The Puzzle Place (1995)
Synopsis
The Puzzle Place is an American children's television series produced by KCET in Los Angeles, California and Lancit Media in New York City, New York. It premiered on the Public Broadcasting Service on January 16, 1995, and ran for about four years, airing its final episode on December 4, 1998. Reruns were continued until March 31, 2000. The show followed a multi-ethnic group of kids from different parts of the United States who hung out at "the Puzzle Place", which is a teen hangout themed around jigsaw puzzle pieces. In each episode the characters were confronted with an everyday conflict usually encountered in childhood and even early teenagerdom, such as making moral decisions, sharing, racism, sexism, etc.
Creator
Larry Lancit, Cecily Truett Lancit
Network
PBS Kids
Episodes
Tippy Woo
Julie obtains a teddy bear, and names it after herself "Tippy Wu". She also remarks on some unflattering nicknames other kids have given her, per her last name "Wu".
Train Driving Kids
The boys have a model train but refuse to share with the girls, insisting it’s a boys’ activity. Gradually everyone takes to other suggested activities, leaving only Leon and Kiki still wanting to play with the model train. Nuzzle struggles to play a toy xylophone.
Rip Van Wrinkle
Leon, Kiki, Julie and Skye host a slumber party, but have to work together to help each other's bedtime routines/needs be met, or else the “slumber” part will be difficult. Sizzle and Nuzzle try to be nocturnal, but it’s harder than it seems. Ben and Jody only make cameo appearances.
Accentuate the Positive
Kiki dresses as a space alien, distressed that other kids at school laughed at her Hispanic accent.
Gotta Dance
The kids obtain a sheet of dance steps and learn of various cultural dances while trying to decipher it. Sizzle recalls the time Nuzzle criticized her for carrying her tail wrong and refuses to dance with him again.
Rudy One
A robot shows up at the Puzzle Place and befriends Leon, while insulting everyone else, in an attempt to sabotage everyone’s friendship. Sizzle turns to Nuzzle for advice after a new cat calls her a “snooty patootie.”
Butterfingers
The kids hold a relay race, but Ben drops his baton, prompting the nickname “Butterfingers” from everyone else. Nuzzle tries to show off his bravado by wanting to be called “Professor Muscles.”
Rock Dreams
Skye aspires to perform music, but is discouraged by the fact that he doesn't know very many Native American performers. Eventually he makes contact with Native American Robby Romero and his band, Red Thunder, who reassure him. Nuzzle gets so tired of watching Sizzle listen to Swiss yodeling music that he tries to make her yodel herself.
Roamantics
Ben brings in an ant farm to show everyone, but Leon unwittingly wreaks havoc in an attempt to give the ants fresh air, and has to make some sacrifices to restore order to The Puzzle Place. Nuzzle gets carried away with a roll of paper towel.
Spud Buds
Skye finds a party box in the kitchen, but everyone else is too distracted watching TV to take interest. Nuzzle wishes he hadn’t let Sizzle use a flying machine all she wants.
Different Drummer
Julie plays referee to Skye and Leon’s dispute over whose cultural drum is more significant. The two eventually agree that both drugs are significant in their own way, and neither's is necessarily better. Sizzle takes up skateboarding.
I Love Kiki
Kiki is at a loss as to what to do when she unwittingly “breaks” Julie’s toy horse, and can't bring herself to tell her. Sizzle looks after the sneaker that Nuzzle likes to chew on, but when the Piece Police throw it out as she naps, she panics. Ben does not appear in this episode.
True Colors
The kids all partner up to paint one another, but initially can’t find a suitable paint color for everyone. Their second attempt, using chalk of different colors, is much more successful. Sizzle wants to paint a self-portrait, but it’s too hard for her.
Cute Is as Cute Does
Julie wants to emulate her favorite singer, Penny Candy, but sees her true colors when a crisis in the greenhouse hits. Nuzzle bores Sizzle to sleep when he tries to show her a photo album of when he was a puppy. Leon and Ben only make cameo appearances.
Leon's Pizza
Leon wants to make a pizza for everyone, but he needs a creative solution to satisfy everyone’s different topping preferences. Sizzle and Nuzzle fight over which toy is better.
Real Heroes
The kids compare their favorite superheroes but need to band together when the pets get caught in a dangerous situation.
Going By the Book
The kids want to play Sleeping Beauty, but as four of them don’t fit the description of the protagonists, they research other princes and princesses that reflect their individual heritages.
Mad Music Magic
Kiki leads the kids in a makeshift band, but her authority seems to do more harm than good when she won’t allow them to play their preferred instruments. Sizzle attends her cousin’s birthday party, so Nuzzle tries to be the dog and the cat at the same time.
Party of One
Leon learns a hard lesson in racism when he’s barred from attending a friend’s birthday party simply because he’s African-American. Nuzzle refuses to fetch a stick for Kiki because she didn’t say “the magic word” (which Sizzle tries in vain to guess).
Dancing Dragon
Skye and Kiki unwittingly invade Julie’s privacy by opening a package meant for her. Nuzzle and Sizzle cause some mischief with it.
Picture Perfect
Ben is unwilling to wear his glasses for a group picture because of some teasing, but unwittingly wreaks havoc when he spends a day without them. Nuzzle goes for a “hip cat” approach, which fails to impress Sizzle.
Maiden Voyages
While the others turn the basement into a moonwalk with many balloons, Kiki and Julie enjoy moon cakes, but a humorous misunderstanding may mean Julie will marry Leon.
Donuts and Dithering
The kids receive six assorted donuts, and Jody gets first dibs, but she struggles to decide which one she wants. Leon attempts to manipulate her choice to keep her from picking the one he wants, but it backfires. Sizzle and Nuzzle so badly want to take a donut themselves.
Bully for Jody
Jody is a victim of bullying when a bigger student keeps stealing her lunch. Sizzle also tries to keep away a bigger cat.
Ben's Bad Hair Day
Ben attempts to change his “boring” hairstyle with disastrous results, before learning that his hair was fine the way it was.
All Weather Friends
When a storm hits the Puzzle Place, Leon is embarrassed to admit he is afraid of thunder and lightning.
Bread and Matzoh
Skye brings some special bread from his tribe to share with the kids but is troubled when Jody refuses to try any for eight days. It turns out the reason is because of one of her own Jewish customs. Sizzle and Nuzzle get very hungry because the kids forget to feed them.
Owning It
Leon obtains a new watch but drives everyone else crazy with it, causing them to snap back at him. Kiki is preparing chili in the kitchen, and Sizzle and Nuzzle want to taste it so badly.
Baffled Ben
Ben is struggling to put together a puzzle but angrily snaps and puts down anyone who tries to help him. He also insults Skye's special plant, which grows when complimented, but shrinks when put down.
Practice Makes Perfect
While nearly all the kids are sick with chickenpox, Skye finds a guitar and wants to play it, but he is slow to understand that he has to put time and effort into becoming good at it. Sizzle tries playing billiards. Ben and Julie only make cameo appearances.
Finders Keepers
Julie finds Skye’s misplaced Apache pollen pouch and is so enamored with it that she doesn’t return it right away, damaging her friendship with Skye when she finally does. Jody does not appear in this episode. However, she does send the other kids an automatic popcorn snack, which, when heating up, makes Sizzle and Nuzzle curious. Ben only makes cameo appearances.
You Say Potato
The kids bring in items for a picnic but can’t seem to agree on where to have it. While Leon and Jody are content to go anywhere, Skye and Julie prefer the mountains and Ben and Kiki prefer the park. Even the two duos can’t agree on the specifics. Sizzle and Nuzzle are excited to go on the picnic themselves, especially for bird-watching.
At the End of Our Rope
The boys challenge the girls to a game of tug of war but are unexpectedly defeated and can’t figure out why.
Just Kidding
The others tease Skye when he forgets to bring a bat to a baseball game, prompting Skye to get upset and leave. Ben feels badly their teasing, even though they were just joking. Sizzle and Nuzzle climb up a tree in the greenhouse but are too scared to come down. Leon and Kiki only make cameo appearances.
Everything In Its Place
Kiki makes plans to clean the place, but it doesn’t go as planned.
Big Boys Don't Cry
Leon cries when the others exclude him from his own pancake making recipe and is labelled a “crybaby” by Ben and Skye. Julie convinces the two that they've had reason to cry in the past. Sizzle and Nuzzle filch all the pancakes made, and get sick from doing so.
Here's to the Winners
Ben becomes discouraged when everyone but him has won a trophy for something, even though he does have an impressive skill that’s worthy of a prize in and of itself. Sizzle and Nuzzle do not appear in this episode, and Skye and Julie only make cameo appearances.
A World of Difference
Everyone except Skye disguise themselves as identical superheroes, but Skye can use each one's individual quirks to tell who is who.
Willing and Able
Ben takes pity on Skye’s friend Kyle, who’s in a wheelchair. Sizzle and Nuzzle find out the hard way that she can’t bury a bone and he can’t climb a tree. Leon and Kiki only make a cameo appearance in this episode.
It's Magic
Kiki becomes scared when her friends disappear after a failed magic act. Nuzzle becomes inspired by a heroic dog on TV.
Cast
Details
Original Title
The Puzzle Place
Status
Ended
Seasons
3
Episodes
75
Production
Lancit Media Productions, KCET
