Changes: Paramount Global

Revision as of 02:50, 3 June 2021

Gullah Gullah Island is a television series that wa produced and aired by Nick Jr. from October 24, 1994, to April 7, 1998. Created by Maria Perez, Kathleen Catapano, and Kit Laybourne, Gullah Gullah Island follows an African family learning life around them with neighbors, friends, and even a giant tadpole name Binyah. The show is heavily inspired by the Gullah culture and the language with the same name.

Gullah Gullah Island inspired a short miniseries Binyah Biynah! featuring the tadpole. The show received positive reviews and served as a groundbreaker for African-Americans in television and culture that is often overlooked by children. In 1996, TV Guide named it as one of the best children's programs.

Cast

Ron Daise as Ron Alston
Natalie Daise as Natalie Alston
James Edward Coleman II as James Alston
Vanessa Baden as Vanessa Alston
Corey Murphy as Rick
Manolo Villaverde as Abuelo
Iris Chacón as Juana
Pixee Wales as Grandma Pixee
Binyah Binyah (Portrayed by Phillip Garcia until his death in 1996, portrayed by Justin Campbell in season 4)
Chansome the Pelican (Portrayed by James J. Kroupa)

Episodes

Main article: List of Gullah Gullah Island Episodes

Production

Origin and development

Ron Daise's book Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage was published in 1987. He and his New York-born wife, Natalie Daise (née Eldridge), followed by creating and touring with a multimedia show, Sea Island Montage, based on the book as well as stories from oral histories of elderly St. Helena Island residents.^[1]^[2] After one of their performances, the Daises met with an executive producer from Nickelodeon.^[3] Creator Maria Perez-Brown had planned on building a multicultural program featuring a "magical island" and was inspired by the Daises to use the Sea Islands and elements of Gullah culture.^[4]^[5]^[6] Part of Nickelodeon's initiative to broaden its preschool programming, Gullah Gullah Island was the first show of its kind to star an African-American family set in an indigenously black community.^[3]^[7] The show's originality caused some upfront concerns. "We were apprehensive about naming it 'Gullah Gullah Island'. We wanted to make sure the portrayal was positive and didn't in any way poke fun at the culture or the community," Ron Daise said of creating a show based on an existing culture.^[8]

Format

Gullah Gullah Island is a sing-along half-hour live-action show.^[9] The format was part of a flexible thinking initiative that taught children to make good choices rather than using rote memorization.^[5]^[10]

Ron and Natalie Daise play the Alstons, who live on the fictional "Gullah Gullah Island". Additional cast featured the Daise's actual children Simeon and Sara among others, including a full-body puppet frog, Binyah Binyah ("binyah" is the Gullah word for "island native").^[11] The show was taped and recorded at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando at Universal Studios Florida, with the show Clarissa Explains It All shot on the same set interior and exterior.^[3]^[12]^[13] Modifications were made, like adding different shades of red to the home as shown on Gullah Gullah. Outdoor shots featured Beaufort^[8] and Fripp Island, South Carolina.^[14] Charleston, South Carolina, was featured in one episode when the family took a trip to the City Market.^[15]

Episodes are presented with a unified plot and not separate segments, featuring singing, dancing, learning and encouraging children to think about things like taking care of yourself, animals, telling the truth, social skills, and problem solving.^[10]^[16] The show also highlights the culture and language of Gullah, descendants of former slaves who live on the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.^[17]

References

↑ (1987) Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage. Orangeburg, SC: Sandlapper Publishing Company, Incorporated, page 103. ISBN 087844081X.
↑ "Gullah stories, songs featured in BCC presentation at Fowler Hall", Purdue University, April 30, 2013. “Ron and Natalie Daise starred in and served as cultural consultants for the "Gullah Gullah Island" television show on Nick Jr. from 1994-98. It was named one of the 10 best children's shows by TV Guide in 1996 and in 1997 was nominated for a daytime Emmy in the preschool series category. The show was nominated twice for the NAACP Image Award and won two Parent's Choice Awards. Ron, a native of St. Helena Island, S.C., and Natalie Daise have been performing together since 1983 and were married in 1985. They then began touring with their show, Sea Island Montage, based on Ron's book Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage, in 1986. The performances were based on stories from oral histories of elderly St. Helena Island residents.”
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 "Natalie Daise Reveals What it Takes to Become Harriet Tubman", Evening Post Industries company, May 25, 2013. “Daise: I was already a storyteller before the show. My husband had written a book about Gullah culture called "Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage." He interviewed a lot of the elders on St. Helena Island and I brought those stories to the stage. At one performance, we met an executive producer from Nick and she said, "We could do a show with you guys!" I was pregnant with my second baby at the time and we shot the show in Orlando until he was five.”
↑ "Author, actor shares Gullah songs, stories at Gund", The Collegian of Kenyon College, February 27, 2014. “Daise managed to bring Gullah culture to children's television with Gullah Gullah Island, which ran from 1994 to 1997 and was the first children's programming to feature an African-American family. "Somehow — this has been misreported every time — this was not our [intention]," Daise said. He said that, by chance, he lunched with a producer who was visiting a prominent writer on St. Helena Island. For three days after, the producer stayed in Daise's home, observing him and his family. "That show is our life, but we did not create it," he said.”
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 "Nick Jr.'s Preschool Lineup Debuts on "Gullah Gullah"", Billboard Magazine, April 25, 1995, pp. 77–78.
↑ "'Gullah' Coming To Fest * Nickelodeon Show Will Be Part Of Asa Packer Series.", The Morning Call (LeHigh Valley), April 24, 1998. “The tour brings Ron and Natalie and their huge yellow pre-school frog friend, Binyah Binyah Pollywog, directly to fans of "Gullah Gullah Island." (For the uninitiated, the program teaches about helping people and enjoying life while it celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gullah people, originally West African slaves whose descendants still live in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia.) Going on the road was old hat for Ron and Natalie, who, before "Gullah Gullah Island," traveled the country for a decade performing "Sea Island Montage," a two-person show featuring the songs and stories of the Gullah people. Ron said that he and Natalie aren't terribly disappointed they won't be making any more "Gullah Gullah Island" shows. After all, he said, they have shot four seasons of shows already, a year more than Nickelodeon's standard three-year production for successful pre-school shows. There may be some specials. And they know the show will inspire generations of pre-schoolers to come through syndication.”
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BlackEnterprise
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 "Gullah-baloo Preschoolers And Their Moms Are Crazy For 'Gullah Gullah Island'", Chicago Tribune, April 25, 1996. “Ron and Natalie live in a Buford County, S.C., a Gullah community, with their two children Simeon, 2, and Sara, 5, who also are cast members of "Gullah Gullah Island."The recipient of two Parents' Choice Awards, "Gullah Gullah Island" is more than just playful entertainment for preschoolers. The series revolves around an African-American family--the first in preschool television--and it celebrates the real-life culture and language of Gullah, descendants of formerly enslaved Africans on the Sea Islands off South Carolina and Georgia. Ron, who grew up on St. Helena Island as a native Gullah, wrote a book titled "Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage" that included a collection of islander memoirs and spirituals. He and Natalie toured the country performing original productions of songs and stories depicting Gullah legends and lore, which eventually spawned the TV series. "We were apprehensive about naming it `Gullah Gullah Island,' " Ron said. "We wanted to make sure the portrayal was positive and didn't in any way poke fun at the culture or the community.”
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CH2
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 "Think For Yourself New Nick Shows Stress Reasoning Over Memorization", Chicago Tribune, October 19, 1994. “"Gullah Gullah Island." The shows are part of a reported $30 million initiative to expand Nick Jr., the cable network's preschool block (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) weekdays and to promote flexible thinking, an approach the network says encourages kids to think on their own when making choices rather than using rote memorization.”
↑ "Holding on to Gullah Culture A Smithsonian curator visits a Georgia island to find stories of a shrinking community that has clung to its African traditions". Smithsonian Magazine (March 2011). “Bailey drove Amos around the island in a boxy utility van, pointing out houses and fields and slipping into island dialect: binya is a native islander, comya is a visitor. r”
↑ "Polliwog Helps Bring Gullah Culture To Life". Sun Sentinel (July 7, 1996). “Gullah Gullah Island, the first preschool show centered on a black family, is the network's top-rated live action preschool show with an estimated 767,000 children between ages 2 and 5 watching daily.The Daises live in nearby Beaufort with their children, 6-year-old Sara and 3-year-old Simeon, who are both in the cast. The show's rising popularity has forced them to get an unlisted number, but fans and their parents still seem to find their way to the Daises' doorstep. Since last fall, the network has licensed a series of children's books, videos, CDs and cassettes. The first of the Binyah Binyah plush animals hit the stores in April. The children in the cast are consulted about the dancing and dialogue in the show. "We use kiddieography instead of choreography," said choreographer Ken Grant as he watched Vinson take another angle on the beach. The cast, which includes three child actors in addition to the Daises' two children, tapes exteriors for about three weeks each year near Beaufort. The interior scenes are shot at the Nickelodeon studios in Orlando.”
↑ "Nick Kids Random Facts". NickKids.net. “Random fact: the house on Gullah Gullah Island and the house on Clarissa Explains It All were the same house.”
↑ "Real-life 'Gullah Gullah Island' in danger The real life residents of former Nickelodeon television series, 'Gullah Gullah Island' are in danger of losing their island to developers, presenting a rare opportunity for families to connect childhood memories with current events.", Christian Science Monitor, October 2, 2013. “Granted, the Gullah Gullah Island show is long gone, having run from 1994-1997, but the lessons it taught our kids on healthy eating, telling the truth, and problem solving are worth revisiting today. We can use this news item as an opportunity to talk to our kids about problem solving and how the real life residents on this island may need help solving this problem. Reading the news I realized that every day the news gives us a chance to work a "flash challenge" with our kids. It's worth saving and by extension so is this real world Gullah Island community. Granted, the Nickelodeon show was filmed on the more touristy Fripp Island, Ga., but the cultural base for the show was all Sapelo.”
↑ "Gullah Gullah Island, Charleston Market". Amazon.com.
↑ "GaGa over Gullah", Freelance-Star, June 6, 1996.
↑ "Imaginations Can Visit 'Gullah Gullah Island'", The Morning Call, August 2, 1998. “The tour brings Ron and Natalie and their huge yellow pre-school frog friend, Binyah Binyah Pollywog, directly to fans of "Gullah Gullah Island." (For the uninitiated, the program teaches about helping people and enjoying life while it celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gullah people, originally West African slaves whose descendants still live in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia.) There will be familiar songs and stories and children will be encouraged to participate. But Ron doesn't want to say too much about the theme of the low-tech touring show. "It's to encourage the children to use their imaginations to pretend," is all he will say. "I'd like it to be a surprise for the audience." A big difference between the television show and the touring show is there's a lot less dialogue without the presence of the show's close-knit "family" of three children and relatives and friends. The Daises' own children, Simeon, 4, and Sara, 7, both act on the television show. The touring show started as a 30-minute live gig at bookstores and malls. It was called "Nick Jr. Story and Song Play Along." The crowds were so large that in January, Nickelodeon launched a 1-1/2-hour show for larger venues. Going on the road was old hat for Ron and Natalie, who, before "Gullah Gullah Island," traveled the country for a decade performing "Sea Island Montage," a two-person show featuring the songs and stories of the Gullah people. They also have toured extensively to promote their independently produced books and records, including Ron's children's book "Little Muddy Waters: A Gullah Folk Tale" and the recently released recording "Sleep Tight: Lullabies & Night-Night Stories." Ron said that he and Natalie aren't terribly disappointed they won't be making any more "Gullah Gullah Island" shows. After all, he said, they have shot four seasons of shows already, a year more than Nickelodeon's standard three-year production for successful pre-school shows. There may be some specials. And they know the show will inspire generations of pre-schoolers to come through syndication.”

External Links

[Reminisc.-1] (1987) Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage. Orangeburg, SC: Sandlapper Publishing Company, Incorporated, page 103. ISBN 087844081X.

[Purdue-2] "Gullah stories, songs featured in BCC presentation at Fowler Hall", Purdue University, April 30, 2013. “Ron and Natalie Daise starred in and served as cultural consultants for the "Gullah Gullah Island" television show on Nick Jr. from 1994-98. It was named one of the 10 best children's shows by TV Guide in 1996 and in 1997 was nominated for a daytime Emmy in the preschool series category. The show was nominated twice for the NAACP Image Award and won two Parent's Choice Awards. Ron, a native of St. Helena Island, S.C., and Natalie Daise have been performing together since 1983 and were married in 1985. They then began touring with their show, Sea Island Montage, based on Ron's book Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage, in 1986. The performances were based on stories from oral histories of elderly St. Helena Island residents.”

[Spoleto-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 "Natalie Daise Reveals What it Takes to Become Harriet Tubman", Evening Post Industries company, May 25, 2013. “Daise: I was already a storyteller before the show. My husband had written a book about Gullah culture called "Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage." He interviewed a lot of the elders on St. Helena Island and I brought those stories to the stage. At one performance, we met an executive producer from Nick and she said, "We could do a show with you guys!" I was pregnant with my second baby at the time and we shot the show in Orlando until he was five.”

[Collegian-4] "Author, actor shares Gullah songs, stories at Gund", The Collegian of Kenyon College, February 27, 2014. “Daise managed to bring Gullah culture to children's television with Gullah Gullah Island, which ran from 1994 to 1997 and was the first children's programming to feature an African-American family. "Somehow — this has been misreported every time — this was not our [intention]," Daise said. He said that, by chance, he lunched with a producer who was visiting a prominent writer on St. Helena Island. For three days after, the producer stayed in Daise's home, observing him and his family. "That show is our life, but we did not create it," he said.”

[BBMag-5] 5.0 ^5.1 "Nick Jr.'s Preschool Lineup Debuts on "Gullah Gullah"", Billboard Magazine, April 25, 1995, pp. 77–78.

[MorningCall-6] "'Gullah' Coming To Fest * Nickelodeon Show Will Be Part Of Asa Packer Series.", The Morning Call (LeHigh Valley), April 24, 1998. “The tour brings Ron and Natalie and their huge yellow pre-school frog friend, Binyah Binyah Pollywog, directly to fans of "Gullah Gullah Island." (For the uninitiated, the program teaches about helping people and enjoying life while it celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gullah people, originally West African slaves whose descendants still live in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia.) Going on the road was old hat for Ron and Natalie, who, before "Gullah Gullah Island," traveled the country for a decade performing "Sea Island Montage," a two-person show featuring the songs and stories of the Gullah people. Ron said that he and Natalie aren't terribly disappointed they won't be making any more "Gullah Gullah Island" shows. After all, he said, they have shot four seasons of shows already, a year more than Nickelodeon's standard three-year production for successful pre-school shows. There may be some specials. And they know the show will inspire generations of pre-schoolers to come through syndication.”

[BlackEnterprise-7] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BlackEnterprise

[Gullahbaloo-8] 8.0 ^8.1 "Gullah-baloo Preschoolers And Their Moms Are Crazy For 'Gullah Gullah Island'", Chicago Tribune, April 25, 1996. “Ron and Natalie live in a Buford County, S.C., a Gullah community, with their two children Simeon, 2, and Sara, 5, who also are cast members of "Gullah Gullah Island."The recipient of two Parents' Choice Awards, "Gullah Gullah Island" is more than just playful entertainment for preschoolers. The series revolves around an African-American family--the first in preschool television--and it celebrates the real-life culture and language of Gullah, descendants of formerly enslaved Africans on the Sea Islands off South Carolina and Georgia. Ron, who grew up on St. Helena Island as a native Gullah, wrote a book titled "Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage" that included a collection of islander memoirs and spirituals. He and Natalie toured the country performing original productions of songs and stories depicting Gullah legends and lore, which eventually spawned the TV series. "We were apprehensive about naming it `Gullah Gullah Island,' " Ron said. "We wanted to make sure the portrayal was positive and didn't in any way poke fun at the culture or the community.”

[CH2-9] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CH2

[Trib-10] 10.0 ^10.1 "Think For Yourself New Nick Shows Stress Reasoning Over Memorization", Chicago Tribune, October 19, 1994. “"Gullah Gullah Island." The shows are part of a reported $30 million initiative to expand Nick Jr., the cable network's preschool block (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) weekdays and to promote flexible thinking, an approach the network says encourages kids to think on their own when making choices rather than using rote memorization.”

[Smth-11] "Holding on to Gullah Culture A Smithsonian curator visits a Georgia island to find stories of a shrinking community that has clung to its African traditions". Smithsonian Magazine (March 2011). “Bailey drove Amos around the island in a boxy utility van, pointing out houses and fields and slipping into island dialect: binya is a native islander, comya is a visitor. r”

[Sun_Sentinel-12] "Polliwog Helps Bring Gullah Culture To Life". Sun Sentinel (July 7, 1996). “Gullah Gullah Island, the first preschool show centered on a black family, is the network's top-rated live action preschool show with an estimated 767,000 children between ages 2 and 5 watching daily.The Daises live in nearby Beaufort with their children, 6-year-old Sara and 3-year-old Simeon, who are both in the cast. The show's rising popularity has forced them to get an unlisted number, but fans and their parents still seem to find their way to the Daises' doorstep. Since last fall, the network has licensed a series of children's books, videos, CDs and cassettes. The first of the Binyah Binyah plush animals hit the stores in April. The children in the cast are consulted about the dancing and dialogue in the show. "We use kiddieography instead of choreography," said choreographer Ken Grant as he watched Vinson take another angle on the beach. The cast, which includes three child actors in addition to the Daises' two children, tapes exteriors for about three weeks each year near Beaufort. The interior scenes are shot at the Nickelodeon studios in Orlando.”

[Nik-13] "Nick Kids Random Facts". NickKids.net. “Random fact: the house on Gullah Gullah Island and the house on Clarissa Explains It All were the same house.”

[CSM-14] "Real-life 'Gullah Gullah Island' in danger The real life residents of former Nickelodeon television series, 'Gullah Gullah Island' are in danger of losing their island to developers, presenting a rare opportunity for families to connect childhood memories with current events.", Christian Science Monitor, October 2, 2013. “Granted, the Gullah Gullah Island show is long gone, having run from 1994-1997, but the lessons it taught our kids on healthy eating, telling the truth, and problem solving are worth revisiting today. We can use this news item as an opportunity to talk to our kids about problem solving and how the real life residents on this island may need help solving this problem. Reading the news I realized that every day the news gives us a chance to work a "flash challenge" with our kids. It's worth saving and by extension so is this real world Gullah Island community. Granted, the Nickelodeon show was filmed on the more touristy Fripp Island, Ga., but the cultural base for the show was all Sapelo.”

[15] "Gullah Gullah Island, Charleston Market". Amazon.com.

[FreelanceStar-16] "GaGa over Gullah", Freelance-Star, June 6, 1996.

[MornCall-17] "Imaginations Can Visit 'Gullah Gullah Island'", The Morning Call, August 2, 1998. “The tour brings Ron and Natalie and their huge yellow pre-school frog friend, Binyah Binyah Pollywog, directly to fans of "Gullah Gullah Island." (For the uninitiated, the program teaches about helping people and enjoying life while it celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gullah people, originally West African slaves whose descendants still live in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia.) There will be familiar songs and stories and children will be encouraged to participate. But Ron doesn't want to say too much about the theme of the low-tech touring show. "It's to encourage the children to use their imaginations to pretend," is all he will say. "I'd like it to be a surprise for the audience." A big difference between the television show and the touring show is there's a lot less dialogue without the presence of the show's close-knit "family" of three children and relatives and friends. The Daises' own children, Simeon, 4, and Sara, 7, both act on the television show. The touring show started as a 30-minute live gig at bookstores and malls. It was called "Nick Jr. Story and Song Play Along." The crowds were so large that in January, Nickelodeon launched a 1-1/2-hour show for larger venues. Going on the road was old hat for Ron and Natalie, who, before "Gullah Gullah Island," traveled the country for a decade performing "Sea Island Montage," a two-person show featuring the songs and stories of the Gullah people. They also have toured extensively to promote their independently produced books and records, including Ron's children's book "Little Muddy Waters: A Gullah Folk Tale" and the recently released recording "Sleep Tight: Lullabies & Night-Night Stories." Ron said that he and Natalie aren't terribly disappointed they won't be making any more "Gullah Gullah Island" shows. After all, he said, they have shot four seasons of shows already, a year more than Nickelodeon's standard three-year production for successful pre-school shows. There may be some specials. And they know the show will inspire generations of pre-schoolers to come through syndication.”

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Infobox_Television
-{{Unreferenced|date=March 2020}}
+|title=Gullah Gullah Island
-[[File:ViacomCBS.png|thumb]]
+|image=Gullahlogo.gif
-'''ViacomCBS''' (shortened as ViaCBS) is a company that formed from the union between the [[Viacom (2005-2019)|second Viacom]] and [[CBS Corporation]] announced on August 13, 2019, the company began operations on December 4 [https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/cbs-viacom-merger-complete-redstone-bob-bakish-1203424316/amp/]. Like its predecessors, It is owned by [[National Amusements]].
+|genre=Children's
+|creator=Maria Magdalena Perez<br>Kathleen Minton Catapano<br>Kit Laybourne
+|seasons=4
+|episodes=70
+|opening theme="Let's All Go to Gullah Gullah Island"
+|composer=Billy Straus
+|country_origin=United States
+|language=English,Gullah
+|network=[[Nickelodeon]]<br>[[Nick Jr.]]
+|original_run=October 24,1994 - April 7,1988
+|picture_format=SDTV (480i)
+|runtime=24 minutes
+|company=
+*Magnet Productions (season 1)
+*Perez-Minton Productions, Inc.
+*[[Nick Jr.|Nick Jr. Productions]]
+|distributor=[[ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks|MTV Networks]]
+}}
+'''''Gullah Gullah Island''''' is a television series that wa produced and aired by [[Nick Jr.]] from October 24, 1994, to April 7, 1998. Created by Maria Perez, Kathleen Catapano, and Kit Laybourne, Gullah Gullah Island follows an African family learning life around them with neighbors, friends, and even a giant tadpole name Binyah. The show is heavily inspired by the Gullah culture and the language with the same name.
-==See also==
-*[[Viacom (2005-2019)|second Viacom]], its predecessor
-*[[CBS Corporation]], its other predecessor
-*[[List of companies owned by ViacomCBS]], list for their subsidiaries
-==External links==
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_merger_of_CBS_and_Viacom 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom page on Wikipedia]
-*[https://www.viacbs.com/ Company website]
+Gullah Gullah Island inspired a short miniseries Binyah Biynah! featuring the tadpole. The show received positive reviews and served as a groundbreaker for African-Americans in television and culture that is often overlooked by children. In 1996, TV Guide named it as one of the best children's programs.
-{{ViacomCBS}}
-[[Category:Companies]]
+==Cast==
+* Ron Daise as Ron Alston
+* Natalie Daise as Natalie Alston
+* James Edward Coleman II as James Alston
+* Vanessa Baden as Vanessa Alston
+* Corey Murphy as Rick
+* Manolo Villaverde as Abuelo
+* Iris Chacón as Juana
+* Pixee Wales as Grandma Pixee
+* Binyah Binyah (Portrayed by Phillip Garcia until his death in 1996, portrayed by Justin Campbell in season 4)
+* Chansome the Pelican (Portrayed by James J. Kroupa)
+==Episodes==
+:Main article: [[Wikipedia:Gullah Gullah Island#Episodes|List of Gullah Gullah Island Episodes]]
+==Production==
+===Origin and development===
+Ron Daise's book ''Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage'' was published in 1987. He and his [[Wikipedia:New York (state)|New York]]-born wife, Natalie Daise (née Eldridge), followed by creating and touring with a multimedia show, ''Sea Island Montage'', based on the book as well as stories from oral histories of elderly St. Helena Island residents.<ref name=Reminisc.>{{cite book|last1=Daise|first1=Ronald|title=Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage|date=1987|publisher=Sandlapper Publishing Company, Incorporated|location=Orangeburg, SC|isbn=087844081X|page=103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCvdpwAACAAJ&q=%22Reminiscences+of+Sea+Island+Heritage%22|access-date=7 June 2014}}</ref><ref name=Purdue>{{cite news|last1=McClure|first1=Greg|title=Gullah stories, songs featured in BCC presentation at Fowler Hall |url=http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q3/gullah-stories,-songs-featured-in-bcc-presentation-at-fowler-hall.html|access-date=7 June 2014|agency=Purdue News|publisher=Purdue University|date=April 30, 2013|quote=Ron and Natalie Daise starred in and served as cultural consultants for the "Gullah Gullah Island" television show on Nick Jr. from 1994-98. It was named one of the 10 best children's shows by TV Guide in 1996 and in 1997 was nominated for a daytime Emmy in the preschool series category. The show was nominated twice for the NAACP Image Award and won two Parent's Choice Awards.  Ron, a native of St. Helena Island, S.C., and Natalie Daise have been performing together since 1983 and were married in 1985. They then began touring with their show, ''Sea Island Montage'', based on Ron's book ''Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage'', in 1986. The performances were based on stories from oral histories of elderly St. Helena Island residents.}}</ref> After one of their performances, the Daises met with an executive producer from Nickelodeon.<ref name=Spoleto>{{cite news|last1=Cooperstein|first1=Natalie|title=Natalie Daise Reveals What it Takes to Become Harriet Tubman|url=http://blog.postandcourier.com/spoleto-charleston/2013/05/25/natalie-daise-reveals-takes-harriet-tubman/|access-date=7 June 2014|agency=The Post and Courier|issue=SPOLETO|publisher=Evening Post Industries company|date=May 25, 2013|quote=Daise: I was already a storyteller before the show. My husband had written a book about Gullah culture called "Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage." He interviewed a lot of the elders on St. Helena Island and I brought those stories to the stage. At one performance, we met an executive producer from Nick and she said, "We could do a show with you guys!" I was pregnant with my second baby at the time and we shot the show in Orlando until he was five.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.is/20140607184005/http://blog.postandcourier.com/spoleto-charleston/2013/05/25/natalie-daise-reveals-takes-harriet-tubman/|archive-date=7 June 2014}}</ref> Creator Maria Perez-Brown had planned on building a multicultural program featuring a "magical island" and was inspired by the Daises to use the Sea Islands and elements of Gullah culture.<ref name=Collegian>{{cite news|last1=Spivack|first1=Elena|title=Author, actor shares Gullah songs, stories at Gund|url=http://kenyoncollegianonline.com/2014/02/27/author-actor-shares-gullah-songs-stories-at-gund/|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=The Collegian of Kenyon College|date=February 27, 2014|quote=Daise managed to bring Gullah culture to children's television with Gullah Gullah Island, which ran from 1994 to 1997 and was the first children's programming to feature an African-American family. "Somehow — this has been misreported every time — this was not our [intention]," Daise said. He said that, by chance, he lunched with a producer who was visiting a prominent writer on St. Helena Island. For three days after, the producer stayed in Daise's home, observing him and his family. "That show is our life, but we did not create it," he said.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714234045/http://kenyoncollegianonline.com/2014/02/27/author-actor-shares-gullah-songs-stories-at-gund/|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=BBMag>{{cite news|last1=McCormick|first1=Moira|title=Nick Jr.'s Preschool Lineup Debuts on "Gullah Gullah"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5AsEAAAAMBAJ&q=production+of+%22gullah+gullah+island%22&pg=PA80|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=Billboard Magazine|date=April 25, 1995|pages=77–78}}</ref><ref name=MorningCall>{{cite news|last1=RUIZ PATTON|first1=Susan|title='Gullah' Coming To Fest * Nickelodeon Show Will Be Part Of Asa Packer Series.|url=http://articles.mcall.com/1998-04-24/news/3202471_1_gullah-gullah-island-performance-nickelodeon|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=The Morning Call (LeHigh Valley)|date=April 24, 1998|quote=The tour brings Ron and Natalie and their huge yellow pre-school frog friend, Binyah Binyah Pollywog, directly to fans of "Gullah Gullah Island." (For the uninitiated, the program teaches about helping people and enjoying life while it celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gullah people, originally West African slaves whose descendants still live in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia.) Going on the road was old hat for Ron and Natalie, who, before "Gullah Gullah Island," traveled the country for a decade performing "Sea Island Montage," a two-person show featuring the songs and stories of the Gullah people. Ron said that he and Natalie aren't terribly disappointed they won't be making any more "Gullah Gullah Island" shows. After all, he said, they have shot four seasons of shows already, a year more than Nickelodeon's standard three-year production for successful pre-school shows. There may be some specials. And they know the show will inspire generations of pre-schoolers to come through syndication.}}</ref> Part of Nickelodeon's initiative to broaden its preschool programming, ''Gullah Gullah Island'' was the first show of its kind to star an African-American family set in an indigenously black community.<ref name=Spoleto /><ref name=BlackEnterprise /> The show's originality caused some upfront concerns. "We were apprehensive about naming it 'Gullah Gullah Island'. We wanted to make sure the portrayal was positive and didn't in any way poke fun at the culture or the community," Ron Daise said of creating a show based on an existing culture.<ref name=Gullahbaloo />
+===Format===
+''Gullah Gullah Island'' is a sing-along half-hour live-action show.<ref name=CH2 />  The format was part of a flexible thinking initiative that taught children to make good choices rather than using rote memorization.<ref name=BBMag /><ref name=Trib>{{cite news|last1=Managan|first1=Jennifer|title=Think For Yourself New Nick Shows Stress Reasoning Over Memorization|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-10-19/features/9410190022_1_gullah-gullah-island-ron-and-natalie-daise-happy-professor|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=October 19, 1994|quote="Gullah Gullah Island." The shows are part of a reported $30 million initiative to expand Nick Jr., the cable network's preschool block (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) weekdays and to promote flexible thinking, an approach the network says encourages kids to think on their own when making choices rather than using rote memorization.}}</ref>
+Ron and Natalie Daise play the Alstons, who live on the fictional "Gullah Gullah Island". Additional cast featured the Daise's actual children Simeon and Sara among others, including a full-body puppet [[Wikipedia:frog|frog]], Binyah Binyah ("binyah" is the Gullah word for "island native").<ref name=Smth>{{cite web|last1=Hendry|first1=Erica|title=Holding on to Gullah Culture A Smithsonian curator visits a Georgia island to find stories of a shrinking community that has clung to its African traditions|url=http://Smithsonian.org|publisher=Smithsonian Magazine|date=March 2011|quote=Bailey drove Amos around the island in a boxy utility van, pointing out houses and fields and slipping into island dialect: binya is a native islander, comya is a visitor. r}}</ref> The show was taped and recorded at [[w:c:nickelodeon:Nickelodeon Studios|Nickelodeon Studios]] in Orlando at [[Wikipedia:Universal Studios Florida|Universal Studios Florida]], with the show ''[[Clarissa Explains It All]]'' shot on the same set interior and exterior.<ref name=Spoleto /><ref name="Sun Sentinel">{{cite web|last1=On TV|title=Polliwog Helps Bring Gullah Culture To Life|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-07-07/entertainment/9606260243_1_natalie-daise-gullah-gullah-island-preschool-show|publisher=Sun Sentinel|access-date=8 June 2014|date=July 7, 1996|quote=Gullah Gullah Island, the first preschool show centered on a black family, is the network's top-rated live action preschool show with an estimated 767,000 children between ages 2 and 5 watching daily.The Daises live in nearby Beaufort with their children, 6-year-old Sara and 3-year-old Simeon, who are both in the cast. The show's rising popularity has forced them to get an unlisted number, but fans and their parents still seem to find their way to the Daises' doorstep.  Since last fall, the network has licensed a series of children's books, videos, CDs and cassettes. The first of the Binyah Binyah plush animals hit the stores in April.  The children in the cast are consulted about the dancing and dialogue in the show. "We use kiddieography instead of choreography," said choreographer Ken Grant as he watched Vinson take another angle on the beach. The cast, which includes three child actors in addition to the Daises' two children, tapes exteriors for about three weeks each year near Beaufort. The interior scenes are shot at the Nickelodeon studios in Orlando.}}</ref><ref name=Nik>{{cite web|title=Nick Kids Random Facts|url=http://nick-kids.net/post/10894479279/glossbones-random-fact-the-house-on-gullah|website=NickKids.net|access-date=7 June 2014|quote=Random fact: the house on Gullah Gullah Island and the house on Clarissa Explains It All were the same house.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714140914/http://nick-kids.net/post/10894479279/glossbones-random-fact-the-house-on-gullah|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> Modifications were made, like adding different shades of red to the home as shown on Gullah Gullah. Outdoor shots featured [[Wikipedia:Beaufort, South Carolina|Beaufort]]<ref name=Gullahbaloo>{{cite news|last1=Managan|first1=Jenifer|title=Gullah-baloo Preschoolers And Their Moms Are Crazy For 'Gullah Gullah Island'|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-04-25/features/9604250311_1_binyah-binyah-pollywog-natalie-daise-ron-and-natalie|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=April 25, 1996|quote=Ron and Natalie live in a Buford County, S.C., a Gullah community, with their two children Simeon, 2, and Sara, 5, who also are cast members of "Gullah Gullah Island."The recipient of two Parents' Choice Awards, "Gullah Gullah Island" is more than just playful entertainment for preschoolers. The series revolves around an African-American family--the first in preschool television--and it celebrates the real-life culture and language of Gullah, descendants  of formerly enslaved Africans on the Sea Islands off South Carolina and Georgia.  Ron, who grew up on St. Helena Island as a native Gullah, wrote a book titled "Reminiscences of Sea Island Heritage" that included a collection of islander memoirs and spirituals. He and Natalie toured the country performing original productions of songs and stories depicting Gullah legends and lore, which eventually spawned the TV series.  "We were apprehensive about naming it `Gullah Gullah Island,' " Ron said. "We wanted to make sure the portrayal was positive and didn't in any way poke fun at the culture or the community.}}</ref> and [[Wikipedia:Fripp Island, South Carolina|Fripp Island, South Carolina]].<ref name=CSM>{{cite news|last1=Suhay|first1=Lisa|title=Real-life 'Gullah Gullah Island' in danger The real life residents of former Nickelodeon television series, 'Gullah Gullah Island' are in danger of losing their island to developers, presenting a rare opportunity for families to connect childhood memories with current events.|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/Modern-Parenthood/2013/1002/Real-life-Gullah-Gullah-Island-in-danger|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=Christian Science Monitor|date=October 2, 2013|quote=Granted, the Gullah Gullah Island show is long gone, having run from 1994-1997, but the lessons it taught our kids on healthy eating, telling the truth, and problem solving are worth revisiting today.  We can use this news item as an opportunity to talk to our kids about problem solving and how the real life residents on this island may need help solving this problem.  Reading the news I realized that every day the news gives us a chance to work a "flash challenge" with our kids. It's worth saving and by extension so is this real world Gullah Island community. Granted, the Nickelodeon show was filmed on the more touristy Fripp Island, Ga., but the cultural base for the show was all Sapelo.}}</ref> [[Wikipedia:Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston, South Carolina]], was featured in one episode when the family took a trip to the [[Wikipedia:City Market (Charleston, South Carolina)|City Market]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Amazon DVD|title=Gullah Gullah Island, Charleston Market|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B8K1RO|website=Amazon.com|access-date=7 June 2014}}</ref>
+Episodes are presented with a unified plot and not separate segments, featuring singing, dancing, learning and encouraging children to think about things like taking care of yourself, animals, telling the truth, social skills, and problem solving.<ref name=Trib /><ref name="FreelanceStar">{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Bruce (AP Writer)|title=GaGa over Gullah|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19960606&id=AtYyAAAAIBAJ&pg=5631,1065301|access-date=8 June 2014|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Freelance-Star|date=June 6, 1996}}</ref> The show also highlights the culture and language of [[Gullah]], descendants of former slaves who live on the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.<ref name=MornCall>{{cite news|last1=Duckett|first1=Jody|title=Imaginations Can Visit 'Gullah Gullah Island'|url=http://articles.mcall.com/1998-08-02/entertainment/3214486_1_natalie-daise-gullah-gullah-island-ron-and-natalie|access-date=7 June 2014|publisher=The Morning Call|date=August 2, 1998|quote=The tour brings Ron and Natalie and their huge yellow pre-school frog friend, Binyah Binyah Pollywog, directly to fans of "Gullah Gullah Island." (For the uninitiated, the program teaches about helping people and enjoying life while it celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gullah people, originally West African slaves whose descendants still live in the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia.)  There will be familiar songs and stories and children will be encouraged to participate. But Ron doesn't want to say too much about the theme of the low-tech touring show.  "It's to encourage the children to use their imaginations to pretend," is all he will say. "I'd like it to be a surprise for the audience."  A big difference between the television show and the touring show is there's a lot less dialogue without the presence of the show's close-knit "family" of three children and relatives and friends. The Daises' own children, Simeon, 4, and Sara, 7, both act on the television show.  The touring show started as a 30-minute live gig at bookstores and malls. It was called "Nick Jr. Story and Song Play Along." The crowds were so large that in January, Nickelodeon launched a 1-1/2-hour show for larger venues.  Going on the road was old hat for Ron and Natalie, who, before "Gullah Gullah Island," traveled the country for a decade performing "Sea Island Montage," a two-person show featuring the songs and stories of the Gullah people.  They also have toured extensively to promote their independently produced books and records, including Ron's children's book "Little Muddy Waters: A Gullah Folk Tale" and the recently released recording "Sleep Tight: Lullabies & Night-Night Stories."  Ron said that he and Natalie aren't terribly disappointed they won't be making any more "Gullah Gullah Island" shows. After all, he said, they have shot four seasons of shows already, a year more than Nickelodeon's standard three-year production for successful pre-school shows. There may be some specials. And they know the show will inspire generations of pre-schoolers to come through syndication.}}</ref>
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
+==External Links==
+*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177444/ Gullah, Gullah Island on IMDB]
+*[[w:c:nickelodeon:Gullah, Gullah Island|Nickipedia]]
+*Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah_Gullah_Island
+[[Category:Nick Jr. Shows]]
+[[Category:Children's Shows]]
+[[Category:Puppetry]]
+[[Category:Live-Action Shows]]
+[[Category:1990s television shows]]