Tot TV Watch

Postcards from Buster is a spin-off from Arthur. The show features Arthur’s friend Buster traveling with his father, who is a pilot for a band that is on tour. The show is basically about Buster making video postcards about his travels that he sends back to Arthur and friends. The show is part animation and part live action.

In the show Buster meets kids in the local place he is and goes on different adventures that usually involve learning about local things. It is usually a pretty interesting show and it shows kids of a variety of backgrounds going about their lives. The show tends to show how the life of the kids are different from Buster’s while also pointing out things that make them similar.

In the first two seasons Buster traveled around the US and the episodes show him meeting kids in the local places. I have seen a lot of these episodes and I have yet to see a bad one. The new season started this month and features Buster going to international destinations. I imagine these new episodes are even more interesting if not way better than the first two seasons, however, I have not been able to see them. My local listings showed the new episodes playing several times, but then as the day approached the listings changed and the new season has yet to air on my local station. I have a feeling this show is continuing to be banned from some stations due to the controversies that contributed to the third season taking so long to come along. Please share if you have been able to see the new season.

Last weekend the new show True Jackson, VP premiered on Nickelodeon. I tend to not watch much of the Nickelodeon shows, as the non-Nick Jr cartoons really stink in my opinion and the live action stuff is overall just so-so. This new live action show did at least sound interesting, although it did seem a little bit That’s So Raven-like in that in some episodes of that show Raven was a fashion designer and if I am not mistaken one had a very similar plot to this series.

True Jackson, VP is basically a show about a teenager named True Jackson (played by Keke Palmer) becoming one of the Vice Presidents of a fashion company. The first episode starts with the back story of her talent being discovered and the company’s owner realizing they were missing a potential target audience of teens. Thus she quickly becomes VP of youth apparel or something like that. The first episode then finishes up being about her first day and first major project that almost ends in disaster.

Overall this show is okay. It definitely has some humorous things and it is certainly interesting to see the idea of a teenager having such an important job and her dealing with the responsibility. However, it just does not feel all that unique to watch and the whole fashion aspect is too much. I think there are some teen girls that might enjoy this show, but its audience appeal seems to end there. Perhaps that is the audience they are trying to get to watch Nickelodeon more with their other recent new show being H2O.

WordGirl is one of several current PBS shows that have a main educational focus on language arts. The specific educational focus of WordGirl is vocabulary. While it is not exactly unique in its educational focus, the format of the show certainly makes it stand out as unique from the other vocabulary teaching shows, such as Martha Speaks.

The main character of the show is Becky, who is a fifth grader with a large vocabulary and has a secret life as the super hero named WordGirl. In the show she leads her life as a regular girl and also ends up fighting villians. Some episodes seem to have more WordGirl appearances while other episodes she ends up mostly being Becky. The action packed super hero parts thus really vary to lots of good vs. bad scenes to sometimes very little. Most of the battles end up involving word fights, i.e. there is not too much violence in this super hero show, which is a good thing since the target audience is early grade school kids. In the battles or other scenes at least two new key words end up being defined in an appropriate context, which really helps kids learn new words much better than a spelling/vocab book that most schools solely rely on.

Overall I think this is a good show for its target audience of kids ages 6 to 8, but personally I do not get the entertainment grab. However, I never have been much into superhero shows, so that is a personal bias. I do realize that many kids do like super hero stuff and thus I think this show does a good job of entertaining those types of kids and at the same time teach them some new words.

Tonight the new GUTS spin-off, My Family Got GUTS premiered. I loved the original GUTS, so I made it a priority to watch the premiere of the spin-off. To start off the theme song has the same old tune, but it just is not as good with the

Free Run City was the first event. It is a relay race about getting through the course as fast as they can. The first part of the course is the construction site with high beams. The second part is a wedges area. The water tower part comes next, which is the cool sideways running thing, but this time it is a dizzy three laps around the water tower. The final part is a tower jump. While course seems exciting as expected from GUTS, the overall viewing experience was not as enjoyable as the commentator is not as exciting.

After this event there was a segment telling about the Green Team, Chastian Charge. It did not really tell much about them and mostly was just them saying they are going to win and are glad to have made the show. The Red Team, Sherry Strom, video was much better with saying some about them, however, it also is filled with them saying what they were going to do to prepare for GUTS.

The second event was Flying Football. This event reminds me of the basketball one they used to have in GUTS. In this event the players are on harnesses and they try to throw the balls through the field goal to their partner. They get a point when their partner catches the ball.

The final event is the Agrocrag. The Red Team got a head start because they were in the lead. The Agrocrag is as exciting as ever with the obstacles including the new vertical freeze. This made it worth watching to the end of the episode, as it was pretty interesting watching the teams really be challenged by the vertical freeze.

In the show the winning family gets a piece of the Agrocrag and a chance to compete in the season finale in which the winner gets a special trip prize. I may catch more of the season, but it certainly is not as good as the original, however the main reason is the blathering Ben Lyons. Basically, it just is not as exciting as the old host used to make it and the competitors also do not seem to have much excitement or spirit except in their intro videos. I will admit though that there are a few in the locker room segments that are a good addition. Just if only the host was better, then this would not be half bad.

I just created a page with links to the TV on DVD reviews I have posted on this blog. I am getting ready to make my list of DVDs I have to post about, so be prepared to see more than one review a week for a while. I am going to try to make it a habit of posting the reviews as I watch the DVDs, so some weeks there may be several reviews while others may have none, but I will try to balance it out so that there are not weeks with no reviews and probably will not have more than one review go live a day.

Also, I am always open to requests for DVDs of kids shows to review. Just comment on this post and let me know what you want reviewed and I will add it to my Netflix Queue and review it as soon as I can.

Sid the Science Kid along with Martha Speaks are the latest shows to premiere on PBS. Of course, as can be expected being a PBS Kids show it is pretty educational while remaining interesting for preschoolers. The main educational aspect of Sid the Science Kid is obviously science, but it is no where near as boring as such a specific title might suggest.

The main character is Sid, who is a curious preschooler. Each episode starts with him having some sort of curious question that leads into him learning the answer through a scientific approach. For example, in one episode he learns how charts can be useful for data and in another he learns about decay after wondering why his banana has become mushy. Most of the learning happens in Sid’s preschool setting that includes the fun educational activities that his teacher uses to help teach the episode’s concept as well as fun time such as a corny joke segment about the concept.

Overall I like this show because of the fun puppet like animation and that it teaches the scientific method while at the same time encouraging kids to explore their own curiosity about things in their daily lives. One thing that I do not like about the show, though, is how Sid always has a toy microphone. It just seems really dorky that he plays fake claps and laughs and then there is the annoying rap song moments, but from a kid’s perspective I can see it having an appeal and helping to draw them into the show. Thus it is a small annoyance to adults, but it is tolerable when put in perspective of the science concepts effectively taught.

Little Einsteins is part of the regular line up for the Playhouse Disney segment of the Disney Channel. This animated show is among the better educational shows out there for preschoolers. It has the aspect of adventure, which appeals to most kids and draws them into the show and enjoying it. The adventures involve the four main characters going on trips that regularly involve real world places, such as China in “The Dragon Kite” episode, as part of the episode’s mission. Thus is teaches a little about the diversity of the world, but the real thing it teaches about is art and music.

Art and music are two things most kids enjoy and/or can be taught to enjoy through experiencing it. The thing is, though, that they are not always exposed to a wide variety of art and music that is out there. The show at least in the case of the art does a decent job of showing different art styles in the beginning segment that shows the episode’s featured art. The featured music does not end up quite as varied, but it does at least expose kids to classical music, which these days many do not come across otherwise. In regards to music it also teaches kids about music basics such as patting to the beat of the episode’s featured music.

Overall Little Einsteins is a fun show for kids to enjoy and learn a little about music and different art styles. The main thing is that it is an entertaining show for preschool age kids that is not entirely mindless, but also is not too educational to make them become disinterested.

This new show H2O started a few weeks ago on Nickelodeon. The first episode was about them getting mysterious powers that turn them into mermaids whenever they come in contact with water. This, of course, can be quite problematic with water being everywhere. Now they have to deal with trying to be normal when they are not at all normal. Beyond their power of turning into mermaids they also have special control over water. One can control water as a liquid, one can turn it into steam, and the third can freeze the water.

The three main characters of the show are Emma, Cleo, and Rikki. Emma is competitive and before the incident that gave them their powers she was a swimmer. Rikki is a new girl in town, as well as a rebel and a risk taker. Both Emma and Rikki easily come to enjoy their new powers. Cleo on the other hand has trouble with them. First off, she has always had a fear of water. Thus she is hesitant at first to discover the depth of her new powers, but this changes when she finds out turtles are getting caught in nets and she could use her powers to save them.

Overall this is an interesting show that so far has them beginning to use their powers for good almost becoming underwater superheroes. I guess they could be called environmental superheroes, but that is just based on Cleo saving the one turtle in one episode so far. It certainly seems the focus is going to be another show about kids for tweens about kids trying to fit in when they are not normal and keeping the true them a secret (not really sure how this makes it a great show, as should not kids be learning to be themselves, although I guess sometimes there are extremes where you just have to keep things secret).

Johnny and the Sprites is a refreshing change of pace from the usual animated shows that grace my television. It combines live-action, puppetry, and music sure to entertain your preschooler. The full-length show premiered on Playhouse Disney earlier this year after positive viewer reactions to the five-minute shorts airing on the Disney Channel. It was recently renewed for a second season that will begin filming in the Fall of 2007.

The show follows the story of Johnny T (Tartaglia), a musician who has moved to the country to find some peace and quiet and focus on his music. What he didn’t expect to find was a portal to an enchanted world inhabited by little creatures called Sprites right in his backyard. The Sprites - Ginger, Basil, Lily, Root, and Sage - keep Johnny occupied and entertained during the day. Johnny never minds spending time with his new friends and often helps them solve their problems. Sometimes they even help Johnny solve some of his own problems.

Johnny and the Sprites learn a lot from each other during their daily festivities in Grotto’s Grove. Johnny often uses his music to teach the Sprites about things such as patience, manners, friendship, and self-esteem. Each one of the Sprites represents a component of nature such as air, earth, and water, which often leads to discoveries about nature and the environment.

Each episode of Johnny and the Sprites contains two 11-minute stories, as well as original Broadway-style music that is appealing to children and adults alike. It airs on Playhouse Disney Saturdays and Sundays (check local listings for time).

Johnny and the Sprites, Johnny T, Johnny Tartaglia, music, environment, nature, friendship, self-esteem, Playhouse Disney, Disney Channel, puppetry

It’s A Big Big World is an interesting title for a show that focuses on a single tree community. However, when you look a little closer, you see that the tree represents the world on a larger scale. The World Tree is home to a variety of animals including Snook, an energetic tree sloth who helps his friends learn about the world around them; Burdette, a Quetzal bird who is a bit of a know-it-all; Smooch and Winslow, a pair of sibling Marmosets who like to stir things up; Madge, a turtle with a map of the world on her shell; Bob, a Southern Tamandua who loves ants and likes to stir things up; Ick, the crabby catfish who lives in the water hole at the bottom of the tree; Oko, an old Howler Monkey and Tai Chi master; and Wartz, the agreeable Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Each animal has different characteristics and contributes to the tree community in their own way. Amazingly, all of the animals manage to get along and live in harmony, even with their differences.

In the World Tree, the tallest tree in the rain forest, Snook and his friends have many adventures and learn about the world using the methods of scientific investigation. It’s a Big Big World helps kids learn about animals and science through the process of discovery and promotes a better understanding of geography, environment, and community. Each episode also includes original music that features sounds from around the world. The show is produced using the patented Shadowmation, a combination of puppetry and computer generated animation. The result is a high-definition picture with very vivid colors.

After viewing the show, kids can go to the It’s A Big Big World web site to play games and find other activites that build on the ideas presented in the show.

While I will admit that the show moved a little slow for me, it does appear to accomplish its goals of teaching children ages three to six about science and the environment. When you are tired of ABC’s and 123’s, it is definitely a worthy alternative.

It’s A Big Big World can be seen on PBS Kids. Check local listings for times.

It’s A Big Big World, Shadowmation, science, environment, geography, scientific method, animals, World Tree, community, PBS Kids

Originally created by three innovative moms, Wilbur aims to encourage young kids to become more enthusiastic about books and reading. Wilbur, the main character of the show, is a young calf who uses books to find ideas and solve problems. Knowing that books have all the answers, Wilbur guides his friends Dasha the duck, Ray the rooster, and Libby the lamb through various stories to help them find the answers they are searching for. As they read the book, the pictures in the story come to life as they might in your child’s imagination. In one episode, Wilbur’s friend Dasha wants to make a pizza but doesn’t know how. Wilbur finds a storybook about a hungry troll who needs a recipe to make his favorite “Slug Slime Sandwich”. After reading the story, Dasha realizes that she needs a recipe to figure out how to make the perfect pizza.

Unlike other children’s shows focused on literacy, Wilbur demonstrates concepts such as how to read from left to right, turn pages right to left, and how you start at the top of the page and read down. Wilbur also points to the words with his hoof as he reads the story demonstrating the function of print.

The series creates a unique look with a combination of live action, puppetry and “Shadowmation” - a combination of animatronics and CG effects that allow puppets to move around in a 3-dimensional world. Each episode includes two original storybooks and music conveying the message that reading is fun.

So far I’m very impressed with what I have seen of this show. The bright colors, simple stories, and music are sure to keep any toddler’s attention while teaching them some basic concepts that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

Wilbur premieres April 16th at 11:00 a.m. during Discovery Kids “Ready, Set, Learn!” block. It will also begin airing on TLC April 23rd at 7:30 a.m.

Wilbur, Discovery Kids, Ready Set Learn!, TLC, puppets, shadowmation, animatronics, reading, preschool

Easter is coming up this weekend, so what better time is there to talk about two young bunnies?  The two bunnies I’m speaking of are Max and Ruby, a pair of siblings who are constantly at odds with each other.

Max is a 3-year-old bunny who, as most toddlers do, wants to get his way.  Whether it is playing with his trucks or putting bugs in a birthday cake, he wants what he wants when he wants it.  He is always trying to get his big sister Ruby to bend the rules just a little bit and often ends up getting in trouble.

Ruby is Max’s somewhat bossy 7-year-old sister who always seems to be in charge.  She tries to be responsible and keep Max in line, but sometimes it seems she has her own agenda.  Ruby is often frustrated by Max’s childish ways and that tends to result in quite a bit of sibling conflict.

Max and Ruby generally end up compromising and ending things on a good note.  Throughout their conflicts, they still manage to show each other a little bit of love and respect. Sometimes they even seem to enjoy each other’s company.

The draw of this show is that it shows sibling relationships in their truest form.  You could walk into any house containing 3 and 7-year-old siblings and see the same type of interactions.  However, you would also most likely see at least one parent breaking up the arguments, which seems to be missing from this show.  In fact Max and Ruby’s parents never have appeared on any episodes I have seen, although their grandmother is a regular fixture.

Max and Ruby was created by author/illustrator Rosemary Wells and is based on her Max and Ruby books.  It began airing as an animated series in 2002. 

You can see Max and Ruby on both Nick Jr. and Noggin.  Max and Ruby’s Easter Special will air on Nick Jr. Friday, April 6th, at 1:30 p.m. ET/PT. Brand new episodes will be shown the week of April 9-13 on Nick Jr. to jump start the new season.

Max and Ruby, Easter special, Rosemary Wells, siblings, relationships

Up until now I have managed to escape watching LazyTown, but for the sake of the blog I decided to record and actually watch a full episode.  To be perfectly honest, I could have gone my entire life without watching it and not missed much.  I did like the machine Pixel built that could pause, fast forward and rewind life, but Stephanie’s fake looking pink wig and the music (that reminded me of that “Barbie Girl” song) drove me a little batty.  Needless to say it won’t be seen on our TV again anytime in the near future.

LazyTown was created by Magnus Scheving, an aerobics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment.  It has a very unique look which was created by a combination of CGI animation, puppets and live characters. Scheving also stars in the show as the active and health conscience superhero Sportacus.  His character spends his days trying to lead by example and show the residents of LazyTown - known for being lazy - how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Stephanie, who recently moved to LazyTown and lives with her uncle, is an optimistic young girl who has to make daily choices between a healthy alternative and taking the easy way out.  She loves LazyTown, but strives to get her new friends Ziggy, Trixie, Stingy, and Pixel outside to play and keep them more active.  She encourages the others by holding onto her motto, “There’s always a way!”  As an aspiring dancer, Stephanie really appreciates some of the fantastic moves Sportacus performs.

Robbie Rotten, the town villain, is perhaps the laziest of them all.  He spends most of his time snacking and watching TV in his underground lair.  The only time you see him outside is when he has come up with some new idea that he thinks will make his nemesis Sportacus look like a fool.  He just doesn’t understand why all the kids look up to Sportacus instead of himself.

Each day in LazyTown is a brand new adventure.  The adults may be a little lazy, but the kids are learning to give up some of their lazy habits,to Robbie Rotten’s chagrin.  All of the characters add their own splash of personality to the show to create a nice balance.

The one redeeming quality that I see in the show is that it does encourage kids to be active and promotes the idea that all kids do have the will to succeed.  They might just have to search a little to find it.

You can catch new episodes of LazyTown all week long (4/2/07-4/5/07) on Nick Jr. It also airs on Noggin. Check local listings for times.

LazyTown, Magnus Scheving, Sportacus, Stephanie, Robbie Rotten, Nick Jr., Noggin, new episodes

Sometimes I am amazed at just how oblivious I can be. In our house we tend to get stuck on watching certain shows and forget that there is such a wide variety out there. I guess when you have 500 plus channels to flip through it just becomes easier to stick with the ones you know you like. That’s why I was so surprised when a friend mentioned that her son loves to watch TLC in the mornings. I had no idea that they had children’s programming in the mornings. I have to say I’m a little embarrassed about that since I write a blog all about kids’ TV shows.

This morning I decided to flip over to TLC and see what was on. I was pleasantly surprised to catch an episode of Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks. A show about Monster trucks wouldn’t normally be my thing, but I was really impressed with it. The CGI-style animation is bright and colorful and the characters are all unique and very loveable.

Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks is basically a show about friendship and how to treat others. It revolves around Meteor and his group of young, big-wheeled friends who are striving to become monster truck heroes like those before them. In each episode, the young trucks learn about what it takes to be a monster truck and compete to see who can accomplish each obstacle the fastest. Each truck has different strengths and weaknesses and nobody wins all the time. Along the way, the friends teach viewers important lessons about sportsmanship, friendships, and feelings.

In this morning’s episode, “Sue the Rooter Truck,” a stinky, bossy, new Rooter truck named Sue joined Meteor and the group. While the other trucks played together, Sue kept to herself in the corner. Eventually the other trucks reached out to her and found out that she wasn’t really so different. She just didn’t think anybody would like her because of her smell. Once they assured her that they actually liked the smell that made her different, they all got along quite well.

If you haven’t seen Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, I suggest you give it a try. While it doesn’t teach a foreign language or even ABC’s, it does teach some very important lessons about how to get along with others.

The newest set of Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks episodes is set to premiere April 16-20 on Discovery Kids and TLC.

Bigfoot, Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, Discovery Kids, TLC, monster trucks, relationships, sportsmanship, Sue the Rooter Truck

Handy Manny, voiced by Wilmer Valderrama (Fez!), is a bilingual repairman from the friendly town of Sheetrock Hills. When somebody needs help, they call for Handy Manny and his trusty set of tools. He can fix nearly anything and in the process manages to teach viewers about problem solving and how to get along with others.

Manny’s tools are always anxious to help him out, but their unique personalities sometimes cause conflicts. When that happens, Manny has to use his problem solving skills to settle the conflict and help everyone get along.

Kelly (voiced by Nancy Truman) is a friend of Manny’s. She runs the hardware store where Manny often goes to pick up supplies. She is generally very helpful and helps Manny find just what he needs.

Mr. Lopart (voiced by Tom Kenny), who Manny frequently runs into, owns the candy store next to Manny’s workshop. He has a bit of a know-it-all attitude and often refuses Manny’s help. This tends to get him in trouble more often than not.

Handy Manny is an entertaining show that teaches preschool age kids in a fun way. While it doesn’t shove ABC’s and 123’s at them, it does teach them some great interpersonal relationship skills. Handy Manny can be seen on Playhouse Disney at 9:00 a.m. ET/PT.

Handy Manny, Playhouse Disney, Wilmer Valderrama, Nancy Truman, Tom Kenny