Raggs is an Australian-American live action and animated musical preschool television series originally produced in Sydney, Australia, with additional U.S. production in English and Spanish. "Raggs"’ episode library includes 195 finished half hour episodes and 200 original songs in multiple languages. The musical and educational series is based on the original characters created by Toni Steedman, a Charlotte, NC, advertising executive, for her then six‐year‐old daughter Alison. It was broadcast in the US on 4 February 2008 on PBS Kids, after its initial run in Australia. In 2014, The Raggs Band reunited to record 20 classic kids songs to accompany new "Raggs" animation to be included in the show and distributed on the "Raggs" YouTube channel, RaggsTV. "Raggs" and all rights are owned by Blue Socks Media, Charlotte, NC. The Raggs characters are used at Grand Palladium family-friendly resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico to host the kids program, "Play at Palladium with Raggs." Features include a Live Show, disco party, and character breakfast.
Broadcast
Raggs began broadcasting on SABC 2 in South Africa on 7 May 2018. "Raggs" recently aired in the US and Canada on Qubo and on the Smile network, Telemundo, and in Latin America on FETV Canal-Panama, RTV-Ecuador, Canal Dos-El Salvador, Guest Choice Cable-Dominican Republic and Corporación Televicentro-Honduras. "Raggs" YouTube channel, RaggsTV, hosts short episodes and animations to classic kids' songs.
History
Raggs was originally created in 1990 by U.S. advertising executive Toni Steedman for her then six-year-old daughter, Alison, as a series of carpool stories. Steedman later used the Raggs character for a regional mall promotion and advertising campaign. By 2001, the successful mall programs encouraged Steedman, along with former HBO producer Carole Rosen, to create a one-hour music video-inspired pilot called "Pawsuuup," which was shot in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and New York City in August 2001. While Steedman shopped the pilot for a production or broadcast partner, The Raggs Band began playing concerts at fairs, festivals and performing arts venues. In 2005, Steedman and her company, Raggs LLC, entered into a co-production relationship with Southern Star International to produce the Raggs series for the Seven Network in Sydney, Australia. Production began in 2005 using Alias Maya at the ABC Studios in Sydney, and the first episode of Series 1 began airing daily at 9 am on Seven in January 2006. Series 1 consisted of 65 half hours episodes. Raggs quickly garnered strong ratings and, within a few months of airing, Seven ordered Series 2, an additional 65 episodes. In 2007, Seven ordered Series 3, also 65 episodes, bringing the total to 195 original half hours by 2009. Each episode featured original Raggs’ music, written and produced in the U.S. by Concentrix Music and Sound Design, requiring over 200 original songs for the 195 half hours of shows. Southern Star distributed Raggs to several countries including Singapore, Bulgaria, South Africa and India. In the U.S., Steedman worked to establish Raggs on public television. KQEDSan Francisco signed on as the presenting station in association with American Public Television, and Raggs began airing on public TV stations in 2007. In January 2010, Steedman reacquired Southern Star’s distribution and licensing rights under Blue Socks Media LLC. Blue Sock Media LLC, completing a complete consolidation of the worldwide assets, later purchased Raggs LLC. Steedman continues to head Blue Socks Media in Charlotte, North Carolina. In July 2012, Telemundo, the NBC-owned Spanish language network, licensed 120 episodes of Raggs in Spanish. Raggs airs on Telemundo Saturdays at 8 am ET and Sundays at 8 and 8:30 am ET.
Throughout 2004, the band starred in a 90-minute performance at The Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach, alongside comic strip cat Garfield. The performances focused on the RAGGS Kids Club Band planning a birthday party for the famous orange cat. Suspecting things, Garfield "won't relax until he gets the surprise".
RAGGS Kids Club Band: PAWSUUUP! Tour
A DVD was released 17 August 2004, featuring in-concert performances of seven of the band's songs, and three "music videos". The 55-minute-long program was produced by Linda Mendoza of Line by Line Productions, and executive produced by Carole Rosen. The crew included screenwriter Mark Valenti, lighting designer Alan Adelman, music producers Fred and Becky Story, costume designer "Greyseal", and choreographer Hardin Minor. The DVD earned 3.5 out of 4 stars from Suite 101 Family Entertainment film critic Nicholas Moreau, tied for the highest ever rating for an independently produced DVD. The music from the tour was later released as a CD album.
The Raggs Band has played more than 2,000 live performances in four continents. In the U.S., Raggs has performed at many state fairs, basketball games, regional malls, national fundraisers such as the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, and parades. Overseas, the Raggs Band has performed at U.S. military bases in Japan, South Korea, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and Iceland. In Australia, the Raggs Band performed at Westfield Malls and was one of two children's acts to perform on Carols in the Domain, a nationally televised live musical show.
