Little Bill (1999)
Little Bill is a television show for children that is presently on Nick Jr. The stories are based on Bill Cosby's Little Bill book series, set in Philadelphia and feature Bill Jr. learning a lesson or moral. It was developed through research and in consultation with a panel of educational consultants. The show also aired on CBS as part of Nick Jr. on CBS, from September 16, 2000 - September 7, 2002, then as part of Nick on CBS from August 2, 2003 - September 10, 2005. The show returned with the return of Nick Jr. on CBS on September 17, 2005, and seen through September 9, 2006 when the block was replaced with The KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS. The series went back into production in fall 2006 and a new season of 6 episodes aired on Noggin throughout April and July 2007, ending in the later month. Reruns are played on Nick Jr., on BET, as of January 7, 2008, and on Centric, as of May 1, 2010. Sonia Manzano, best known for playing Maria Rodriguez on Sesame Street, was a frequent writer for the show.
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Episode 1 - Ready, Set, Read!/ I Got A Letter
Release Date: 2001-05-07Ready, Set, Read!: Little Bill decides he wants to learn to read after watching Bobby enjoy reading a joke book. At school, he asks Miss Murray for assistance, so she devises a word game of looking up things in the room that start with the same letter and writing the words on the board so the children can see how they're spelled. During story time, Miss Murray talks Bill through reading one of his favorite stories, Harry the Helpful Horse; Little Bill recognizes some of the words thanks to the game they played earlier. When he gets home, Little Bill shows Bobby how well he can read the story, and Bobby offers to help him learn the jokes in his book. I Got A Letter: When Little Bill helps Big Bill bring in the mail one afternoon, he asks how people get mail addressed to them. His father points out that in most cases, if you write a letter, you receive letters, so Little Bill chooses to write a letter to one of his friends. He draws apicture for Andrew, and Big Bill helps him address the
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Episode 2 - The Violin Lesson / Squirmy
Release Date: 2001-05-09The Violin Lesson: Little Bill is playing outside with Andrew and Kiku when they hear Bobby practicing his violin for an upcoming recital. Bobby is still a fairly new performer, so the violin occasionally squeaks while he's learning a new song. Little Bill and the others think the instrument sounds funny and start to imitate the noise. At dinner, Bill does his violin impression for his parents, but Bobby thinks his brother is making fun of him and runs off, hurt. April explains to Little Bill that learning to play an instrument takes time and practice, and that sometimes you might make mistakes. Bill apologizes to Bobby and asks him to play the new song he learned. Squirmy: Andrew and Bill are playing in the back yard when they see an earthworm crawling out of Alice The Great's garden. Little Bill is intrigued by the worm and decides to keep it as a pet, naming it Squirmy for the way it wiggles. When he asks for permission to keep it, however, Brenda is adamant about not having worms i
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Episode 3 - Monty Visits / Mom's Trip
Release Date: 2001-05-10Monty Visits: Little Bill is excited when Alice the Great tells him his friend Monty is coming over to spend the day; he brings all his favorite toys down to the living room so Monty won't have to worry about manuevering his wheelchair upstairs. When Monty arrives, he seems to be more interested in helping Alice the Great prepare a sweet potato pie than playing any games. He tells her he wants to become a chef when he grows up, and is always helping his parents in the kitchen. Alice the Great appreciates the assistance and his company, but Bill gets angry that his great grandmother is taking away his friend; he becomes even more upset when Alice remarks that she loves Monty-- he thinks she loves Monty more than him. Alice explains that she is only being hospitable to Monty because he is a guest, and although she did say loves him as a good friend, she will never love anyone the way she loves Bill. Monty apologizes for upsetting Little Bill, and invites him to join in to make the pie. M
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Episode 4 - The No-Talking Contest / The Search For The Sock
Release Date: 2001-05-11The No Talking Contest: The children are helping to clean the kitchen, and Bobby and Little Bill complain to Big Bill that April's singing is annoying them. Their father says that while they are working together they are not to fight, so April proposes a ""No Talking Contest"" so they won't say anything hurtful to one another. Bobby gets Little Bill to be the first one to break the silence by dropping his watch, but Bill claims Bobby cheated by saying ""Oops"" when he dropped the watched to get his brother's attention. When a second round causes April to laugh, they decide to make a rule that no one can make any type of sound, not just talking, in order to win. Big Bill wonders what's going on when the children refuse to answer the telephone and don't want to talk to Brenda. The children manage to stay quiet while cleaning the kitchen, but Little Bill notices that Bobby accidentally knocked his watch into the trash, and Big Bill is about to deliver the bag to the garbage man. He screams
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Episode 5 - A Day At The Beach/ The Get Well Song
Release Date: 2002-02-12A Day At The Beach: The Glovers go to the beach for a day off, and while Big Bill just wants to relax, the children want him to join in with them and have some fun. They go swimming, play games, build sand castles, and go exploring for shells. As Big Bill lies down to finally try to relax, Little Bill suggests to his siblings that they bury their father in the sand. Although he pretends to protest, Big Bill actually enjoys not having to worry about moving and falls asleep while everybody else has lunch. Little Bill asks Brenda why Big Bill doesn't want to play, and she explains that his father is tired from the long drive to the beach and all the things he did for everybody else. When he realizes how much he appreciates all the things Big Bill does without being asked, Little Bill goes over to where Big Bill is lying and offers to read to him so they can relax together. The Get Well Song: Big Bill catches a cold and has to stay home from work. Little Bill volunteers to take care of h
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Episode 6 - Michael Sleeps Over/ Michael's First Snow
Release Date: 2002-03-06Michael Sleeps Over: Little Bill invites his friend Michael to spend the night when Michael's mother has to go out of town for the day. At first, Michael enjoys playing games and meeting the family, but by dinnertime, he becomes homesick and wants Big Bill to take him home. Little Bill tries to make Michael feel more comfortable by letting his friend sleep in his bed on Captain Brainstorm sheets, since Michael's bed at home has the same bedding. He also allows Michael to play with Elephant so Michael won't miss his own pet goldfish as much. When they finally go to sleep, Michael says he'll repay Little Bill for all his hospitality by inviting him to sleep over at his house. Michael's First Snow: As Brenda is putting the boys to bed, she notices that outside a heavy snowfall has started, and by morning the back yard is blanketed with snow. Michael remarks that since he grew up in Florida, where it's usually sunny all year round, that this is the first time he's seen snow. April, Bobby,
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Episode 7 - Monty Joins The Class/ Dad Goes To School
Release Date: 2002-03-13Monty Joins The Class: Little Bill's friend, Monty, moves closer to town, so he will be going to Bill's school now. Little Bill volunteers to be Monty's ""Super Helper,"" and show him around the class, since he already knows Monty. Unfortunately, in his efforts to be helpful, Little Bill ends up doing everything for Monty rather than waiting for Monty to ask for help, or letting Monty do it himself. Resentful, Monty says he doesn't want Bill's help anymore, and that he would like to play with someone else. Later that night, Little Bill understands what he must have been doing to Monty when he has difficulty putting on his pajamas, and Alice the Great tries to offer assistance; Bill argues that he can do it, and isn't a baby. The next day at school, Bill apologizes to Monty, who teaches him how to use the magnetic fishing game more efficiently. Little Bill points out that Monty helped him-- in more ways than one. Dad Goes To School: Miss Murray arranges for all the children's fathers to v
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Episode 8 - Number One On Honeywood Street/ Baseball Glovers
Release Date: 2002-03-19Number One On Honeywood Street: April and Bobby are having a friendly competition of racing, and when April wins, she begins to brag that she's ""Number One on Honeywood Street."" The children run into Little Bill's friend, Andrew, and his visiting cousins, who claim that they win every type of game they play on their block. Spurred on by competitiveness, April challenges them to a series of track and field type games to prove who's the best. Andrew and Little Bill want to play on the same team, but April and Andrew's cousins argue that they have to play as families against another. When Andrew's team appears to be winning, April gets angry and accuses Bobby and Bill of not trying hard enough, so they quit playing. The other children make April realize that she is taking the game too seriously in wanting to be the best, and that they began playing the game as a way to have fun together. Baseball Glovers: It's time for the annual Glover Family Picnic and Baseball Playoff Game, but Big Bil
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Episode 9 - Wabbit Worries/ Wabbit Babies
Release Date: 2002-11-25Wabbit Worries: Little Bill is very excited one morning at school when Miss Murray hands out the class assignments and asks him to look after the class' new pet rabbits, Dwayne and Wabbit. Little Bill becomes concerned when Wabbit, who usually loves to be held and eats the rabbit food as soon as it's served, is strangly quiet and isn't hungry. Miss Murray suggests calling a veterinarian in the morning to check Wabbit out. As he walks home, Little Bill decides to consult pet shop owner Mr. Percy with Wabbit's symptoms. Mr. Percy agrees to come to school the next day and examines Wabbit; he announces he has two surpises for the class-- Wabbit is really a female, and she's going to have babies soon, fathered by Dwayne. Mr. Percy volunteers to take Wabbit to his pet shop to keep her under observation until the litter is born. That night, Little Bill expresses his worries over Wabbit's condition to Brenda; she explains that Wabbit has the baby rabbits growing in her tummy, just like people