Raggs Kids Club Band - Raggs History

Raggs History

Toni Steedman, a former advertising executive from Charlotte, North Carolina, created Raggs as an imaginary pet for her daughter Alison in 1990. The stories about a mischievous rock 'n' roll loving dog were shared during hour-long carpool drives with the neighborhood children. Within a few years, the children outgrew the stories and it seemed as though Raggs would be retired to the list of other fond childhood memories.

In 1997, Steedman, who owned Steedman Wilson, Inc., a regional advertising agency, revived the pup for use in a regional mall marketing program called The Raggs Kids Club, where Raggs gained a whole new fan base. By 2000, The Raggs Kids Club events were hosted in 30 regional malls nationally, including: Valley View Mall in Roanoke, Virginia; Vialia Mall in Visalia, California; Southglenn Mall in Littleton, Colorado; Fox Valley Center in Chicago, Illinois, and University Mall in Tampa, Florida. As Raggs LLC focused on television production and touring, The Raggs Kids Club program was phased out of regional malls by late 2006.

The Raggs Kids Club program required music, videos, premiums, and activities, all often centering on community events such as Earth Day, Bicycle Safety Day, etc. By 2000, Steedman was encouraged to expand the property to include more characters and more materials.

In 2001, The Raggs Kids Club added the following: Trilby, the bass player; Pido, the drummer; B. Max on keyboards; Razzles as the official band manager and tambourine player. The band's first CD, Pawsuuup!, was released in early 2001 and won numerous industry awards including iParentin Award, National Parenting Seal of Approval, Creative Child Awards, and Children's Music Web Award.

In mid-2001, Raggs produced its first US video, titled Pawsuuup! Tour, a one-hour music video about the band's performances and behind the scenes antics. Pawsuuup! Tour also aired as a television special on both public broadcast and commercial television stations in 2002, 2003, and 2005. As a DVD, Pawsuuup! Tour earned several national awards, was nominated for two Regional Emmys in 2004, and was critically acclaimed, earning a 3.5 out of 4 stars from Suite 101 Family Entertainment film critic Nicholas Moreau, tied for the highest-ever rating for an independently produced DVD.

The most recent character addition to the program is of the dogs' beloved pet cat Dumpster, who stars in his own segment in the show, "Interviews with Dumpster". Added in 2005, this delightful show segment has been a surprising and now invaluable element of Raggs, combining live guest interaction with comic relief that appeals to children and adults alike. According to Don Derheim, Senior Vice President of Marketing for KQED in San Francisco, "Dumpster is key to the credibility of the show, a major reason why KQED agreed to partner with Raggs LLC to launch the show in the US." "Adam Kronenberg's wonderful connection with children and his unique ability to talk directly to the children as both a puppeteer and actor is one of the key reasons PBS is interested in the show."

With KQED as the national presenter, Raggs made its PBS debut on June 4, 2007; it was initially distributed to ten test cities (not counting its nearby sister stations). This was PBS' first imported kids' show from Australia since the majority their imports come from either Canada or the United Kingdom. After a few months of showings in those cities, the show increased so much in popularity. While the show was airing its first episodes, the band made its eight-week "Dance Party" tour at the same time; fans poured in by the thousands. When American Public Television saw its success, it partnered with KQED in early February 2008 to syndicate the show to PBS markets around the country.

Two additional DVD titles were released, Holiday Jam and Red, White & Raggs, both produced by Steedman and MediaWorks Inc. A fourth CD, titled Unleashed, was also produced. Both DVDs also aired as US television specials in 2005 and 2006. Holiday Jam was a half-hour show shot in Telluride, Colorado, where the characters donned skis and took to the slopes. The production of Red, White & Raggs evolved out of the bands' three appearances at both the White House Easter Egg Roll and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. In the hour-long special, the characters help find the President's lost dog. The musical comedy adventure gives the characters an opportunity to tour the capital city, capturing scenes at popular Washington, DC monuments and historic sites. The show also included several scenes shot in the Oval Office set of ABC's Commander in Chief, a show which stars Geena Davis.

The first three DVDs and four CDs have not been distributed since 2006. Future distribution of music and DVDs will be related to the television series.