I think what this situation needs is some imagination!note
Everybody shout "What's the big idea?"
(Hey! What's the big idea?)
Imagination Movers are music to your ears
(We're music to your ears!)
Now, we're the guys who like to figure things out
(What? We love to figure things out!)
I said, you need some help, just give us a shout
(Hey, Movers, won't you help us out?)
(Hey! What's the big idea?)
Imagination Movers are music to your ears
(We're music to your ears!)
Now, we're the guys who like to figure things out
(What? We love to figure things out!)
I said, you need some help, just give us a shout
(Hey, Movers, won't you help us out?)
Imagination Movers is a children's TV series based on the New Orleans-based band of the same name. It premiered its first two episodes consecutively on September 6, 2008, and ran for three seasons until April 14, 2013. It debuted on the Playhouse Disney block of Disney Channel, and remained on the block when it was rebranded to Disney Junior in 2011.
The series focuses on the members of the namesake band. In order of their introduction in the theme song, they consist of:
- Scott "Smitty" Smith - guitars, vocals
- Scott Durbin - vocals, mandolin, keyboards
- Dave Poche - bass, vocals
- Rich Collins - drums, percussion, vocals
The Movers live in the "Idea Warehouse", a magical place containing countless rooms, each with their own unique theme or setting ("Jungle Room," "Wind Room," "Beach Room," "Tropical Island Room,", etc.). Each episode revolves around them working to solve the problems of clients who enlist their help — always in unique, creative ways.
The Movers have special equipment to help them in their work. Rich's drumsticks double as "Scribble Sticks" that allow him to draw pictures and write words in the air, Scott has "Wobble Goggles" that allow him to see things from a variety of perspectives, Dave has a special baseball cap that can store a variety of objects of improbable size, and Smitty has a special journal that generates pictures and videos.
Recurring characters include Warehouse Mouse, an anthropomorphic mouse who lives in the walls of the Idea Warehouse; Nina, the Movers' spirited and bubbly neighbor; and Knit Knots, Nina's stoic uncle who dislikes things he considers too exciting.
The original band was formed in 2003, stemming from the four members' wishes to encourage creativity in children, provide positive male role models for them, and create music and content that "spoke to them, not down to them". They then formed the concept for a TV series centered around the band; reported influences on the series include shows like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Captain Kangaroo alongside music groups like The Monkees, Beastie Boys, and U2.
The TV/music concept for the band was pitched to local public broadcasting, and was eventually picked up by broadcasting in Louisiana. The band began building a regional following, eventually selling over 100,000 copies of self-produced CDs and DVDs. In 2005, the band caught Disney's attention, and the pilot for the TV series was made the following year. The band remains active to this day with all original members (including tour drummer Kyle Melancon).
After the series ended, reruns continued to air until 2014. The entire series was later made available for streaming on Disney+ in 2020.
Discography:
- Good Ideas (2003)
- Calling All Movers (2004)
- Stir It Up (2005)
- Eight Feet (2006)
- Juice Box Heroes (2008)
- For Those About to Hop (2009)
- In a Big Warehouse (2010)
- Rock-o-Matic (2012)
- Back in Blue (2013)
- Licensed to Move (2015)
- 10-4 (2018)
- Happy To Be Here (2021)
This show incorporates the following tropes:
- Artificial Outdoors Display: Several rooms of the Idea Warehouse simulate outdoor environments, from the jungle to the beach to the moon itself. There's even a room that contains an entire sky!
- Babysitting Episode: The episode "Mouse-sitting" deals with the Movers helping Warehouse babysit his baby niece Gouda, who won't stop crying.
- Bag of Holding: Dave's hat sure can hold a lot...
- Bigger on the Inside: Hell yes. This is played up to eleven with the rooms in the warehouse.
- Birthday Episode: "The Un-Party" for Knit Knots.
- The Bore: Knit Knots, Nina's uncle, wears beige and loves anything considered boring and plain, such as office work.
-
Broken Aesop: In "Award to the Wise", the intended moral is that you don't need a trophy to know you're special, but this gets undermined when Dave does get a trophy in the end. - Captain Superhero: Captain Terrific.
- Character Catchphrase: The Movers have several.
- This isn't just a problem, this is an Idea Emergency!
- A customer!
- Let's Brainstorm!
- Another Idea Emergency solved!
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Knit Knots. He was a regular character in Season 1, but suddenly disappeared in seasons 2 and 3 (not counting his appearance in the "Imagination Movers In Concert" special).
- Christmas Episode:
- Season 1: "Present Problem"
- Season 2: "Happy Ha-Ha-Holidays"
- Season 3: "A Little Elf Esteem"
- Clingy Costume: There was an episode where Mr. Knit Knots is stuck into a colorful costume, which is something he didn't like at all. He needs to take it off before the time he had to meet with his "Boring Club".
- Clip Show: "Mouse Scouts Clip Show," in which the Movers remind Warehouse Mouse of various great things he's done in the past and clips of those things are shown.
- Crazy-Prepared: The Idea Warehouse has a room for everything.
- Company Cross References: During the episode "Imagination Movers in Concert," during the scene where Nina calls EVERYONE about the big concert, scenes from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Special Agent Oso, and Handy Manny (showing the title characters answering the phone) can be seen.
- Cuckoo Clock Gag: In "Clock Shock", one of the Where is Warehouse Mouse? shorts, Warehouse Mouse is trying to sleep, but his cuckoo clock keeps chirping and waking him up. He manages to silence it by nailing an X of boards over the cuckoo doors, but only briefly, as the cuckoo bird suddenly chirps out of the clock's case. After unsuccessfully trying to hide the clock in his toy chest to silence it, Warehouse Mouse puts on some earmuffs so he can't hear the clock chirping.
- Does Not Speak Common: "Body Language" deals with the Movers trying to communicate with a visitor who doesn't speak any English. The customer turns out to be Knit Knots' cousin Drabdull from Boreovia, and wanted to ask the Movers where his office was.
- Dramatic Irony: In the "Body Language" episode, a foreign guest appears at the warehouse and repeatedly asks for "Nee Nohtz". The character is clearly looking for Knit Knots, a regular character on the program, but the Imagination Movers can't understand and resort to body language to solve the problem.
- The Dreaded: The Wind Room is this to the Imagination Movers, as the door is extremely difficult to close once it's been opened.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Rich's scribble sticks looked different, Scott donned a pair of white gloves, Dave's hat was orange instead of red.
- Episode Title Card: The series has its title cards show up in the middle of the screen near the beginning of the episode, as it is read aloud by one of the Movers.
- Excited Kids' Show Host: The Movers are examples of the zany but kind-sounding under-sixes hosts.
- Fairy Tale Free-for-All: One of the many rooms is a fairy tale themed room that appears in the episode "A Fairy Tale Ending".
- Genki Girl: Nina, in spades. On the other hand, you can also make a case for the Movers being a group (mostly) comprised of Keets, especially Scott. Hilarity Ensues when they're placed opposite of Nina's dull and dreary uncle Knit Knots, whose idea of a birthday party is equally drab music (instead of a traditional Happy Birthday song), eating a loaf of bread (as opposed to cake), and doing office work (in place of opening presents).
- Goggles Do Something Unusual: Scott's "Wobble Goggles", which allow him to see things from a variety of hypothetical perspectives.
- Halloween Episode:
- Season 2: "A Monster Problem"
- Season 3: "Haunted Halloween"
- Hammerspace: Dave's hat appears to be bottomless, and holds an infinite number of things.
- Happy Birthday to You!: "The Un-Party" has the Movers present their own birthday song. To have it better fit Knit Knots' hatred of anything exciting, they sing it in a slow and tired manner during the party.
- Hiccup Hijinks: One episode centers around finding Knit Knots a cure for his hiccups (they're "much too exciting" for him). In the end, all he had to do was to get his mind off them!
- I Am Not Weasel: In "A Little Elf Esteem," Carol, who is aspiring to be one of Santa's elves, can't remember names and refers to Warehouse Mouse as "Factory Gerbil." Later, when the Movers and Nina correct her, she ends up on "Warehouse Gerbil" and then "Factory Mouse."
- I Can't Dance: The episode "Wayne Dance" deals with the Movers teaching Nina's friend Wayne how to dance for a big show that evening.
- Indubitably Uninteresting Individual: Knit Knots is a dull man who is wary of anything too exciting, contrasting with the eccentric and active Imagination Movers and his niece, Nina.
- Mr. Fanservice: There's a Mover for everyone! Rich is your typical pretty guy. Dave's the handy man who can solve all of your problems. Smitty's smart and adorable. Scott's a big, cuddly teddy bear.
- Noodle Implements: Dave says he needs a herring and a colander for his workout.
- Once an Episode: The "Brainstorming" song.
- One-Steve Limit: Smitty's real name is Scott, but due to there already being a Scott he got his nickname.
- Phrase Catcher: "Nina!"
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Nina wears pink, and the Movers wear blue.
- Pink Means Feminine: Nina's main color is pink.
- Plot Allergy: In one episode, the Movers get their Idea Emergency when they need to figure out why Dave keeps sneezing. Turns out, he was allergic...to wool (Scott was wearing wool socks).
- Rock–Paper–Scissors: In "Shall We Dance?," Nina has an extra ticket to the ballet, so the Movers and Warehouse Mouse play rock-paper-scissors to determine who gets it. Mouse throws down cheese and everyone tries to figure out whether or not that beats Smitty's rock, they are then interrupted when the ballet's two big stars show up with a problem, and the game is eventually rendered moot when the entire group receives an invite to be guests of honor once they solve the problem.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: Wendy Calio aka Nina departed from the series to go back to Hawaii, her native home.
- Running Gag: Poor Dave has only landed one high five.
- Santa Claus: "A Little Elf Esteem" features an aspiring elf named Carol who wants to join the team that delivers presents with Santa. She has to study hard, but with the help of the Movers, she gets her wish.
- Scout-Out: "Mouse Scouts Clip Show" has Warehouse Mouse trying to get into the Mouse Scouts.
- Serious Business: "Baker Ben, the world needs your muffins."
- Shout-Out:
- In "Knight Time," Sir Fearsalot and the Movers don't have horses — only coconuts.
- A good majority of their albums are named after famous albums/songs, and sometimes even have album covers made in homage to the originals.
- Foreigner's "Juke Box Hero" —> Juice Box Heroes
- AC/DC's For Those About to Rock We Salute You —> For Those About to Hop
- AC/DC's Back in Black —> Back in Blue
- Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill —> Licensed to Move
- In "Award to the Wise", Smitty says "Warehouse, we have a problem!", a reference to the quote "Houston, we have a problem!".
- Signature Headgear: Scott has his Wobble Goggles, Smitty has his cowboy hat, and Dave has his red baseball cap.
- Soul-Crushing Desk Job: Averted with Knit Knots, While he does work in a boring Office Work, He prefers it that way instead doing anything "too exciting".
- Stock Animal Diet: In "Shall We Dance?," the Movers get some bananas from one of their rooms and are seen running out of the room, accompanied by the sounds of chattering angry monkeys. Oh, and Warehouse Mouse loves his cheese. There's even a song about it.
- Team Pet: Warehouse Mouse - this mouse gets actual storylines.
- Theme Tune Roll Call: Smitty's my friend he's playing his guitar! Scott's got his goggles that help him see far. Dave's over there underneath the red note hat! My name is Rich, I go a rat-a-tat-tat!
- Token Minority: Nina is Hawaiian, while the others are white.
- Truncated Theme Tune: Seasons 2 and 3 cut out a portion of the first verse and the ending, shortening the theme song to a minute rather than 1:15.
- Twinkle Smile: Captain Terrific, the guest of the day on one episode, listed this as one of his superpowers, along with Super-Strength, Super-Speed, and Flight.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: Unlike the Movers and Knit Knots, Nina has a wide collection of wardrobe, changing clothes every episode. Season 1 gave her three different base outfits, while she has a larger set from Season 2 on.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
- Knit Knots seems to be at least somewhat afraid of Warehouse Mouse, telling the Movers to keep the "furry, woodland creature" away from him.
- "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Mouse?" deals with a TV repairman afraid of Warehouse Mouse which prevents him from fixing the Movers' TV.
- Wrap-Up Song: Every episode ends with the song "Mover Music".
- Writing Lines: The poster sent to fans who joined the fan club depicted the four movers, Rich, Scott, Dave and Smitty against a blackboard on which they had written several times "I will think big! I will reach high! I will work hard! I will have fun!", which was essentially a variation of their Catchphrase, "Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun."
