Star's Castle
A Sprout fanfiction
By Madeline Fretz
It was a late afternoon in early 2007, and while Nina was doing more "adult" things nearby, Star was skimming through VHS tapes, trying to decide on what to watch on the TV and VCR cart. He and Nina owned various tapes of beloved children's shows - Sesame Street, Barney & Friends, The Wiggles, Blue's Clues, Baby Einstein, "Baby Animals on the Farm," and even the forgotten Sesame Workshop show Big Bag, but he found one tape that was not like the other - it had medieval, Muppet-looking puppet characters on the cover. After playing "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" and stumbling upon it, Star picked it up and said "Eureka … this seems like the perfect show to watch," seemingly not knowing what the show's actual title was.
And so, the tan star-shaped creature popped the VHS onto the TV, plopped himself on the crescent moon couch and started to watch it. While he was entranced by the catchy songs emanating from the VHS player, he realized something - he forgot to tell Nina what he was watching, so he got off the couch, rushed to where she was, and said "Nina, I'm watching Eureka!"
"You're watching Eureeka's Castle?" asked the Hispanic young woman whose eye Star was under.
It was then that Star learned the name of the show. "Eureeka's Castle…" he thought to himself, "now that's the name of the show!" Little did he know how important the show would become later on in his life.
After that time, as well as another time (and maybe one more), Star forgot about Eureeka's Castle, until when he and Nina started doing the show in the You and Me Tree in 2011. The duo had a TV in front of the new moon couch, and there were a bunch of VHS and DVD tapes to watch. They owned various videos of their favorite children's shows, including, you guessed it, Eureeka's Castle. Nina and Star had a few tapes of the show, and the latter couldn't stop watching … and talking about them - he watched the show sometimes before their Sproutlet friends came over. The thing was, he only remembered a few things as time went by.
…But in 2017, a year after Sprout took off The Good Night Show and when it was about to become a block on the then-upcoming Universal Kids channel, Star was outside, thinking about episodes of different shows, when he remembered the Eureeka's Castle episode where Eureeka and Magellan were building a block tower. After that, he started going on YouTube and searching for clips of the show and going on websites related to it, and that's how he ended up with party supplies, plush toys, books, almost every VHS tape of the show, hats and shirts, and even an iPhone case. Everyone who knew him declared him Eureeka's Castle's biggest fan, and indeed he is.
But what people don't know is that the show ended after two seasons in 1991 - long before he was born, and so he thinks, and sometimes dreams, about the show coming back in any way, shape, or form someday, and worries that it will probably never happen. Matter of fact, when he goes on the internet and tells other people about the show, they keep telling him that it doesn't exist anymore, upsetting him. He constantly cries about the show, but one day that happened not too long ago, Nina found him doing so.
"Star, what's wrong?" his human guardian asked.
"It … it's Eureeka's Castle." the pillow explained, in the midst of tears.
"Oh yeah, what about it?" Nina asked.
"I … I … I sometimes worry the show will never come back." Star replied. "You see, it's on Paramount Plus, but I believe Nickelodeon doesn't care about the show anymore, and they believe live-action shows will bore children, unless they're Henry Danger or whatever."
"Oh Star, you know what we always say," Nina told him, booping him on the (non-existent) nose, "There's still hope."
"But, but, but for Eureeka's Castle, there's not." Star sniffed, burying his head in between his legs.
"Hey Star, do you know what will make you feel better?" asked Nina.
"Umm…no."
"Perhaps watching some Eureeka's Castle, or talking about your favorite episodes," Nina suggested, "Or how about you take your mind off the show and we can go out for some ice cream or something."
"No." Star said sadly.
"Okay," Nina shrugged, "I'll just let you make yourself feel better." And with that, she slowly walked away.
Star laid down and closed his eyes, thinking of the ways he could get Nickelodeon to revive his favorite show. He called them once, wrote countless petitions - both online and on paper - and kept spamming them with emails. Maybe another petition on paper could work, he thought to himself, but Nickelodeon would end up ignoring him instead.
With all that said, he hoped for a potential Eureeka's Castle revival, but part of him feared the show would never come back ever again, and not just because it's been more than 30 years. This made him even sadder, and, you guessed it, he started to cry again.
"Hey Star, you crying again?" Nina asked as she walked over to the moon couch again.
"Yeah."
"About Eureeka's Castle?"
"Yeah." Star nodded. "But this time, I fear that it will never, ever come back, and that people don't seem to care about it anymore." He began to cry.
"Oh Star, don't get so upset like this." Nina comforted her closest friend. "You know there's always a way." And with this, she started to sing.
Think of happy things
When you're feeling down or blue
Think of happy things
When you're feeling down or blue
When something scares you
or if you wanna cry
Or if you're feeling angry
This is how you'll get by
Just think of your favorite things
or happy memories
Then that frown will turn into a smile
As you can see
Just close your eyes, and think real hard
Thoughts can take you near, and they can take you far
Once you're remembering when
You'll feel better again
Think of Happy Things if you lose your way,
That's how you know everything's okay
Don't worry now, cause I'm right beside you
And just know that I'll comfort you
"Star?" Nina asked.
"Oh yeah," Star smiled, "I can remember the time Magellan sang a lullaby to Cooey, or when Eureeka made a square ball with corners."
"That's it, you're thinking happy things!" Nina exclaimed, and with that, the song continued.
Nina and Star:
Think of happy things
When you're feeling down or blue
Think of happy things
That's what you gotta do
Star:
Just close your eyes, and think real hard
Nina:
Thoughts can take you near, and they can take you far
Star:
Once you're remembering when
You'll feel better again
"That's right Star!" Nina beamed.
Nina and Star:
Think of Happy Things if you lose your way,
That's how you know everything's okay
Nina:
Don't worry now, cause I'm right beside you
And just know that I'll comfort you
"You're right Nina, I can always think of happy things when I'm feeling upset." Star pointed out.
"Yup!"
"And you know what?"
"What?"
"I can ignore all the petitions I started, and let the show's legacy stand. I can remember it in a more positive light!"
"That's good thinking!" Nina smiled, and with that, the two hugged.
"So, what do you think, you wanna watch some Eureeka's Castle?" Nina asked.
"Sure. I'm always up for it!" Star smiled, and with that, Nina popped a Eureeka's Castle tape on the VHS player, and the two started to watch it.
THE END