Interesting question: I had originally thought that a show this prolific (it appears to have aired for 15 years) would have vhs or dvd collections rolling around everywhere. Yet now I see it’s virtually impossible to own. I see some later special videos, but anyone have any idea how to own the original series? I gotta get my kids hooked on this!
Interesting question: I had originally thought that a show this prolific (it appears to have aired for 15 years) would have vhs or dvd collections rolling around everywhere. Yet now I see it’s virtually impossible to own. I see some later special videos, but anyone have any idea how to own the original series? I gotta get my kids hooked on this!
I will never forget that show. Never, never never!
I worried that kiddoeaddi, complacent after a benign half hour of Thomas the Tank Engine, might crawl up to the TV, reach up with her hands and whisper “They’re Heeeerre.”
It was a portal to Hell. Possibly even more malignant than the evil that was Romper Room.
Oh God I LOVED this show. Whazzat Kangaroo was my favourite, and that one in the middle of the group picture on the site. I forget which one he is and I can’t really tell… but anyway, I hate all the cartoons now-a-days. I can’t imagine watching all that pokemon stuff when I was young, all the good cartoons aren’t on anymore 
Zoobilee Zoo
Zoobilee Zoo
Magic and wonder are waiting for you,
It’s as close as a dream,
and bright as the brightest blue
Welcome to Zoobilee Zoo!
*
Hell ya I remember that show. In fact, I was mildly obsessed with it: I remember always feeling sad at the realisiation I can never live in such a wonderful, magical place…
I came across this thread while doing research for another thread of mine (on Ed Wynn impersonations) and so thought I’d bump it to share my own experiences and some recent discoveries.
I often watched this show as a kid, though usually only for lack of anything better on TV at the time. In retrospect, 11-year-old me was impressed with the show’s production values—the costumes and set design were really first-rate for a children’s show, and the cast were clearly talented actors and singers who (with the possible exception of Vereen) were really putting everything they had into the performances. But I found the storylines bland and mundane, and most of the characters absolutely insufferable. Bravo Fox was overly pretentious and fussy, Lookout Bear was one of those losers who tries to act like he’s cool, Mayor Ben was distant and boring, and Talkatoo Cockatoo’s bubbly squawking was the pinnacle of annoyance. Worse yet, nearly all the characters were imbued with the intelligence of a wet paper bag. You’d think that a troupe of hypertalented, anthropomorphic animals would have loftier problems than, say, figuring out who glued someone’s shoes to the floor. Maybe I just wasn’t the right target age for this show.
I was surprised to find that the Zoobilee Zoo website linked from @acrossthesea’s OP is not only still up, but actually has news items from as recently as June 2020. (Apparently there was a virtual cast reunion that month, which can be viewed online.) At least one of the cast members, Gary Schwartz (who played Bravo Fox), has his own YouTube channel where he occasionally posts Zoobilee Zoo material, including this hilarious (and off-colour) outtake reel which I discuss elsethread.
Yeah, his involvement seems to have been kept at the bare minimum and it shows. And unlike every single other cast member, he didn’t even get into costume to promote the show’s premiere at the 1986 Hollywood Christmas Parade, as this fairly recent upload to YouTube shows:
He did show up at least, but mostly he just sat in the car and waved.
They’ve had four Zoom reunions, one of which was open to fans. Stevie/Whazzat set up a Facebook fan group toward the end of February last year; if they have any more of these open to fans, I’m sure they’ll make an announcement there.
If you’re on Facebook and want to join the group, message either Stevie or Whazzat. Yeah, they have separate accounts and she types in character. 
Yeah…my little brother liked it as a preschooler. I was just old enough to find it creepy AF with all the furries. I also wish I couldn’t recall it, but a few months back he asked me about it and I remembered the horror of people wearing body stockings and fake fur all over again.