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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman | 4/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetch!_with_Ruff_Ruffman | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T07:45:34.319880+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Studio G set === Studio G is the studio for Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. Three segments of the show take place in the studio – the intro, half-time quiz show, and "Triumph Tally". In season 1, the contestants recognized that Studio G looked like a garage and asked Ruff why. This really annoyed Ruff, who told them it was not a garage but "Studio G". Throughout the show's five seasons, the studio changed. For seasons 1 and 2, the studio remained relatively unaltered, but sizable changes were made to the studio for season 3. The television through which the contestants communicate with Ruff was changed to a more current flat-screen TV, and Ruff's owner parked her car, a dusty Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, in the studio. A flamingo and trees as well as a "Studio G" sign and a "wall of fame" displaying past Fetch! contestant season winners were added to the studio in season 2. In season 4, a new remote control mailbox was placed on the TV Screen, which popped out when a challenge was in the mailbox. Season 5's major renovation occurred during the season finale – it became the Go Get It! studio (Studio P), and was a remodeled version of the Studio G set with new carpeting and pink chairs.
=== Auditions === To audition for the program, potential contestants were required to be between the ages of 10 and 14 by the first day of shooting, and be able to live in the greater Boston area over the summer, during school vacations, and a few weekends during the school year. FETCHers needed to be filmed without missing school. Auditions were handled by Maura Tighe Casting.
=== Cancellation === The show had auditions for its sixth season in January 2010, but on June 14, 2010, due to lack of funding, WGBH Boston announced that Season 5 will be the final season. On June 27, 2010, Jim Conroy (the voice of Ruff) made the official announcement at the Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. On his Facebook page, he said, "It's such an impossible task going up against Sesame Street, Cyberchase, and The Electric Company. So you have to consider the nomination as a win. Can't complain. PBS gave us 100 episodes and 5 seasons. Many good shows never saw that kind of time." Fetch! aired its fifth and final season in October 2010, with the final episode date being November 4, 2010. After the series ended, reruns aired on selected PBS stations until August 31, 2014. A few years later, the PBS Kids channel launched, and reruns returned to broadcast on January 16, 2017 through November 20, 2018.
== Spinoffs ==
=== Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius === In May 2014, a new spin-off was announced, called Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius. This spin-off debuted in Fall 2014 and features short animations of Ruff Ruffman and Blossom, focusing on internet safety. Episodes:
"Texting and You!" (November 2014) "Photos and You!" (November 2014) "Searching and You!" (November 2014) "Technology and You!" (November 2014) "Technology and You! Bonus Video: Chicken Island" (January 2015) "Hang Up and Drive!" (July 2015) "Hang Up and Drive! Bonus Video: Just Drive!" (July 2015) "Privacy and You!" (January 2016) "Privacy and You!: Deleted Scene" (January 2016) "The Internet and Chet" (March 2016) "Say! Cheese?" (May 2016) "Getting the Most From the Internet" (June 2016) "An Orange Dog Goes Green" (January 2017) A new season of Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius centered on the utility of artificial intelligence was released by PBS Kids on March 1, 2024. In this season of shorts, Ruff has a new cat assistant named Lupine. Episodes:
"Ruff Amuck" "Robot Helper" "Algorithms" "Poetry" "Meet Halley" "Spooky Movie Night" "Too Good to Be True" "Ruff's First Livestream"
=== The Ruff Ruffman Show ===
On July 30, 2017, PBS Kids and WGBH announced that Ruff Ruffman along with his two assistants Blossom and Chet will be making a comeback in a new digital series called The Ruff Ruffman Show, where they answer questions from real kids, take on challenges and learns the value of perseverance—all while modeling science inquiry skills. The digital series premiered on September 28, 2017.
=== Team Hamster! === On December 15, 2020, a web series called Team Hamster! premiered. It is a spin-off focusing on Ruff Ruffman's hamsters - Sadie, Mateo, and Tasha. The series also ties-in with games on the PBS KIDS website. In the series, Ruff is the janitor at the school the hamsters live in.
=== Cancelled spinoff: Spyhounds === WGBH and Global Mechanic had announced plans to produce a spin-off of Fetch! based on the online game Spyhounds. It would feature Ruff, Blossom, and Chet having a new career as super-spies, and Ruff is in way over his head. Luckily, he has much help: five clever kids, a purple poodle named Trixie, and millions of kids online. The spinoff plans were announced but were later canceled.
=== Fetchtok === On July 21, 2022, WGBH and Jim Conroy released FetchTok, a TikTok-based challenge where Ruff (voiced again by Conroy) asks viewers to record themselves performing his challenges and posting them on the app. Former FETCHer Liza Giangrande participates in three of the four challenges.
=== Content Creator === As of October 27, 2025, WGBH has created "Content Creator" where Ruff interviews people such as Blair Imani and former Fetcher Shreya Viswanathan to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the digital world and with remote work.
== Reception ==