Olympic Champion Mary Lou Retton Stars In New PBS Television Series Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop

Mary Lou Retton captivated the world during the 1984 Olympics by scoring a “perfect 10” in the all-around women’s gymnastics competition. Today, Mary Lou is on a new mission to captivate the world of children, and motivate them to seek their own “gold” from within.

As the host of Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop, a new educational children’s show airing on PBS stations across the country, Mary Lou introduces a fresh concept in children’s television programming to teach important life lessons to children while encouraging them to lead active, healthy lifestyles through “creative movement.” Mary Lou’s brand of “creative movement” encourages each viewer to become an active participant in each episode, rather than a spectator. Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop captures children’s attention by creating a high-energy, three-ring circus environment through music, dance and “creative movement.”

The show’s 13 half-hour, live-action episodes, designed primarily for preschool and elementary children between the ages of 4 and 7, teach both physical growth and social development skills through lessons brought to life by Mary Lou, five lively costumed characters and a cast of children in the Flip Flop Shop, a high-energy fantasy playroom.

“Our mission is to motivate children to get off the couch and get actively involved in the themes of the show,” said Retton, herself a mother of four young children. “While the show stimulates children’s imaginations through fun and entertainment, we go a step further and help children develop a positive attitude toward the formation of healthy living, including positive thinking, self-confidence and nutrition.”

Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop Jumps Into Real-World Issues
Along with host Mary Lou, the series stars a regular cast of characters, each with their own distinctive personality to teach children different concepts. The characters include:

• Jumpy: Mary Lou’s enthusiastic sidekick and best friend Jumpy exudes bouncy, acrobatic playfulness. Though Jumpy does not verbalize her enthusiasm, her infectious energy conveys the fun in being physically active.
• LZ Bones: Moving at half-speed, LZ Bones would rather sleep in his favorite chair than pitch in at the Flip Flop Shop. While he usually gets dragged against his will into singing or dancing, LZ Bones ends up enjoying and learning from the Shop’s activities.
• Miss Warble: With a tool belt full of imaginative props that can be used for everything from musical instruments to exercise gadgets, Miss Warble sings her way into children’s hearts. As the Flip Flop Shop’s custodian, she keeps the Shop in tiptop order, serving as an example of how organization skills can help everything run smoothly.
• Mr. Bump: This charming but clumsy delivery man brings instant laughs with his shock of red hair and too-small uniform. Riding his trusty tricycle, the gangly Mr. Bump introduces interesting new items to the Flip Flop Shop, and is always excited about joining in Shop activities.
• Professor Blinky: A patient, wise owl, Professor Blinky is known for speaking in riddles or dropping hints to help the Flip Flop Shop children learn new ideas. Though she always knows the right answer, just like every smart teacher, she lets children exercise their own brain power.
  

The show also includes a rotating cast of children, who become part of the Flip Flop Shop’s whirl of events and ultimately learn how to deal with real-world children’s issues, such as acceptance, safety and insecurity. For example, in the “Sharing” episode, Mr. Bump cancels the Flip Flop Shop’s big baseball game when the Shop children disagree and won’t share their favorite things. When Jumpy shares her special doll with an appreciative Mary Lou, the arguing group quickly sees that sharing material possessions is more important than isolating themselves from the special people in their lives.

“While the subject matter on Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop may be universal, I believe we can better reach children through a positive, real-life role model,” Retton said. “We did not want to produce the type of television show that’s based on put-downs and negative comedy. Instead we’ve set out to produce a show that parents can feel comfortable letting their children watch alone with characters and themes they can trust.”

Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop’s regular features add to the show’s mission to impact both physical and emotional well-being in children, Retton said. These features include visits to a fruit bowl to help children learn that fruit is not only good to eat, but also good for them, and the Gallery, an art wall that showcases paintings created by children around the world to introduce viewers to the world of art.

All of this takes place on a set that is alive and full of surprises. The Flip Flop Shop generates excitement through its squiggly couches, leaning doors, spinning pictures and circular slides. The Shop’s activities are punctuated by spirited, engaging music, with 40 original songs throughout the 13 episodes.
With elements of boundless energy, humor and physical fitness, Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop is a very unique children’s program. Its broad appeal will attract family members of all ages, Retton said, and she believes it represents the type of program parents will want to watch alongside their children.

Series Production Sets Up Shop in Texas
Mary Lou, and the show’s creator, husband Shannon Kelley, have kept the production of the show in their hometown of Houston, and almost all of the 97 cast and crew members are from the Houston area.

Filming for Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop takes place at HoustonPBS’ Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting at the University of Houston, and is shot in digital high-definition, widescreen format, making it the first PBS children’s series shot in HDTV.

The bright, interactive set was created by Emmy Award-winning production designer Jimmy Cuomo, who also created sets for Disney’s “Adventures in Wonderland” and “Peewee’s Playhouse.”

Directors and producers of Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop include the experienced PBS director Fred Holmes, whose directing credits include Barney & Friends and Wishbone, and Calvin Phillip Yamin, with production credits for more than 50 episodes of Power Rangers.

Small Plans Flip into Big Show
Retton and Kelley first outlined the concept for Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop on a napkin while dining at a Houston restaurant, and in 1995, they began discussing the show concept with Bill Young, the founder of Bill Young Productions of Houston – the world’s largest supplier of advertising and promotional materials for the theatrical, concert and event touring industries. In 1999, Retton and Young formed Y&R Productions, Ltd. in order to move forward with the show’s concept.
Young, who also has directed national television commercials and previously worked with Mary Lou in a talent capacity, said, “I believe in the goal of the show to bring new life to children’s television programming, and Mary Lou is just the person who can do this. She possesses a special talent for relating to children with her enthusiasm and vitality.”

Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop is a production of HoustonPBS and Y&R Productions, Ltd., presented by LARK International, a leading international supplier of public television programming. Additional partners include Tommy Nelson, an inspirational children’s book and video publisher that has produced six Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop videos that are available at retail outlets nationwide; and FamilyNet, a 24-hour values-based television network.

Now, with Mary Lou’s bundle of energy coming through the television, children across the nation will be “flipping” to learn more.