Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983–1986) User Reviews

Unique Kids' Show

[tangoyank · 29 September 2003]

Just to add a few comments to what's already been written...

I, too, really loved this show when I was a kid. It aired on The Disney Channel back in the days when the entire channel was built around Disney characters (now it seems aimed at young teenagers and tries to compete with Nickelodeon).

This show used full-bodied costumes with animatronic heads for all of the Pooh characters except Roo (who was sometimes a sophisticated puppet, and at other times was played by a dwarf in a small body costume).

The show did not use traditional sets in most cases but instead was filmed against blue-screen. However, unlike most mid-80s use of blue screen technology, this actually looked quite realistic and did not have the awkward or fake look that most blue-screen of the era exhibited. This show had a companion show called "Dumbo's Circus" that was made a few years later and used the same technology very effectively (that show had Dumbo and a bunch of new characters that were never seen outside this series).

The show had an interesting structure. Each episode opened with an older-British-guy host (not Sebastian Cabot, though) who would begin reading from a Pooh story book and then you would go into the story.

The main story lasted about 20 minutes, and then there were two more segments. The first was a music video for one of about ten or so songs they used over and over. The last segment was usually some sort of game, educational segment, or craft demonstration with one of the Pooh characters would speak directly to the camera and interact with the voice-over of the narrator. This was supposed to be a "practical" segment that taught something kids could learn and use, as opposed to just entertainment. Then there was a very catchy closing song that was used every day (the lyrics went something like "Toodle-oo, So Long, and Goodbye," and it was the best kids' closing song I can think of besides "The Song That Doesn't End" from Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop).

Unlike most of the other Disney-produced Pooh shows, this one had original stories that did not come directly from the A. A. Milne books. It was really well-written and could entertain adults as well as children. It was not a baby-ish show. There were numerous holiday-themed episodes - I have specific memories of watching this show on Christmas morning.

This show is really unique, original, and timeless. It has a visual sense unlike anything I've seen before or since (except it's sister show "Dumbo's Circus"). I'm not sure why Disney doesn't use this technology anymore becuase it doesn't look dated at all. What was so impressive about this show's look was that the colors were so vibrant and sparkled so brightly. As others have suggested, I wish Disney would re-run it or at least put it out on DVD.

Please Put "Welcome to Pooh Corner" on DVD!

[sallysunrise · 10/10 · 5 January 2009]

My words will be inadequate to describe how good "Welcome to Pooh Corner" is. No other children's show comes close to the quality of this series. I would be willing to pay big bucks to have the entire series (all 120 episodes) on DVD. If that ever happens, I hope it will include bonus materials to tell us how it was done--who wrote the scripts, did the music, manned the characters, did the voices, etc.

Every episode had warmth, humor, and charm, and taught good values. This show appeals to adults as well as children. The songs were fabulous. How did the actors make those puppet heads convey such emotion and how did they synchronize the voices with the facial expressions? The backdrops and scenery were beautiful also. What an amazing bunch of talented people worked on this show! I watched "Welcome to Pooh Corner" with my sons when they were little and now with my granddaughter. I wish I had recorded every episode from the Disney Channel, but I only got 9 of them. Then I bought the 6-volume tape series. But all my videos are worn out from repeat viewing, so I would dearly love to have this on DVD. All 120 episodes, please! I would buy copies for grandchildren and friends, as well as myself. This is too good to disappear. Please bring it back!

This show was the Cornerstone of the Disney Channel

[telepress · 10/10 · 6 March 2007]

When Disney was blazing the trails of the relatively new cable market, "WELCOME TO POOH CORNER" was the cornerstone on which the young channel survived.

The show itself is borrowed from a 1930s Americanized version of Pooh stories which were first performed by the then famous, Sue Hastings Marionettes, at Radio City Music Hall, in New York. That was when audiences heard Pooh's voice for the very first time. newly adapted from Milne's text.

For the next twenty years or so, Ms. Hastings and her marionettes, under license from Stephen Slesinger, Inc., performed Winnie the Pooh at Children's Theatres around the country and for many prominent children's charitable events. In 1946 a filmed version of the marionette shows was aired on experimental television in New York City.

Slesinger chose marionettes to dramatize Milne's stories and verses, principally because animation was too costly. Apparently Disney chose this medium for the same reason when launching the Disney Channel.

The rights to perform Pooh on television was licensed to Disney in 1961 and in 1983 by Stephen Slesinger, Inc. who still owns those underlying rights, among other media and trade rights.

Evident within the textural composition of each episode of "Welcome to Pooh Corner" is a younger and more comfortable Disney Company as well. These shows were produced just before the company was propelled to the front lines of the mega media conglomerates. But their charm still shows right through, even though much slicker technologies flood our senses today.

Enjoy these early Disney Channel shows. They aren't making them like this any more.

Disney in the 80s

[JohnnyItalian · 10/10 · 2 November 2006]

Some of these treasured 80s shows have been re-released on DVD like "He-Man & The Masters of the Universe," but those DVDs do not contain all the classic commercials and promos for other shows, which also stir up all the old memories when I see them on my tapes. Back then I didn't appreciate those old commercials. Maybe in twenty years I will wax nostalgic about some of the goofy reality shows that are on TV currently or get excited if I see a Playstation 2 commercial, but there was something so charming and exciting about the 8-bit Nintendo's upcoming "Mario Bros" game back then and none of that seems prevalent now. However, I also watched "The Disney Channel" a lot—mainly because none of the shows on that channel were interrupted with commercials. I came across a few episodes of "Welcome to Pooh Corner" on one of my tapes, and that show is truly 80s and truly a gem. It was the first Winnie-the-Pooh show to ever air (even before "The Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh" cartoon show) and it had all the campy charm and wholesome fun, which appealed to kids and adults. I know I am once again getting very nostalgic here, as I often do, mainly because I am growing older and hope to share some of my old memories with my kids someday—but even more so because these old shows were so wonderful! The Disney Channel as a whole was absolutely wonderful and is nothing like that anymore.

"Welcome to Pooh Corner" was a live action show about Pooh and his friends. It began with a narrator named Laurie, an older gentleman who wore warm and comfortable looking sweaters and had the most assuring voice in the world, and was to me, even more charming than Mr. Rogers. He would open the show with a book on his lap and one of the characters in the form of a stuffed toy on the table next to him—usually the character who was to be starring in that particular episode. For example, if the show centered on Roo, he would have a miniature Roo next to him and would begin to explain his dilemma—whether it was how he didn't want to eat his oatmeal or how he wanted to go play with Tigger instead of clean his room. This may sound silly, but there were great lessons to be learned and I just don't think shows of today contain these lessons. Then, the show went into The Hundred Acre Woods, where all the characters lived, and it used live puppets and scenic painted backdrops to show the settings. After the actual episode was over, the characters would do sort of a music video, where they would sing a song that relayed to the episode, and do an arts-and-crafts type segment where they'd show you how to make things like paper plate letter holders to hang in your home. I absolutely loved the show. It's lead-in was "Dumbo's Circus" which was a similar style show starring Dumbo and all his friends, but it didn't have a narrator and it was not nearly as good. I watched it occasionally, more because it was on right before Pooh. I never taped any of those shows, but again, I'd take that over any of the stuff that's on that network today. Back then, it seemed that the channel was there for kids to watch with their families, but now it seems like they are trying to reach the teenage audience and be more like a Nickelodeon-style channel with all it's sitcoms and advertising. I think the main charm of that channel was that it coincided with the huge popularity of Disney World, which was still pretty new in the 80s and the brand new Epcot Center and MGM Studios. There were often Orlando tour shows which aired that made you feel like you were in Florida and made you so excited about all things Disney. I remember my first Grizwald-like drive down to Disney World through South of the Border very clearly too. At Epcot Center, my favorite ride was Captain E-O and at MGM Studios, my favorite was the Backlot Tour where they showed you the TV sets of the "Golden Girls" and "Empty Nest" houses. Neither ride exists anymore. Another show was "Kids Incorporated" which was about a group of kids who had a band, but it always contained lessons of growing up but nothing too heavy and you never really had to ask your parents what the kids were talking about. It used popular 80s music in every show and it too, was truly a classic. "Donald Duck Presents" was another favorite, it showcased Donald and many of the old classic characters in some of their classic cartoon segments. On local TV, Disney was huge too, and "The Disney Afternoon" on Channel 11 featured "Gummi Bears," "Duck Tales," "Tale Spin," "Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers," and later "Darkwing Duck," "Goof Troop," and a few others which would come and go out of the rotation. Taking classic Disney characters like Baloo the Bear and Chip N' Dale, and focusing on their own current life (like Baloo became a pilot and Chip N' Dale became detectives) was a very popular and agreeable premise. Now you can't find any of those shows on TV. Not on local TV, and not on Disney. I don't know why this is so, because I feel that people in their 20s and 30s like me would love to expose the next generation to all of those same types of programs. Shows don't seem to carry over to the next era anymore, and I feel that by the time I have kids, I won't be able to relate to any of what they are watching. Soon enough, things like "Sesame Street" may even become extinct. At least I have these few tapes, which I will certainly save and show my kids someday.

Welcome to one of the best "kids" shows there ever was!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 5 January 2012]

This said, I don't really consider Welcome to Pooh Corner as just a "kids" show. It is just a wonderful show, that appeals to both kids and adults.

I loved the colourful settings/sceneries, and all the characters apart from perhaps Roo occasionally all look convincing. The songs are simply fabulous, the melodies are inspired are the lyrics are relate-able and delightfully droll.

Welcome to Pooh Corner was also superbly written, with original thoughtfully-written story lines with interesting and important lessons and the dialogue humorous and charming.

All the characters are engaging and have distinct personalities, and the voice acting is consistently good particularly Hal Smith(for me the best Pooh voice after Sterling Holloway) as Pooh.

Overall, a wonderful show and one of the best "kids"(though adults will find much to like about it too) shows there ever was. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Creepy, Though Not Terrible

[Jace_the_Peanuts_Fan · 4/10 · 9 February 2024]

I've been a diehard Winnie the Pooh fan since birth (or close enough), but I didn't grow up with Welcome to Pooh Corner because it's from long before my time, it didn't have reruns on TV at all during my lifetime, and I never had any of the video releases. This is the worst or least good Pooh show of all. I've seen a number of the episodes online, and only three of them are on YouTube. I don't like Welcome to Pooh Corner, I don't hate/dislike it, it's a mixed bag. Allow me to explain why.

Premise/format: The show is faithful to the cartoons for the most part, but it's very different in some ways. A little too different, but not a whole lot: Christopher Robin never appears (though he is mentioned in one episode), Roo's shirt is red instead of blue, Eeyore's house more closely resembles a tipi, the educational value can be grating at times, etc. I assume that a Christopher Robin costume/puppet would've been hard to make, and I'm guessing that's why he never appears, but a kid actor with no fursuit could've played him. At the end of various episodes, the characters would teach random stuff to kids, which often had nothing to do with the story. A lot of great morals are present like be yourself, too much of a good thing is not a good thing, you're the best at what you do best (that's a new one!), try and try again, and more.

Characters: Their personalities are mostly the same, but they feel a little less like themselves. Pooh is a lot smarter than in the cartoons, despite still being called a bear of very little brain. He knows that it isn't always a good idea to talk to strangers and what to do if one were to ever end up in stranger danger, which doesn't make any sense because the Hundred Acre Wood doesn't encounter many strangers, and the animals in the Hundred Acre Wood don't go into the "real" world very much. Owl can be whiny at times, even though he's supposed to be an old, wise figure. In one episode, he had whined over not being invited to swim with his friends. Rabbit is more relaxed and is a magician for some reason. He has a scary habit of randomly appearing and disappearing out of nowhere with his magic wand. I don't recall him liking magic in any other incarnation. I remember Tigger putting on a magic show in a book, an episode of The Book of Pooh, and an episode of My Friends Tigger and Pooh. He should've been the magician here, not Rabbit. However, I find Rabbit more likable here than in the cartoons for the most part, and his flanderization is a good flanderization, minus the part about him being a magician and randomly appearing and disappearing out of nowhere. Pooh and Owl's flanderizations are barely noticeable, and they were still themselves for the most part. The rest of the characters were still likable, had barely changed, and were not the tiniest bit flanderized.

Visuals: Most of the episodes were recorded with a green screen or blue screen and had custom backgrounds from the cartoons, which I like. However, the quality is a bit dark, dull, and not so bright and colorful, which slightly creeps me out. I find that somewhat justified due to the time this was made. The characters are slightly creepy, and that's one of the main reasons why I don't like Pooh Corner as much as the other Pooh incarnations. Pooh Bear, Kanga, and Roo have whites in their eyes for some reason, which makes them as creepy as they are. If Tigger and Piglet could still have dots for eyes, why couldn't Pooh Bear, Kanga, and Roo? Piglet's design is accurate, but something about the way his face was built creeps me out. Pooh Bear has the creepiest design of the whole cast, and Eeyore and Rabbit look the least creepy. For some reason, Roo was originally a traditional puppet, and for the entire series, Piglet was a costume with animated eyes and an animated mouth like the rest of the characters. Both of them are much smaller than the rest of the cast in the other incarnations, and Piglet is a tad bit taller than Roo. They could've both been traditional puppets, or they could've both been costumes for the entire series. However, this problem was fixed later: Roo became a costume like everyone else.

Voice acting: The voices are on par with the cartoons for the most part, but they have a few hiccups. Piglet's voice is the worst offender, which I find hard to believe because he was voiced by Phil Baron, who also voiced Teddy Ruxpin, another one of my favorite fictional characters. His voice is too high pitched and feminine. Tigger's voice is decent, but it sounds like a hybrid of his cartoon voice and Grubby's voice from Teddy Ruxpin. He was voiced by Will Ryan, who also voiced Grubby, which explains a lot. I'm surprised that John Fiedler and Paul Winchell didn't return as Piglet and Tigger. The only voice actors from the movies who reprised their roles here were Hal Smith (Pooh and Owl), Will Ryan (Rabbit), and Laurie Main (the narrator).

Songs: The songs are actually good! The theme song is the same tune as the theme song from the movies, but most of the lyrics changed. That's a plus because this is the only TV series to feature the franchise's theme song! I like it better than the regular Pooh theme song because it gives a brief description of each character (don't get me wrong, I still love the regular theme song too)! All the characters have their own signature songs here, which is another plus because Pooh and Tigger are the only characters who have signature songs in the cartoons for some reason. My favorite is Eeyore's song, "Just Say Yes, I Can," because it surprisingly has a very positive message about never giving up and not focusing on what you can't do.

One of my favorites when I was a wee one

[xxlittlekittenxx · 12 March 2003]

The ending credits music to this show is running through my head as I type. It's amazing that you can remember something so well from years ago. I remember all the songs, a lot of episodes, and it was a lot better than the 'Book of Pooh' (that show is just too cutesy).

The characters were people in full body costumes with remote controlled facial features. It was sort of like a Sid and Marty Krofft show from the '70s in that sense, sans the psychedelic campy quality. I believe that the host/narrator was none other than Sebastian Cabbot, who did indeed narrate the first Pooh cartoons.

Now let me pour out the memories (tiny spoilers ahead, matey).

I loved this song that Pooh sang about getting up on the right side of the bed, and one about Rabbit singing about trying new things (it had a magic act motif going on), and of course Piglet's song about what to do when you're scared ("I hum to myself, hm-hm-h-hm, and laugh to myself, ha-ha-ha-ha, and say 'everything's okay' to myself..."). Then there was a weird one with Owl singing about eyes. Tigger had a neat one; I remember the tune, but not the lyrics.

As for the episodes, I remember one about a marching band, and since Tigger played the guitar and not a marching band instrument, he did the baton twirling/leading. And then there was one where Tigger did this trick on a swing and ended up hurting himself pretty badly. There was also one where Rabbit gave the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood gang some carrot seeds. While the others didn't take care of their sprouts properly, Piglet did it just right and ended up growing one big carrot.

I also remember little things about certain episodes. Like Eeyore singing Tigger a song about taking your time, and Kanga singing Roo a song about what things were like when she was his age. In fact, I think throughout the whole episode the characters sang songs about what it was like when they were Roo's age.

But one thing that stands out the most is the "Too Smart For Strangers" special. (I remember back in the '80s and early '90s the 'don't talk to strangers' thing was quite big in public service announcements and specials.) It was a special in which Pooh and Piglet explained the dangers of someone offering you candy or a ride out of the blue. And for me, it worked... perhaps a little too well. I remember after seeing that I wouldn't talk to ANYONE I didn't know. Pooh (or Piglet, or one of the live action actors) stated that if a stranger talks to you, scream "NO!" at them and run off. (I actually remember doing this on more than one occasion, one of which taking place in some store where a girl about my age at the time asked me if I liked these toys that were displayed, and I screamed "NO!" and darted off. It's kind of funny now that I think about it.)

This show was on Disney channel for years, and I really miss it. In fact, if it was still on I'd probably watch it. I hope Disney airs it again, or at least put it on video/DVD. Kids today really need to see this.

"The Book of Pooh"--improved version

[ztonus · 17 August 2002]

"Welcome to you and how do you do? Everybody's waiting here at Pooh Corner Waiting for you and Winnie the Pooh to have a happy ho-kie-Pooh Time"



I remember this back for when I was a kid. This show was a live-action version of the original cartoons. It began with the Narrator (Whom may have been the same narrator from the first movie). It contained the main story, with a song and short segment at the end.

I often compare this to "The Book of Pooh". While "BOP" is a pretty good show, it doesn't compare "Welcome to Pooh Corner". First of all, "BOP" is much too built as a kiddie show. "WPC" had a more adult touch to it, while still appealing to kids. Actors wore costumes with talking heads, making a cool look for Pooh and friends.

The only character I didn't like in this show was Roo, who looked too much like a puppet. The Roo in "BOP" is much better.