Oh my gosh! Thank you for watching! To anyone that doesn't know (because I somehow didn't mention it in the video) Mr. Bunch was the puppeteer of Treelo, Pop, and other characters in the show!
Defunctland can you do another episode of DefunctTV about Barney and friends? Because I’m anxious to see about the history of the show’s run and cancellation.
Defunctland I'm a British member of gen z. Until I was 8 I watched a tv channel called cbbc. They still aired some programmes from the 90s, my favourite being the adventures of Tracy Beaker. I'd love it if you did that!
What I will always remember of this show: My little sister sitting on the floor and watching it while eating a banana. Bear starts sniffing around going "what's that smell? Is that you? Are you eating a banana because you smell just like bananas." To which my sister, wide eyes and impressed replied enthusiasticly. "I am! I am eating a banana!"
Dude, that literally just happened to me in this video! I just showered a few hours ago and put on clean pajamas, and then Bear asked if I’m wearing clean pajamas! What a coincidence!
I want to know how his suit works. big bird only had full use of one arm because the actors other arm was controlling the head, but bear has both arms and an articulated head and face, even when he's not on set. I'm stunned. Edit: I looked it up, he doesn't actually have use of the hand, it's almost the same setup as big bird, the puppet has a filament connected to each hand, and passes through a ring hidden in the costume to let the actor adjust the arms with one movement. Selling it is all in the performance
I feel like bear only uses one arm at a time, and that Noel can quickly transition from using either of Bear's stubby arms to manning the facial controls within the suit. I also suspect that he can pull a string to provide semi-articulation for the "limp" arm even when he's manning the facial controls. This way, he can appear to sing and dance at the same time. It is masterful work.
Neil Lancia yeah I looked it up, i made an edit but I think the post is collapsed. He said in an interview the other arm is stuffed and attatched to the suit in a way that let's him move both suit arms with the one articulate hand
As a female child born in the 90s, I was never diagnosed with autism or adhd but there WAS something oddly comforting about that big bear. I remember loving him smelling me at the beginning of the episode, and I was a big fan of Tutter and Treelo. I was fascinated by his eyebrows, and they reminded me of my dentist's.
"I didn't grow up in a very supportive family, but it gave me a lot of time to figure out what one was." Damn, that is deep, I'd hope to be able to use my past to make something so positive for others...
same here ;-; i grew up undiagnosed and with an abusive, chaotic, and toxic home life and bear in the big blue house *always* managed to make me feel better. didn’t think i’d end up crying when i clicked on this video oml
Along with kids with ADHD. I don’t remember watching this as a kid-but according to my Mom I loved this show along with The Wiggles and Oobi. But watching this-I can already tell why I loved this show as a kid. Something about the soft yet array of colors of the set and characters and Bear’s gentle, calm demeanor and loving voice…along with the music…man, the music is great. Also-the texture of bear’s fur looks very soft and nice to touch along with the other puppets-they just look so well-loved and soft, like stuffed animals. When I have kids, I’ll most certainly have them watch this show.
You know you all might like this my little cousin had a kid recently and she saw it was on disney+ played it for her kid next generation big blue house lover couldn't have been more proud.
@@Chairdolf That makes me so happy! Old shows like this make me think about how new generations won't get to experience them, since they're not really on cable TV, etc. So glad this is available on Disney+ now! And some episodes on RUclips.
Looking back at it now, as an adult, I’m kind of astonished by just how well crafted Bear is. Between the incredible craftsmanship of the puppet itself, the control by the puppeteer inside, and his wonderful voice, it’s no wonder people fell in love with that character.
I am actually stunned as well in retrospect by how well it was designed too. Most puppet animals rarely look like what they were designed from but I generally like how Bear looked like he could have an actual animal. Not to mention his personality was very welcoming and refreshing where he actually acted much more,, calm mature but fun-loving. I can see why people liked him over Barney.
The voice actor for Bear will always be Magellan from Eureeka's Castle for me. Bear in the Big Blue House has a lot of Eureeka's Castle vibes to it actually...
Barney seems more like a loud and always-there-for-you friend, but Bear seemed more like a caring and sweet father figure, which is so much better in my opinion.
If I had to CHARITABLY describe the difference, Barney was the one who said "Don't be afraid!" and Bear was the one who said "It's okay, take your time." Some kids are just waiting for permission to cannonball off the diving board. Others would rather hang out in the shallows for a while.
His mechanisms are actually similar to how Big Bird is operated. Its genius. And also big kudos to the puppeteers. They have made a huge impact on our childhoods.
You should watch the show Jim Henson's Dinosaurs, with an entire full suit dinosaur family of the 90s. They're incredibly impressive, even by today's standards.
*The creators, writers, and puppeteers cannot be praised enough for this show.* The simple, sincere, kindness and love that the show conveyed to young children was such a worthy endeavor. Young minds are so impressionable and this sort of positive and creative encouragement can mean a great deal to a child, especially one living in an unloving and dangerous home.
I remember I grew up in an abusive home. The memories hurt to look back on, I’m literally crying while writing this. But this bear got me through so much. I know they’ll never read this but god bless the creators, show runners, and everyone involved in this show. You have absolutely no idea the impact you’ve made on the lives of the children you touched. Thank you for being there when my parents weren’t. You guys are unsung heroes.
@mariechucho3967 that’s really cool. I hope you’ve been able to surround yourself with people who care about you and support you. It’s amazing how one show can inspire sad kids to keep going. God bless
I remember seeing a post about the final episode, "This Is Your Life, Bear". A misunderstanding where everyone thinks he's leaving for good when he's just going on vacation, that included a video of that episode's goodbye song. Tears were shed, seeing him saying goodbye to Luna for the last time. It's heartbreakingly meta.
Same here! I used to watch it in 5th grade because I was stuck at home with mono for a few months, so even though I felt a little too old for it there wasn't much else for me to do/watch at the time. There was something very charming and soothing about the show, and the goodbye show made me tear up a few times.
One of the few shows ever produced that I'd describe as "cuddly." It's not overly cute, like some cartoons try to do...but it's like watching your favorite stuffed animals come to life! Just the bits shown in this video just inspire that warm, fuzzy feeling, in an almost literal sense!
Honest to God, I started to tear up when I saw Bear open the door and sniff around at the start of the video; I haven't seen this show in any way, shape, or form for almost 20 years, and I just got hit by this wave of nostalgia and the feeling that everything is going to be alright. Very nice to see it again
I know the feeling man, when the video ended I shed tears of nostalgia for the simple times of childhood when my only worried was to wake up early to see Saturday morning cartoons and my mama was by my side. God, I miss those days so much.
When I was little I thought my dad was bear. He was the tallest person I knew and I always saw him putting his work bag in his trunk, so I thought he was putting the bear costume in there. This brought instant tears to my eyes
Bear had such a calming effect on the viewer (children and adults). Once the 'student' feels safe (physically & emotionally) learning is so much easier. There was a feeling of warmth and safety when watching that show.
@@AnInkStick I get where you’re coming from and I FULLY blame the school for that... Schools should promote safety of all kinds for the children, not the opposite!
one there was a child (a few years old) who had special needs and didn't react to things but the first time he sniffed the camera really closely she jumped back (in a good/excited way) so he continued to do it
Even at 21, these short clips of Bear put me at ease. I grew up in a pretty abusive household and struggled a lot with comprehension and emotions due to my ADHD, but this show was such a calming, relaxing escape from everything going on around and within me.
As a close friend of many of the puppeteers on this show, I am glad you have taken the time to share the story. Oh man I have so many great stories about the behind the scenes. hahaha Thanks for the video Kev!
Wasn't keen on the show as I loved things like Ren and Stimpy, and Pete and Pete but the puppeteering skill was amazing, as you would expect on a Henson production.
Makes you think... Everything has an end. Listen to 'Goodbye, Friends, Goodbye" (the outro) again. One day in your childhood, you heard that song for the last time on television, and you didn't even know it. It's kind of sad but also kind of beautiful, especially when it's something like this, a show that taught so much good and was loved by so many.
Calebrated Gamer this show scared me as a kid I don’t remember why but now I look back and shows like this are like doors to my child hood and it’s sad we no longer can have tv series like this
@@ATARI800XLfan Sadly I think it's more of a cost issue. Animation is infinitely cheaper, TV shows on PBS demonstrate this perfectly, what was once puppetry is now animation.(with the exception being sesame Street) The decline in puppetry is very similar to the decline and death of Saturday morning cartoons (or basically cartoons at all on network TV) what was once a perfect medium has become defunct, I mean I would say television as a whole has basically become defunct at this point but they had their place in time.
What always gets me is that at one point you and all your friends went outside to play for the last time and none of you knew it was the end of an era.
@@eltontaylor162 Children's entertainment (on TV at least) has been heading down hill for a little over 20 years now and doesn't show any sign of stopping. The quality level of most shows now is at best subpar especially considering where the bar was on even network TV in the 80's and most of the 90's. It seems a bit cliche to say hindsight is 20/20 or you don't know what you got till it's gone but it's so true. Didn't know and couldn't possibly have known as kids the massive downturn in quality that was to come, and how lucky we were to experience what most people would call the last gasp of the renaissance of children's entertainment. Looking back, you can see the fall coming and the aftermath.
It seems like bears are good at that (Winnie the Pooh, The Berensteins [Mama, Papa, Sister, Brother, and the newest addition to the family, baby Honey], The Country Bears [at least, where they still perform in Critter Country at Walt Disney World], and of course, the Big Blue House main character himself [as well as female bear cub Ojo & Bear's sporadically recurring female counterpart Ursa]).
Interviewer: What can you never keep your eyes open while doing? Bear: watching C-span! I mean, representative of the state of *snores* wow, bear was a savage!
FYI that was when Bear appeared on Hollywood Squares. I remember he was asked about shaving in one episode, and he went "why would I know anything about shaving?"
but truth be told i was actually in middle school i know i was too old so i watched playhouse disney since there was nothing else on before going to school.
this show was so special to me as a child. i’ve always felt neglected (attention-wise) as a child and always felt misunderstood as someone who was (then) undiagnosed autistic. But Bear always made me feel better. I even used to send him emails in the old disney channel website almost every day for one summer.
I sincerely hope that somewhere out there, someone is taking really good care of those puppets. If they're never to be used again, then they're hopefully being kept somewhere safe.
Well, the puppets were originally designed by Paul Andrejco, who now has his own workshop, Puppet Heap. From what I've not heard, it seems like the puppets are in a dark corner of the workshop, their fabric falling apart.
@@tysargent9647i know you're joking but tbh you're probably not far off, a lot of screen-used puppets like the ones used in dinosaurs (another jim henson show, relatedly) we straight up just don't have anymore because of how fragile they were even during production and then being too expensive to maintain afterward unless they were particularly iconic, e.g. the original 60s and 70s muppets
My dad was verbally and physically abusive when I was a kid plus my parents fought a lot and eventually got divorced so my eldest sibling would put a BITBBH VHS to calm me and and my siblings with special needs. It worked every time.
One of Disney's purest properties, I would watch it with my Romanian family and scream "Ursu! Ursu!" At the screen when Bear was there. My family gifted me a Bear plush and I still have it. The feels.
I'm 54 years old and the goodnight song got me too! I watched this on VHS with my daughter who was born in 1999. We both loved it and watched those tapes almost every day during her toddler years, she always told me "...put on Big Bear in the Blue House daddy..."
Michael Krawczyk I was also born in ‘99 and I remember watching with my Dad when I was little. I can tell you from a daughter’s perspective that it was a really special time and bonding experience
That's so sweet. I was a teenager when this show originally aired, but I fondly remember watching it with my (much younger) brother and sister. They loved it and even I enjoyed, although I would have never admitted that to my friends, lol.
I'm sat here in tears as I listen to the goodbye song after so long. I'm 27 years old, but had difficulty making friends growing up as a child. I was very much a bullied child, who only ever wanted to belong, and bear in the big blue house ALWAYS made me feel wanted and needed, even if it was for only 30 minutes a day. I'd sing every song with passion, and I'd say goodbye when luna came to say goodnight. I'm currently going through one of the toughest moments of my life, but hearing that song brought me so much joy, even for a short while. Thank you for this, and thank you to everyone that made that show possible. You gave lonely children a place to feel at home where they could belong.
Erenura GG So sorry to hear that you have gone through so much, both past and present. This show was definitely a comforting place for children to “escape” to when they couldn’t find that comfort in real-life, and I’m glad that it was able to help you. Whatever you may be going through right now, just know that you’re not alone, and that you have so much worth. I may be a stranger, but I care about you, and I hope that life starts getting a little easier for you soon. I will be praying for you! God bless! 🙏🏻💕
Bear in the Big Blue House is a prime example of what a kids show should be: realistic but varied color pallette (as opposed to high contrast and unrealistic), a calming atmosphere (as opposed to a hyperactive), slow to moderate paced songs (as opposed to techno and rock), realistic stories and morals (as opposed to gimmicks and forced morals), and finally, characters that have an appropriate IQ (as opposed to seemingly everyone, even adults, making childish mistakes). Simply put, Bear focused on quality and some quantity, not marketing and merchandise
I couldn't watch Bear in the Big Blue house when I was young. Didn't have the channel and when I did I grew out of it. However when I had a horrible depressive spout, I just stayed in bed and would watch the show. It was soft and comforting and just made me calm down and relax. I can't say this show was my childhood, but it near enough saved me a lot of trouble and will always have a fond spot in my heart.
“Looking forward to the next visit.” “Cause we’ll see you very soon, I know!” That heartbreaking, crestfallen moment when you realize that one day you heard that song.....or rather that song was sung.....for the last time......
Me too. I realised that this was one of those shows I watched as a kid that really impacted me in a good way. Thanks to all of the creators that worked on it!
My sister is special needs and was born in 2009, long after Bear was out of production, and it wasn’t even airing on Playhouse Disney. But we have several DVDs and she loves the show so much, especially Tutter and Bear himself. We often use songs from the show to communicate with her, and it calms her during scary doctor visits (when we put it in a portable player). This show is still impactful even years after it ended, and I’m so grateful to those involved for making something that makes my sister’s life so much better
I loved this one Kev! I watched this when I was young, and I absolutely adored it. I honestly think the main reason was that everything on the show was so calm and loving. That's something a lot of kids shows miss out on, and it was very comforting.
It's sorta sad how with RUclips, something like this could be done for kids, but no they get money hungry weirdos who show off either toys or strange stories. I loved this show as a child too with Mr. Roger's and Thomas.
@@nitromenace1424 Your Lord Zedd profile pic is AMAZING. Just started the original Mighty Morphin last week for the umpteenth time in my life. It is SUCH the best thing ever lol.
Huge Thank you for mentioning the influence Bear had on kids on the spectrum. I wasn’t diagnosed until 21, but it makes a lot of sense why those memories of Bear still are so vivid to me; he really was the most gentle soul I knew as a child, and that was by pure creation of the kind of character he was. Kids, especially those who are special needs, really need that gentle voice, and without Bear, a lot of kids would not have gotten that voice to tell them “it’s okay” and “you’re loved”. That’s why these characters like Bear and Big Bird and Mr. Rogers are so important and memorable. They teach the world to love a little more when there isn’t a lot of love in the world already. They create love. The characters, the people working on them... don’t ever let anyone tell you kids programming isn’t important in that regard. It’s those gentle voices that make a big difference. As always, great stuff, Kevin. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated this one as a fan of Defunctland :) keep the hits coming!
Yeah, I agree. I was diagnosed at 12 with Aspergers, and Mr. Rodgers and Big Blue House were a vouple of my favorite shows when I was little. Their calm, steady demeanors were very soothing. As a contrast, the more chaotic the newer shows got the more I disliked them. For example, my youngest sister used to watch The Doodlebops on Playhouse Disent, and I absolutely hated it. On the other hand I can still go back and watch and enjoy shows like BitBBH.
I actually was diagnosed with the same thing at the same age. Mr. Rodgers along with Big Blue House where some of my favorites, but my absolute favorite was Blues Clues, I remember being really sad when Steve left the show even after I had gotten a bit older. I also remember liking the wiggles and Loving Crocodile Hunter as well.
i wasn't diagnosed on the spectrum til sophomore year of high school (and probably would've been diagnosed a lot later if it wasn't for our family therapist at the time). i loved this show as a kid, and have always been drawn to characters/people who exude a gentle, warm, and supportive presence. Such unconditional kindness and love is an underappreciated form of strength in media, and especially with male characters. I appreciate the kind of environment that characters like Bear created and I hope media doesn't forget how important it is to have characters that create that kind of environment.
I was born in 1998 and grew up watching this show on VHS. My dad was a music major and loved the music of the show too. My sister is autistic and she really loved the show too. It's so comforting and the bear reminds me a lot of my dad. Tall, sweet, and a little fuzzy.
Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Brian López. What is your favorite Bear in the Big Blue House episode? Please let me know in the comments down below.
I would always feel sad when Bear visited Luna. It meant that our fun time would be over and I didn't want him to go. The childhood is a curious thing.
Honestly, it's a show that so exceeded its mission and its contemporaries that it's a shame it only lasted as long as it did and a miracle that it was made at all. Incredible puppeteering, high production values, and a really sweet nature. What a gem.
I'm still impressed by the puppets, they all move and fell like actually cartoon characters on real life, not some guy in a cheap suit like Barney. Also, being they all are modeled so simple, with small eyes, they felt harmless and genuinally friendlly, i never liked those big colorful eyes.
I don't want to sound weird, but this show taught me how to talk. I didn't start talking until I was three, but I was obsessed with Bear and Luna, especially Luna. I don't what was about Luna, but I loved her. My first was " Luna". My mom said that one night coming home from church I pointed to the moon and just said "Luna!" Over and over. My parents were so happy that I was finally speaking 😅.
On a rather serious note about this children's show about puppets, I think it saved me as a kid. I grew up in low income housing, on food stamps and living paycheck to paycheck if mom even had a job. My mom was in a punk band and people wouldn't let their kids in the apartment play with me because my mom had a Mohawk and piercings and her band practiced at our place so I felt very alone. School wasn't much better since I was the only kid that count afford new things. We didn't have cable but we had 5 bright blue VHS tapes that had bear in the big blue house on it. It inspired me to be kind even when people weren't kind to me. It inspired me to draw which I do for a living now. Like the creator said, it's a happy, supportive family which is something I never ever had. My father died when I was 5 and this is the only kids show he would watch with me. I guess there's a lot of reasons I love this show. I'm just being sappy! I love bear in the big blue house! I still tell Luna goodnight every night and sing the goodbye song to my pets and plants. One day I'll sing it to my kids. Loved the video!
The goodbye song was our year 6 leavers song for when we went up to high school everyone cried and it was beautiful but it was over 10 years ago and now I feel old thinking about it
I used to watch this when I was young. Honestly, even to this day this remains one of the most well designed and genius shows to ever air on TV. I don’t just mean that for children’s shows, but I mean for all shows.
Something about Bear just makes him look so warm and huggable...Like I’m a nineteen year old grown ass man and if I ever saw or met the puppet I would hug him immediately.
I was around 21 XD and I thought exactly that when I saw it the first time. And the sniffing... OMG, the sniffing! It breaked the fourth wall so adorably I would still giggle and smiled. I'm 41 now and I still love it 😅
Well, Henson himself died before this was even a thing, so it's really his team that deserve the thanks. There's no doubt Jim definitely would've loved this, though, were he still alive and well at the time of the show's production phase. In fact, I can imagine him smiling at the sight of the Bear character.
As someone with autism, it broke my heart when they stopped airing this show as a young child. Really wish they had kept it around longer, it was one of my favorites.
I wanna hug that bear so hard right now. This show was a part of my early childhood, and I'm so thankful for that and for you Defunctland for talking about it. I just hope one day I can thank the creators of this show for providing such a calm, fun, and relaxing experience for my younger self. If you're reading this, thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Alejandro Flores-Ibarra hahahaah yessss. I was looking at the dates of the comments and then thought "do they now know...?" But you know. And I thank you.
I remember this from my childhood. Me and my brother were born in 03 and 02 but because we were on the poorer side of things a lot of our tv was handmedown dvds and VHS tapes, this included. Even now the show warms my heart and makes me smile. Everything about it is so happy and pure I love it, thank you
My bro was 04 and I was 02, I had a similar situation, but not really poor, just used VHS tapes for a long time. I remember this vaguely but remember many shows around this era.
Brandy Adams I hate when people say things like that! Theres no difference in growing up with a show when its originally airing, and growing up with a show but on VHS. I used to watch many 90s shows on VHS (being born 2000) and those shows are just as dear to me as they are to ny older siblings who saw them on tv
This was my favourite show as a young child. I struggled with my first year at school and this used to really brighten my day when I got home. My mum said I used to cry after the goodbye song because I wanted to keep watching. I don't know what children's shows are like these days but I'm glad I grew up with things like bear in the big blue house. It was educational, fun and very loving
I genuinely wasn't surprised when you said that this show was popular with kids on the spectrum. I loved this show growing up, and have vivid memories of watching it, and I also happen to be on the spectrum. It was so wholesome.
My dad still does the “you smell like blueberries” thing to me. We also had a stuffed Ojo. This show was around more when my sister was a kid, but I still got to enjoy it. I think we may have even had a vhs for it.
Jena McLean I think the show and the old tv alone made the ambiance more real, like someone was watching the show and reminiscing the simpler times in a much complex world. I found that sad and nearly teared up a bit.
Syren Cove I think next episode should be Rollie Pollie Ollie (that show premiered the day AFTER I was born on October 4th 1998. I was born a day BEFORE that)
Show went on hiatus largely due to Lynne's passing and no one having the motivation to make more episodes without her there, especially since Luna was in pretty much every episode. This show was my childhood and arguably their night time scenes is why I developed such a love for night time environments in shows and games.
One of my earliest memories was watching Bear in the Big Blue House, when suddenly my dad changed the channel to the news. I was mostly upset because I wasn't going to hear the Goodbye Song. That day was September 11, 2001.
Why did almost every clip you show bring back nostalgia? I had a huge smile on my face thinking back to these shows. I'm so ready for more of this series
Part of the fun of the show was Bear getting so up close to the camera and sniffing. Cuddly and inviting as Bear was, you couldn’t help but recoil every time his superpower of 4th wall smelling was activated.
This was literally the one and only show that my autistic daughter as a toddler watched over and over for hours on end while rocking endlessly on her rocking horse, and she would flip out if I turned it off. Bear made her toddler years, and gave me a much-needed breather that an exhausted Mom of that autistic toddler needed. I tear up whenever I see stuff like this on BITBBH because it made such an impact on our lives at that time.
I grew up in a household that was pretty broken, nothing against my parents they tried their best. But my dad was military and so we didn't have much of a relationship, and my job quickly even at a child was to take care of my mother with severe social anxiety and Paranoia. Needless to say I was a very anxious child and I didn't have friends. I was an only child as well. Bear in the big blue house was my second home. A place I felt safe and with my friends. It was calm, I always knew no one was going to tell at me, or make me feel uncomfortable. And whenever we said goodbye I knew it wasn't for long. I've named countless hamsters after tutter. And I named my dog I own now Luna. This show is my absolute favorite ❤️
Y'know what's weird about that anti-Barney comment? Bear actually teamed up with Barney for a DVD released by FedEx called We Are Family. The two teamed up with a whole bunch of characters like that, and they even included Between the Lions too.
As someone on the autism spectrum, this show was my life. I'm really grateful that one of my favorite channels has done is such amazing justice! I'm crying happy tears remembering it now!
same. i actually started tearing up when he said it was popular among autistic kids. i only got diagnosed last year at 25, and we suspected for about 10 years before, but my parents had no idea when i was little. no wonder i loved Bear :')
zoetherebel Same here!!!!! My brother and I are both autistic and adored this show. Bear really made me feel happy and safe ☺️ I try to emulate Bear in how I work with my kids (I’m a teacher)
I choked up a bit when he said that! I was diagnosed last month, and I’m still in the phase of realizing how much of past makes so much more sense. I used to watch bear in the big blue house every time it came on. I still love it very much. It’s amazing that a show like this was able to exist at a time when I desperately needed it.
This show was also big in Germany when I was little. Throughout my entire time in Kindergarden, my mom used to drop me off at my grandparents before driving to work. There I would have breakfast and watch The Bear in the Big Blue House and Sesame Street before my grandpa would put me on his bike and push me up the hill to my kindergarden. Thank You so much for bringing back those sweet memories!
One of the shows I’ll be showing to my children 100% Please put this on Disney+ I don’t care that I’m now 19 I’ll rewatch this to relive the good times.
Same I wish they would add bears in the big blue house to Disney plus I don’t want bear in the big blue house to be forgotten and they’re adding dinosaurs on Jan 29 2021 they need to add this show it was another great show that showed the great collaboration between the Disney company and The Jim Henson Company
@Jessica Rechani yeah and it’s one of the top shows requested to be added to Disney plus I hope they add it in 2021 it was an amazing show from Disney and The Jim Henson Company
This show was my childhood. I'm 20 and I'm already crying from nostalgia from watching this. I want to watch the show whenever I want because it only gives me joy
@@aldinoguy1698 March 2022 and Bear's still not on Disney+. Come on! What is wrong with these people? You have Bear in the Big Blue House, a cornerstone of many a childhood, one of the many things most '90s kids think when they hear about Playhouse Disney, a show that made a 7 ft. brown bear puppet bring fond memories to the children who watched the show and the parents who gladly watched it with them, one of the big four of the Henson Mt. Rushmore (the other three being, of course, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock), one of the greatest preschool shows Disney has ever broadcast, easily one of the greatest children's television shows not only of its time but of all time...and Disney, the entertainment conglomerate that it is, the multimedia juggernaut that it is, the corporate empire that owns about 65% of the goddamn world...doesn't want to introduce it to a whole new generation?! Are they out of their minds? UPDATE: Bear's coming to Disney+ on Oct. 19!
I remember when I was really young, my mom got my siblings and I a VHS of Bear in the Big Blue House while we were shopping. I still have the memory of my brother sitting in the shopping cart, already removing the plastic on the VHS we were gonna buy. He was so excited to watch it that he couldn’t wait to see how the tape looked inside the package. Sometimes I wonder where the bear puppet sits now. I sure hope it’s given lots of care.
Idk but as someone who watched this show as a kid and as well as someone with autism i love how just heartwarming and accepting the show was and watching this brings back some great memories
"Hey this was really fun, We hoped you liked it too. Seems like we've just begun, When suddenly we're through. Goodbye, goodbye, good friends, goodbye, 'Cause now it's time to go. But hey, I say, well that's OK, 'Cause we'll see you very soon I know! Very soon I know. Goodbye, goodbye, good friends, goodbye, And tomorrow, just like today; The Moon, The Bear, and the Big, Blue House. We'll be waiting for you to come and play, to come and play, to come and play. Bye now~"
I loved Bear so much and would cry like a total psycho when they sang the outro song with Luna. My favorite toy was a Bear stuffed animal. I wonder where that is now?
SmittenKitten I did as well and remember growing up on the show. I remember it always aired early on Disney Channel and I always tried to wake up early to watch The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh around 4, Madeline, and The Little Mermaid the Series.
I remember when my mom got me a big blue bear before I had surgery on my tonsils when I was very little. I named it Blueberry. But I do remember this show a lot.
Thank you for this episode, I've been goin' through another rough patch in my life and this trip down memory lane, although bitter due to it's end, is more sweet and a breath of fresh air. If this series, being DefunctTV, will continue to essentially be a nostalgia trip then this will certainly be a series I will look forward to.
I had never watched this show as a kid, but after hearing you explain it, this is definitely a show that my inner child needed. Just hearing that the show focused on how the characters loved each other and how gentle bear was makes me feel a bittersweet sadness. Honestly, I may need to try and find some of the episodes just my inner child can feel some peace.
Bear’s voice is higher pitched than I remember... Ah, so many childhood memories, always looked forward to this, coming home from school... Never missed it! Still... So many kids of today are missing out on such an iconic show.
Dude I never understood why this show hit me so hard til now. Bear's voice most completely mirrors my dad! He was super calming and chill and helped when I was not doing too well as a kiddo (undiagnosed ADHD). This show ruled as a kid!
Thanx for this! That show launched my career ... will ALWAYS remember it fondly.
Oh my gosh! Thank you for watching! To anyone that doesn't know (because I somehow didn't mention it in the video) Mr. Bunch was the puppeteer of Treelo, Pop, and other characters in the show!
Thank you for being a part of an important part of my childhood!
Defunctland do you think you can do defunctTV episode 2: Barney and friends?
Defunctland can you do another episode of DefunctTV about Barney and friends? Because I’m anxious to see about the history of the show’s run and cancellation.
Defunctland I'm a British member of gen z. Until I was 8 I watched a tv channel called cbbc. They still aired some programmes from the 90s, my favourite being the adventures of Tracy Beaker. I'd love it if you did that!
What I will always remember of this show: My little sister sitting on the floor and watching it while eating a banana. Bear starts sniffing around going "what's that smell? Is that you? Are you eating a banana because you smell just like bananas." To which my sister, wide eyes and impressed replied enthusiasticly. "I am! I am eating a banana!"
*Somebody call an ambulance! I think my heart just melted!*
The most wholesome coincidence ever
Dude, that literally just happened to me in this video! I just showered a few hours ago and put on clean pajamas, and then Bear asked if I’m wearing clean pajamas! What a coincidence!
@@XwX1001 Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
@@hangingkind4619 Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
It still blows my mind how freaking expressive Bear is. Really well designed and performed.
I want to know how his suit works. big bird only had full use of one arm because the actors other arm was controlling the head, but bear has both arms and an articulated head and face, even when he's not on set. I'm stunned.
Edit: I looked it up, he doesn't actually have use of the hand, it's almost the same setup as big bird, the puppet has a filament connected to each hand, and passes through a ring hidden in the costume to let the actor adjust the arms with one movement. Selling it is all in the performance
I feel like bear only uses one arm at a time, and that Noel can quickly transition from using either of Bear's stubby arms to manning the facial controls within the suit. I also suspect that he can pull a string to provide semi-articulation for the "limp" arm even when he's manning the facial controls. This way, he can appear to sing and dance at the same time. It is masterful work.
Neil Lancia yeah I looked it up, i made an edit but I think the post is collapsed. He said in an interview the other arm is stuffed and attatched to the suit in a way that let's him move both suit arms with the one articulate hand
yutzwagon Right, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Bear is based off the fundamentals of a Skeksis costume.
yutzwagon he still did an amazing job in the suit, very well done in all performances.
As a female child born in the 90s, I was never diagnosed with autism or adhd but there WAS something oddly comforting about that big bear. I remember loving him smelling me at the beginning of the episode, and I was a big fan of Tutter and Treelo. I was fascinated by his eyebrows, and they reminded me of my dentist's.
My sister would hide behind the couch so that Bear couldn't sniff her!
@@PoppyDada27 that is honestly adorable.
@@PoppyDada27 How foolish of her. Bears have a keen sense of smell. She got sniffed whether she hid or not.
@@ordelian7795 Hahahaha, that's true! :D
That little bit scared me as a kid I couldn’t watch the show lol
"I didn't grow up in a very supportive family, but it gave me a lot of time to figure out what one was."
Damn, that is deep, I'd hope to be able to use my past to make something so positive for others...
I feel the same way 💗
I’m doing the same with my new family.
@@stabinghobo57 did you create a family or were you adopted? Either way good luck man
And he honestly created the biggest supportive family children’s television has ever known (in my personal opinion that is)
"I didn't grow up in a supportive household but it gave me a lot of time to figure out what one was" jesus that's a feel
I can really relate, yeah.
I also feel that so much lol
“If Bear taught us anything, it was how to properly say...Goodbye.”
Why did you do this to me? That shit hurted.
*crying*
yes crying right now at that
It’s like that scene from Inside Out when Bing Bong disappears
also cried real tears
Yeahhh i cried ugh
That part describing how bear was calming and a fatherly figure, especially to autistic kids hit me hard.
As An Autistic I Agree
same here ;-; i grew up undiagnosed and with an abusive, chaotic, and toxic home life and bear in the big blue house *always* managed to make me feel better. didn’t think i’d end up crying when i clicked on this video oml
I agree. I have autism too.
Along with kids with ADHD. I don’t remember watching this as a kid-but according to my Mom I loved this show along with The Wiggles and Oobi. But watching this-I can already tell why I loved this show as a kid.
Something about the soft yet array of colors of the set and characters and Bear’s gentle, calm demeanor and loving voice…along with the music…man, the music is great. Also-the texture of bear’s fur looks very soft and nice to touch along with the other puppets-they just look so well-loved and soft, like stuffed animals.
When I have kids, I’ll most certainly have them watch this show.
I’m autistic and this was my favorite show as a toddler
The fact that Disney finally put it on Disney+ is such a blessing. I’ll always love this show no matter how old I get!
Did I cry a bit? Yes. Yes I did
Honestly I’m here at 26 years old going 🎶WELCOME TO THE BLUE HOUSE🎶
Not in Germany sadly :c
You know you all might like this my little cousin had a kid recently and she saw it was on disney+ played it for her kid next generation big blue house lover couldn't have been more proud.
@@Chairdolf That makes me so happy! Old shows like this make me think about how new generations won't get to experience them, since they're not really on cable TV, etc. So glad this is available on Disney+ now! And some episodes on RUclips.
Looking back at it now, as an adult, I’m kind of astonished by just how well crafted Bear is. Between the incredible craftsmanship of the puppet itself, the control by the puppeteer inside, and his wonderful voice, it’s no wonder people fell in love with that character.
I am actually stunned as well in retrospect by how well it was designed too. Most puppet animals rarely look like what they were designed from but I generally like how Bear looked like he could have an actual animal. Not to mention his personality was very welcoming and refreshing where he actually acted much more,, calm mature but fun-loving. I can see why people liked him over Barney.
He's just so soothing..
The voice actor for Bear will always be Magellan from Eureeka's Castle for me.
Bear in the Big Blue House has a lot of Eureeka's Castle vibes to it actually...
It sounds stupid but imagine if they brought him back
I'd never really thought of this. The idea of a full size bear being controlled as a realistic puppet is quite impressive.
Big bear smelling me unlocked so many hidden memories.. I have chills
Birdie same
Birdie I used to go up to the tv to let him smell me, lmao
God damnit same
@@IronJaybo123 aww, that's so sweet
I thought I was so weird for that but that smell brought me back like nothing else ever has I’m glad there’s others
Barney seems more like a loud and always-there-for-you friend, but Bear seemed more like a caring and sweet father figure, which is so much better in my opinion.
I was about to say the same thing. I always found bear in the big blue house a lot more better than barney
@@ilovelegos2000 And Barney has no sense of personal space. That's why he doesn't appeal to people with autism.
If I had to CHARITABLY describe the difference, Barney was the one who said "Don't be afraid!" and Bear was the one who said "It's okay, take your time."
Some kids are just waiting for permission to cannonball off the diving board. Others would rather hang out in the shallows for a while.
@@ThePhantomStinker Barney had no common sense either.
@@ThePhantomStinker I was a bit of both, depending on which side of the ADHD coin I was on that day.
"Goodbye, goodbye, good friends, good bye" is instant tears when I hear it now
same dude
Made me remember things I didn't know I could.
"But hey I say "well that's okay!" cause we'll see you very soon I know! Very soon I knooowwww!"
(Also that Saxophone tho)
memories..
same
Bear's puppet is still one of the most technically impressive things I've ever seen - it's what made him feel like a truly real character.
Henson puppets have a certain life to them that makes them the most beloved characters.
His mechanisms are actually similar to how Big Bird is operated. Its genius. And also big kudos to the puppeteers. They have made a huge impact on our childhoods.
Muppet puppetry is some of the most physically demanding style of puppet work. All to make the characters seem truly alive.
You should watch the show Jim Henson's Dinosaurs, with an entire full suit dinosaur family of the 90s. They're incredibly impressive, even by today's standards.
Yeah. To think so much effort was put into bringing him to life
*The creators, writers, and puppeteers cannot be praised enough for this show.*
The simple, sincere, kindness and love that the show conveyed to young children was such a worthy endeavor. Young minds are so impressionable and this sort of positive and creative encouragement can mean a great deal to a child, especially one living in an unloving and dangerous home.
I remember greatly enjoying it as a kid too ^^
I’m still astonished with the puppets and the puppeteers. Somehow they aren’t creepy like some puppets, they’re beautiful
i was managing to hold back tears but this comment did it for me 🥺
and now Bear and the gang are on Disney Plus for a new generation to enjoy!
and now Bear and the gang are on Disney Plus for a new generation to enjoy!
I remember I grew up in an abusive home. The memories hurt to look back on, I’m literally crying while writing this. But this bear got me through so much. I know they’ll never read this but god bless the creators, show runners, and everyone involved in this show. You have absolutely no idea the impact you’ve made on the lives of the children you touched. Thank you for being there when my parents weren’t. You guys are unsung heroes.
@mariechucho3967 that’s really cool. I hope you’ve been able to surround yourself with people who care about you and support you. It’s amazing how one show can inspire sad kids to keep going. God bless
@mariechucho3967that’s horrible, I’m so sorry! Hope you’re doing better now
I remember him I think it came on the playhouse Disney in 2011
As a rerun
But I hope it returns at a show again
I just realized that at some point, Luna sang "we'll see you very soon, I know," and I never came back. Kinda sad if you think about it.
B B as long as we keep them in our hearts, did we truly leave each other?
That was cheesy but still 😅
I remember seeing a post about the final episode, "This Is Your Life, Bear". A misunderstanding where everyone thinks he's leaving for good when he's just going on vacation, that included a video of that episode's goodbye song. Tears were shed, seeing him saying goodbye to Luna for the last time. It's heartbreakingly meta.
Why you gotta make me cry
you're back now, even if its for a short time.
It is too late at night for a random RUclips comment to make me emotional- STOP IT!
Is it really bad that I cried when they would sing their goodnight song?
I could never listen to it because it made me cry. I still can't listen to it without crying.
Talulah M. I'm on the same exact boat as you. It brings back such good memories...
That song slaughtered me as a kid. I grew in love with Bear and friends and I didn't wanna leave them after each episode.
Same
no... i cried too... (blush) :)
I am on the Autism spectrum and I do believe that the show had a calming effect on me. I swear I got emotional when I heard the goodbye song.
We're two, buddy.
And definetely more than just both of us.
Yea, same
Agreed. Oh, that goodbye song, _who doesn't get emotional when hearing it?_
Oh, me too
Same here! I used to watch it in 5th grade because I was stuck at home with mono for a few months, so even though I felt a little too old for it there wasn't much else for me to do/watch at the time. There was something very charming and soothing about the show, and the goodbye show made me tear up a few times.
One of the few shows ever produced that I'd describe as "cuddly." It's not overly cute, like some cartoons try to do...but it's like watching your favorite stuffed animals come to life! Just the bits shown in this video just inspire that warm, fuzzy feeling, in an almost literal sense!
Honest to God, I started to tear up when I saw Bear open the door and sniff around at the start of the video; I haven't seen this show in any way, shape, or form for almost 20 years, and I just got hit by this wave of nostalgia and the feeling that everything is going to be alright. Very nice to see it again
Pussy boi
Jesse Meza
??? ???
I know the feeling man, when the video ended I shed tears of nostalgia for the simple times of childhood when my only worried was to wake up early to see Saturday morning cartoons and my mama was by my side. God, I miss those days so much.
20 years?
Bear makes sure everything will be alright
When I was little I thought my dad was bear. He was the tallest person I knew and I always saw him putting his work bag in his trunk, so I thought he was putting the bear costume in there. This brought instant tears to my eyes
🥺🥺🥺
CONSPIRACY!
But...he is. He's your Papa Bear 🐻💙
@@luvbeinghiswife1148 that’s so sweet because that what he always calls himself 🥺
@@MaddieeLunn Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
Bear had such a calming effect on the viewer (children and adults). Once the 'student' feels safe (physically & emotionally) learning is so much easier. There was a feeling of warmth and safety when watching that show.
As much as I loved both shows I’d rather listen to him than Barney!
No wonder I never learned well in school, I felt about as safe there as a mouse with a snap trap right out of its hole.
@@AnInkStick
I get where you’re coming from and I FULLY blame the school for that... Schools should promote safety of all kinds for the children, not the opposite!
one there was a child (a few years old) who had special needs and didn't react to things but the first time he sniffed the camera really closely she jumped back (in a good/excited way) so he continued to do it
@@AnInkStick same, children can be fucking cruel, and some teachers barely care.
Even at 21, these short clips of Bear put me at ease. I grew up in a pretty abusive household and struggled a lot with comprehension and emotions due to my ADHD, but this show was such a calming, relaxing escape from everything going on around and within me.
As a close friend of many of the puppeteers on this show, I am glad you have taken the time to share the story.
Oh man I have so many great stories about the behind the scenes. hahaha
Thanks for the video Kev!
Disney Dan please share them some time!
Disney Dan do you have a Twitter or Instagram, I'd love to follow you
LadyRedHawk yep! Links in all my video descriptions. Super easy to find me too.
Wasn't keen on the show as I loved things like Ren and Stimpy, and Pete and Pete but the puppeteering skill was amazing, as you would expect on a Henson production.
I would love to hear some of those stories somewhere!
Makes you think... Everything has an end. Listen to 'Goodbye, Friends, Goodbye" (the outro) again. One day in your childhood, you heard that song for the last time on television, and you didn't even know it. It's kind of sad but also kind of beautiful, especially when it's something like this, a show that taught so much good and was loved by so many.
Calebrated Gamer this show scared me as a kid I don’t remember why but now I look back and shows like this are like doors to my child hood and it’s sad we no longer can have tv series like this
@@oriontheraptor8119 we could still have shows like that if tv stations where willing to take the risk doing something not the norm.
@@ATARI800XLfan
Sadly I think it's more of a cost issue.
Animation is infinitely cheaper, TV shows on PBS demonstrate this perfectly, what was once puppetry is now animation.(with the exception being sesame Street)
The decline in puppetry is very similar to the decline and death of Saturday morning cartoons (or basically cartoons at all on network TV) what was once a perfect medium has become defunct, I mean I would say television as a whole has basically become defunct at this point but they had their place in time.
What always gets me is that at one point you and all your friends went outside to play for the last time and none of you knew it was the end of an era.
@@eltontaylor162
Children's entertainment (on TV at least) has been heading down hill for a little over 20 years now and doesn't show any sign of stopping.
The quality level of most shows now is at best subpar especially considering where the bar was on even network TV in the 80's and most of the 90's.
It seems a bit cliche to say hindsight is 20/20 or you don't know what you got till it's gone but it's so true. Didn't know and couldn't possibly have known as kids the massive downturn in quality that was to come, and how lucky we were to experience what most people would call the last gasp of the renaissance of children's entertainment.
Looking back, you can see the fall coming and the aftermath.
Bear sniffing the screen always left me laughing. Reminds me of a dog.
Well bears do sniff.
Bears are just giant fat dogs that can eat you
😂😂😂😂
Alsh Nevermore it freaked me out as a kid
It was a bit odd but made me laugh. I was never part of the programs targeted demographic audience. Great program, while it lasted.
this show is innocence incarnate. it's impossible not to watch it and get a warm feeling
It seems like bears are good at that (Winnie the Pooh, The Berensteins [Mama, Papa, Sister, Brother, and the newest addition to the family, baby Honey], The Country Bears [at least, where they still perform in Critter Country at Walt Disney World], and of course, the Big Blue House main character himself [as well as female bear cub Ojo & Bear's sporadically recurring female counterpart Ursa]).
Don’t watch the bloopers
Interviewer: What can you never keep your eyes open while doing?
Bear: watching C-span! I mean, representative of the state of *snores*
wow, bear was a savage!
FYI that was when Bear appeared on Hollywood Squares. I remember he was asked about shaving in one episode, and he went "why would I know anything about shaving?"
I honestly wish I had seen it live! I probably would have laughed so hard!
That was quite possibly the very best thing I've ever seen in my whole life.
This made me so nostalgic and sad.. I miss being a child..
I cried xD
i watched this as a kid along with rolie polie olie
Me feel the same thing 😢l miss being a child
but truth be told i was actually in middle school i know i was too old so i watched playhouse disney since there was nothing else on before going to school.
I remember watching this! so sad what happened!
I just turned 24 and I'm crying because I miss Bear and Luna.
Cody Scott lol saaaaame
Exact same.
Cried through a majority of this video not gonna lie
They were something else.
Stressed out adults need this show more than kids today, i feel you!
this show was so special to me as a child. i’ve always felt neglected (attention-wise) as a child and always felt misunderstood as someone who was (then) undiagnosed autistic. But Bear always made me feel better. I even used to send him emails in the old disney channel website almost every day for one summer.
I sincerely hope that somewhere out there, someone is taking really good care of those puppets. If they're never to be used again, then they're hopefully being kept somewhere safe.
Well, the puppets were originally designed by Paul Andrejco, who now has his own workshop, Puppet Heap. From what I've not heard, it seems like the puppets are in a dark corner of the workshop, their fabric falling apart.
@@tysargent9647 it’s a sadly common fate for old puppets. One can only hope they’ll be restored.
@@tysargent9647 well that’s depressing
This comment made me teary
@@tysargent9647i know you're joking but tbh you're probably not far off, a lot of screen-used puppets like the ones used in dinosaurs (another jim henson show, relatedly) we straight up just don't have anymore because of how fragile they were even during production and then being too expensive to maintain afterward unless they were particularly iconic, e.g. the original 60s and 70s muppets
Bear: Do you have your pajamas on? Because you smell like clean pajamas
*Me in pajamas right now*: how did you know my pajamas were clean?
I thought the same thing when I have clean pajamas on.
Bear knows all...
Lol as a little girl I thought the same thing the first time I heard that.
Lil five year old would think, “O.O how did he know?”
Do you?
@@NUFIGHTER his Knowlage is ever expanding
My dad was verbally and physically abusive when I was a kid plus my parents fought a lot and eventually got divorced so my eldest sibling would put a BITBBH VHS to calm me and and my siblings with special needs. It worked every time.
I’m proud of you just for being here
@@forest487 thank you
Me too. :'(
@@patchschannel4059 Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
@@forest487 Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
You deserve some kind of an award for how gut-wrenching and painfully nostalgic the ending of this video is. I’m sobbing, thank you for this 🥺
Same with his ending for the Zoboomafoo video. Dunno how he did that without breaking down in tears.
"anti-barney" might be the highest compliment i've ever heard.
I have always been anti Barney! I refused to let my kids watch it.
@@sarahconklin320 count me in I have been Anti-Barney since birth I prefer Paddington and Rupert Bear
For those that are wondering, it shows up at 6:34-6:41.
Barney may get a lot of hate but you wouldn't catch anybody hating bear. He's hard not to like
@@sarahconklin320 “don’t let your kids watch it”
Robbie rotten
THE MEMORIES, THEY'RE FLOODING BACK
same here my childhood
Jacob Hill me too
Jacob Hill same
Jacob Hill I know right? :')
Oh absolutely
Oh God I forgot how the theme song went, but the moment he said "Welcome to the blue house" I sung along knowing the lyrics, almost as if by instinct.
It's amazing how this stuff can stick with you for years and years without you even realizing it. ^^
@@Cyndersparx Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
This show was the Bluey for back in the day. Just all around perfect show, great messaging, and realistic, yet filled with so much love. Thank you.
You took the words out of my mouth. So perfectly said.
Perfectly said.
One of Disney's purest properties, I would watch it with my Romanian family and scream "Ursu! Ursu!" At the screen when Bear was there. My family gifted me a Bear plush and I still have it. The feels.
I have the orange bear. I wish I still had it but maybe I'll buy it online if I get the chance.
that's so cute!
I'm 54 years old and the goodnight song got me too! I watched this on VHS with my daughter who was born in 1999. We both loved it and watched those tapes almost every day during her toddler years, she always told me "...put on Big Bear in the Blue House daddy..."
Michael Krawczyk I was also born in ‘99 and I remember watching with my Dad when I was little. I can tell you from a daughter’s perspective that it was a really special time and bonding experience
So wholesome ;-;
Aww, that's adorable.
Daww, that’s cute.
That's so sweet. I was a teenager when this show originally aired, but I fondly remember watching it with my (much younger) brother and sister. They loved it and even I enjoyed, although I would have never admitted that to my friends, lol.
I'm sat here in tears as I listen to the goodbye song after so long. I'm 27 years old, but had difficulty making friends growing up as a child. I was very much a bullied child, who only ever wanted to belong, and bear in the big blue house ALWAYS made me feel wanted and needed, even if it was for only 30 minutes a day. I'd sing every song with passion, and I'd say goodbye when luna came to say goodnight. I'm currently going through one of the toughest moments of my life, but hearing that song brought me so much joy, even for a short while. Thank you for this, and thank you to everyone that made that show possible. You gave lonely children a place to feel at home where they could belong.
Your response made me tear up. I hope you will be in a better place soon.
From a stranger whom also cares, you are loved and I’m glad you exist. Thank you for being yourself and staying true to yourself 💛🙏🏾🤗
Erenura GG So sorry to hear that you have gone through so much, both past and present. This show was definitely a comforting place for children to “escape” to when they couldn’t find that comfort in real-life, and I’m glad that it was able to help you. Whatever you may be going through right now, just know that you’re not alone, and that you have so much worth. I may be a stranger, but I care about you, and I hope that life starts getting a little easier for you soon. I will be praying for you! God bless! 🙏🏻💕
Hey, who left these onions here?
lightyearpig12 😭тнιѕ ιѕ мaĸιng мe тear υp.
Bear in the Big Blue House is a prime example of what a kids show should be: realistic but varied color pallette (as opposed to high contrast and unrealistic), a calming atmosphere (as opposed to a hyperactive), slow to moderate paced songs (as opposed to techno and rock), realistic stories and morals (as opposed to gimmicks and forced morals), and finally, characters that have an appropriate IQ (as opposed to seemingly everyone, even adults, making childish mistakes). Simply put, Bear focused on quality and some quantity, not marketing and merchandise
Beautiful!
THIS.
I couldn't watch Bear in the Big Blue house when I was young. Didn't have the channel and when I did I grew out of it. However when I had a horrible depressive spout, I just stayed in bed and would watch the show. It was soft and comforting and just made me calm down and relax.
I can't say this show was my childhood, but it near enough saved me a lot of trouble and will always have a fond spot in my heart.
“Looking forward to the next visit.”
“Cause we’ll see you very soon, I know!”
That heartbreaking, crestfallen moment when you realize that one day you heard that song.....or rather that song was sung.....for the last time......
this made me sad for some reason. i grew up with this show, wow.
Me too. I realised that this was one of those shows I watched as a kid that really impacted me in a good way. Thanks to all of the creators that worked on it!
I just don't get how so many episodes of this show have been lost forever. I didn't think that was possible in this day and age.
My sister is special needs and was born in 2009, long after Bear was out of production, and it wasn’t even airing on Playhouse Disney. But we have several DVDs and she loves the show so much, especially Tutter and Bear himself. We often use songs from the show to communicate with her, and it calms her during scary doctor visits (when we put it in a portable player). This show is still impactful even years after it ended, and I’m so grateful to those involved for making something that makes my sister’s life so much better
That was beautiful!
😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I loved this one Kev! I watched this when I was young, and I absolutely adored it. I honestly think the main reason was that everything on the show was so calm and loving. That's something a lot of kids shows miss out on, and it was very comforting.
why are you here, and why do we both have nostalgia for this?
It's sorta sad how with RUclips, something like this could be done for kids, but no they get money hungry weirdos who show off either toys or strange stories. I loved this show as a child too with Mr. Roger's and Thomas.
Quinton Reviews lil
a fantastic nostalic trip of a vid! love your vids also quinton!
It's something Disney need to bring out of the vault and to download services. They could make enough money to maybe bring him back.
I'm on the Autism spectrum, and this show was the greatest thing of my childhood.
Mine too!
same and same lol
Bro same
@@nitromenace1424 Your Lord Zedd profile pic is AMAZING. Just started the original Mighty Morphin last week for the umpteenth time in my life. It is SUCH the best thing ever lol.
I'm also autistic and I really loved this show.
Huge Thank you for mentioning the influence Bear had on kids on the spectrum. I wasn’t diagnosed until 21, but it makes a lot of sense why those memories of Bear still are so vivid to me; he really was the most gentle soul I knew as a child, and that was by pure creation of the kind of character he was. Kids, especially those who are special needs, really need that gentle voice, and without Bear, a lot of kids would not have gotten that voice to tell them “it’s okay” and “you’re loved”. That’s why these characters like Bear and Big Bird and Mr. Rogers are so important and memorable. They teach the world to love a little more when there isn’t a lot of love in the world already. They create love. The characters, the people working on them... don’t ever let anyone tell you kids programming isn’t important in that regard. It’s those gentle voices that make a big difference.
As always, great stuff, Kevin. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated this one as a fan of Defunctland :) keep the hits coming!
My brother was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 and he is non-verbal
That was very well written and 100% agreed.
Yeah, I agree. I was diagnosed at 12 with Aspergers, and Mr. Rodgers and Big Blue House were a vouple of my favorite shows when I was little. Their calm, steady demeanors were very soothing. As a contrast, the more chaotic the newer shows got the more I disliked them. For example, my youngest sister used to watch The Doodlebops on Playhouse Disent, and I absolutely hated it. On the other hand I can still go back and watch and enjoy shows like BitBBH.
I actually was diagnosed with the same thing at the same age. Mr. Rodgers along with Big Blue House where some of my favorites, but my absolute favorite was Blues Clues, I remember being really sad when Steve left the show even after I had gotten a bit older. I also remember liking the wiggles and Loving Crocodile Hunter as well.
i wasn't diagnosed on the spectrum til sophomore year of high school (and probably would've been diagnosed a lot later if it wasn't for our family therapist at the time).
i loved this show as a kid, and have always been drawn to characters/people who exude a gentle, warm, and supportive presence. Such unconditional kindness and love is an underappreciated form of strength in media, and especially with male characters. I appreciate the kind of environment that characters like Bear created and I hope media doesn't forget how important it is to have characters that create that kind of environment.
I was born in 1998 and grew up watching this show on VHS. My dad was a music major and loved the music of the show too. My sister is autistic and she really loved the show too. It's so comforting and the bear reminds me a lot of my dad. Tall, sweet, and a little fuzzy.
Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Brian López. What is your favorite Bear in the Big Blue House episode? Please let me know in the comments down below.
I would always feel sad when Bear visited Luna. It meant that our fun time would be over and I didn't want him to go. The childhood is a curious thing.
I see what you mean. Judging from many RUclips videos I’ve seen, many kids are sad when their favorite shows end. I think I didn’t feel the same.
MY CHILDHOOD😭😭
they need to put this on disney +
Lauren Krohe OML PLEASE
Lauren Krohe yessssssssssssssssss
i bet they do, if they make a reboot
You can leave a recommendation under the help tab. I really want it on there too!
Lauren Krohe I love this show
Honestly, it's a show that so exceeded its mission and its contemporaries that it's a shame it only lasted as long as it did and a miracle that it was made at all. Incredible puppeteering, high production values, and a really sweet nature. What a gem.
I'm still impressed by the puppets, they all move and fell like actually cartoon characters on real life, not some guy in a cheap suit like Barney. Also, being they all are modeled so simple, with small eyes, they felt harmless and genuinally friendlly, i never liked those big colorful eyes.
@xingcat Well said.
As an Aussie, this show was arguably the best show to air on the ABC. Super therapeutic.
True! i also loved in the night garden. To this day the intro is still very calming to me
Indeed, it was Childhood at its peak
I don't want to sound weird, but this show taught me how to talk. I didn't start talking until I was three, but I was obsessed with Bear and Luna, especially Luna. I don't what was about Luna, but I loved her. My first was " Luna". My mom said that one night coming home from church I pointed to the moon and just said "Luna!" Over and over. My parents were so happy that I was finally speaking 😅.
What year would this have been around?
Luna was always my favorite too
@@patchschannel4059 1997-2000’s I think.
This makes my heart so happy 💗 this show is why I want to name my future daughter Luna tbh
Just imagining how relieved and happy your parents were made me tear up a little.
On a rather serious note about this children's show about puppets, I think it saved me as a kid. I grew up in low income housing, on food stamps and living paycheck to paycheck if mom even had a job. My mom was in a punk band and people wouldn't let their kids in the apartment play with me because my mom had a Mohawk and piercings and her band practiced at our place so I felt very alone. School wasn't much better since I was the only kid that count afford new things. We didn't have cable but we had 5 bright blue VHS tapes that had bear in the big blue house on it. It inspired me to be kind even when people weren't kind to me. It inspired me to draw which I do for a living now. Like the creator said, it's a happy, supportive family which is something I never ever had. My father died when I was 5 and this is the only kids show he would watch with me. I guess there's a lot of reasons I love this show. I'm just being sappy! I love bear in the big blue house! I still tell Luna goodnight every night and sing the goodbye song to my pets and plants. One day I'll sing it to my kids.
Loved the video!
Well, if I wasn’t already in tears before....
The goodbye song was our year 6 leavers song for when we went up to high school everyone cried and it was beautiful but it was over 10 years ago and now I feel old thinking about it
unknown upload some of your art
i don't know why i'm crying in the club right now
emelie You're not alone. Everyone wants childhood back
18boweraf3 true that is a good point. Why were you watching this in a club?
I used to watch this when I was young. Honestly, even to this day this remains one of the most well designed and genius shows to ever air on TV. I don’t just mean that for children’s shows, but I mean for all shows.
this uh
made me cry a little
Something about Bear just makes him look so warm and huggable...Like I’m a nineteen year old grown ass man and if I ever saw or met the puppet I would hug him immediately.
I was around 21 XD and I thought exactly that when I saw it the first time. And the sniffing... OMG, the sniffing! It breaked the fourth wall so adorably I would still giggle and smiled. I'm 41 now and I still love it 😅
Same ! I would hug him for like 9192829238282929191 seconds
Wow. The Jim Henson Company shaped way more of my childhood than I realized.
Thanks, Jim.♥
Same here. Im now realizing how important he was in my life.
Zoe Sella Me too.
Well, Henson himself died before this was even a thing, so it's really his team that deserve the thanks. There's no doubt Jim definitely would've loved this, though, were he still alive and well at the time of the show's production phase. In fact, I can imagine him smiling at the sight of the Bear character.
@@EntertainmentFan11 Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
@julia ghoulia Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
As someone with autism, it broke my heart when they stopped airing this show as a young child. Really wish they had kept it around longer, it was one of my favorites.
I wanna hug that bear so hard right now. This show was a part of my early childhood, and I'm so thankful for that and for you Defunctland for talking about it. I just hope one day I can thank the creators of this show for providing such a calm, fun, and relaxing experience for my younger self. If you're reading this, thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
Rudlin me too he’s so cute, and sweet
I wanna hug him too
Ooo, Defunctland meets nostalgic TV shows. Yes Please!
What is it with the Endings. OMG, so Good.
"Hello I'm the Nostalgia Critic, I said nothing so I wouldn't get fired..."
Bryce Mckenzie I want some episodes about Invader Zim, The Muppet Show, Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs, etc.!
Alejandro Flores-Ibarra hahahaah yessss. I was looking at the dates of the comments and then thought "do they now know...?"
But you know. And I thank you.
"Hi, I'm the Nostalgia Critic, and Defunctland is stealing my job."
I remember this from my childhood. Me and my brother were born in 03 and 02 but because we were on the poorer side of things a lot of our tv was handmedown dvds and VHS tapes, this included. Even now the show warms my heart and makes me smile. Everything about it is so happy and pure I love it, thank you
Jonny B same man. I miss those times
My bro was 04 and I was 02, I had a similar situation, but not really poor, just used VHS tapes for a long time. I remember this vaguely but remember many shows around this era.
Jonny B so you was born around the time it got rebooted. Im sorry but you don't understand. I grew up WITH that show.
Brandy Adams I hate when people say things like that! Theres no difference in growing up with a show when its originally airing, and growing up with a show but on VHS. I used to watch many 90s shows on VHS (being born 2000) and those shows are just as dear to me as they are to ny older siblings who saw them on tv
Jonny B I'm 02 and even though I'm 16 I still know some of the songs and I still laugh at some of the things that happen. It's great. I loved it
This was my favourite show as a young child. I struggled with my first year at school and this used to really brighten my day when I got home. My mum said I used to cry after the goodbye song because I wanted to keep watching.
I don't know what children's shows are like these days but I'm glad I grew up with things like bear in the big blue house. It was educational, fun and very loving
I’m not the only one who choked/teared up a bit at the Goodbye Song at the end am I?
Diego Alba I nearly cried too. I loved this show as a kid!
I did too.
So did I.
I really didn't grow up with the show, but that was very touching
bawling my eyes out the whole time....no shame. Bear gets it.
11:30 - 11:36 "why do you look like you are about to cry." Im not crying its just hay fever honest.
seriouis potatobot nah admit it, youre cryjng like the rest of us
I genuinely wasn't surprised when you said that this show was popular with kids on the spectrum. I loved this show growing up, and have vivid memories of watching it, and I also happen to be on the spectrum. It was so wholesome.
My dad still does the “you smell like blueberries” thing to me. We also had a stuffed Ojo. This show was around more when my sister was a kid, but I still got to enjoy it. I think we may have even had a vhs for it.
🥺🥺
I used to have a Tutter stuffed toy as a kid, wish I knew what happened to it.
oh boy i teared up on the final goodbye song and then it panned to the window and i fully sob-gasped ! this was such a good video!!
I thought I would be the only one to tear up to the ending. This video brought back such good memories of my childhood.
Oh my goodness same here 😭😭😭
Jena McLean I think the show and the old tv alone made the ambiance more real, like someone was watching the show and reminiscing the simpler times in a much complex world. I found that sad and nearly teared up a bit.
I didn't even like this show as a kid and I still cried at the end of this video 😭
I'm so glad I wasn't the only one! This was one of my favorite shows when I was little so it holds a little place in my heart!
Oh hell yeah gimmie that good 90's baby nostalgia
Syren Cove I guess 2000 counts cuz I loved this shit
Syren Cove I think next episode should be Rollie Pollie Ollie (that show premiered the day AFTER I was born on October 4th 1998. I was born a day BEFORE that)
Theatre Geek I was born 04/30/1998
Ethan Stadel I'm older by two years :P
I'm not even a 90's baby and I had like every episode on vhs... I still have them too. Makes me want to watch them again
Show went on hiatus largely due to Lynne's passing and no one having the motivation to make more episodes without her there, especially since Luna was in pretty much every episode.
This show was my childhood and arguably their night time scenes is why I developed such a love for night time environments in shows and games.
This was such a warm and friendly show. I feel like there aren't anymore shows that are gentle like this anymore.
Bluey's very close to Bear in terms of warmth and humor, but I do wish there were more shows like them.
One of my earliest memories was watching Bear in the Big Blue House, when suddenly my dad changed the channel to the news. I was mostly upset because I wasn't going to hear the Goodbye Song. That day was September 11, 2001.
Speeed wagon wow that's heavy
Something similar happened to me. I was sick and watching the show but my parents changed the channel, I remember my mom freaking out.
Nice to hear from someone who watched the show on 9/11.
Why did almost every clip you show bring back nostalgia? I had a huge smile on my face thinking back to these shows. I'm so ready for more of this series
I didnt even watch this show and its far beyond my days of childhood but it still brought a tear to my eye with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
@@Shiirow Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
That fadeout hit me right in the goddamn soul.
Part of the fun of the show was Bear getting so up close to the camera and sniffing. Cuddly and inviting as Bear was, you couldn’t help but recoil every time his superpower of 4th wall smelling was activated.
This was literally the most wholesome show to ever be on television. Such fond memories of watching this
It clearly had a lot of influence from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.
@@ArynBendah Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s Animal Jam?
This was literally the one and only show that my autistic daughter as a toddler watched over and over for hours on end while rocking endlessly on her rocking horse, and she would flip out if I turned it off. Bear made her toddler years, and gave me a much-needed breather that an exhausted Mom of that autistic toddler needed. I tear up whenever I see stuff like this on BITBBH because it made such an impact on our lives at that time.
How's she doing now?
I'm autistic and I loved this show as a kid
We are such a big community of autistic people loving this show!
I thought this was a PBS show, because it was that good compared to the rest of Playhouse Disney's programming
i swear i saw it on pbs...... something has to be there.
It did run on PBS for a while, there was a few shows from Disney that was on PBS occasionally.
I loved Rolie Polie Ollie!
@@barfyman-wn3id how dare you wtf
@@SilverScaleMA really ?
I grew up in a household that was pretty broken, nothing against my parents they tried their best. But my dad was military and so we didn't have much of a relationship, and my job quickly even at a child was to take care of my mother with severe social anxiety and Paranoia. Needless to say I was a very anxious child and I didn't have friends. I was an only child as well. Bear in the big blue house was my second home. A place I felt safe and with my friends. It was calm, I always knew no one was going to tell at me, or make me feel uncomfortable. And whenever we said goodbye I knew it wasn't for long. I've named countless hamsters after tutter. And I named my dog I own now Luna. This show is my absolute favorite ❤️
Y'know what's weird about that anti-Barney comment? Bear actually teamed up with Barney for a DVD released by FedEx called We Are Family. The two teamed up with a whole bunch of characters like that, and they even included Between the Lions too.
You mean that (horrible, imho) gay thing..:) THat a few groups attacked?
That ending was so cool! Great video! PLEASE continue this series!
I hope he does horrible histories (2008 - 2013)
I also shed a tear at the ending
As someone on the autism spectrum, this show was my life. I'm really grateful that one of my favorite channels has done is such amazing justice! I'm crying happy tears remembering it now!
Mmmm s a m e
same. i actually started tearing up when he said it was popular among autistic kids. i only got diagnosed last year at 25, and we suspected for about 10 years before, but my parents had no idea when i was little. no wonder i loved Bear :')
@@fightingfaerie Same here. My parents noticed I was attached to Bear. I even have a Bear plushie that I still have today
zoetherebel Same here!!!!! My brother and I are both autistic and adored this show. Bear really made me feel happy and safe ☺️ I try to emulate Bear in how I work with my kids (I’m a teacher)
I choked up a bit when he said that! I was diagnosed last month, and I’m still in the phase of realizing how much of past makes so much more sense. I used to watch bear in the big blue house every time it came on. I still love it very much. It’s amazing that a show like this was able to exist at a time when I desperately needed it.
This show was also big in Germany when I was little. Throughout my entire time in Kindergarden, my mom used to drop me off at my grandparents before driving to work. There I would have breakfast and watch The Bear in the Big Blue House and Sesame Street before my grandpa would put me on his bike and push me up the hill to my kindergarden.
Thank You so much for bringing back those sweet memories!
Wow, to this day Bear feels like a person! He’s so expensive and energetic, props to everyone who worked on this show 💙
Lol I think you mean expressive!
One of the shows I’ll be showing to my children 100%
Please put this on Disney+ I don’t care that I’m now 19 I’ll rewatch this to relive the good times.
Same I wish they would add bears in the big blue house to Disney plus I don’t want bear in the big blue house to be forgotten and they’re adding dinosaurs on Jan 29 2021 they need to add this show it was another great show that showed the great collaboration between the Disney company and The Jim Henson Company
@Jessica Rechani yeah and it’s one of the top shows requested to be added to Disney plus I hope they add it in 2021 it was an amazing show from Disney and The Jim Henson Company
This show was my childhood. I'm 20 and I'm already crying from nostalgia from watching this. I want to watch the show whenever I want because it only gives me joy
@@aldinoguy1698 March 2022 and Bear's still not on Disney+. Come on! What is wrong with these people? You have Bear in the Big Blue House, a cornerstone of many a childhood, one of the many things most '90s kids think when they hear about Playhouse Disney, a show that made a 7 ft. brown bear puppet bring fond memories to the children who watched the show and the parents who gladly watched it with them, one of the big four of the Henson Mt. Rushmore (the other three being, of course, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock), one of the greatest preschool shows Disney has ever broadcast, easily one of the greatest children's television shows not only of its time but of all time...and Disney, the entertainment conglomerate that it is, the multimedia juggernaut that it is, the corporate empire that owns about 65% of the goddamn world...doesn't want to introduce it to a whole new generation?! Are they out of their minds?
UPDATE: Bear's coming to Disney+ on Oct. 19!
Now THIS is a great idea!! Disney get on it!!!
I remember when I was really young, my mom got my siblings and I a VHS of Bear in the Big Blue House while we were shopping. I still have the memory of my brother sitting in the shopping cart, already removing the plastic on the VHS we were gonna buy. He was so excited to watch it that he couldn’t wait to see how the tape looked inside the package. Sometimes I wonder where the bear puppet sits now. I sure hope it’s given lots of care.
Jim Henson creations come alive a la Toy Story rules, don't you know?
I'm Very Angry It's Not Butter!! WHAAAAAAA!?!!?
Idk but as someone who watched this show as a kid and as well as someone with autism i love how just heartwarming and accepting the show was and watching this brings back some great memories
"Hey this was really fun,
We hoped you liked it too.
Seems like we've just begun,
When suddenly we're through.
Goodbye, goodbye, good friends, goodbye,
'Cause now it's time to go.
But hey, I say, well that's OK,
'Cause we'll see you very soon I know!
Very soon I know.
Goodbye, goodbye, good friends, goodbye,
And tomorrow, just like today;
The Moon,
The Bear,
and the Big, Blue House.
We'll be waiting for you to come and play,
to come and play,
to come and play.
Bye now~"
Coen van Haaster i crey
I'm coming back bear
😥😭😭😭
I loved Bear so much and would cry like a total psycho when they sang the outro song with Luna. My favorite toy was a Bear stuffed animal. I wonder where that is now?
I used to cry too!
I still cry listening to that song, haha!!
SmittenKitten I did as well and remember growing up on the show. I remember it always aired early on Disney Channel and I always tried to wake up early to watch The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh around 4, Madeline, and The Little Mermaid the Series.
I distinctly remember a photo of baby me holding a bear stuffed animal. My mom thinks it’s around somewhere
I remember when my mom got me a big blue bear before I had surgery on my tonsils when I was very little. I named it Blueberry. But I do remember this show a lot.
Thank you for this episode, I've been goin' through another rough patch in my life and this trip down memory lane, although bitter due to it's end, is more sweet and a breath of fresh air. If this series, being DefunctTV, will continue to essentially be a nostalgia trip then this will certainly be a series I will look forward to.
I had never watched this show as a kid, but after hearing you explain it, this is definitely a show that my inner child needed. Just hearing that the show focused on how the characters loved each other and how gentle bear was makes me feel a bittersweet sadness. Honestly, I may need to try and find some of the episodes just my inner child can feel some peace.
Bear’s voice is higher pitched than I remember...
Ah, so many childhood memories, always looked forward to this, coming home from school... Never missed it!
Still... So many kids of today are missing out on such an iconic show.
The goodbye song makes me want to cry due to childhood memories
We'll all miss you Bear...
Naming the last episode "When you've got to go" had to be an inside joke
Of the season, not the series lol.
@@Cooe. Yeah I know the joke still works lol
The second to last episode was "Let It Go". The last episode was about bear going on vacation but everyone thinking he was leaving for good.
@Amber N I have this stuffed bear and can't seem to let it go even though I'm a minimalist.
@Aidan Byrnes (/-_-) *facepalm*
Dude I never understood why this show hit me so hard til now. Bear's voice most completely mirrors my dad! He was super calming and chill and helped when I was not doing too well as a kiddo (undiagnosed ADHD). This show ruled as a kid!