FAQ

Oobi does not take place in the same fictional universe as Sesame Street, but the two shows are closely linked. Oobi was created for Noggin, a channel co-founded by Sesame Workshop. The characters were billed as "furless" Muppets in promotional materials and all of the puppeteers are Muppet alumni. The creator, Josh Selig, had worked on Sesame since its first season and created Oobi while watching puppeteers audition for Sesame Street.

Lejo is a series of short films that first appeared on the Dutch adaptation of Sesame Street in 2003. It features bare hand puppets with eyes, much like those on Oobi. Since both programs include the same type of puppets and are based on Sesame Street, it is often assumed that one is an adaptation of the other. No connection has been confirmed by the creators, but if one were to be an adaptation, it would be Lejo and Oobi would be the original. The Oobi shorts debuted in 2000: three years before the full-length episodes premiered in 2003, which was also the year Lejo started.

Probably not. This unproven rumor originated after a comedy sketch on The Soup (2004) took a clip from the "Showtime! (2003)" episode out of context. The scene shows Oobi and Kako trying to become unstuck after getting glued together, but without knowing what is going on, they appear to be kissing.

It is unknown. The series was filmed at the New York film studio Kaufman Astoria, where Sesame Street is also taped. It is possible that Oobi is set in New York City, much like Sesame Street is.

The parents of Oobi and Uma are never seen or referenced on the show. Grampu seems to be their only caretaker, although a character called "Aunt Oota" (Grampu's daughter or daughter-in-law) is mentioned once.

Hand puppet eyes like those used on the show can be bought here.

A full DVD release was never sold. However, short clips of episodes of Oobi were made available as bonus features on several Nickelodeon videos in 2003. The show can also be viewed on Paramount+