The Fresh Beat Band (formerly The JumpArounds) is an American preschool television series created by Scott Kraft and Nadine van der Velde for Nickelodeon. The show stars the "Fresh Beats" (Twist, Kiki, Shout and Marina), described as four best friends in a band who go to music school and graduate together as musicians who are determined to follow their dreams. The series premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 24, 2009. In December 2013, it was announced that the series would not be renewed for a fourth season.
In 2015, an animated television series Fresh Beat Band of Spies premiered on Nickelodeon. All four members of the band lend their voices to their respective characters in the spin-off.
Premise
All episodes follow the same basic structure:
- Each episode begins with a song that foreshadows a problem that the band will solve.
- The band works together to solve the problem.
- When the problem is solved they perform a song with the problem and solution incorporated into the lyrics.
- Each episode concludes with a version of The Fresh Beat Band's closing song, "Great Day".
- The main characters dance to choreography by Mandy Moore; Sean Cheesman; Chuck Maldonado; Scotty Nguyen; Dreya Weber; Mary Ann Kellogg; Nakul Mahajan; Mihran Kirakosian; Susan Austin and Fred Tallaksen.
Characters
Main
Recurring
- Harper the Pizza Maker â€" owner of the Pizza Café, played by Shane Blades
- Melody the Smoothie Maker â€" owner of the Groovy Smoothie Shop, played by Dioni Michelle Collins
- Ms. Piccolo the Teacher â€" music school teacher, played by Monica Lee Gradischek
- Reed the Guitar Player â€" occasional guitar player and supplier of the Fresh Beats' instruments, played by Hadley Fraser (season 1) and Patrick Levis (season 2â€"3)
There are also four children known as "The Junior Beats" who are essentially the child equivalent of their grown up counterparts. They sing, dance, and dress as a corresponding character.
Episodes
During the buildup to the show's debut, the band was initially advertised as The JumpArounds. Commercials promoting the band under that name were in heavy rotation on Nick Jr. prior to the series debut. The change occurred approximately in mid July 2009. The name was revealed on the Nick Jr. website, then made its debut on television.
Nominations and awards
- 26th Annual Imagen Awards Nomination for Best Young Actress/Television : Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer in The Fresh Beat Band
- Parents Choice 2011 Award: The Fresh Beat Band â€" Fun Stuff (Ages: 2 â€" 5 years)
Music
The Fresh Beat Band: Music From the Hit TV Show was released on January 31, 2012. The album sold 189,000 copies in the US in 2012. A second collection, Vol 2.0: More Music From The Hit TV Show was released on October 9, 2012.
Singles
Four singles were released to iTunes; "Great Day" was released on February 2, 2010, "Here We Go" was released on June 28, 2011, "A Friend Like You" was released on September 13, 2011, and "Just Like a Rockstar" was released on November 29, 2011.
Track list
DVD releases
Retail releases
Manufacture on-demand releases
Episodes on Nick Jr. compilation DVDs
References
External links
- Official site