DefunctTV: The History of Zoboomafoo 

I didn’t know it only had 2 seasons. It feels like such a large part of my childhood. Such a special show, the Kratts should be really proud of the legacy they left with so many children.

This is, without a doubt, the entire reason I became a wildlife vet tech. Even when I was taking my test to get licensed, any question I learned the answer to from this show, I'd hear it in my head in Zabu's voice. Every animal I help is in your honor, Jovian.

Sad as Zaboomafoo's passing is, I'm just glad that the Kratt brothers have been getting shows so consistently. They have so much passion for the subject that it really carries the show.

I wrote the theme, songs and all the underscore for Zoboomafoo. Even back then my writing partner and I had a feeling that these would live on long after the show was off the air because of how special this show is.

Finally some evidence that I didn’t hallucinate this show as a child. This was my favorite back in the day.

PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE TO REMEMBER, "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman" I used to watch Zoboomafoo, Cyber Chase, and Between the Lions all of the time as a kid along with Fetch. My goodness, how time flies...

Fun fact: not long after Jovian’s passing, his 5th grandchild-a baby girl named Isabella-was born at the Duke Lemur Center where he lived. Her birthday was January 25th, 2015-the 16th anniversary of the day “Zoboomafoo” debuted! Good thing the Kratts’ and Jovian’s legacies are still going strong! 💛

the sheer amount of primal memories inflicted on me as a child from this show were crazy. its like looking in old boxes of items u made in kindergarten and you remember “hey i made that” but never would remember it from the top of your head. that closet where all the stuff would fall out, the berries in the claymation along with a few of the characters, its all vaguely familiar but i never would have carried it into my adult life yk?

The brothers are still on tiktok and make mini lessons about animal clips they find. They've done a couple tributes to Jovian as well it's really sweet edit: It was announced recently that Jovian's bloodline continues! He had a grandchild recently!

*Cough* Between the Lions *Cough*

The Kratt brothers were legit my first ever celeb crushes and I truly can’t believe the show only had two seasons, I feel like I watched countless episodes as a kid. My mom even got a little puppet that kind of looked like Zaboo and would wake me up in the morning doing a little voice like his and it’s some of my favorite memories from when I was growing up.

i haven’t cried in ages but hearing about my favorite lemur’s passing has left me in tears

god i was so obsessed with this show. only 2 seasons but genuinely such an impact. These guys and steve irwin were the center of so many of my little dirt-goblin child core-memories. everytime i go in a creek I think about the Zaboomafoo episode where they showed how to make sure you don't hurt salamanders under rocks. Everytime I walk on slightly tall grass I think about the episode where they showed how to spot bird eggs that had fallen. I tried to invite the kratt bothers to my 3rd b-day party lmao

"don'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcrydon'tcry" *sees Zoboomafoo silhouette* QQ WAAAAAHHHHHH

I watched this show as a teen despite it being made for kids way younger than me, because it was just so damn wholesome. No idea it had just 2 seasons

This is what makes this children's show one of a kind and beloved by everyone of all ages. All the different modes of storytelling that fit together to form a whole and the sheer enthusiasm of the Kratt brothers to show how amazing and unique all animals can be will leave a lasting mark on our hearts.😊

Defunctland has no right to make me cry like this...and yet

When I saw the title: Oh I remember this show! I loved it as a kid, but I don't remember too much about it... Watching the video: *Suddenly remembers everything right when they bring it up and able to mentally sing along with the songs* After the video: ... *wiping away tears* I really should re-watch this sometime...

God, what a truly special show. This might be my all time favorite children's show solely because of how much raw, genuine pureness that it exudes. If I have kids, I will absolutely be showing this show to them at a young age

born in 2004, but my parents couldnt really afford the disney channels and stuff like that. We had loads of episodes and series of wildlife shows on VHS and this was one of them. Me and all of my siblings were raised on learning about respect and admiration for animals. So many fond memories of this show

It's been nearly 20 years, and still remember every line from the Zaboomafoo songs. I had to see that abandoned Zaboomafoo set... That cut deep...That cut REAL deep.

"Go make an animal friend today!" *Me as a child taking that literally and going outside to talk to birds.*

That last ghostly shot literally had a tear run down my cheek. Thanks for making me feel something gotta go out and make an animal friend today now .

The Wild Kratts animated show was a big part of my childhood. I’ve never watched any of the other shows but I think The Wild Kratts definitely helped foster the love of animals I have today

I almost cried at the end. The house where Chris and Martin used to be, all dark, depressing and abandoned and zaboomafoos spirit jumping through the trees :'(

This show is literally why I'm majoring in Zoology, it shaped who I am.

This show to some extent had a role in me studying biology and conservation. It was such a core part of my childhood memories

All these years later and I can still sing along with the theme song. This show was definitely a big part of my childhood.

HOW DO I REMEMBER EVERY CLIP IN THIS VIDEO?! "The show only went on for 2 seasons, so it was heavily rerun" Oh, that's probably why.

Yo Zabooland was not a “nightmare”! It was one of my favorite parts of an excellent show.

THIS SHOW MADE MY LIFE! It was Crocodile Hunter, and Zaboomafoo, and the woods I grew up in that made me obsessed with zoology and having my own little creature features. I’ve spent my life striving to be like the Kraft Brothers or Steve.

I grew up watching the Wild Kratts, but I had no idea until a few years ago that they had more than one previous show like Zoboomafoo; it was amazing getting to know the history behind one of my favorite childhood shows

What kinda people don’t say “thank you” after “viewers like you”?

I got to meet the Kratt brothers and they are absolutely amazing! They were so nice and they let me take pictures and get their autographs. It was one of the best days I’ve ever had. I should probably mention that I was 17 when this happened...

I’m 32 now and this show meant the world to me growing up! Great memories…

I had the biggest smile on my face hearing the Zaboomafoo theme again. 😊

I am so glad I didn't hallucinate this whole show because my parents seemed to have no memory of it and I only remember bits and pieces but I watched it all the time.... Also remember having a crush on Chris despite him probably being old enough to be my dad.

My daughter LOVES Wild Kratts. I never made the connection that they created Zoboomafoo, a show that I grew up on. That's crazy, those guys are really awesome for keeping the torch going and making multiple generations of people who care about learning about and protecting animals.

Basically 20 years of me having not watching this show And I still know the song, and every bit that you showed us. Trapped in my memory RIP Jovian / Zaboo😭😭

Can't believe how short lived this all was. This show had a huge impact on my childhood. So much so that I even named a pet Zaboo. The show also made my favorite animal a lemur. I was a big Mr. Rogers kid too even though all I could watch was reruns during the mid to late 90s. If it wasn't for these shows, I wouldn't have the moral compass and interests I have today.

Zaboomafoo was one of my favorite tv shows as a kid and most people I talk to don’t even remember it

"she was also a master at fake typing" That had me in tears

We limit our daughter’s screen time, but this one of the few shows she gets to watch and she absolutely loves it! Thank you to the creators and cast of this show. Truly a special gem ✨

Anyone else bawling their eyes out??? 🥺❤️ miss these type of shows so much

Those Kratt brothers, may they continue to fill the hearts of children/adults with animal love. Rest in Peace Jovian, you'll always be in our hearts.

I did not realize my brain was still conditioned for all of the songs that came up with how much I watched this when I was a kid.

I remember watching this show every morning before going to kindergarten, up to the third grade. Im certain that this had a lasting impact on my life, even if I’d forgotten it for a long time. It’s probably what made me become fascinated with biology, almost earning my Bachelor’s in a few months from now. Ill never forget it again.

This was my favorite show as a child and now I’m a wildlife rehabilitator as well as an outdoor educator. I’m so thankful for them

Y'all really had to do me with the deserted Animal Junction? No, I'm not crying! You're crying.

I just got piledrived by nostalgia so hard I started crying a little bit, I never forgot this show. I even got to see the Kratt brothers at our zoo, they signed a copy of one of their books I owned, and my mom took pictures of me with them. They’re genuine people, good kind souls, I’ll never forget what they did for my childhood.

Early mid 2000s guy here, I just realized that I watched Wild Kratts when I was a kid and the memories are just flowing back to me. I genuinely forgot this show existed until now

8:18 "And Cy: a one eyed, two-tentacled squid creature." Me: *looks at appendages uncomfortably*

This was one of my favorite shows as a child, not having cable wasn’t always bad

To know how effective this show was, look at how many people were sad when they heard Jovian, who played the animal version of Zoboomafoo died. Also, I remember as a kid keeping looking for new episodes after the last new ones and just seeing reruns.

I did not start watching this to cry at the end. I loved that show so much

This show HIT SO HARD! It was always a special moment when it came on TV. Spent many a Sunday morning at the cottage enjoying these guys. I loved PBS in the late 90s and early 2000s. Add Bill Nye in there and you've got my childhood

Jovian lives on, in his granddaughter that was born fairly recently

I haven't heard any of those songs in probably 15 years and yet when they played I knew exactly what they were and how they went. Amazing.

this channel almost always makes me feel sad and nostalgic but this is the first one to actually make me cry

I literally smiled throughout this whole video! I used to watch this daily as a kid and loved that little lemur, so sad that he passed away... The show was a really good entertainment and fun for all ages, especially growing up without cable. Everybody that grew up with just Nickelodeon, Disney, and PBS on your basic television remembers these characters and holds them dearly in their heart... I'm glad the brothers are still continuing their help with animals all over the world!

I was tearing up at the end when Jovian's passing, but lost it when it was an abandoned Animal Junction with the shadow of Zabu 😭

I ALWAYS yell “Zaboomafoo!” When I see lemurs at the zoo, even as a 30 year old adult 😂

One episode I will always remember is the one with the school kids. I will never forget how stomped Martin and Chris looked as they tried to guess the animal of the day only to find out that it was actually a school bus! That episode had me rolling with laughter! Rest in peace, Jovian you were such a special friend to all of us.

God, this video still makes me cry every time I remember it. This show was EVERYTHING to me as a child, and I cannot imagine growing up without it. There are so many powerful emotions I feel when I think back on this show, but words really cannot describe it's importance to me. Everyone who has children should have this show on hand to show them, it's really so special.

My dad got to meet the real life Zaboo, Jovian. My dad happened to work at duke and visited the lemur center. When my dad told me this, I absolutely flipped out lol.

That ending made me tear up, dude! And now the theme song's going to be stuck in my head all day! And I'm going to be freaking out about Zabooland again! Kevin, what have you done???

I watched the entire thing in my childhood in Brazil. All dubbed. This show had such an amazing reach. You could tell it was done with love. Thank you, Zoboomafoo(brazillian name of Zaboo).

Zaboo: "Duck!" The Kraft brothers: "Where?'

Anyone else got some serious nostalgia after watching this

Gosh this was such a nostalgia trip. There were a very select few shows baby me would both want to watch and was allowed to watch, and zaboomafoo was definitely my favorite. It was a truly special show

To see that bit with Animal Junction being abandoned and at night, and especially the shadow of Zoboo leaping by with that signature laugh. Added to the fact that Jovian, the lemur who played Zoboo, had died almost four years ago... Things won't be the same without him...

I just want to say I love what this channel has become. I left a lot of critical comments in the early days when the tone and humor were a little different. But I've gotta say your content, production values, humor, and obvious care for your subject matter and viewers are all just a delight these days. There are tons of videos on youtube about theme parks, nostalgia, and the history of different pop culture topics, but Defunctland is really something special!

This brings back so many great memories from being a little kid. I can't believe how time passes so fast and how many things I forget until I find stuff like this. Now I'm sitting here crying because the memories are so intoxicatingly nostalgic that it hurts... I wish I could go back and re-live my past and fully embrace the moments that I didn't when I was younger.

Zoboomafoo was such a big part of my childhood. I grew such a love for animals from it. Went to zoos, read a bunch of books, and am still fascinated by them today. I watched sprout on demand all throughout the 2000s, and am so glad I found this show. Man I loved it

That ending brought me to tears 😭😭😭 I loved this show so much growing up, and I can never thank that little leaping lemur enough for all those happy memories. Rest easy, Zaboo ❤

As an adult holy shit these guys were so creative and pure hearted! I loved this show as a kid and really enjoyed learning more about it in this video

One of my earliest memories is of being taken with my family to a nice restaurant and realizing my mother hadn’t put in a VHS to record that days episode of Zaboomfaoo and being incredibly distraught that I was missing the show

Man I used to LOVE this show. This video showed me so many things I haven't thought about in decades. What a great show

You monster... reminding me of a lemur I forgot even existed for the past two decades and then telling me that he passed away 😢

"I was leaping along, leap, leap, leap..."

The fact it only went two seasons, but OBVIOUSLY impacted sooo many of us kind of validates “Zaboomafoo Era” Js.

Its crazy how much I actually remember these episode clips you’re showing! Thank you for reminding me of my childhood ❤

"Don't cry that it's over, smile because it's happened"

This show had an enormous impact on me as a kid. I now have my dream job at an aquarium working with animals everyday!

I didn't mention this 4 years ago when I last commented here, but from the age of 3 to about 8, I was _terrified_ of Zoboomafooasaurus. I had nightmares about her and/or her baby anytime the show itself was even mentioned, and sometimes the baby would intrude into otherwise pleasant dreams and made me wake up in a cold sweat. I even taught myself to sleep with my eyes open somehow (I thankfully grew out of _that_ habit...) Anyway, eventually I got so fed up with it that I marched into the living room, practically snatched the remote out of my grandmother's hands, and found the exact episode that caused my fear. I watched it. And my fear _vanished,_ replaced by a newfound love of the show. I entered a Zoboomafoo renaissance, going so far as to buy two of the CD-ROM games at Toys 'R' Us.

What beautiful coverage of such a special show! Thanks for bringing back my childhood for a bit. 💖

seeing the zoboo land characters after years and years is weird

When I was little I thought zoboomafoo was an actual animal and not a puppet

I just discovered that this must have been the reason why I’m such an animal lover now ❤ This video brought back so many memories of my childhood 😢

This was my favorite show as a child!! I used to be embarrassed saying it was bc my cousins liked the other shows.

I remember in 2002 I entered into a contest at local Italian restaurant to win a huge Zoboomafoo prize bundle, and weirdly enough actually won. It came with stationary, plushies, the pc videogames, all the episodes on DVD (they were my family's first DVDs) and a safari hat. I actually cried when I got it, and still have all of it to this day.

*plays the theme song* Me: *wipes a tear from my eye* “Jovian died at age 20” Me: *cries in a corner*

Great video, done with so much love and respect. You were definitely a fan of the show.

Everything about this is perfection. You’ve got a sub for life

Mangatsika video, dude

I like how the claymation part doesn't even pretend to be educational

Such an amazing show! Thank you!

I got tears in my eyes and a massive smile across my face after watching this, what a wonderful memory and a wonderful video! Thank you!

you know... the fact that RU-vid recommended this video to me the day I got my diploma as a biologist is pretty darn emotional. In some countries, such as my own, finding work in my field can be pretty difficult as you have to either already know someone who will hire you or pretty much beg for some place to take a chance on you and seeing how dedicated the Kratts brothers have been to teaching about wild life and conservation and risks and animal myths through out their lives is actually pretty inspiring thank you for making this video

When it showed the abandoned set you heard Zaboo and seen his shadow jumping past the window, I cried.