon provided me with one of the happiest moments during my summer vacation. I went through hell as a freshman in high school and this was one of those shows that helped me escape from all of that.

[@lamontyaboy718]

I love how even when I haven't seen a single episode of the show being covered and I think it will be boring, the video still turns out interesting because of the tremendous effort you put into making it. Thanks so much for this series.

[@only257]

Lamont Ya Boy same here 😇

[@yszman6478]

One thing I liked about this show that no one mentions, is despite everything Pamie is friends with Betty, she doesn't take her frustration out on her, she is not catty to her. Females not letting a male get between them, good message.

[@tecpaocelotl]

When i was a kid, I thought nuzzle was its spinoff. Lol.

[@ajplays3679]

*Noozles

[@Storyograph]

I don't know why it took me 61episodes to say this, but Nick Knacks is an awesome series! There are a lot of shows on here that I've never heard of but the historical context for them is always so interesting. I feel like that's something that many TV show retrospectives on KZbin don't really get into. It's always a pleasure to see a new episode of Nick Knacks come up in my feed!

[@robbietehrotten]

This'll be fun. EDIT: We're still on the lookout for the JPN dub. Only the intro has been found thus far. (Oh, and we still need to find that lost English episode) (Speaking on behalf of the Lost Media Wiki)

[@PNT510]

This is the episode I didn't know I was waiting for. One of my earliest memories is from when I was four years old. It's really only a fraction of a memory. I was watching a cartoon and something said on the TV lead to my mind being blown. But I couldn't remember the show or what was said for the life of me. Seeing this was like a trigger, this is the show from my memory. Thank you so much for this blast from the past!

[@Unguided]

"Has some weird episodes" lol. Can't wait for the review of the other koala cartoon.

[@annakalinska6176]

The only one celebrity that I know that is Morgan Hallett (b. June 17, 1974), who is the voice of Laura in the series. She is 11 years old at the time which is her first cartoon (anime) role, and the youngest cast member in the series itself.

[@Tirgo69]

Not enough crime so the cops become the criminals? Now where have I heard that one before...?

[@andrejg4136]

Honestly if you wrote that plot today in a kids show, or even 5 years ago, it'd be seen as needlessly meta and political.

[@Lynn17]

I remember this one! It aired alongside Noozles, and I used to catch them regularly on Nickelodeon. Koalas are still struggling because of lax wildlife laws, sadly.

[@jonmcintyre1144]

Shout! Factory should remaster restore this show on DVD and Blu Ray, and then Paramount Plus could stream it

[@IsaaMation]

Unfortunately, Copyright for this show is a mixed bag. For one thing, Wildbrain's (and Paramount's) dub license might have expired. Meaning that it won't be allowed to be shown...unless it gets a new dub. For another, this was a show produced as a Topcraft original (Topcraft went defunct and split after producing Button Nose). So, in all honesty, I'm not really sure who owns what...but we can only hope.

[@santaisacommunist]

Disney or Ghibli?

[@Conumbra]

9:25 This series seems to be among the few to get headphone placement on anthro animals correct, well done!

[@andrejg4136]

It seems like a simple thing, but you're right.

[@sebastianmoreno6004]

A goddess who wears a leotard and leg warmers. Are we sure that wasn't Jane Fonda in a bunny suit? But I'd say this looks harmless as Maple Town. But man, the story of Topcraft just downright fascinates me.

[@KevlarNinja]

"Look, the moon goddess!" "Behind the rabbit?" "It *IS* the rabbit!"

[@M644theawesome]

i wonder if there's going to be art of that moon goddess now

[@sandradermark8463]

Of course the Moon goddess has to be a rabbit 🐰🐇 this is a Japanese property and the Jade Rabbit legend connects bunnies in East Asia to the Moon...

[@sandradermark8463]

@@KevlarNinja Of course the Moon goddess has to be a rabbit 🐰🐇 this is a Japanese property and the Jade Rabbit legend connects bunnies in East Asia to the Moon...

[@Saintnick90]

Now Japan loves capybaras, as we all should.

[@sumisusan1517]

Won't be long till they have The Little Capybara

[@VJFranzK]

12:42 Weather and Mingle! The main characters of the show, if Miazaki had directed it.

[@mr.tomraypaz6085]

I used to watch this show on Nickelodeon when I was really little. Noozles as well. The Nick Knacks series is starting to get into when I was watching the network avidly (until 1991, when the Disney Channel lured me away). Can’t wait to see that videos that cover Noozles, The Elephant Show, Fred Penner’s Place, and Eureeka’s Castle.

[@bardweasel372]

the virgin Maple Town vs the Chad Little Koala

[@dantheman8103]

As someone who grew up watching Nick within it's first or second year on cable, I have loved this trip down memory lane your channel has given. It is so cool to see someone do such a deep dive on so many shows that had been largely forgotten. It also is a fascinating way to explore the history of Nickelodeon. (wich someone would do a series like this with Disney Channel). I am not sure how much my interest will maintain, this is aroun the time I finally started to decide I was getting too old for Nickelodeon. But either way, being able to revisit my childhood like this has been great.

[@ExMortis00]

Just discovered this channel today, been watching Nick Knacks all day... truly impressive historical research and analysis in this series. Thank you for going so in depth on this incredibly formative force. (and this is a great episode too haha)

[@sandradermark8463]

Of course the Moon goddess has to be a rabbit 🐰🐇 this is a Japanese property and the Jade Rabbit legend connects bunnies in East Asia to the Moon...

[@SolomonMars]

When I'm feeling a bit of the gloomy glooms, i go watch a bunch of episodes of this show on KZbin. Even just hearing the theme song cheers me right up. yay.

[@sandradermark8463]

Being small and blue and Australian, I think the penguins in this show, Nick and Pami Penguin, are Fairy Penguins.

[@aestroai8012]

I somehow missed this when it came out. This and Noozles were two of my favourite Nick shows. It was animated by Topcraft which was one of the best animation teams from Japan! This was one of the first shows I watched that made me become an animator!

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Noozles belongs to Nippon Animation, the studio behind Tottoi Secret of the Seal, Anne of Green Gables, Coral Reef Legend Elfie of the Sea, Tico and Friends, Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli and Heidi Girl of the Alps.

[@PandaJenn]

I remember watching this, Noozles and Maya the Bee. (I hope you'll be covering the later soon.) Love your videos! They deserve way more likes.

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

To think, Nickelodeon made anime cool long before most people in the US even knew of the word!

[@GreenRiver72]

Oh my word my earliest memories. I recall the Dad couldn't keep weight off and kept breaking his belt (and confused yoga and yogurt haha) ... and the time the whole gang took a train, tearing apart some of the wooden cars to fuel the boiler. Thanks for bringing it back.

[@Eryncerise]

When you said "AKCAB", I had a split second where I was like "Wait how do you get that acronym wr-- oohhhhh I get it."

[@MissAshley42]

I just had to look up what this was about at all. I learned a new initialism today.

[@lamontyaboy718]

I just spend a half hour looking up akcab trying to figure out what it meant. It's all koala cops are bastards but that's not an official acronym it's an alteration on acab, all cops are bastards. For anyone who was confused like I was.

[@degrassiclassof2004]

This was a great episode! I was def not expecting the Studio Ghibli connection! Love it! Thanks for making these, I love love love them!

[@Nickrj3]

It’s a good this show was made in 1987, if it was one year before, children would have to see the V of Doom logo at the end.

[@WillmobilePlus]

I watched this every Sat. morning at 7AM. I remember it as a flawless cartoon series. Great characters (loved Weather and Floppy), fun stories, quality animation, and a show that inspired as well as taught important lessons. Just a mature, fun, and intelligent show that any parent today could put their kids in front of.

[@TravelingCoder]

Thanks for this series. It’s very interesting. I had no idea I watched so much anime when I was a little kid. I can’t wait to to get your commentary on the other shows I watched when I was a little kid in the early 90s.

[@timothyware7510]

Nickelodeon: I only hope that Nick Jr. Would loose sight of one thing That it was All started By a Little Koala

[@Tabbyclaw]

Holy crap, the visuals from the pollution episode have unlocked something in my brain. The image of the pink sludge pouring out of the pipe haunted me for *years* as a child, but I had completely forgotten it until this very moment.

[@thomaszoth1061]

I discovered you through your anime videos from Nick jr and you do fantastic work. Thank you for contextualizing my childhood.

[@Elementa2006]

Ah... Yes, another Anime I grew up watching dubbed in Arabic, it's interesting to find out how many anime series aired in the early years of Nickelodeon.

[@emerickscott]

Wow. I had completely forgotten about this show. But when those opening credits hit I was 10 again. WOW.

[@Furore2323]

Finally, a Nick Knack from my home country of Australia!

[@darrendoyle568]

I watched this all the time as a kid

[@JokeriPokeri17]

I wish this guy would make episode about the "Yume Hoshi no Button Nose" which came year after this show, was animated by Topcraft with in partnership wiith Sanrio.

[@eliaveloso1869]

I know about Button Nose,it’s a really cute Anime.Have you seen the series before?. Funny thing is Saban dubbed Button Nose during the 90s in hoping to sell it to US TV stations,but no one was interested in airing it.Latin America and European countries got to have Button Nose through Saban. I think Button Bose would have made a perfect fit for Nick Jr back in the day when they aired kiddie Anime.

[@timothyware7510]

Button Nose is not Nick Jr she's Sanrio

[@steveroberts2793]

AKCAB! I totally LOLed!

[@sebastianmoreno6004]

Though give the cop episode this, it is accurate the police can commit crimes themselves.

[@atariblue]

Yes! The "cop" episode resided deep in my consciousness ever since I saw it as a kid. The cop in the blue starred mask was an image I always remembered. Thank you Poparena.

[@jacobdodd9065]

I discovered the show in 2006 through the compilation VHS tape released by Family Home Entertainment. My girlfriend had the original release from 1988 with a preview for Dot movies made in Australia. My copy that me and my late mom bought on Amazon a year later was the 1993 reprint with the CGI paintbrush FHE logo. As a fan of the PBS Kids series Arthur (also produced by CINAR/Cookie Jar), I was surprised to see some of its voice actors worked on this dub including the late Walter Massey. The voice of Robbie, Timothy Webber, mainly did a lot of on-camera work. He can be seen in Disney's One Magic Christmas, Hallmark Channel's Cedar Cove, ABC's Once Upon a Time, and CW's Riverdale. It is unfortunate that the Japanese version and the English dub of Little Koala isn't seen much these days.

[@KaputOtter]

This was almost one I considered skipping because I remember the show so well -- but you do such a great job researching all of these that I knew I'd learn something new, and 2 minutes in I already have with the koala conservation efforts. Even down to using the show soundtrack for background music is a nice touch. Oh, also the fact that you somehow managed to find the ad spot for every single one of these?? I love the Nick Knacks series, really great work!

[@timothyware7510]

That's one of the most fascinating stories of Nick Jr. Roobear from the Little Koala Was Poised to be the most famous American star but, Dora Came along and the rest is history

[@hawkeyenextgen7117]

Now I know where the inspiration foe Blinky Bill came from.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Actually Blinky Bill predates all this, going back to the 1930's. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinky_Bill

[@vgtrp]

I do remember watching Adventures of the Little Koala and enjoying it. But the 2 things I found interesting in regards to the video is one the Koala craze in Japan, which I only knew a little bit about. The 2nd is that the studio that made the show is partly responsible for Studio Ghibli, which I didn't know about before watching this video and find fascinating. Also, the thing about Koalas is that they're only cute from a distance, if you get up close to one they're less cute.

[@Rhomega]

A moon goddess...that wears leg warmers and a leotard.

[@pronkb000]

That's the '80s for you.

[@andrejg4136]

@@pronkb000 It seems like fitness chic (leg warmers, leotard, wristbands) or just-a-little-slovenly (open shoulder baggy shirt that shows off the shoulders just a little bit) were big design/costume tropes for women in the 80s. Though to be fair, I love open-shoulder shirts.

[@user-rc3cm1zv4j]

I remember this broadcasting in my country ( Iraq) dubbed in Arabic maybe once or twice and never seen it again until now thanks to you 👍... you sir have earned a new subscriber

[@ajplays3679]

Yes! This anime has also aired in Egypt and other nations of the Arab world. It was quite the hit!

[@Rmlohner]

That episode where the present gets run over by a steamroller was deeply traumatizing for 3 year old me. I'm not sure if the network constantly replaying that one particular episode is just my unreliable kid memory, but it sure felt like I saw it a lot, and every time I kept rooting for her to keep it safe.

[@jamesmoss3424]

I remember this show when I was a kid and the them song is coming back to me. 😀👍🐨

[@darktetsuya]

I guess that would explain why nick had two freaking koala anime shows. I think the one I watched was the noozles? but wow, a sorcerer that shocks the kids with force lighting? man I missed out, haha. never knew about the ghibli connection, how cool! also re: the end credits? I can relate to noisy upstairs neighbors!! the mrs. has to sleep with the fan on to drown out all the noise up there.

[@aestroai8012]

Another excellent episode. I remember my 8 year self loving Weather, and thinking he was the coolest thing in the show. I've been itching to rewatch this some 30 years down the road! Oh, and I'm also dying to see the original Jp dub. Thanks so much poparena!

[@AlexReynard]

Weather's voice is just the most soothing, calming, epitome of wisdom I could ever imagine.

[@johnbakasmoothhotchocolate]

Hearing that theme song again just brought me back to when I was 9 or 10. I also remembered Noozles that came on after Little Koala, where the protagonist Sandy was friends with a gray koala bear and a pink koala bear.

[@newstarcadefan]

Ah yes, I remember Noozles. The two Koalas you're talking about are Pinky and Blinky.

[@johnbakasmoothhotchocolate]

newstarcadefan yeah I knew the pink one was Pinky. I forgot about the gray one until after playing Pac-Man, where there's a ghost who's also named Blinky. Funny enough, the voice behind Blinky I think also voiced Calumon from Season 3 of Digimon many years later.

[@TheEman590]

@@johnbakasmoothhotchocolate Funny enough, Saban Entertainment produced the dubs for Noozles and Digimon.

[@johnbakasmoothhotchocolate]

TheEman590 hey, I just watched the cartoons. I wasn't caring about who produced them back then, so sue me.

[@newstarcadefan]

@@TheEman590 oh they did a lot. They dubbed Grimm's Fairy Tales, the Lil' Bits, of course Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Also their only non-animated/non scripted show...the game show I'm Telling.

[@gleaming999]

I can sing the entire theme song from memory.

[@amwfan88]

This is a show that I know I must have seen as a kid - I remember the character of Mimi, for some strange reason - but I don't really remember watching any episodes. The Noozles is a show I was more familiar with. Interesting you mention that koalas are difficult to keep in captivity because of their diet/other factors. I was reading the memoirs of the former director at Lincoln Park Zoo and he said the same thing. I'd always wondered why the zoo never got any more koalas after the last one died about 15 years ago. After reading that, I understood.

[@Martialartfruituser]

So many of my anime watching buddies say they start off with Sailor Moon, DBZ, or even stuff like MD Geist. But me? I'm different, my first anime was Snoozles, Unico, and this. And I am so glad to see its history.

[@thebatterymill]

Lol, that moment when your voice raises for some reason talking about Disney’s Japanese studio

[@waywardpony]

Adventures of the Little Koala is awesome! I'm a collector of these episodes, and was wondering something... at 9:24 some footage of the is shown where they are playing baseball. Which episode is this taken from?

[@PinkieLopBun]

If you’re still wondering, it’s from Laura Finds an Egg.

[@waywardpony]

@@PinkieLopBun Thanks!

[@MattyHervey]

I do remember this one. That is to say I remember the theme song and promos. The first section of this episode was fascinating. What a mad story.

[@daltonriser1125]

The amount of research this man does for a throwaway show Damn

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

This is why I love his videos so much. He puts so much care into every entry in the series, whether or not anyone would ever give these shows a second thought.

[@pompe221]

This show was just so dang WHOLESOME. I still really like it and I'm way past the target demographic.

[@DrewWharton]

Very interesting considering Australia would make it's own animated series a few years later (The Adventures of Blinky Bill.)

[@Headloc27]

Yeah I was curious about that too, but blinky bill the book is from 1933 and has the koala wearing red overalls too... so I wonder if blinky bill was any inspiration

[@annakalinska6176]

I almost got a video about the voice actress Robyn Moore (the voice of Blinky, Nutsy and Marcia in the show) on Amber the Fan Girl's podcast show. Wow!

[@pja36]

Bob Hawke drank a yard of beer in 11 seconds. It was a world record at the time.

[@daltonriser1125]

25:48 I think this guy is what king decide was eventually based on

[@Talowolf]

Alright, confession time. Out of all the emotional (for kids anyway) episodes, that one with the moon goddess legitimately depressed the heck out of me as a kid. When she disappears at the end leaving the two prepubescent animal kids sad and looking for her, I felt really bad for them. I guess I was too young to get the concept of "guest-star characters" at the time. Also found it weird that Papa seemed to have a real crush on his boss while being married.

[@PinkieLopBun]

Wait, he had a crush on his boss? I first watched this show last year as an adult and didn’t pick up on that.

[@Talowolf]

@@PinkieLopBun I picked it up from the beauty pageant episode where he imagines his boss as the winner instead of his wife.

[@andrejg4136]

I like the reaction to the unnaturally beautiful rabbit they showed. It'd have no trace of lust, just awe. That girl was more pretty than anything they could think of, and there was nothing to do but observe as long as possible. And they also showed restraint in her character design, in that she fit the world, but there were still details that showed she wasn't like anyone else, like the really shiny hair.

[@Tacom4ster]

I just got that gag of the K meaning Koala with that "AKCAB" reference

[@beipiaosaurus]

Excellent as always. As a kid, I always thought Weather was an adult sugar glider.

[@christopherb501]

So, by my count (~10% margin of error) we have like 42 more episodes before Nicktoons...?

[@Love1nOther]

Love this! I thought I made up this show with a blue koala, and that the only koala show on nick jr wAs Noozles. I thought this show was like the Mandela effect and the non existent genie movie “Shazam” , staring Sinbad.

[@ryantimony6692]

Excuse me was that Oi! Oi! Oi!??

[@TigerNightmare]

I remember this episode where they tried to make a scale drawing of a big tree by putting hundreds of pieces of paper together as one canvas, and the wind blew it away because they're children and fucking stupid, so they spend the episode looking for the pieces of the drawing and they just made a bunch of different pictures with the pieces of tree drawing at the end.

[@andrejg4136]

Was every moderately athletic girl supposed to be in leotard and leg warmers in the 80s? JK the moon goddess was pretty cute. Also if you had told me this studio worked on Naussica I wouldn't have believed you, without you explaining it.

[@sablelioness]

About real koalas... Yes, they are cute and photogenic little guys ^^ but they do indeed have a unique... odor to them. The eucalyptus they eat is a contributing factor (it's not foul, but strong just the same), and the males give off a more distinctive musk to mark territory. I visited an Australian wildlife park some years ago that gave visitors the opportunity to hold and get a picture with a koala. I can't remember the smell exactly now, but I do remember it was hard to breathe around him... and he wasn't exactly cuddly either. The koala was nice and calm, but his weight, claws, and odd fur texture were not what I expected, on top of the odor. So yeah, there is DEFINITELY truth to koalas smelling bad / not being as cuddly as expected... but they are still cute. =)

[@MissAshley42]

I was never able to get into this one. I was probably 8 or 9 when I first saw it, and I thought it was "too kiddy." I was being silly back then, though, because even as I looked down on this show I watched the hell out of Noozles.

[@mattmcconnell4814]

In Canada we had blinky bill, seems similar.

[@Showsni]

Hey hey, Blinky Bill, save us from that woodchip mill! Yeah, we had him here in the UK too. I guess Blink Bill is later than this, though; he from 1993, it seems.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

Goodness, that surprises me. I have a book with him somewhere. (I got it because old English books are rare here.)

[@mattmcconnell4814]

@@Showsni good on ya blinky!

[@Eruvadhril]

@@Showsni The original Blinky Bill book came out in the 1930s.

[@lukejack9551]

OMG O used to watch this I was just 7

[@lionessblack]

I loved all the koala history at the start of the episode. Koalas sure are cute.

[@joshbarrigada]

hey i really appreciate this, i was born in 85 and have vague visual memories of this animation, do you know which one had cut in video of actual koalas as part of the animation?

[@Chumpersonable]

this is my Lupin superfan showing but despite how it's spelled, Cagliostro is pronounced "callie-ostro" Really cool to hear the story behind ghibli though

[@timothyware7510]

Before Dora, Boots, Diego, Wonder Pets Blue and Steve, Sunny Day and The Paw Patrol There was a Koala named roobear and a Gnome named David

[@carmineknight9123]

What a sweet little show, and excellent work as always, Greg. Every day I hope you can really get a big breakout on KZbin because you really, really deserve it. I try and get my friends to watch as much as possible.

[@artytoons]

Original Japanese series opening. "Koala Boy Kokki" kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5WYqmCpmdalrtk

[@Cameroo]

One of my "Made me into a furry" pillars. Haha. I loved the heck out of this show.

[@newstarcadefan]

Yes, I'm gonna ask straight out, what were your other pillars. I have a feeling I might know one or two more of them.

[@only257]

Never saw this cartoon 📼🍿📺🥳

[@sonic23233]

Now I see why it was made into a Pokémon

[@rootfish2671]

Whoah that theme song brings me back...

[@MissAshley42]

I was surprised I even remembered some of the lyrics. I've maybe heard that theme only once in the 30-odd years since I saw this show, and even that was a good while back.

[@andrejg4136]

Like, I'm as much a stickler for original music and so on, but there is something earnest about that simple tune.

[@MorePotatoesPlease]

@3:10 care koalafications?

[@BrawlSnorlax]

19:41 and that's how the show ends. (kidding)

[@henriquedearruda8902]

Can you do the Wonder pets next?

[@averyrandompersonontheinternet]

0:25 among us confirmed???

[@Stephen_Eee]

What was the other one with koalas?

[@PinkieLopBun]

Noozles

[@sandradermark8463]

LOL most animated series run for 26 episodes. And I wonder why...

[@ajplays3679]

I know! Why is that?

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

In Japan, these shows were run once a week, so 26 episodes would mean the show lasted a half year without reruns, but these channels never rerun the program during its original run as they move on to the next one.

[@henriquedearruda8902]

Well I guess when they get older they might be old enough to get married right?