Melanie Martinez (born 1972) is an actress and comedian who performed Melanie the Babysitter, the first host of The Good Night Show, for the show's first two seasons from September 26, 2005 to July 2006. She originated the Welcome and Goodnight Songs, as well as the "Hush, Hush, Little Fish" poem that was recited to her character's pet goldfish, Hush.
Martinez was one of Sprout's first two hosts (the other being Kevin Yamada). Both of them appeared together in "The Let's Snow Show" during Christmas Eve 2005, which encouraged viewers to make their own snowflakes.[1]
- "Kevin and Melanie are the first members of the PBS KIDS Sprout Family who appear in between programs leading fun and engaging activities that encourage learning. Kevin especially loves to share viewer submitted birthday greetings and celebrations, while Melanie plays games makes arts and crafts and tells stories during bedtime hours." (link)
PBS KIDS Sprout unfairly fired her in July 2006 after finding out she was in two inappropriate PSAs about teenage pregnancy on the website technicalvirgin.com.[2] The Good Night Show went on hiatus until September, when Noel MacNeal hosted 24 episodes as Leo. Michele Lepe, the block's long-term host, took over starting in December, playing Nina, with Leo continuing to appear in segments in the first season of the reboot.
Biography
Prior to Sprout, Martinez was a 1994 graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She performed in local theater groups and hosted comedy shows.[3] When she joined Sprout, Martinez was the mother of a 3-year-old boy. In a 2006 interview, Martinez said that she auditioned for The Good Night Show because she wanted a role that her son would like. She said, "This was something that I really wanted, and I knew that if I got it, my son would have a lot of fun."[4]
Note to Parents Regarding The Good Night Show
- "Late last week, Melanie Martinez, host of The Good Night Show, alerted us to the internet posting of an independent short film that she appeared in seven years ago. PBS KIDS Sprout has determined that the dialogue in this video is inappropriate for her role as a preschool program host and may undermine her character’s credibility with our audience. As a result, PBS KIDS Sprout has decided that she will no longer appear as host of The Good Night Show. Melanie has been an important part of our network and we are disappointed that we had to make this difficult decision. PBS KIDS Sprout’s foremost priority is to do what is best for our young viewers and their families. We remain committed to The Good Night Show, which debuted last year, as a valuable tool for parents to help children wind down after a busy day. Regularly scheduled programs within The Good Night Show (e.g. Dragon Tales™, Bob The Builder™, Thomas & Friends™) will continue to air in their designated time slots with new short-form content replacing Melanie’s segments. We are developing plans to launch a new season of The Good Night Show with a new host in late 2006. Posted Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 6:02 p.m. ET" (link)
Notes
- There exists a singer of the same name.
- Star was added to the show shortly before Martinez was axed.