Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show!

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're thrilled to welcome legendary director and associate director Ken Diego, whose remarkable career has helped shape some of the most beloved moments in children's television. Since 1993, Ken has been a creative force behind Sesame Street, directing and associate directing countless episodes, fan-favorite segments, home vid...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we close off 2025 by welcoming acclaimed television director and producer Jonathan Judge, a major creative force in the kids and family entertainment world. Jonathan's career in children's programming began with one of the most iconic preschool series of all time, Blue's Clues. He later directed its spin-off, Blue's Ro...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're joined by the multitalented puppet artist David Bizzaro! David's journey in the world of puppetry has taken him across some of the most beloved corners of children's entertainment, beginning with his work as a puppet wrangler for Sesame Street, including the specials The Magical Wand Chase, When You Wish Upon a Pickl...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're thrilled to welcome the incredibly versatile puppeteer, puppet builder, and humanitarian worker Lisa Buckley! Lisa began her career bringing characters to life for television and film, including serving as an assistant puppeteer on the classic sitcom ALF. In the early 1990s, she joined the legendary Sesame Street team, where...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're honored to welcome legendary television creator, producer, and puppeteer Sid Krofft! As one half of the iconic duo Sid & Marty Krofft, Sid helped shape generations of childhood memories through imaginative, groundbreaking series like H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. The brothers later br...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we are joined by executive producer and children's television creator Don Moody! Don's career started as a fine artist, before founding the advertising agency Moody Communications. He then entered the world of television production, where he was an associate producer on several shows with ABC. He is best known for co-creating ...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we welcome the multi-talented puppeteer, puppet wrangler, producer, and writer Jamie Donmoyer! Jamie pupeteered for Sesame Street in the Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic attraction at Universal Studios Japan, contributed to the holiday special Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas, and performed with the Sesame gang in the Macy's Thank...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're joined by award-winning children's musician and singer-songwriter Justin Roberts! Before becoming one of the most beloved names in family music, Justin got his start in the indie-folk scene as a founding member of Pimentos for Gus. After the band's split, he found his true calling creating smart, heartfelt, and irres...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we speak with the incredibly talented Jean Marie Keevins — a puppet artist, producer, writer, designer, and one of the most versatile creative forces in the puppetry world! Jean Marie shares her fascinating journey from building puppets for Avenue Q and Disney on Ice to her time as Vice President of Puppet Heap, where she coordinated ...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're joined by two incredible talents who helped shape the voices of our childhoods, Sonja Ball and Rick Jones! Sonja is best known for bringing to life beloved characters such as Wimzie on Wimzie's House, Jane Read (Arthur's mom) on Arthur, Huckle Cat on The Busy World of Richard Scarry, and Spookley from Spookley the Sq...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're thrilled to welcome writer and producer Scott Kraft! Scott has had an incredible impact on children's television, with a career spanning beloved animated and live-action projects. From his early work with Nelvana on classics like Rolie Polie Olie, George Shrinks, and Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends, to co-creating ...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we are joined by Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin, best known to Playhouse Disney fans as Vivian, one of the beloved hosts of the preschool favorite Out of the Box! Vivian shares how she landed the role, her favorite songs and crafts from the show, what it was like to perform in the Playhouse Disney Live! tours, and so much more. We also div...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we welcome television and film producer Dete Meserve. Dete shares her journey from serving as executive producer on the PBS Kids hit Ready Jet Go! to taking the reins as executive producer and showrunner of Weather Hunters, the newest PBS Kids series created by America's beloved weathercaster Al Roker. This conversation touches on...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we welcome actor, writer, producer, and creator Wesley Eure! Known to millions for his role as Michael Horton on Days of Our Lives and as Will Marshall on the beloved sci-fi adventure Land of the Lost, Wesley's career spans across soap operas, television, film, and children's entertainment. He's appeared in series like Ins...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're thrilled to welcome back voice actress and children's musical artist Debi Derryberry for her third appearance! Beloved for bringing countless animated characters to life, Debi now turns her talents toward soothing songs with her brand-new lullaby album, Go to Sleep, releasing September 26th. In this episode, Debi shares ...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we welcome acclaimed music supervisor and composer Jeff Zahn, whose work has soundtracked some of the most beloved children's television of the past three decades. Jeff's credits include iconic series like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Madeline, Arthur, Wimzie's House, and Caillou—for which...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we're joined by the talented children's director and producer Koyalee Chanda! Koyalee got her start on the groundbreaking Nick Jr. favorite Blue's Clues, where she directed and wrote episodes, directed the show's memorable "video letters", and even provided the original voice of the character Magenta. From th...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we welcome actress, composer, and teaching artist Liz Filios! From 2010 to 2012, Liz brought joy to young viewers as one of the hosts of Sprout's morning block, The Sunny Side Up Show. Continuing her work with kids, she went on to create Storytime in the Zoom Room in 2020, a free interactive learning space for children and caretak...

Welcome to Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show, the podcast where nostalgia comes alive!

This week, we honor another puppeteer who is no longer with us, by interviewing Jan Nelson, the wife of legendary puppeteer Jerry Nelson, best known for originating the roles of Count von Count and Herry Monster on Sesame Street, Floyd Pepper, Robin the Frog, and Lew Zealand on The Muppets, Gobo Fraggle on Fraggle Rock, and Emmet Otter on Emmet ...