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 videos, television specials, and educational outreach projects that have touched generations. We also dive into his work directing the planetarium production One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure, the musical event A Swingin' Sesame Street Celebration at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater, and the spin-off The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo. Beyond the Street, Ken shares stories from his work on Square One TV, Allegra's Window, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Out of the Box, Live by Request, and more. Plus, we chat about his ongoing role as associate director of the Tony Awards.

Special thanks to Martin P. Robinson for connecting us!

Taping date: January 19, 2025

Edited by: Chris Bixby (Co-Host)

https://www.facebook.com/cbixby2000

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 Room, and a wide range of other hit children's series, including LazyTown, Johnny and the Sprites, Disney's Ooh and Aah, The Fresh Beat Band, and various productions for Sprout. For older audiences, Jonathan's directing credits span some of Nickelodeon's biggest live-action hits, from The Naked Brothers Band and Big Time Rush to Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn and The Thundermans.

Special thanks to podcaster and Happy Nostalgia fan Alison for connecting us!

Connect with Jonathan!

https://jonathanjudgedirector.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jonathanjudgedirector/

Taping date: September 23, 2025

Edited by: Simon A. (Baby Lamb Creations)

https://www.youtube.com/@BabyLambCreations

https://www.tiktok.com/@babylambcreations

https://www.instagram.com/babylambcreations/

https://www.reddit.com/user/BabyLambCreationsYT/

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 Pickle, and the spin-off The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo. David went on to puppeteer and voice a variety of characters for Sesame Studios, and he brought his fabrication skills to the feature film The Happytime Murders. He was also the puppeteer behind Mochi in Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant and most recently stepped into the world of the Muppets as Gerald Teeth Sr., the father of Dr. Teeth, in the Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem.

Connect with David!

https://www.davidbizzaro.com/

https://www.instagram.com/davidbizzaro/

Taping date: December 2, 2024

Edited by: Drew Wells

https://www.youtube.com/@drewsmediacorner399

https://www.instagram.com/drews_media_1/

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 she helped perform a wide range of Muppets—most notably the beloved Betty Lou. Her work in children's television continued with work on Oobi, Blue's Room, Johnny and the Sprites, and the first season of Noodle and Doodle as Noodle McNoodle. She also puppeteered in the hit film Men in Black. In recent years, Lisa has dedicated her craft to humanitarian aid through her work with No Strings International, using puppetry to help educate and empower children and adults around the globe. Through films addressing WASH, malaria, HIV, menstrual hygiene, and more, she continues to inspire change and spark hope.

Connect with Lisa!

http://sattvacreativearts.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@sattvacreativearts5360

https://www.instagram.com/sattvacreativearts/

Taping date: December 22, 2024

Edited by: Chris Bixby (Co-Host)

https://www.facebook.com/cbixby2000

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 brought their creativity to a new era with the Nick Jr. hit Mutt & Stuff, and left their mark across television variety with classics including Donny & Marie and The Brady Bunch Hour. Sid reflects on the early days of the Krofft legacy, the innovations that set their shows apart, working alongside his late brother Marty, and the lasting impact their fantastical worlds continue to have today. It's a heartfelt, nostalgic conversation celebrating one of television's most visionary creators.

Connect with Sid and check out his and Marty's creations!

https://www.sidandmartykrofft.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sid.krofft.10/

https://www.youtube.com/@SundaysWithSid

https://www.instagram.com/sidkrofft/

https://www.instagram.com/sidandmartykrofft/

https://x.com/SidKrofft

https://www.threads.com/@sidkrofft

https://www.cameo.com/sidkrofft

Taping date: May 31, 2025

Edited by: Drew Wells

https://www.youtube.com/@drewsmediacorner399

https://www.instagram.com/drews_media_1/

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 WordWorld, a PBS Kids show that originally stemmed from a series of books and toys. After the show's run came to an end, Don then went on to create the series Mia & Codie, which introduces children to the world of coding.

Connect with Don and check out his work with Moody Studios!

https://www.instagram.com/moodydonmoody/

https://www.moodystudios.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MoodyStudios

https://x.com/MoodyStudios

Taping date: October 17, 2025

Edited by: Simon A. (Baby Lamb Creations)

https://www.youtube.com/@BabyLambCreations

https://www.tiktok.com/@babylambcreations

https://www.instagram.com/babylambcreations/

https://www.reddit.com/user/BabyLambCreationsYT/

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 Thanksgiving Day Parade. She was an additional puppeteer on Johnny and the Sprites and performed the character Francesca the Frog, and she later took on the role of lead puppet wrangler for The Chica Show. Beyond her on-set work, Jamie also teamed up with friend and past show guest Leslie Carrara-Rudolph to create the production company Humor with a Heart, dedicated to imaginative storytelling with a positive message.

Check out Humor with a Heart!

https://www.humorwithaheart.com/

https://www.facebook.com/humorwithaheart

https://www.youtube.com/@humorwithaheart

https://www.instagram.com/humorwithaheart/

Taping date: November 20, 2024

Edited by: Drew Wells

https://www.youtube.com/@drewsmediacorner399

https://www.instagram.com/drews_media_1/

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 irresistibly catchy songs for kids and parents alike—beginning with his 1997 debut album, Great Big Sun. In this episode, Justin takes us through his incredible discography, sharing stories behind fan-favorite tunes and reflecting on the evolution of his sound over the years. He talks about memorable live performances, the Not Ready for Naptime Players, how his music came to be featured on Nick Jr., and the inspiration behind his brand-new album, Brain Freeze.

Connect with Justin!

https://www.justinrobertsmusic.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@JustinRobertsMusic

https://www.instagram.com/justinrobertsmusic

https://x.com/MusicianJustin

https://linktr.ee/justinrobertsmusic

Taping date: July 8, 2025

Edited by: Miles

https://www.youtube.com/@Miles02109

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to the audio version wherever you find your podcasts!

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 puppet builds for numerous projects with The Muppets. You will also hear behind-the-scenes stories from her work on beloved shows like Johnny and the Sprites and It's a Big Big World, as well as insights into her creative process as Associate Artistic Director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Jean Marie also talks about her company Little Shadow Productions, how she's brought powerful stories like All Hallow's Eve and Aanika's Elephants to life through her producing work, and briefly touches on her coaching work.

Taping date: November 19, 2024

Edited by: Simon A. (Baby Lamb Creations)

https://www.youtube.com/@BabyLambCreations

https://www.tiktok.com/@babylambcreations

https://www.instagram.com/babylambcreations/

https://www.reddit.com/user/BabyLambCreationsYT/

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other audio platforms!

https://open.spotify.com/show/1PdrRWSmUdQ3m2NpNR9lSk

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow

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 Square Pumpkin. Rick voiced C.L.Y.D.E. in C.L.Y.D.E. and Fu-Fu on Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat, and has worked extensively behind the mic as a talented voice director. Together, Sonja and Rick share stories from their careers, the joys and challenges of voice work, and the lasting impact of bringing characters to life that continue to spark nostalgia for fans young and old.

Special thanks to Jeff Zahn for connecting us!

Taping date: May 14, 2025

Edited by: Chris Bixby (Co-Host)

https://www.facebook.com/cbixby2000

Be sure to check out our website, where you can learn more about the podcast and find how to follow the Happy Nostalgia team!

https://jakeshappynostalgiashow.weebly.com/

Listen to our podcast on Spotify and other audio platforms!

https://open.spotify.com/show/1PdrRWSmUdQ3m2NpNR9lSk

https://linktr.ee/JakesHappyNostalgiaShow