RAGGS Kids Club Band
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The Raggs Band is a US-based musical troupe of five canine characters who have played over 2,000 live performances on four continents since 2002.
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[edit] Creation
In 2005, the colorful canines secured one of the largest orders for a television series in the world from Seven Network in Sydney, Australia. Raggs LLC, the parent company, partnered with Southern Star Entertainment, to co-produce and distribute the Raggs series. (Southern Star Entertainment is a subsidiary of Southern Star Group [now owned by Fairfax Media], an Australian publicly traded media company that distributes television content worldwide.)
The first 65 half-hour episodes of the Raggs TV series began airing daily on Seven Network on January 2, 2006, in the prime 9 a.m. timeslot. Series one quickly garnered strong reviews and high ratings, with shows often hitting 50% market share for the time period.[citation needed] With the success of the show, a second series of 65 episodes was ordered. Raggs wrapped production of Series II in December, 2006, with the first new episodes airing before the holidays. As of January 2007, Raggs has produced 13 completed shows and 120 original songs.
On December 16, 2006, the Raggs Kids Club Band was honored to perform on the nationally televised Australian Christmas special, Carols in the Domain, which was filmed before a live audience of nearly 100,000 people in the Sydney Botanical Gardens. The Wiggles were the only other children's group invited to perform at this concert. In January 2007, the Raggs Kids Club Band began a 50-venue tour in Australia. The first CD from the TV series titled "Let's Play" hit stores Big W (Australia's Woolworth) exclusively in January. DVDs are scheduled to be released in Australia in March 2007.
[edit] Characters
The show and the live group stars five puppy characters that play rock 'n' roll music as the Raggs Kids Club Band. The group lives together with their pet cat in their own clubhouse:
- Raggs is the blue dog that plays lead guitar and in rare cases, drums. Though he is the leader, Raggs is the youngest member in the band. His enthusiasm is contagious and he loves to play. His favorite game is to chase his long, tufted tail.
- Trilby plays bass guitar. She is violet colored and is the fashionista and sports enthusiast, excelling at soccer. Sometimes, she can be shy, but she occasionally does some practical jokes.
- Pido is the yellow one that plays drums. Pido loves to eat, so it figures that he is also the chef, creating healthy and tasty food for him and his friends. He is laid back and thinks slow when the band isn't performing, but has a passion to go to the beach to surf. Whenever Pido has an idea, he jumps and shouts, "Stand back! Brain attack!"
- B. Max (B. Maxwell Oliver is the orange puppy's full name) primarily plays piano keyboard, but can play air guitar, and other instruments. B. Max, despite being in a wheelchair is the crazed inventor in the group and has created such unique inventions like "The Happy Meter", "The Birdspooker", "The Sniffometer 7000", "The Thermo-Meter 9000", "The Rainless Sky 5000" and more. In the show, after rolling his arms and saying "I feel an invention coming on!", he quickly wheels to his special inventing room to create his invention. Other than colored lights, his special room is a secret place to the audience.
- Razzles is the lead singer and plays the synthesizer, cutting songs on the turntable. She also plays tambourine, sometimes drums and other percussion instruments. Razzles, who is colored green, is a natural organizer who also loves to dance.
- Dumpster the Cat is the puppies' pet. He is egotistical- he likes teasing the dogs and making petty exploitations towards them. While living with the dogs at the clubhouse, he speaks to the audience about his life, desires, and dislikes while living with them. He does not talk to the band members often.
Outside the clubhouse, when he talks to children directly, he is friendlier and he broadens the episode's subject by asking questions and getting what they know. He admits that he knows less than the children, but he does, occasionally, make the talk fun by adding his wisecracking humor. He craves stinky fish.
He is played by a uniquely talented Australian actor/puppeteer, Adam Kronenberg, who has the ability to speak in both Australian and American accent.
[edit] The Television Show
Each episode follows the band through engaging, humorous stories that explore real issues faced by children. The characters' chemistry and friendship are immediately evident as they work through a series of creative and often funny steps to find a successful conclusion to everyday challenges.
Music is an integral part of this fast-paced show, providing a hook to engage young viewers, as the band goes from one adventure to the next. Each program is based on a main theme that promotes social and academic readiness, while also addressing specific preschool curriculum topics. These topics include: the arts, health and physical education, science and technology, and personal development. Each show also focuses on the development of social and emotional skills, modeling cooperation among friends.
The format is innovative and contemporary in its ability to knit together and reinforce a single theme through the use of various segments: live-action clubhouse segments, animation shorts, music videos, and interviews with children by Dumpster, the dogs' pet cat. The segments are able to creatively expand on the theme.[citation needed] Interactive studio concerts featuring real life fans, as well as a Wag & Wiggle dance segment, are able to promote movement and physical fitness, adding another dimension to the show, heightening the entertainment value.
[edit] Raggs history
Toni Steedman, a former advertising executive from Charlotte, North Carolina, created Raggs as an imaginary pet for her daughter Alison in 1990. The stories about a mischievous rock 'n' roll loving dog were shared during hour-long carpool drives with the neighborhood children. Within a few years, the children outgrew the stories and it seemed as though Raggs would be retired to the list of other fond childhood memories.
In 1997, Steedman, who owned Steedman Wilson, Inc., a regional advertising agency, revived the pup for use in a regional mall marketing program called The Raggs Kids Club, where Raggs gained a whole new fan base. By 2000, The Raggs Kids Club events were hosted in 30 regional malls nationally, including: Valley View Mall in Roanoke, VA; Vialia Mall in Visalia, CA; Southglenn Mall in Littleton, CO; Fox Valley Center in Chicago, IL, and University Mall in Tampa, FL. As Raggs LLC focused on television production and touring, The Raggs Kids Club program was phased out of regional malls by late 2006.
The Raggs Kids Club program required music, videos, premiums, and activities, all often centering on community events such as Earth Day, Bicycle Safety Day, etc. By 2000, Steedman was encouraged to expand the property to include more characters and more materials.
In 2001, The Raggs Kids Club added: Trilby, the bass player; Pido, the drummer; B. Max on keyboards; Razzles as the official band manager and tambourine player. The band's first CD, "Pawsuuup!", was released in early 2001 and won numerous industry awards including iParentin Award, National Parenting Seal of Approval, Creative Child Awards, and Children's Music Web Award.
In mid-2001, Raggs LLC produced the first US video titled, "Pawsuuup! Tour", a one-hour music video about the band's performances and behind the scenes antics. "Pawsuuup! Tour" also aired as a television special on both public broadcast and commercial television stations in 2002, 2003, and 2005. As a DVD, "Pawsuuup! TOur" earned several national awards, was nominated for two Regional Emmys in 2004, and was critically acclaimed, earning a 3.5 out of 4 stars from Suite 101 Family Entertainment film critic Nicholas Moreau, tied for the highest-ever rating for an independently produced DVD.
The most recent character addition to the program is of the dogs' beloved pet cat Dumpster, who stars in his own segment in the show, "Interviews with Dumpster". Added in 2005, this delightful show segment has been a surprising and now invaluable element of "Raggs", combining live guest interaction with comic relief that appeals to children and adults alike. According to Don Derheim, Senior Vice President of Marketing for KQED in San Francisco, "Dumpster is key to the credibility of the show, a major reason why KQED agreed to partner with Raggs LLC to launch the show in the US." "Adam Kronenberg's (aka Dumpster) wonderful connection with children and his unique ability to talk directly to the children as both a puppeteer and actor is one of the key reasons PBS is interested in the show."
Via KQED Productions, Raggs made its PBS debut on June 4, 2007. This was PBS' first imported kids' show from Australia; most of their imports come from either Canada or the United Kingdom. After a few months of showings in ten test cities, the show increased so much in popularity. While the the show was airing its first episodes, the band made its eight week "Dance Party" tour at the same time- the fans poured in by the thousands. When American Public Television saw its success, it partnered with KQED in early February 2008 to syndicate the show and help spread it to other PBS markets.
To continue to build the US brand, Steedman also produced two additional DVD titles, with corresponding CDs: "Holiday Jam", and "Red, White & Raggs", both produced in association with MediaWorks Inc. A fourth CD, titled "Unleashed", was also produced. Both DVDs also aired as US television specials in 2005 and 2006. "Holiday Jam" was a half-hour show shot in Telluride, Colorado, where the characters donned skis and took to the slopes. The production of Red, White & Raggs" evolved out of the bands' three appearances at both The White House Easter Egg Roll and The Cherry Blosson Festival. In the hour-long special, the characters help find the President's lost dog. The musical comedy adventure gives the characters an opportunity to tour the capital city, capturing scenes at popular Washington, DC monuments and historic sites. The show also included several scenes shot in the Oval Office set of ABC's, "Commander in Chief", a show which stars Geena Davis.
The first three DVDs and four CDs have been put in the Raggs Vault and have not been distributed since 2006. Future distribution of music and DVDs will be related to the television series.
[edit] International Markets
In other countries, Raggs has been picked up by leading stations in Canada, Singapore, Ireland, Bulgaria, and South Africa. Other countries are pending.
[edit] Palace Theatre 2004
Throughout 2004, the band starred in a 90-minute performance at The Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, alongside comic strip cat Garfield. The performances focused on the RAGGS Kids Club Band planning a birthday party for the famous orange cat. Suspecting things, Garfield "won't relax until he gets the surprise."
The 90-minute performance ran daily at 4:30 pm local time.
[edit] RAGGS Kids Club Band: PAWSUUUP! Tour
A DVD was released 17 August 2004, featuring in-concert performances of seven of the band's songs, and three "music videos". The 55-minute long program was produced by Linda Mendoza (The Chris Rock Show) of Line by Line Productions, and executive produced by Carole Rosen.
The crew included screenwriter Mark Valenti (Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Totally Spies), lighting designer Alan Adelman (75+ episodes of Great Performances, Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards), music producers Fred and Becky Story (Concentrix Music & Sound), costume designer "Greyseal", and choreographer Hardin Minor (National Dance Institute).
The DVD earned 3.5 out of 4 stars from Suite 101 Family Entertainment film critic Nicholas Moreau, tied for the highest ever rating for an independently produced DVD.
The music from the tour was released as an album, on CD.
[edit] Touring
The Raggs Kids Club Band has toured extensively for over the past five years, logging thousands of miles on four continents and playing over 2,000 live performances.
In the US, Raggs has performed:
- State and regional fairs including the New York State Fair, Tennessee State Fair, North Carolina State Fair, Tulsa State Fair, Heart of Texas State Fair, California Kids Fest, Oklahoma State Fair, Alabama National Fair, Tri-State Fair (TX), Miami-Dade County Fair, Bangor State Fair, Ohio State Fair, Upper Peninsula Michigan State Fair, Santa Barbara County Fair, San Mateo County Fair, and others
- NBA basketball games, regional malls, and community events.
- The Easter Egg Roll at the White House in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
- Parades, incuding Christmas parades in San Jose and Oakland CA, in which they were grand marshals.
- Three tours for US military families as part of Armed Forces Entertainment. The band visited bases in Alaska, Japan, Okinawa, S. Korea, Guam, and Kwajalein, as well as bases in Europe, including Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Iceland.
In Australia, the Raggs Kids Club Band has performed at Westfield Malls. In addition, Raggs was honored to be one of two children's acts to perform on "Carols in the Domain", a nationally televised live musical show that was also performed in front of nearly 100,000 people.
[edit] Biographies
[edit] Raggs US Team
Toni Steedman, President & Founder Raggs LLC, "Raggs" Co-Executive Producer With 20 years of extensive brand management and award-winning production experience as the former owner of a large, regional advertising agency with national and international clients, Toni first developed and tested the Raggs concept via grassroots marketing in 2001. Toni is a passionate ambassador for the "Raggs" brand and a meticulous co-executive producer of the TV show. She has won numerous industry awards and was selected as "Business Woman of the Year" in Charlotte in 2001.
Dennis Kostyk, Industry Consultant Dennis Kostyk, president of Kostyk Communications Inc., is a key advisor to Raggs LLC and has been a consultant in the area of TV program development and financing for the past 25 years. He is responsible for negotiating Raggs' production/distribution agreement with Southern Star and continues to work closely with Raggs in all areas of brand management. Past and present clients include: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Geographic, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The Economist, WNET (PBS - New York), WTTW (PBS - Chicago), WETA (PBS - Washington), KQED (PBS - San Francisco), KCTS (PBS - Seattle),Collingwood O'Hare Entertainment (London), Granada Kids (London), Carlton Television (London), Little Airplane Productions (New York), and Curious Pictures (New York).
Concentrix Music and Sound Design, Inc. From the first Raggs song, "Raggs Rocks", Concentrix has been responsible for the development and execution of the complete score for each episode and the entire Raggs music library, which now includes 130 scored episodes and 120 finished songs. With the support of the Concentrix team, Fred Story and Michael McGinnis create the sound, while Becky Story, the Raggs Music Director, creates the lyrics.
Emulsion Arts Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an internationally award-winning film production company, which most recently was a second-time recipient of the New York International Film Festival's Gold World Medal (2007). Led by Producer/Director/Writer Joanne Hock and Creative Producer Heidi Dove, Emulsion Arts has produced feature-length documentaries, independent films, and major television campaigns for Fortune 500 companies. Their film and documentary projects have been aired on The Discovery Channel, The SciFi Channel, and BET.
[edit] Raggs Australian Team
Catherine Payne, Chief Executive Officer, Southern Star International Catherine is a 16-year industry veteran of the TV distribution business, with a special focus on children's programming, including distribution of the Hanna-Barbara library, "Barney and Friends", "Wishbone", "The Sleepover Club", and "Hi-Fi." Southern Star is one of the largest independent distributors of English-language programming, with an experienced sales force based out of Sydney, London, and Paris. Their catalogue of 14,000 hours is sold to over 120 territories internationally.
Noel Price, "Raggs" Co-Executive Producer Noel Price is Australia's most experienced and prominent producers of children's television. His programs range across all genres and cater to ages preschool thru teens, from comedy to drama, and from animation to live-action. His international experience spans over production/direction in over 10 countries. Executive Producer credits include: "Pig's Breakfast", "Tracey mcBean", "Outriders", "Kangaroo Creek Gang", "Don't Blame the Koalas", "Snobs", "Foreign Exchange", "Bottle Top Bill", "Girl TV, " "Blue Water High", and "The Sleepover Club." His producer/director credits and international awards are equally extensive and impressive.
