Everyone must have thought Scott Schultz was losing it. A few years ago, the father of four quit a great job doing art design for Quicksilver sports clothes to start a children's TV show. He had zero television experience, but he was so disappointed in the programming available that he felt he had to act.
"It was more than finding a niche," he explains. "It was seeing an entire cavity." So Schultz and good friend Christian Jacobs (lead singer of The Aquabats and former child actor) developed Yo Gabba Gabba!, the hippest kids' show since… well, ever. Now in its third season, the Emmy Award-winning show debuted in 2007 on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. Over the past few years, it's become a cult classic among toddlers and 20somethings alike. A trippy explosion of color and sound, Yo Gabba Gabba! is narrated by orange Spandex-clad DJ Lance Rock, who's joined by his band of far-out friends: Muno (a friendly red Cyclops), Foofa (a pink flower), Brobee (a little green monster), Toodee (a blue female arctic cat- dragon) and Plex (a magic yellow robot).
The show also features a semi-regular art segment with painter and co-founder of the new wave band Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh; "Biz's Beat of the Day" starring '90s rapper Biz Markie (he teaches kids how to beatbox); "The Super Music Friends Show," and "Dancey Dance Time."
"There's just a giant pool of creativity," Schultz says, referring to the art and music out today. "We were naïve enough to think we could do something way off with it — do something great." Past Yo Gabba Gabba! celebrity guests include Jack Black, The Shins, Amy Sedaris, Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, Tony Hawk and MGMT (Schultz's dream guest is Bill Murray). The cast even made their way to Coachella this year.
During the half-hour show, the who's who of indie music perform songs about eating your vegetables, cleaning up and the importance of not giving up. In one episode, electrofunk duo Chromeo performs "Nice N Clean." In another, The Roots sing "Lovely, Love My Family."
"There's really awesome music going on all the time — just really strange bands doing awesome music and no one really knows about it," Schultz explains.
In a world where TV has become a substitute for hiring a babysitter, Yo Gabba Gabba! aims to involve parents. "If our show can kind of bring parents to stand up and interact with [their kids] a little bit more, then we've totally propelled a successful show."
They're also creating a successful live venture. Cartoons come to life in Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There's a Party in My City, a 60-date tour that runs through mid-December. Jacksonville indie band Sunbears! are in the "Super Music Friends Show" and a still-to-be-announced celebrity guest kicks in as the "Dancey Dance" guest.
Biz Markie will also be on hand. "All I can tell you is energy, energy, energy and more energy," the beatboxing legend said during a recent phone interview. "It's addictive like eating potato chips; you can't just eat one. It's like something the whole family can get into. It's like a Monopoly game or something."
The live show has Schultz's palm prints all over it. "We didn't approach it like, 'Oh, we're just going to turn over the rights to some company to make this theatrical play,' which is usually what happens. We really wanted a more unique experience that is more like your first concert, your first extravaganza where thousands of kids can come and dress up and scream." The guys also believe in giving back — they are donating a dollar from every ticket sale to Habitat for Humanity.
Children's television has gotten a lot of attention lately, what with Katy Perry's notoriously racy Sesame Street appearance. When we ask Schultz what he thought about it, he stammers for an answer.
"Oh man, I have to choose my words when talking about another children's show," he says of his love-hate relationship with the long-running kids' program. "But it's a good thing, because I look back and think of The Beatles and The [Rolling] Stones. We're spurring each other on."
This article appears in Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2010.
