- "What do you get when you put together songs, crafts, adventures, stretches, and sprinkle in a few sparkly stars?"
- ―Nina
The Good Night Show is a television programming block for preschoolers, which aired on the Sprout network.
Plot
The Good Night Show was designed to help preschoolers get ready for bedtime. The block featured recurring themes based on preschoolers' nightly routines, such as dreams, brushing teeth, and cleaning up before bed. The main characters included Nina, Star, Lucy, and Hush.
Throughout the block, viewers were encouraged to participate in host-led games, songs, crafts, and lessons in yoga and sign language. Activities generally revolved around a theme, and took place between animated episodes that related to this theme. These themes included issues of interest to preschool-aged children and their parents, such as imaginary friends, teddy bears, shadows, opposites, or babysitters.
The show's success lies in its pair of live-action hosts, who are as convincing as their cartoon counterparts. But if the public learned anything else, it might surprise them.
Cancellation
The block ended its 11-year run on March 31, 2017 then Boomerang on September 16, 2018, as it was moved to Sprout on Demand a few days prior. However, a fan remembers this block continued to air well into September 9th, when Universal Kids took over Sprout's channel space.
Continuations
Despite the show's removal, the show still has a presence on Universal Kids in the form of Nina's World, which serves as an animated spinoff and prequel, detailing Nina's life as a child. Michele Lepe, the actress of Nina, is an executive producer for the series and voices Mami. Star, Lucy, and Hush are also present in the show. Prior to Nina's World, there was another series called Nina's Little Fables, where Nina and Star would read Aesop's Fables. It aired for 10 minutes during The Good Night Show.
Segments
- Goodnight Bell - Always shown at the start of each block/episode from the first five seasons, Nina and Star would pick out a clue from their basket and try to guess the night's theme, usually with a "Goodnight Bell." Dropped when the You and Me Tree was introduced, and Nina and Star would talk about the theme right away.
- Sprout-o-scope - Either Melanie or Nina and Star would look up at constellations from their "Sprout-o-scope" resembling something or someone they know, usually singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
- Real Kids Segment - Star would talk to his Sproutlet friends about the night's theme. Prior to 2011, the kids just answered Nina and Star's questions in front of a green screen scene. Added in the fourth season.
- Sprout Stretches - Nina or Melanie would go out in the Goodnight Garden and lead Sproutlets in a stretch coinciding with the block/episode's theme. Nina and Melanie originally did the stretches by themselves, but in 2007, for the block's fourth season, Nina was joined by her Sproutlet friends who followed along with her. These stretches were usually based on characters from TV shows.
- Lucy, Light the Way! - Added in the fourth season, Nina and Star would guess what Lucy was lighting up in a different locale.
- Goodnight Game - Nina and Star or Melanie would spin a "Moonbeam Wheel" and play a game relating to the blockisode's theme.
- Goodnight Tale - Melanie, with the usual help of Helping Hand, would tell stories based on the blockisode's theme.
- Sprout a Sandy Story - Nina would draw from sand and narrate stories, generally assisted by Star, oddly similar to BabyFirst's "Sandman." This segment also got its own app. Added in 2011.
- Crafts - Nina or Melanie would show the viewers how to make crafts based on the night's theme, often opening with The Craft Song or Let’s Make Something New and followed by a story using the craft. Nina and Star also showcased craft pictures sent in by viewers. Dropped in 2011.
- Best Day Ever - Nina would read stories to Star from her childhood. Added in 2017.
- Clean Up - Nina and Star would sing this song as they would clean up the You and Me Tree after a busy day, accompanied by clips of kids. Added in 2011.
- Ready for Bed - Star would sing this song when he brushed his teeth and washed his face to get ready for bed, accompanied by clips from shows, blocks, and footage of real kids.
- Say Goodnight to Hush - After Star went to sleep, Melanie or Nina would use sign language, reciting a poem to say goodnight to Hush the Fish, and would sing the Goodnight Song before tucking in for the night. As of 2011, Melanie never tucked in again.
Cast
- Nina (portrayed by Michele Lepe) was the permanent host of the program as of December 18, 2006, and was the most popular one. She performed yoga and said words in Spanish and American Sign Language. She has appeared on The Sunny Side Up Show several times. Once Nina got five new pairs of pajamas, episodes were shot out of order.
- Star (portrayed by Stacia Newcomb) was Nina's sidekick. He was a star-shaped puppet. He is portrayed as a child-like figure towards his guardian, Nina. He often asked questions about the show's theme. He encouraged viewers to follow him in his routines such as brushing his teeth. His puppet has been updated a few times, on November 7, 2011, and on August 27, 2012.
- Lucy was a firefly puppet used to introduce show segments. She was also featured in games, such as "Lucy Light the Way"; in this game, viewers were shown parts of a picture (as though they were illuminated by a firefly's light) and then guessed what the picture represented. Her puppet was updated in mid-2009. She winks at the Sproutlets at the end of the 2011-2017 blocks/episodes.
- Hush was a real-life goldfish who was originally used to introduce show segments. He appeared at the end of every show, with Nina closing the show by saying good night to him and reciting a poem in which viewers were encouraged to "make a wish." When The Good Night Show was on hiatus, Hush was used to showcase viewers' crafts and artwork on TV.