Original title
The Puzzle Place
Released
1/16/1995
Origin country
US
Genre
Comedy, Kids
Production companies
KCET, Lancit Media Productions
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
3
Number of episodes
75
The Puzzle Place is an American children's television series produced by KCET in Los Angeles, California and Lancit Media in New York City, New York. It premiered on the Public Broadcasting Service on January 16, 1995, and ran for about four years, airing its final episode on December 4, 1998. Reruns were continued until March 31, 2000. The show followed a multi-ethnic group of kids from different parts of the United States who hung out at "the Puzzle Place", which is a teen hangout themed around jigsaw puzzle pieces. In each episode the characters were confronted with an everyday conflict usually encountered in childhood and even early teenagerdom, such as making moral decisions, sharing, racism, sexism, etc.
Julie obtains a teddy bear, and names it after herself "Tippy Wu". She also remarks on some unflattering nicknames other kids have given her, per her last name "Wu".
The boys have a model train but refuse to share with the girls, insisting it’s a boys’ activity. Gradually everyone takes to other suggested activities, leaving only Leon and Kiki still wanting to play with the model train. Nuzzle struggles to play a toy xylophone.
Leon, Kiki, Julie and Skye host a slumber party, but have to work together to help each other's bedtime routines/needs be met, or else the “slumber” part will be difficult. Sizzle and Nuzzle try to be nocturnal, but it’s harder than it seems. Ben and Jody only make cameo appearances.
Kiki dresses as a space alien, distressed that other kids at school laughed at her Hispanic accent.
The kids obtain a sheet of dance steps and learn of various cultural dances while trying to decipher it. Sizzle recalls the time Nuzzle criticized her for carrying her tail wrong and refuses to dance with him again.
A robot shows up at the Puzzle Place and befriends Leon, while insulting everyone else, in an attempt to sabotage everyone’s friendship. Sizzle turns to Nuzzle for advice after a new cat calls her a “snooty patootie.”
The kids hold a relay race, but Ben drops his baton, prompting the nickname “Butterfingers” from everyone else. Nuzzle tries to show off his bravado by wanting to be called “Professor Muscles.”
Skye aspires to perform music, but is discouraged by the fact that he doesn't know very many Native American performers. Eventually he makes contact with Native American Robby Romero and his band, Red Thunder, who reassure him. Nuzzle gets so tired of watching Sizzle listen to Swiss yodeling music that he tries to make her yodel herself.
Ben brings in an ant farm to show everyone, but Leon unwittingly wreaks havoc in an attempt to give the ants fresh air, and has to make some sacrifices to restore order to The Puzzle Place. Nuzzle gets carried away with a roll of paper towel.
Skye finds a party box in the kitchen, but everyone else is too distracted watching TV to take interest. Nuzzle wishes he hadn’t let Sizzle use a flying machine all she wants.
Julie plays referee to Skye and Leon’s dispute over whose cultural drum is more significant. The two eventually agree that both drugs are significant in their own way, and neither's is necessarily better. Sizzle takes up skateboarding.
Kiki is at a loss as to what to do when she unwittingly “breaks” Julie’s toy horse, and can't bring herself to tell her. Sizzle looks after the sneaker that Nuzzle likes to chew on, but when the Piece Police throw it out as she naps, she panics. Ben does not appear in this episode.
The kids all partner up to paint one another, but initially can’t find a suitable paint color for everyone. Their second attempt, using chalk of different colors, is much more successful. Sizzle wants to paint a self-portrait, but it’s too hard for her.
Julie wants to emulate her favorite singer, Penny Candy, but sees her true colors when a crisis in the greenhouse hits. Nuzzle bores Sizzle to sleep when he tries to show her a photo album of when he was a puppy. Leon and Ben only make cameo appearances.
Leon wants to make a pizza for everyone, but he needs a creative solution to satisfy everyone’s different topping preferences. Sizzle and Nuzzle fight over which toy is better.
The kids compare their favorite superheroes but need to band together when the pets get caught in a dangerous situation.
The kids want to play Sleeping Beauty, but as four of them don’t fit the description of the protagonists, they research other princes and princesses that reflect their individual heritages.
Kiki leads the kids in a makeshift band, but her authority seems to do more harm than good when she won’t allow them to play their preferred instruments. Sizzle attends her cousin’s birthday party, so Nuzzle tries to be the dog and the cat at the same time.
Leon learns a hard lesson in racism when he’s barred from attending a friend’s birthday party simply because he’s African-American. Nuzzle refuses to fetch a stick for Kiki because she didn’t say “the magic word” (which Sizzle tries in vain to guess).
Skye and Kiki unwittingly invade Julie’s privacy by opening a package meant for her. Nuzzle and Sizzle cause some mischief with it.
Ben is unwilling to wear his glasses for a group picture because of some teasing, but unwittingly wreaks havoc when he spends a day without them. Nuzzle goes for a “hip cat” approach, which fails to impress Sizzle.
While the others turn the basement into a moonwalk with many balloons, Kiki and Julie enjoy moon cakes, but a humorous misunderstanding may mean Julie will marry Leon.
The kids receive six assorted donuts, and Jody gets first dibs, but she struggles to decide which one she wants. Leon attempts to manipulate her choice to keep her from picking the one he wants, but it backfires. Sizzle and Nuzzle so badly want to take a donut themselves.
Jody is a victim of bullying when a bigger student keeps stealing her lunch. Sizzle also tries to keep away a bigger cat.
Ben attempts to change his “boring” hairstyle with disastrous results, before learning that his hair was fine the way it was.
When a storm hits the Puzzle Place, Leon is embarrassed to admit he is afraid of thunder and lightning.
Skye brings some special bread from his tribe to share with the kids but is troubled when Jody refuses to try any for eight days. It turns out the reason is because of one of her own Jewish customs. Sizzle and Nuzzle get very hungry because the kids forget to feed them.
Leon obtains a new watch but drives everyone else crazy with it, causing them to snap back at him. Kiki is preparing chili in the kitchen, and Sizzle and Nuzzle want to taste it so badly.
Ben is struggling to put together a puzzle but angrily snaps and puts down anyone who tries to help him. He also insults Skye's special plant, which grows when complimented, but shrinks when put down.
While nearly all the kids are sick with chickenpox, Skye finds a guitar and wants to play it, but he is slow to understand that he has to put time and effort into becoming good at it. Sizzle tries playing billiards. Ben and Julie only make cameo appearances.
Julie finds Skye’s misplaced Apache pollen pouch and is so enamored with it that she doesn’t return it right away, damaging her friendship with Skye when she finally does. Jody does not appear in this episode. However, she does send the other kids an automatic popcorn snack, which, when heating up, makes Sizzle and Nuzzle curious. Ben only makes cameo appearances.
The kids bring in items for a picnic but can’t seem to agree on where to have it. While Leon and Jody are content to go anywhere, Skye and Julie prefer the mountains and Ben and Kiki prefer the park. Even the two duos can’t agree on the specifics. Sizzle and Nuzzle are excited to go on the picnic themselves, especially for bird-watching.
The boys challenge the girls to a game of tug of war but are unexpectedly defeated and can’t figure out why.
The others tease Skye when he forgets to bring a bat to a baseball game, prompting Skye to get upset and leave. Ben feels badly their teasing, even though they were just joking. Sizzle and Nuzzle climb up a tree in the greenhouse but are too scared to come down. Leon and Kiki only make cameo appearances.
Kiki makes plans to clean the place, but it doesn’t go as planned.
Leon cries when the others exclude him from his own pancake making recipe and is labelled a “crybaby” by Ben and Skye. Julie convinces the two that they've had reason to cry in the past. Sizzle and Nuzzle filch all the pancakes made, and get sick from doing so.
Ben becomes discouraged when everyone but him has won a trophy for something, even though he does have an impressive skill that’s worthy of a prize in and of itself. Sizzle and Nuzzle do not appear in this episode, and Skye and Julie only make cameo appearances.
Everyone except Skye disguise themselves as identical superheroes, but Skye can use each one's individual quirks to tell who is who.
Ben takes pity on Skye’s friend Kyle, who’s in a wheelchair. Sizzle and Nuzzle find out the hard way that she can’t bury a bone and he can’t climb a tree. Leon and Kiki only make a cameo appearance in this episode.
Kiki becomes scared when her friends disappear after a failed magic act. Nuzzle becomes inspired by a heroic dog on TV.
The kids prepare for Christmas but are shocked that Jody does not celebrate with them.
Julie criticizes what Jody wants to wear to the “grown-up” theme party at Puzzle Place. But when the others kids like Jody’s outfit better than hers, Julie learns that the only reason you need for wearing something is because you like it.
Skye and Leon find out that there are many ways to make kites and that just because one way works doesn’t mean another way won’t work just as well. Sizzle attempts playing basketball. Julie and Ben do not appear in this episode.
Julie is torn between spending the day with her grandmother or singing in the talent show. Skye and Jody do not appear in this episode.
Kiki decides to prune a big tree by herself and becomes exasperated when she discovers that the job is too much for her to do alone. She learns that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. Nuzzle obtains a motorcycle and Sizzle so badly wants to try it herself. Julie, Ben, and Leon do not appear in this episode.
When Ben teases Jody that girls can’t learn martial arts, she quickly teaches him a lesson.
Leon learns that playing Sherlock Holmes isn’t enough to solve a mystery. He needs Dr. Watson, his teammate Ben. Everyone learns that being part of a team means respecting your teammates and appreciating their unique contributions. Sizzle and Nuzzle steal the fabulous hat in question and destroy it. Julie and Skye do not appear in this episode.
Kiki tries to prove to her mother that she’s ready to take care of a pet by taking care of Nuzzle. She soon realizes that she’s not ready for the responsibility. Sizzle so badly wants to climb a curtain in the basement but keeps falling down.
Julie tries out a new and different game and realizes how much fun it can be. Nuzzle takes up the Scottish bagpipes and tries to get Sizzle to play too, all the while annoying her by calling her “lassie.” Kiki and Leon do not appear in this episode.
When Leon’s uncle tells him he’s the “king of kids,” Leon suddenly gets an ego boost and acts royally around The Puzzle Place, making Skye and Ben his subjects. Eventually, pro-basketball player Cedric Ceballos tells them that there is a difference between being bossy and being a leader. Sizzle suddenly decides to be “queen of cats” and makes Nuzzle do everything for her.
Kiki’s cousin Maggie visits from Mexico. Even though she only speaks Spanish, the other kids learn that friendship and communication can develop through gestures and a few simple words. Nuzzle gets trapped in a dollhouse. Leon and Jody do not appear in this episode.
Ben and Leon fight over who gets to lay the last piece of train track. They get so angry that they hit each other and their fight ruins the game for everyone, including themselves. Once they realize that fighting is a bad idea, they learn what else they can do when they feel so angry that they want to hit someone. A replay of their fight shows them points where they could have stopped to talk things out.
Unbeknownst to Julie, Nuzzle has taken her favorite doll. Julie is understandably upset, so Leon decides to conduct an all-out search. Ben and Skye do not appear in this episode.
Leon sees his brother accidentally break his father’s favorite lamp. Leon doesn’t want to be a tattletale, but he doesn’t want to lie either. When he learns that telling the truth is not the same as tattling, he knows just what to do.
Julie is upset because a classmate calls her eyes “funny.” Her friends help her see that everyone’s eyes are different and beautiful, and that they are all just right for them. Nuzzle imagines what it would be like to have different kinds of ears.
The children think Ben’s Norwegian dancing and traditional costumes are weird. They soon learn that things that are new to them just might be interesting, not weird. Sizzle, likewise, finds Nuzzle chewing on a toy car weird. Skye and Jody do not appear in this episode.
When Jody’s pet cricket dies, the friends share how different cultures deal with death. Children learn what to do with all the strong feelings that come up when someone (or something) they love dies. They find answers in the traditional practices of their culture, their families and their friends. Nuzzle is so excited to see his favorite dog groomer that Sizzle couldn’t care less. Ben and Skye do not appear in this episode.
The children decide to host a circus. But Leon is too small to fit into a costume. With his friends’ help, he discovers that size shouldn’t matter.
Jody and the kids learn that dealing with a difficult situation is easier when you’re able to talk about your feelings, especially with issues like divorce and remarriage. Sizzle and Nuzzle think of ways to organize the basement. Julie and Ben do not appear in this episode.
Everyone has a new raincoat except Skye. The kids convince him that he can make his raincoat special by decorating it in his own way.
Julie and Kiki want to play with the same thing at the same time. With the help of Skye’s Uncle Victorio, a member of the Tribunal Council, they learn that the best way to solve a conflict is to make a rule that everyone agrees to follow. The kids brainstorm lots of ideas before they finally find a rule that everyone thinks will work. Sizzle and Nuzzle fight over napping spots. Ben and Jody do not appear in this episode.
Ben, Skye and Julie cheer up Jody after a boy makes fun of her nontraditional family.
Leon wants to be a grownup because he thinks grownups can do whatever they want. When he realizes that there are lots of things grownups have to do that kids don’t have to worry about, he decides he can wait. Sizzle wears a new sweater that makes her sneeze, and Nuzzle thinks he can be a doctor to her. Julie and Skye do not appear in this episode.
Julie and Leon are scared of something they’ve never tried: horseback riding. They find out that when you have the courage to try new things you end up being proud of yourself. Ben and Jody do not appear in this episode.
When Julie sees that her excitement about playing in the wading pool is actually hurting people (and pets), she understands that it is important to be careful.
On family photo day, the gang learns about diverse types of families. Nuzzle and Sizzle see a single-parent family, a grandparent lead family, and an adoptive family.
Julie is upset because her mother gives so much attention to her baby sister, Helen. Nuzzle is suspicious of the newly installed pet door.
Ben’s lack of exposure to diversity causes him to assume that Tim can’t be Leon’s cousin because Tim is too fair-skinned. When he learns he is wrong, Ben’s openness in accepting his mistake helps his view of the world grow as he discovers that even people who are the same race have different colors of skin.
Skye worries that the others won't play with him because his parents refuse to buy an expensive new toy. Nuzzle fakes an injury to get sympathy.
The gang wants to throw Kiki a birthday party, but they learn that she likes different things than they do. Meanwhile, Sizzle becomes a Mexican heartthrob's biggest fan.
Skye refuses to let Leon wear his Apache necklace, and Leon gets upset. When the kids hide Nuzzle and Sizzle’s favorite toys, they search everywhere to find them.
Skye is directing the kids' production of Rapunzel. Julie gets mad when he praises costar Ben so she hits him to get a peace of her mind. Kiki and Jody do not appear in this episode.
Skye and Ben exclude Kiki and Julie from their Count Spookula club because they don't think girls like spooky stuff, but they learn that some girls do like scary stuff, and some boys don't. Leon and Jody do not appear in this episode. Sizzle and Nuzzle only make cameo appearances.
Julie and Ben are surprised by Kyle's new activity of rock climbing. They incorrectly assume that people who use wheelchairs can't do something physically challenging, like climbing rocks. They soon become Kyle's biggest supporters, though.
Skye is ignored when he asks to use a video game so he assumes the girl is being mean. Then he discovers that she didn't hear him because she is deaf. After he learns some sign language, he realizes he has found a new friend. Nuzzle gets interrupted from his nap by Sizzle trying to catch a butterfly. Julie, Ben, and Jody do not appear in this episode.
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