JoJo is the main character of the Disney Channel series JoJo's Circus, which began broadcast on September 28, 2003, on the Playhouse Disney block. The series was created by Jim Jinkins, David Campbell, Lisa Jinkins, and Eric Weiner and produced by Cuppa Coffee Studios and Cartoon Pizza. JoJo is portrayed as a curious six year old clown girl who lives along with her family in Circus Town. The series teaches the audience about exercise, and life lessons. The series ended on February 14, 2007, but was briefly brought back in 2012 before being canned in 2014 on the relaunched Disney Junior block and channel. Shorts entitled Feeling Good With JoJo continued to be aired until at least May 2008.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
JoJo made her Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in the 2005 Parade, with a giant helium balloon. The 63-foot tall balloon depicted JoJo soaring down the streets of New York City as she juggles a pair of star-studded circus balls (each the size of an African elephant), with a third flying just ahead of the balloon. The juggling motion was choreographed by a group of 50 balloon handlers, paying homage to the show's movement-based theme. From the big top to the black top, the balloon strutted it's stuff down the Parade route in shoes that were the size of a city block. JoJo successfully gave the crowd a bit of laugher as she was given the honor of preceding Santa Claus.
The Parade would later be parodied in a special episode of JoJo's Circus, where Circus Town is excited about the Thanksgiving Hip Hooray parade that goes right by the Big Boo Boo Hospital, cheering the patients as it does, until when parade organizer Mrs. Kersplatski injures her funny bone and ends up in the hospital. JoJo rallies her friends to showcase their special talents in their own makeshift parade, to the delight of the patients and the community.
Following 2005, the JoJo balloon would make two more appearances in the 2006 Parade and 2007 Parade, retiring from the line of march shortly after the latter.