26 Years Ago, One Underrated Nature Show Drove Kids Wild

When Zoboomafoo premiered on PBS on January 25, 1999, families instantly fell in love with the high-energy Kratt brothers and the parade of live animals they interacted with during each 30-minute episode. Combining puppetry with real wildlife, its format was as unusual as some of the critters that walked, flew, and slithered across their set, and that’s what drew more eyes to the show. You and your kids might recognize its hosts from Wild Kratts , a popular PBS series now in its seventh season. That’s the one where animated versions of the bros showcase the abilities of different animals, living a day in the life of that species while preventing bad guys from messing with the world. But the story of these zoologists begins not with flashy cartoons and super-powered animal costumes, but with a lemur puppet and his penchant for snacks. Me, You, and Zoboomafoo After graduating from college, Martin Kratt and his younger brother Chris traveled the world together making low-budget documentaries about animals for children. The handheld footage from these adventures became the basis of their first PBS show, Kratts’ Creatures . Aimed at preschoolers, the brothers espoused the uncanny abilities of the animal kingdom in a style that spoke to their young demographic. Kids loved Kratts’ Creatures , and its success led the pair to a spin-off titled Zoboomafoo . Instead of sojourning across the globe, this studio show took place in a fictional reserve called “Animal Junction.” The brothers …