Popples is an animated series, based on the Popples toys, created by Marie Cisterino, Janet Jones, Fran Kariotakis, Janet Redding, and Susan Trentel, that aired in syndication in the United States from 1986 to 1987 and Sky Channel in the United Kingdom from 1987 to 1988. The cartoon was produced by DIC Enterprises and LBS Communications in association with The Maltese Companies. Like the toys which they are based on, the Popples resemble colorful teddy bears/rabbits with long, pompom-tipped tails, and they have pouches on their backs that allow them to curl into a fuzzy ball. All the Popples stutter when they say words with the letter "P" in them. The name "Popple" is a reference to the popping sound they make when unfolding themselves from such a ball, or pulling objects from their pouches. In the cartoon Popples commonly pull large items from their pouches that could not possibly fit inside, which come from hammerspace; in "Popples Alley", one of the Popples' human friends looks inside one of their pouches and sees numerous objects floating in a void.

Plot

Nine of the Popples live with a human brother and sister, Billy and Bonnie Wagner. Billy and Bonnie think they are the only kids who have Popples until a neighbor family moves in and they have their own Popples — the Rock Stars, Pufflings, and Babies. The Popples tend to make the kids' activities go out of hand, but with beneficial results by the end. The plot revolved around the children's efforts to hide the existence of the Popples from the adults around them, although their existence is found out by the Wagner parents in the pilot and not in the cartoons.

Spin-offs

The Popples also had a comic book series from Star Comics (an imprint of Marvel Comics). A new Netflix series based on the characters premiered in October 2015.

Characters

The humans

Bonnie & Billy's Popples

Mike & Penny's Popples

Sports Popples

This was a group of six sports-themed Popples who appeared in only two episodes: "Decatha-Pop-A-Lon Popples" (in which all six appeared) and "Popple Cheer" (in which all but Cuester appeared). The only previously established character they ever make contact with is Bonnie, in the latter cartoon, where they explain they're "new in the neighbourhood". They are both played by Danny Mann. The Sports Popples each specialize in one sport, wears an outfit based on that sport, and folds into an appropriate type of ball. Even their tails are shaped like sports balls:

Voice Cast

Episodes

Popples broadcast 44 episodes, including the pilot, with two segments contained in each half-hour show. Both of the season's intros and endings are different.

Season 1 (1986–1987)

Season 2 (1987)

Release

Home media

A single-disc DVD of the series was released in the UK by Maximum Entertainment in 2004, containing 10 segments.

Streaming

As of 2020, the show can be found on Pluto TV and on demand at Paramount+.

VHS UK history

Broadcast UK history