One of the most popular children’s authors of all time, Richard Scarry created a plethora of lively characters that endeared his books to literally millions of readers over the course of his life. It was only a matter of time before the strange worlds he concocted would find their way to the television screen.

The Busy World of Richard Scarry debuted on the Showtime network in 1994, the same year as the author’s untimely death. It featured a whole host of interesting residents of “Busytown” such as Hilda Hippo, Sgt. Murphy, Lowly Worm, Mr. Fixit and Bananas Gorilla, each brought to life from the written pages in which they had previously appeared.

The show would last for two seasons before making its way over to Nickelodeon, where it enjoyed a long run and allowed young viewers to see their favorite characters come to life in a world that could only be created by Richard Scarry.