2434. Boohbah Zumbah

Copyright 2003 Hasbro TM Ragdoll

Boohbah Zumbah, the color purple Boohbah, is played by actor Alex Poulter.
The Boohbahs are five furry, gumdrop-shaped creatures played by actors in full body costumes. (The website says, "five magical atoms of power.") Their thick, shimmery fur sparkles with tiny lights; their Kewpie doll style heads are hairless and feature big eyes with rows of lights for eyebrows. The Boohbahs do not speak, but instead make noises like squeaks, Boohbahs can retract their heads into their furry necks. Each Boohbah is a different color.
Boohbah is a 2003 children's television series produced by Ragdoll Productions and aimed at children between three and six years old. It premiered in April 2003 on ITV in the United Kingdom, and on January 19, 2004 in the United States on PBS and PBS Kids Sprout. It was created by Anne Wood with scripts by Alan Dapre and Robin Stevens (of Pob fame). Anne Wood also created the children's show Teletubbies (another Ragdoll series). The similarity between this show and Teletubbies, both of which have a science fiction theme, is notable. The website says, "The design of the show – visually and otherwise, draws upon early concepts in science, maths and art and combines these with ‘televisual magic’ to create a uniquely funny television experience." One of the show's trademarks is a child's voice pronouncing the show's name in song (BOOH.....BAH). Boohbah has also aired on qubo along with Teletubbies from October 27, 2007 until December 28, 2009 and then returned August 3, 2010 to present along with Teletubbies while they are shown for two full hours on qubo.
There were 104 twenty-five minute episodes. The show was shown in the USA on PBS Kids in HD until 2005 when it was taken off the air along with Teletubbies and Reading Rainbow. Boohbah was also shown in the Netherlands on Nick Jr.. Currently, the series continues to air on Tiny Pop in the UK. "Boohbah" means "doll" in Hebrew, and the rounded shape of the central characters is reminiscent of the bouba/kiki effect, but it is not clear if these ideas influenced the name of the show.