"Eat it with a spoon!" ~ Tagline (2001-09)
"Get into the jam, on HBO Family!" ~ Narrator (Schedule Bumper/2009-16)
Jam was the preschool-aimed programming block on HBO Family, starting on August 26, 2001 until ending its run for 15 years on January 17, 2016, the day after Sesame Street (currently airing the former PBS) joined HBO, ultimately rebranding into HBO Kids, but later moved to HBO's new streaming service. The mascot of the block featured a blob-shaped anthro jelly named Jammie.
Bumpers[]
When the block first launched in 2001, the Jammie character was in 2D animation, and the bumpers featured live-action kids outside in fields playing with the character, typically singing this rap song:
- “J-J-Jammie!
- So sticky and wiggly... and goopy, and jiggly!
- J-J-Jammie! Come out and play
- Child: Jammie, your friend for the day (She says this during the block)
- Child: Jammie, see you tomorrow (She says this at the end of the block)”
Kids would also say why they liked Jammie. Additional bumpers included a series with Jammie and three chefs performing acts in a circus. Originally, one bumper was made which featured Jammie jumping off a high dive pointing to land on a slice of bread hinted that the chefs old (but one of them catch him in their hat instead). But following the success of that bumper, more were created and aired in Summer 2004.
In 2009, the block was rebranded, dropping the realistic fields in place for 3D-animated ones, which were designed to look like they were made out of jelly, hence the block’s name. Jammie was also revamped with computers for the new look. The bumpers include different live-action kids dancing and playing with Jammie.
Jammie was only seen in 2D for a few bumpers that featured him doing things to help the planet, brushing his teeth, or colorizing the whole world.
Schedule Bumpers[]
In 2001-2009, the bumpers featured Jammie dancing with kids in fields before going to the block’s schedule and bouncing as each show gets listed.
In 2009-2016, Jammie is shown diving down the ocean (alongside kids in a boat, waving to Jammie) in a submarine while driving past the list of shows scheduled to air.
"Next On" bumpers[]
In 2001-2009, the bumpers featured Jammie bouncing on a bubble featuring a screenshot (albeit distorted) of the upcoming show with kids announcing it.
In 2009-2016, These bumpers featured Jammie flying an airplane in a box with a montage of those episodes' clips from the upcoming show with the kids saying "Next on Jam" and announcing it. Then, a different kid say Hi, Jammie, and all kids say HBO Family.
Programming[]
Original programming[]
- A Little Curious (2001-2016, premiered before Jam in 1999)
- Crashbox (2005-2016, mainly aired on Magnet until its closure in 2005, premiered in 1999)
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (2001-2016, premiered before Jam in 1995)
- HBO Storybook Musicals (2001-2016; debuted in 1987 and 1989, premiered in 1990)
- Kindergarten (2001-2016)
- El Perro y El Gato (2003-2016)
Partner programming[]
- Animated Tales of the World (2005-2008)
- Anthony Ant (2001-2003)
- Babar (2001-2004, premiered before Jam in 1989)
- Classical Baby (2005-2015)
- Encyclopedia (2001-2002, premiered before Jam in 1988)
- George and Martha (2001-2009, premiered before Jam in 1999)
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (2001-2011)
- I Spy (2002-2011)
- Magic Cellar (2007-2010)
- Postman Pat (2005-2007)
- Rainbow Fish (2001-2007, premiered before Jam in 2000)
- Stuart Little (2003-2010)
- The Adventures of Paddington Bear (2001-2004, premiered before Jam in 1998)
- The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures (2001-2004, premiered before Jam in 1998)
- The Little Lulu Show (2001-2004, premiered before Jam in 1995)
- The Neverending Story (2001-2005, premiered before Jam in 1995)
Shorts programming[]
Interstitials that air in-between shorts in commercial breaks.
- And Now You Know
- Eat 5
- HBO Family: 411
- I Want to Be
- Jammin' Animals
- Just Wondering
- Lisa (2001-05)
- My Favorite Book
- Smart Mouth (2005-16)
- The Way I See It
- When I'm...
- Who Knew? (2005-16)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Jam premiered alongside a block made for preteens called Magnet, which both premiered on August 26, 2001 until the block got discontinued in January 2005.
- In January 2005, when Magnet got discontinued, Jam began airing Animated Tales of the World and Crashbox, shows that both aired on Magnet originally. The latter show still airs to this day, even after Jam got rebranded to HBO Kids in 2016.
- Despite aiming only at preschoolers, there were some shows on the block that were rated TV-Y7, such as Crashbox, Stuart Little, and The Neverending Story.
- A bumper made for Jam was animated by the same person who also worked The Way I See It.
- The 2009 bumpers were made by the Georgia-based Primal Screen, which the same studio where also made El Perro y El Gato for the block.
- NYC-based designer Jill Taffet created the Jammie character, alongside his rap bumpers.