"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.
Volume 2 only contains four episodes, but you still get the same amount of show, as one of the four is a Valentine's Day special, one of ten half-hour installments made. A closer look at the four shows on Volume 2 follows:
"Chez Iggy" (1989) (15:27)
At Holly's suggestion that his "salad à la Iggy" is good enough to open a restaurant, Iggy does just that, transforming her basement into Chez Iggy, an atmospheric eatery. But having to make multiple treks upstairs and back, Iggy learns that running a restaurant requires more than just a good salad.
"Hanky Panky" (1989) (15:18)
Iggy, Jacob, and Gloria are all sneezy, so Holly teaches them how to use tissues. But they have more fun playing with them than blowing their noses in them. When Holly gives them hankies, they have even more fun with them!
"Gingerbread House" (1989) (15:22)
Holly makes a gingerbread house for a hospital's children's bazaar and she allows her housemates to put on a Hansel and Gretel puppet show with her old puppet stage. Motor-mouthed Chuck Chickadee stops by to watch the show and makes for a too easily-excited audience member. Puppets operating puppets is a slightly mind-blowing concept.
"Love" (1991) (28:15)
With the running time doubled, there's room for multiple storylines in this half-hour Valentine's Day special. Mitzy brings over her pat rat Sidney for Gloria to watch in her absence. Meanwhile, Jacob has trouble asking library worker Megan (Stacie Mistysyn of "Degrassi Junior High") to be his partner in the upcoming fair's three-legged race. Seems like the bird has a bit of a crush and he's not the only one! Holly gets an anonymous Valentine's Day poem and then flowers, as Louis Bird agrees to try to figure out the identity of her secret admirer. There are different opening credits (which lose the theme song lyrics) for this episode, which is also titled "Valentine's Day Under the Umbrella Tree."
***I WILL SEED DURING NIGHTS (GMT-4) AND PART OF DAY! SEED AND SHOW THESE TO YOUR KIDS!
