"Under the Umbrella Tree" first appeared on the then-premium Disney Channel in 1986, more than ten years before anyone knew what a "zoog" was. Like some other pinnacles of family entertainment that '80s television gave birth to, the series starred puppets, as three of the four leading characters. The program is set in a house like any other, except that the inhabitants are anthropomorphic animals of unidentifiable age and origin. There is the sympathetic and sweet Gloria Gopher, the often nervous and somewhat absent-minded Jacob Blue Jay, and my personal favorite, Iggy Iguana, a sarcastic yellow-haired dude who is easy to like. Their friend is a human woman, the ever-thoughtful and maternal Holly Higgins (played by Holly Larocque). The gang's everyday adventures gracefully teach lessons that are easy for young viewers to identify with.
The five episodes presented on this Volume 1 disc are as follows
"Birdbrain" (1989) (15:18)
Jacob is late for lunch and has put the ice cream back in the cupboard, which has Iggy questioning his friend's intelligence. To test the absent-minded bird, Iggy and Jacob square off for a quiz show called Brainwave, with Holly as over-the-top host and Gloria as the scorekeeper.
"Hamster Hullabaloo" (1990) (15:11)
Holly leaves Iggy, Jacob, and Gloria to look after Henry the hamster for a friend, but they can't resist opening his cage. Next thing you know, Henry's missing and Iggy, Jacob, and Gloria try to cover their tracks by severely stretching the truth.
"The Trombone" (1990) (15:11)
Jacob and Iggy discover that Gloria has joined a marching band and learned to play the trombone. When she leaves them home with the instrument, they soon find themselves in a fix.
"The Best Hiding Place Ever" (1989) (15:10)
The gang is having fun playing hide-and-seek, but despite his best efforts to heed a friend's advice, Jacob's not very good at hiding. When Jacob finally does find a good spot to hide, neither Gloria nor the already-discovered Holly or Iggy can find him. Where can he be?!
"Uncle Jack Comes Back" (1989) (15:13)
Holly's Uncle Jack and Aunt Jill, a musical duo, are coming to visit for the weekend. They're scheduled to put on a show, but a snowstorm leaves Jill stranded at the airport. It's up to Holly to fill in for her aunt and sing with Jack, while Iggy, Gloria, and Jacob help out with behind-the-scenes work. We only get to see a rehearsal in the house, but it's quite a trippy act!
***I WILL SEED DURING NIGHTS (GMT-4) AND PART OF DAY! SEED AND SHOW THESE TO YOUR KIDS!
